• concerns being expressed by the parent;
   
  
• teachers using their professional skills and knowledge;
   
  
• through contact with medical or social work professionals;
   
  
• involvement with the education authority psychological services.

43.   There have been a number of recent developments which will improve the early identification of special educational needs.
 
Pre-school
 
44.   Education authorities are required to have in place strategies for the early identification of special educational needs in order that they may identify children from the age of 2 who require to have their needs assessed and addressed.
 
45.   The expansion of pre-school education is likely to lead to earlier identification of special educational needs.
 
46.   The Curriculum Framework for Children in their Pre-School Year addresses the learning and developmental needs of children in the year before they enter school. The guidelines emphasise that careful observation and assessment will help in finding out the different ways that children learn successfully and in identifying particular needs.
 
47.   To meet these needs we must ensure that experienced staff with a good knowledge of special educational needs issues are available. The Government is therefore paying close attention to the development and training of such staff.
 
48.   The Scottish Office has made an additional £900,000 available to education authorities to help make provision to meet special educational needs identified at the pre-school stage. Additionally a £1 million training grant for pre-school education has been made available in 1997-98 to address staff training needs, including special educational needs training.
 
Baseline Assessment
 
49.   Not all children start school with the same experience and early identification of learning difficulties will ensure children do not fall behind. Curriculum based assessments will provide information to help teachers plan effectively to meet children’s individual learning needs at the earliest stages of their schooling. They also provide the basis for discussion among teachers, parents and, where appropriate, the pupils themselves, about subsequent action to promote further learning and development.
 
50.   As part of the Early Intervention Programme The Scottish Office is undertaking research into approaches to baseline assessment and will develop, in partnership with education authorities, a national model or framework of curriculum based assessment suited to our education system and the needs of our children.
 
Early intervention
 
51.   Early intervention is a key part of our overall drive to raise standards in all schools. Our announcement in June last year of a £24 million Early Intervention Programme is assisting all education authorities to develop early intervention schemes aimed at raising the standards of literacy and numeracy in the early years of primary school. A key feature of the programme is the provision of additional support to teachers in the classroom.
 
52.   We are determined to build on the success of the Early Intervention Programme and we wish to see more children benefit. From April 1999 therefore the Government will double its contribution to the Programme from £7 million to £14 million per year. In addition we will extend the life of the Programme from its current 3 year term to 5 years. These measures will result in an Early Intervention Programme of over £60 million.
 
53.   As part of the Programme we have committed an extra £1 million over 2 years for the development and training of staff working with pupils with special educational needs in the early years of primary school. This is on top of the £1.5 million per year which we are putting into the in-service special educational needs training of staff at all levels of schooling.
 
54.   From April 1999 we will double the Programme’s existing provision of £500,000 per year to £1 million per year for development and training for classroom staff working with pupils with special educational needs.
 
Learning support
 
55.   Special educational needs range from the minor and temporary through to the severe and long-lasting and the requirement for additional support in the classroom varies. The additional support which is necessary can be provided by promoted staff, another teacher, by the learning support specialist attached to the school, or by others not on the school staff such as educational psychologists or speech and language therapists or through provision of specialist equipment. This support together with effective arrangements to review progress ensures that for the majority of children, learning difficulties can be addressed and overcome in school.
 
56.   For some pupils who require additional support an Individualised Educational Programme which is flexible enough to respond to the changing needs of the individual child or young person may be appropriate.
 
57.   For a smaller number of pupils whose needs are pronounced, specific or complex, authorities must open a Record of Needs. This will involve educational, psychological and medical assessments. The Scottish Office Circular 4/96 provides guidance to education authorities on the assessment and recording of children and young persons with special educational needs.
 
58.   Assessment of a child’s special educational needs is not a single event, but a process which involves observation and assessment over a period of time.
 
Framework
 
59.   The policies we are pursuing of early identification, assessment and intervention provide the right framework for ensuring that the needs of children and young persons with special educational needs are met. We wish to strive for continued improvement and wish to listen to the views of all interested parties on how the identification and assessment processes can be made to work better.
 

Team Working
 
60.   At all stages of the identification, assessment and intervention process the needs of the individual child are best met by a team working approach; parents must be integral members of the team.
 
61.   Class and subject teachers in mainstream and special schools may receive support from other members of staff. These may include non-teaching classroom staff, learning support teachers, other professionals such as educational psychologists, therapists, social workers, nurses, other schools or agencies or in some instances the team may only need to involve the class teacher, pupil and parent. The size of the team involved in a multi disciplinary approach will vary according to the needs of each child.
 
