Four years on from Angela Morgan’s additional support for learning (ASL) review in June 2020, a Scottish government report has today found that “there is still much to do to deliver”.
Only just over half of the actions identified as essential have so far been completed.
The third progress report on the implementation of the additional support needs (ASN) action plan, published today, says “work has continued at a steady and consistent pace” and that Morgan herself recognised the recommendations “were not a quick fix” and that cultural change would “take time”.
However, it also acknowledges “there are some concerns in the system about the pace of delivery”.
It says: “Since October 2020, 40 of the 76 actions have been completed and, whilst there is still much to do to deliver the remaining actions by the end of this parliamentary term, we are fully committed to achieving this.”
Three priorities for next 18 months
The current Parliament is due to run until 2026, leaving roughly 18 months to get the work done.
The three priority areas identified in the report are:
- Ongoing communication around ASL rights and responsibilities
- Development of a “national measurement framework” to capture the success and achievements of ASN pupils
- A refresh of the code of practice, the legal guidance used by education authorities and others supporting children’s learning
However, the top priority for schools and teachers is more resource.
General secretary of primary school leaders’ body the AHDS, Greg Dempster, recently said: “Proper support is, without question, the biggest challenge facing Scottish education at present.”
According to the latest pupil census statistics, published in December of last year, 36.7 per cent of Scottish pupils now have an ASN.
In May, the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee concluded its inquiry into additional support for learning and published its report.
The committee convener at the time, Sue Webber, summed up that families were “fighting for the right resources to be put in place for their children”; most pupils with ASN were “not having their needs met”; and there is an “intolerable gap between policy intention and reality”.
In June, 11 bodies representing teachers, other educators and parents released a joint statement outlining concern over “insufficient levels of funding” for ASN. It warned that “inadequate ASN provision is now having an impact across the whole learning population” and is “detrimental” to the wellbeing of pupils and school staff, as well as to the education of many pupils.
Some actions identified as having been taken in today’s progress report include: directly involving children, young people and their families in decisions around ASL; increasing professional learning opportunities for teaching and support staff; and setting up parent groups to provide extra support to those who have children with ASN.
No action to improve resources
However, despite adequate funding being consistently raised as a key concern by teachers and heads, the report notes under the theme “resources” that no actions have been taken forward.
Morgan’s remit when conducting the review did not include looking at resourcing - but she did recommend that Audit Scotland assess “spend on additional support for learning across services, its impact on attainment and outcomes for children and young people at all stages; highlighting good practice and gaps”.
In evidence to the parliamentary education committee in November 2020, she said successful inclusion was about more than just resources - but still more funding was needed, although she admitted she could not say how much.
Commenting on today’s report, education secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “While we have made good progress, there is a lot more to do and we will continue working with [local authorities’ body] Cosla, schools, parents and carers to ensure that we are delivering fully on our pledges to children with additional support needs and that they each get the educational experience they deserve.”
The next progress report is due to be published in March 2026.
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