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Request for an assessment of your child's additional support needs (Scotland)
Scotland · in English · for parents
€2.00This document is sold blank, to print and complete by hand.
Made for use in Scotland
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This document is sold blank, to print and complete by hand.
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For a parent in Scotland who believes their child needs more support at school than they are getting. A request to the education authority under section 8 of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 to establish whether the child has additional support needs, whether a co-ordinated support plan is required, or both, with any particular assessment you ask for. The council must comply unless the request is unreasonable. Enquire gives free advice first. Sent by recorded delivery. Sold blank, to complete by hand, as it holds a child's health data.
- Made for use in Scotland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- Your child is struggling at school in Scotland and you think they need additional support.
- The school says things are fine, but you can see your child struggling every day.
- Your child has a diagnosis and you want the council to decide whether a co-ordinated support plan is needed.
- You want to ask in writing for your child's additional support needs to be assessed.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town or city
- Sender's postcode
- Date
- Recipient
- Recipient's address
- Recipient's postcode
- Child's name
- Child's date of birth
- School
- What you ask the council to establish
- A particular assessment or examination you ask for (optional)
- Grounds
- Phone
- Attachments
Common questions
- Who can ask a Scottish council to establish a child's additional support needs?
- A parent can ask the education authority at any time, without the school's agreement, and can ask for a particular type of assessment or examination; the authority must comply unless the request is unreasonable. Talk to the school first if you can: much support is arranged without a formal request. Enquire, the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning, explains the process free. England's EHC plans do not exist in Scotland.
- What is a co-ordinated support plan in Scotland?
- A statutory plan for a child whose additional support needs arise from complex or multiple factors and need significant support from the education authority and at least one other agency, such as health or social work, that is likely to last more than a year. It sets out the support and who provides it, and it is reviewed. The education authority has 16 weeks to decide whether a plan is needed and to prepare it, with some exceptions in the regulations; if it does not decide in time, that can be referred to the tribunal.
- What can a parent in Scotland do if the council refuses an additional support needs request?
- Ask for the reasons in writing. Every education authority must offer free, independent mediation and has dispute resolution arrangements for disagreements about additional support. A decision about a co-ordinated support plan can be referred to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Health and Education Chamber) within the time the decision letter gives. Enquire and Citizens Advice Scotland advise free.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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