Education / Proposal to provide ‘enhanced provision’ facilities from Aith school
CHANGES to Aith Junior High School worth an estimated £1.3 million are on the cards to improve its offering for pupils in the west of Shetland who require additional support.
The aim is to turn the school into an “enhanced provision” hub for the West Mainland, where it would provide fully accessible facilities for children with additional support needs (ASN).
An initial business justification case went in front of councillors on the SIC’s policy and resources committee on Monday.
The committee agreed to recommend to the full council that it approves the proposal for inclusion in the SIC’s asset investment plan 2025-30 prioritisation process. The full council will meet on 11 December.
Under the SIC’s learning estate strategy, there is an aspiration for an “enhanced provision” facility within each cluster of schools and the larger primary schools in Shetland.
Aith is part of a West Mainland cluster which also includes Happyhansel, Sandness and Skeld – although the latter is currently mothballed.
The Aith business justification case is the first to come forward in relation to creating an enhanced provision school in Shetland.
A report to councillors said an enhanced provision school will provide fully accessible facilities both internally and externally, “with the equipment required in order for those with the most complex needs to be able to meet their full potential, thus enabling the staff to deliver education in an environment that is fit for purpose”.
The business justification case added that specialist staff travel between schools in Shetland, providing care and support to those with additional support needs.
It said having an enhanced provision school in each cluster will mean the travelling time will be less and the time can be spent with the children who require the support.
“This will not result in a loss of jobs but will enable staff to spend their time more meaningfully and using their valuable skills to assist Shetland’s children to achieve their best possible outcomes,” it added.
“Not only will this be of benefit to our learners it will again result in a reduction in the carbon footprint of children’s services.”
The ASN staffing structure for the West Mainland cluster will be reviewed alongside the changes to the school building.
Within the salary estimates for 2025/26, amendments have been made to allow for a principal teacher of ASN based in Aith.
A new role of ASN practitioner is also currently going through the job evaluation scheme.
Monday’s meeting heard that council officials are confident the changes at Aith can be made within the existing footprint of the school.
The report to councillors highlighted there is an “ever increasing number” of children in Shetland with additional support needs and “meeting those needs is challenging in many of our schools”.
“This is an opportunity to begin the improvements across the whole learning estate and ensure that the children with the most complex needs have those needs met without undue delay,” it added.
The business case said within the primary school there is no space for a wheelchair user to move about freely, there is no quiet area and not all resources are accessible.
The proposal also includes installing accessible work stations into all classrooms and updating the existing sensory room, as well as moving the reception area and installing a security system to reduce the amount of entry and exit points at the building.
Shetland West councillor Liz Peterson questioned the level of complex needs an enhanced provision facility in Aith could cater for.
Inclusion manager Lesley Simpson said the whole purpose of an enhanced provision school is to “support everyone with complex needs”.
She reiterated the aim is to provide enhanced facilities in some schools, rather than every one.
Simpson added staff in enhanced provision schools would have a “higher level of training”.
She told the meeting there is a hope this model could reduce the number of placing requests submitted by parents.
Simpson said at the moment there are a number of children coming in to the council’s special units, which are in Lerwick.
The meeting also heard council officials have been looking at mobile equipment, for example for sensory rooms.
Learning estate manager Shona Thompson added the Aith primary department is at about 78 per cent capacity, but in the next couple of years that should go down “significantly”.
She said in the secondary it will not always be “one space, one use”, and added that officials have discussed matters at length with school staff at Aith.
During debate, education and families committee chairman Davie Sandison said he believed Aith would be the first of a few enhanced provision proposals which will come through the council in the next five to ten years.
He said he viewed it “absolutely essential” given the strain on the resources the council has, with the focus being on getting the best use out of the specialist resources required to deal with increased demand with ASN.
The council report highlights that by approving a business justification case, elected members are agreeing that the project should progress to the implementation stage, subject to being prioritised and included in the SIC’s asset investment plan.
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