Supporting children's learning: code of practice (revised 2010)

Ministerial foreword

The purpose of this Government is to create a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. Our aim is to build an environment where all people in Scotland can help to create and share in that prosperity.

Our aspiration for all children and young people in Scotland is that they should be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society and at work. They are our future and we all have responsibilities to ensure that they are safe, nurtured, healthy, achieving, active, respected and responsible, and included.

All children and young people need the support of our education system to help them to learn and to achieve their potential. We are determined to provide all our children and young people with a world-class education.

Within that context, Curriculum for Excellence is transforming school education in Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible curriculum from 3-18. Additionally, Getting it right for every child provides a common co-ordinated approach across all agencies that supports the delivery of appropriate, proportionate and timely help to all children and young people as they need it.

While most of our children and young people respond well to the opportunities for learning provided by our schools, we also know that without extra help some will not benefit fully from education. That is why the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act in 2004, as amended, aims to create a stronger, better system for supporting children's learning. This Act aims to ensure that all children and young people receive the additional support required to meet their individual needs and to help them become successful learners.

Partnership working among those involved in supporting children's learning is essential if we are to achieve our aspirations for our children and young people. The Act requires local authorities and NHS Boards to establish clear arrangements for joint working so that they can work together effectively in order to benefit from their shared knowledge to improve outcomes for children and young people.

We all have a part to play in ensuring that our children and young people become all that they can be.

Adam Ingram
Minister for Children and Early Years

Shona Robison
Minister for Public Health and Sport