Forthcoming meetings

A meeting has been arranged at for parents at Little Scholars for Tuesday 30th October at 7pm, unfortunately at very short notice. The aim of the meeting is to formulate a list of questions that require to be answered.

I understand that there is also a meeting to be held on the 7th of November at 7:30 at the nursery. Further information will be circulated nearer the time.

Fw: Comann nam Pàrant - Glaschu Little Scholars parents’ update: 11 October 2007

1. A scheduled CnP meeting with Glasgow City Council Education Department officials was held on Monday 8 October. Time was set aside to discuss the planned closure of the Gaelic nursery at Little Scholars. On the Council's part, Peggy McIntosh, Jim Whannel, and Iain Macdonald were in attendance.

2. Mary Galbraith – Convener of CnP – Glaschu – updated the officials on the meeting held last week, and communicated the parents' concerns and aspirations.

3. The officials were interested to know that parents favour the Holmlea suggestion. They are actively pursuing this option, and are still investigating the feasibility of making this a Council run GME nursery. The revenue-funding bid, covering the period April 2008 to March 2009 has been submitted, and this is solid evidence of the Council's continued support for this service model. It is not thought that there will be much by way of physical building work required, however this is being checked.

4. Mary communicated the parents' preferences, in relation to location, operating period (ie to include non-term time holidays) and staffing, and these were noted.

5. We have also asked for a visit (by a small delegation, to keep it manageable), to see the facility first-hand. They will contact us when they have established a suitable date and time.

6. In order to formalise our interest in pursuing this option, CnP – Glaschu will write formally to the Director of Education, expressing our interest in pursuing Holmlea as a GME all-day, birth to five years, nursery and day-care facility. This letter is being sent this week, before the October holidays.

7. It may be helpful to make carefully targeted approaches to the Councillors; however, this task needs to be handled very sensitively. In the interests of making sure that the parent body is united on this matter, such lobbying should be tightly controlled for it to be effective.

8. By way of information, the Council officials mentioned that advertisement for Lyoncross staffing will be placed during October. It is likely to be January 2008 before the service starts. As was stated at the parents' meeting, the Council always planned this to be additional capacity, and is not considered to be a substitute for the Little Scholars service.

9. Parents and friends wishing to receive this information by email should email her Jackie Hoy at jackie.hoy@btintern et.com with their personal contact details.

10. Also, this information is being posted on the CnP – Glaschu yahoo group site: http://uk.groups. yahoo.com/ group/CnP_ Glaschu, the Little Scholars notice-board, and a dedicated blog http://sgoilearan- beaga.blogspot. com.

As a group of parents, it will be worthwhile holding a further meeting to discuss progress, probably at the end of October or early November. At this time it would also be worthwhile seeking volunteers for a small sub-group to co-ordinate any activities that may be necessary to progress matters, such as attending meetings, drafting standard letters, communications.

Notes of meeting at Little Scholars Nursery: 2 October 2007

Notes of meeting at Little Scholars Nursery: 2 October 2007

1. A total of 38 people attended, representing:

a) Parents of infants in the early years stage of the nursery

b) Parents of children in the pre-school years stage of the nursery

c) Parents of children who are on the waiting list

d) Staff of the nursery

e) Directors of the nursery

f) Convener of Comann nam Parent – Glaschu

g) Chief Executive of CNSA

Apologies were also received from five families who were unable to attend.

2. The role of Comann nam Pàrant was explained, and that any parent with a child in Gaelic-medium education – nursery, primary and secondary – is automatically represented by CnP.

3. Discussion took place on the current situation, with regards to Little Scholars/ Langside:

a) The Council has indicated that they are not empowered to fund Langside College, and an associated private nursery business, to the tune of £500,000.

b) This is the sum that the College has said it would need to build the Gaelic Nursery facility, within its overall plans for campus redevelopment; an amount of money which it sought to obtain from the Council.

c) We understand that the Council never made any such funding commitment, therefore, talk of "the Council withdrawing funding" misrepresents the actual events, and is not true.

d) If it had such available money – and the financial powers - there are probably other GME investments that it could consider before donating funds to an external capital investment.

e) The Council has provided financial support for the staffing costs of the GME nursery provision, and is committed to the continuation of this practice - none of this is under threat.

f) Parents considered asking the College what its rationale was for pursuing this course of action, perhaps with a view to getting the decision overturned.

g) After discussion it was agreed that this would not be the most useful course of action.

4. Discussion took place on the current situation, with regards to Lyonscross:

a) The Council has plans to expand the GME nursery provision in the city, by offering GME nursery places at Lyoncross in Pollok.

b) This facility will provide care equivalent to the pre-school service available at Rowena in Kinghtswood, and Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, offering five sessions per week to parents.

c) The exact date for this service to commence will depend on staff recruitment, and it is hoped that it will start as soon as staff are appointed.

d) There will be 20 places – ten in the morning, and ten in the afternoons – for 3 and 4-year olds.

e) It was always intended that this would be additional provision, under the assumption that the Little Scholars service would continue, (if not at Langside, then ideally re-provided from a new location).

f) This additional capacity, and has been planned because numbers in GME nurseries continue to grow: Total GME nursery numbers in Glasgow rose 22% in the last year.

g) It was never designed to substitute for the service that is being currently offered at Little Scholars.

h) For many (though not all) Little Scholars parents, this service does not meet their needs, however it does represent valuable extra provision.

