This new blog is about the work of Yidi Wang, an MSc candidate at the University of Edinburgh. The study examines how well Scotland’s strong commitment to inclusive early childhood education is being realised in practice for young children with additional support needs (ASN). The blog is part of a series exploring MSc students’ findings, who worked with the support of Together, the Observatory of Children’s Human Rights in Scotland, Contact and Bernado’s Scotland.  

Despite robust legislation, including the Additional Support for Learning framework and the 2024 incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the study finds a persistent gap between policy ambition and everyday experience in nurseries and early learning and childcare settings.
 

Drawing on policy analysis and insights from early years professionals and parents, the study highlights ongoing challenges such as staffing shortages, inconsistent training, bureaucratic delays and uneven support across local authorities. While many practitioners and families shared examples of positive, rights-respecting practice, access to high-quality inclusion often depends on local resources and individual commitment.  

It concludes that stronger, more consistent implementation is needed to make children’s rights a lived reality in the early years. Key recommendations include improved funding and staffing, a national framework for inclusive practice training, clearer and more coordinated support systems for families, and greater recognition of young children’s voices. Embedding children’s rights into daily practice, not just policy, is essential to ensuring all children can belong, participate and thrive from the earliest years. 

Read the full blog Inclusive early childhood education in Scotland: a children’s rights-based study