FOI Request - Specialist Placements and Out of Authority Costs
Request 101003854516
Please provide the following for academic years 2015/16 to 2024/25 (year-to-date) for pupils placed in specialist provision outwith their catchment or outwith the authority (including independent special schools and grant-aided schools):
1. Placements and movement (annual):
a) Number of new specialist placements started.
b) Number of placements ended.
c) Number of pupils in specialist placements at year-end.
2. Costs (annual):
a) Total gross education costs for specialist placements (tuition/fees).
b) Where held, associated transport costs for these placements.
c) Where feasible, a split between placements within other Scottish LAs, independent special schools, and grant-aided schools.
3. Reasons/categories (service-level, annual):
Service-level counts by high-level reason category used locally (e.g., ASD/communication; complex needs; SEBN; sensory impairment; other), in aggregate only.
4. Policy/procurement and guidance:
Current policy/guidance on decision-making for out-of-authority placements, and any frameworks/contract arrangements used.
Response 13-11-2025
1. a) Information not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
b) Information not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
c) Information not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
2. a)
| 2025/26 | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 |
| £1,691,807 | £3,060,085 | £2,758,932 | £2,625,008 | £2,444,667 | £3,112,516 | £4,442,734 | £5,641,858 |
Information for pre-2018 not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
Please note information provided in Financial Years and not Academic and costs will include the Residential element as costs not split.
b)
| 2025/26 | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 |
| £5,435 | £13,713 | £20,806 | £14,572 |
Information for pre-2022 not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
Please note information provided in Financial Years and not Academic and costs will include the Residential element as costs not split.
c) Not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
3. Not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
4. The Scotland Excel Framework is accessed, and any additional contract(s) is procured via the council’s and Scottish Government’s procurement parameters and processes. Any decision regarding OOA placements is presented to heads of service, escalated through the child planning process via senior officers across services following thorough assessment of need(s) or in accordance with any legal orders.