Included, engaged and involved: part 1 - attendance in Scottish schools

7. Additional support

7.1 Additional Support for Learning

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 requires education authorities and partner agencies to make provision for all pupils who require additional support to overcome barriers to learning. Barriers to learning may arise from a number of factors such as the learning environment, a disability or health need, family circumstances and social and emotional factors.

A co-ordinated support plan is required when a child or young person requires significant long-term additional support from an education authority as well as from another agency such as health or social work services for example. The co-ordinated support plan will describe what schools and other agencies will do to support the child to achieve the learning goals identified as appropriate. Guidance on planning to meet additional support needs is available from Supporting Children's Learning - Code of Practice http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/15105817/58187.

7.2 Supporting the care and welfare of children and child protection

The Safe and Well handbook provides good practice guidance to schools and education authorities for keeping children safe and well, this is particularly important where children and young people are not at school. Safe and Well provides advice on policies and procedures that schools and education authorities can put in place to safeguard children and young people where there are concerns about their welfare. Child protection is of paramount importance and non-attendance at school may indicate a child is at risk. The Safe and Well handbook is available from http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/0191408/14093 and all schools will have child protection link teachers who understand the local child protection protocol.