THE Scottish government has not planned effectively for the growth in demand for additional support for learning (ASL) in the nation’s schools, a watchdog warned today.

Audit Scotland’s latest report looking at ASL provision found that as many as 40 per cent of pupils across the country had additional support needs (ASN), mostly provided in mainstream schools and classrooms.

But demand for the support was not uniform, as researchers found that ASN pupils comprised as much as 46 per cent of the intake in the most deprived areas, compared with just 27 per cent in the most affluent.

Audit Scotland has warned that those pressures are leading to ASN pupils’ attainment lagging 20 per cent below average, as well as leaving them five times more likely to be excluded from school and less likely to go on to a “positive destination” such as work, education or training.

The report stated: “Providing ASL is an increasingly core part of what classroom teachers do.

“However, the Scottish government has not planned effectively for the potential impact of this inclusive approach to ASL.

“It is not specifically reflected in funding formulas for education and education planning, such as training for teachers and support staff, class sizes and the design of school buildings.

“The Scottish government and councils need to fundamentally evaluate how education is funded, staffed and assessed to support all pupils to reach their full potential.”

Teaching union NASUWT Scotland’s national official Mike Corbett said: “This report should be a wake-up call for the Scottish government. 

“We have a situation where the number of pupils with ASN is continuing to increase rapidly and without the fundamental rethink recommended by this report, the current challenges will only deepen.”

Branding the report “damning,” Scottish Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “This report confirms what parents and teachers already know — parents are constantly fighting for their children’s education and teachers are being worked to the bone, but they aren’t getting the support they need from the government.

“People have been sounding the alarm for years on this issue, but the SNP is still in denial about the scale of the challenge and has no plan to fix it.”

A SNP government spokesman said: “Ministers will engage with Audit Scotland to consider its recommendations carefully alongside local authorities.”