Tag: additional support needs

Record number of pupils in Scotland are identified with additional support needs as support falls

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has raised concerns over an increase to a record high in the number of pupils identified with additional support needs (ASN).

The figures were released today (10 December) in the Scottish Government’s annual census of pupils and teachers in publicly funded schools.1 Concerns have also been raised about a decline in the number of special schools, and the level of statutory support being offered to those with the most complex needs, meaning that thousands of children and young people are being let down overall.

The figures show that the number of pupils with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems in 2024 has reached a record high of 284,448. This  represents 40.5% of the pupil population, rising from 140,542 in 2014 (20.8% of the pupil population).2 

It amounts to a more than doubling (102.4%) in numbers over the past decade.

Amounting to more than two out of five of the pupil population, this is set against a backdrop of budgetary cuts and an ongoing lack of support for those with ASN, including cuts in numbers of specialist ASN teachers and support staff.

The SCSC has called for increased resourcing to address this growing need, which is also having an impact on surging levels of classroom disruption and violence, as well as adequate training and development of staff. This includes increases in the numbers of specialist teachers, pupil support assistants, mental health professionals and educational psychologists.

The rise in the number of those with ASN, is against the background of a slump in the number of special schools, which have fallen from 145 in 2014 to 107 this year.

The SCSC has also voiced concerns over a declining number of those with complex or multiple ASN needs receiving a co-ordinated support plan (CSP).

Prepared by local authorities, CSPs are the only education plans that are legally enforceable documents. They require services such as education, health and social work to work together to give a child or young person the support they need. This provides some guarantees of entitlement to additional resources and legal redress, placing statutory duties on local authorities to review and ensure the provisions contained within it are being met.

Despite a Scottish Government promise that there would be no reduction in the proportion of pupils receiving them since their introduction in 2004, there has been a significant fall in the number of pupils with a CSP. In 2014, there were 3,128 pupils with CSPs.3 However, in 2024 this number had fallen to 1,215.4 This amounts to a drop of 61.1% and is a reduction from 2.2% to 0.4% of those with ASN.

The coalition has called for an expansion in access to CSPs, with the Scottish Government, local authorities, health and other relevant agencies collaborating more effectively to ensure that those requiring such a legal plan receive one.  

This needs to be supported by the necessary resourcing, and increased awareness and understanding of CSPs by families or carers and professionals.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “While more children and young people are being identified as having ASN, now at a record high, this is against the increasingly challenging backdrop of a lack of specialist teachers, support staff and the resources needed to support them.

“This is not only letting down thousands of children and young person, but also their fellow pupils, teachers and support staff. Increased support is critical, especially post the Covid-19 pandemic and the damaging impact this has had on many of our children and young people, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, all of which is hitting the poorest hardest.

“A decline in the number of special schools is also worrying, putting increased pressure on the mainstream sector, with many of those with ASN more suited to a special school environment.

“We are also concerned that despite an increase in the numbers of those with ASN, there has been a notable decline in the use of CSPs, which are legally enforceable and designed to support those with the most complex needs.

“The Scottish Government, local authorities, health and other agencies need to work in collaboration with the private and third sectors to provide the necessary resourcing and support to address the needs of children and young people with ASN. They must also work together to ensure that those who are entitled to a CSP receive one.

“With those with ASN drawn disproportionately from poorer neighbourhoods, if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, these children and young people must get the care and support they need when they need it.”

Committee warns of “intolerable” situation for children and young people with additional support needs

A Scottish Parliament Committee has reported its alarm at the gap between the ambitions and implementation of a policy that aspires for children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) to be taught in mainstream education.

Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee unanimously agreed that the policy behind mainstreaming is the best route forward, however its inquiry found that the Scottish Government and local authorities are failing to implement it properly.

Speaking as the report was published, Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said: “The situation faced by children and young people with additional support needs is intolerable.

“During our inquiry, we were extremely concerned to hear about negative experiences of additional support for learning provision, the educating of children and young people in mainstream schools and the detrimental impact this has had on some pupils, their parents and carers, and teachers and support staff.

“Things must change. The Scottish Government and local authorities have been repeatedly warned about the consequences of failing to improve support for children with additional support needs. With a rising number of children reporting with additional support needs, a third of pupils in some areas, the Government and local authorities must not ignore the concerns and recommendations made in this report.”

During the inquiry, children and young people told the Committee that it can be hard to understand when someone does not give them the support they need and that a lack of support staff to cope with the number of pupils who need support can leave them feeling frustrated.

