Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation - readiness to learn: thematic evaluation report 2024

How does this work inform our ongoing evaluation?

Readiness to learn and assessing the impact of the Attainment Scotland Fund

The thematic focus undertaken in Year 1 has also supported the exploration of readiness to learn within the Impact Feasibility Study which has been in progress during 2023. Scottish Government analysts, together with a working group comprised of members of the ASF Evaluation Advisory Panel, have undertaken an Impact Feasibility Study to consider approaches to evaluating the impact of the Attainment Scotland Fund^[15]. As a result of the thematic focus on readiness to learn, the Impact Feasibility study considered how best to approach assessing the impact of readiness to learn, in order to provide evidence to support the overall evaluation question.

The Impact Feasibility Study included consideration of existing sources of evidence and the extent to which they may be utilised in the impact evaluation going forward, as outlined in Figure 1 below. One of the opportunities presented for developing an assessment of improvement in readiness to learn is through the Health and Wellbeing Census, as well as through PISA and Growing Up in Scotland (GUS). These will be further explored in the next phase of the evaluation.

Figure 1: Existing data and evidence that may be utilised to measure Readiness to Learn

Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) Survey

• School helped with confidence
• School helped with life preparation
• School work worth doing

Health and Wellbeing Survey

• Confidence
• Looking forward to school
• Enjoying learning in school
• Life satisfaction

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

• Life satisfaction
• Sense of belonging
• Satisfaction with life at school
• Relationship with teachers
• Self-efficacy
• Fear of failure
• Self-confidence
• Growth mindset
• Value of school
• Learning goals