Head teachers in the Highlands could be asked to start running up to five schools at the same time from this summer.
The local authority is poised to begin rolling out the controversial new “cluster” model from August – and is drawing up plans to eventually introduce it at every school in the region.
Councillors will be asked next week to approve changes affecting the first 38 secondaries and primaries.
The new management arrangements have been initially proposed for schools connected to Kilchuimen Academy, Kinlochbervie High, Farr High, Mallaig High, Dornoch Academy, Plockton High, as well as some primaries feeding into Lochaber High and Millburn Academy.
Furious parents branded the plans “unmanageable” last night, while blasting the local authority over its “shambolic” consultation.
But Highland Council education chiefs insisted the new model would help solve chronic recruitment problems, enable head teachers to spend less time in classrooms, and potentially save small, rural schools from closure.
Cluster models already exist in the Highlands and elsewhere, often due to recruitment problems, but most do not include the local secondary school.
Councillors initially agreed to develop the model in October 2015, amid reports that it would mean cutting the number of head teachers in the region from 169 to somewhere between 120 and 140.
Now the local authority is ready to begin moving all of the area’s 29 associated school groups (ASGs) towards the new structure within the next three years, with many to operate a “3 to 18-years-old” model.
It is estimated that the changes could save the council £750,000 in the first year, although it is expected they will have to pay head teachers higher salaries if their responsibilities increase.
The plans have already proved highly controversial in some communities, particularly in the north of Sutherland, where one head teacher would run Farr High School, Farr Primary, Altnaharra Primary and Tongue Primary.
Natalie Bird, chairwoman of Melvich parent council, said the community had been asking to see details of the proposals for months.
“There hasn’t been a consultation. How Highland Council has behaved has been utterly shambolic,” she said.
“At the first meeting I went to in November we were told it was being done purely because of money, no other reason.
“It’s just not workload manageable. They are proposing one head teacher and one deputy for five schools which are 45 miles apart.
“Highland Council are just refusing to look at other options. Parents are against it because it’s just not manageable and because they are just not considering other options that would be manageable.”
Local councillor Linda Munro had been in favour of the principle of the cluster model, but said she could not support the staffing model proposed, and was angry over the authority’s failure to listen to parents.
“I am unhappy because I think the service because has been disrespectful to the parent councils,” she said.
“I think it makes an absolute nonsense of what Highland Council promotes about community engagement.
“Tensions are running very, very high here. I can’t support this, though I’m absolutely crushed about it. I do support the principle, but not at any cost.”
The changes will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s education, children and adult and services committee on Thursday next week.
Committee chairman Drew Millar said fresh thinking was required in the education service as budgets are squeezed.
“We’re struggling in lots of places to attract head teachers. We have a lot of schools now that some people would say are too small,” he said.
“What this is doing is making it a more formal and complete structure. It then gives it more of a professional development, rather than saying ‘we can’t get a teacher let’s put someone in there to manage two schools’.
“I think it’s the way forward. In some ways it is protecting small rural schools for the future.
“We’ve done it in the past. Cluster head teachers have been on the go for a while, certainly in Skye and Lochaber. That was really because of necessity.
“Some parents may think this is not right, but let’s try it and if in a year’s time it’s not working, we can review it. It’s time for fresh thinking and thinking outside of the box.”
However, Alistair Bell, Highland secretary for teaching union the Educational Institute of Scotland, said: “We are concerned about this. It does have profound effects on members.
“Negotiations are still ongoing and nothing has been agreed with regards to remit.”