The Committee was particularly concerned by evidence that highlighted challenges of getting children the support they required.

In evidence to the Committee, the National Autistic Society said: “We see continually that autistic children and young people are forced to “fail” in mainstream settings before any other option or support is offered.

“Families have to fight the system to get that support, with many being forced into legal action and having to engage a solicitor before a solution is found.”

Other concerns raised in the Committee’s report look at the problems with a move towards open-plan schools, which could prove extremely overwhelming for children with autism and the number of neurodivergent children who are masking at school.

To improve the situation, the Committee makes several recommendations including reviewing placing requests, undertaking research on the prevalence and impact of masking, and urgently addressing gaps in specialist provision.

Responding to the report, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “The report by the Parliamentary committee on a lack of support to children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) is not a surprise to any of those involved in the sector.

“We have consistently warned of a potential ‘lost generation’ of those in this group, now amounting to more than 259,000 children.

“The number of those with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, amounts to more than a third of pupils, a doubling in numbers over the past decade, including an increase in those with complex needs. 

“As a coalition of organisations that support vulnerable children and young people, we have however for many years shared the concerns of the committee over a lack of resourcing to support an escalating number of pupils with ASN, including a lack of specialist teachers and support staff.

“There has, for example, been a cut in ASN spending per pupil of just under £2,000 over the last decade, and the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen by just under 400.

“Under the new First Minister, we need a ‘national crusade’ to address of the needs of more than a third of our children and young people, providing the necessary resources to address their needs.

“While we support the principle of mainstreaming, that all children and young are taught in mainstream classes unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is difficult to see how this can work effectively when those with ASN are in many cases not receiving the necessary care and support. 

“This situation is putting an incredible level of pressure on teachers and other staff, with an impact also in terms of surging levels of school violence and poor behaviour we are witnessing.

“The committee noted this gap between policy ambition and implementation, which is leading to mainstream education being ‘intolerable’ for many children and young people with ASN.

“There are also many of those in mainstream education, whose complexity of needs would be far better served in a special school setting, delivering what is best for their educational and social requirements.

“The Scottish Government, local authorities, health and other agencies need to work in collaboration with the private and third sectors to provide the necessary resourcing and support to address the needs of children and young people with ASN.“

Spending to support Scotland’s vulnerable children slashed by more than a third

SCSC calls for greater resourcing

  • Spending cut of £1,934 per pupil from 2012/13 for those identified with additional support needs (ASN) – 33.9 per cent cut over a decade
  • More than doubling in the number of pupils with ASN from 2012
  • Cut of 546 in the number of ASN teachers 

An alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP, reveal that average additional support for learning (ASL) spend per pupil has slumped by over a third (34.8 per cent). [1] This comes against a perfect storm of escalating numbers of pupils with ASN, against the backdrop of cuts in support.

While the SCSC supports a presumption of mainstreamingfor pupils with ASN, meaning that they are educated in a mainstream school unless exceptional circumstances, without adequate resourcing there is an obvious impact on those with ASN, fellow pupils and teachers.

The SCSC is calling on the Scottish Government to work with local authorities to increase funding to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including greater provision of specialist ASN teachers, educational psychologists, behaviour support staff and classroom assistants.

The figures highlight that average spending per pupil on ASL by local authorities in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £5,698 in the 2012/13 financial year to £3,764 in 2022/23 (in real terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,934 per pupil, representing a 33.9 per cent drop.

This fall is against the backdrop of a 104.8 per cent increase between 2012 and 2022 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 241,639, amounting to 123,628 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent more than a third of all pupils (34.2 per cent).3

Between 2012 and 2022 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,390 to an all-time low of 2,844, a decrease of 546 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 16.1 per cent.4

Against the backdrop of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, with its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, this cut in support has created a perfect storm for those with ASN.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is devastating to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN, and we would urge the Scottish Government to adequately resource the provision of the likes of specialist teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

“We are facing a lost generation of children with ASN, and it is vital that they get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially given the impacts of the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“We are experiencing a mental health emergency, and have also witnessed dramatic increases in classroom disruption, impacting on pupils and teachers alike. This is in part due to increased levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown.

“The Scottish Government and local authorities must work together to provide adequately resourced support across Scotland for those children and young people with ASN, representing some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “

Coalition raises concerns as new figures highlight cuts in specialist support for vulnerable children

  • Decline in the number of specialist ASN teachers by 392 since 2013
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with additional support needs since 2013

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has called for greater resourcing to support those with additional support needs (ASN).

