Policy Framework

“The Support for Learners Policy Framework sets out the policies and principles on which Highland Council’s  philosophy is based.  The policy is set in an Education context but assumes that all agencies will work with young people and their families to ensure appropriate  provision and support for all children  including those with additional support needs.”

Introduction and Context

1.1  Learning and Teaching is at the heart of the education process.   Throughout the learning process from early childhood, through schools and further education into lifelong learning, all learners require, at some stage, support in the learning process.   The Council has a policy of Inclusion in making provision for education.

1.2  Currently, the vast majority of pupils in Highland have their needs met in mainstream schools, apart from those educated in 3 special schools, those in out of mainstream placements and those in out of authority placements. The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000 requires Education Authorities to make provision which maximises the talents of each individual child and presumes provision to be in mainstream schools. Current educational practice in schools, establishments and partner centres in Highland, seeks to ensure that all learners are educated in their local community alongside their peers. Exception to this is where it is considered in the child’s best interests that more appropriate education can be provided in a specialised provision. 

1.3 The twin expectations of Raising Standards of Achievement and Inclusion are developing across schools. Inclusive practice varies significantly across the network of provision. Significant support and development is required to fully realise the vision of inclusive practice.

1.4 Support for Learners seeks to ensure that the barriers to learning, be they educational, social or emotional are overcome. It also aims to encourage staff to assist their pupils to attain their maximum learning potential through identification of preferred learning styles.
 
Definition
The fundamental principles of the Inclusive School are:-

• children have a right to learn in their locality;
• that mainstream schools must recognise and respond to the diverse needs of their learners, while also having a continuum of support to match these needs
•  they are most effective at building solidarity between children with special needs and their peers
• increasing the participation of learners in, and overcoming the barriers to, the programmes and cultures of a learning community
• improving schools for staff and pupils as participants in an overall learning community
• concerned with fostering mutually sustaining relationships between schools and communities acknowledging that inclusion in education is one aspect of inclusion in society 

These principles of inclusion are not necessarily new.   They have, however, been reaffirmed in recent legislation, including:-

• The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000
• Disability Discrimination Act (1995) – Code of Practice for Schools (2001)

and are reflected in the revised Quality Indicators in “How Good is Our School?" (PDF), “Count us in: Achieving inclusion in Scottish Schools” (2002) (PDF) and in developments to support multi-disciplinary working through the Integrated Community School Approach.
 
"How Good is Our School, Part 2": Evaluating education for pupils with additional support needs in mainstream schools (HMIe) should be used to complement Part 1 which is already well known and used.   This gives a much more detailed evaluation which schools can use to benefit all pupils