National Improvement Framework 2026: improvement plan

Outcome 4

High levels of achievement across the curriculum for all learners, with action to close the poverty-related attainment gap.

What the evidence is telling us

Local authorities’ stretch aims for 2023/24 – 2025/26 demonstrate local ambition for improvement and accelerating progress in closing the poverty related attainment gap over three years across a set of core measures (a sub-set of the 13 key NIF measures of the poverty-related attainment gap).

The interim evaluation report and a school-based survey report (published in August 2025) which drew on almost 1,000 responses from 600 schools highlighted that Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) funding had contributed towards ‘clear evidence that progress has been made, with two thirds of respondents noting a great/moderate improvement in attainment in literacy, and three fifths in numeracy.’ Key factors identified as contributing to progress were ‘increased/specialist staffing/resources, the ability to target interventions/approaches, and focusing on pupil wellbeing/needs/readiness to learn’.

Within each of the measures, there continues to be variation in outcomes for children and young people between different local authorities. There are a number of societal and socio-economic factors which influence attainment, which can impact on learning and achievement. Local authorities face different pressures and challenges, for example due to their geography, levels of deprivation, staffing levels, funding levels, and local priorities. These factors need to be considered when comparing performance.

Data demonstrates the National Improving Writing Programme (NIWP) is contributing to significant improvement in writing attainment locally and nationally, with ripple effects also being seen across numeracy, reading, listening and talking. Participating local authorities have been working towards combined and local stretch aims, with 8 of the initial 10 local authorities now achieving 70% or more in ACEL first level writing, and participating schools evidencing substantial improvements at first level and across other primary levels. The first level writing national average has increased to 74% from 70% in 2021/22.

There was recognition that NIWP has been proven to be a successful model for embedding a Quality Improvement (QI) approach and is being adopted beyond writing with local leads applying it to other curriculum areas. Continuing with NIWP in 2026/27 would ensure more schools who need it have access and time to fully embed it, increasing sustainability nationally, before moving national QI focus to another subject area.

Alongside this, the national Quality Improvement for Senior Leaders programme is supporting school leaders to apply the rigour of QI approaches to their local improvement priorities, and support practitioners to better understand data in classrooms. Positive feedback from Cohort 1 has resulted in an additional cohort for 2026.

Findings from HM Inspectors through school inspections tell us that robust tracking of attainment in literacy and numeracy is evident in the majority of schools, where systematic processes provide accurate overviews of progress for individuals, groups, and cohorts. These schools link tracking data to improvement planning and targeted interventions, resulting in measurable impact. However, variability persists. In around a third of schools, tracking systems are either newly introduced or lack coherence, limiting leaders’ ability to analyse trends or monitor the impact of interventions. Tracking across all curricular areas is even less developed overall, with many schools at an early stage of implementation. However, this is more advanced in secondary schools, where systems for tracking across all curriculum areas are generally better established. Targeted interventions are a strong feature in schools where data is used effectively to identify gaps and plan support. In these settings, interventions, often supported by Pupil Equity Funding (PEF), address barriers to learning and accelerate progress, particularly for children affected by poverty or additional support needs. Evidence from these schools shows clear improvements in attainment and engagement.

The HMIE thematic inspection of local authorities found that most local authorities have an accurate understanding of the performance, capacity, and context of each of their schools. In these authorities, officers ensure that their understanding of school performance is accurately informed by a wide range of qualitative and quantitative evidence. This enables them to monitor and maintain a strong understanding of each school’s capacity for improvement and areas of risk. Officers interrogate attainment, attendance, and exclusion data regularly, looking for patterns or dips in performance. They review the impact of the school’s use of Pupil Equity Fund on attainment. A few local authorities use data very well to provide targeted support to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy, including closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Their use of a central database enables officers to share information with support providers such as a central pedagogy team, enabling them to prioritise bespoke support accordingly for individual or groups of schools.

Personalised intervention is often needed to improve positive destinations for hardest to reach pupils.

Insight is the benchmarking tool for analysing attainment data in the senior phase, accessible by secondary schools and local authorities. The value of Insight and the potential to enhance it was specifically referenced in the 2021 Muir report.

Frontline support in the use of Insight (provided free of charge to schools and local authorities via the Insight Professional Advisor) receives extremely positive feedback about the support provided, and it remains in high demand. Over the course of school session 2024-25, the Insight Advisor provided support sessions to approximately 100 different schools across almost all local authorities. Eight Local Authority sessions were delivered to local authority staff. A six-part webinar “course” was added to the Advisor offer in session 2024-25, with 450 school leaders signing up for the initial cohort. Over 130 participants enrolled in the Cohort 2 sessions which ran following the September 2025 Update. Due to the ongoing demand for this support, an additional Insight Advisor will take up post in early 2026. As well as providing Advisor support, the new appointee will contribute to ASN developments.

What we will do to deliver

Building on the £1 billion investment in the Scottish Attainment Challenge over the 2021/22 – 2025/26 parliamentary term, we will invest up to £200 million in 2026/27 to continue the SAC programme for a further year, providing certainty of support for schools and local authorities beyond the Scottish Parliamentary elections. This will enable continued targeted local support to improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty, with a focus on closing the poverty related attainment gap. During this period, Scottish Government officials will engage with the Scottish education system to develop options for continued work to improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty in the longer term.

We will proceed with planning for implementation of the National Improving Writing Programme for 2026/27; continuing to support local authorities who participated in the initial stages of the Programme (Waves 1-4) and identifying new local authorities for Wave 5.

We will work with schools during academic year 2025/26 to amplify good practice that supports school leavers to enter positive destinations.

Insight, the senior phase benchmarking tool, will be refreshed to include updated measures, new analysis, and fresh user interface.

How we will measure progress

Monitoring of progress towards the key NIF measures and a reduction in the poverty-related attainment gap through the NIF Interactive Evidence Report (NIFIER); monitoring of progress towards stretch aims; continued evaluation activities; support and challenge from Education Scotland; and policy engagement with local authorities and schools.

Feedback will be gathered informally in the first instance through Insight support sessions in 26/27. Formal feedback will be gathered during 2027 to ensure the Insight tool is fit for purpose and to identify future improvements.