Vulnerable children missing out on support due to Highland Council ‘algorithm’ as parents claim new ASN allocations not reaching many pupils in need
Some of the most vulnerable children in our communities are not getting the extra support they need at school, according to their parents.
Concerns have been raised after Highland Council changed the way it allocates resources for additional support needs (ASN) - the term used for the extra help given to some pupils.
Instead of support going to pupils based on need, an “algorithm” determines who gets what and that is based on school rolls, rurality, whether a child receives a clothing or footwear grant, and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.
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One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, described the impact: “We have no ASN teacher in school, and lost two pupil support assistants (PSAs). My child has not had any support, not even with toileting”.
Another said: “I hadn't realised that other councils have different qualifying criteria for clothing grant, in West Lothian you are entitled to it if you earn under around £1500, in Highland you are entitled if you earn under about £800 a month. That's a huge difference.”
While a third stated: “So not only is the ASN funding now linked to income but our kids get less support than kids in the central belt. Kids in P1-3 also get less hours in school than many other councils - no wonder Highland Council schools are the worst in Scotland.”
The three-year transition period to focus more on poverty and deprivation with ASN started last February but the changes are only now being felt at the start of a new term.
Last week, we reported on how the council has the most education vacancies in Scotland with PSAs, in particular, being offered short-term contracts at locations across the region.
The council has previously argued that it needed to align with national guidance but that does not entirely stack-up after reviewing the national guidance including ASN guidance, Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC), The My World Triangle among others.
They all recognise that poverty is a reason for ASN support but the main document - Supporting Children’s Learning: Statutory Guidance on the Education (Additional Support for Learning) Scotland - states there are “a wide range of factors” that may give rise to the “need for additional support”.
Among those factors are learning environment, family circumstances, disability or health need, and social and emotional reasons - poverty is mentioned under family circumstances as a potential cause of disruption.
Emily Rowley, co-chair of Croy Primary School Parent Council, has been trying to get to the bottom of the issue with other concerned parents.
“We have seen that children with significant needs are not receiving the support they need to meet basic needs such as communication,” she said.
“Parents have also shared that they believe children with milder needs are getting left behind and not able to meet their potential, with parents having to fund additional tuition outside of school hours.
“It is unclear whether this is as a direct result of the changes made to how ASN funding is calculated or whether this issue would have existing previously. The [council’s] education committee meeting minutes cite that there will be ‘winners and losers’ but from our initial conversations with other parent councils it feels as though there are more losers than winners.
“We are also concerned that the reduced funding may lead to parents being actively discouraged not to seek diagnoses and support for their children due to restricted funding.”
She added: “Several parents have flagged concerns that they do not believe the format used to calculate funding will be enough to meet the needs of children within their school.”
The council prioritised poverty and deprivation in a decision that involved "extensive professional dialogue, engagement and finally consensus" and “it is believed that these are the best metrics available to identify additional support for learning requirements across our learner population”.
In support of that, the council said there are 120 Highland schools in “remote rural areas” that “do not have access to the professional support available in more urban settings” and are not in easy access to “enhanced provisions or special schools”.
The report continued: “The criteria were co-produced by consideration of current information on ASN characteristics, existing allocations to schools and associated school groups and professional discussions on good practice nationally and benchmarking.”
It added: “The weighting applied to each part of criteria was based on an assessment of current allocations and future allocations ensuring that impacts are minimal through a two-year transition period.”
A Highland Council spokesperson said: “There has been on-going work between central officers and Head Teachers to implement the allocation across associated school groups, which will take time to embed and we will take stock at the end of that period.
“It should be noted that the overall resource that is being spent on ASL support across schools (£31.34 million) remains largely unchanged for this financial year.”
