PARENTS who have been turned down for Glasgow’s Gaelic schools this year are being offered a place at a new temporary annexe.

Ladywell school in Whiteinch, in the west of the city, is being brought into use to cope with soaring demand for Gaelic Medium Education (GME) and ease overcrowding at the main primary on Berkeley Street.

Families from the south west of the city who have children currently at Glasgow Gaelic School, in primary one to five, will also be transferred to the new annexe.

Plans for a third Gaelic medium primary in the city at the former Gowanbank primary have been taken off the table but discussions are ongoing about the long-term plan.

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Ladywell has previously been used as an over-spill facility for Broomhill Primary.

However, the plan is only short-term. From next year onwards the annexe will operate from Cartvale School, in Govan.

Glasgow City Council said the plan would reduce travelling times for families who live in the south-west of the city.

The council said parents with children at the city’s other Gaelic school, Glendale Primary in Pollokshields can also asked to be considered for a transfer if places are available.

A meeting will take place next week for parents with children at the Berkeley Street school, which was the city’s first Gaelic medium school and takes pupils from 3-18.

A working group has been set up to look at the long-term plans for Gaelic education, where pupils are taught the majority of lessons in the language as well as studying English.

More than 6,000 children were in GME education in 2016 across Scotland and Glasgow City Council say demand has grown every year for the past ten, however there is a shortage of Gaelic teachers.

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “Letters have now been sent to all parents and carers of our GME pupils and to families who’ve registered for a P1 start in August outlining the solution from the short life working group.

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“This short and medium term solution will afford everyone in the city who chooses GME for their child the chance of a place in our schools and a positive step to enhance further Gaelic language learning.

“Council officers will now start to liaise with families and school staff to make arrangements and put plans in place for the opening of the Annexe in August.”