Scottish Attainment Challenge programme 2020

The Council’s SAC programme will deliver eighteen interventions across our educational establishments and communities for the 2020-21 school year to mitigate against the poverty related attainment gap.

Councillor Fiona Campbell, Cabinet Member for Skills and Learning said: “With the Scottish Attainment Challenge funding from the Scottish Government, we will continue to strive to achieve excellence in Literacy and Numeracy, working together with our families and communities, whilst ensuring that bespoke leadership opportunities are available for all.

“Throughout session 2019-20 we increased the pace and reach of the SAC programme to achieve our goal of 100% of educational establishments trained and supported in either the Literacy or Numeracy learning and teaching techniques, with 88% of establishments trained and supported in both. Thanks to the continued funding for session 2020-2021, we will achieve 100% coverage for all establishments by September 2020.

“The current public health crisis has presented significant challenges to this goal, however we have adapted training and support mechanisms to digital platforms to ensure no one is excluded from our events, which include Headteacher leadership support sessions and our recently adapted bespoke literacy and numeracy training webinars.”

The SAC programme has had a huge impact locally with over five hundred families being supported by the Home Link Worker team. This has led to positive outcomes for young people including positive destinations on leaving school, reengagement with formal education and signposting and engaging with an appropriate partner organisation.

Linda McAulay-Griffiths, Head of Education said: “The impact on attainment has seen increases across all thirteen Scottish Government measures of Primary School Literacy and Numeracy Levels along with a closing of the poverty related attainment gap of up to 11%.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to support our colleagues, our children, young people and their families across East Ayrshire, through the current crisis and we will adapt and emerge stronger as a result of all of our endeavours.”