Two Glasgow primary schools in Sighthill could merge to become one by August this year despite some concerns from parents.
Pupils at St. Stephen’s Catholic school and St. Kevin’s Primary moved into the Sighthill Community Campus in November 2019 allowing children with mainstream and additional learning needs to work and learn together.
Now the city council is proposing to close St Stephen’s and St Kevin’s additional learning needs primary and reopen the building as one inclusive learning environment. But parents are worried children at St Kevin's won't get the specialist support they need with more than a dozen against the merger.
READ MORE: More additional support needs classes on way for West Dunbartonshire pupils
As part of the local authority’s plans, the school community were informally consulted on a range of proposals regarding its operation as one including a change of uniform. Most people who responded seemed to be in favour of the proposal.
But concerns were raised when a formal consultation was carried out by the education services team between December 2021 and February 2022. A public meeting was held last November which no member of the public attended.
A total of 16 responses to this proposal were however received online with 14 parents not in favour of the merger.
The biggest concern was that the St. Kevin’s children would not be given the specialist support they need and would lose the enhanced provision which they currently have.
The people who raised this issue were concerned that this would have a detrimental impact on the learning and progress of these children.
A report which will be presented to councillors this Thursday insists that the outcomes of the consultation confirm that there is strong support for the proposal.
It said: "There is a shared view that there is potential educational benefit in the proposal and will allow the stakeholders to develop further as a diverse, inclusive, and forward-looking school community taking full account of its current and evolving context."
Officers are seeking the agreement of the Council Administration Committee to progress with the plan to combine the two schools, which would open in August 2022.
