National Summary Report for the Scottish Attainment Challenge

The report is the first instalment to be published this year and is focused on the implementation of the SAC refresh, which aims to use education to improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty.

The report provides an overview of the progress of all 32 local authorities between August and November 2023.

The key theme for this reporting period is families and communities. It outlines improvement and progress being made by local authorities in three key areas: parental engagement, collaboration and cost of the school day.

Families and communities is one of the key drivers for change in delivering the Scottish Attainment Challenge. Our report highlights that most local authorities have strategic approaches in place to ensure that they support the engagement of all parents and families. In the majority of these, parental engagement permeates a variety of cross-sector plans, policies and frameworks; for example, children’s services plans.

Local authorities are also using Education Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Parental Engagement, Family Learning and Learning at Home to develop and review their parental involvement and engagement strategies (PIES).

The promotion of family learning is a key focus for many local authorities and evidence shows that structured family learning programmes, co-created with children, young people, their families and partners, are helping to create a better understanding of what works for them and why.

In this latest report, the key next steps have been identified as further developing policies or strategies for family learning, engaging regularly with parents; and systems to track and monitor family learning and attendance.

Since its launch in 2015, the SAC has brought together education leaders in all sectors across Scotland to work collaboratively to raise attainment and reduce educational inequity across Scotland.