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The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

The assignment of probationer teachers to individual schools is a matter for each local authority.

Last month concluded a series of summits I held with a wide range of stakeholders on behaviour in schools. Members are aware that September’s summit on relationships and behaviour in schools focused on recording and monitoring incidents. My aim from the summit process was to identify practical actions we need to make progress, including to create a culture where staff are empowered to record incidents. Local data must then be used to ensure schools both have an oversight of issues and are responding effectively.

I was clear in my statement to Parliament on 29 November that I encourage, in the strongest possible terms, more accurate recording of all incidents of inappropriate, abusive or violent behaviour in our schools.

Our national guidance on recording and monitoring bullying incidents makes clear that all schools and local authorities are expected to record all incidents of violent behaviour. Recording and monitoring plays an essential role in helping schools identify recurring patterns of behaviour and ensure early intervention and appropriate support. It is up to schools to decide how children and young people can report incidents based on local needs and circumstances, which may include anonymised reporting.

The Scottish Government is currently working with the Scottish Advisory Group for Relationships and Behaviour in Schools to develop a national action plan which we expect to be published early in the new year. I will update parliament on the action plan in due course.

Last month concluded a series of summits I held with a wide range of stakeholders on behaviour in schools. The Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research was also published and considered as part of the final summit, which set out that while the majority of pupils are well behaved there has been an increase in disruptive behaviours.

I was clear in my statement to Parliament on 29 November that I encourage local authorities and schools to consider their policies in the light of the findings of BISSR.

To support local authorities and schools, we published guidance in June 2017 - ‘ Included, Engaged and Involved – Part 2 – preventing and managing school exclusions’ . This guidance gives a stronger focus on supporting positive behaviour and approaches that can be used to prevent the need for exclusion. The guidance sets out an expectation that education authorities and schools will use the guidance to revise and review existing policies and procedures on exclusion, taking account of local circumstances and involving all partners in the development of the new policy.

Education Scotland has also published a resource to support schools or local authorities who are refreshing or reviewing their relationships and behaviour policies. This guidance on developing a local relationships and behaviour policy is available at Guidance for developing a local relationships and behaviour policy (education.gov.scot) .

Finally, we are currently working with the Scottish Advisory Group for Relationships and Behaviour in Schools to develop a national action plan on relationships and behaviour which we expect to be published early in the new year. We will update parliament on the action plan in due course.

The Scottish Government is committed to protecting learning hours in Scottish schools. We are carefully considering the responses to the consultation on learning hours that closed earlier this year. We will publish our analysis of the consultation and engage further with stakeholders, including COSLA, on next steps in due course.

I was invited to attend the November meeting of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme Board. I did attend, and met with Programme Board members, commending the work they have undertaken to date and reiterating that there is no place for discrimination or prejudice in our schools.

The 2021 Programme for Government included a commitment to review Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education in 2022. To deliver on this, the Scottish Government worked in collaboration with a wide range of partners including the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, the professional body for Speech and Language Therapists in the UK. The Review has now been completed and recommendations were published reporting a number of short, medium and long terms actions needed to address workforce and education challenges, including the development of ‘earn and learn’ routes to become an AHP in Scotland.

An advisory group has been established to oversee the effective implementation of the recommendations and the first meeting was held on 9 October 2023. The group will be chaired by Carolyn McDonald, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer who will report progress towards the implementation of the recommendations to the Chief Nursing Officer and Scottish Ministers as required.

We are currently working with the Scottish Advisory Group for Relationships and Behaviour in Schools to develop a national action plan which we expect to be published early in the new year.

We will update parliament on the action plan in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23491 on 19 December 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government is currently considering the findings of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research and outputs from the relationships and behaviour summits which, will inform the actions that are included in the national action plan. This will include consideration of what further support local authorities may require. The national action plan will be developed in collaboration with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools and we expect it to be published early in the new year.

I set out in my statement my expectations for how this funding should be used, which reflected key themes from the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research. We are currently in discussions with COSLA regarding the distribution of this funding and we will write out to local authorities in due course.