We created this section on our website to help you keep track of how the latest Scottish Government coronavirus guidance may affect additional support for learning. We keep it updated as things change so it is a good idea to check back regularly.
While things may look a bit different during coronavirus, schools should still be supporting their pupils with additional support needs during term time. In this section of our website we have:
- tried to answer some of the main questions and concerns families have been raising with us about their child’s education and support during coronavirus
- explained how schools should be supporting their pupils as they return after the summer break
- explained the changes to exams, course assessments and appeals for 2020/21.
The Scottish Government have set out 5 coronavirus protection levels (0 – 4) that can be used nationally or locally, depending on the prevalence of the virus across Scotland. Your child’s education and support for learning may be affected in different ways, depending on what the coronavirus protection level is in your local area. You can find this out level your local area is in on the Scottish Government website.
If you have a question that we have not answered in the sections below, or if you have other concerns about your child’s additional support for learning, please get in touch with our helpline. We will listen to your concerns and do our best to answer any questions you may have.
You can also keep up to date with the latest developments on Twitter and Facebook.
Our website for children and young people, Reach, has lots of information and advice for your child about their learning and support during coronavirus which is also updated regularly.
There are lots of measures in place to make sure it is as safe as possible for your child to attend school or nursery.
In this section, we will answer questions about health and safety, and the support your child should be getting when they are attending school or nursery. Our answers are all based on Scottish Government guidance.
If you have a question that we have not answered in the sections below, or if you have other concerns about attending school or nursery, please get in touch with our helpline. We will listen to your concerns and do our best to answer any questions you may have.
During coronavirus, some changes have been made to timescales for responding to placing requests and the way that education appeal committees and the Additional Support Needs Tribunal operate. This section summarises these changes.
In this section we have summarised some of the key information about exams and course assessments in 2020/21 and how these have been affected by coronavirus.
In this section we will explain how you can continue to work together with your child’s school or nursery while there are still some restrictions in place due to coronavirus, including changes to how meetings about your child’s support might happen.
Some children and young people with additional support needs are still currently learning at home due to coronavirus. For example, some pupils who are shielding may still be at home, and others will need to self-isolate if they, or someone they’ve had contact with, develops coronavirus symptoms.
In this section we will explain what your child’s school should be doing to support your child to continue with their education while they can’t be in school, how they should plan for when your child can return, and where you and your child can find some support during this time.
Coronavirus has had a big impact on the lives of all children and young people, including their learning. Some pupils will have found learning at home, and returning to school, easier than others. Schools are aware of this, and they should be working to understand where your child is at with their learning, what help they need, and offering them that support.
If you are worried your child still needs more or different support to help them with this, you can speak to the school. For more information about how to do this, see our coronavirus webpage on Working together with your child’s school or nursery during coronavirus.
The Scottish Government have set out 5 coronavirus protection levels (0 - 4) that can be used nationally or locally, depending on the prevalence of the virus across Scotland. You can find out what level your local area is in on the Scottish Government website below.
Your child’s education and support for learning may be affected in different ways, depending on what the coronavirus protection level is in your local area. Different local authorities will have different measures in place for keeping their pupils and staff safe. As well as the local protection levels, these measures may vary because of things like the size and layout of particular schools, and how pupils need to travel to and from school in your area.
Schools, nurseries and local authorities should be doing their best to update parents on local developments and plans for your child’s education and support. It may be helpful to start by looking at your local authority’s website for updates if you are not sure what is happening in your area. If your child’s school has a website or newsletter it may be helpful to check these too. If you are not able to find the information you are looking for, get in touch with the school.
