Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: fifth interim report - year 6

Chapter 3 Activities and Outputs: Approaches

Chapter 3 highlights

• There is continued evidence of the development of approaches to address the poverty-related attainment gap at local authority and school level.
• Approaches to addressing the poverty-related attainment gap had been influenced both by the first period of COVID-19 related school building closures (March to June 2020), and the second period (January to March 2021).
• Engaging families and communities emerged as a strong focus in local authority and school approaches to closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
• The importance of understanding the challenges and barriers faced by pupils affected by poverty as key to developing appropriate approaches was highlighted.
• Approaches continued to include both targeted and universal approaches. High levels of awareness of the range of potential approaches available to schools in closing the poverty-related attainment gap, and confidence in selecting the most effective approaches, was also evidenced.
• New circumstances affecting families as a result of COVID-19 were apparent, with increasing mental health needs being most commonly identified.
• Approaches had been adapted in response to new circumstances including a greater focus on mental health and wellbeing (and to a lesser extent on physical health and wellbeing); more support for remote learning and digital connectivity; additional staffing skills and capacity; and additional support for parents and families including help with access to financial support, food, clothing etc. and initiatives to reduce the cost of the school day. Using community links and partnerships in order to help reach more families in need of support were also commonly highlighted.

3.1 This chapter explores the development of approaches taken by schools and local authorities with regard to addressing the poverty-related attainment gap. The key aim is to consider how schools and local authorities identified, selected and implemented their approach for addressing the poverty-related attainment gap. An associated evaluation question sought to explore the extent to which the selected approach aimed to support pupils and parents from the most deprived backgrounds.

3.2 The approach for the Year 5 evaluation was to consider the overall period August 2019 and March 2020, and separately with reference to the period of school building closures between March and June 2020, in recognition of the importance of the 'story' of change and adaptation which occurred throughout the course of the 2019/20 year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

3.3 The picture that emerged for 2019/20 was of ongoing developments in line with those seen in the previous year, followed by major changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic necessitating the period of school building closures from March to June 2020. Reviews of planned activities followed by decisions to pause or progress work on the basis of current and emerging priorities and needs, equity audits and large-scale changes to 'pivot' to meet challenges associated with providing remote learning were all features of this period of review and adaptation. A range of responses were introduced, including the provision of physical resources such as food parcels and home-learning packs, equity-related advice and information, signposting to other support, and an increased focus on health and wellbeing. The development of collaborations with new partners, including third sector, and cross-departmental responses, were also notable across 2019/20.

3.4 For the Year 6 evaluation, in order to reflect the ongoing context of COVID-19 impacting across the academic year 2020/21, material has been gathered to reflect approaches across the year overall but with specific reference to the period of remote learning from January to March 2021. Evidence is primarily drawn from the Local Authority Survey 2021, Headteacher Survey 2021 and Challenge Authority and Schools Programme progress reports.

Developing approaches: how did schools and local authorities identify, select and implement approaches for addressing the poverty-related attainment gap?

3.5 There is continuing evidence of the development of approaches at the local authority level. Nearly all Local Authority Survey 2021 respondents indicated their approach to closing the poverty-related attainment gap had changed over the previous year, with 25 of 26 respondents indicating the approach had changed (six changed significantly, 19 changed to some extent). The remaining one local authority (a Challenge Authority) indicated a more limited change of approach. In terms of responses by funding stream, only one PEF-only local authority, of the eight PEF-only local authority respondents, indicated significant change.

3.6 At the school level, the development of approaches to closing the poverty-related attainment gap and addressing equity in education was explored in the Headteacher Survey 2021. The majority of headteachers who responded to the survey indicated their approach had changed from the previous school year (2019/20), with 83% indicating this. This was consistent with the 2020 survey (85%) but an increase on the 2019 survey (67%).

3.7 In addition, approximately three quarters of headteachers responding to the 2021 survey (77%) had further developed their approach to achieving equity during the January to March 2021 period of school building closures and remote learning.

Learning from periods of COVID-19 school building closures

3.8 The extent to which learning from periods of COVID-19 related school buildings closures had informed local authorities' current approaches to addressing the poverty-related attainment gap was explored in the Local Authority Survey 2021.

3.9 All but one local authority who responded to the survey (25 of 26) indicated that their approach had been influenced to a great/to some extent by the first period of COVID-19 related school building closures (March to June 2020), with 12 indicating this was to a great extent, and 13 to some extent. The remaining local authority (a Challenge Authority respondent) indicated their approach had been influenced to a limited extent. In terms of the extent to which local authority approaches had been influenced by the second period of COVID-19 related school building closures (January to March 2021), whilst all but one local authority (25 of 26) responding to the survey indicated their approach had been influenced to a great or to some extent, this appeared to be to a lesser extent than the first period of COVID-19 related closures (nine to a great extent, 16 to some extent).

3.10 At the school level, headteachers' experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the previous school year were perceived to have contributed to their approach during 2020/21. Approximately three in four respondents (77%) felt that their prior experience had helped shape their approach, of whom just under one in four (22%) indicated their prior experience had helped shape their approach to a great extent.

Approaches to engaging families and communities

3.11 There is considerable evidence of the ongoing development of approaches to engaging families and communities across evidence sources. Local authority perspectives of the development of approaches to engaging families and communities in the 2020/21 year were gathered through the Local Authority Survey 2021, with all respondents (26) indicating their local authority approach to engaging families and communities had developed over the previous year. Ten local authorities described their approach to engaging families and communities had developed to a great extent across 2020/21, with the remaining 16 respondents indicating their approach had developed to some extent across 2020/21. This is broadly consistent with the previous year, with 2020 survey evidence suggesting the majority of respondents (13 of 15) developed their approaches to engaging families and communities during the 2019/20 year.

