Legalize / United Kingdom / Scotland / Act of the Scottish Parliament

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004

Type Act of the Scottish Parliament

Publication 2004-05-07

State In force

Jurisdiction Scotland

Department Statute Law Database

Source legislation.gov.uk

Reform history JSON API

Main definitions

Additional support needs

1

(1) A child or young person has additional support needs for the purposes of this Act 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.

(1A) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), a child or young person has additional support needs if the child or young person is looked after by a local authority (within the meaning of section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (c. 36)).

(1B) But where, in the course of identifying (in accordance with the arrangements made by them under section 6(1)(b)) the particular additional support needs of a child or young person who is looked after by a local authority (within the meaning of section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (c. 36)), an education authority form the view that the child or young person is, or is likely to be, able without the provision of additional support to benefit from school education provided to or to be provided for the child or young person, subsection (1A) ceases to apply.

(2) In subsection (1), the reference to school education includes, in particular, such education directed to the development of the personality, talents and mental and physical abilities of the child or young person to their fullest potential.

(3) In this Act, “additional support” means—

(a) in relation to an eligible pre-school child, a child of school age or a young person receiving school education, provision (whether or not educational provision) which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children or, as the case may be, young persons of the same age in schools (other than special schools) under the management of the education authority responsible for the school education of the child or young person, or in the case where there is no such authority, the education authority ,

(b) in relation to a child under school age other than an eligible pre-school child, such provision (whether or not educational provision) as is appropriate in the circumstances.

Co-ordinated support plans

2

(1) For the purposes of this Act, a child or young person requires a plan (referred to in this Act as a “co-ordinated support plan”) for the provision of additional support if—

(a) an education authority are responsible for the school education of the child or young person,

(b) the child or young person has additional support needs arising from—

(i) one or more complex factors, or

(ii) multiple factors,

(d) those needs require significant additional support to be provided—

(i) by the education authority in the exercise of any of their other functions as well as in the exercise of their functions relating to education, or

(ii) by one or more appropriate agencies (within the meaning of section 23(2)) as well as by the education authority themselves.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)—

(a) a factor is a complex factor if it has or is likely to have a significant adverse effect on the school education of the child or young person,

(b) multiple factors are factors which—

(i) are not by themselves complex factors, but

(ii) taken together, have or are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the school education of the child or young person.

Children and young persons who lack capacity

3

(1) For the purposes of this Act, a child has capacity—

(a) in relation to an act that may be carried out by the child under a provision of this Act, if the child has sufficient maturity and understanding to carry out the act,

(b) in relation to a decision of the child mentioned in a provision of this Act, if the child has sufficient maturity and understanding—

(i) to make the decision,

(ii) to communicate the decision,

(iii) to understand the decision and its implications for the child, and

(iv) to retain the memory of the decision,

(c) in relation to the provision, under a provision of this Act, of any information, advice or co-ordinated support plan by an education authority to the child, if the child has sufficient maturity and understanding to understand the information, advice or (as the case may be) plan,

(d) in relation to any view of the child mentioned in this Act, if the child has sufficient maturity and understanding to express the view;

and any references in this Act to a child who lacks capacity are to be read accordingly.

(2) For the purposes of this Act, a young person lacks capacity to do something if the young person does not have sufficient understanding to do it.

(3) But a child or young person is not to be treated as lacking capacity by reason only of a lack or deficiency in a faculty of communication if that lack or deficiency can be made good by human, electronic or mechanical aid (whether of an interpretive nature or otherwise).

General powers and duties

Duties of education authority in relation to children and young persons for whom they are responsible

4

(1) Every education authority must—

(a) in relation to each child and young person having additional support needs for whose school education the authority are responsible, make adequate and efficient provision for such additional support as is required by that child or young person, and

(b) make appropriate arrangements for keeping under consideration—

(i) the additional support needs of, and

(ii) the adequacy of the additional support provided for,

each such child and young person.

(2) Subsection (1)(a) does not require an education authority to do anything which—

(a) they do not otherwise have power to do, or

(b) would result in unreasonable public expenditure being incurred.

