Literacy Action Plan: An Action Plan to Improve Literacy in Scotland

WORKING TOGETHER

At this time of challenging circumstances and huge pressure on resources, it is more important than ever for all of us to work together to improve literacy for all, with a determined focus on the most vulnerable. We must use our combined resources productively to ensure we achieve our vision for literacy in Scotland .

We recognise that much of the impetus and resource is provided by central government and our educational delivery agencies. However, we will also facilitate broader partnerships including with those agencies outwith the formal educational sector. We need involvement from all services which can make a positive contribution to improving literacy to help deliver our vision. Services impacting on health, justice and employment, for instance, can all have a role.

To support efforts to work together and use resources effectively, we will identify the key support relating to literacy currently being delivered by agencies and institutions. If those with a broader contribution to make on literacy development are to do so, they must be aware of the delivery frameworks and the provision which currently exists in order to identify the gaps, potential overlaps and where efficiencies can be achieved. This in turn will help to target future work more effectively on priorities and encourage inter-agency working throughout the country.

Locally, it will be important to develop partnerships to support literacy improvement. Involving a wide range of partners would benefit local approaches to ensure that policies and plans which promote literacy are inclusive and consistent, and are embedded across schools and their communities. These local partnerships could involve early years providers, childcare centres, adult providers, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, employers, local libraries, and local health partnerships, alongside schools and the national education agencies.