The call comes as new figures from the Scottish Government’s annual teacher census indicate that while the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen to 2,898 in 2023, the number of those pupils with ASN has soared to a record high.

Between 2013 and 2023 the number of ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,290 to 2,898, a decrease of 392 teachers, representing a cut of 11.9 per cent.1

This fall is against the background of an increase of 96.8 per cent increase between 2013 and 2023 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 131,593 to 259,036, amounting to 123,628 individuals. This includes those with mental health problems, learning disability, autism and dyslexia, and currentlyrepresents more than a third of all pupils (36.7 per cent).2

In 2013, while each ASN teacher was supporting 40 pupils with ASN, by 2023 this figure had risen to each teacher supporting 89 such pupils.

Against a background of spending cuts and reduction in specialist support, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN, who are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods, are getting the care and support that they need. 

The coalition has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of a presumption of mainstreaming, meaning that all pupils are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, without the necessary support.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“With cuts in support, including in the number of specialist teachers, it is going to be extremely challenging to reduce the current inequalities faced by those with ASN.

“While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, which means that all children and young people are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly given the fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those with ASN.

“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “

MSP supports ASN Reform Scotland

Foysol Choudhury MSP pursues support for children with additional support needs

ASN Reform Scotland recently attended the Scottish Parliament to hold a drop-in session for MSPs. Their mission was to raise awareness amongst MSPs about the issues that children with ASN and their parents are facing, how to improve ASN education in Scotland, and to help raise awareness of children with ASN ‘s educational needs.  

Training for people who work with children and young people with complex additional support needs emerged as a key theme from the Scottish Government’s recent 2023 report, ‘Pupils with complex additional support needs: research into provision’. These findings about challenges in accessing training were echoed by parents in the ASN Reform Scotland Group, who raised concerns that the environment provided by mainstream schools is often not appropriate for children with additional support needs due to, for example, a lack of appropriate training for teachers.

Foysol Choudhury MSP hosted the ASN Reform Scotland Group’s drop-in session for MSPs at the Scottish Parliament, after meeting the group outside the Scottish Parliament before the Parliament’s summer recess and offering his assistance to the group. Mr Choudhury says it was saddening to hear about the lack of appropriate support some children are getting at school, with some parents reporting having to take on the burden of teaching their own children.

Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “It was made clear at the drop-in session that parents feel unsupported. 

“The group are calling to increase ASN provisions in Scotland and ensure all teachers get specific ASN training to bring the best for all our children.

“There should be support for children with ASN in school along with school staff members getting provided with the correct training in all types of schools, so parents can feel they are sending their children to a safe and beneficial environment”. 

Parents from the ASN Reform Scotland group also raised with Mr Choudhury their concerns over stretched funding and called for accountability over how funds are spent to support a child with ASN.

The group says this will not just benefit the children’s development but will also help their families, as parents will be assured are that their children are getting the right support and care when they are at school. 

A rolling presentation was played at the meeting, to convey the concerns of parents of children with ASN across Scotland. One parent noted they want “All teachers to have ASN training in mainstream schools”. Another noted: “My child deserves to thrive, not just survive in school”. 

Mr Choudhury says he will continue to support the ASN Reform Group and other parents wherever he can.

Call for greater resourcing as spending to support vulnerable children is slashed by over a third

  • Cut of £1,870 per pupil since 2012/13 on spending for those identified with ASN
  • Postcode lottery of spending between local authorities on ASN
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with ASN from 2012
  • Cut in the number of ASN teachers by more than 500

An alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP. This reveals that spending supporting those pupils with ASN has slumped by over a third. It comes against a backdrop of the number of pupils with ASN increasing dramatically and the number of specialist teachers supporting them dropping to a new low.

While the SCSC supports a presumption of mainstreamingfor pupils with ASN, meaning that they are educated in a mainstream school unless exceptional circumstances, without adequate resourcing there is an obvious impact on those with ASN, fellow pupils and teachers.

The SCSC is calling on the Scottish Government to increase funding to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including greater provision of specialist ASN teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

The figures highlight that average spending per pupil on additional support for learning by councils in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £5,381 in the 2012/13 financial year to £3,511 in 2021/22 (in real terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,870 per pupil, representing a 34.8 per cent drop.

There is a wide variation in spending on pupils who need additional support, ranging from £2,278 per pupil in the Scottish Borders to £6,887 in the Shetland Islands, highlighting a postcode lottery in spending across local authorities.

