Meeting of the Parliament 05 February 2025
I outlined that we will be sharing the learning in spring, so we would seek to publish the data at that time. I invite the member, and members across the chamber, to join me on one of the school visits that my officials and I have planned across the country to speak to pupils, staff and those who work in the third sector about the funding’s impact, which has transformed the type of spend that happens in our schools.
PEF is now firmly embedded in our schools and, as I have previously said in committee, my strongly held view is that it should remain beyond this parliamentary session as a catalyst for improvement in areas in which it is needed most. It remains the case that the purpose of this extra funding is to drive educational improvement. The achievement of curriculum for excellence levels—also known as ACEL—data from December shows that our schools have the highest levels of literacy on record and the smallest poverty-related attainment gap to date. That assures me that pupils are benefiting from the support of their teachers and other staff throughout their primary and early secondary education.
Since 2009-10, under this Government, the overall poverty-related attainment gap for young people who are leaving school and going on to a positive destination has reduced by 60 per cent, which is welcome news. However, let me be clear that we have much more to do to close the gap. We have had a global pandemic and a cost of living crisis, but we remain absolutely committed to closing the poverty-related attainment gap, and we continue to make progress.
It is worth reflecting that up to 3,000 additional staff all over the country are now employed thanks to direct investment from the Scottish attainment challenge programme. As the headteacher at Fair Isle primary pointed out to me this morning, those extra staff are making a significant difference in our schools.
Presiding Officer, I am conscious of the time. The Government’s budget, which passed stage 1 yesterday, prioritises further investment in Scotland’s children. For example, the budget provides for an extra £37 million to deliver on the expansion of free school meals for those in receipt of the Scottish child payment in primaries 6 and 7. All pupils in primaries 1 to 5, all children in special schools and eligible pupils in primary 6 up to secondary 6 already benefit from free school meals, which save families £400 per child per year on average. We are also the only part of the United Kingdom to provide extra support to local authorities during the school holidays, which is worth just over £21 million and is a unique investment that we will seek to continue to support.
I welcome our Scottish Green colleagues’ support for our further expansion of free school meals via an additional test of change programme, which is supported by £3 million of investment, to those in receipt of the Scottish child payment in S1 to S3. We are also investing £3 million to establish a bright start breakfast fund, which children’s charities have welcomed.
I am keen to assure my Green colleagues that we will continue to work with them on school uniform guidance, which we previously worked with them on. I know that the guidance is having an impact in our schools and helping to drive down costs that are associated with school uniform. I commit to working further with our Scottish Green partner colleagues, and in particular Ross Greer, on the statutory guidance and how it is being developed with our schools.