What we do

The Scottish Attainment Challenge is about achieving equity in educational outcomes, with a particular focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Equity can be achieved by ensuring every child has the same opportunity to succeed. We want a Scotland where every child achieves the highest standards in literacy and numeracy and the right range of skills, qualifications and achievements to allow them to succeed regardless of their background or circumstances. We will continue to raise attainment for all children but we will have a specific focus on closing the educational attainment gap.

Launch

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launched the Scottish Attainment Challenge in February 2015 to bring a greater sense of urgency and priority to this issue. It is underpinned by The National Improvement Framework, Curriculum for Excellence and Getting it Right for Every Child.  The programme was refreshed in March 2022 and aims to support recovery from the pandemic and accelerate progress in closing the poverty related attainment gap.

Why it matters

It is unacceptable in Scotland that a child’s circumstances, where they live or their family’s circumstances can still have a disproportionate impact on their chances of success. Levelling the playing field now will provide them with the education they deserve and the tools they need to succeed.

The Scottish Attainment Challenge supports schools, local authorities and regional improvement collaboratives to focus on and accelerate targeted improvement activity in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing. It also complements the broader range of initiatives and programmes to ensure that all of Scotland’s children and young people reach their full potential.

The approach

Scotland has 32 Attainment Advisors within Education Scotland’s regional improvement teams led by Senior Regional Advisors. They work collaboratively with colleagues in other directorates and teams, with improvement advisors and alongside local authority staff, community planning partners, headteachers and practitioners on agreed priorities which support raising attainment in the key areas of literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing. They also contribute to appropriate regional improvement collaborative priorities with a focus on closing the poverty related attainment gap.

In line with the aims of the Scottish Attainment Challenge and the themes of: Leadership; Learning, teaching and assessment and Families and communities, the key functions of the Attainment Advisor role are to:

• provide guidance and advice

• lead improvement and build capacity

• robust evaluation of impact

Education Scotland is working in partnership with Scottish Government, local authorities and other organisations to deliver the aims of the Scottish Attainment Challenge. 

The Attainment Scotland Fund

The Scottish Attainment Challenge is backed by the Attainment Scotland Fund which provides additional targeted funding for local authorities and schools. Attainment Advisors work closely with schools and local authorities to ensure effective use of the various strands of this funding such as Strategic Equity Funding, Pupil Equity Fund and the Care Experienced Children and Young People’s Fund. Every local authority in Scotland is supported by a link Attainment Advisor

Support

All schools and local authorities across Scotland benefit from a range of support offered through the Scottish Attainment Challenge. The offer includes:

Attainment Advisors 

All local Authorities have direct access to a named Attainment Advisor who works collaboratively alongside local authority staff on agreed priorities which support the Scottish Attainment Challenge.

Practitioner Resources

In providing a virtual centre of educational expertise we move knowledge to action around the education system. Education Scotland resources incorporate a range of features to build collaborative learning and engage leaders and practitioners to support a self-improving education system.

Regional Improvement Collaboratives

Attainment Advisors working as part of Education Scotland’s regional improvement teams support the development and delivery of regional improvement collaborative plans to ensure a strong focus on equity and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.

Education Scotland works collaboratively with national and regional partners to deliver agreed aspects of the Scottish Government's Developing the Young Workforce programme, as set out in the Youth Employment Strategy.

There is a particular focus on supporting skills development and helping young people aged 3-18 prepare for the world of work as expressed within 'Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work’. However it also acknowledges more recent research and developments such as the development of ‘Skills 4.0., a skills model to drive Scotland’s future’ or the Career Review.

Standards and guidance within learning and teaching

The Career Education Standard 3-18 (CES), the Work Placements Standard and the Guidance for School/Employer Partnerships outline the entitlements for learners and the expectations placed on teachers and practitioners, Skills Development Scotland, employers and parents to support all children and young people in their development of skills and understanding of the world of work. Schools are being asked to embed the standards and guidance within learning and teaching across all levels in partnership with stakeholders in order to provide pathways for learners, that best support the realisation of young peoples’ future aspirations.

Creativity across learning, and its links to the creative industries, is included in this programme of work.

Priorities

The programme currently focuses on the following key priorities:

Curriculum development

This includes the implementation of CES 3-18, developing senior phase pathways, incorporating related priority from the STEM strategy and the Scottish Government's Learner Journey Review.

Creativity across learning

A wide range of creative teaching and learning resources are available, supporting the implementation of the DYW agenda, and complementing the work of the Creative Learning Network.

Advancing equalities

Helping to develop a more diverse and representative workforce, and achieve better outcomes for all learners, by addressing inequalities, especially those relating to gender, disability, race and experience of care.

Capacity building

In order to support the DYW implementation a wide range of collaborative working groups, training opportunities, resources etc. are in place. This now includes a focus on curriculum design.

