Additional Support for Learning review - action plan: third progress report

Foreword

Scotland’s approach to supporting children and young people in their learning has inclusion at its heart and promotes values of acceptance, equality, equity, and kindness. It seeks to deliver the values of the National Performance Framework – that children can grow up loved, safe and respected to realise their full potential.

Angela Morgan’s review of implementation of additional support for learning (the ASL Review) in 2020, was a significant moment for Scotland’s Education. The broad engagement undertaken as part of the review, had the voices of children and young people, parents and carers and professionals at its heart. It provided the opportunity to hear first-hand their experiences of how additional support for learning is being implemented across Scotland. The ASL Review confirmed that the intention of additional support for learning legislation and policy was right. However, it highlighted that improvements are necessary to ensure we are translating that intention effectively into practice, across Scotland.

To achieve the meaningful change that Angela Morgan envisioned, we must accept that we cannot continue to view additional support for learning as a minority area or in a separate silo within the framework of Scottish Education. Maintaining the visibility of children and young people with additional support needs through continued co-creation and collaboration with them and their families, is critical to delivering the change we all want to see. In accepting the recommendations from the ASL Review, the Scottish Government and COSLA, signalled our strong commitment to this and we remain dedicated to improving the experiences of children and young people with additional support needs, their families and carers, and those who support them.

The Additional Support for Learning Project Board has oversight of delivery of the ASL Action Plan and has a wide stakeholder membership. This governance structure was established in June 2022, to ensure transparency in the delivery of our work and to ensure our accountability and that of our partners, including COSLA, ADES and Education Scotland. Accountability is achieved through regular discussion, challenge and delivery progress. regular scrutiny of the work plan and prioritisation of any areas of concern and progress on short, medium, and long-term actions.

We remain grateful to the ASL Project Board and to all of those involved in delivering the work of the ASL Action Plan and Additional Support for Learning in Scotland for their contribution to supporting and improving outcomes for children and young people with additional support needs.