Additional support is a broad and inclusive term which applies to children or young people who, for whatever reason, require additional support, long or short term, in order to help them make the most of their school education and to be included fully in their learning. ‘Additional Support Needs’ is the standard terminology used in Scotland when children and young people need more − or different − support to what is normally provided in schools or pre-schools to children of the same age.
Factors giving rise to additional support needs
There are a wide range of factors which may lead to some children and young people having a need for additional support. These fall broadly into the four overlapping themes described below:
- Learning environment
- Family circumstances
- Disability or health need
- Social and emotional factors.
Within Curriculum for Excellence, all children and young people are entitled to support to enable them to achieve.
A number of learners in Scottish Borders Council have additional support needs. These can either be short or long term.
Within Curriculum for Excellence, all children and young people are entitled to support to enable them to achieve.A number of learners in Scottish Borders Council have additional support needs. These can either be short or long term.
Our online Additional Support Needs page on the SBC intranet is a source of information and resources for all staff. Alongside this we have a clear staged approach to support and intervention, from adjustments to the classroom or Early Years environment to specialist provision. This is referred to as our Framework for Staged Intervention. Scottish Borders work a 4 stage intervention model of support with each stage working to a single planning process. This ensures that the child or young person always has one clear pathway for support.
Growing Confidence is a suite of training materials and resources which are for all staff and parents. They are designed to raise awareness and confidence about the importance of promoting positive mental health and emotional well-being in themselves and their children and young people or the ones they work with.
The primary Building Resilience course has been designed to complement and support the development of a whole-school mental health and emotional programme from nursery to P7.
The Child’s Planning Manual has been developed for all practitioners working directly and indirectly with children to support positive and sustainable wellbeing outcomes for our children.
Our focus is ensuring we have the correct outcomes in place for children and young people when required, so a positive change takes place and has an impact on their lives.
The Children and Young People(Scotland) Act 2014 ensures a single planning framework – a Child’s plan – will be available for children who require extra support that is not generally available to address a child or young person’s needs and improve wellbeing.
