Schools across Glasgow face losing more teaching staff following an annual pupil census, The Herald can reveal.

Staff allocations in Glasgow schools are initially based on estimated school rolls, with numbers then checked in September of the new school year. Analysis of the most up-to-date figures is likely to see some staff reallocated, removing them from the schools in which they have been working since August if the council identifies the institution as being overstaffed.

The Herald has been told that these school may face a double-blow because the council is seeking to recoup the costs of the additional staffing from schools themselves, which the EIS representative for the area described as “being charged for having teachers allocated on back of projected school roll".

Although this process has been carried out in previous years, critics have pointed out that schools are under far greater pressure than ever before, not least because the council has begun a programme of major teacher cuts while support services have been reduced or, in the case of the School Library Outreach scheme, closed down entirely. They say that this means that there is little if any remaining capacity to absorb further staff losses, meaning that the impact this year will be far greater than has previously been the case.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, some teachers have told The Herald that their school may have to completely reorganise classes, and even create new composite classes, risking major disruption to young people’s learning and increased staff workloads.

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Leanne McGuire of the Glasgow City Parents Group – which has begun legal proceedings over the wider cuts to education across the city – told The Herald that parents are “alarmed and frustrated at the prospect of further staffing cuts and financial penalties that may be imposed on schools across Glasgow.”

She continued: “Over recent months, we’ve already seen the impact of cuts to teaching posts, and we are hearing directly from families about how these decisions are affecting their children’s learning and wellbeing. Schools across the city are already struggling to meet the needs of pupils with fewer resources.

“Our children are now settled into the school year, and the threat of classes being reconfigured mid-year will disrupt learning and add more stress to both pupils and teachers.
“Our children deserve stability, investment, and the best possible opportunities for their future. They deserve a government that puts their education first.

“Given the drastic decisions already being made in Glasgow education, this is another example of how our city is not practicing what it preaches as a 'nurturing city.'”

Jane Gow, local secretary for Glasgow EIS, said that the threatened staff reallocations and any funding clawbacks will have a significant impact on schools, warning that it risked leaving a “gaping wound”.

She said: “This causes real difficulties for schools where the roll has gone down and core staffing is being cut again. Classes are having to be reclassified, so they will become bigger and fewer, with a critical impact on providing support for all pupils - but especially those with ASN.

“It was reported to us yesterday that schools were being charged for having teachers allocated on the back of projected school rolls. It must also be borne in mind that schools receive placing requests over the course of a session so rolls will continue to fluctuate.

“The key here is that the census is just a numbers game - it takes no account of additional support required for pupils with and without recorded support needs. That impossible task is being left to headteachers, some of whom are at their wits end trying to provide anything like adequate support for their pupils, parents and staff.

“It’s a cut on a cut which will leave gaping wounds and that is before we face the loss of a further 278 teaching posts over years two and three of the budget.”

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Ms Gow also explained that the process meant allocation of supply posts have been affected, “causing ongoing difficulties for permanent supply teachers covering absences and who should be moving schools but are left in limbo".

Greg Dempster, General Secretary of the Association of Headteachers and Deputes Scotland (AHDS), warned that this year's reallocation process would have a greater impact than in previous years:

"This is yet another pressure which is being piled on Glasgow Head Teachers.  This is not a new process but this year it comes on top of the decision to cut over 170 teachers.  The result will be in-year disruption for schools and pupils which will require even more of school leaders who are already over-stretched and under-resourced.”

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “The pupil roll staffing exercise happens every year, and in every local authority, following the national census and it is no different this year.

“This is not related to budget savings and is about matching resources to need in our schools.

“Our headteachers make roll projections before the beginning of term in the knowledge that their final staffing allocations will be adjusted when an accurate pupil count is known.

“Officers will work with the small number of schools who are overstaffed to minimise any future impact, and no budget has been removed.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said:

“The Scottish Government is determined to protect teacher numbers, which is why we are offering £145.5 million to councils this year to do so.

“Talks are continuing with COSLA to reach an agreement which ensures teacher numbers are protected, and we would strongly encourage any council planning teacher cuts to reconsider. The Education Secretary has been clear that the challenges faced by our schools will not be solved with fewer teachers.”