THE Scottish government was criticised today as numbers of young people with additional support needs (ASN) outstrips specialist school places.

Freedom of information requests from School Leaders Scotland to all 32 of Scotland’s councils found successful applications from mainstream primary schools for ASN provision fell from 51 to 33 per cent between 2022-23 and 2024-25 as annual applications grew from 1,000 to over 1,300, while ASN places for S1-4 pupils has remained static at 1,600.

Scottish Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “The SNP government has failed to plan effectively for an inclusive approach to additional support for learning. 

“While the proportion of pupils in mainstream schools with ASN has increased, resources — time, money, and training — haven’t kept pace.

“Staff and pupils need a fighting chance for inclusion to work.” 

Noting there was “more to do to turn rights into reality,” the Scottish government said that Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth “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.”