Transforming Lives WFS: Education

PUBLICAFFAIRS@INCLUDEM.CO.UK

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This briefing was authored by Lisa Weylandt, Policy & Public Affairs Officer, designed and edited by Martyn Walker, Communications & Public Affairs Manager both of includem. includem, Unit 6000, Academy Office Park, Gower Street, Glasgow, G51 1PR www.includem.org | publicaffairs@includem.co.uk

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CONTENTS Executive Summary

We are includem!

Part One

We are a charity that works with children, young people and families to help transform their lives.

Our mission is to provide the support children, young people and families need to make positive changes in their lives and inspire a more hopeful future for them and their communities. We envision a world where every child and young person is respected, valued and has the opportunity to actively participate in all aspects of life and society.

To achieve this we work with children, young people and families to identify their strengths and determine what needs to change for them to move towards positive destinations. Our approach is unique to each individual and the intensity of our support depends on the needs of the person, or family, we support.

Additional Support for Learning Background Context Experiences Recommendations Part Two Part-Time Timetables and Flexible Learning Background Context Experiences Recommendations Appendixes

CONTACT US If you have any questions or would like to make an enquiry you can contact us on the following:

Our model of practice is rights-respecting, built on relationships and is made up of five key elements: 1.

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Engagement & Assessment Goal Setting & Action Planning A Better Life Toolkit Structured Coaching Conversations Review & Agree Move On Plan

Our A Better Life Toolkit provides practical and emotional support helping our staff enable those we work with set and reach their goals. The toolkit covers themes that are important to the children, young people and families we work with including, but not limited to: emotions, health & wellbeing, independent living, and education, employment & training.

publicaffairs@includem.co.uk 0141 427 0523 includem Unit 6000 Academy Office Park, Gower Street Glasgow G51 1PR includem.org

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Over the last few months, we have spoken to includem workers across the country to hear from them what challenges children, young people and families are facing in accessing Additional Support for Learning and their experiences of part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements.

Additional Support for Learning and part-time timetables are intersecting challenges for some of the children and young people we work with as schools are ill-equipped or under-resourced and cannot meet their needs. We heard in many cases that part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements are in place of additional support for the child or young person in mainstream provision, or due to a lack of choice and personalisation in education provision and delivery.

The briefings cover Additional Support for Learning and Part-Time Timetables and Flexible Learning separately but should be read in conjunction with each other in recognition of the complex challenges facing children, young people and the families we support.

KEY SUMMARY – ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR LEARNING

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Additional Support for Learning in mainstream settings is woefully under-resourced and does not meet the needs of children and young people.

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Children and young people who receive additional support for learning in mainstream settings often experience bullying and feel excluded from peers.

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Families and Carers find it challenging to navigate the systems associated with additional support for learning. In some cases, it takes a significant toll on their mental health and wellbeing, and family relationships.

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Teachers need regular training on trauma and neurodiversity, and time to put their learning into practice.

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Alternative venues and greater opportunities for practical and vocational learning would benefit many children and young people with Additional Support Needs.

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Whole Family Support is vital to support families to navigate the education system, support children and young people to advocate for their needs, and provide a crucial link between home and education settings.

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KEY SUMMARY – PART-TIME TIMETABLES AND FLEXIBLE LEARNING ARRANGEMENTS •

Part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements are beneficial and work well for some of the children and young people we currently support.

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Part-time timetables can be especially useful in supporting children and young people with anxiety to engage in education.

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For some of the children and young people we support, part-time timetables are used to reduce a child or young persons time in school when their behaviour is considered challenging, or the school cannot provide adequate additional support for learning.

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There are concerns in many cases that part-time timetables or flexible learning arrangements are allowed to drift through infrequent or delayed reviews and progression plans and that for some people they are allowed to drift until the young person becomes a school-leaver.

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Part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements can place significant pressure on families who must navigate additional challenges including changes to routines, logistical implications, and in many cases fewer opportunities to access employment due to the enhanced caring responsibilities.

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Schools are widely recognised as a protective factor in children and young people’s lives. Some of our teams highlighted the safeguarding concerns that emerge when children and young people spend significant time out of education but without adult supervision, placing them at greater risk of harm in the community.

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Whole Family Support is critical in supporting families to navigate changed routines and pressure on family dynamics by providing practical and emotional support to the whole family. Includem staff support children and young people to attend and engage with education and support them and their families to have their voices heard in decisions made about them.

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE The recommendations included after each briefing should also be considered alongside each other, as we believe that where provision is good, additional support for learning encourages engagement in and with education. Similarly, well managed part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements, led by the needs of the child or young person, can encourage better engagement with education. Recommendations for Local Authorities and the Scottish Government are separated into immediate, medium-term and long-term actions and are informed by what we heard from includem staff across the country.

Below are some of the key recommendations from both briefings: Immediate action: •

Invest in Whole Family Support in recognition of the support that third sector organisations provide to children, young people and their families when navigating challenges and barriers in education.

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Urgent investment should be made to support children and young people with additional support needs in mainstream education settings. Crucially, this investment should be made in teachers and teaching support staff who have the time and skills to build relationships with children and young people.

Medium-term action: •

Review the provision and accessibility of virtual schooling and expand this model alongside whole family support to all children who would benefit from this approach to learning.

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We urge the Scottish Government to implement plans for extension of neurodiverse assessment pathways for children, their families, and those in the child’s life greater clarity about their support needs.

