ScotGov urged to back expansion of ASN college model
Under the existing funding arrangements, Corseford College has capacity for forty students, with all places currently allocated. Speaking to The Herald, Head of College Liz McConnachie explained that each year she has to turn down around as many applications as she accepts, and warns that there is little if any alternative provision for those who cannot be accommodated.
Ms McConnachie also highlighted geographical constraints, noting that people in most of Scotland are unable to access Corseford College, making the lack of similar centres in other parts of the country an especially pressing concern.
Graduate Lauren Wishart with Capability Scotland Chief Executive Brian Logan (Image: Gordon Terris)
The inaugural graduation ceremony recognised thirteen students who have completed their programmes. It also saw three individuals honoured with further recognition: an Honorary Graduate Prize was given to Jamie Thomson and Olivia Turner, and a Maria Brownlie Award, given in honour of a former student who passed away last year, went to Ali Chaudhry.
READ MORE
Parents say lack of inclusive further education must change
Families still have to fight the system for pupils with ASN
Speaking after the graduation event, Capability Scotland Chief Executive Brian Logan said that parents and staff are very proud of the young people involved, and that the day had been a 'real celebration of everything that they've achieved.'
He went on to explain that Corseford's unique model had been developed and made successful thanks to the 'perseverance' of staff, and called for everyone who needs it in Scotland to have the right to the same type of support.
'That transition – to move from childhood into adulthood – is really challenging and at the moment, with the exception of Corseford College, there's no real opportunity for people to continue their educational journey. That right should be there for everyone. It's about equity and about inclusion, and without the type of provision that we have that opportunity to learn and grow.'
'We have demonstrated that this model is successful, we know that there is demand for this type of provision right across the country, we get applications from other parts of Scotland which we – at the moment – can't service. We know the demand is there. We know the model is successful. Our ask is that this is replicated across the country so that everyone has this opportunity, and that we put the funding on a much more sustainable footing.
'It's unfair that there are people across the country being denied this opportunity. We think we can set up satellites based on the Corseford model across the rest of Scotland. We want to do that and we want to work in partnership with the government to make sure that it is delivered.'
Despite being opened by a Scottish Government minister (Jamie Hepburn MSP), Corseford had been facing the threat of closure when pilot funding ran out this year. However, the recent budget deal between the SNP, Scottish Greens and Scottish Liberal Democrats secured a further £700,000 to keep the facility operational.
Some of the 2025 graduates of Corseford College. L-R: Sophie James-Rae, Darren Fitzpatrick, Fraser McAlpine, Jamie Thomson, Ali Chaudhry, and Bryan Brownlie. (Image: Gordon Terris)
During a recent session of the Scottish Parliament's Education, Children and Young People Committee, Minister for Further Education Graeme Dey revealed that the government has received a report that has reached 'broadly positive conclusions as to the impact' of Corseford's model. He added:
'I would be optimistic that we will have something very positive to say about this fairly quickly.'
