School report showing ‘positive progress’ in closing attainment gap

An independent report has shown progress in closing the attainment gap between the poorest and wealthiest children in Dundee.

The Education Scotland report, which is due to go before councillors, looks at the how the Scottish Attainment Challenge (Sac) has been implemented in the city since its launch.

The programme was implemented in February 2015 to assist in achieving the Scottish Government’s vision of delivering “excellence and equity” in education.

Dundee was deemed one of nine challenge authorities and Dundee City Council (DCC) has since received £39.978 million from various funding streams to tackle the issue.

This includes the pupil equity fund (Pef) and the care experienced children and young people fund.

Data from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (2020), indicates that 37% of people in Dundee live in areas among the 20% most deprived in Scotland (quintile one).

Figures also show that just 65% of adults are in work and in seven of eight electoral wards in the city, more than one-quarter of children live in poverty.

Key to Dundee’s attainment challenge is early intervention which, the reports says, includes a “programme of intensive, targeted work to support early acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills in early years.”

These approaches have also supported wellbeing and increased engagement, and are having a significant impact on groups of vulnerable young people affected by poverty, it says.

This “significant impact” is resulting in attainment levels of Dundee’s most disadvantaged pupils increasing by more than 10%.

The report reads: “Attainment of learners living in areas of most deprivation has increased by 13% since 2015/16.

“The number of P1, 4, and 7 children achieving the expected level has risen by 14% since 2015-16, with a 15% increase in the achievement of learners living in areas of highest deprivation.

“In S3 quintile 1, there has been a 5% increase in learners achieving level 3 (National 3) or better since 2015-16.

“Performance is higher than national averages in 2018-19.”

The report also noted an increase in the number of school leavers entering a “positive destination”.

The Scottish Government classes this as higher education, further education, employment, training, personal skills development or voluntary work.

In 2019, 94.3% of Dundee school leavers were engaged in one of the above categories. This was up 2.8% since 2015-16.

In 2014, exclusion rates in Dundee were almost three times the national average.

However, since the introduction of the Sac, the city has seen a “significant” reduction in the number of exclusions from its schools.

The Education Scotland report highlights that by 2018-19 exclusions in primary schools had fallen below the national average.

Over the same period, exclusions in secondary schools were also reduced – however, they still remained above national levels.

Figures show there were 48.5 exclusions per 1,000 pupils, compared to 39.6 nationally.

IMPROVEMENT: The report shows that attainment gaps across deprived areas in Dundee have narrowed in recent years.