Falkirk school pupils 'achieve the unachievable' thanks to government funding

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Funding given directly to schools from the Scottish Government has helped some pupils in Falkirk "achieve the unachievable".

Pupil Equity Funding - known as PEF - is intended to help children from deprived communities do better at school and close the attainment gap.

Members of Falkirk Council 's scrutiny committee heard that £22 million of PEF money has been received by local schools since 2017. Read more: Falkirk councillors back call for government cash to help struggling councils And despite the major impact the pandemic has had on education, the money has been making an impact.Councillors were moved to hear how much PEF had meant to some pupils and their families.In particular, they heard how work in two local schools to improve relationships with families has had an almost instant impact.One member of staff at Falkirk High School said: "Watching a young person open his envelope from SQA was amazing!

He was a non-attender but by giving him a bespoke timetable and supporting him, he achieved the unachievable."The school used some of its PEF money to fund a home-school partnership officer who was able to offer not just emotional support but practical help too.The funding allowed them to help families struggling with the cost of living in various ways - from food vouchers and money for electricity and clothing to art and craft materials and money for social outings.Councillors heard that giving families quality time together helped to alleviate stress and improved emotional well-being.And the positive relationship between home and school led to some amazing results in a short space of time.As attendance for the young people involved increased on average by 21 per cent, most of them successfully attained within five