There are more Scottish pupils with ASN than ever previously reported, but the amount of students with legal plans for their extra support has dropped.
Coordinated support plans (CSPs) are legally binding education plans that guarantee a pupil’s entitlement to additional support. These plans are produced by local authorities and place legal duties on councils to manage and review their provision.
But the number of students with protection via these plans has reached its lowest point, according to the Scottish Government’s most recent school census data.
In response, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) is calling for the Scottish Government to work with local authorities to increase the number of ASN pupils who have access to legal protection for their support.
A spokesperson for the SCSC warned that the growing number of pupils with ASN, coupled with a steady decline in the number of CSPs, could leave vulnerable pupils without vital protection.
“With those with ASN drawn disproportionately from poorer neighbourhoods, if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, they must get the care and support they need, when they need it.”
Additional support needs include autism, dyslexia and other learning disabilities and mental health issues. They also cover certain family circumstances, such as children who serve as a primary caregiver.
CSPs give pupils with ASN legal protection and entitlement to the extra resources their circumstances require.
In 2023, the government reported that 259,036 pupils in Scotland have ASN. This represents 36.7% of the current student population and is almost double the recorded number from a decade ago (131,593 in 2013).
But the number of children protected by CSPs does match the rise in the ASN population. According to the same data, 1,318 students had a CSP in 2023.
