Scottish Attainment Challenge National Programmes

Published 07/08/2025.  Last updated 14/08/2025

The Attainment Scotland Fund supports programmes that improve educational outcomes. These programmes support national priorities such as:

  • closing the poverty related attainment gap
  • reducing the cost of the school day 
  • listening to the views of children and young people 
  • meeting the needs of care experienced children and young people 

CELCIS

The Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS) are based at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. They improve children’s lives by supporting the people and organisations responsible for their care.

Virtual School Head Teacher Network

Virtual school roles provide focused support for care experienced learners within local authorities. CELCIS run Scotland's Virtual School Head Teacher Network. This network provides knowledge, research, good practice, and peer support. Members across the network collaborate to improve education for all care experienced learners. 

Virtual School Head Teacher Role Profile 

CELCIS published a Virtual School Head Teacher role profile. The profile offers practical guidance to support local authorities. This ensures consistent support for care experienced children, young people, and their families. 

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG)

The Child Poverty Action Group provide information, training and support to bring about a society free from child poverty, where all children can enjoy a childhood without financial hardship and have a fair chance in life to reach their full potential.

Cost of the School Day Project

The Cost of the School Day project is run by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). It helps schools and local authorities reduce financial barriers to learning. Cost of the school day resources help schools and local authorities to: 

  • develop approaches to reducing the cost of the school day 
  • involve the whole school community 
  • share good practice to reduce costs 
  • support children and families on low incomes 

Contact the CPAG project team for further support and advice. 

Cost of the School Day Voice network 

The Cost of the School Day Voice Network help children and young people to share their views. Any school in Scotland can join the network and create a learner group. Learner groups receive regular communication and information about new opportunities and activities. They can attend termly online meetings to share their experiences and views. Each term the network also runs a leader meeting. Attendees offer support, share practice and discuss new ideas. 

Contact the Cost of the School Day Voice Network to find out more. 

Young Scot

 Young Scot provide universal services for all young people in Scotland.  

The Young Scot Equity Panel 

The Young Scot Equity Panel help young people shape national programmes and policies. The group ensures fair debate and conversation between young people and decision makers. 

The panel has 25 members from diverse backgrounds aged 11 to 24. They have contributed to:  

The Young Scot learning survey 

Young Scot’s What I Need to Learn Survey was created with input from the Young Scot Equity Panel. The survey received 1,035 responses from children and young people aged 11 to 25. It included questions on:  

  • readiness to learn 
  • barriers to attendance and engagement 
  • the impact of the pandemic and cost of living crisis 

YouthLink Scotland 

YouthLink Scotland is the national agency for youth work in Scotland. Youth workers work alongside schools in communities across Scotland to support wellbeing, readiness to learn and educational outcomes.

Youth Work and Schools Partnerships

The Youth Work and Schools Partnerships team at YouthLink Scotland offer advice, tools and resources to help schools and youth work teams to:

  • build effective partnerships
  • plan and evaluate joint working

They also provide case studies and other evidence to show how youth work can collaborate with schools to:

Youth Work and Schools Collaborative 

YouthLink Scotland run the Youth Work and Schools Collaborative. This network offers online events to share practice and contribute to national policy. Contact YouthLink Scotland to get involved. 

^ Back to top

Scottish Attainment Challenge National Programmes

Published 07/08/2025.  Last updated 14/08/2025

The Attainment Scotland Fund supports programmes that improve educational outcomes. These programmes support national priorities such as:

  • closing the poverty related attainment gap
  • reducing the cost of the school day 
  • listening to the views of children and young people 
  • meeting the needs of care experienced children and young people 

CELCIS

The Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS) are based at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. They improve children’s lives by supporting the people and organisations responsible for their care.

Virtual School Head Teacher Network

Virtual school roles provide focused support for care experienced learners within local authorities. CELCIS run Scotland's Virtual School Head Teacher Network. This network provides knowledge, research, good practice, and peer support. Members across the network collaborate to improve education for all care experienced learners. 

Virtual School Head Teacher Role Profile 

CELCIS published a Virtual School Head Teacher role profile. The profile offers practical guidance to support local authorities. This ensures consistent support for care experienced children, young people, and their families. 

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG)

The Child Poverty Action Group provide information, training and support to bring about a society free from child poverty, where all children can enjoy a childhood without financial hardship and have a fair chance in life to reach their full potential.

Cost of the School Day Project

The Cost of the School Day project is run by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). It helps schools and local authorities reduce financial barriers to learning. Cost of the school day resources help schools and local authorities to: 

  • develop approaches to reducing the cost of the school day 
  • involve the whole school community 
  • share good practice to reduce costs 
  • support children and families on low incomes 

Contact the CPAG project team for further support and advice. 

Cost of the School Day Voice network 

The Cost of the School Day Voice Network help children and young people to share their views. Any school in Scotland can join the network and create a learner group. Learner groups receive regular communication and information about new opportunities and activities. They can attend termly online meetings to share their experiences and views. Each term the network also runs a leader meeting. Attendees offer support, share practice and discuss new ideas. 

Contact the Cost of the School Day Voice Network to find out more. 

Young Scot

 Young Scot provide universal services for all young people in Scotland.  

The Young Scot Equity Panel 

The Young Scot Equity Panel help young people shape national programmes and policies. The group ensures fair debate and conversation between young people and decision makers. 

The panel has 25 members from diverse backgrounds aged 11 to 24. They have contributed to:  

The Young Scot learning survey 

Young Scot’s What I Need to Learn Survey was created with input from the Young Scot Equity Panel. The survey received 1,035 responses from children and young people aged 11 to 25. It included questions on:  

  • readiness to learn 
  • barriers to attendance and engagement 
  • the impact of the pandemic and cost of living crisis 

YouthLink Scotland 

YouthLink Scotland is the national agency for youth work in Scotland. Youth workers work alongside schools in communities across Scotland to support wellbeing, readiness to learn and educational outcomes.

Youth Work and Schools Partnerships

The Youth Work and Schools Partnerships team at YouthLink Scotland offer advice, tools and resources to help schools and youth work teams to:

  • build effective partnerships
  • plan and evaluate joint working

They also provide case studies and other evidence to show how youth work can collaborate with schools to:

Youth Work and Schools Collaborative 

YouthLink Scotland run the Youth Work and Schools Collaborative. This network offers online events to share practice and contribute to national policy. Contact YouthLink Scotland to get involved. 

^ Back to top