Long-term action: •

The Scottish Government should enhance the provision of vocational training and skills development from the age of 14 to provide opportunities for children who are not engaged in the current model of education and whose needs will be better met this way.

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As part of the Scottish Government broader education reform, greater investment and resources should be directed to establishing out of school provision that provides safe and supportive environments to learn including outreach provision, forestry schools and virtual schools.

CONCLUSION Scotland’s children and young people want to learn. They want to spend time around peers and reap the benefits that a well-resourced supportive education system can afford them. Currently, many of the children and young people we support do not have access to the level of support they require to tackle the barriers they face in mainstream education. We were heartened to hear positive examples of good support, great outreach teams, and effective communication and our ambition is to continue amplifying the voices of children, young people, and families we support so that their experiences can bring about change.

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PART ONE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR LEARNING

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BACKGROUND Includem supports children, young people, and families across Scotland to transform their lives. We do this through a strengths-based approach which is rooted in building strong relationships.

This briefing has been collated to highlight the challenges that children and young people includem supports are experiencing in education settings.

Over the past few years, as our knowledge and understanding of Additional Support Needs (ASN) has developed, the provision of Additional Support for Learning (ASL) has been significantly threatened by reduced Local Authority budgets coupled with an increase in need.

As part of our Transforming Lives Whole Family Support campaign, we have made a commitment to the children, young people, and families we support that we will amplify their voices with decisionmakers and campaign for change. This is particularly important in regard to education, which is fundamental in shaping children and young people’s social, emotional and educational development and can be critical to their life chances and outcomes.

The children and young people we work with come from the most marginalised backgrounds: poverty, poor mental health, housing challenges, and care experience compound the difficulties they face in education. Getting it right for children at this early stage in their life is crucial to ensure children and young people have the opportunity to reach positive destinations and reach their full potential.

For the past few years, the number of children and young people we work with who require additional support for learning has increased. Recognising the urgent need for change, and responding to the calls from children, young people, and families, our colleagues who deliver support have shared their knowledge and experience to inform this briefing.

We have made several recommendations as part of this briefing, both for National and Local Government and in advance of the Scottish Parliament Elections 2026, based on the experiences of children and young people. To discuss these further, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@includem.co.uk.

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CONTEXT The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004,1 as amended by the 2009 Act, legislates for the provision of additional support for learning in Scotland. The Act places a duty on education authorities to identify, provide for, and review the Additional Support Needs of children and young people for whose education they are ultimately responsible for.

Crucially, Additional Support Needs (ASN) are defined broadly, recognising that children and young people may require additional support for a range of reasons. This can include emotional, social, family or environmental factors.

In 2020, the ASL review2 led by includem’s former Chief Executive, Angela Morgan OBE, highlighted the systemic issues in implementation and resourcing. Since then, the Scottish Government and COSLA have accepted the recommendations of The Morgan review, committing to an Actional Plan for Additional Support for Learning (2021), which was updated in 2022.3 Despite this, progress reports note the continued resource pressures and the impact in which this is having on practice across the country.

WHAT ARE THE EXPERIENCES OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR LEARNING? CHRONIC UNDER-RESOURCING AND DELAYED SUPPORT •

In Glasgow, we heard from our colleagues that there were only “five ASN staff for 700 pupils”.

This imbalance of staffing makes it impossible to provide consistent, individualised support to those in need. This leads to teachers and support staff often having to prioritise crisis management over learning or relationship-building. Our previous report The Experiences of Children and Young People in Education Pre & During Covid-19 (2021) emphasised the importance of relationships in education settings, something children and young people continue to echo. The combination of increased need with dwindling resources creates a reactive rather than preventative environment.

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Across every local authority that includem provides support in, our teams reported that children and young people are waiting years for neurodiversity and mental health assessments or for clinical support. We heard about experiences of families in Glasgow who described waiting up to three years for a CAMHS appointment. These delays have a profound ripple effect through schools and the wider communities as children, young people and families are left to manage complex needs alongside schools, without the input and additional support that a formal diagnosis and associated support would provide.

1 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2004/4/contents 2 https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/independent-report/2020/06/review-additional-support-learningimplementation/documents/support-learning-children-potential/support-learning-children-potential/govscot%3Adocument/support-learningchildren-potential.pdf 3 https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/strategy-plan/2022/11/additional-support-learning-review-action-planupdate-november-2022/documents/additional-support-learning-review-action-plan-update-november-2022/additional-support-learning-reviewaction-plan-update-november-2022/govscot%3Adocument/additional-support-learning-review-action-plan-update-november-2022.pdf

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Teachers, pastoral staff, and support assistants are being asked to provide a level of therapeutic or clinical support that is far beyond their remit or training. The result is that schoolteachers and staff become the de facto providers of mental health and neurodevelopmental support without the resources, expertise, or time to do so. School Staff describe feeling helpless and underprepared, while children go without the specialist interventions necessary to make education accessible and meaningful to them.

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Overstretched pastoral and support staff are also similarly limited in the support they can provide. Maintaining communication between home, school, and external organisations is almost impossible given the significant numbers of children with Additional Support Needs.

Regardless of their levels of training and understanding of additional support needs, teachers find themselves to stretched to balance the competing demands of education, care, and crisis management.

MISPLACED INCLUSION AND UNSAFE ENVIRONMENTS •

We often hear that children and young people should be educated in the “least restrictive environment,”4 which, in most cases, has been interpreted as mainstream schools being the default education setting. But this presumption only works if those schools are genuinely equipped and resourced to support every child’s unique needs. We heard that children and young people are expected to fit the school environment without adjustments being made to support their individual strengths and needs.

