Support for Learners

It is the policy of the Highland Council to involve parents fully in any assessment and decision making about their child, and to make every reasonable effort to educate children in accordance with their parent’s wishes.

Education Authorities have a legal obligation to identify and to meet the needs of those children in their Area who require additional support for their learning. It is important to identify and assess these children as early as possible so that they can receive appropriate educational support. For most children who require additional support for their learning their support will be planned and monitored using an Individualised Educational Programme. If the Authority judges that a child or young person has additional support needs which are long-term and significant, and which require co-ordinated support from more than one agency or service then, by law, the Authority must consider whether to compile a Co-ordinated Support Plan.

The Education Authority provides for the education of pupils of school age with additional support needs using three broad approaches. Where possible pupils are supported to continue their education within their local schools.  There are some specialist support services for pupils in mainstream schools with difficulties such as visual impairment, hearing impairment and autism.  More information about these specialist services can be found on the Support for Learners web site link on the right.   

Some pupils, however, will need more intensive or specialised education.  Most of these pupils are able to attend resourced schools, or special schools or units within the Authority’s Area, since such provision is maintained for pupils with learning, hearing, physical, and communication difficulties. A small number of pupils will need highly specialised education or will benefit from education away from home. These pupils attend special residential schools outside the Highland Council Area, and the Education Authority meets the full costs of education, boarding and travel. Parents have the right to request a particular school for their child and the Education Authority must agree to such request or have a good reason for refusing it.

Parents who feel that their child may require additional support for learning are advised to contact staff at their child’s school in the first instance. Parents can also contact the Highland Council Psychological Service (Tel: 01463 233494) to discuss their concerns. 

Further information about support for learning, co-ordinated support plans and the Highland Council Psychological Service can be obtained from:

• The Highland Council's Psychological Service web site
• The voluntary organisation Children in the Highlands Information Point CHIP+ (Tel: 01463-711189), website 
• The Area Education Offices - the list is located in the Current Documents section.

We hope that you will find the Support for Learners web pages easy to use and that you will find information which will be useful to you.

We welcome feedback and suggestions about these webpage.   Please e-mail us.

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