A few things can impact and spread of scones. First, make sure you are working with COLD ingredients. Second, make sure your oven is properly preheated before baking. Last, scone batter tends to be on the dryer side. You may be tempted to add more liquid but try your best to resist. Scone dough that is too wet will not rise as nicely and leads to cakey, dense scones that are not as tender or flakey.