“Behavioural needs kids are bullying the autistic kids.” (includem worker)

“Classrooms aren’t a safe place for him — but he wants to be there.”

(Parent)

The result is that children and young people experience challenging environments that diminish their social and educational opportunities, to the detriment of their confidence, development, and educational outcomes.

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Lack of trauma-informed practice, and a lack of resources mean that behaviour can be misinterpreted as defiance, not distress. Across all teams, staff observed that many schools still lack a trauma-informed approach to understanding children’s behaviour.

“A child with additional support needs was required by her teacher to write every toilet break on the classroom whiteboard in front of peers. This was justified as “monitoring,” but caused humiliation, anxiety, and distress.” (includem worker)

“Behaviour is children’s way of communicating.” (includem worker)

4 https://www.gov.scot/publications/guidance-presumption-provide-education-mainstream-setting/documents/

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Teachers and support workers are often under immense pressure, with little time to interpret behaviour in context. As a result, signs of anxiety, sensory overload, or trauma are frequently misread as misbehaviour or refusal to engage.

FAMILIES CARRYING THE BURDEN •

Colleagues told us that families describe feeling dismissed when they raise legitimate concerns about their children’s wellbeing.

“He gets very stressed in large classes and the teachers always say he looks fine, they don’t listen when we say he masks at school and then lets it all out at home.”

(Grandparent)

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In our experience, some families find it more difficult to secure additional support for their child or young person due to the complexity of the system. Parents and Carers who are more confident in navigating the system and advocating for themselves may have completely different experiences to parents and carers facing multiple barriers. Because of this, it can feel to some families that access to help is based not on need but on advocacy skills and time.

“An 11-year-old refused school due to severe bullying. Her mother was showing early signs of dementia and could not fight the school’s position that the child ‘should simply attend’. (includem worker)

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In addition, eligibility criteria and pathways for accessing specialist settings vary between local authorities, even between schools within the same area, leading to confusion and inconsistency. This leaves families navigating a complex, often opaque system. Even when the process is clearly articulated, for example by Glasgow City Council’s Placing Request and Local School Full Guidance, navigating the documentation and the required supporting evidence places a significant burden on parents and carers who can easily feel overwhelmed and perceive the system as adversarial rather than supportive.

“Psychologists are making big calls with minimal presence.” (includem worker)

“To not have to constantly fight for support would make life less stressful.”

(Parent)

Parents and carers report spending months chasing paperwork, attending endless meetings, and re-explaining their child’s situation to new staff as personnel change. Financial pressures mount as unpaid care, loss of income, and transport costs accumulate. Families describe feeling like they are “fighting a system designed to wear them down.”

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LOSS OF DIGNITY AND POTENTIAL •

Our teams repeatedly emphasised that the lack of adequate support for learning means that children and young people are internalising feelings of being unwanted or incapable. Children and young people report feeling that their needs are ‘too much’, that they are ‘different’ and in some cases perceive that they will not succeed in an educational environment.

“The girl thinks she is not wanted.” (includem worker)

This sets a dangerous precedent for children and young people as they withdraw further from education and professionals tasked with supporting them to succeed. Once children and young people fall behind, the likelihood of catching up decreases sharply. Without consistent access to classrooms, structured learning, and peer interaction, skills and confidence erode quickly. The result is a cycle of low attainment and reduced self-worth that can shape a young person’s entire trajectory into adulthood.

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Long absences from school erode basic literacy, numeracy, and social skills. When children’s needs go unmet, their behaviour deteriorates, leading to further exclusion - either formal (through suspensions and part-time timetables) or informal (being told to stay home). Many of the children and young people we support have enormous potential: one young person with additional needs is receiving very high grades and was described as “wanting to study astrophysics,” but their school could not accommodate the support they required to stay in class. These are not failures of ability; they are failures of opportunity.

“A lot of children and young people not getting practical subjects and this is what they’re interested in and what would engage them, and where they would excel.” (includem worker)

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THE VALUE OF WHOLE FAMILY SUPPORT Includem provides whole family support meaning that even if a child or young person is referred to includem, we will support the entire family. Throughout this briefing, we have highlighted the impact of the lack of support not only on the child or young person, but the adults who are responsible for them and care for them. Whole Family Support is required in the current context of education to successfully support children and young people.

To do this, includem colleagues: • Help parents and carers navigating the complex education system by supporting phone calls, writing letters, and using their expertise to liaise with partners across agencies.

• Support children and young people to better understand and express their needs. For example, supported children and young people who can now explain how overwhelming noise can shutdown their response to adults. Recognising behaviours like this is crucial for a trauma informed approach and for putting in place the right support to help them thrive in school.

• Acting as mediaries between families and schools to implement techniques and tools that support the child or young person to engage in education. For example, one worker told us about helping a young person to negotiate a discreet way of letting their teacher know when they were feeling anxious and their coping mechanism so they could remain in the classroom while self-regulating.

Third-sector organisations, as well as education colleagues, have highlighted the value that support that bridges home and school can bring to children, young people, and their families. While the resourcing and demand challenges in schools remain, there must be investment in holistic whole family support to ensure children and young people are able to attend, and engage in, education.

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE

• Local Authorities should invest in whole family support where children and young people are struggling to engage with education to support the family as well as the child or young person.

• Urgent investment should be made to support children and young people with additional support needs in mainstream education settings. Crucially, this investment should be made in teachers and teaching support staff who have the time and skills to build relationships with children and young people.

