Falkirk Council Tackles Poverty-Related Attainment Gap with £1.3 Million Funding

Strategic Insights -

Falkirk Council has been allocated £1.3 million of Scottish Government funding to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap through the Strategic Equity Fund (SEF). The fund has increased substantially from £300,000 to £900,000 last year, aiming to address the issue of children from deprived areas being less likely to leave school with qualifications that lead to well-paying jobs. The education team is working to close the poverty-related attainment gap by providing additional support to pupils, families, and schools, with a focus on building trust and addressing complex welfare issues.

Key Takeaways:

  • Falkirk Council has been allocated £1.3 million of Scottish Government funding to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap.
  • The Strategic Equity Fund (SEF) has increased from £300,000 to £900,000 last year, with the aim of addressing the issue of children from deprived areas being less likely to leave school with qualifications that lead to well-paying jobs.
  • The education team is working to close the poverty-related attainment gap by providing additional support to pupils, families, and schools, focusing on building trust and addressing complex welfare issues.
  • The inclusion support team has seen positive changes in pupil attendance, with a focus on working with pupils who have less than 85% attendance.
  • Education support officer Gayle Martin Brown highlighted the complexities of non-attendance, often caused by poverty, mental health issues, or welfare problems.
  • The team works with families, schools, and other services, such as the NHS, FDAMH, and welfare benefits advisers, to address the root causes of non-attendance.
  • The funding has allowed for the establishment of a new team of support workers, including one member working in early years, to target prevention and early intervention.
  • The education team aims to offer a wider range of qualifications, including HNCs and Foundation Apprenticeships, to pupils who do not leave school, and provide ongoing support.
  • Councillor Claire Aitken praised the work of schools in supporting families in poverty, highlighting the importance of the funding.
  • Falkirk's director of education, Jon Reid, emphasized the need for skilled intervention and programmed support to improve outcomes, and urged that the funding be regarded as core funding.

Statistics:

  • £1.3 million: the amount of Scottish Government funding allocated to Falkirk Council for poverty-related attainment gap reduction.
  • 80-85%: the attendance threshold used by the inclusion support team to target pupils who need additional support.
  • 100%: the goal for improving pupil attendance and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
  • 2027: the end of the Scottish Government's funding commitment for the Strategic Equity Fund (SEF).
  • 5 months: the time the inclusion support team has been in place, during which they have seen positive changes in pupil attendance.

Sources:

  • Falkirk Council
  • Scottish Government
  • Local Democracy Reporter Kirsty Paterson
  • Falkirk's director of education, Jon Reid
  • Education support officer Gayle Martin Brown
  • Councillor Claire Aitken
  • Falkirk's head of education, Jill Pringle