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.

Our aims

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. The 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.