Additional Support Needs (ASN)

Information for parents

• How will schools know my child's needs before they start school?
• What Additional Support is available to help my child in school?
• What information about Additional Support is available to help my child in school?
• I think my child is dyslexic. What should I do?
• What information for young people with Additional Support Needs moving out of school is available?
• What rights do I have in asking for support for my child?
• What kind of support is available?
• Where can I find general information about transitions, admissions and placing requests?
• Transport requests for pupils with additional support needs

Q. How will schools know my child's needs before they start school?

Moving on to school can be both exciting and challenging - for children and also for their parents. Staff who work with your child in nursery or in other pre-school settings will try to make sure that your child's move to school is a positive experience in many ways - for example by:

• talking about any concerns you may have
• passing on any information you wish the school to know
• giving your child the chance to visit the school and get to know the staff
• encouraging school staff to visit the nursery/pre-school setting
• involving specialist staff from other agencies (eg speech and language therapist) where appropriate
The school will build on your child's experiences and work to meet their additional support needs. Parents can ask to see the pre-school provider's transition policy as each setting varies. You might also like to see a copy of the Early Stage Transition leaflet - PDF (573Kb)

Q. What Additional Support is available to help my child in school?

Every child and young person is entitled to support in two ways. First, the ongoing, day-to-day help of teachers, lecturers and staff. This should be caring and inclusive as a matter of course. Second, additional support is available to all who need it. This is tailored to individual need to overcome any barriers to learning. There are many additional support staff working in schools to help children achieve their fullest potential.

Support For Learners Factfile by Learning and Teaching Scotland - PDF (480Kb)
Does your child need support to learn? - PDF (130Kb)

In School Support:

• Classroom assistants
• Supervisory assistants
• Additional Support Needs (ASN) Auxiliaries who are appointed to schools to ensure they can support pupils with the most complex and challenging need
• Additional Support Needs (ASN) teachers who work in and out of classes and receive specialist training in how to work with class/subject teachers to meet pupils needs - for example, in behaviour management, autism, dyslexia or other barriers to learning.
• Experienced classroom/Subject teachers for whom additional training is available

It is the schools responsibility to organise how their staff are used to support pupils. The pupils with the most severe difficulties clearly will require the most support. However, many other children benefit from additional support staff in schools.

Support from outwith school (Central Staff):

• Education Support Officer Additional Support Needs, Chris Horrix
• Advisory teacher of Vision, Freda Leask
• Home-Link teacher, Morag Gray
• Educational Psychologists:

  • Sarah Jamieson Principal Educational Psychologist
  • Rhonda Simpson Educational Psychological

  For all enquiries about additional support needs, please discuss first with the head teacher or principal of your child's school or nursery. If you require further information, please contact Chris Horrix, Education Support Officer (Additional Support Needs) on 01595 744000 or by email at: chris.horrix@shetland.gov.uk

For information and contact details  about Health Services for children and young people in Shetland, please click on the NHS Shetland link below:

www.shb.scot.nhs.uk/departments/childhealth.asp

For information about organisations in Shetland, including Disability Shetland and Advocacy Shetland, please go to the link below:

www.shetland-communities.org.uk/main/market-house.htm

Your child's Head teacher will know how best to contact central staff but you may wish to contact them directly - in which case see the leaflet "Helping Your Child Learn".

Schools may also use occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and the clinical psychologist who work for NHS Shetland but support some young people in the schools setting.

For Information about how the SIC meets pupils' Additional Support Needs please see the following document: ASN Needs - (129KB Pdf)

Q. What information about Additional Support is available to help my child in school?

Information can be found at the following two websites:
www.shetland-communities.org.uk/subsites/disability-shetland
Enquire www.enquire org.uk
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance www.siaa.org.uk
The Scottish Child Law Centre www.sclc.org.uk

Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning
Operated by Children in Scotland, Enquire offers independent, confidential advice and information on additional support and learning through.

• telephone helpline - 0845 123 2303
• email enquiry service -info@enquire.org.uk
• two websites- www.enquire.org.uk (for parents/carers and practitioners) and www.enquire.org.uk/yp (for children and young people)

Enquire also provide a wide range of clear and easy-to-read guides and factsheets explaining everything from 'additional support in the early years' to 'what planning should take place for moving on from school'.

