Skills Development Scotland Complex Needs and Early Years
About the ProjectThis research project explores how a learner profile could better support children and young people whose learning journeys sit outside traditional pathways.
We are focusing on two groups:
* Early years learners, from birth to age 8
* Learners with complex needs, up to age 18, who are educated outside mainstream school settings
The aim of this phase is to understand how a learner profile might work in practice for these groups — where existing approaches fall short, what risks and gaps exist, and what conditions are needed to ensure any future profile is safe, meaningful and genuinely supportive across early development and non-mainstream learning experiences.
This is an exploratory research project. It does not propose solutions or pre-define outcomes. Instead, it is designed to listen, learn and build understanding, using research and lived experience to inform future thinking.
The work will guide how we recruit participants, shape research activity, and make informed decisions as the project develops.
We are focusing on two groups:
* Early years learners, from birth to age 8
* Learners with complex needs, up to age 18, who are educated outside mainstream school settings
The aim of this phase is to understand how a learner profile might work in practice for these groups — where existing approaches fall short, what risks and gaps exist, and what conditions are needed to ensure any future profile is safe, meaningful and genuinely supportive across early development and non-mainstream learning experiences.
This is an exploratory research project. It does not propose solutions or pre-define outcomes. Instead, it is designed to listen, learn and build understanding, using research and lived experience to inform future thinking.
The work will guide how we recruit participants, shape research activity, and make informed decisions as the project develops.