We, Drummond School Parent Council/Forum, call on Highland Council to take urgent action to protect the children and staff at Drummond School. Our pupils have complex medical and educational needs that are not being safely met - Highland Council must provide the resources, staffing and specialist care to support the children & staff - action is desperately needed now. 

 

In the Highlands there are 185 children who attend Special Needs Schools - Drummond has 116 of these wonderful pupils.

 

Background -

 

Drummond School is a school in the Highlands for children with severe and complex additional needs.

 

This school has been operating in crisis for years - a situation that has been clearly unsustainable. We believe it is now at a critical stage where pupil and staff safety hangs in the balance. The balance of a real tragedy occurring is frighteningly close.

 

 

No hands-on school nurse -

 

Highland Council have promised funding from a charitable source, not their own budget, for a “Specialised Paediatric Nurse.” From our understanding, this role will not be hands-on. It is a co-ordination role to link with a Family Link Officer, rather than delivering urgent, on-site medical care.

 

This is not good enough. When emergencies happen, we need a qualified paediatric nurse present in school - not a liaison officer. Expecting unqualified staff to carry out medical interventions is unsafe and outside their job description.

 

Ambulances are being called more frequently than ever before - which clearly shows that trained staff are not what is required. This is the same as saying a trained PSA is the same as a qualified teacher - it simply isn’t, and no parent would accept that for their child.

 

 

Staff shortages and absences -

 

Class closures are becoming common, leaving children without learning or support. This has a knock-on effect for families, who are forced to take time off work or arrange emergency childcare.

 

Staff absences are in double figures each day. The school’s long-term and ongoing sickness levels are now critical, and immediate measures to safeguard staff wellbeing are required.

 

It is essential that all vacancies are filled without delay and that training and PVG checks are fast-tracked as a matter of urgency.

 

While we very much welcome the permanency addition to contracts for the staff, what is urgently required is a reliable pool of bank staff too. This would not only provide essential cover for sickness, but also allow classes to be properly staffed during training, and supervision. Without this provision, schools are forced to choose between leaving classes short-staffed, cancelling vital staff development, class closures which contribute directly to the rising crisis. A more joined-up approach is needed - investing in bank staff contracts is ultimately more cost-effective while safeguarding both staff wellbeing and pupil support.

 

 

Overcrowding -

 

Drummond is already beyond it's capacity, it is overcrowded and the overcrowding is compounding the crisis. It is dangerous, the school was built for 70 pupils and it is now at a peak of 116 pupils. More pupils with highly complex needs are being placed in the school without the space, resources, or staffing required to safely support them.

 

We need to know what plan of action Highland Council has to address overcrowding and how they will ensure that Drummond pupils can continue to learn in a safe, supportive environment.

 

Specialist subjects are being lost -

 

Pupils are missing out on vital educational and therapeutic opportunities.

 

 

Staff safety concerns -

 

The unions representing staff have declared that conditions are unsafe and have welcomed industrial action.

 

 

Children are regressing -

 

Without the consistent care and education they need, our children are slipping backwards through all areas of their development due to class closures and other reckless decisions made by Highland Council.

 

Leadership instability -

 

Drummond cannot move forward without stability in its core management team. A school cannot function safely or effectively without clear leadership, oversight, and accountability.

 

Highland Council are failing to effectively support leadership within the school by not providing stability within the Senior Management Team - we need permanent SMT not temporary. Unless this foundation is secured, every other aspect of provision remains at risk.

 

Families and staff are under severe stress and anxiety -

 

Parents, carers and staff are exhausted, frightened and mentally drained. The constant worry about daily safety, missed learning, medical emergencies and lack of clear answers from the Council is taking a profound emotional toll on everyone involved.

 

We have followed the right procedures -

 

Families, staff and unions have raised concerns through the correct channels and followed due process - repeatedly. Yet the situation has not been resolved, and each day it gets worse.

 

No inspection since 2015 -

 

Drummond has not had a formal inspection since 2015, leaving critical oversight and accountability gaps.

 

We consider this neglect -

 

The repeated failure to provide safe, on-site medical care, secure staffing, effective leadership, and space for pupils amounts to neglect in practice. This cannot continue.

 

A warning we cannot ignore -

 

We fear that without immediate and decisive action, a preventable tragedy could occur. That must never be allowed to happen.

 

 

We demand that Highland Council -

 

1 - Provide a hands-on, qualified paediatric nurse based at Drummond School to meet pupil's daily medical and emergency needs.

2 - Guarantee safe staffing levels with the right mix of qualified, trained professionals.

3 - Protect specialist subjects and therapeutic learning opportunities.

4 - Deliver sustainable funding so that Drummond’s children are not left behind.

5 - Establish and support a stable core management team to provide the leadership and direction needed to move the school forward.

6 - Set out clearly their short, long-term, and immediate critical action plans - so that safety and education are protected now and into the future.

7 - Provide a plan of action to address overcrowding, ensuring the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of pupils and staff.

8 - Develop a Bank Staff Pool to ensure consistent, on-demand support when needed, ensuring pupils and staff are fully supported at all times.

 

Why this matters -

 

Every child has the right to safety, dignity, and education. At Drummond, those rights are being denied because Highland Council have failed to act decisively.

Staff are raising alarms, unions are supporting industrial action, families are at breaking point - and our children are suffering the most.

Highland Council must step up now and protect the most vulnerable children in our community.

By signing this petition, you are standing with Drummond’s children, families and staff - and demanding urgent action before it is too late.