27/05/2019
**IMPORTANT **
This is ONLY for SCoPE Miller and Miller Academy Primary (Thurso) and SCoPE Noss and Noss Primary (Wick)
Please share this with as many parents of children who attend the above as possible.
It relates to Friday's "announcement" that Highland Council intend to mothball the autism unit in Thurso (with no consultation) and send the kids to Wick instead.
ONLY parents at Miller or Noss can send this template email... please send by Tuesday if possible and if you can email me at [email protected] or comment below if you have done so just so we know thank you
Hi all
I kindly received this to be used as a template for parent/s to forward onto those below regarding SCoPE Miller/Noss
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Head Teachers of both Miller Academy and Noss Primary
Parent councils :
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Proforma template :
Please delete as required
As parent/s of a child who uses the SCoPE Miller Academy Primary / SCoPE Noss Primary full time / part time / occasionally (delete as necessary),
or
As a parent/s of a child who attends Miller Academy Primary / Noss Primary (delete as necessary),
or
As Chair/Member of the Miller Academy Primary / Noss Primary (delete as necessary) Parent Council,
I/we do not believe that the decision taken to cease to use ("mothball") SCoPE Miller Academy Primary from August 2019 is fair or reasonable, and are certain that it not compliant with the provisions of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. These changes must therefore be withdrawn immediately to allow the statutorily-required consultation to be undertaken before any decisions are made. SCoPE Miller cannot be "mothballed" in August 2019.
The 2010 Act states clearly under paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 that any "proposal to vary arrangements for the constitution of a special class in a school other than a special school" requires a full consultation exercise to be undertaken, explicitly before any decision can be made about moving children to an alternative school, whether full time or part time. SCoPE Miller and SCoPE Noss are both Special Classes outwith a special school.
Para 7 of Schedule 2 sets out the "relevant consultees" for any "Special class outwith a special school":
In relation to a proposal specified in paragraph 7 of schedule 1, the consultees are—
(a) the Parent Council or Combined Parent Council of any affected school,
(b) the parents of the pupils at any affected school,
(c) the parents of any children expected by the education authority to attend any
affected school within two years of the date of publication of the proposal paper,
(d) the pupils at any affected school (in so far as the education authority considers them to be of a suitable age and maturity),
(e) the staff (teaching and other) at any affected school,
(f) any trade union which appears to the education authority to be representative of the persons mentioned in sub-paragraph (e),
(g) any other education authority that the education authority considers relevant.
The Act requires under Section 3 that the Education Authority, in this case Highland Council, must meet the initial requirement, which are:
(a) to prepare an educational benefits statement in accordance with section 3,
(b) to prepare (and publish) a proposal paper in accordance with section 4,
(c) to give notice of the proposal to the relevant consultees (and invite representations) in accordance with section 6,
(d) to hold (and give notice of) a public meeting in accordance with section 7,
(e) to involve HMIE in accordance with section 8.
If an Educational Benefits Statement has been produced it has not been communicated to parents at either school affected, and none of the other requirements have been met.
The changes already notified to parents to the Special Classes at both SCoPE Miller ("mothballing") and SCoPE Noss (substantial increase in numbers) both fall withing the scope of the provisions of the Act: they both clearly constitute a
proposal to vary arrangements for the constitution of a special class in a school other than a special school.
All parents of children affected must also be involved in the necessary assessments required under the various disability provisions and rights Acts, which must include a full assessment of how the Secondary education arrangements of the children affected by any changes to SCoPE Miller or SCoPE Noss will work in the face of dislocation from Thurso for the children currently at Miller Academy Primary.
Yours sincerely
You can’t share from a closed group but you have permission with this post to hold down on the post and copy and paste it
