A mum has branded plans to relocate a special school an “injustice” to parents and children.
St Andrew’s School, which caters for children with additional support needs, will now be a part of the new Inverurie Community Campus.
The decision was taken by the authority’s educational services committee yesterday following consultation among the school community.
Education bosses say the new school will provide a better experience for children with a modern facility and will also allow them to integrate with pupils at the new academy.
But the move has proved controversial among some parents, who are concerned the relocation will give pupils less outdoor space and will lead to larger class sizes because the building will be smaller.
Jane Keenan – whose nine-year-old son Riley attends the school as he has cerebal palsy – gave an emotional speech to the committee, at one point breaking down while urging councillors to reject the plans.
Mrs Keenan, who is also chairwoman of the parent council, said: “Parents at St Andrew’s are not resistant to change, the majority of parents would support a move if it was giving the children a better alternative.
“The majority of our pupils are non-verbal, there are massive mobility issues, and three quarters of our kids are severely autistic and therefore will never meaningly access a mainstream setting.
“Some of our children have life-limiting conditions with life expectancies of school age and below, therefore the quality of life that they receive in school is their life.”
Mrs Keenan asked why the authority had not moved forward with either refurbishing the school or rebuilding it on its current site.
However, education officers said a rebuild would mean pupils at the school would have to be moved to another facility for 18-24months while the work was being carried out.
Vincent Docherty, head of education for the council, said it was vital the authority took advantage of the opportunity to fund the move, which it would be unlikely to be able to afford in the future.
Mr Docherty also said there were no plans to increase class sizes and that the campus area would provide a larger space for children to use.
Councillors unanimously approved the move while also agreeing to form a steering group to keep parents and keep the school community informed throughout the process.
Afterwards, Mrs Keenan said she was disappointed at the decision.
“I think the fact that the councillors that took the vote today did not have the opportunity to come to the school and see the wonderful things that goes on there was an injustice to our children,” she added.