Mary Russell School in Paisley is full, and Renfrewshire Council wants to build more classrooms there to keep up with the number of children who need a specialist place.
The school, which supports children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), is running at 100% of its capacity and is expected to stay that way, according to a learning estate update going to the Education and Children's Services Policy Board on Thursday 29 October.
No room left inside
The report says demand for specialist ASN places has grown steadily and significantly, and more young people now need a place than the school can currently take.
Over the past three years the school has been refurbished and rearranged to squeeze in as many pupils as possible. That has used up every option inside the existing building. All the space is now in use, and some parts of the curriculum have to be delivered off-site.
What's proposed
Councillors are being asked to support building extra classroom capacity and educational facilities at the school. Early talks with the school about what it needs have already taken place. If the plan is approved, a formal design will be drawn up, with construction expected to start in 2027.
The final cost will be worked out as the design develops, with the aim of including the project in the council's 2027/28 capital plan, subject to councillors' approval. Further updates on timings will come back to a future board.
The council says expanding on site is also the financially sensible option, as it means relying less on more expensive placements outside Renfrewshire, cutting transport costs, and letting more children get specialist support close to home.
The same report also confirms the five-classroom extension planned for St Andrew's Academy in Paisley, which we reported on earlier this week.
Photo: Mary Russell School, Paisley, by Thomas Nugent, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.