Schools in Edinburgh will benefit from a £7,472,400 funding boost as part of the Scottish Government’s drive to improve standards in schools, it has been revealed. The share each school is due to receive from the Scottish Government’s new £120 million Pupil Equity Fund has been revealed by Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
More than 2,300 schools across Scotland will receive additional support worth thousands of pounds, to be spent at the discretion of teachers and school leaders to close the poverty related attainment gap in their schools.
The allocations have been confirmed by the Deputy First Minister on a visit to Dalmarnock Primary School in Glasgow’s East End, which is in line to receive £278,400.
Mr Swinney said: “I want every child in Scotland to have the best possible start in life, and it is unacceptable for children from the poorest backgrounds to have their chances limited by circumstances outside their control.
“This Government has made clear our priority is to close the poverty-related attainment gap and our new £120 million Pupil Equity Funding is aimed at doing just that.
“We are providing additional ring-fenced funding which will enable individual schools to target support where it is needed the most. The allocations I am announcing today will let parents, teachers and school leaders see how much funding their schools will receive in 2017-18 to help break the inter-generational cycle of deprivation.
“The Pupil Equity Funding is on top of the existing £50 million Attainment Scotland funding and in addition to the action being taken by this Government to raise standards for all and make the improvements that are necessary to make Scottish education world-class.”
Dalmarnock Primary School head teacher Nancy Clunie said: “This additional funding will make a huge difference to the children at our school. We already do a lot of work with our partners to put on activities involving parents to improve the health and wellbeing of the whole family, as less stressed children make better learners. For example, we have a weekly family meal and homework group and a summer club during the school holidays. The Pupil Equity Funding will enable us to expand these activities”
88 primaries and 23 secondaries across Edinburgh will receive additional support worth thousands of pounds. It will be up to teachers and school leaders to decide the best way of using the funding to close the poverty related attainment gap in their schools.
Welcoming the announcement, SNP MSP Ben Macpherson said: “We should all aim to give every child in Scotland the best possible start in life, and children from the poorest backgrounds should not have their chances limited by circumstances outside of their control.
“In government, the SNP has made closing the poverty-related attainment gap a top priority, and this new £120 million Pupil Equity Fund is aimed at doing just that – supporting 88 primary and 23 secondary schools in Edinburgh.
“This new funding will give parents, teachers and school leaders in Edinburgh important funding to raise standards and help tackle poverty.”
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