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The Scottish Government is committed to improving the experiences and outcomes for young people with additional support needs, which we have outlined in our Programme for Government 2023-24.

The legislative framework is clear about the responsibilities for the provision of additional support for children and young people. Education authorities are under a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and to review the support that they provide for pupils with additional support needs including those who are deaf or deafblind. In our most recently published figures, spending on additional support for learning by authorities reached a record high of £830m.

Modern Languages is one of the eight core curricular areas within Curriculum for Excellence, and British Sign Language (BSL) is one of the languages that can be provided within a school’s language offer to their pupils. While it is the responsibility of local authorities and schools to choose the specific languages covered within their language curriculum, the Scottish Government is taking a range of steps to promote and support BSL learning.

Since 2013, Scottish Government has provided more than £50 million in funding to local authorities and partners to support the teaching of additional languages in schools.

The Scottish Government and the General Teaching Council for Scotland are supportive of pathways that will allow BSL users to obtain qualified teacher status. We have held discussions with the University of Edinburgh about the programme they are currently developing, which aims to include pathways for both hearing and non-hearing students. This is currently undergoing internal university validation.

The Guidance on the presumption to provide education in a mainstream setting , published in 2019, was informed by a wide range of information and evidence taking into account all children and young people with additional support needs, including those pupils who are deaf or deafblind.

The presumption of mainstreaming policy and the guidance which supports it enshrines the right of all children and young people with additional support needs to learn in mainstream schools and early learning and childcare settings.

The BSL National Plan Implementation Advisory Group will be formed early in the new year. Following that, it will be for the group to collective agree as to the frequency of meetings.

In accordance with the guidance contained within the Scottish Public Finance Manual, grant in aid funding to public bodies should not be paid in advance of need. Due to this requirement, the Scottish Government has not asked the Scottish Police Authority or Police Scotland to return any funding since their creation in 2013.

Despite UK Government austerity, we have increased police funding year-on-year since 2016-17, investing over £11.6 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013.

The Scottish Government commissioned an independent review of the VNS in spring 2022 to ensure that the scheme was working well for victims. The review published its report and an easy read summary in May this year. It made 22 recommendations for change of the scheme, including in relation to data, evidence and reporting, the information available and communications.

Since that time, we have been considering the report in collaboration with a range of stakeholders, including criminal justice agencies and victim support organisations. We have used the information gathered from this programme of stakeholder engagement to inform development of our formal response to the review’s report.

We intend to publish that response towards the end of this year, or early next year, and for it to include information about what stakeholders have said to us on the recommendations, and our strategy for reform of the VNS.

Teachers employed in Scottish schools are required to be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) by law. They are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the GTCS Professional Standards which include having knowledge and understanding of the ways in which natural, social, cultural, political and economic systems function and of how they are interconnected to professional practice. Teachers must also take account of the Code of Professionalism and Conduct which sets out key principles and values for all teachers to uphold standards of personal and professional conduct, honesty and integrity.

Scottish Government are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy.

Initial conversations have been held within the National e-Learning Offer Working Group (which includes representatives from the RICs, EIS, e-Sgoil, WestOS and Education Scotland). In addition, a Discovery process has been undertaken with all 32 local authorities regarding the future of Glow – the National Learning and Teaching Platform which will inform considerations. Further engagement with these parties and others (including direct user research with teachers and learners where required) will take place during the development of the options.

Scottish Government are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. A core team of four officials within Education Scotland are currently working together on the development of options. Other officials within Education Scotland and Scottish Government are also inputting as necessary to this work.

Scottish Government are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. Accordingly, specific formal progress reports have not been produced or published.