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Legislation and policies for ASL

Additional Support for Learning Act and our policies

The education authority is required by law to publish information about the rights of parents and duties of education authorities for additional support needs.

Additional support needs occur "where, for whatever reason, the child or young person is, or is likely to be, unable without the provision of additional support to benefit from school education provided or to be provided for the child or young person."

Specialist provision information and profiles - September 2023

Supporting Children's Learning - A Code of Practice

 was produced in 2005 by the Scottish Executive to support education authorities to put the act in to place. The Scottish Government revised this guidance in 2010 to take account of the amended ASL Act. 

ASL policy

Every establishment in Edinburgh has an ASL policy which outlines the roles and responsibilities of staff to ensure that additional support needs are identified, assessed and met. The policy outlines how to manage the learners’

  • educational needs
  • social welfare needs
  • behavioural needs.

Pathways to Support

We use a structured framework for support to identify, assess and meet learners' additional support needs through four pathways to support. These are when additional support needs are met in

  • class by the class teacher
  • school with direct support from support for learning or pupil support
  • school with support from partner services or agencies
  • special schools or classes.

Accessibility strategy

The accessibility strategy (PDF) sets out how we make sure that children and young people with a disability can access education in a suitable learning environment.

Moving and handling procedure

The moving and handling procedure (PDF) sets out how we make sure that we fulfil manual handling requirements in schools and early years settings.

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