Assistance in the classroom focuses on additional support needs
Highland Councillors are being asked to target more assistance in primary school classrooms to pupils with additional support needs.
When they meet on Thursday (10 February) to consider their budget for 2011/12, they will be asked to cease provision of 344 classroom assistants in the primary school sector (158 full time equivalents) and invest 40% of the resulting saving into the additional support needs budget to create up to 150 additional part-time learning support auxiliary posts (70 full time equivalents).
The budget for classroom assistants is £2.45 million and it is proposed to invest £980,000 in employing learning support auxiliaries.
Classroom assistants work between 5.5 and 27.5 hours per week. There are:-
• 174 post holders who occupy a single classroom assistant post
• 8 post holders who occupy more than one classroom assistant post
• 162 post holders who occupy another post within ECS in addition to a classroom assistant post
A report to Council states that initially, the post of classroom assistant was introduced in primary schools to support the Government’s Early Intervention Programme, and focused on supporting literacy and numeracy in P1 – 3. Subsequently, the post of classroom assistant has evolved into a more generic support post covering various stages in primary schools, and has a much wider focus than simply literacy and numeracy.
Post holders occupy posts including learning support auxiliary, playground supervisor, escort, school crossing patroller and clerical assistant in addition to their classroom assistant post.
The report says there may be opportunities for current classroom assistant postholders to be appointed to learning support auxiliary posts, or for existing learning support auxiliary posts to increase their current hours.
Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of the ECS Committee, said: “This saving proposal is predicated on the rationalisation of the support function in the classroom. We intend to remove the existing classroom assistant posts and replace them in part with additional more focused support posts for pupils with additional support needs.
“Approximately 150 part-time additional learning support auxiliary posts will be created across the Highlands. These posts will be based in schools.
As a result of this proposal, pupils with additional needs will have access to a greater level of staff support than has been available to date.”