Report shows attainment gap at schools is reducing
NICOLA FINDLAY
Latest figures have revealed that the attainment gap at South Lanarkshire schools is closing.
A report due to go before the council’s education resources committee yesterday lays out the steps being taken to bridge the poverty-related gap.
It is recognised nationally that young people from more deprived backgrounds do not attain as well at school as young people from less deprived backgrounds.
SLC has a total roll of 43,404 children and young people attending schools and of this number, 8414 pupils, 19.4 per cent are registered for free school meals.
Steps to tackle the gap include Pupil Equity Funding from the Scottish Government with head teachers responsible for planning and implementing interventions based on the needs of their particular children or young people.
In total schools in East Kilbride and the surrounding area were among those in South Lanarkshire eligible for £7,743,360 of funding in 2019/20.
The 2018/2019 total funding for South Lanarkshire Schools was £7,988,400.
Officers state in the report that “during 2018/2019 head teachers have identified a broad range of literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing activities, interventions and supports” and that plans show a wide range of “different approaches including buying additional resources, funding after-school homework clubs and employing additional staff or third sector services”.
Analysis of spending shows that 84 per cent of schools have been addressing numeracy as one of a number of priorities.
It also showed that 96 per cent have been tackling literacy and a further 94 per cent have been addressing health and wellbeing.
While monitoring of outcomes by schools has shown a closing in the attainment gap in both primaries and secondaries in numeracy and literacy according to the report.
Head teachers have identified a broad range of activities, interventions and supports ....