General functions of education authority in relation to additional support needs

5

(1) Every education authority must in exercising any of their functions in connection with the provision of school education, take account of the additional support needs of children and young persons having such needs.

(2) Where a child falling within subsection (3) has been brought to the education authority's attention as appearing to have needs of the type mentioned in subsection (3)(c), the authority must (unless the child's parent does not consent)—

(a) in accordance with the arrangements made by them under section 6(1), establish whether the child does have such needs, and

(b) provide such additional support as is appropriate for the child.

(3) A child falls within this subsection if the child—

(a) is under school age (unless the child is an eligible pre-school child),

(b) belongs to the authority's area, and

(c) appears to have additional support needs arising from a disability (within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010) which the child has.

(4) An education authority may provide such additional support as is appropriate for children (other than children to whom the education authority have a duty under subsection (2)) and young persons belonging to the area of the authority—

(a) having additional support needs, but

(b) for whose school education the authority are not responsible.

Establishment of additional support needs and need for co-ordinated support plan

Children and young persons for whom education authority are responsible

6

(1) Every education authority must make such arrangements as they consider appropriate for identifying—

(a) from among the children and young persons for whose school education they are responsible—

(i) those who have additional support needs, and

(ii) those having additional support needs who require a co-ordinated support plan, and

(b) the particular additional support needs of the children and young persons so identified.

(1A) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), every education authority must in particular consider whether each child or young person falling within section 1(1A) for whose school education they are responsible requires a co-ordinated support plan.

(2) Where an education authority receive from a person specified in subsection (3) a request to establish whether any child or young person for whose school education the authority are responsible—

(a) has additional support needs, or

(b) requires a co-ordinated support plan,

the authority must, in accordance with the arrangements made by them under subsection (1), comply with the request unless the request is unreasonable.

(3) The persons referred to in subsection (2) are—

(a) in the case of a child, the child’s parent,

(aa) in the case of a child who has attained the age of 12 years and who the authority is satisfied has capacity to make the request, the child,

(b) in the case of a young person—

(i) the young person, or

(ii) if the authority are satisfied that the young person lacks capacity to make the request, the young person’s parent.

(4) Where, in pursuance of a request referred to in subsection (2), an education authority establish that a child or young person has additional support needs, the authority must inform—

(a) the person who made the request of that fact, and

(b) where that person is a child falling within subsection (3)(aa), the child's parent of that fact.

(5) Subsection (6) applies where a child or young person for whose school education an education authority are responsible comes to the attention of the authority as—

(a) having, or appearing to have, additional support needs, or

(b) having such needs and requiring, or appearing to require, a co-ordinated support plan.

(6) Where this subsection applies, the education authority must, in accordance with the arrangements made by them under subsection (1), establish whether the child or young person does have additional support needs or, as the case may be, require a co-ordinated support plan, unless the authority consider it unreasonable to do so.

(7) Subsections (2) and (6) are without prejudice to subsection (1).

Other children and young persons

7

(1) Where an education authority receive a request of a type specified in subsection (2) relating to any child or young person—

(a) belonging to the area of the authority, but

(b) for whose school education an authority are not responsible,

an authority may, in accordance with the arrangements made by them under section 6(1), comply with the request.

(2) The types of request referred to in subsection (1) are—

(a) a request from a person specified in subsection (3) to establish whether the child or young person in relation to whom the request is made—

(i) has additional support needs, or

(ii) would, if the education authority were responsible for the school education of the child or young person, require a co-ordinated support plan,

(b) in the case of a child or young person being provided with school education at an independent school or a grant-aided school, a request from the managers of the school to establish whether the child or young person would, if the education authority were responsible for the school education of the child or young person, require such a plan.

(3) The persons referred to in subsection (2)(a) are—

(a) in the case of a child, the child’s parent,

(aa) in the case of a child who has attained the age of 12 years and who the authority is satisfied has capacity to make the request, the child,

(b) in the case of a young person—

(i) the young person, or

(ii) if the authority are satisfied that the young person lacks capacity to make the request, the young person’s parent.

(4) Subsection (5) applies where a child or young person—

(a) belonging to the area of an education authority, but

(b) for whose school education an education authority are not responsible,

comes to the attention of the authority (otherwise than as a result of a request referred to in subsection (1)) as having, or appearing to have, additional support needs.

