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Major changes to our Additional Needs Sector approved

2:54pm - 07 June 2021
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Additional Support Needs (ASN) education is set for £2.2 million investment following a comprehensive consultation into the future of the ASN estate

At the heart of the proposals is a desire to improve the quality of education and the future life opportunities of young people with additional support needs.

It involves relocating some of our ASN schools to some of North Lanarkshire's most modern, high specification educational campuses.

At a special committee meeting members of the education and families committee approved proposals that will see changes to the school estate, including:

  • Creating a new ‘We Aspire College’ Portland, which will include the three schools of Pentland and Fallside (all of which will retain their own unique identity), across the Skills Academy, with Fallside moving to Coltness High School’s building, Pentland moving to re-furbished Townhead Community Centre and Portland to the Skills Academy within the same campus area.
  • Mavisbank School primary aged children will be relocated to Drumpark Primary School, as part of a planned development within Drumpark school
  • Clydeview school will move to the Cathedral campus in Motherwell within the existing Daisy Park Centre. It will become part of a shared headship arrangement with Firpark Primary.

A statutory consultation process took place over several months and all the key stakeholders were involved in the process including pupils, parents/carers and staff of the schools.

The consultation reports also included an education benefits statements from Education Scotland.

The proposals will see pupils educated in higher quality facilities, increased collaboration between schools and services, an improved leadership structure and strengthened career opportunities for staff working in this sector such as learning assistants.

In addition, up to thirty new modern apprenticeship posts will be created, providing outstanding career pathways for young people in North Lanarkshire.

Derek Brown, Executive Director of Education and Families, said: “This is the first stage of implementing major changes to additional needs provision here in North Lanarkshire. It will bring benefits to some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities for many years to come.”

In September 2019, the Education and Families Committee approved a review of Additional Support Needs services which established twelve key recommendations for action.

The proposals, which were approved at the education and families committee on Monday 7 June 2020,  fulfil many of these recommendations including empowerment of staff to meet the needs of young people and will enable a greater connection between needs and the partnership response to them.

They also outline a clear plan for the future of the ASN estate, which creates cluster ASN hubs and specialist provision around the campus model of the future.

In line with the council’s vision for North Lanarkshire, they will be established as part of the Community Investment Fund and developed as part of the ongoing work to prioritise community hub investment proposals.

The council will now work towards implementing the new arrangements from August 2021. Importantly, time will be taken throughout session 2021 – 2022 to manage transitions in a sensitive, family centred way.

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Page last updated:
07 Jun 2021

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