Wednesday February 11th 2026
West Lothian Council headquarters
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
Closure of the Burnhouse school in Whitburn and a review of the delivery of primary and nursery education have been proposed as part of budget savings.
But while officers say the broader education service- including music tuition – is protected, unions slated proposals as cuts.
Union officials said they had been given no sight of plans until meeting papers were published and teachers’ union leader Heather Hughes said: “We cannot have any more cuts.”
West Lothian Council’s Education PDSP met to consider proposals drawn up by officers ahead of this year’s budget in two weeks’ time.
The proposals include integrating services into mainstream schools including closing the Burnhouse school and the integration of language and literacy support across all schools. Those measures could see 14 jobs at risk.
A review of nursery and primary provision has indicated that up to nine jobs could be a risk.
Other proposals include children from outwith West Lothian having to use council facilities rather than private nursery species should they request places in the county.
Budget papers reiterated the no-redundancy strategy- with the suggestion that jobs could be re-sited within the education service.
The report details Burnshouse proposals: “For the majority of this profile learner provisions will be delivered in collaboration with mainstream catchment schools, whilst providing an appropriate education package for young people in their local community.
“It would signal a fresh start for the provision for Social Emotion and Behavioural Needs Learners improving outcomes by re-provisioning the current delivery through Burnhouse School.
“The proposal provides positive impacts including more opportunities for our most complex SEBN learners to be educated on an individualised basis with clear outcomes for reintegration to community projects.”
Officers at the meeting explained that they were confident that the reviews could deliver services that met the needs of children. Music tuition is protected by joint funding from the council and Scottish Government.
Depute-group leader for the opposition SNP Pauline Stafford questioned the assertion of impact reports regarding flexible nursery placing: “It predicts no impact working but women are primary caregivers and that access to flexible childcare will have a huge impact on their access to the workforce. The same applies to socio-economic disadvantage if you are working shifts or zero impacts also has massive impacts.”
For the EIS teaching union Heather Hughes told the meeting: “I would just say that education has been cut year on year to the tune of £10m in the last five years. We cannot have anymore more cuts these proposals are cuts they are not for educational benefit they just to save money, therefore we cannot support anything that is not for a specific educational benefit.
Tom Carr-Pollock of the GMB representing the joint trades unions said: “Trades unions in West Lothian are disappointed at some of these proposals. The first staff saw them was when they went live in the PDSP papers. We are disappointed with that.”
Tweet Share on Facebook
