A paper summarized the findings from research into the impact of Scottish independence on higher education funding and, in particular, views on the funding regimes in England and Scotland and the potential impact on cross-border student numbers.
Source: Sheila Riddell, David Raffe, Linda Croxford, Elisabet Weedon, Sarah Minty, and Susan Whittaker, Briefing 5: Summary of research findings, Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity (University of Edinburgh)
Links: Paper | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Jun
The Scottish Government published its response to a consultation on draft guidance on improving access to education, as required by the Disability Strategies and Pupils' Educational Records (Scotland) Act 2002.
Source: Planning Improvements for Disabled Pupils' Access to Education: Consultation report, Scottish Government
Links: Consultation response
Date: 2014-Jun
The Scottish Government published the final report from the Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce. The report focused on the enhancement of the status of vocational education, and on the engagement of business and industry with schools and colleges. It made a wide range of recommendations for schools, colleges, and employers, including for encouraging and supporting employers to recruit more young people, and for addressing equalities issues across gender, Black and minority-ethnic groups, disabilities, and for care leavers.
Source: Education Working For All! Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce Final Report, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Summary | Scottish Government press release | BBC report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Jun
A report examined the relationship between children's experience of pre-school provision and change in their social and cognitive development between ages 3 and 5, drawing on data from the Growing Up in Scotland study, combined with administrative data provided by the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland. The project had examined differences in the characteristics of provision experienced by different children and whether, in particular, the quality of the provision influenced change in children's outcomes. Noting the variation in form and quality of provision, the report concluded that the evidence suggested that consistent and universal access to high quality pre-school provision would benefit children in terms of their vocabulary ability and social and behavioural development, thus helping to reduce socio-economic inequalities in such outcomes.
Source: Paul Bradshaw, Gemma Lewis, and Tracey Hughes, Growing Up in Scotland: Characteristics of pre-school provision and their association with child outcomes, Scottish Government
Date: 2014-Jun
A report examined the nature and consequences of the educational outcomes of children from low-income households in Scotland, relative to children from high-income households. It said that the gap was already evident by age 5, and that lower attainment in literacy and numeracy was linked to deprivation throughout primary school. The authors had found that, although overall attainment at age 16 had risen, a significant and persistent gap remained between groups, and children from deprived households were more likely to leave school earlier and without qualifications. The report said that the attainment gap could be reduced by a number of evidenced measures, including: high-quality, pre-school education; whole-school reforms based on timely, relevant data; and closer partnerships between home and schools. The report concluded that guidance on reducing the impact of poverty on attainment should be explicitly included when developing policy on curriculum and inspection. It called for a national evidence base of 'what works', and for professional development in how to use evidence in curriculum design, resource allocation, and practice monitoring and evaluation.
Source: Edward Sosu and Sue Ellis, Closing the Attainment Gap in Scottish Education, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report | Summary | JRF press release | University of Strathclyde press release
Date: 2014-May
A report examined the experiences of learners with dyslexia in primary, secondary, and special schools, the provision made by local authorities, and the programmes of initial teacher education currently offered by universities in Scotland. It said that local authorities were improving services for supporting learners with dyslexia, but provision needed to be more consistent. The report made a range of recommendations for improvements including training, the recording and meeting of need, and early intervention.
Source: Making Sense: Education for children and young people with dyslexia in Scotland, Education Scotland
Links: Report | Education Scotland press release
Date: 2014-May
A report said that Scottish schools and local authorities did not adequately plan for the needs of children with disabilities, as required by the Education (Scotland) Act 2002. The report called on the government to be more directive in its guidance, for a greater focus on deliverable strategies, better consultation, and physical changes to school premises to improve accessibility.
Source: Excluded: How Scotland's schools are failing to plan for disabled pupils' needs, Scottish Disability Equality Forum
Links: Report | SDEF comment
Date: 2014-Apr
The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 was given Royal assent. The Act provided for additional, funded early learning and childcare, for every child and young person to have a named person from birth responsible for safeguarding their well-being, for the extension of the upper age limit for young people leaving care, and for kinship carers to be provided with more support from local authorities.
Source: Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, Scottish Parliament, TSO
Links: Act | Explanatory notes | Scottish Government press release | BBC report
Date: 2014-Mar
A report evaluated the perceived effectiveness and impact of school leadership training provided through the national routes to headship (the Scottish Qualification for Headship and the Flexible Route to Headship) and Glasgow City Council's Aspiring Heads programme. It said that there was a variety of provision and content across the local authorities in Scotland and that, while participants tended to value the skills and experiences gained through the programmes, prospective employers did not always list them as required competences when recruiting head teachers. The report made recommendations.
Source: Glenys Watt, Keir Bloomer, Ian Christie, Colin Finlayson, and Simon Jaquet, Evaluation of Routes to Headship, Scottish Government
Date: 2014-Mar
A report provided the findings from a literature review on what works in widening access to higher education. It made recommendations for universities in Scotland.
Source: Action on Access: Recommendations to achieve further progress on widening access to higher education in Scotland, Universities Scotland
Links: Report | Universities Scotland press release
Date: 2014-Jan
