Section 4 What is the purpose of this Manual?

Essentially, the Manual seeks to support all practitioners to work together effectively with parents and carers, so that children and young people with additional support needs have the best chance for a positive future. The Manual aims to promote excellent practice in order that schools and their partners can fulfil the requirements of current Scottish legislation and effectively meet the support needs of children and young people. The Manual can be used in a variety of ways which includes:
  • informing and improving practice;
  • promoting effective partnership working;
  • strengthening the process of self-evaluation in relation to meeting additional support needs, and identifying what needs to be improved;
  • identifying Continuous Professional Development (CPD);
  • supporting strategic planning.
A great deal of helpful practical documentation was written in Scotland from 1992-1999 which supported staff to meet special educational needs. This includes:
  • Effective Provision for Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) (1994);
  • Special Educational Needs within the 5-1 4 Curriculum: Support for Learning ( 1993 and subsequently);
  • A Manual of Good Practice in Special Educational Needs ( 1999);
  • Raising Standards – Setting Targets: Targets for pupils with special educational needs (1999).
This Manual updates that documentation and takes forward practice in light of the current legislative, statutory and curricular context. back to top