Asked whether ministers are planning to fund the establishment of more specialist colleges like Corseford, a spokesperson for the Scottish Government said:
'The Scottish Government has received the independent evaluation report for Corseford College and we are currently considering its content. As the Further Education Minister has indicated, there will be further detail provided on this shortly.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Couple WIN bitter battle over neighbours' ‘untrimmed' hedge – after 5-year war ‘descended into chaos'
Police were called to the quiet suburban street after the feud escalated BISH BASH BUSH Couple WIN bitter battle over neighbours' 'untrimmed' hedge – after 5-year war 'descended into chaos' A COUPLE has won a bitter neighbour dispute over an untrimmed hedge after five years of furious feuding. Keith Smith, 71, and his wife Julie, 68, claimed their neighbours untrimmed cypress trees made their lives a misery. 2 The hedge was made up of a row of cypress trees Credit: Scottish Goverment DPEA The row of trees, belonging to David Hunter and Niena Hunter Mistry, sparked a five-year battle between the two couples in the quiet suburb of Prestonfield, Edinburgh. The neighbour war grew so bitter that it involved the Edinburgh City Council, the Scottish Government and even the police. The Smiths claim the trees cast a shadow across their garden, forcing the pensioners to live out their retirement in darkness. Demanding that the trees be chopped down, the Smiths turned to the local authority but were left frustrated when they were refused. The couple paid a massive £350 fee for a High Hedge Notice application which was denied after a visit from a city council officer. Appealing the decision, the Smiths won and managed to successfully have the trees trimmed back to 8.5ft in 2023. After the bush was trimmed the Smiths claim that gaps where tree once stood were suddenly replaced by gardening tools, including ladders, pipes and concrete. The pair went on to claim that the trim was inadequate and called for the council to come back, which they did and agreed that the remaining trees should be further cut back. Mr Hunter left a single tree standing untrimmed however which he claimed was not part of the "boundary hedge" and therefore not subject to the High Hedge Notice. The Smiths then insisted the remaining tree be cut back too with the dispute turning ugly again. My neighbours said they'd sue me if I touched the top of our overgrown joint hedge - so I got creative and they can't say a word The couple, who have lived in their home for 44 years, continued their brutal battle to have the foliage lopped back. Things got so bad that in June of last year the police were called to the quiet suburb where they issued "two men" with "recorded police warnings." Mr Smith previously claimed to Edinburgh Live that his neighbours behaviour had been "atrocious" and branded the couple's actions "absolutely appalling." The hedge owners refuse to chop down their bush flat out and claim they feel harassed and intimidated by the Smiths. The Smiths previously said: "We, the Smiths, have suffered hugely financially, emotionally and physically by this process and sincerely hope, this will now lead to resolution." An appeal launched by Mr Hunter in a bit to save his tree was rejected and the last remaining part of the hedge will now have to be cut back to 8.5ft. 2 The Smiths were delighted when the last remaining part of the hedge was ordered to be cut back Credit: EdinburghLive/Media Scotland Mr Hunter insisted that the remaining tree was not part of the hedge and begged that it be allowed to stand. He said in a document seen by the Mail Online: "The individual tree identified in the varied notice cannot reasonably be said to be part of the boundary hedge. "It appears as a separate individual tree and has never been trimmed. "We would be very grateful if you would take all our points and concerns into account and request that you quash the revised high hedge notice." Despite his pleas Mr Hunter was ordered to cut back the remaining piece of his hedge to 8.5ft in line with the previous High Hedge Notice. The Smiths were delighted after a Government official stated that the tree did in fact cast a shadow over a "significant" portion of their garden. The official also stated that the previous High Hedge Notice applied to the whole hedge, including the remaining tree. Despite the best efforts of Mr Hunter the government official ruled that the hedge damaged the Smith's enjoyment of their home. The government ruled that the remaining part of the hedge is now subject to the High Hedge Notice and should be trimmed to 8.5ft.
.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26auto%3Dwebp%26quality%3D75%26crop%3D3%3A2%2Csmart%26trim%3D&w=3840&q=100)
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Scotsman
Funding push after community set to take Scottish Borders forestry project to court
