Schools to be inspected

Schools in Castlemilk, Kings Park and Toryglen will be inspected in the next year as part of a review of the Attainment Challenge.

Education Scotland announced the inspection plans on Friday, stating it would focus on the nine challenge authorities - councils awarded cash to invest in numeracy, literacy and wellbeing projects in schools with high levels of deprivation.

The interim HM chief inspector of education, Graeme Logan, said the year-long programme of focused inspection will look at progress with improving learning, raising attainment and narrowing the poverty related attainment gap.

He said: “We have a clear national priority to raise attainment and close the poverty-related attainment gap. We have chosen to inspect progress being made in the nine local authorities with the highest concentrations of children living in poverty.

“Each authority has been working to improve the educational outcomes in Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities for many years, and is receiving significant additional investment through the Scottish Attainment Challenge.

“Through the inspections we want to identify good practice and highlight areas for further improvement. While there have been improvements in children’s progress in literacy and numeracy across Scotland, it is still too variable. Until this variability is addressed we will not achieve the national ambition of excellence and equity for all learners.”

Inspectors will be supported by the Association of Directors of Education (ADES) who have developed a bespoke inspection framework. This will be piloted with West Dunbartonshire Council before being finalised and used with other authorities.

The inspections will be completed by December 2018, and an evaluative report published for each school receiving cash as part of the Attainment Challenge.