Admissions to day Specialist Provision both within and out-with East Lothian Council are determined by the Education Resource Group (ERG). The ERG comprises senior representatives from Education, Children’s Wellbeing and Health and is chaired by the Education Service Manager for Additional Support Needs. Children and young people who may require Specialist Educational Provision will have been supported and assessed through the Child’s Planning Framework. All support and interventions at Level 1 and 2 (including Exceptional Needs funding) should have been implemented and exhausted prior to a referral to the ERG.

Children and Young People moving into East Lothian

It is expected that information on any additional support needs of a child or young person moving into an East Lothian Council school will be provided by parents and the school last attended by the child or young person. In the first instance this information should be given to the East Lothian catchment school.

Information on children and young people with significant and complex additional support needs should also be presented to the Service Manager – Education (ASN). Following the confirmation of an East Lothian address, the young person will be allocated an educational psychologist who will coordinate an assessment of need. Should the assessment indicate the need for Specialist Educational Provision then the evidence will be presented to the ERG for consideration and decision.

Transition Stages

To allow appropriate transitions to be planned, the ERG will consider referrals of children and young people at key transition stages of entry to Pre-school, Pre-school to P1; P7 to S1 in November each year. It is important to note that not all children/young people referred to ERG will be given a specialist place. For this reason, parents/carers must also apply for a place at a mainstream school and, only when a specialist place has been offered and accepted the mainstream place will be withdrawn.