• Training for teachers and continuous professional development should include training on trauma-informed practice and how trauma impacts neurodiversity.

• We urge the Scottish Government to implement plans for extension of neurodiverse assessment pathways to give children, their families, and those involved in the child’s life greater clarity about their support needs.

• Families must be empowered to advocate for themselves and their child through the provision of accessible information and clear mechanisms through which to engage with education authorities about the needs of their child. This should include a dedicated point of contact for parents and carers looking for advice and support.

• There is an urgent need to improve transitions for children and young people in their journey through education.

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• Teachers must be provided with the time and space to continuously update their learning and strategies for supporting children with additional support needs to ensure support that is offered is child-centred, rights-respecting and strengths-based. Access to training is not enough. The Scottish Government should consider legislating for dedicated time to learning and practice development.

• The Scottish Government should enhance the provision of vocational training and skills development from the age of 14 to provide opportunities for children who are not engaged in the current model of education and whose needs will be better met this way.

• To match the evolving needs of children and young people in Scotland, additional provision of alternative venues for education should be a priority. Some children and young people require specific environments to be able to attend and engage, and this should not be limited to children and young people with the most complex needs but be a natural aspect of the process of enrolling children and young people in education and throughout their education journey.

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PART TWO PART-TIME TIMETABLES AND FLEXIBLE LEARNING

BACKGROUND Includem supports children, young people, and families across Scotland to transform their lives.

We do this through a strength-based approach which is rooted in building strong relationships.

Includem provides support to children and young people in education settings, and advocate for inclusion and additional support provision to ensure children and young people can meet their full potential. We work in partnership with the child or young person and their families to ensure they have the right support at the right time and, where appropriate, support families to talk to teachers and education authorities about the needs of their child or young person.

As part of our Transforming Lives Whole Family Support campaign, we have made a commitment to amplify the voices and experiences of children, young people, and their families and to highlight the importance of Whole Family Support across a range of life experiences and challenges.

Includem staff who support children, young people, and families have reported an increase in the use of part-time timetables or flexible learning opportunities raising questions about the value of such arrangements for a number of the children and young people we work with.

As an organisation we recognise the value that part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements have for some children and young people and that it can support engagement with learning and education. However, the lack of data available on the use of part-time timetables and flexible learning means that there is a lack of oversight in how these arrangements work in practice and whether they are, and continue to be, in the best interest of the child or young person.

We spoke with includem colleagues across the country to hear about the education experiences of children and young people. Alongside this, we also gathered data from our service teams to understand the local variations in the use of part-time timetables and flexible learning.

The recommendations within this briefing are made to both the Scottish Government and Local Authorities which are rooted in the experiences of children and young people, who have a right to education that helps them grow their confidence, build on their interests and skills, and supports them to reach their full potential.

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CONTEXT Although currently, there is no legislative framework for part-time timetables in Scotland they are addressed by Scottish Government Guidance and the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 20001 . These underline the principle that education should be directed to ensure every child and young person reaches their full potential: “Where school education is provided to a child or young person by, or by virtue of arrangements made, or entered into, by, an education authority it shall be the duty of the authority to secure that the education is directed to the development of the personality, talents and mental and physical abilities of the child or young person to their fullest potential.”2 Guidance from Education Scotland and Local Authority policies state that part-time timetables should: • • • • •

Only be used in exceptional circumstances, be in the best interest of the child, be time-limited, reviewed regularly and agreed in partnership with the child, young person, their family or carers, and relevant parties.

Concerns have been raised by stakeholders across Scotland, including the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (CYPCS) and The Promise Scotland about the inappropriate and prolonged use of part-time timetables in what may constitute de facto exclusions, particularly for children and young people with additional support needs, care experienced young people, and those at risk of formal exclusion.

“As well as through formal exclusions from school, instances have been reported of autistic children being excluded from their education in other ways. This includes the use of part-time timetables, children missing school due to anxiety or other health needs, and a lack of suitable school placement or support meaning a child is unable to be in school.”3 “Part-time timetables are not necessarily the wrong approach. Some children find them useful, and they may want or need their education to be structured like that for a variety of reasons. But if a child’s timetable must be reduced, it should be done with the child, not to the child. Part-time timetables shouldn’t be mandatory, and they shouldn’t be based on a lack of resources. They should be designed to be responsive, and they should be documented, monitored, and evaluated. We need more data on whether part-time timetables are created with the child and how they are monitored.”4 Virtual schools in Scotland provide tailored educational support, particularly for care experienced children, through various online platforms and dedicated teams. While not explored in detail in this briefing, we have referenced the provision of virtual schools in our recommendations as advocated for by several of our colleagues.

1 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2000/6/contents 2 Statutory Guidance: Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 3 SA-Out-Of-School-Report.pdf 4 Children’s Commissioner: There’s a lot to learn from new report into care experienced children and education - The Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland

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KEY THEMES BENEFITS •

Despite the challenges that part-time timetables and flexible learning can place on children, young people, and their families, we heard that for some, these arrangements were working well. Includem colleagues particularly mentioned this when young people were anxious about being in the school environment or in large classes where reduced hours and smaller classes were beneficial. “[The young person] has managed more learning this term. [They] have managed to attend some classroom learning” (includem worker)

“[They] attend school at the quietest times which has supported their attendance/reduced their anxiety about attending school.” (includem worker)

“[Young Person] has additional support needs and says that everything is working great. School is a safe place for them.” (includem worker)

“[Young Person] has reported that they are more focused and work better within the half time timetable.” (includem worker)

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Some includem staff reported good levels of support for young people from their school and wider education system. This included additional support for care experienced children and young people, examples of regular timetable and learning reviews, and effective multi-agency working to support families.

