Written Question · S5W-05641 · Session 5
What (a) guidance it has given to and (b) information it has exchanged with local authorities regarding (i) reducing the attainment gap and…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) guidance it has given to and (b) information it has exchanged with local authorities regarding (i) reducing the attainment gap and (ii) implementing the 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare.
The answer
Reducing the attainment gap
On 13 December 2016, the Scottish Government published the 2017 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan for Scottish education, as well as the National Improvement Framework evidence report for 2016. The Framework is central to the Scottish Government’s commitment to raising attainment for all, and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
The Improvement Plan brings together, in one place, all of the improvement activity from both the Delivery Plan and the Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Plan, and also incorporates the national improvement plan on parental and family engagement. From now on, it will serve as the single, definitive plan for securing educational improvement.
A suite of Interventions for Equity has been designed and developed to support schools in the process of selecting interventions and approaches which can contribute to closing the attainment gap between our most and least disadvantaged children. This initial framework to support the introduction of the Scottish Attainment Challenge
- Pupil Equity Funding will continue be developed. Operational guidance to support the use of Pupil Equity Funding will be issued to all headteachers in January.
For the Scottish Attainment Challenge Schools Programme guidance was issued to all participating schools and their local authorities in May. This included a template for submitting improvement plans, a template for mid-year and end-year reporting and a Frequently Asked Questions section. Schools are required to submit improvement plans each year, as well as mid-year and end year reports, detailing their spend.
Challenge Authorities are required to submit Improvement Plans each year, as well as quarterly reports detailing spend and more detailed mid-year and end-year reports.
Implementing 1140 hours of early learning and childcare
The Scottish Government has engaged pro-actively with local authorities throughout the last year on the expansion of early learning and childcare (ELC). This engagement has been maintained through various channels
- including local authority network meetings, the ELC Strategic Forum, the ELC National Summit held in February 2016, plus more recently through the creation of the ELC Managers Forum and Senior Leaders Forum, both of which met for the first time in November 2016 and will meet again in January 2017.
On 13 December 2016, the Scottish Government published the 2017 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan for Scottish education, as well as the National Improvement Framework evidence report for 2016. The Framework is central to the Scottish Government’s commitment to raising attainment for all, and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
The Improvement Plan brings together, in one place, all of the improvement activity from both the Delivery Plan and the Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Plan, and also incorporates the national improvement plan on parental and family engagement. From now on, it will serve as the single, definitive plan for securing educational improvement.
A suite of Interventions for Equity has been designed and developed to support schools in the process of selecting interventions and approaches which can contribute to closing the attainment gap between our most and least disadvantaged children. This initial framework to support the introduction of the Scottish Attainment Challenge
- Pupil Equity Funding will continue be developed. Operational guidance to support the use of Pupil Equity Funding will be issued to all headteachers in January.
For the Scottish Attainment Challenge Schools Programme guidance was issued to all participating schools and their local authorities in May. This included a template for submitting improvement plans, a template for mid-year and end-year reporting and a Frequently Asked Questions section. Schools are required to submit improvement plans each year, as well as mid-year and end year reports, detailing their spend.
Challenge Authorities are required to submit Improvement Plans each year, as well as quarterly reports detailing spend and more detailed mid-year and end-year reports.
Implementing 1140 hours of early learning and childcare
The Scottish Government has engaged pro-actively with local authorities throughout the last year on the expansion of early learning and childcare (ELC). This engagement has been maintained through various channels
- including local authority network meetings, the ELC Strategic Forum, the ELC National Summit held in February 2016, plus more recently through the creation of the ELC Managers Forum and Senior Leaders Forum, both of which met for the first time in November 2016 and will meet again in January 2017.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S5W-05641 by reference.