Education: National Improvement Framework and improvement plan 2024

Verity House Agreement

The Verity House Agreement states that Scottish and Local Government will work together to:

1. tackle poverty, particularly child poverty, in recognition of the joint national mission to tackle child poverty

2. transform our economy through a just transition to deliver net zero, recognising climate change as one of the biggest threats to communities across Scotland, and

3. deliver sustainable person-centred public services recognising the fiscal challenges, aging demography and opportunities to innovate.

The Scottish Government is working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) to agree a shared programme of activity on education and early learning and childcare under each of those three priorities. Education remains by far the most effective means we have to improve the life chances of all children and young people. High quality, affordable, and flexible childcare, is also vital to giving children the best possible start in life, and to ensuring that parents and carers can work, train or study. Therefore, most of the work programme for education and childcare will deliver on our joint priority of tackling child poverty, and will reinforce our collective commitment to equity, to mitigate the impact of poverty on children's outcomes, and tackle the poverty-related attainment gap