This fall is against the backdrop of a 97.2 per cent increase between 2012 and 2021 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 232,753, amounting to 114,742 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent around a third of all pupils (33.0 per cent).

Between 2012 and 2021 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to an all-time low of 2,886, a decrease of 503 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 14.8 per cent.

Against the background of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, with its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and councils to ensure that those with ASN receive the care and support they need, provided in an equitable manner across Scotland.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially given the impacts of the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis.

“This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“We are in a mental health emergency and have also witnessed dramatic increases in classroom disruption, impacting on pupils and teachers alike. This is in part due to increased levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown.

“Given this, it is disappointing to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN and we would urge the Scottish Government to adequately resource the provision of the likes of specialist teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

“Councils and the Scottish Government must work together to provide an adequately resourced and equitable system of support across Scotland for those children and young people with ASN, representing some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “

ASL spending per pupil (£, cash terms)

 2021-22
Aberdeen City3,149
Aberdeenshire2,366
Angus3,117
Argyll and Bute3,722
City of Edinburgh3,278
Clackmannanshire5,252
Dumfries and Galloway3,340
Dundee City2,391
East Ayrshire4,368
East Dunbartonshire4,351
East Lothian3,708
East Renfrewshire2,964
Falkirk3,932
Fife2,848
Glasgow City4,635
Highland3,044
Inverclyde3,905
Midlothian4,358
Moray3,342
Na h-Eileanan Siar5,676
North Ayrshire2,147
North Lanarkshire5,571
Orkney Islands4,543
Perth and Kinross3,105
Renfrewshire3,629
Scottish Borders2,278
Shetland Islands6,887
South Ayrshire4,881
South Lanarkshire3,722
Stirling2,500
West Dunbartonshire3,479
West Lothian2,887
All Local Authorities3,511

Coalition concerns as new figures highlight cuts in specialist support for vulnerable children

  • Decline in the number of specialist ASN teachers by 546 since 2012
  • More than doubling in the number of pupils with additional support needs since 2012

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has called for greater resourcing to support those with additional support needs (ASN).

The call comes as new figures from the Scottish Government’s annual teacher census indicate that while the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen to a new low, the number of those pupils with ASN has soared to a record high.

Between 2012 and 2022 the number of ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to 2,843, a decrease of 546 teachers, representing a cut of 16.1 per cent.1

This fall is against the background of an increase of 104.8 per cent increase between 2012 and 2022 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 241,639, amounting to 123,628 individuals. This includes those with mental health problems, learning disability, autism and dyslexia, and currentlyrepresenting more than a third of all pupils (34.2 per cent).2

In 2012, while each ASN teacher was supporting 35 pupils with ASN, by 2022 this figure had risen to each teacher supporting 85 such pupils.

Against a background of spending cuts and reduction in specialist support, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN, who are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods, are getting the care and support that they need. 

The coalition has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of a presumption of mainstreaming, meaning that all pupils are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, without the necessary support.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need.

“This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods. With cuts in support, including in the number of specialist teachers, it is going to be extremely challenging to reduce the current inequalities faced by those with ASN.

“While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, which means that all children and young people are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly given the fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those with ASN.

“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”

1 Scottish Government, Teacher census 2022 supplementary statistics, 21st March 2023, table 6.7. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/ (accessed 22nd March 2023).

2 Scottish Government, Pupil census 2022 supplementary statistics, 21st March 2023, table 1.5.

Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/ (accessed 22nd March 2023).

Additional support for learning – the gap between ambition and reality for our children

Around a third of children and young people in Scotland’s publicly-funded schools (that’s around 233,000 pupils) need additional support. And that number has been increasing for years (writes STEPHEN MOORE, a Member of the Accounts Commission) . 

There are many reasons why a child might need additional support. These can be as varied as having a life-threatening physical condition to being a young carer. Most children and young people who need additional support go to a mainstream school, with a much smaller number going to special schools. 

The Scottish Government’s stated ambition is for all children and young people in Scotland to have the opportunity to grow up loved, safe and respected, enabling them to reach their full potential. 

Every child has the same rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to an education that develops their personality, talents and abilities to the full, and the right for their parents to get the support they need. Schools, councils and other public bodies are required to work together to provide the right type of support for all children and their families. But this isn’t always happening as it should. 

The needs of children and young people vary considerably. Some children only have a short-term identified need. Others have complex needs that will require ongoing support throughout their lives. Some children and young people need help involving specialist educational support as well as social work services, health services and the voluntary sector.

