Education secretary says some Scottish high schools are "too big"
Jenny Gilruth thinks large pupil rolls are impacting attendance and behaviour
Last updated 20th Mar 2024
Some high schools in Scotland are too large, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has said, warning that large schools are affecting education standards and the relationship teachers have with students.
The former teacher said she thought that large schools can contribute to problems with pupil attendance and behaviour, as well as making pupils feel “lost”.
Her comments came after Holyrood's Education Committee heard from the National Autistic Society of Scotland that a "trend towards super-schools is potentially unhelpful" for some pupils.
Responding to committee evidence, Gilruth said, “I think there are some schools in Scotland that are too big.
"I think they are too big for our children with additional support needs, but I think they are too big for our pupils and our staff, full-stop.
"What that means is teachers don't get to know their children and young people in big schools."
The education secretary continued by citing a number of schools in Fife, including Bell Baxter High School and Levenmouth Academy, which have 1,400 and 1,600 pupils respectively.
The MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes went on to say, "If you think about Fife and the geography of that little area of Scotland, lots of little towns and villages coming together in a huge school.
“Children become lost.
"When we talk about challenges associated with behaviour, attainment, this is all about relationships and teachers knowing their kids."
Gilruth, who herself attended Madras College in St Andrews, said that the Scottish government has asked officials to seek advice in relation to school designs.
She went on to tell the committee that “open plan classrooms can contribute to challenges in relation to learning and additional support needs.
"I see in many of the visits I undertake open plan classrooms, and sometimes it can work well.
"But I think often for some young people it is extremely difficult to concentrate in those environments and we need to be mindful of that."
Addressing the fact that education is provided by councils across Scotland, the Education secretary said that ministers have given local authorities “substantial amounts of funding in recent years” but that ultimately, school buildings do not belong to the Scottish Government, therefore limiting their control over school designs.