Just a third of families who applied for places in secondary specialist provision in S1 were successful in 2024-25, down from 46 per cent the previous year.
While demand for specialist places is increasing, the number available is falling, according to the new figures from School Leaders Scotland, which represents the secondary sector.
In 2024-25 councils received 1,351 applications for specialist places for pupils transitioning from primary into secondary, but just 452 were fulfilled - equivalent to 33 per cent, the data shows.
In 2023-24 councils received fewer applications - 1,157 - but more were granted, with 528 successful (46 per cent).
ASN in mainstream schools ‘unmanageable’
The lack of successful applications is often more worrying at a local level, School Leaders Scotland says. It warns that additional support needs (ASN) in mainstream schools - where up to half of the pupil population can have additional needs - is becoming “unmanageable”, and there needs to be a review to ensure consistency of support across the country.
In a report published today, Graham Hutton, general secretary of School Leaders Scotland, says: “There is no clear strategy across all 32 Scottish local authorities, meaning where you stay will have an impact on the type and level of support that is available.”
The data shows that North Lanarkshire Council received 410 applications for a specialist place for pupils transitioning from primary into S1 in 2024-25, with just 53 families successful (13 per cent).
Families in South Lanarkshire seeking specialist places in S1 also had a poor success rate: 183 applied for places in 2024-25, but just 27 were successful (15 per cent).
School Leaders Scotland says that increasingly young people who have applied for specialist provision are ending up in mainstream classrooms - despite the child’s family and the professionals working with them believing this will not meet their needs.
In a survey of 181 school leaders, almost all (99 per cent) reported an increase in young people within their schools with ASN - as well as an increase in the level of dysregulation (96 per cent).
Meanwhile, 97 per cent reported that the support available in mainstream classes - for example, ASN assistants - has gone down or remained the same, as schools grapple with reduced budgets.
School leaders reported that some interventions for ASN pupils do work in mainstream schools, but these tend to be staff- and resource-intensive and, therefore, hard to sustain.
Impact on attainment and attendance
School Leaders Scotland says the result of pupils missing out on specialist provision is their needs not being met and an impact on attainment and attendance.
Leaders have also reported a rise in violence towards staff, which increases teacher stress, anxiety and absenteeism, “creating a vicious cycle”.
One school leader who took part in the survey said that national discussions should be focused on ASN provision and resourcing, rather than behaviour.
Some 99 per cent of school leaders report their workload has increased because of the growing demands of ASN support - with another consequence of the lack of specialist support being increased conflict between families and schools, despite schools having “no control over the provision available”.
A workload survey, published by School Leaders Scotland last week, found that many headteachers, deputes and faculty leaders felt exhausted, helpless and frustrated because of the “overwhelming expectation to ‘do more with less’”.
The new School Leaders Scotland report calls for an increase in staffing in mainstream classrooms to take account of the increase in ASN pupils, so that needs can be met within the “basic classroom offering”. It also recommends more of a focus on ASN in initial teacher education.
Mr Hutton says schools need to be “empowered and have the required budget to be able to put the right strategies in place”.
He adds: “If we can get the correct type of support to young people, we will see a decrease in dysregulation and ensure more positive outcomes for all learners.
“There is a desire from educators to make a difference, but there needs to be the proper and correct support for this to happen.”
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