Explore the resource
The Scottish Government and other public sector partners and charities are working on a wide range of approaches to take forward, both nationally and locally, to support practitioners in prioritising their focus on closing the equity gap and raising the attainment of children from the most deprived areas.
Twelve approaches to closing the equity gap are detailed here.
1. Improving early learning
Investing in the early years of a child’s life is crucial to developing strong and resilient children and young people and can help prevent problems later on.
2. Promoting social and emotional wellbeing
Ensuring children and young people are included, engaged and involved, promoting positive relationships and behaviour and supporting children’s wellbeing.
3. Promoting healthy lifestyles and tackling health inequalities
Increasing levels of physical activity and healthy eating are important in tackling health inequalities. Those living in deprived communities have a higher risk of developing preventable ill-health.
4. Identifying and driving strategies to improve attainment in literacy and numeracy
Skills in literacy and numeracy are key to accessing all other learning, achievement and employment.
5. Providing high quality learning and teaching
Providing high quality learning and teaching is likely to result in better outcomes for all children and young people but particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. High quality feedback supported by quality dialogue helps learners develop an understanding of their learning and what they need to do to improve their progress and achievements.
6. Providing focus and support targeted to learning needs
Identifying and addressing barriers to engagement and learning, in line with Additional Support Needs legislation and Getting it Right for Every Child, contributes to improving the life chances of our most vulnerable learners.
7. Promoting use of evidence and data
Using a wide range of evidence and data, including Insight, the new online benchmarking tool, is essential to support the identification of those children and young people not fully realising their potential and to inform all improvement work.
8. Developing employability skills and improving positive and sustained destinations
Preparing children and young people for the world of work and employment gives a firm foundation for their future.
9. Engaging families and communities
Helping parents to support their children’s learning and having high shared ambition, aspirations and expectations are important strategies in raising attainment. Working with community planning partnerships to address the impact of deprivation helps ensure a shared commitment across services.
10. Working with partners to explore new and innovative approaches to tackling inequity
Promoting innovation and new partnering arrangements, including the School Improvement Partnership Programme and the Raising Attainment for All Programme.
11. Developing professional learning and leadership at all levels
Promoting and participating in professional learning and developing practice as a result has the greatest impact on improving outcomes for learners.
12. Conducting and using research
Collecting and promoting the use of knowledge and research to provide succinct and easily accessible advice for practitioners and professional learning communities.