5. Discussion took place regarding the future options available to Little Scholars parents:

a) The favoured option is one that has been suggested by the Council, and involves securing an existing, soon-to-be redundant nursery facility: Holmlea[1], 77 Holmlea Road, G44 4AQ

b) Council officers are investigating the feasibility of this option at present, and will be able to communicate soon, we anticipate, on whether or not it will be possible.

c) The building is a nursery at present, however, part of the Council's primary school redevelopment means that this service will in future be available from the new-build/ redeveloped primary schools in the area.

d) It is possible that a capital receipt from the sale of this redundant facility has been factored into the Council's planning, and if so, a Council decision would be needed to retain the building for Council Education purposes.

e) The Education Officer who has suggested this option was ill, and not at work on the day of the meeting, and so the latest information was not available.

f) A meeting with her is scheduled on other matters, on Monday 8 October, and CnP will suggest that the Langside Nursery issue should be discussed at some point that day.

g) In order to represent the Nursery parents at this meeting one of the Little Scholars parents will try to attend this meeting, other commitments permitting.

h) If it transpires that Holmlea is not feasible, parents would like the option of assessing other possible buildings, rather than be offered a no-choice – take-it-or-leave-it decision.

i) In general, parents would prefer a replacement facility to be within one mile of the current Langside location.

j) The parents are concerned that the current staff may not stay for the 15-month period that the current Gaelic nursery plans to operate, and the staff also have concerns.

k) CnP will raise with the Council what steps can be take to provide assurances for staff, that continuity will be pursued vigorously, and to explore the option of Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) arrangements applying to staff who could transfer from Nursery employment to the Council.

l) Other broad options that were considered comprise:

i) Moving the portacabin to a different site;

ii) Finding a private nursery operator to start up a GME nursery / day-care business;

iii) Asking the College to reconsider its decision not to secure facilities for a GME nursery;

iv) Operating a Gaelic nursery as a charitable/ parent led/ community venture.

m) These other options may be pursued if the preferred Council option does not materialise.

6. On future meetings and communications it was agreed:

a) Use will be made of email, the CnP – Glaschu yahoo group: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/CnP_Glaschu, and the Little Scholars notice-board to update all parents.

b) Jackie Hoy offered to collate all email addresses, and parents should email her at jackie.hoy@ btinternet.com with their personal contact details.

c) The meeting originally schedule for Wednesday 10 October may not be necessary; depending on the outcome of the Council meeting on Monday 8 October.

d) An update will be sent to parents informing them of whether or not it will take place.

e) The option of inviting the Director of Education to a meeting was discussed, however, it was agreed that this option would only be pursued in the event that difficulties arose in the pursuit of the preferred solution.

Thanks very much to all who turned up, and to the directors of Little Scholars for accommodating the meeting, and providing refreshments and biscuits.

Le deagh dhurachd

Mary Galbraith – Convener, Comann nam Pàrant – Glaschu

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^[1] On the Council's website, Holmlea is listed as one of the Councils "Extended Daycare Establishments" saying, "These services can provide education and daycare for children from birth until school entry date and are open up to 52 weeks per year, mainly between the hours of 8.00am and 6.00pm. …Places are offered for children on a full-day or part-day basis."

E-mail from Cllr Frank Docherty

Hi Jackie hope this helps,Cllr Frank Docherty

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Jackie

I understand your concerns,.

Sadly, when Langside College moves to their new campus in December 2008 (approximately), the Little Scholars business would have needed the Council to further subsidise them by half a million pounds in order to secure new bespoke acccommodation in this campus. The previous Executive Director did not feel that it was appropriate to seek such substantial funds for what is essentially a private business at such a time of financial pressure.

It is important to reassure however that there will be no disruption to the present service for over a year.

It was felt that it was appropriate to alert Parents early to a longer term change in order that they had plenty of time to make alternative child care arrangements. The

Council has not withdrawn funding in any way from their partnership with Little Scholars and would indeed have been happy to continue what has been a winning partnership with the college had circumstances been different.

In the meantime, officers have been extremely pro active in trying to find solutions for the 0 - 5 Gaelic medium south side provision in the city. The new Lyoncross nursery should open for 3-5 year old pupils in the next six months and will offer an excellent local authority - run south - side provision. We have also identified from our estate that the nearby Homelea day nursery becomes vacant next August. We are well aware that 0 - 2 years is the best time to acquire language and have applied to the Scottish government for additional funding that would allow us to run this exceptional level of provision for very young Gaelic learners. If successful with this funding application, we would then attempt to have this service up and running before Little Scholars are obliged to close their doors.

I trust this reassures you that we have been problem solving and await word from the Scottish government to secure provision for very young Gaelic learners.

Cllr Frank Docherty