3.6.13 The implications for the daily length of time spent travelling to and from their new school base were very significant for some pupils, particularly for some of those requiring special support. This resulted in considerable reductions for some pupils in the time they actually spent in class or in related activities.
3.6.14 Information provided to the Inquiry by the Council indicates that the average daily teaching time lost per pupil in secondary schools was approximately 12 minutes, whereas in the primary schools it was much higher at 71 minutes per pupil per day.
3.6.15 It is difficult to determine, and it will subsequently be difficult to prove, whether the closure and decant of the schools has had any longer-term negative impact on the educational attainment of the pupils affected. However, based on the opinions provided by the head teachers consulted and on the good results achieved by the exam classes affected, the Inquiry is of the view that any negative impact is likely to have been relatively limited. This impact may also have been offset to some extent in certain instances by unexpected positive impacts of the experience (as evidenced by several witnesses to the Inquiry).