Alternative education provision in Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

The following information relating to alternative provision in Scotland:

Information which sets out the alternative approach to learning in Scotland and any related links of information.

Is funding available for third parties to support alternative learning? If yes, what is the criteria for applying and process?

Data / evidence (stats/figures) relating to the success rate.

Any additional information / links which may be helpful to support your research in this area.

Response

We have completed our searches for the information you have requested and have included it below.

Information which sets out the alternative approach to learning in Scotland and any related links of information.

The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 places statutory responsibility for the provision of education in Scotland with individual education authorities. They are required to provide education for pupils who are resident within their local authority area. Parents and carers are required to ensure that their children are in receipt of education either through their attendance at school or through alternative means, ie home education (see guidance).

There is a range of school education provision authorities have access to in Scotland to meet the needs of children and young people. This includes education authority mainstream and specialist provision, independent and grant-aided special schools. Many mainstream schools also have specialist provision available within the same campus, sometimes referred to as units or enhanced provision.

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. Education authorities are supported in these decisions through our guidance on the presumption of education in mainstream settings.

Education authorities also have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional needs of their pupils. Education authorities are supported in implementing their duties under the 2004 Act through the statutory code of practice on additional support for learning.

Key elements of policy which ensure that children and young people are able to attend and engage in their learning are as follows:

Included engaged and involved part 1 sets out the approach to the ensuring the attendance and engagement of pupils in their learning and the respective responsibilities of parents and carers and education authority schools, including primary, secondary and special schools and units managed by them. Included, engaged and involved part 1: promoting and managing school attendance - gov.scot

Included, engaged and involved part 2: provides advice on preventing and managing school exclusions. Included, engaged and involved part 2: preventing and managing school exclusions - gov.scot

Is funding available for third parties to support alternative learning? If yes, what is the criteria for applying and process?

The Scottish Government funds a number of national services (as listed on our website: Additional support for learning - Schools - gov.scot) to support children and young people and their families getting the support necessary to thrive . The Scottish Government also provides funding to local authorities through a block grant. It is for individual local authorities to manage their own budget and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities. As such, education authorities may make arrangements for the involvement of third sector providers as part of the delivery of their duties to provide education to those who are on their school roll.

Data / evidence (stats/figures) relating to the success rate.

Statistics on initial leaver destinations and positive follow up destinations are published on the Scottish Government website. You can access the most recent versions here:

Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations, No. 7: 2025 edition - gov.scot
Summary statistics for follow-up leaver destinations, no. 7: 2025 edition - gov.scot

Initial leaver destination statistics are calculated from outcomes of school leavers approximately three months after the end of a school year. The follow up leaver destination statistics are based on the destinations school leavers are in nine months after the end of a school year.

You may be interested in table L3.1 within the initial leaver destination data set. This highlights a breakdown of the percentage of school leavers in secondary and special school settings that were in a positive initial destination, along with the category of the destination. Within the follow up leaver destination set, you may be interested in tables 1a and 1b, which highlight the percentage of leavers from mainstream secondary schools who were in a positive follow up destination, along with the category of the destination.

Any additional information / links which may be helpful to support your research in this area.

Links have been included throughout.

About FOI

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