The Scottish Government's forestry agency has been accused of acting unlawfully. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A community taking a Scottish Borders forestry plantation to court is campaigning for funding to help them fight the legal battle. Save Todrig is hoping to raise £30,000 to cover legal fees to help them block a predominantly Sitka spruce forest stretching more than 500 hectares at Todrig Farm, about seven miles north of Kelso. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Campaigners said they are concerned about the impact the plantation will have on the current moorland habitat and surrounding communities. The application for the woodland scheme at Todrig was lodged by Gresham House Forest Growth and Sustainability Fund LP. | Simon Butterworth A petition was lodged claiming that Scottish Forestry, the public agency responsible for regulating forestry and distributing grants, acted unlawfully by screening out an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) in December last year and claiming there will be no significant environmental impacts before a public consultation was done. The applicant, Gresham House Forest Growth and Sustainability Fund LP, of Gresham House Ltd, applied to the agency for the EIA decision before applying for grant funding under the Forestry Grant Scheme, which would have triggered a public consultation. Campaigners accused Scottish Forestry of 'acting in secret' by making a decision on the EIA before the consultation. It meant NatureScot and RSPB among other groups who put their arguments in, which included comments claiming bird surveys were inadequate, were seen months after a decision on environment impact had already been made. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad David Lintott, of Restore Nature Ltd, the organisation behind lodging the petition, said: 'I think it is a particularly egregious case because they [Scottish Forestry] determined there will be no harms before the RSPB and organisations like Butterfly Conservation were able to put their points across, so their arguments weren't taken into account. David Lintott, of Restore Nature, which lodged a successful petition calling for a judicial review of a forestry plantation at Todrig in the Scottish Borders | Katharine Hay 'That's really poor when your dealing with such a huge area and something that is going to cause transformative change.' The planned Todrig forest would link to another proposed 700-hectare predominantly Sitka forest at Whitslaid. It means the area will see some 11 square kilometres of conifer plantations across the moorland habitat, campaigners said. The proposed schemes, which, together, would be larger than Selkirk and Hawick combined, fall into a pilot map created by Scottish Forestry for the Upper Ale area. It shows an area the agency deems suitable for planting either large scale or medium scale spruce plantations. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A pilot study carried out by Scottish Forestry for a land capacity map. The outer red line is the boundary of the pilot study and blue denotes existing plantations. Todrig and Whitslaid are marked bottom right. | Scottish Forestry Save Todrig said, with the exception of narrow areas along the main river valleys and isolated hill tops, 'pretty much everywhere is eligible for predominantly conifer plantations'. The group said, in effect, the whole area could be covered in conifers, and if extrapolated across the Scottish Borders, pretty much everywhere outside SSSIs and other protected areas. Campaigners said blanketing the area in conifer plantations will lead to 'the permanent loss of a unique rolling moorland landscape in the Scottish Borders,' which provides a natural habitat for wildlife including the red-listed black grouse and northern brown argus, which is classified as 'vulnerable' on the butterfly red list. Butterfly Conservation was recently awarded £730,000 in public funding to enhance conservation efforts for the rare butterfly, which is found in limited areas of the UK, one of those being the Scottish Borders. According to the petition, research on brown argus carried out by the charity found the 'prime threat was found to be the increasing risk of afforestation being driven by generous woodland grant incentives.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Northern brown argus butterfly | Butterfly Conservation Trust The upcoming court case comes after a successful judicial review of a plantation at Stobo Hope, also in the Scottish Borders, forced Scottish Forestry to suspend planting and a £2m grant contract they had awarded to the applicant: Forestry Carbon Sequestration Fund, which is managed by True North Real Asset Partners. The court case was triggered by warnings from Stobo Hope Action Group that hundreds of hectares of the site had been sprayed with herbicides prior to the forestry application being submitted. Scottish Forestry halted forestry work at the Stobo Hope woodland creation scheme in the Scottish Borders in September 2024. The decision came after new information about herbicide spraying at the site. | Supplied In Scottish Forestry correspondence, obtained by Freedom of Information requests, an agency staff member described the site looking like it had been 'napalmed' following the spraying. Mr Lintott, who was also involved in the Stobo Hope case, said: 'You would think they [Scottish Forestry] would be more careful after seeing that. But the fact they haven't been in the Todrig case has been disappointing and particularly concerning.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Community groups have been set up in response to the proposed forestry schemes, including the Upper Ale Water Conservation Group who met with Scottish Conservatives MP John Lamont and MSP Rachael Hamilton to discuss their concerns. MSP Racheal Hamilton meeting with members of Upper Ale Water Conservation Group | Upper Ale Water Conservation Group Speaking during a visit on Wednesday, Ms Hamilton said: 'The local community are rightly concerned by these forestry applications and the lack of scrutiny around the consultation process. 'There needs to be more accountability of Scottish Forestry to ensure that swathes of forestry are not forced upon communities against their interest. 'That's why I brought forward an amendment to the Land Reform Bill for the Scottish Government to implement an Ethical Framework for Natural Capital Investment that ensures local community have a voice, but it was shamefully voted down at stage two.