“Supportive school, young person is motivated and has goals, involved with [third sector organisation] and school debate club, accessing opportunities due to being care experienced.” (includem worker)

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CHALLENGED: OVERUSE AND DRIFT •

Across Scotland, our teams reported that a significant number of children and young people they are currently supporting are on part-time timetables. We have collected data from our teams across the country which is included in Annex 2.

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Includem teams reported that in some examples the limited amount of time spent in education was having a significant impact on children, young people, and their families.

“Parents are walking around for hours because the timetable is only 90 minutes.” (includem worker)

“Kids are in school for less than 90 minutes. What’s the point?” (includem worker)

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In some reports, children and young people spend more time travelling to their allocated base than they do in their education setting placing a huge strain on children and their families without clear educational benefit.

“The round trip is longer than the lesson.” (includem worker)

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Guidance from Local Authorities and Education Scotland Guidance stipulates that part-time timetables should be used as a mechanism to support a return to full-time education, where possible. Despite this, we heard from different teams that for some children and young people communication from schools around reintegration plans having been stagnated or delayed significantly. Includem colleagues reported that this can occur due to staffing changes in social work or education authorities resulting in children’s plans not being formalised or continually delayed.

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We also heard of examples where the approval processes for flexible learning took longer than necessary, leaving children at home with no formal learning during the intervening period. This increased the pressure for the child and young person to catch-up once the approval had been granted and plans for alternative provision were put in place.

For children and young people, this can have a considerable impact on their wellbeing, confidence, and motivation, potentially hampering their engagement with education which may already be precarious.

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SHIFTING RESPONSIBILITY TO FAMILIES •

The impact of part-time timetables extends beyond that which is experienced by children and young people. We heard of examples regarding the impact on the wider family and support networks. In Glasgow, we heard of the experience where a parent was required to manage complex logistics with all four of their children attending different schools or on different schedules. We also heard of carers and family members having to leave their employment due to the often-long periods of time where their child was not under the care or supervision of the education authority and the toll this had taken on staying in employment.

“Mum is struggling financially as she is not able to work” (includem worker)

“With non-attendance, Mum and the two young people are always in the home and they do not get breaks from each other. This has led to tension in the home and fights” (includem worker)

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In other examples, colleagues raised awareness of instances where schools were relying on the support and cooperation of parents/ other adult figures involved in the child/ young person’s life rather than providing wraparound support. We heard of examples where children and young people were provided with activities to “keep them busy” rather than engage them in meaningful learning activities. “[It] seems more about having young people there than engaging them in meaningful and impactful activities.” (includem worker)

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SYMPTOM OF WIDER SYSTEM FAILURE •

Anecdotally, part-time timetables are increasingly being used to replace appropriate ASL or mental health provision. Where children and young people have additional support needs that could not be met in the classroom due to a lack of resources, children and young people are ‘managed’ through part-time timetables.

“They reduced her hours the moment she struggled — no plan, no process.” (includem worker)

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In some cases, several staff interpret that part-time timetables are being used as a behaviour management tool rather than a learning plan. “[In our experience, part-time timetables are] mainly used for young people with challenging behaviour.” (includem worker)

“Young people who are considered high-risk are in school for one hour a week because this is all the support the school can allocate them.” (includem worker)

“Part-time timetables seem a way for schools to manage behaviour.” (includem worker)

“A lot of it is trauma, not even neurodiversity.” (includem worker)

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Some teams noted that the children and young people they work with would benefit from access to online education and virtual school model currently available to care experienced young people. Includem staff also noted that some of the children and young people they support would benefit from greater access to vocational courses and training. This lack of diversity and personalisation in provision is causing some children and young people to lose out on education despite their interest in learning.

“They want to do online school/homeschool but [school] don’t offer this. Most of the young person’s issues with school stem from the school environment - not a lack of motivation/interest to learn. If [they] were attending online school, I think they would benefit much more - they wants to learn however the pressure to do this in school is impacting them.” (includem worker)

“[They] miss subjects [they] would like to take”. (includem worker)

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Includem teams in Aberdeen highlighted the significant safeguarding concerns that can arise when children and young people are not in education, with their parents or carers unable to supervise them due to work and other caring commitments. These children and young people spend their time in the community with no meaningful activity or support and are at risk of engaging in risk-taking behaviour or in potential involvement with child criminal exploitation.

“We need a lot more focus on education because a lot of the young people we work with who are exploited are not in education.” (includem worker)

CONCERN ABOUT LONG-TERM IMPACT •

While part-time timetables undoubtedly offer an adaptation to the traditional model of education that is well suited to the needs of some children and young people, the lack of resources raises concerns that for children currently under this system, their educational outcomes are significantly impaired. This can lead to children and young people missing key social and developmental experiences, resulting in the long-term impact on confidence, relationships, and independence. “[They] don’t learn to live with others in a collective way. Includem socialise with him, but that does not mimic what he misses in school. We see him three times a week, but it is not enough. He is missing out on life experience.” (includem worker)

As described by an includem colleague, inclusion and participation in the school environment is crucial to the social development of children and young people. It fosters their independence, creativity, problem-solving skills and is crucial to fostering and maintaining relationships with peers and navigating different levels of authority and boundaries. When children and young people spend significant amounts of time out of the school environment or only have limited contact with school for extended periods of time, these aspects of their life are minimised and- in some examples we are aware of – can be significantly curtailed leading to long-term impacts.

