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North Lanarkshire

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All requests to attend an ASN school must be done through a placing request (Additional Support Needs Placing Request | North Lanarkshire Council). Generally this is only considered by the council before going in to P1 or S1 but the school’s educational psychologist may be able to help with a referral at other times. The S1 decision is made at the end of the P6 year so that you know what high school has been offered before starting P7.


The process changed in 2025 to introduce a screening stage; all those applying submit an initial form and an observation is then carried out. This observation outcome goes to a screening panel who decide what application should then be made (mainstream, LCSC or ASN).  The process is now called CREST (Cluster Review for Enhanced Transition).


You cannot select the school you wish to go to and the panel will make a decision. There is no appeals process however if you are unhappy with the decision you can make a placing request directly to the school you would like your child to attend. 


North Lanarkshire have started trialling enhanced provision units which are smaller classes within a mainstream school. Five primary schools had units set up for the August 2025 intake (John Paul II PS, Muirhouse PS, Berryhill PS, Holy Cross PS and Shawhead PS). If successful this model is expected to be rolled out to other schools, at c5 schools per school year. It is unclear it this will only be for a P1 intake or if the units will be expanded to accommodate other year groups. More information on the consultation can be found here: https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-11/Proposal%20Document%20Enhanced%20Provision.pdf 


In March 2026 NLC confirmed there would be another 3 enhanced provision units starting in August 2026 at primary level, and another 3 at secondary. The long term plan is to have an enhanced provision unit in every area, but not necessarily every school.


The education inclusion team can be contacted on: ef.sfl@northlan.gov.uk.


Other individuals you can contact are Yvonne MacBean (assistant director of the inclusion team): macbeany@northlan.gov.uk, Stacey Stevenson: stevensonsta@northlan.gov.uk, and Carol McShane who is the Council Integration Lead (CIIL) of the ASN cluster: mcshanec@northlan.gov.uk

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