3.12 Evidence from the Headteacher Survey 2021 indicates that the great majority of survey respondents had used engagement with families and communities as part of their school's approach to closing the poverty-related attainment gap. This was the case for 82% of respondents, with 47% indicating this had been 'to a great extent'. 2021 survey findings are broadly consistent with the 2020 survey.

3.13 The Headteacher Survey 2021 invited schools to describe how their approach to family and community engagement had developed in 2020/21, particularly during the period of school building closures. As with the 2020 survey, the most common way of schools developing their approach to family and community engagement was through increased use of 'outreach' communication with families, with increased contact with families both to build relationships and to improve their understanding and identification of circumstances and needs. The use of digital resources and platforms was also used as part of engagement with families by a substantial number of respondents, including digital support provision for those families with limited connectivity and/or digital literacy. This included increased use of social media for communication and engagement, as well as use of digital resources and platforms to support schools maintain frequent and more 'continuous' communication with families.

3.14 A tailored approach of engagement with and support for the most vulnerable families was also highlighted as a key aspect for some respondents. A range of communication options, including telephone, video messages and social media had been employed, and engagement approaches such as surveys and virtual sessions on a range of issues including health and wellbeing, mindfulness, family quizzes and other online social events.

To what extent did approaches selected aim to support pupils and parents from the most deprived backgrounds?

3.15 The evaluation sought to explore the extent to which selected approaches aimed to support pupils and parents from the most deprived backgrounds, with evidence sought from a range of sources.

Understandings of challenges and barriers faced by pupils affected by poverty

3.16 Understandings of the challenges and barriers faced by pupils affected by poverty are clearly central to the development of appropriate approaches. The Headteacher Survey 2021 continues to provide evidence of headteachers' perceptions, with findings suggesting headteachers have a good understanding of the challenges and barriers: nearly all (96%) per cent of respondents felt they understood the challenges and barriers faced by pupils affected by poverty, including 72% who felt they understood this 'to a great extent'. This is similar to the 2020 and 2019 Headteacher Survey findings, although there was some variation across respondent groups with PEF-only schools, primary schools, those in rural areas and those with lower PEF allocations less likely to feel they understood the challenges.

Targeted versus universal approaches

3.17 As in previous years of the evaluation, the evidence suggests some approaches focused on universal provision, whilst others were more focused on support of pupils from the most socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

3.18 Evidence from the Headteacher Survey 2021 suggests that most schools included a targeted focus on pupils and parents experiencing socio-demographic disadvantage as part of their approach to achieving equity. Survey results show that the majority of headteachers have taken a mixed response, with 82% of respondents supporting universal approaches alongside other approaches with a focus on those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage.

Awareness of the range of approaches and confidence in selecting approaches

3.19 Evidence on headteachers' awareness of the range of potential approaches available to their school in closing the poverty-related attainment gap, and confidence in selecting the most effective approaches has been gathered through the Headteacher Survey, with findings suggesting continued high levels of awareness and confidence in the 2021 survey.

3.20 Nearly all (95%) headteachers responding to the survey indicated they felt aware of the range of potential approaches available to their school, including 62% who felt 'very aware'. This was very similar to findings from 2019 and 2020 surveys although some variation across respondent groups was found, with PEF-only schools, those in rural areas and those with lower PEF allocations less likely to indicate such awareness.

3.21 Additionally, the great majority of headteachers who responded to the survey felt confident selecting the most effective approach(es), with 92% of respondents indicating this, including 47% who felt confident 'to a great extent. This was consistent with 2019 and 2020 survey findings, and once again there was a pattern of variation across respondent groups with PEF-only schools, those in rural areas and those with lower PEF allocations less likely to feel confident selecting the most effective approaches.

Changing circumstances affecting families as a result of COVID-19 and local authority and school responses

3.22 The evaluation also sought to explore how COVID-19 had impacted on the focus of approaches, on the circumstances affecting families and responses to these circumstances.

3.23 The Headteacher Survey 2021 explored these issues, with findings suggesting that headteachers have seen a range of new circumstances affecting families as a result of COVID-19 which may need to be taken into account in terms of closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Nearly all (99%) headteacher respondents felt that pupils and/or parents in need of support with mental health and emotional wellbeing had become more common since school building closures, including 78% who felt this had become 'much more' common. Whilst other circumstances were also highlighted as affecting an increasing number of families - including difficulties accessing support services due to COVID-19, families struggling with remote learning, digital connectivity issues and pupils and/or parents needing support with physical health and wellbeing – the increase in mental health needs was the most commonly identified issue.

3.24 A wide range of adaptations to approaches in response to the new circumstances outlined above were referenced by headteachers. Consistent with the new circumstances affecting families, changes made included:

• a greater focus on mental health (87%);
• more support for remote learning (77%);
• more support with digital connectivity (76%);
• additional staffing skills and capacity (71%);
• additional support for parents and families (67%);
• helping families access financial support, help with food, clothes etc. (67%);
• using community links/partnerships to reach more families in need (61%);
• greater focus on physical health and wellbeing (59%);
• initiatives to reduce the cost of the school day (58%).

3.25 There continues to be a wealth of evidence from evidence sources including the Local Authority Survey 2021 and Challenge Authority and Schools Programme progress reports regarding the importance of health and wellbeing within approaches, both before and during COVID-19.