Additional support for learning: action plan (updated October 2021)

1.1 Vision statement

Recommendation

A national overarching Vision Statement for success for children and young people who have additional support needs must be developed by the end of 2020 with the full involvement of children and young people.

Response

Accept.

Actions to be taken forward – Oct 2020

The Young Ambassadors for Inclusion, in partnership with The Additional Support for Learning Implementation Group (ASLIG) will develop a national overarching vision statement for success for children and young people who have additional support needs. The groups will consider ways in which the vision statement can be promoted across Scotland,

COSLA and ADES will promote the vision statement to ensure alignment between local and national statements.

Delivery Timescale

The vision statement for success was published in August 2021.

Status Oct 2021

Complete

Progress made:

The Young Ambassadors for Inclusion^[2] developed their vision statement for success at the start of 2021. This was agreed by the Additional Support for Learning Implementation Group (ASLIG) in Spring 2021. The vision statement was published in August 2021. While it is recognised that the original timescale for this work was not met, it was agreed with ASLIG that due to the impact of Covid-19, the Inclusion Ambassadors needed additional time to fully consider and develop this work.

Children in Scotland published a supporting accessible overview of the vision statement which has been shared on social media and is hosted on the Inclusion Ambassadors web page.

As part of their work on the Young Ambassadors for Inclusion project, Children in Scotland will continue to share the vision statement and will work with newer members of the group to explore their understanding of this. The Chair of ASLIG will attend a meeting of the Young Ambassadors to hear their views on the vision statement. This will be fed back to ASLIG to inform the group's future priorities.

Education Scotland have supported the promotion and use of the vision statement developed by the Young Ambassadors for Inclusion and have included signposting on their National Improvement Hub.

1.1.2

Recommendation

This vision statement must be developed alongside a positive public communication plan which highlights the range of conditions and issues identified in the additional support for learning legislation and will be one of the ways in which the profile of additional support for learning is raised to ensure equity for all children and young people.

Response

Accept.

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

The Scottish Government will work with Local Government and partners, including parents and cares and children and young people, to identify opportunities to raise the profile of children and young people with additional support needs as we strive for excellence and equity for all.

As part of this, we will develop positive, joint communications, both locally and nationally which seek to highlight the achievements and successes of all children and young people who have additional support needs.

In developing this communication plan, consideration will be given to collaborative planning and decision making at all levels, between local authorities and health and social care, through a child right's approach to health and wellbeing outcomes, linked to the Health and Social Care Standards. Taking a whole systems approach, we will seek to ensure that the individual needs of children and young people can be met through a holistic approach within a whole school ethos which supports meaningful inclusion.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

Status Oct 2021

On-going / On track

Progress made:

The Scottish Government has worked closely with Children in Scotland to support its communication and engagement on the Young Ambassador for Inclusion project, promoting the network and their outputs through social media. Work will continue to support the project to engage with school communities, seeking that the Young Ambassador's vision is embedded in schools and local authorities.

In August 2021, the Young Ambassadors published a Pledge Pack – a resource for schools to support an inclusive approach to learning and teaching. The Scottish Government and COSLA supported the dissemination of this resource.

The ADES Executive and the ASN and Children's Services Network have collaborated with other national organisations to promote an integrated and holistic approach. These include The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE), Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), the Scottish Government Getting it Right for Every Child team, Children and Families Leadership Group and Education Scotland

As members of ASLIG, the Scottish Government and COSLA have been supportive of the development of a communication and engagement plan to ensure that stakeholders, including children and young people, are informed of, and have the opportunity to be involved in ASLIG's continued work to deliver the recommendations of the Additional Support for Learning Review.

ASLIG have established a communication and engagement sub-group. Following a stakeholder mapping exercise, the group has been developing a communication and engagement plan to ensure that the broad range of stakeholders are informed of the work that is being taken forward to deliver the measures set out in this action plan. Once this plan is finalised, it will be published on the Scottish Government website.