Our pre-employability project in North Lanarkshire is currently supporting young people who have spent significant time out of education due to several barriers and from our experience without significant specialist support, these young people are at risk of continuing to exist at the margins of society. Not through any failing on their part, but due to being let down repeatedly by the systems that should be there to support them.

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We know of examples where children and young people spend a significant period of time on a part-time timetable as reviews are delayed or not carried out, or adjustments to their timetable either can’t or won’t be met.

“They don’t seem to be assessed regularly at all and the transition out of it [flexible learning] is slow.” (includem worker)

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We heard from includem workers that for some children and young people this has negatively impacted their desire to attend school and be involved in education. The longer the delay, and the greater the uncertainty, the greater the impact on children and young people.

“Everything is so slow. Months between options. Once something doesn’t work, it can take months to change. Spiralling happens for the young person affecting their sleep, anxiety, etc.” (includem worker)

“The system is slow and should be able to act when the motivation is there from the young person.” (includem worker)

THE VALUE OF WHOLE FAMILY SUPPORT At includem, we recognise that children and young people are impacted by the adults in their lives, and the circumstances they find themselves in. We provide Whole Family Support which means that when a child or young person is referred to our service, we support the entire family.

Includem values and appreciates the positive impact that education can have on a child and young person’s life and we are committed to supporting children and young people to access their right to education.

Navigating part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements can be challenging for parents and carers especially when considering additional barriers, including poverty, health inequalities, housing issues or poor mental health.

Whole family support is an essential component of ensuring that children and young people get access to the education they are entitled to, including flexible arrangements.

Includem colleagues described supporting children, young people and their families with their travel arrangements to ensure children and young people attend their education provision. In some situations, this involves supporting families with their morning routines through scheduled visits and accompanying children and young people to their education provision.

An increasingly important part of includem’s support is assisting families, parents and carers, to navigate and engage with the bureaucratic processes and systems that govern education provision. This is especially true when different agencies and organisations are involved in a child or young person’s life or when parents and carers have different views to the education authority.

Includem also act as advocates, supporting children and young people to understand and articulate their needs. In some instances, includem workers provide support in a school setting as part of the flexible learning arrangement for children and young people.

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Fundamentally, Whole Family support can enable better communication between school and home environments, providing important context for educators and school staff.

“We can be the missing link between home and school.” (includem worker)

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE

1. Local Authority education guidance must be strengthened to ensure every part-time timetable arrangement must include a written plan clearly stating review dates, the views of the child and the adults in their life and plans for progression.

2. Plans for monitoring and evaluating use of part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements, especially for care experienced children and young people to understand the national picture and support local authorities and schools to develop and learn from best practice.

3. Invest in Whole Family Support in recognition of the support that third sector organisations – such as includem - provide to children, young people and their families when navigating challenges and barriers in education.

4. Investment in additional support for learning provision to prevent children and young people reducing their time in schools because the support for them to engage and attend isn’t sufficient.

5. Review the provision and accessibility of virtual schooling and expand this model alongside whole family support to all children who would benefit from this approach to learning.

6. As part of the Scottish Government’s broader education reforms, greater investment and resources should be directed to establishing out of school education provision that provides safe and supportive environments to learn including outreach provision, forestry schools and virtual schools.

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APPENDIX ONE •

Pupils not in full-time education: use of part-time timetables, August 2017

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Bespoke/Part Time Timetables – Dumfries and Galloway Attendance Toolkit

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Pupils not in full-time education: use of part-time timetables, August 2017

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APPENDIX TWO: EXAMPLES FROM INCLUDEM TEAMS As part of our endeavours to understand the use and management of part-time timetables and flexible learning arrangements for the children and young people we support, we asked includem teams to share information about children and young people’s education status.

We asked includem service teams to record the following information: • • • • • • • • • •

Education status (full-time, part-time, not attending, specialist provision, virtual learning) Reason for individualised provision and instigator of this arrangement Date part-time timetable or flexible learning arrangements started Current levels of provision (hours/days per week) Details of planning for progression to full time education What is working well What is not working well Does the child/young person and their family agree with the level of provision How has the provision affected family routines, work or stress Impact on learning

It became apparent, when reviewing the data that there are more questions than answers and we will do more work to amplify the voices of children and young people to ensure Scotland’s education system evolves to meet their needs. This involves further investigation into supports for children and young people not engaging in education.

For this briefing, we are solely focused on information shared about part-time timetables.

ABERDEEN INTENSIVE FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICE At the time of data collection, there were: 13 children and young people on service.

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2 young people were in education fulltime,

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4 were no longer enrolled

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1 young person is attending college.

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2 young people are not attending

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4 young people are on part-time timetables.

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ABERDEEN TARGETED FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICE At the time of data collection, there were: 36 young people on service.

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12 young people have left school.

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16 young people attend school full-time.

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7 young people are attending school part-time

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1 young person is not attending.

ALTERNATIVE JUSTICE (GLASGOW) At the time of data collection, there were: 6 young people on service.

Data was recorded for 4 young people.

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1 young person has left education

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2 young people are on a part-time timetable

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1 young person attends specialist provision full-time.

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BRAVE (STIRLING) At the time of data collection, there were: 7 young people on service.

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2 young people are in specialist provision.

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1 young person spends part of their time in mainstream school, and part of their time in specialist provision.

