After ‘overwhelming’ support from parents, plans to create new classroom spaces for pupils with additional support needs in more mainstream schools in East Lothian have been given the go ahead.
Demand for specialist provision for pupils with additional support needs (ASN) has more than doubled in East Lothian over the last five years and councillors gave the go ahead to increase the number of ASN units in mainstream schools across the county from six to nine to provide 122 more places.
Councillors heard the move will save it an estimated £9million a year with the cost of transporting children out classes outwith the county and ensuring their education nearly four times more expensive than if they were able to learn locally.
They were also told by Jennifer Boyle their quality and improvement manager for equity and inclusion that it benefited children both in the units and mainstream to have the classrooms based in the schools.
Jennifer said: “I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that our provisions are valued, highly valued within East Lothian and our head teachers see that as a huge positive and a huge benefit to their school communities.
“We talk about the capacity of our learners in the curriculum for excellence and the quality of the citizens of the future we want to create.”
A consultation on plans to introduce the new units at Musselburgh Grammar School, Stoneyhill Primary School, in Musselburgh, and Law Primary School, in North Berwick, received overwhelming support during a consultation held earlier this year with between 87 per cent and 93 per cent of those taking part welcoming the plans across the schools.
Musselburgh, the county’s biggest town, and North Berwick, currently have no ASN classrooms available for children.
A report to councillors said : “The addition of these provisions will provide a more equitable distribution of resource across the county. It will also, in time, reduce the distances children and young people must travel to access ASN provision”.
Welcoming the work which has gone into planning the new units Musselburgh ward councillor Andy Forrest praised not only council staff but the parent councils at the school for the support they have given it.
He said: “The undocumented work that has gone on within the parent councils, people don’t know about the level of support that is in there so when you read the figures about people coming forward and supporting it, that is the work that is being done by the parent councils and head teachers and it really is fantastic to see this coming together.”
Councillor Ruaridh Bennett also welcomed the progressing on the ASN units.
He said: “Especially in Musselburgh, I think it is very important that we get ASN provision. I am grateful for the overwhelming support it has received.”
The new primary school units which will open in August next year will have spaces for 62 pupils between them with Musselburgh Grammar’s new provision providing 60 new spaces.
They were unanimously approved by councillors.
By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
