Glasgow additional support needs school celebrates successes

Tuesday 13 August 2024

14 year old Thomas shows he is an Effective Contributor by creating tiles to participate in Maryhill¿s fantastic Art Park Beithir Sculpture.

A Glasgow school for young people with complex additional support needs is celebrating the achievements of its pupils, with the number of SQA units passed more than doubling in the last year.

East Park is a grant-aided special school for children and young people from all over Scotland who have complex additional support needs, including Autism, ADHD, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. It provides inclusive, specialised education and supported accommodation services, and believes that every child, regardless of their abilities, deserves rich opportunities to achieve.

Like other schools, learners at East Park work towards SQA qualifications, with a focus on National 1 and 2 qualifications. This school year, the number of SQA units passed successfully more than doubled from 28 in the 2022-23 school year, to 68 in 2023-24.

National 1 and National 2 qualifications are set at SCQF levels 1 and 2 and are designed for learners who require additional support. They provide opportunities for learners to develop their knowledge and skills, and to have their achievements certificated.

14-year-old Thomas had a particularly good year, achieving five National 1 units in Food Preparation, Life in Another Country and PE. These units involved Thomas making a healthy snack such as homemade baguettes, learning about living in France and Spain, swimming, and his favourite activity, visiting the local library, Thomas, who has autism and a learning disability, also passed the Number Skills and Personal Development units.

Catriona Campbell, Head of Education at East Park said: “Thomas has just finished S4 and we are so proud of his hard work. These are practical, valuable achievements that will help him to lead a fulfilling, independent life beyond school. Thomas has been at East Park for four years and will be staying on for S5 next year and we hope that we will be able to present him for National 2 units next session.”

17 year old Domanic ended his time at East Park on a high.

It was the final year of school for 17-year-old Domanic, who ended his time at East Park on a high. Domanic completed the Personal Achievement Silver Award, as well as National 1 units in Practical Craft Skills, Number Skills (Handling Money), Personal Development, Number Skills (Shapes), and Science in the Environment.

After a successful S6, Domanic will continue his studies after the summer at Glasgow Clyde College, having secured a space on the National 2 Learning for Independence course. Catriona Campbell commented: “Domanic requires a lot of verbal assurance and a quiet setting to work, so we are all incredibly proud with what he has achieved. I wish him every success in his future.”

Susan Gibb, Liaison Manager for Glasgow at SQA said: “SQA’s National 1 and 2 qualifications provide great opportunities across a wide range of subjects for learners with additional support needs. It’s great to see East Park increasing their use of our qualifications, giving pupils the chance to gain recognition for their hard work and learning.”

While East Park is an independent school, local authorities pay for places for young people who need its services.

For more information on SQA National Qualifications visit www.sqa.org.uk/NQ.