Additional support for learning

We want every child and young person in Orkney to achieve their potential. For most children, this happens in mainstream classes. For some, a more tailored approach is needed to address their individual needs. We call this Additional Support for Learning.

Any child or young person can have additional support needs. These can arise from a disability, a health condition, a learning difficulty, social or emotional factors, or family circumstances. Additional support needs can be long-term or short-term.

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is Scotland's approach to making sure children and young people get the right help at the right time from the right people. It supports families by helping children grow up feeling loved, safe and respected so they can reach their full potential.

Most children get all the support they need from their parents, wider family and community. Sometimes, perhaps unexpectedly, a child may need a bit of extra help. GIRFEC is a way for families to work in partnership with people who can help, such as teachers, doctors and nurses.

In Orkney, our inter-agency guidance is called Getting it Right for Orkney's Children.

Our approach to inclusion

We believe that all children and young people have the right to be educated alongside their peers in their local school, with the support they need to learn and take part in school life. We use a staged intervention approach, which means we put support in place as soon as a need is identified and increase or adjust that support as required.

All of our schools work within an inclusive framework that recognises the importance of partnership with parents and young people, good planning and regular review.

The Pupil Support Team

Our Pupil Support Team works with children, young people, families and schools across Orkney. Team members have specialist knowledge in a range of areas including hearing impairment, visual impairment, positive behaviour management, autistic spectrum disorders, speech and language difficulties and outreach tutoring.

The team carries out its statutory duties in relation to children and young people with additional support needs, and works closely with other services including:

• Home Link
• Sleep Scotland
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy

We also have specialist resourced provision for children with additional support needs at Glaitness School and Kirkwall Grammar School.

How support is planned

Where a child needs additional support, a plan will be put in place to set out what that support looks like and how it will be reviewed. Depending on the level of need, this might be a personal learning plan, an Individualised Educational Programme or, for children with the most complex needs, a Co-ordinated Support Plan.

Plans are reviewed regularly, with parents and young people involved throughout. Where a child has significant additional support needs and is moving into Orkney from another area, we will work with the family and previous authority to make sure the right support is in place from the start.

Requesting support

Informal enquiries are welcome from parents, carers and young people. With parental permission, anyone professionally involved with a child or young person can also make an enquiry or referral.

You can find out more about the referral process in the download below.

Resolving disagreements

If you disagree with a decision about your child's additional support, there are several ways to resolve this. In the first instance, speak to your child's school or contact the Pupil Support team directly. If this does not resolve things, you can ask for mediation, request an independent adjudication, or contact the Additional Support Needs Tribunal for Scotland.

Enquire - the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning - offers free, independent and confidential information, advice and support to parents, carers and young people.

Your rights

Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, parents and young people have a number of rights, including the right to request an assessment of a child's additional support needs, the right to request a Co-ordinated Support Plan, and the right to request an independent adjudication or tribunal if you disagree with a decision.