At their best, these multidisciplinary teams work together, enabling children and young people to get the support they need, empowering them to reach their full potential and live the life they choose. 

These ambitions aren’t, however, consistently being delivered in practice. In 2020, an independent review found that not all pupils in Scotland are always getting the additional support they need, when they need it. In many cases, individuals’ needs are not given the focus they should be. Numerous aspects of additional support therefore need to be improved. 

It’s distressing and frustrating that we repeatedly hear of the barriers that some families fight against to get the right support to help their child to learn. Too often, families are worn down by a prolonged search for the right support, and by having to manage a crisis that could have and should have been avoided. Families are partners with public services and should be regarded as such. 

On top of that, transitions between school stages – and how they are managed – can have a big influence on the success or otherwise of someone’s journey through the education system.

A child’s needs can evolve over time, from pre-school until after they have left school. Not getting the right support both at these different stages and to make moving between the stages as seamless as possible can have a lasting impact on learning, wellbeing and happiness. Public services are required to anticipate these changing needs and plan accordingly. 

Councils provide support in different ways, with a wide variation in spending on pupils who need additional support. This partly reflects the different ways services are provided and the varying costs of supporting individuals – but may also reflect local decisions by councils to prioritise between a wide range of services. 

Education aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people, supporting wider outcomes such as life skills, apprenticeships and employment. This is set out in the National Improvement Framework and is embedded across the education system. School education and success shouldn’t just focus on exam results. It’s vital to monitor the outcomes that matter most to individuals who need additional support but, as we’ve said previously, information to allow this to happen isn’t always available. 

From the information that is available, even the current measures show wide disparity. We know that children and young people who need additional support don’t always get the opportunities they deserve. Overall, a smaller proportion of school leavers with additional support needs progress to a ‘positive destination’ such as college, university, training or employment. This potentially affects their life chances and personal fulfilment. 

And the proportion of children who achieve expected Curriculum for Excellence Levels for their stage at school is significantly lower for pupils who need additional support compared to those who don’t. 

Across so many areas, Covid-19 has exacerbated and deepened risks and inequalities. School closures and reductions in vital support services have intensified inequalities for children and young people who need additional support. We know that individuals who have disabilities and complex needs, along with their families, were particularly affected.

The impact on the mental health of children and young people who need additional support has also been significant. Some families have asked if their child can repeat a year at school due to the difficulties they’ve experienced, or because there was insufficient planning to move from one stage of learning to another.

However, it must be recognised that for some children who need additional support, learning at home rather than in a school environment was a more positive experience. 

The Scottish Government and councils are already working to implement changes following the independent review in 2020. These changes need to consider the wide range of services that should work together to put the child/young person and their family at the centre. Public services need to improve how they’re joining up, across professions, to plan and provide the right support to meet individuals’ needs. 

We’ve seen that many public services responded quickly to the challenges presented by the pandemic, showing that change can happen quickly and effectively to support individuals and communities. And councils have the power to improve services as they ‘build back better’. Children and young people must be given the support and access to the right services that enable them to flourish and thrive. It will be crucial to make improvements to services and staffing that ensure continuity as someone moves through the education system. 

Central to the Accounts Commission’s priorities is emphasising and reporting on the debilitating and life-impacting inequalities faced by too many across Scotland’s communities. The lack of the right support, at the right time, for children and young people who need additional support – and their families – can exacerbate and intensify these inequalities. So we will continue to focus on this important area as part of our ongoing work. 

A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “The blog raises issues that we have been highlighting for several years, reiterating our concerns that children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) and their families, are on many occasions not receiving the care and support that they need when they it.

“There are still too far many barriers faced by families seeking support, often leaving them in a crisis situation that could easily have been avoided with prompt access to the appropriate services.

“While we have witnessed a more than doubling in the number of those with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems over the last decade, putting an immense strain on services, there has been a cut in spending on additional support for learning and a slashing in specialist educational support.

“Covid-19 has had a further major impact on those with ASN, for whom exclusion from school and lack of vital support proved devastating. This however exacerbated a situation that existed long before that and we are potentially facing a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people, not able to access the support that they need, with a resultant impact on the economy and society.

“We would urge the Scottish Government and newly elected local authorities to work together to ensure that those children and young people with ASN are a priority and that they can access the necessary support to allow them to reach their full potential.”

