Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: implementation and impact report 2024

Section 6: Sustainability

The ASF Evaluation Strategy did not propose a specific Evaluation Question related to sustainability. However, sustainability has been included in the analysis as an important aspect under consideration at this stage in the SAC Mission.

Approaches to address long term sustainability

The Local Authority SAC Leads Survey 2024 invited respondents to provide their assessment of the extent to which local authority and school approaches to closing the poverty-related attainment gap are addressing long-term sustainability. In response to a closed question, only four of the twenty-six respondents viewed local authority and school approaches as addressing long-term sustainability to a great extent, whilst fifteen viewed this as to some extent, and seven to a limited extent. For those assessing long-term sustainability as being addressed to a great extent, planning for sustainability through putting transition strategies in place and through embedding approaches were the key actions.

Actions to address sustainability were being taken at both local authority and school level, as illustrated in the box below.

Local authority actions to address sustainability:

• Embedding approaches to leadership and to data interrogation and analysis;
• Effective use of digital technologies supporting data use and data-informed decision-making;
• Modelling and Coaching of high quality learning and teaching approaches embedded across the workforce to ensure learning and teaching approaches;
• Focus on sustainable approaches to delivering CLPL, such as creating training tools and recorded material;
• Support to individual education settings to consider transition planning;
• Focusing on embedding evidence-based approaches and interventions, including approaches to improving pedagogy;
• Capacity building;
• Increased scrutiny of school PEF plans to ensure a focus on sustainability.
• Supporting approaches which build accountability within settings and empower individual settings to develop their own practice;

School level actions to address sustainability:

• Building leadership capacity;
• Embedding approaches and building capacity including a focus on practice in pedagogy. Coaching and Modelling approaches supporting capacity building within schools to support high quality learning;
• Whole school approaches;
• Development of spaces such as nurture spaces and flexible learning spaces within schools to meet locally identified needs;
• Building partnerships to support families;
• Focusing on upskilling staff rather than reliance on interventions and external support.

Source: SAC Local Authority Leads Survey 2024

Sustainability of funding

The recognition of the importance of and continuing need for specific funding to address ongoing challenges was highlighted through SAC Leads Survey 2024 responses, without which it was envisaged there would be negative impacts on children and families living in poverty and anticipated decline in attendance and attainment. This was noted particularly in the context of local budget pressures. One respondent stated: ‘It’s about changing cultures and approaches to being equitable and using data to inform and evidence the impact of approaches. It’s also about budget and having designated resources to action this agenda’.

Evidence gathered through national stakeholder interviews also pointed to strongly held views of the need for continued funding to resource staffing and provide interventions given the long-term nature of the challenge. This was noted not least due to a need to work with each new cohort of pupils and the challenges they face as a result of being affected by poverty. Whilst there was consensus regarding the need for continued funding to ensure ongoing progress and to support the system and process change required, not all national stakeholders viewed that this should occur through specific funding streams.

Whilst it was noted that ‘additionality of staff is not always the answer’, there was a strong recognition that continued funding in support of the mission is of key importance to embed and sustain approaches and continue to progress towards the long term outcome of the Mission.

Several specific suggestions were made by individual local authority respondents with regard to funding, including:

• The need for pedagogy professional learning for all staff;
• The potential to support sustainability through greater autonomy to schools in terms of devolved budgets to address gaps they identify, not just gaps in relation to poverty;
• The potential to reconsider the balance between funding at strategic and local levels, in favour of a higher funding allocation at the strategic level (SEF) rather than at school level (PEF).

Embedding of educational equity

Local authority respondents to the SAC Leads Survey 2024 provided comment on the extent to which the SAC Mission has supported the embedding of educational equity and how this may be sustained. There were a range of comments highlighting the positive impact of the SAC Mission as well as the wider SAC Programme, including provision of a clear vision and focus on, and raising the profile of, closing the poverty-related attainment gap, strategic systems and processes to support this, enhanced understanding and awareness of challenges affecting children and young people and their families affected by poverty, and increased understanding of the gaps at local authority and at school level.

SAC Mission and embedding educational equity

‘Embedded equity as a feature of local authority planning’.

‘Significant shift in the culture and the understanding of educational equity’.

‘Significant impact on achieving equity as part of the overall vision to achieve excellence and equity.’

‘Played a key role in promoting and embedding equity.’

‘SAC Mission could be regarded as a success … improvements in SAC Programme of quality of leadership, quality of planning for learning and teaching and community involved.’

Source: SAC Local Authority Leads Survey 2024