(5) Where this subsection applies, the education authority may, in accordance with the arrangements made by them under section 6(1), establish whether the child or young person does have additional support needs.

(6) Subsection (7) applies where, in pursuance of this section, an education authority establish that a child or young person—

(a) has additional support needs, or

(b) would, if the education authority were responsible for the school education of the child or young person, require a co-ordinated support plan.

(7) Where this subsection applies, the education authority must provide the persons mentioned in subsection (8) with such information and advice as to the additional support required by the child or young person as they consider appropriate.

(8) The persons referred to in subsection (7) are—

(a) in the case of a child, the child’s parent,

(aa) in the case of a child falling within subsection (3)(aa) who the authority is satisfied has capacity in relation to the information or advice, the child,

(b) in the case of a young person—

(i) the young person, or

(ii) if the authority are satisfied that the young person lacks capacity to understand the information or advice, the young person’s parent,

(c) where the authority establish the matter referred to in subsection (6) pursuant to a request made by the managers of an independent school or a grant-aided school, those managers.

(9) Subsection (10) applies where an education authority receives a request as mentioned in subsection (1) relating to a child attending an independent or grant-aided school.

(10) The authority may request the managers of the school to provide the authority with such information and advice as the authority thinks appropriate for the purpose of enabling the authority to assess the capacity of the child in relation to the request.

Assessments and examinations

8

(1) Where—

(a) an education authority propose—

(i) in pursuance of any provision of this Act, to establish whether a child or young person has additional support needs or requires, or would require, a co-ordinated support plan, or

(ii) to review under section 10 any such plan prepared for any child or young person, and

(b) the appropriate person makes a request that the education authority arrange for the child or young person to whom the proposal referred to in paragraph (a) relates to undergo, for the purposes of the proposal, a process of assessment or examination (such a request being referred to in this section as an “assessment request”),

the education authority must comply with the assessment request unless the request is unreasonable.

(2) In subsection (1)(b), “the appropriate person” means—

(a) where the proposal referred to in subsection (1)(a) arises from a request referred to in section 6(2), 7(1) or 10(4), the person making the request,

(b) in any other case—

(i) where the proposal relates to a child, the child’s parent,

(ia) where the proposal relates to a child who has attained the age of 12 years, the child,

(ii) where the proposal relates to a young person, the young person or, where the authority are satisfied that the young person lacks capacity to make the request, the young person’s parent.

(2A) But a child who has attained the age of 12 years is an appropriate person for the purposes of subsection (2) only if—

(a) in a case where paragraph (a) of that subsection applies—

(i) the authority is satisfied that there has been no significant change in the circumstances of the child since the request mentioned in that paragraph was made, or

(ii) where the authority is not so satisfied, the authority is satisfied that the child has capacity to make the request referred to in subsection (1)(b) at the time that request is made,

(b) in any other case, the authority is satisfied that the child has capacity to make the request referred to in that subsection.

(3) Where a child or young person is to undergo a process of assessment or examination in pursuance of an assessment request, the process is to be carried out by such person as the education authority consider appropriate.

(4) In subsection (1)(b), the reference to assessment or examination includes educational, psychological or medical assessment or examination.

Co-ordinated support plans

Duty to prepare co-ordinated support plans

9

(1) Where an education authority establish in pursuance of any provision of this Act that a child or young person for whose school education they are responsible requires a co-ordinated support plan, they must prepare such a plan for the child or young person.

(2) A co-ordinated support plan prepared under subsection (1) must contain—

(a) a statement of the education authority’s conclusions as to—

(i) the factor or factors from which the additional support needs of the child or young person arise,

(ii) the educational objectives sought to be achieved taking account of that factor or those factors,

(iii) the additional support required by the child or young person to achieve those objectives, and

(iv) the persons by whom the support should be provided,

(b) a nomination of a school to be attended by the child or young person,

(i) the officer of the authority responsible for the discharge of the authority’s duty under subsection (5)(d) of section 11, or

Reading this document does not replace reading the official text published on legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies arising from the conversion of the original CLML XML to this format.