This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New community schools roll out begins
27/05/2002
Sixteen councils were today given the green light to
roll out the new community school approach in their
areas.
New Community Schools bring teachers, social workers,
family workers and health personnel together to develop
services centred on the needs of children and their
families.
Speaking during a visit to Northfield Academy in
Aberdeen, Education Minister Cathy Jamieson confirmed the
16 councils' allocations from the £30.6m being made
available over the next two years to support the
initiative.
She said:
"The new community school approach is central to our
strategy for closing the attainment gap.
"By encouraging the provision of integrated services
focussed on the needs of the individual child, we can make
a real difference to the lives of children and their
families. This approach is essential to securing positive
outcomes - not only for the children's education, but also
for their social welfare, their health and the communities
in which they live.
"We announced late last year that we were making
available substantial new funding to support the roll out
of the approach across all schools in Scotland. Since then
we have been working with local authorities on the plans
which they and their partner agencies have drawn up to meet
this challenge in their local areas.
"I am delighted to confirm today the allocations of
funding to 16 authorities to enable them to go ahead with
this important work. We are still looking at the proposals
we have received from the remaining authorities and we
expect to come to our decisions on them within the next few
weeks."
The New Community School (NCS) pilot programme started
in 1999. There are currently 62 pilot projects across
Scotland (two in each local authority - with the exception
of Orkney and Shetland, which have one each) involving over
400 schools. The Scottish Executive has committed £37.2m to
support the initiative. NCS projects may involve a single
school or clusters of schools, and often involve work
across nursery, primary and secondary level.
The then Education Minister, Jack McConnell, announced
on 12 November 2001 that additional funding worth £30.6m
over two years would be available to roll out the new
community school approach across all schools in Scotland.
These resources amount to £14.1m in 2002-03 and £16.5m in
2003-04. They are being allocated to local authorities on
the basis of pupil population, weighted initially towards
those authorities who are furthest ahead with work under
the New Community School pilot programme. Funding beyond
2003-04 will be decided after the 2002 Spending Review.
The allocations which have been confirmed are:-
Authority 2002/03 2003/04
Aberdeen City £ 802,560 £ 902,880
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar £ 63,840 £ 63,840
Dumfries & Galloway £ 338,960 £ 338,960
East Dunbartonshire £ 294,880 £ 294,880
East Lothian £ 404,320 £ 454,860
East Renfrewshire £ 244,720 £ 367,080
Falkirk £ 647,520 £ 728,460
Fife £ 808,640 £ 808,640
Highland £1,021,440 £1,149,120
Moray £ 205,200 £ 205,200
Orkney Islands £ 48,640 £ 72,960
Renfrewshire £ 416,480 £ 624,720
South Lanarkshire £1,437,920 £1,617,660
Stirling £ 194,560 £ 291,840
West Dunbartonshire £ 234,080 £ 351,120
West Lothian £ 389,120 £ 389,120
The proposals submitted by the remaining authorities are
still under consideration. Decisions on these will be made
within the next few weeks.