How potential ban on 'disastrous' super schools has been welcomed by Scottish teachers and autism campaigners

A review into the design of Scotland’s schools has been widely welcomed amid warnings that existing buildings can be “disastrous” for youngsters with autism and ADHD.

The Scotsman reported on Tuesday that Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth had ordered officials to “immediately” review evidence and consult partners as part of a ten-step plan to reconsider the way schools are built.

New designs for school buildings could be trialled in projects from next year, and changes could also be made to regulations or statutory guidance for councils.

It comes after Holyrood’s education committee heard evidence that large, open plan schools can be a barrier to learning for many children with additional support needs (ASN).

The MSPs on the committee subsequently called on the Scottish Government to ensure schools are designed as “accessible and welcoming environments for all”, and also for “effective and relatively inexpensive adaptations” to be made on existing school buildings to help ASN youngsters. Ms Gilruth accepted the recommendations and has set out an action plan in response.

Reacting on social media, Rob Holland, director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: “This is a welcome move - we desperately need to make sure new schools get the learning environment right for all.

“Huge open plan noisy layouts can be hugely challenging for autistic pupils with sensory processing needs.”

Tom Bennett OBE, founder of researchED and an education adviser to the UK government, said: “No school should be open plan; it’s a disaster for focus, behaviour, noise and distraction.

“Only architects and people impressed with ornamental modernity favour them; no sensible educator would. Huge schools are much harder to run as coherent cultures.”

Alexander Burnett, Conservative MSP and convener of Holyrood’s cross-party group on autism, said: “Delighted to see this important issue being discussed.”

He thanked the Scottish Futures Trust for its “willingness to engage on this matter” and said: “I look forward to speaking with them to discuss this further”.

ASN Reform Scotland, a group of parents and campaigners, posted: “A very good step forward as a result of the inquiry into Additional Support for Learning (ASL) earlier this year. Perhaps a positive step that the Scottish Government is ready to listen to parents, carers, PSAs, teachers, therapists and clinicians when it comes to ASN?”

Empower:Ed Scotland, which also focusses on ASN education, said: “This would be incredibly positive for children with ASN. Children are impacted negatively in extremely large cathedral-like schools. I hope that they employ professionals suitably trained in sensory processing disorders. Occupational therapists must work with the architects.” Teachers also criticised open plan designs, with a primary principal teacher saying: “It's disastrous for young people with ADHD. I once taught in a semi open plan school and it was awful for concentration.

“I just don't know why we continue to let schools be designed this way. Unfortunately there's a huge current trend of new primaries like this.” Meanwhile, a head teacher posted: “Interesting to read, and will be good to see how this also impacts open plan schools already open. Will need to be carefully funded though as local authorities are already stretched thin.”