Jordanhill School Budget Review 2025/26: children's rights and wellbeing impact assessment

Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment Template

1. Brief Summary

Type of proposal (Please delete as necessary):

• Decision of a strategic nature relating to the rights and wellbeing of children

Name the proposal, and describe its overall aims and intended purpose.

Scottish Government revenue grant funding to Jordanhill School (“the School”) for the 2025/26 financial year.

The School is a grant-funded, mainstream school, directly funded by the Scottish Government. Scottish Government provides grant funding to the School which enables it to provide primary and secondary education to approximately 1015 children in the Jordanhill, Broomhill and Scotstoun areas of Glasgow. This funding is used to fund the School’s operation and address capital costs incurred. Ministers fund the School to no favour or detriment compared to other schools in local authorities.

This CRWIA is intended to review the potential impacts of an increase to the School’s funding in 2025/26 on children attending the School.

Start date of proposal’s development: April 2025

Start date of CRWIA process: January 2025

2. With reference given to the requirements of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which aspects of the proposal are relevant to/impact upon children’s rights?

This year’s funding review will provide an increased resource and capital budget to the School in recognition of increased costs it is facing in relation to, for example, inflation; staff costs; and capital boiler replacement works.

The review will have potential to indirectly positively impact on the following rights:

• Article 23: Children with a disability: increasing funding targeted at staffing will aim to ensure staffing levels to support pupils with additional support needs is maintained.
• Article 28: Children’s right to education: increasing funding to the School will ensure it is able to meet its ongoing costs and therefore uphold its pupils right to an education.
• Article 31: Leisure, Play and Culture: increased funding to the School will allow it to maintain its level of provision in relation to art, drama, music and sporting activities.

3. Please provide a summary of the evidence gathered which will be used to inform your decision-making and the content of the proposal

Evidence from:

The School conducted three evidence gathering sessions involving its pupils:

1. A budget consultation exercise with the Secondary pupil council

2. A focus group discussion with the Primary pupil council

3. A focus group discussion with the S6 pupil captaincy team

At the focus group discussions, pupils were given information about the funding of the School. This information included how the School spends its budget and the factors the School takes into consideration when making a budget projection. Children were asked to consider what they thought would be the impact of any change to the budget.

Findings:

Primary and secondary pupils were positive about their school experience to date and celebrated the positives of learning at the School. They felt that any reduction in staffing that affects this experience would not be good for them. They also expressed concern about other pupils who they know benefit from more intensive support and were worried for these pupils in the event that funding levels were lowered.

Primary pupils in upper primary mentioned that they enjoy the current arrangement of being taught certain subjects (e.g. Science and PE) by secondary specialists. They felt that this would make the transition from primary to secondary easier since they will already be familiar with some of the secondary subjects and staff. They expressed concern if a change to the staffing removed these options.

Senior pupils were concerned about being unable to study subjects in S5 and S6 if reductions to staffing affected the School’s ability to offer the current courses. They mentioned the Highers and Advanced Highers that they currently access and how this has helped them to decide on the courses and occupations they would like to pursue post school.

In terms of the School receiving a budget that would meet or exceed its needs, children offered thoughts on how the School should use this resource. Ideas included:

1. Additional classes to reduce their class size.

2. Specific subjects in the secondary curriculum that their friends study in other schools but are not offered at the School.

3. Additional support for pupils.

4. More opportunities for sport and drama, and continued opportunities in music.

5. Continued opportunities (in primary) to experience support from secondary specialists.

Some pupils mentioned spending resource on improving the school buildings, toilets and outdoor spaces. They were reassured to hear that a plan was in place to do this through a re-development project.

If the Scottish Government was to present the School with a budget that would not meet its current needs and could result in changes to staffing, children voiced concerned about:

1. Increases to class sizes.

2. Being unable to study certain subjects in the secondary curriculum.

3. Changes being made to music, sport, and drama.

4. Further to the evidence described at ‘3’ have you identified any 'gaps' in evidence which may prevent determination of impact? If yes, please provide an explanation of how they will be addressed

Through engagement with the School, Scottish Government understands that should there be a reduction in funding, this could result in impacts on staffing, class sizes and curriculum options. Likewise budget enhancements in the past have been used by the School to improve curriculum options for pupils and provide targeted support for pupils, in particular those with additional support needs.

Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the School across the 2025/26 financial year to understand costs arising.

5. Analysis of Evidence

Article 23 (children with a disability)

The School is funded to meet the needs of children with a disability whose needs can be met in a mainstream environment.

Article 28 (right to education)

Funding the School upholds children’s right to education. Funding awarded contributes to their safety, wellbeing, inclusion and ability to learn and thrive in a nurturing learning environment to reach their full potential.

Article 31 (leisure, play and culture)

The School provides a broad curriculum that allows all children to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. Scottish Government grants are used to support the School’s provision of art, drama, music and sporting activities.

6. What changes (if any) have been made to the proposal as a result of this assessment?

As a result of this assessment, views and evidence provided bv the School and its pupils have been considered and have affirmed officials’ view that an increase to funding is necessary for the 2025/26 financial year, in order that the School can meet its increased costs and maintain the level of education it provides, in addition to funding capital works to maintain the school estate and meet the appropriate standards to ensure the safety of its pupils and staff.

Whilst allowances must be made to stay within the allocated budget for the School’s funding, Scottish Government conducted rigorous analysis of each aspect of proposed funding to the School to take into account the possible impact a reduction in funding could have on the School and its pupils, with the aim of reducing any negative impacts on pupils as much as possible whilst ensuring parity with local authority schools. The final grant allocation has been calculated on this basis.