LISTEN: Aberdeen ASN school ‘weak’ & ‘unsatisfactory’

Aberdeen City Council's defending its new additional support needs school after getting "weak" and "unsatisfactory" ratings from inspectors.

The Scottish Government gives Orchard Brae the lowest possible grade for learning, teaching, and assessment.

Education Scotland officials also have concerns about efforts to raise attainment and achievement.

"It's clear that we have an improvement journey to go on" - CLLR JOHN WHEELER

Councillor John Wheeler is the local authority's education convener. He told Northsound News child protection and safeguarding record-keeping has not been up to scratch: "At no point did inspectors highlight that children were at risk in the school. It's not about not recording, but perhaps some groups of staff were recording on one form, and others were recording in another format.

"We have a robust improvement plan in place for the school. Work is already underway to address the issues identified. Some of that work had already been undertaken prior to inspections.

"A briefing is taking place with parents today, and there will be ongoing support available to any parents and staff who work in the school, should that be required.

"We have invested a large amount of money in this new facility - that is one of the areas where the inspectors highlighted we have absolutely got it right.

"It's clear that we have an improvement journey to go on, that isn't going to be turned around overnight, however we are fully aware of our responsibilities and work is already underway to address a good number of those areas."

Education Scotland's report is damning:

• Learning, teaching, and assessment - UNSATISFACTORY

• Raising attainment and achievement - WEAK

• Ensuring wellbeing, equality, and inclusion - WEAK

LISTEN: Aberdeen City Council's education convener responds to criticisms...