Dumfries and Galloway Council is committed to the well-being and educational development of all learners.

The process of inclusion requires all involved in the business of learning and teaching to demonstrate commitment, innovation and flexibility to ensure that all children and young people have access to quality learning opportunities and experiences.

The Authority aims to meet the needs of all children with additional support needs through a range of provision from inclusion in mainstream classes (with or without support) to part-time or full-time provision in a school with a learning centre or base.

This commitment to meeting the needs of all children is based upon the requirements of the Education (Additional Support for Learning ) ( Scotland) Act 2004 amended in 2009 and is translated into procedure and practice by Dumfries and Galloway Education Services’ Support Manual. 

 This Support Manual is available on line for all staff within schools and is able to be updated and kept alive. Mrs S Orr and Mrs A Rae are currently responsible for ASfL provision within the Moffat/Beattock Cluster.  They are supported by a team of Learning Assistants.

The Presumption of Mainstream (https://www.gov. scot/publications/guidance-presumption-provide- education-mainstream-setting/) means that most children will be supported in their local school.

What is Additional Support for Learning?If your child needs extra help or support in addition to that which is usually provided in school they can be said to have ‘Additional Support Needs’. Children may need additional support for short or long periods of time and for a variety of reasons.

If you have any concerns about your child, you should speak to a member of staff in the school in the first instance. The majority of children with additional support needs have them met in the classroom by their teacher, through differentiated teaching approaches.

If concerns persist the staged intervention process will escalate the response to an appropriate level of support.

There are several ways in which concerns can be followed up. This may involve the input of other educational professionals such as Specialist Teachers, Impairment Specialists  and Educational Psychologists.

This may include a request for assistance to the Supporting Learners Service as part of the work of the Autism Support Officers and Looked After Children (LAC) Support Officers.

It may also involve your child being referred onto staff in external agencies such as Health staff (Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist etc.). 

As a parent you will be closely involved in the whole process and your views sought throughout. If, after discussion with all concerned, it is felt appropriate your child will have an educational plan agreed which will identify how they are to be supported.  Your child’s progress will be kept under review and any plans and support will be changed as necessary. As a parent you will be closely involved in any review process. There will be several opportunities for you to discuss your child’s progress. This may be through informal meetings arranged with teaching staff, at Parents’ Nights or at formal focused meetings with other agency involvement (Child Plan Meetings or ICP meetings).

A small number of children will require a more detailed planning process which co-ordinates the input of education and other agencies to fully support the child. This plan is called a Co-ordinated Support Plan. The Co-ordinated Support Plan process is overseen by the Supporting Learners Service with responsibility for Additional Support for Learning.