The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) has highlighted figures suggesting that ASN funding per pupil has been cut by nearly a third over the past decade and showing that the number of specialist teachers has reached a “record low”. The organisation has spoken out after The Herald reported that secondary school leaders believe the system is “not fit for purpose.”
New information from School Leaders Scotland (SLS), the body representing secondary school headteachers and deputes, has highlighted major regional disparities in access to specialist provision for pupils with additional support needs.
The data collected paints a troubling picture of the way in which schools are struggling to cope with an increase in additional support needs amongst pupils and families.
The number of pupils with some form of additional requirement has increased dramatically in recent years, climbing from 5 percent in 2007 to more than 40 percent in 2024. Teachers have repeatedly raised concerns about a lack of support to manage this increase, and a resulting inflation in their workloads.
Now the SCSC has backed the concerns expressed by SLS members. In a statement released on Wednesday 20 August, its members reiterate their support for the “principle of mainstreaming”, but state that it cannot work effective while so many young people are “not receiving the necessary care and support”:
“As a coalition of organisations that support vulnerable children and young people, we have, for a number of years, shared the concerns of School Leaders Scotland over a lack of resourcing to support an escalating number of pupils with additional support needs (ASN)
“The number of those with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, now amounts to more than two out of five pupils, a more than doubling in numbers over the past decade.
“In parallel with this, the number of ASN teachers over this same period has fallen from 3,077 to 2,837, a record low and a decrease of 240 teachers.
“While we note the fact that the Scottish Government is spending around £1 billion on those with ASN, given the escalating number of those identified, there has actually been a spending cut of £1,708 per pupil over the last decade, amounting to a cut of just under a third.
“While we as a coalition support the principle of mainstreaming, that children and young people are taught in mainstream classes unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is difficult to see how this can work effectively when those with ASN are in many cases not receiving the necessary care and support. This negatively impacts not only them, but also their peers and staff.
“Without our schools receiving adequate financial support, we are facing a lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, and we would urge the Scottish Government and councils to work together to address this.”
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Responding to the concerns raised by SLS, a spokesperson for COSLA said:
“Councils are committed to provision of high-quality learning experiences for all children and young people, and that includes those who may have additional support needs. This now makes up a significant proportion of our learners, with the majority able to learn in mainstream schools. Local Government remains committed the presumption of mainstreaming and is proud of the inclusive approach we take to supporting children and young people to learn. As noted by Audit Scotland earlier in the year, councils spent around £926m on additional support for learning provision in 2022/2023.
“Scottish Government provided £28m to local authorities as part of the 2025/26 budget, to be spent in line with jointly agreed principles. While welcomed, this is a small proportion of the overall spend on education and additional support for learning provision.
“The majority of additional support is provided in classrooms, by classroom teachers and the workforce that support schools. Scottish Government retained £1m of the £29m announced in the 2025/26 budget in order to fund national level projects to support the workforce.
“Concerns that trade unions, children or their families have about the support provided should be raised in the first instance at school level. Enquire have a range of guides setting out the steps that children, families and professionals can take. We know that the workforce across Local Government want to support children and young people to learn in a way that meets their needs, and to enjoy their educational experiences. COSLA works closely with Scottish Government and partners, including trade unions, through the additional support for learning project board, to set the conditions for this.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “All children and young people should receive the support they need to thrive and to succeed, and we can be proud that our Parliament has passed legislation with cross-party support that ensures education is a right for all children and inclusive in its approach.
“However, as School Leaders Scotland’s report acknowledges, there is more to do to turn rights into reality and to make inclusive education work practically for all children, teachers and staff. The Education Secretary is convening a cross-party roundtable with local government to discuss what more may be done to support ASN in schools and to inform a subsequent review.
“Work continues to meet the challenges that the growth in ASN presents and we are investing a further £29 million this year to support the ASN workforce, in addition to record spend of over £1 billion by local authorities on ASN in 2023-24.”
