Resolve a school dispute if your child has additional needs

There are several ways to resolve a school dispute if:

• your child has additional support needs or a disability
• and your dispute is over their education

The Enquire website has information about your options, which include:

• mediation, where a neutral person (a 'mediator') can help the people involved in your dispute to work out a solution together
• independent adjudication, where a neutral person (an 'independent adjudicator') will look at the evidence and recommend a solution
• going to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal, a body of independent experts who can uphold or overturn local authority decisions
• making a Section 70 complaint to Scottish Ministers if you think an education authority has not carried out its legal duty

Support and advice

Enquire gives parents and carers free advice on additional support for learning. This includes information on your rights. Contact Enquire's confidential helpline on 0345 123 2303.

Let's Talk ASN is a free service that helps parents and carers of children with additional support needs handle education disputes. Children aged 16 or 17 years old with additional support needs can also use the service directly.

My Rights, My Say is a free support service for children aged between 12 and 15. It offers advice and information, advocacy support, and legal representation. It also gives children a chance to share their own views about their support.