Over the past few weeks I’ve discussed with Emma Seith, senior reporter at Tes Scotland, the pressing need for enhanced pastoral care support in our primary schools. We deliberated on the necessity for a pastoral care model, akin to that in secondary schools, to address escalating requirements for emotional and mental health strategies and support for children and families.
Responsibilities such as one-to-one pupil support have increasingly been supported by school’s management teams, often extending the core duties of these roles beyond working hours. I have also underscored the growing urgency for increased investment in pupil support to allow staff teams the capacity to support children while also dedicating time to school improvements, such as enhancing pedagogy, ensuring quality assurance and improving attainment. I raised both issues with education secretary Jenny Gilruth during our Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS) national conference in November.
Budget cuts carry huge risks
Given these pressures in schools, the recent revelations of budget cuts and proposed reductions in teacher numbers, particularly by authorities such as Glasgow, have not been at all well received by staff. This presents a disconcerting and discouraging outlook for the future of education, especially in terms of providing crucial support for learners to reach their full potential.
Nationwide discussions on cuts have left teachers and leadership teams disillusioned about the pathway for our learners to become - as the “four capacities” of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence aspire to - successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
As vice-president of the AHDS, I can assert that our members are deeply concerned about the planned budget reductions in Glasgow and elsewhere. I’ve been in contact with several headteachers who are profoundly worried about the upcoming years and the potential impact on an entire generation of children.
Proposed cuts pose a significant threat to Scottish government priorities such as raising attainment, improving attendance and supporting the overall wellbeing of children, families and staff. The cuts risk derailing the positive trajectory that Glasgow and other authorities have been on both before and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The simultaneous increase in the need for additional support, coupled with decreasing resources, presents a formidable challenge in Scottish primary schools.
Our members stress that additional support is a top priority, requiring substantial investment. However, the actual trend is for cuts to staffing, budgets and essential services, such as speech and language support and educational psychology.
‘Surge’ in ASN demand
The surge in demand for additional support needs (ASN) support is straining existing resources, requiring increased investment for children with diverse learning needs. Budget reductions will have an impact on the availability of teachers providing tailored support for children with ASN.
AHDS members also express concern that the financial climate is jeopardising a holistic approach to education, with cuts affecting not only targeted support services but also broader initiatives that promote the overall wellbeing of children. There is an urgent need for increased ASN investment to meet the growing demands and challenges.
These cuts will affect all children, not just those with ASN. They will have an impact on schools’ ability to support mainstream education and effectively plan and deliver the same level of service for children with ASN, directly affecting the “getting it right for every child” agenda.
With the proposed cuts, local authorities and the Scottish government must recognise that school leadership teams will prioritise what they deem important, and the school’s operation will require prioritisation over the Scottish government’s “stretch aims “requests, attainment paperwork and available supports to children and families.
Potential rise in exclusions
Scottish education must prepare for a potential increase in distressed and dysregulated behaviours, coinciding with fewer staff to plan, support and implement strategies for children. Consequently, there may be an increase in exclusions, and risk assessments may require modification to effectively and safely support children.
Scottish schools are witnessing an increase in distressed and violent incidents - as recognised by the Scottish government in the BISSR (Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research) reports and recent relationships and behaviour summits. So it is essential for local and national government to plan to support schools that have reduced staff teams; incidents may no longer be manageable within the school setting. There may also need to be an understanding that part-time timetables and similar supports become more common.
With proposed cuts to management teams, there will also be an impact on families: fewer staff likely means fewer chances to meet and address parent and carer issues in a timely manner. Cuts to management teams will impede implementation of staged intervention plans and hinder the necessary support for children’s learning needs in Scottish primary schools, potentially compromising the overall educational experience for children.
What about the teacher numbers pledge?
We call on local and central government to work together and avert cuts to school funding and staffing as a matter of urgency. The Scottish government’s pledge to protect teacher numbers appears to be neither a priority nor achievable based on projected budgets. More cuts are proposed for the years ahead and this could have a significant impact on a generation of children that has already suffered in the Covid years.
It is evident that with reduced staffing levels, resources and management personnel, no establishment will be able to offer the same level of support currently in place. The increase in the number of children on staged intervention will directly impact attainment, attendance and achievement, having a profound effect on every one of Scotland’s children.
Jonathan Cunningham is vice-president of Scottish primary school leaders’ body AHDS
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