See The Parents' Guide to Additional Support for Learning

Guides to the ASL Act:
Parent's Guide to ASL - PDF (1.6MB)
Shetland Schools Service Guide - PDF 49.5Kb)

Q. I think my child is dyslexic. What should I do?

The first and best thing to do is to discuss this with your child’s class teacher. Explain what your concerns are and why you feel your child has dyslexia. The teacher will be able to tell you how much he is learning in class and how his progress compares to other children his age. Usually this will result in you and the teacher sharing the same view of what should happen next, whether this is changes in what happens in class, additional support or changes in homework etc. The teacher may feel it would be helpful to ask for an in-school Additional Support Needs teacher to work with your child and may want to try other strategies or materials, which you can support at home.

Sometimes, the school might involve the Assistant Adviser, Additional Support to provide further advice or support.
If after making your concerns clear you still feel unhappy with the school’s view of your child you may want to ask to discuss your concerns more formally with the head teacher.

Hopefully through discussion with your child’s teacher and head teacher you will be able to understand what your child’s difficulty is and what would be best for him. There are many helpful organisations and websites if you find your child does have dyslexia and these are available from your school.

For further information see: Dyslexia Information Leaflet - PDF (165Kb)
For advice visit the Dyslexia Scotland website at www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk and Addressing Dyslexia at www.addressingdyslexia.org

Q. What information for young people with Additional Support Needs moving out of school is available?

Information can be found in the following files:
Getting ready to leave school - PDF (1.7MB)
Enquire Factsheets

Shetland transition information:
Parent and Carer Transition Leaflet
Young Peoples Transition Leaflet
With you For you

General transition leaflets:
Preparing for adult life and transition - Scotland
Applying to further education
Disabled Young People Moving Out of School
Leaving School Factsheet
Getting ready to leave School

For information on GIRFEC and the GIRFEC Child’s Plan

Q. What rights do I have in asking for support for my child?

Parents/Carers have the right to:

• information and advice about your child's additional support needs
• have your views considered and be involved in decision-making about your child/young person's education and the support they receive to meet their additional support needs.
• have a supporter or advocate with you at any discussions or meetings with Schools Service staff when your child's additional support needs are being discussed.
• ask for a specific assessment of your child's additional support needs, such as an educational, psychological or medical assessment, at any time
• If the child is 16 years old or over, they have the same rights as those listed above.

Q. What kind of support is available?

Shetland schools offer a wide range of support to help children learn. This could include some of the following:

• adapted work to suit their ability
• time with ASN staff (teacher or auxiliary)
• assistance from a speech and language therapist
• change of working space - for example, use of a time-out room
• meetings to discuss individual learning plans
• "buddy" support from an older pupil
• use of equipment - such as a laptop or tape recorder
• staff who are trained in specific difficulties your child may have

Schools staff provide support which is designed to meet your child's individual needs.

Q. Where can I find general information about transitions, admissions and placing requests?

Transition, Admissions and Placing Requests

 

Transport Requests for pupils with Additional Support Needs.

If you wish to request school transport arrangements for the next school session which are additional or different to those provided, please complete the form below and return it to:

Heather Summers, Children's Services, Hayfield House, Hayfield Lane, Lerwick, ZE1 0QD.

Additional Support Needs Transport Requirements for Session 2013-14

Information from Enquire on authority responsibility around transport provision:

Placing Requests Factsheet (190kb)
Transport to School Factsheet (200kb)

 

Identification, Assessment, Monitoring and Review of Additional Support Needs

• Identification, Assessment, Monitoring and Review of Additional Support Needs
• Stages of Intervention
• Record of Review

Additional Support for Learning legislation information for parents

Please click here to access the latest information

School Information

Shetland Islands Council Schools Service Policy Statement

Autistic Spectrum Disorder Policy

All documents, leaflets and information contained on this page can be made available, on request, in braille or large font. Please contact: Marie Lawson Vision Services email: marie.lawson@shetland.gov.uk Tel: 01595 745360

For further information please contact: Chris Horrix Children’s Services Hayfield House Lerwick email: chris.horrix@shetland.gov.uk Tel: 01595 744024