Schools with provision for pupils with hearing impairment: FOI release

Information requested

1) The number of primary and secondary schools with provision for deaf children in Scotland.

2) Where those schools are located.

3) The number of deaf children currently in primary and secondary education in Scotland with a Special  Education Needs/Additional Learning Needs statement. 

4) The number of deaf children currently in primary and secondary education in Scotland without a Special Educational Needs/Additional Learning Needs statement.

Response

1) The number of primary and secondary schools with provision for deaf children in Scotland.
Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, education authorities have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those who are deaf. The Scottish Government is clear that children and young people should learn in the environment which best suits their needs, whether that is in a mainstream or special school setting. The legislation on the presumption of mainstreaming has clear exceptions to enable children and young people to learn in a special school or in a specialist unit if that best suits their needs. The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 places a duty on education authorities to provide education in a mainstream school unless specific exceptions apply. The exceptions are:

• The education provided in a mainstream school would not be suitable for the aptitude and abilities of the child in question;
• Would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for the children with whom the child would be educated;
• Placing the child in question in a mainstream school would incur unreasonable levels of public expenditure that would not otherwise be incurred.

 As such, all publicly funded schools in Scotland should provide for deaf children on their school roll – see https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-contact-details/ for a complete list of schools.
 
In addition, we fund Donaldson’s Trust’s education provision for children and young people who have complex additional support needs, including those who are deaf.

2) Where those schools are located.
See above.

3) The number of deaf children currently in primary and secondary education in Scotland with a Special Education Needs/Additional Learning Needs statement. 
The number of pupils with hearing impairment listed as a reason for requiring additional support at the time of the 2021 pupil census was 3,775. See https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/.

4) The number of deaf children currently in primary and secondary education in Scotland without a Special Educational Needs/Additional Learning Needs statement.
The Scottish Government does not hold information on this. Education authorities use a range of planning mechanisms to support the needs of children and young people, further details of which are outlined in the Additional Support for Learning statutory code of practice guidance.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.