Some Scottish secondaries are “too big” and children become “lost” in them, according to education secretary Jenny Gilruth.
She told MSPs today that the size of some Scottish high schools is interfering with the ability of teachers to form relationships with pupils.
These relationships, she said, were key to improving behaviour and attainment and understanding students’ additional support needs (ASN).
Open plan classes create ‘challenges’
Ms Gilruth added that open-plan classrooms could also be problematic. These, she said, could “contribute to challenges in relation to learning and additional support needs” and could, for some young people, “make it extremely difficult to concentrate”.
“I think there are some schools in Scotland that are too big,” she said.
“I think they are too big for our children with additional support needs, but I think they are too big for our pupils and staff full stop. And what that means is teachers don’t get to know their children and young people in big schools.”
Children ‘lost’ in huge schools
Ms Gilruth said there were a number of large schools in Fife - where she went to school and where her constituency is located, with children coming together from little towns and villages to join “a huge” secondary.
“In a huge school, children become lost,” she said.
Ms Gilruth added: “We talk about challenges associated with behaviour, attainment - this is all about relationships and your teachers knowing their kids. I think we need to get some further advice in relation to school design.”
The education secretary made her comments while giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee as it continues its inquiry into additional support for learning.
In recent weeks, the committee has heard the new trend to build “super schools” that are light, airy and open plan criticised because of the potential impact on children with ASN - particularly those with autism, who can become overwhelmed by the noise, light and crowds.
Ms Gilruth said that the government had given councils “substantial amounts of funding in recent years to help improve the quality of the school estate”, but that councils were responsible for designing schools.
Guidance on design of school buildings
SNP MSP Ruth Maguire asked if there was no government guidance on the design of school buildings.
Ms Gilruth replied that the Scottish Futures Trust provided guidance to councils on school design.
Laura Meikle, head of the government’s support and wellbeing unit, added that the accessibility of new school buildings had to be considered during the design process.
She suggested that the importance of the design of learning environments might be the subject of refreshed statutory guidance.
Ms Meikle said: “There is more we can do in this space and we will seek to do that.”
For the latest Scottish education news, analysis and features delivered directly to your inbox, sign up to Tes magazine’s The Week in Scotland newsletter
