EB / News / Finance / Scottish schools in poor areas to get £45 million to close attainment gap
Scottish schools in poor areas to get £45 million to close attainment gap
EB News: 25/07/2017 - 10:02
Nine local authorities and 72 individual schools have been allocated funding from the Scottish Attainment Challenge for education initiatives and projects targeting the most deprived children.
Around £45 million will be allocated to primary and secondary schools in 2017-18 from a £750 million cash pot in a bid to close the poverty-related attainment gap.
Deputy first minister, John Swinney, who announced the funding at Newark Primary School Holiday Club, said: “Improving the education and life chances of our children and young people is the defining mission of this government.
“Central to this is the Scottish Attainment Challenge, which is providing £750 million during the course of this Parliament to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap by supporting hundreds of schools develop approaches to improve literacy, numeracy and health and well-being.”
Nearly three-quarters of teachers (72%) say the current SEND system fails children, yet more than half (56%) expect anticipated reforms to negatively impact SEND pupils with complex needs.
Over a quarter of all schools and colleges across England are taking part in the free National Education Nature Park programme, which sees young people create nature-rich spaces on school sites.
The government has announced a new package of bursaries and scholarships worth up to £31,000 to train to teach in subjects including chemistry, maths, physics, and computing.
Schools in England could face an annual shortfall of £310 million in covering the cost of free school meals unless urgent action is taken, according to a new report led by Northumbria University.