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Green Party candidate for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale Dominic Ashmole backed the Save Todrig petition saying it was 'a fine public service.' Scottish Green Party candidate for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale Dominic Ashmole Mr Ashmole, who was recently selected by the Greens as a South Scotland regional candidate for the upcoming Scottish Parliament election, said: 'If successful, the case could set a precedent ensuring routine and substantive EIA of proposed forestry schemes, which could steer us to a place where we have locally-led, nature-friendly, continuous cover forestry that provides a whole host of co-benefits. 'At the moment, it seems that a scary big climate target is being wielded very much as a blunt instrument, perhaps with pressured civil servants reaching for 'big corporate' solutions rather than funding communities and smaller players to create a future closer to what locals and the wider public actually want.' Gresham House insisted it adheres to regulatory standards and industry best practice across all its projects. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A spokesperson for the company said: "Community engagement is really important. 'For the Todrig proposal, we've undertaken a formal public consultation and invited feedback from statutory bodies including SEPA, NatureScot, and RSPB Scotland. "In response to early input, the current design includes a commitment to retain approximately 40 per cent of the site as open ground, primarily to support biodiversity and habitat creation. Once operational, all planting, felling, and management plans will be made publicly available - and as with any forestry project, we actively look for ways to deliver wider community benefits through improved public access, educational opportunities, and support for local initiatives.'
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Couple claim they shouldn't be forced to return 'priceless' bells to historic Scots church
Mark Huitson and Rachel Bonde believe they removed from Holywood Church near Dumfries are linked to the Knights Templar and had to be taken away 'as a matter of security'. A couple claim they shouldn't be forced to return 'priceless' bells to an historic church as they are among the 'most significant and valuable medieval discoveries in Scotland'. Mark Huitson and Rachel Bonde believe the bells and plaques they removed from Holywood Church near Dumfries are linked to the Knights Templar and had to be taken away 'as a matter of security'. They claim they intend to return them once the category B listed building is sold – but the council wants them put back sooner. The couple, who bought the church in 2019, lost a previous appeal to the Scottish Government against the move earlier this year. But have now made a fresh plea to Holyrood after being hit with a listed building enforcement notice as the bells still haven't been put back. Their response to the council's enforcement notice, lodged with the Scottish Government, states: 'The sole basis of the owners' removal of the bells from Holywood Church and any associated archaeology was in context of the owners' discovery of the bells' evidenced, unique, extraordinary and priceless Knights Templar attribution. 'The owners' assert their re-discovery of the bells' 12th century provenance, attached to a Templar preceptory, and its sponsor's Templar attribution is one of the most significant and valuable medieval discoveries in Scotland, the only significant provenanced Knights Templar artefacts in the world, and as such the bells should be judged and treated as artefacts of national importance.' They say the previous decisions by the council and Scottish Government were based on Historic Environment Scotland's listed building description, which only mentions 'two church bells of medieval date' which have 'special interest' to the site's history. The response adds: 'Without authoritative disavowal of the owners' attestation, and the public having access to interrogate the evidence of the bells' extraordinary and priceless Knight Templar attribution, and with no supportable counter to that discovery from those deemed the most appropriate 'experts'; returning the bells to a dilapidated property without appropriate robust security measures in keeping with the bells' historic and fiscal value would be catastrophic, in terms of protection and safety.' The couple are looking to sell the building – which they bought with planning permission to convert into a three building house – and do not plan to remove the bells permanently. However, they believe returning them before the building is sold would put the bells 'under needless and unacceptable risk'. And the response states they are looking for 'authoritative authentication of the discovery to facilitate a sale without the further misrepresentation of the historical building record'. This would also help provide an 'honest valuation' for the property. As a result, the bells 'will remain offsite as a matter of security while new owners are procured'. In their response to the appeal, the council states that 'no supporting evidence, method statement has been provided by the appellants to support the removal on health and safety grounds, with no location of the relocation of the bellsprovided'. They add: 'The serving of the enforcement notice was deemed necessary to return the bells and plaques to the church in order to preserve the features and historic interest in the category B listed church.'
