The Independent Review is continuing to seek views from stakeholders from across the education landscape on how a system of qualifications and assessment can uphold the rights of all learners, including those with additional support needs.

I am aware that Professor Hayward has met Angela Morgan, Chair of the Review of Additional Support for Learning Implementation, and has visited a range of schools where additional support needs have been specifically discussed. In addition, Professor Hayward has also spoken directly to young people with additional support needs.

The Review is scheduled to report to the Scottish Government by the end of May 2023.

Teachers can access support and expertise to understand and meet the needs of all learners from colleagues nationally, regionally and locally. This may include Education Scotland staff, third sector organisations, Regional Improvement Collaborative teams and colleagues from their own local authorities. Within their local authority this may include; Pupil Support Staff, early learning colleagues, specialist teachers, hearing and sight impaired teachers, other class teachers, senior leadership teams, Community Learning and Development colleagues, inclusion officers and educational psychologists. When a child or young person is supported by partners out with education services, for example, social care, health or the third sector, their teachers can also liaise with these colleagues using the team around the child approach.

Re-occurring requests from teachers have been received. These are requests to further support their knowledge, understanding and practice on specific concerns relating to inclusion, additional support needs including areas on rights and equalities, relationships, wellbeing and care, inclusion, the additional support for learning process and specific areas of need for example autism, dyscalculia, dyslexia, trauma informed approaches. These requests are received in a range of ways for example:

• National networks and working groups led and facilitated by Education Scotland or the Scottish Government.
• National practitioner networks facilitated by Education Scotland.
• Teachers engaging with national professional learning programmes.
• Feedback from Regional Improvement Collaboratives and individual local authorities.

To ensure all educators can access free high-quality support Education Scotland is leading on the collaborative development of a new national Inclusion Wellbeing and Equality (IWE) professional learning framework. This framework uses four interconnecting themes and aims to provide a range of information, guidance, resources and professional learning and engagement opportunities to support the needs of educators and their learners. The four interconnecting themes are:

1. Rights and Equalities.

2. Relationships.

3. Wellbeing and Care.

4. Inclusion.

The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026.

As outlined in our updated action plan , published in November 2022, we have committed to refresh the Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice, to ensure that it fully supports schools and local authorities to fulfil their duties under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. This will help improve the support available for children and young people, who face barriers to their learning, to reach their fullest potential. The progress on this work was set out in our second progress report , published in November 2022 and has continued during this year.

A further progress update is due to be published in May 2024.

Career progression for teachers who want to further their careers in specialist roles in curricular, pedagogical and policy delivery are available through the role of Lead Teacher, which was introduced into the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers grading structure in August 2021.

Lead Teacher areas of specialism can include additional support needs and therefore there is the potential for an increase in the opportunities available to teachers wishing to specialise in this area.

The recruitment and deployment of teachers, including Lead Teachers, is a matter for individual local authorities, based on their local need and priorities.

The Scottish Government are committed to working with COSLA, ADES and our partners to deliver improvements in additional support for learning implementation and to ensure meaningful change for children and young people through our Additional Support for Learning Action Plan. The most recent ASL Action Plan update published in November 2022 confirms the progress made on this commitment, including that any updates will be made as part of the next review of the national performance framework.

Ministers are required by statute to review the National Outcomes within five years of their previous publication. The next statutory review of the National Outcomes is underway. Public consultation began on 14 March 2023 and the review is expected to conclude during term 3 of Parliament (2023-24).

The action plan update confirms that this work will be informed by the development of the national measurement framework. Work continues on the development of this, as was confirmed in the answer to question S6W-15807 on 22 March 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government will continue to report on the progress of implementation of the ASL Action Plan through formal progress reports. The next progress report is due to be published in May 2024.

The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. All local authorities are considering the actions of the ASL Review, and will continue to consider the incorporation of actions within local improvement plans.

In addition, the Scottish Government is working with partners in ADES, COSLA and Education Scotland, to develop a national measurement framework which aims to support improved outcomes for children and young people with additional support needs.

This work will continue to be considered as part of the action plan and progress can be followed through the published minutes of the Project Board.

Education Scotland are leading on a national engagement programme for Pupil Support Staff, which sought the views of Pupil Support Staff, senior leaders, children and young people and parents and carers.

The 4 month consultation element of the programme was extended and closed in March 2023. Over 2,500 surveys were completed representing all 32 local authorities. Analysis and evaluation of all the programme responses is in progress as is the programme report and should be completed by July 2023.

The programme has provided the first national opportunity for Pupil Support Staff to share their views on a range of areas including whether they feel it would be beneficial to have their own workforce vison and set of values. They were also asked to collaborate on the development of any potential workforce vision and values using draft versions provided. A wide range of suggestions and comments were received and this feedback is currently being collated within the programme evaluation report.

The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. As outlined in our updated action plan , published in November 2022, we have committed to revise GIRFEC policy and practice guidance, including a single planning process for children and young people.

On 30 September 2022, the Scottish Government published a series of refreshed GIRFEC policy and practice guidance to provide practitioners and professionals working with children, young people and their families with the confidence, clarity and practical support to continue to embed the GIRFEC approach.

The next phase of the GIRFEC refresh includes guidance on planning for children and young people. This is in the early stages of development and requires a collaborative and pragmatic approach between all stakeholders to ensure its success within a shifting legislative and policy landscape.

The statutory Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice already provides advice on the relationship between statutory and non-statutory plans. However, this matter will be considered further as part of our work to refresh the Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice which will take account of the refresh of the GIRFEC Policy and Practice Guidance.

A further progress update is due to be published in May 2024.

The Scottish Government is working with partners in local government, The Scottish Sensory Centre, Sense Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland to update existing guidance on qualifications and teacher competencies for those who teach children and young people with sensory loss.

A public consultation on the updated guidance is planned for later this year.

Yes. A working group, including representatives from local authorities, COSLA, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, Education Scotland and Scottish Government officials, has been formed to explore options for the development of an accredited qualification and registration programme for Additional Support Needs assistants. The working group is scheduled to bring forward final proposals by autumn 2023.