Additional Support for Learning review action plan: second progress report

Leadership and Improvement

This theme is wide-ranging and covers several longer term areas of work. However we have made good progress in delivering these recommendations. 8 recommendations out of a total of 31 have been completed, with work underway on the remaining actions. Below is a summary of the completed work.

The Scottish Government and COSLA reviewed the governance arrangements for the review of ASL implementation. The Project Board was established during 2022 and is jointly chaired by the Scottish Government and COSLA. The role of the Additional Support for Learning Project Board is to oversee delivery of additional support for learning and inclusion policy, support the monitoring of implementation and, including through delivery of the Additional Support for Learning (ASL) Action Plan and its associated workstreams.

Information about the work of the group and its meetings are published on the Scottish Government's website.

The Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) have reviewed their terms of reference, to take account of the ASL review. The remit of the group has been updated to include the provision of advice in the context of relationships and behaviour to national and local government and other relevant stakeholders on matters including the development and delivery of measures to improve the educational experiences of children and young people with additional support needs.

The Scottish Government website has been updated with enhanced information on additional support for learning. This includes improved signposting for children, young people, parents, carers and professionals to services which provide advice, information, support, representation and professional learning and resources on additional support for learning.

Education Scotland have been actively promoting the ASL review and recommendations. Awareness raising sessions and discussions with all Education Scotland Regional teams have taken place as well as several 'Connect with Colleagues' sessions. The publication of the 'Rights, Reviews, Promises and Inclusion for All evaluation tool' in July 2022 is supporting conversations with local authority staff and school leaders to focus on the implementation of the review's recommendations.

"I now realise that children don't need to just know about rights, they need to experience them"

Quote from a teacher attending an Education Scotland 'Rights and Participation' session

ADES have incorporated additional support for learning within its leadership programme, the ADES Collaborative Improvement Programme.

A short life working group to review the use of Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs) was established in December 2020. The group identified key issues and barriers which are impacting on implementation of CSPs and worked collaboratively to recommend ways to address and overcome them.

A report from the short life working group was published in November 2021 and further work in this area is set out in the "Drivers for Improvement" section.