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2 young people attend school full-time although 1 of these young people was previously on a parttime timetable.

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2 young people are not in education.

FIFE WHOLE FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICE At the time of data collection, there were: 20 young people on service.

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10 were in education full-time. 1 of the 10 young people in education full time splits their time between mainstream and specialist provision.

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5 young people are in specialist provision but of those 5, 3 are not attending this provision.

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1 young person is attending college,

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1 person is out of education, and

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2 young people are not attending education.

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Only one young person is on a part-time timetable in mainstream provision.

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GLASGOW INTENSIVE FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICE (GIFSS) At the time of data collection, there were: 42 young people on service.

Data was recorded for 38 young people.

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10 young people are not attending education

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7 young people have left education. 3 of those young people are attending college and one young person is on fulltime employment course.

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3 young people were attending specialist provision full-time

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1 young person was attending specialist provision part-time.

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6 young people were attending school part-time. 1 of these young people also receives support through Virtual School.

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11 young people were attending school full time.

GLASGOW SOUTH At the time of data collection, there were: 59 young people on service.

26 children supported by this service were not of school age.

Data was recorded for 14 school age children.

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9 children and young people attend school full-time

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5 young people were recorded as attending school part-time.

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KEEPING CONNECTED (FIFE) At the time of data collection, there were: 50 young people on service.

Data was recorded for 15 young people.

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2 young people had left school.

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11 young people were attending school full-time

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2 young people were on a part-time timetable.

RESPONSE At the time of data collection, there were: 8 young people on service.

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2 young people are on a part-time timetable.

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3 young people are in school full-time but on a specialist timetable.

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1 young person attends school 1.5 hours per day on a specialist timetable.

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2 young people are not in education

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STIRLING At the time of data collection, there were: 18 young people on service.

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2 young people attend residential school.

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9 young people are in education full time

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1 young person is not in education.

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1 young person attends specialist provision.

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4 young people are on a part-time timetable

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1 young person attends school every day but due to their anxiety they do not take part in classes but receive one-to-one input in the school instead.

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APPENDIX THREE: CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS *names have been changed to protect anonymity Aberdeen Intensive Family Support Service •

Alex (aged 15) is on part-time timetable in school and completes digital learning at home. They are in school for six hours a week: • • • •

Tuesday: 1 hour Wednesday: 3 hours Thursday: 1 hour Friday: 1 hour

Their includem worker said that although regular reviews are held, there is no plan for Alex to return to full time education at present. Alex agrees with the plan and pace as they find it difficult to concentrate on account of their ADHD. Alex’s mother, however, is constantly stressed by the situation.

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Jamie (aged 10) is attending school for one hour a day. The part-time timetable has been jointly initiated by school and the family due to Jamie’s disruptive behaviour. Regular reviews are held but at present there is no plan for Jamie to return to full time education. Their parent is financially struggling as they are not able to work because of this.

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Taylor (aged 17) is attending school for an hour every Friday to obtain qualifications. This arrangement is working well for them and has motived them.

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Morgan (aged 15) is on a part-time timetable as they are unable to cope with full-time education.

They attend school • • • •

Tuesday: 2 hours Wednesday: 1 hour Thursday: 2 hours Friday: 1 hour

There are regular reviews and the part-time timetable is working well for Morgan although they are missing subjects they would like to take. Their parent has had to take time off work to accommodate the change in routine.

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Riley (aged 17) is on a part-time timetable following their exclusion from school in 2024.

Currently, Riley attends school for 1.5 hours a week. Their includem worker reports that there are no reviews and that the main benefit from this arrangement is that Riley is getting some education. The main concern about the part-time timetable is that the Riley has significant free time to engage in risk-taking and offending behaviour which has caused a lot stress and mental health difficulties in the family.

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Aberdeen Targeted Family Support Service •

Sam (aged 16) is on a part-time timetable as a result of family life and anxiety. Sam recently moved out of the family home and the part-time timetable has reduced their stress and given them time to manage their emotions while adjusting to living in their own accommodation.

Sam is currently attending school for 9 hours a week and has a good relationship with their guidance teacher. Currently, there is no timescale for increasing Sam’s hours as this is being led by Sam and their needs. The part-time timetable is working well for them, and they are managing to keep up their work.

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Jordan (aged 16) is on a part-time timetable as they were overwhelmed with their previous timetable and struggling to attend school. Jordan and their family agree with the plan and currently have no criticisms of the plan. Since moving to a part-time timetable Jordan is able to stay in all of their classes and is enjoying school. Previously, they used to dread school.

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Casey (aged 12) is attending school on a part-time timetable as a result of their behaviour.

They moved to this model of education when they transitioned to high school and now attend 2 hours per day, in the morning. The plan is supposed to be reviewed every six weeks but includem staff report that this is not happening as the school believe Casey is not able to increase their hours in school. Casey was ‘blindsided’ by the school’s decision as they found out on their first day of ‘big school’ that they would not be joining in classes with their peers.

Casey would prefer to be in school full-time and includem staff feel that they should have been given a chance to interact with their peers across classes. Casey has been very isolated from the beginning of high school and their includem worker believes this is setting them up to fail.

Alternative Justice (Glagow) •

Avery (aged 14) is attending school for 1 hour, three days a week. Avery reportedly finds it difficult to cope with education and is regularly sent home from school due to their behaviour.

Avery’s parent is keen to return to work but is often stuck by the phone in case Avery is sent home. Their parent is worried that Avery is likely to leave school with minimal qualifications, but the school is currently not equipped to support their neurodiversity.

