Additional Support for Learning Action Plan 3rd Progress Report

Progress report from the Scottish Government and COSLA providing an update on work undertaken since November 2022 and summarising the actions to be taken to deliver the recommendations from the review of implementation of additional support for learning.


Parents and Carers’ View

Top tips for engaging with parents and carers of children with an additional support need

  • Be kind and welcoming ✓
  • Ensure parents feel comfortable and supported ✓
  • Maintain professionalism ✓
  • Engage as equals ✓
  • Recognise parents as the experts in their child and respect them in this role ✓
  • Actively seek the views of the parents and the child, rather than making assumptions about parent’s knowledge, their circumstances, or intentions ✓
  • Be open, honest and transparent ✓
  • Accessibility is important: do parents have any disabilities? Use plain English, rather than educational jargon, and explain any terminology ✓
  • Ask parents and carers if they would like support at meetings e.g. a friend or an interpreter ✓
  • Make sure any resources are accessible and user-friendly so parents can support their child’s learning journey ✓
  • Encourage open and honest conversations ✓
  • Don’t assume automatic trust or respect – earn it ✓
  • Additional support needs are a whole-school responsibility: an inclusive environment must be created in which diversity is respected ✓
  • Consider the full context of the family ✓
  • Provide resources and assistance without judgement ✓
  • Show empathy and understanding ✓
  • Work together, with a focus on the child or young person ✓
  • Listen actively and be responsive ✓
  • Celebrate successes ✓
  • Be culturally sensitive and aware ✓
  • Check your unconscious biases and prejudices ✓
  • Provide regular updates ✓
  • Be available to meet parents at times, in ways and in places that work for them ✓
  • Make sure parents know what meetings are about in advance and ensure they have access to all the information that you have ✓
  • Help parents to make connections with one another for mutual support and information-sharing, if parents would like this ✓
  • Offer flexibility and remain responsive to the needs and requests of both the child and parent ✓
  • Seek training to understand the impact of intersectional inequalities including poverty, racism, disability and gender-based violence ✓
  • Seek training to understand how barriers may impact on a parent’s ability to engage in their child’s education to ensure supportive approaches if parents don’t show up to parents’ night, respond to a phone call, or the child is not submitting homework ✓
  • Offer holistic, whole family information and support ✓
  • Address issues, concerns and requests quickly and collaboratively with the child and parent ✓
  • Remember children’s rights include parents as the champion of their child ✓
  • Be child-centred, focussing on meeting the child’s needs and recognising the position of a parent in that child’s world ✓

Contact

Email: supportinglearners@gov.scot

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