We want to help you to understand how the law and guidance has changed during the coronavirus outbreak and what these changes may mean for children with additional support needs.
This part of our website provides:
- information on how coronavirus has affected the law and guidance on providing additional support for learning, and what this means for you and your child
- what you can do if you are struggling to get support for your child’s learning
- information about where you may be able to find resources and help
- links to local authority information so you can find out what the plans are for your area
This is as new to us as it is to everyone else, so we may not be able to provide all the answers straight away, but we are working to find out as much as we can.
We will be updating this page on an ongoing basis, so please come back to this page regularly and check our social media for updates. You can find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Please also contact our helpline if you have any questions about additional support for learning or want to discuss how these changes may affect your child’s education and support.
In this section, we will describe how coronavirus has affected the laws and guidance on providing education and support to children and young people with additional support needs in Scotland.
The Coronavirus Act (passed on 26th March 2020) gives official powers to the Scottish Government to close schools and nurseries, and effectively suspend some legal duties until the schools reopen. This may include suspending local authority duties to:
- provide adequate and efficient school education for pupils living in their area
- provide education for pupils who are unable to attend school
- provide adequate and efficient additional support for learning for pupils who need extra help at school
- provide free school meals
- provide early learning and childcare
The Act also gives the Scottish Government the power to tell local authorities, schools and nurseries how they should continue to provide education, early learning and childcare.
These directions have not been issued yet, but the Scottish Government has made changes to the law and produced guidance on a number of things. The following sections give you more information about what the changes mean for…
There are lots of great resources out there to help you and your family through this difficult time.
Your child's school should be sharing learning resources with you, and different local authorities are producing things like online learning hubs with helpful links to learning resources and supports.
There are too many great resources for us to share them all, but here are some good places to start if you are looking for some ideas or help with supporting your children's learning at home.
Each local authority in Scotland is making different arrangements for their schools and nurseries, depending on what is needed in their area. Local authorities are keeping their websites up to date with information about things like:
- childcare provision for children of key workers
- arrangements for children who need more help to stay safe and well, including some children with additional support needs
- arrangements for families who are eligible for free school meals
- help for you to educate and support your child at home.
Below, you can find links to your local authority's:
- additional support for learning contact details
- coronavirus local updates
- other useful websites for children and young people with additional support needs