BRAVE Stirling •

Quinn (aged 15) was put on a part-time timetable in an effort to encourage them to return to school as non-attendance and absconding had been a major issue. Quinn often took on a caring role at home and their includem worker feels that the school offered minimal support to Quinn when considering how they were getting to school. Quinn has now returned to school full-time, but this is largely down to their efforts and motivation.

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Fife Whole Family Support Team •

Rowan (aged 14) is on a part-time timetable and this has been initiated jointly by the family and the school. The includem worker notes that there are regular reviews and the timetable is flexible, based on Rowan’s needs. They say that Rowan has managed more learning this term and has managed to attend some classroom learning. Despite the positive impact on their engagement with education, the reduced package of education is putting strain on the family dynamics and especially the relationship between Rowan and their parent.

Fife Keeping Connected •

Ellis (aged 15) is attending school part-time to reduce their anxiety, build up their confidence and create a more stable routine. Ellis currently attends school twice a week for 2 periods when the school is most quiet. Since adapting their timetable Ellis has more motivation to attend school and less anxiety.

Glasgow Intensive Family Support Service •

Sky (aged 16) has been placed on a part-time timetable and attends school for one hour a week.

This arrangement was initiated by the school who feel that Sky doesn’t manage well in a class.

The plan has never been reviewed despite being in place for over a year. Sky has requested more days in school but was advised that the school could not provide this and they were referred to part-time college instead. Sky is enjoying their college course and is coping well in classes with other young people. They feel that school were being unfair on them and wanted them to leave.

When Sky is in school once a week, they feel that no on has time for them and there is never any work for them to do. Although college is a positive experience for Sky they and their family are experiencing high levels of stress due to the large gaps in time that are unstructured when Sky has nothing to do.

Glasgow South •

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Ari (aged 7) is on a part-time timetable as they are refusing to attend full-time education. This arrangement has been in place since September 2024. Ari has two hours weekly with a teacher and attends a three hour course once a week. There is currently no plan for Ari to return to fulltime education and their parent would like more support and communication from the school.

Ari’s includem worker reports that the lack of routine is impacting the Ari’s mental health negatively.

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Response (includem’s National Service) •

Tori (aged 9) is on a part-time timetable which has been initiated by the school as a result of what the school has called behavioural challenges. We do not know when this arrangement began but Tori is in school for 2.5 hours every day. There is no plan to return to full-time education but the hours are regularly reviewed and have recently been reduced from 4 hours a day. Tori and their family do not agree with the arrangements. Tori’s parent has been unable to work and carry out basic tasks as such as shopping as the current agreement with the school states that if they call at any time, Tori’s parent must attend school within 10 minutes.

Includem workers note that it is positive that the young person is receiving support from teachers and can interact with their peers, but they are concerned about the low educational attainment. They note that the part-time timetable is reducing the chances of positive educational outcomes for Tori.

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Rayne (aged 14) is on part-time timetable as they have learning difficulties. This arrangement has been led by the school who, although keen to support the Rayne to engage at their own pace, are unable to provide the 1 – 1 support Rayne needs to engage successfully in education.

Rayne is finding it difficult to cope in the school environment due to their issues with another pupil and also has no motivation to attend school. Rayne’s parent is mainly housebound as a result of their lack of engagement in school.

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REFERENCES: PART ONE Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan, 2022, available at www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/strategy-plan/2022/11/ additional-support-learning-review-action-plan-update-november-2022/documents/additionalsupport-learning-review-action-plan-update-november-2022/additional-support-learning-reviewaction-plan-update-november-2022/govscot%3Adocument/additional-support-learning-reviewaction-plan-update-november-2022.pdf Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, available at www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2004/4/contents Presumption to Provide Education in a Mainstream Setting: Guidance, 2019, available at www.gov.scot/publications/guidance-presumption-provide-education-mainstream-setting/ documents/ Support for Learning: All our Children and All their Potential, 2020, available at www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/independent-report/2020/06/ review-additional-support-learning-implementation/documents/support-learning-childrenpotential/support-learning-children-potential/govscot%3Adocument/support-learning-childrenpotential.pdf

REFERENCES: PART TWO Not includem not engaged, not involved: A report on the experiences of autistic children missing school, Scottish Autism, 2020, available at: https://www.notengaged.com/download/SA-Out-Of-School-Report.pdf Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc (Scotland) Act 2000, available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2000/6/contents Statutory Guidance: Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000, available at: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/advice-andguidance/2017/03/statutory-guidance-standards-scotlands-schools-etc-act-2000-9781786528759/ documents/statutory-guidance-standards-scotlands-schools-etc-act-2000/statutory-guidancestandards-scotlands-schools-etc-act-2000/govscot%3Adocument/statutory-guidance-standardsscotlands-schools-etc-act-2000.pdf There’s a Lot to Learn from New Report into Care Experienced Children and Education, Children & Young people’s Commissioner Scotland, 2025, available at: https://www.cypcs.org.uk/news-andstories/childrens-commissioner-theres-a-lot-to-learn-from-new-report-into-care-experienced-

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TRANSFORMING LIVES CAMPAIGN Beyond the Budget, 2025, available at issuu.com/includem2000_/docs/beyond_the_budget_an_ includem_report?fr=xKAE9_zMzMw Housing: Young People and Families Experiences, 2025, available at issuu.com/includem2000_/ docs/housing_young_people_and_families_experiences You can find out more about the Transforming Lives campaign at includem.org/what-we-do/ transformingliveswfs

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