Scottish Attainment Challenge National Programmes

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

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 ensure children have a fair chance in life free from hardship.

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 helps 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 helps 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 

Youth workers support learners in schools and communities. Their work improves wellbeing, readiness to learn and educational outcomes. YouthLink Scotland offers support to schools and youth work teams.

This includes: 

  • advice on using Pupil Equity Funding 
  • help building effective partnerships 
  • tools to measure the impact of joint working 

They also provide case studies and other evidence that show how youth work can: 

  • increase attendance and engagement 
  • personalise learning 
  • support positive post-school transitions and outcomes 

The National Youth Work and Schools Collaborative 

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

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Scottish Attainment Challenge National Programmes

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

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 ensure children have a fair chance in life free from hardship.

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 helps 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 helps 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 

Youth workers support learners in schools and communities. Their work improves wellbeing, readiness to learn and educational outcomes. YouthLink Scotland offers support to schools and youth work teams.

This includes: 

  • advice on using Pupil Equity Funding 
  • help building effective partnerships 
  • tools to measure the impact of joint working 

They also provide case studies and other evidence that show how youth work can: 

  • increase attendance and engagement 
  • personalise learning 
  • support positive post-school transitions and outcomes 

The National Youth Work and Schools Collaborative 

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

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