Standards

Career Education Standard (821 KB)

Career Education Standard (Gaelic version) (1.2MB)

Work Placement Standard (655 KB)

Virtual Work Placement Guidelines

Guidance documents for school/employer partnerships (510 KB)

Scotland's education system is needs led and rights based.

Children’s rights and entitlements are fundamental to Scotland’s inclusive education. This is supported by the legislative frameworks and policy drivers. These include, Curriculum for Excellence, the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) and the Professional Standards for Scotland's Teachers.

Values are aligned to social justice and commitment to inclusive education. The Scottish Curriculum is defined as the totality of all that is planned for children and young people from early learning and childcare, through school and beyond.

It is the responsibility of all who work with children to respond appropriately to their needs.

Recognising early signs of difficulties and adapting learning and teaching approaches are a regular part of the daily routine for teachers and colleagues supporting all children in an education environment.

Effective assessment, planning, action and review, consistent with the values and principles of Curriculum for Excellence, the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach, the Early Years Framework and legislation.

This inclusive approach not only allows children and young people to thrive in their community but also contributes to all children and young people’s understanding and appreciation of diversity and helps to build a more just society.

Working collaboratively

Education Scotland work collaboratively with partners to support and information across inclusion, wellbeing and equality, some examples are below:

• the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 
• development of whole school culture and ethos to promote inclusion, participation and learning
• relational approaches
• child protection and safeguarding
• support for all learners and those who require additional support
• support for mental health and wellbeing
• corporate parenting
• knowledge and expertise in the delivery of universal and targeted interventions

Professional Learning Framework

The Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning Framework supports anyone working with children and young people in an educational context.

It can also support those who work with adult learners, parents, carers, families and in community learning contexts.

The National Improvement Framework is one of the most significant policy developments in Scottish education over the last 10 years. The 2024 National Improvement Framework (NIF) and Improvement Plan replaces last year’s NIF and Improvement Plan.

The NIF has improved the availability, quality and consistency of data, and extended understanding of what works to drive improvements for children and young people across all parts of the Scottish education system.

Scottish Ministers have a statutory duty, introduced by the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, to review the NIF and publish a plan on an annual basis. As part of the review, we provide education authorities, teachers, young people, and parents with the opportunity to express their views, and these have been taken into account in the  NIF and Improvement Plan.

Following the review process in Autumn 2021, there was universal support for renaming some of the priorities and drivers of improvement. As a result of the review, changes were made to the vision of the NIF, the priorities, and drivers of improvement, retaining six drivers of improvement but increasing the number of priorities to five with the inclusion of the rights and needs of children and young people.

The Scottish education system values collaborative partnerships that engage all learners, the people who work within and with the education system, parents, and carers to ensure that all learners in Scotland matter .

As of July 2024, the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act will make Scotland the first country in the UK, and the first devolved nation in the world, to directly incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights if the Child (UNCRC into domestic law. This is a landmark piece of legislation ensuring that children and young people are at the heart of education in Scotland in making sure Scotland is the best place to grow up.

Achieving excellence and equity for learners

The Framework sets out a vision based on achieving excellence and equity for all learners:

Excellence through raising attainment and improving outcomes 

Ensuring that every child and young person achieves the highest standards in literacy and numeracy, as well as the knowledge and skills necessary to shape their future as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors.

Achieving equity

Ensuring every child and young person has the same opportunity to succeed, no matter their background or shared protected characteristics, with a particular focus on closing the poverty related attainment gap.

Priorities of the National Improvement Framework

The priorities of the National Improvement Framework are:

• placing the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education
• improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing
• closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people
• improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people
• improvement in achievement, particularly in literacy and numeracy

Drivers of improvement

The drivers of improvement in the outcomes achieved by children and young people through education are:

• School and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) leadership
• Teacher and practitioner professionalism
• Parent/carer involvement and engagement
• Curriculum and assessment
• School and ELC improvement
• Performance information

Implementing the National Improvement Framework

The Framework is delivered through a joint programme between Education Scotland, the Learning Directorate in Scottish Government and, in relation to specific key drivers, other national partners, including local authorities and the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

Evidence is collected from a range of sources including, national censuses, inspection and other evidence from local authorities and Education Scotland. The evidence is analysed by Scottish Government to inform Scottish Ministers and policy makers of the status of Scottish education and to support the identification of the next steps for improvement.

As part of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, the reporting procedures for the Framework have been placed on a statutory footing.

The Scottish Government reviews the NIF annually and publishes an Improvement Plan which is informed by priorities drawn from the regional, local, and school level improvement plans.

The 2024 National Improvement Framework and improvement plan sets out the vision and priorities for Scottish education that have been agreed across the system, and the national improvement activity that needs to be undertaken to help deliver those priorities.