Following the decision of the Executive Committee on 17 September 2026 to approve the proposal to close Bothkennar Primary School, Falkirk Council has now informed Scottish Ministers of this decision in accordance with Section 15(2) of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 as amended. 

Details for submitting representations to Scottish Ministers are as follows: 

• By email - schoolclosure@gov.scot 
• By post - The Scottish Government, School Infrastructure Unit, 2B (North) Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ 

The deadline for making representations to Scottish Ministers is Wednesday 7 October 2026 (3 weeks from the decision date). 

Falkirk Council's Executive (including Education) considered the findings of the statutory consultation on the future of Bothkennar Primary School at its meeting on 17 September 2026 and approved implementation of the proposal to permanently discontinue education provision at Bothkennar Primary School with effect from 22 December 2026 and that the pupils who reside in the Bothkennar Primary continue and permanently receive their education at Beancross Primary School. 

The Council is satisfied that implementation of the proposal is the best solution to address the underlying reasons for its formulation, namely: 

• Bothkennar Primary School has been formally mothballed for approaching 7 years with no pupils in attendance since August 2019.  
• School roll projections have been developed using health board data on the number of pre-school children living in the Bothkennar Primary School catchment area. 
• The catchment demand for places in Bothkennar Primary School continues to be assessed to be very low and is not projected to rise in the foreseeable future. There are currently only 21 pupils residing in the catchment and data indicates that only 9 pupils will reside in the catchment by 2029/30. 
• Whilst the school is mothballed, the building is deteriorating with limited budgets for repairs, maintenance and capital investment.  
• The Local Development Plan does not identify any relevant housing sites within the catchment area that would impact upon future demand for school places.  

The Council has carefully considered all the consultation feedback and reviewed the proposal to consider whether any of the representations led the Council to reconsider any other options as being reasonable alternatives to the proposal. The Council has accepted that the representations made during the consultation period have not provided any options which are reasonable alternatives to the proposal to close Bothkennar Primary School. The Council is satisfied that none of the alternatives considered is a viable or suitable option to address the underlying reasons for the proposal. 

• Re-opening the school is not viable.  
• Re-opening Bothkennar Primary School with increased occupancy through rezoning and extending the catchment area is not viable. 
• Re-opening Bothkennar Primary School with available capacity used for early years provision or other purposes is not viable. 
• Continuing with the mothballing of Bothkennar Primary School is not viable. 

The Council is satisfied that none of the alternatives considered is a viable or suitable option. Reopening Bothkennar Primary School is not a sustainable option given the very low projected pupil numbers and the availability of suitable provision at the nearby Beancross Primary School. There are no viable or suitable options for increasing the catchment area of Bothkennar Primary School and no new evidence was received during the consultation to demonstrate that it would be a realistic or deliverable alternative. No evidence was presented to demonstrate sufficient demand to support sustainable nursery provision. Continued mothballing was also considered but is not regarded as an appropriate long-term solution given that the school has been mothballed since 2019 and there is no evidence that pupil numbers will recover in the foreseeable future.  

The Council has reviewed the Educational Benefits Statement that was prepared. The Council is satisfied that the educational benefits and effects identified therein remain valid. The Council considers that there are positive educational benefits associated with pupils from the Bothkennar Primary School catchment area continuing to receive their education at Beancross Primary School, and that these benefits would continue should Bothkennar Primary School be permanently closed. 

The Council is satisfied that implementation of the proposal to close the school will not have a major effect on the sustainability of the Skinflats community given its proximity to nearby settlements and services. Bothkennar Primary School building is not being used by the community. The Council has also noted that no evidence emerged during the consultation process to suggest that the current mothballing arrangements have adversely affected community sustainability 

The Council has also considered the transport impact for pupils residing in the Bothkennar catchment. Since the school was mothballed in 2019, eligible pupils have received free home-to-school transport to Beancross Primary School in accordance with Council policy.  The arrangements have operated successfully throughout this period, and no evidence has emerged to suggest that pupils from the Bothkennar catchment area have experienced educational disadvantage because of the travel arrangements. A small extension to the route covered by the existing school bus from the Old Town/Glensburgh area of Grangemouth was required. Whilst this resulted in a small increase in the carbon footprint for the Council due to a slightly longer journey (circa ¾ mile), Falkirk Council is content this distance, and the travel times involved, are within the range which currently exists for other pupils across Falkirk.  

This notice is to inform interested parties regarding the decision made at Falkirk Council Executive Committee on 17 September 2026 to approve the proposal to close Bothkennar Primary School with effect from 22 December 2026. 

This notice is available in accordance with Section 11A(3) of the Act.

In February 2026, Falkirk Council’s Executive (including Education) agreed that a consultation with all stakeholders be undertaken on the proposal to close Bothkennar Primary School and realign its catchment area to Beancross Primary School. Falkirk Council has undertaken this consultation seeking views on the proposal, under the terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 as amended. The Consultation Report can be viewed below.

A decision on this proposal will be made by Falkirk Council's Executive on the 17 September 2026. An update on the decision made in regard to this proposal will be made available here.

Following publication of the Proposal Paper on Monday 23 February 2026, the Council was notified by a consultee of a minor typographical error in the document relating to the proposal for the permanent closure of Bothkennar Primary School and the permanent zoning of its catchment area to Beancross Primary School.

The error appears in Section 12: Financial Implications, paragraph 6, where Slamannan Primary School was incorrectly referenced in relation to additional transport costs. This should have referred to Beancross Primary School, reflecting the current temporary catchment arrangements. The corrected text is:

"Beancross Primary School is detailed as the receiving school, due to the current temporary catchment arrangements. Additional transport costs to Beancross Primary School are £5,200 per annum based on the current pupils in attendance, assuming the proposal was implemented."

This correction ensures accurate information is available to consultees and does not alter the substance of the proposal, its rationale, or the educational benefits described.

In accordance with section 5(5)(b)(ii) of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, the Council has reviewed whether the consultation period should be extended as a result of this correction. The consultation period remains as previously advised, running from Monday 23 February 2026 to Friday 24 April 2026.

The revised Proposal Paper is available on the below, Participate+, Falkirk Council Libraries and Hubs, Beancross Primary School and the Falkirk Community Stadium. A copy may also be requested from Education Services.

On 19 February 2026, the Executive (including Education) agreed to progress a statutory consultation on the proposal to permanently close Bothkennar Primary School and permanently rezone the school's catchment to Beancross Primary School.

This follows preliminary engagement with the local community in 2025.

• Bothkennar Primary has been mothballed for almost 6 years, with no change in circumstances since August 2019.
• Pupil demand remains low in the catchment area, with projections showing little likelihood of significant increase.
• With primary rolls falling across the Council area, there is limited scope for re-opening to be a practical option.

Before any final decision can be taken on a permanent school closure proposal a formal consultation is required in accordance with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

The purpose of this formal consultation is to gather the views of relevant consultees who would be immediately affected by the closure of the school and report back to the Executive (including Education) before a decision can be made.

A public meeting has been arranged and is open to all interested parties at Bothkennar Primary School on Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 18:30.

Bothkennar Primary School
Main Street
Skinflats
Falkirk
FK2 8NU 

The proposal document and notice of the consultation can be found below: