Funding bid for potential new school facility takes step forward

Councillors at today's meeting of Orkney Islands Council's Education, Leisure and Housing Committee have recommended that a bid should be submitted to the Scottish Government for funding towards new or improved school buildings in Orkney.

The preferred option was to further explore investment into a new additional support for learning centre for children and young people in Orkney - at an estimated cost of £40m, with a further estimated £16m sought from the Scottish Government.

The bid, to the Scottish Government's Learning Estates Improvement Programme, follows on from the Council's Learning Estates Strategy - which sets out a vision for improving the Council's school, leisure and culture buildings. 

This is the first stage in this process and should Scottish Government funding be allocated in principle, then work towards a detailed final business case will begin. 

This process will require a review of existing capacity in Orkney’s schools, as well as a review of existing provision, need, sites and finances - and consultation with relevant stakeholders. 

 All this information will be brought back to relevant committees for scrutiny and for final decision on what, if anything, can and should be developed.

 This will be the first time that the Council has applied to the fund, which looks to invest in projects which connect people, places and learners, deliver improved outcomes for all and enable sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

The Council's Learning Estates Strategy has been developed in partnership between Orkney Islands Council and a number of stakeholders.  The work on the strategy led to five potential investment opportunities, namely

• Investment in an integrated Additional Support for Learning Centre, incorporating school age teaching and learning facilities, a base for the additional support for learning teaching team, Education Psychology and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
• Investment at Glaitness School to improve the teaching and learning facility for both mainstream and additional support for learning supported classes to ensure the needs of all children are met.
• Invest in Westray Community School to ensure a sustainable learning environment and community hub for the future of the community.
• Invest in Dounby Community School to ensure a sustainable learning environment and community hub for the future of the community.
• Investment in the establishment of one primary school and additional support for learning facility for the whole of Kirkwall, amalgamating Glaitness and Papdale schools.

Each option was carefully considered in an options appraisal - with the preferred option being for investment in an integrated Additional Support for Learning Centre.

As well as education provision for children with targeted additional learning needs, this facility would cater for children who are not currently attending full-time education, especially those with neuro-diverse conditions which result in difficulty with behaviour and communication, a rapidly growing area of need in Orkney.

 This would provide improved facilities for children and young people from nursery through to the end of secondary, as well as spaces and facilities for partners to use, including Community Learning and Development, Skills Development Scotland, NHS, CAMHS, Family Support Workers and Social Work.

A dedicated facility would also reduce the pressure on Glaitness School and allow for expansion to cater for new housing in the area.

It was therefore felt that this option offered the greatest benefit for the most people. 

Councillor Gwenda Shearer is Chair of the Council's Education, Leisure and Housing Committee. She said: "Today's committee heard further details on the huge amount of work that has been put in by officers to the Council's Learning Estates Strategy. I commend and thank them for the incredible effort and dedication that has gone into this piece of work, in a short period of time.

"Although the Learning Estates Strategy work has found that there are some issues in some of our older schools - and these will absolutely not fall off our radar - the committee were persuaded that the greatest potential impact on local children and young people could come from the creation of a dedicated facility for those with additional learning needs.

"As well as providing the best possible educational experience for our pupils, the facility could also allow us to reduce the need to place some children and young people in residential settings outwith Orkney - this has been a huge challenge for us over a number of years, coming at a significant cost to this authority, but much more importantly significant disruption to the young people and their families.

“I’d reiterate that this is just the first stage in this development – there will be much more work to come, including more reports, debate, discussion and decisions in the Council chamber - as well as significant consultation with stakeholders.

"Whatever the final outcome, the potential funding from the Scottish Government represents a tremendous opportunity for this Council to make a future huge impact on the lives of some of our most in need children - and it's vital that we take that opportunity.”

The recommendation will now go to Full Council on October 25.

The full report is available here - https://www.orkney.gov.uk/council-meetings.htm?postid=6639&postdiaryentryid=14990 - with an audio recording of the meeting available here - https://soundcloud.com/orkney-islands-council/oic-special-education-leisure-and-housing-committee-19th-october-2022