Scottish attainment challenge funding to be £45m in new academic year

John Swinney - Scottish Government

The latest round of funding as part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge has been announced by Education Secretary John Swinney.

The coming year will see £45m channelled to the nine local authorities - as well as 72 individual schools in other areas - selected by the Scottish Government for additional funds to tackle the attainment gap between rich and poor.

This figure is over double the £20m allocated last academic year, and over three times that of the first year of the scheme, which saw £11.7m allocated to just seven local authorities in 2015.

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The nine authorities are Clackmannanshire, Dundee, East Ayrshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and West Dumbartonshire.

North Lanarkshire Council will receive the biggest investment at £7.77m, while individual schools in South Lanarkshire, which is not a ‘Challenge Authority’, will receive over £2m.

Swinney said the total amount invested through the fund during this parliament will amount to £750m, including the Pupil Equity Fund, which will see every head teacher handed a pot of money to tackle the attainment gap.

“Today’s announcement ensures local authorities and individual schools where the need is greatest have substantial additional funding for the coming year to tailor their plans based on their own circumstances,” said Swinney.

“This work, along with the introduction of Pupil Equity Funding, forms the backbone of our focus to target resources where they are needed the most whilst also empowering schools to ultimately improve the life chances of all of children and young people in Scotland.”

The funding is designed to support targeted improvement work in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing in areas of deprivation.