62.   Education authorities cannot work in isolation and it is therefore essential that they develop effective working practices to enable efficient multi-disciplinary and cross departmental working where necessary. Authorities should review their arrangements for assessment and provision of education and other services, with planning partners in health and the voluntary and independent sectors.
 
63.   It is important that all professionals working with pupils with special educational needs continue to develop their expertise in the light of up to date practices and policies.
 
64.   We will issue a Manual of Good Practice this summer, in an accessible and easily updated format, for professionals working with children with special educational needs.
 
65.   We will establish a Special Educational Needs web-site to provide up-to date information on SEN issues for teachers and other staff which will be accessible through the developing Scottish Virtual Teachers’ Centre.
 
66.   We are however aware of particular pressures in certain areas which may inhibit the development of effective multi-disciplinary team working. We wish to address such areas of concern.
 
Educational psychologists
 
67.   Educational psychologists have a particularly important range of functions in relation to special educational needs. We were therefore concerned by evidence that there is an emerging shortage of qualified educational psychologists. The Scottish Office already provides significant financial support to education authorities to allow individuals to undertake the necessary professional training. At present the Department support 24 training places. In the light of the widespread concern we have acted quickly to increase this number.
 
68.   We will increase the number of training places for educational psychologists in 1998 to 30 and in 1999 to 34.
 
Speech and language therapists
 
69.   Speech and language therapists play a vital role in developing strategies for children with language and communication difficulties. Education authorities should ensure adequate provision of speech and language therapy services and included in local authorities’ grant aided expenditure is £3 million per year to assist them in doing so. However a wide range of concerns have been expressed about the availability of speech and language therapy services. These range from difficulties of recruitment, availability, access to provision and contractual and management issues. Views would be welcome on these issues and matters relating to other therapy services.
 

Staff Development and Qualifications
 
70.   Committed, well-qualified and skilled staff are essential for special educational needs provision to be delivered effectively. We are committed to supporting education authorities in developing the skills of all staff involved in working with children with special educational needs.
 
71.   Initial teacher education is important and when considering initial teacher education courses for approval we are continuing to ensure that they place appropriate emphasis on special educational needs.
 
72.   Qualified teachers need to continue to develop specialist skills required for working with children with special educational needs. The Scottish Office provides financial support through the In-Service Special Educational Needs Training Grant to education authorities to expand the range and depth of teaching and non-teaching staff with specialist SEN qualifications and expertise.
 
73.   The role of non-teaching classroom support staff must also be acknowledged and it is important that they should have the opportunity to undertake staff development, training and to gain qualifications. The National Special Educational Needs Training Co-ordination Project is therefore working in partnership with the Scottish Qualifications Authority to develop a flexible and appropriate National Certificate for non-teaching classroom support staff.
 
74.   The National Special Educational Needs Training Co-ordination Project, funded by The Scottish Office, was established in 1996 and has assisted education authorities to co-ordinate and develop their special educational needs development and training programmes. We therefore propose to extend the life of the project until at least April 1999 in order that it may continue to support education authorities.
 
75.   Although The Scottish Office makes significant resources available to assist authorities, demand for staff development and training is strong. As resources permit we will continue to enhance the financial support which we give to education authorities in this critical area and in doing so we will consider whether there is a case for setting priorities for special educational needs development and training.
 
76.   We will in 1998-99:

• allocate £2.08 million towards SEN staff development and training;
   
  
• extend the National SEN Training Co-ordination Project;
   
  
• continue to enhance the financial support to education authorities for SEN staff development and training, as resources permit. As a first step from April 1999, a further £0.5 million will be made available.

Specialist Qualifications for Teachers in Special Schools or Special Classes
 
77.   Teachers of deaf or partially deaf pupils in special schools or special classes are required by the Schools (Scotland) Code 1956 to be qualified teachers and to hold a special qualification to teach deaf children. Broadly similar requirements apply to teachers in special schools or special classes working with other pupils, such as pupils who are “blind” or are “mentally” or “physically handicapped.”
 
78.   Over recent years the integration of children with special educational needs into mainstream schooling has increased significantly. In particular, children with hearing or visual impairment are now commonly found in a mainstream setting. There is no mandatory requirement for an appropriate specialist teaching qualification where children are taught in the mainstream setting.
 
79.   In recent years conflicting representations have been received on this issue. Some suggest that the requirement for such mandatory qualification should be extended to specialist teachers working in mainstream schools. Other views have been expressed suggesting that the requirement for these mandatory qualifications is now unnecessary. They are seen as a barrier to a flexible teaching force and the recruitment of experienced teachers into the special educational needs field. It is argued that it should be for employers to determine the range of skills and qualifications of their staff.
 
80.   We wish to hear views on the way forward on this issue.