Plan for additional support needs units Specialist schools to be developed in communities

New specialist educational settings for young people with additional support needs (ASN) are to be developed in local communities.

Stirling Council’s children and young people committee unanimously backed the move at a meeting on Thursday.

The decision will see two additional provisions for secondary aged young people with complex ASN at Stirling’s rural high schools, Balfron and McLaren High, in the first phase of the new expansion.

The second phase will see a further provision developed in the city of Stirling.

The option was backed by more than 70 per cent of responses to a community consultation.

Children and young people convener Councillor Susan McGill, said: “We as a council have recognised the need to expand our existing ASN secondary provision and are striving to do this in a way that allows young people to be educated in their local community.

“This proposal was backed by a large majority of respondents to our consultation as we strive to deliver the best route to achieve additional capacity and meet the needs of pupils.

“These expansion plans will reduce extended travel for young people living in rural areas and allow them to be educated in their local community alongside their friends, as well as increasing opportunities for families to be involved in their child’s learning.”

The committee heard there had been a long-term increasing trend in the number of children and young people assessed as having ASN and diagnosed disabilities both nationally and locally. In Stirling, this has risen from 2,817 in 2013 to 3,716 in 2020/21.

Around 95 per cent of children with ASN in Stirling are educated in mainstream schools, with five per cent requiring a more specialist approach to education, which provides smaller class groups and specialist staffing.

An initial spend of £480,000 has been included in the 2021/2022 capital budget to allow design work to be progressed on the expansion, and for mitigations to take place in existing settings.

Modifications will be carried out over the coming year to improve the council’s current settings to ensure there are no capacity issues in the short term, which will also benefit current users of these facilities.

Committee vice convener Councillor Christine Simpson, said: “It’s important we plan ahead for the increase in demand for ASN support in our secondary schools to ensure we can continue to provide highquality provision for our children and young people in the years to come.

“This new expansion will help deliver that, providing specialist classes within our high schools that would be small in size, with access to a variety of inclusion opportunities within the mainstream school, ensuring that young people’s learning, personal care and emotional needs are best supported.”

Three options were originally put forward for discussion as part of the consultation: supporting young people in mainstream schools and using external placements; one additional central school to meet the increase in need for secondary specialist placements; and establishing additional secondary specialist provision within or alongside current school buildings.

Earlier this year, council officials reported that “business as usual” would see many young people requiring external placements at special schools funded by Stirling Council, especially at secondary stage, with the needs of young people in mainstream not likely to be fully met under this option, which would also have the highest cost.

They said having one central school for all projected ASN provision would be “challenging to deliver in existing sites” and require more transport, with fewer local benefits to young people. A full management team would also be needed and a large, “potentially complex” school created. There would also be reduced inclusion opportunities in mainstream schools and a higher cost.

The rural/urban expansion option was seen as a “measured increase” in available provision using existing assets as much as possible and allowing for a phased approach in rural and city locations, available sites to adapt or build on, and would base children closer to their home communities.

It was also seen as reducing or removing external placements requests/needs, allowing shared management and resource use with existing schools, creating increased inclusion and allowing phased costs.