Meeting the support needs of learners in Scotland’s colleges: Background

SFC use a number of measures to evaluate rates of recruitment, retention, attainment and progression for all learners, including those with additional needs. This data indicates that during the pandemic, the number of learners withdrawing from programmes increased and was impacted by a range of factors. These included mental health and wellbeing; remote and digital learning fatigue; a lack of confidence in undertaking assessments; insufficient opportunity to learn and interact, face-to-face with peers and lecturers; reduced work placement opportunities; caring and other personal commitments; and financial pressures. This serves to highlight the impact of an increasingly diverse range of needs on learners’ ability to sustain their learning in colleges. At the end of the pandemic, the return to face-to-face tuition in colleges saw an increase in the number of learners declaring additional support needs.

The profile of learners attending college in Scotland has changed significantly in the last few years. Currently, around half of all learners at college are aged 16 to 24 years, and just over a quarter of school leavers enter full-time college provision. This shift has increased the demand for colleges to address the diverse needs of learners.

Previous national reports on meeting the additional needs of school-age learners identify the high number of learners requiring additional support who progress to college programmes from school. This is reflected elsewhere in the United Kingdom. For example, Ofsted reported in 2022 that in England:

'In many cases, learners’ behaviour was more challenging than usual, particularly that of young learners who had enrolled directly from school. Disruption towards the end of this cohort’s education had resulted in more disruptive and juvenile behaviour. During classes, some learners struggled to concentrate and learn with their peers. Many learners were experiencing mental health problems, including anxiety about taking external examinations.'

The 2023 Scottish Pupil Census indicates that the proportion of pupils on the school roll with identified additional support needs, is 42.9%, an increase of 8.3% in five years. Given the numbers of school leavers entering college provision, a growing proportion of whom have an identified additional support need, the demand for colleges to meet learners’ additional needs is increasing.

At the end of the pandemic, the return to face-to-face tuition in colleges saw an increase in the number of learners declaring additional support needs. In AY 2022-2023, SFC reported an increase in the proportion of learners who declared a disability over the last five years. Over a quarter of learners enrolled on credit rated programmes have a declared disability.