Council Progress Review Of Primary School Classroom Support

3rd March 2011

The Highland Council has established a nine-member working group to review classroom support in primary schools. It has also set up a professional task group to provide the working group with advice in reaching its recommendations by the end of June, this year, with a view to implementation in August.

The proposed remit of the working group is to identify and analyse classroom support needs and make recommendations for the future provision of classroom support. The review will take into account the full range of pupil needs (educational, social, emotional) within the funding available to the Council and meet the agreed financial savings target, which has been reduced from £883,000 to £319,000 in 2011/12. The full year saving is £751,000 from 2012/13.

The group will comprise the following members:-
Independents - Councillor Jaci Douglas; Badenoch and Strathspey; Alasdair Rhind, Tain and Easter Ross; and Audrey Sinclair; Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh.

Liberal Democrats: Michael Foxley, Fort William and Ardnamurchan; Drew Millar, Skye; and Linda Munro, North West and Central Sutherland.

Labour: - Bet McAllister, Inverness Central.

Independent Members' Group - Roddy Balfour, Culloden and Ardersier.

Independent Members' Alliance - Eddie Hunter, Caol and Mallaig.

The Council also agreed the membership of a professional task group, which will prepare reports for the working group. The task group will carry out detailed work on the review and will comprise three primary head teachers; a classroom assistant; a learning support assistant; three parent council representatives. Specialist support will be given by other council managers.

The SNP group declined to take part in the cross party working group.