ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS
Greengairs Primary School complies with the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 as amended by the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009.
North Lanarkshire Council’s policy is contained within “Support for Learning Policy into Practice 2”, a copy of which is available in the School. The school has a Support for Learning Policy, available from the school on request, which is consistent with North Lanarkshire Council guidelines.
Level 1 – Internal support, where education staff identify that a child or young person needs support or planning which can be met within the existing classroom or playroom setting.
Level 2 – Internal support, where education staff identify that a child or young person needs support or planning from within the school or early years establishment.
Level 3 – External support from within learning & leisure services, where it is identified that the child or young person requires support or planning from beyond the school or early years setting but within educational services.
Level 4 – External support provided on a multiagency basis, where the child or young person’s needs are identified as requiring support or planning from multiagency services and these support needs will last for more than one year.
Provision will be made for pupils with English as an additional language.
Looked After Children, ie children who are cared for directly or whose care is supervised by the local authority are deemed to have Additional Support Needs unless assessment determines otherwise.
Planning
Additional support Plans (ASPs) enable staff to plan effectively for children and young people with additional Support Needs.
Some children and young people may require significant support from education and at least one other agency, such as health, social work and/or voluntary agency to help them meet their learning targets. Where this support requires a high level of co-ordination, the opening of a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP) may be considered.
A CSP may be initiated by the school or other agency. Parents and young people can, if they wish, request that a CSP be considered and would be involved in the process. Parents will receive letters from the Education Authority throughout the CSP process. Parents and young people will be invited to take part in multi- agency meetings and their views will be recorded in the plan.
Parents and young people can request an assessment to establish whether a child or young person has additional needs or requires a Co-ordinated Support Plan.
Parents and pupils are an essential part of the assessment, planning and review processes and your views will be actively sought. Parents and young people can request of the authority to establish whether a child has additional support needs. They can also request an assessment at any time.
Dispute Resolution
North Lanarkshire Council is committed to resolving any differences through discussion, dialogue and building on common ground.
If the matter cannot be resolved with the Education Authority you have the right to request mediation. An independent mediation service is available to
parents and young people through Resolve (see contact details at the back of this handbook). Mediation is free and independent of the Education Authority.
In the event that a disagreement cannot be resolved through mediation, then an application for Independent Adjudication (see contact details at the back of this handbook) can be made by parents free of charge. The Independent Adjudicator will make recommendations to the Education Authority about how the dispute should be resolved.
The Additional Support Needs Tribunal has been set up to hear appeals made by parents or young people on the decisions made by the Education Authority relating to Co-ordinated Support Plans, placing requests and post school transition. If you disagree with any decision relating to your child’s Co-ordinated Support Plan, or the content of it, you may be entitled to refer to the Tribunal.