Call for greater resourcing from new Scottish councils as spending to support vulnerable children is slashed

  • Spending cut of £874 per pupil to support those identified with ASN since 2012/13
  • ‘Postcode lottery’ of spending between local authorities on ASN
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with ASN since 2012
  • Cut in the number of ASN teachers

An alliance of leading providers of children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call which comes as new council administrations are being formed, comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP.

This reveals that spend supporting those pupils with ASN has slumped dramatically. IIt comes against a backdrop of the number of pupils with ASN increasing and the number of specialist teachers supporting them dropping to a new low.

The SCSC is calling on incoming town hall administrations to put the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the very heart of policy and funding commitments.

The figures highlight that average spend per pupil on additional support for learning by councils in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £4,276 in the 2012/13 financial year [1] to £3,402 in 2020/21 [2] (in cash terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £874 per pupil, representing a 20.4% drop.

Spend per pupil ranges from £2,210 in the Scottish Borders to £5,901 in the Shetland Islands, pointing to a ‘postcode lottery’ in spend across local councils (see Notes to Editors for figures by council). 

This fall is against the backdrop of a 92.2 per cent increase since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 226,838 in 2020, amounting to 108,827 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent just under a third of all pupils (32.3 per cent).3

Between 2012 and 2020 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to all-time low of 2,860, a decrease of 529 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 15.6 per cent.4

Against the background of Covid-19 and its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and councils to ensure that those with ASN in Scotland’s schools receive the care and support they need

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: ““It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially as we come out of the current Covid-19 crisis.

“This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“Given this, it is disappointing to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN and we would urge Scotland’s newly elected councils to put the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the very heart of policy and funding commitments.

“Councils and the Scottish Government must work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”

Call for greater resourcing as spending to support vulnerable children is slashed

  • Spending cut of £874 per pupil identified with ASN since 2012/13
  • ‘Postcode lottery’ of spending between local authorities on ASN
  • Near doubling in the number of pupils with ASN since 2012
  • Cut in the number of ASN teachers

An alliance of leading providers of children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call, which comes in advance of tomorrow’s local council elections (Thursday (5th May), comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, reveal that spend per pupil with ASN has slumped dramatically.

This comes against a backdrop of the number of pupils with ASN increasing and the number of specialist teachers supporting them dropping to a new low.

SCSC is calling on incoming town hall administrations to put the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the very heart of policy and funding commitments.

The figures highlight that average spend per pupil on additional support for learning by councils in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £4,276 in 2012/13 to £3,402 in 2020/21 (in cash terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £874 per pupil, representing a 20.4% drop.

Spend per pupil ranges from £2,210 in the Scottish Borders to £5,901 in the Shetland Islands, pointing to a ‘postcode lottery’ in spend across local councils (see Notes to Editors for figures per local authority). 

This fall is against the backdrop of a 92.2 per cent increase since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 226,838 in 2020, amounting to 108,827 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent just under a third of all pupils (32.3 per cent).

Between 2012 and 2020 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,389 to all-time low of 2,860, a decrease of 529 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 15.6 per cent.

Against the background of Covid-19 and its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and councils to ensure that those with ASN in Scotland’s schools receive the care and support they need.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially as we come out of the current Covid-19 crisis. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“Given this, it is disappointing to note cuts in spending to those with ASN and we would urge Scotland’s newly elected councils to put the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the very heart of policy and funding commitments.

“Councils and the Scottish Government must work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”

Table 4 – Additional support for learning spending per pupil (£, cash terms)

 2020/21
Aberdeen City3,196
Aberdeenshire2,392
Angus3,024
Argyll & Bute3,833
City of Edinburgh3,093
Clackmannanshire4,344
Dumfries & Galloway3,226
Dundee City2,274
East Ayrshire4,432
East Dunbartonshire4,500
East Lothian3,865
East Renfrewshire2,785
Falkirk3,798
Fife2,794
Glasgow City4,133
Highland3,062
Inverclyde3,722
Midlothian4,100
Moray3,110
Na h-Eileanan Siar5,757
North Ayrshire2,379
North Lanarkshire5,490
Orkney Islands4,540
Perth & Kinross3,023
Renfrewshire3,477
Scottish Borders2,210
Shetland Islands5,901
South Ayrshire4,868
South Lanarkshire3,505
Stirling3,374
West Dunbartonshire3,589
West Lothian2,700
All Local Authorities3,402

Sources:

1. Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 01) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government.

2. Pupil Census – 2020 school statistics collected by Scottish Government