Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: implementation and impact report 2024

Footnotes

1 Key evaluation objectives and associated evaluation questions are set out in the ASF Evaluation Strategy 2022-26.

2 This is the second wave of the SAC Local Authority Leads Survey undertaken as part of the ASF Evaluation Strategy 2022 – 26. Twenty-six of the thirty-two local authorities responded to the 2024 survey, a response rate of 81%.

3 One discussion group, one focus group and nine interviews were conducted with national stakeholder representatives (eight individual interviews and one joint interview with two representatives of the same organisation). Qualitative evidence is presented to report on the range of views expressed and is not intended to be reported numerically.

4 Following the requirement for local authorities to set ambitious, achievable stretch aims for progress in overall attainment and towards closing the poverty-related attainment gap introduced as a requirement of the Scottish Attainment Challenge Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress, local authorities submitted stretch aims for the 2022/23 year. For 2023/24 – 2025/26, local authorities were required to set multi-year stretch aims for the three year period.

5 Learning and Teaching, Leadership and Families and Communities are the three underpinning organisers for Scottish Attainment Challenge.

6 The Attainment Scotland Fund supports the core programmes of the Scottish Attainment Challenge (i.e. SEF, PEF and CECYP funding) and also supports a suite of national programmes, including investment in Education Scotland Attainment Advisor support for all 32 local authorities, in third sector partnerships, workforce development and the evaluation of the SAC programme itself.

7 Learning and Teaching, Leadership and Families and Communities are the three underpinning organisers for Scottish Attainment Challenge.

8 The ASF Evaluation Strategy 2022- 2026 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.

9 Findings from the SAC Local Authority Leads Survey 2023 were published in September 2023.

10 For an overview of previous evaluation outputs related to the Attainment Scotland Fund, see Pupil attainment: closing the gap - Schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

11 Attainment Scotland Fund 2022 - 2026 Evaluation: Analytical Plan Year 3 (2024/25)

12 This includes a school based survey and case studies with schools.

13 See ASF Evaluation 2022-26 Analytical Plan for Year 2 (2023/24) for an outline of evaluation priorities and activities.

14 This is the second wave of the SAC Local Authority Leads Survey undertaken as part of the ASF Evaluation Strategy 2022 – 26.

15 A list of national stakeholders was developed in consultation with the Attainment Scotland Evaluation Working Group. A second round of national stakeholder interviews will be undertaken in autumn 2025.

16 Findings - Attainment Scotland Fund - process evaluation - Scottish Attainment Challenge: local authority leads survey report 2022-2023 - gov.scot

17 In a number of local authorities, each Attainment Advisor has two designated local authorities.

18 Transition planning is considered in further detail in Section 6 of this report.

19 Care Experienced Children and Young People (CECYP) Funding is allocated to local authorities on the basis of all those aged 0 to 26 within a local authority with any care experience at any point, no matter how short a time.

20 Prior to the Scottish Attainment Challenge refresh in March 2022, Attainment Scotland Funding was distributed via Challenge Authority Funding to nine local authorities, Schools Programme funding to 74 schools across twelve local authorities, Care Experienced Children and Young People (CECYP) Funding distributed to local authorities and via Pupil Equity funding (PEF) distributed directly to schools. Strategic Equity Funding (SEF) replaced Challenge Authority funding and Schools Programme funding for the 2022/23 session, providing funding to each of the thirty-two local authorities. See Pupil attainment: closing the gap - Schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) for further information.

21 Figures in charts showing SAC Leads Survey 2024 data relate to number of respondents (base = 26)

22 Reporting on local authority experiences of the first set of stretch aims are included in the SAC Local Authority Leads Survey 2023.

23 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is the official tool used by Scottish Government to identify concentrations of deprivation. For further information see Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 - gov.scot

24 This is considered further in the later section on CECYP Funding.

25 Sustainability is considered in further detail in Section 6.

26 See Section 6 (Sustainability) for further consideration.

27 The Promise Scotland made to care experienced children and young people is that ‘they will grow up loved, safe and respected’. For further information see The Promise.

28 The Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) is a £500 million investment over the life of this Parliament (2022 to 2026) to support the whole system transformational change required to reduce the need for crisis intervention and to shift investment towards prevention and early intervention. For further information see Whole Family Wellbeing Funding - Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) - gov.scot

29 Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) is Scottish Government’s commitment to provide all children, young people and their families with the right support at the right time. For further information see Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) - gov.scot

30 For further information on implementation of UNCRC through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 see Children's rights - Human rights - gov.scot

31 The ASF Impact Feasibility Study undertaken in 2023 suggested a focus on four of the evaluation questions. An additional evaluation question was subsequently identified as important for the impact evaluation.

32 To note, all responses indicated ‘to a great extent’ or ‘to some extent’. Options ‘to a limited extent’ and ‘not at all’ received no responses on this question.

33 To note, all responses indicated ‘to a great extent’ , ‘to some extent’, or ‘to a limited extent’. Response option ‘not at all’ received no responses on this question.

34 To note, all responses indicated ‘to a great extent’ , ‘to some extent’, or ‘to a limited extent’. Response option ‘not at all’ received no responses on this question.