1.1.3

Recommendation

The achievements and successes of children and young people with additional support needs must be celebrated publicly in equivalence to attainment and exam results.

Response

Accept.

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

Aligned to development of a positive joint communication plan, the Scottish Government will seek to work with Local Government and partners to consider further opportunities to further publically celebrate the wide-ranging successes and achievements of children and young people with additional support needs.

Through the development of a measurement framework (see recommendation 1.2), ASLIG will ensure that successful outcomes can be meaningfully captured and recognised. ADES have undertaken an initial mapping exercise which will inform and shape this framework.

As part of this work, the Scottish Government and Local Government will engage with children and young people and parents and carers to understand the range of successes and achievements and ensure this breadth is captured.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

Status Oct 2021

On-going / On track

Progress made:

The Young Ambassador's vision statement made clear that success is different for everyone. As set out at 1.2, work is underway to develop a national measurement framework which seeks to value and increase visibility of the diverse range of achievements that children and young people achieve. Monitoring of development of this framework is included in the National Improvement Framework.

Despite challenging circumstances, children and young people with additional support needs continue to achieve with over 16,500 school leavers from publicly funded secondary and special schools achieving a qualification at SCQF level 2 or better in 2021. Entries for candidates having an identified additional support need have increased year on year since 2017. Pass rates for learners with an additional support need for National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers were higher in 2021 than in 2019.

Results day messaging for 2021 focused on celebrating the achievements of all learners, including children and young people with additional support needs and those not undertaking national qualifications.

Data from the Equalities Monitoring Report will be reviewed as part of the reform of qualifications and assessment to understand better how improvements can continue to be made for all our children and young people.

1.1.4

Recommendation

The language used to describe children and young people with additional support needs and the services which support them must be changed. It should move away from describing children and young people as their condition and not be solely focussed on deficits.

Response

Accept.

Actions to be taken forward - Oct 2020

Through the development of the vision statement and a positive communication plan, the Scottish Government will work with Local Government to further recognise, value and celebrate children and young people with additional support needs. Full consideration will be given to the language used to describe children and young people with additional support needs to ensure that it accurately reflects the intention of the legislation.

The Scottish Government will work with Local Government and other key partners to refresh of the Supporting Learners' Code of Practice, to ensure that it fully supports schools and local authorities to fulfil their duties under the Act. This will ensure that all children and young people who have barriers to their learning are supported to reach their fullest potential.

This refresh will be undertaken in full consultation with key partners, including children and young people and parents and carers and with full cognisance of other areas of work.

As part of this work, the Scottish Government will work with partners to further consider how to promote and raise awareness of the code and additional support for learning more broadly, aligned to actions set out at 1.1.2.

These actions will be aligned to the actions which will be taken forward to support teacher learning and development.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

It is anticipated that the revised Code of Practice will be completed by Spring 2023.

Status Oct 2021

Ongoing / delayed due to Covid-19

Progress made:

Aligned to the progress outlined elsewhere in this plan, the Scottish Government and COSLA, working closely with ASLIG, have continued to seek opportunities to further recognise and celebrate children and young people with additional support needs as part of their school communities, promoting inclusive practice.

Work to progress the refresh of the statutory Supporting Learners' Code of Practice has been impacted by Covid-19 and it now anticipated that the revised Code of Practice will be complete by Spring 2023. The Code of Practice currently sets out the inclusive nature of the additional support for learning approach and work to refresh it will seek to strengthen this.

The Scottish Government has re-established a working group to refresh the Code of Practice. The group will work collaboratively to consider the content, language structure and accessibility of the Code. The group has broad membership with representation from across education, appropriate agencies and the third sector. Parents and carers and children and young people are represented on the working group. The group will seek to engage with other key partners, including children and young people as this work progresses.

The first meeting of the group will take place before the end of 2021. In preparation for this, the Scottish Government will consider the Terms of Reference to ensure continued alignment with other key areas of policy.