Pam Duncan-Glancy

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used to determine the most disadvantaged areas in the context of equity and excellence leads.

Answer · Natalie Don: In order to determine the number and distribution of the additional graduate posts across local authorities, datasets are used from the Care Inspectorate on the postcode location of Early Learning and Childcare settings, as well as the latest Scottish Index o…

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of its National e-Learning Offer, and, if so, what its conclusions were.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The “live” aspect of the National e-Learning Offer (NeLO), which includes interactive, online classes and study support from early years to senior phase, is evaluated via Annual Evidence of Impact Reports published by e-Sgoil. The latest report which covers a…

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how often it meets with the Scottish Funding Council, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the dates of its meetings with the Scottish Funding Council since August 2021.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government regularly meets with the Scottish Funding Council to discuss a range of matters.

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Family Learning Scotland Programme; if so, what it has learned from any such evaluation, and what actions it has taken as a result.

Answer · Natalie Don: The Family Learning Scotland Programme (‘the Programme’) was successfully delivered by Peeple from March 2020 to December 2021 despite significant disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Programme was managed through a contract and Peeple provided reports …

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation has been undertaken of the effectiveness of the outdoor learning practicum.

Answer · Natalie Don: The report on the evaluation of Out to Play Improve, initially named as the Outdoor Learning Practicum, was published on the Scottish Government Children and Young People Improvement Collaborative website in November 2022, and can be found here .  

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any consideration it has given to allowing colleges more financial flexibility.

Answer · Graeme Dey: We recognise the financial challenges facing colleges and understand the need for greater flexibility in college sector funding. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) implemented a series of flexibilities for colleges in both academic years 2022-23, and 2023-24.…

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the assessment in Audit Scotland's report, Scotland's colleges 2023, that risks to the college sector's financial sustainability have increased since its 2022 report, in which it stated that the Scottish Government should support colleges to plan for change.

Answer · Graeme Dey: We recognise the financial challenges facing colleges. We have committed to providing greater flexibility for institutions in how they use the investment that is available and autonomy to set ambitious, stretch targets for delivery. We are working closely wit…

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it took to help colleges improve their financial sustainability, following Audit Scotland's 2022 report on the college sector.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Despite the most difficult public spending environment since devolution, we maintained college resource budgets for 2023-24 at 2022-23 levels. The Audit Scotland report highlights that challenges and opportunities lie ahead as a result. The Scottish Funding C…

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Local Authority Digital Office has provided, or plans to provide, expertise and support to the development of a replacement student teacher placement system.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Local Authority Digital Office is a collaboration of Scottish local authorities, and independent of the Scottish Government. They are currently assisting the Student Placement Management Group in the planning for a replacement student teacher placement sy…

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local authorities, since 2021, regarding promotion and support to improve uptake of its early learning and childcare offer to eligible children, and what steps have been taken by (a) it and (b) individual local authorities to target support.

Answer · Natalie Don: The Scottish Government has been working with the Improvement Service and Scottish Futures Trust since 2017 to support local authorities with the delivery of the 1140 expansion programme. Prior to the statutory entitlement of ELC provision increasing to 1140 …

13 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many nurseries have received additional staff capacity through an equity and excellence lead, and whether it will provide a breakdown of any such additional capacity by local authority area.

Answer · Natalie Don: The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities to recruit Equity and Excellence Lead posts across all 32 local authorities, but does not monitor the movement of specific staff. Scottish Government publishes snapshot figures of graduate level p…

12 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the updated Strategic Framework for Scotland’s Early Learning and School Age Childcare Profession.

Answer · Natalie Don: The Programme for Government 2023-24 set out major new commitments on childcare including how we will test, for the first time, what an all-age childcare system will look like for Scotland in six councils. We will work closely with those communities, our pa…

4 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated average reading age is according to the latest assessments carried out by ACER UK for pupils in (a) S1, (b) S2, (c) S3, (d) S4, (e) S5 and (f) S6.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: ACER UK last provided assessments (Scottish National Standardised Assessments) for the Scottish Government in June 2022. This included a reading assessment for S3, but that assessment did not assess reading age. ACER UK have not provided any assessments for t…

4 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the areas of initial teacher training that equip teachers to teach reading to pupils effectively.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) accredit all initial teacher education programmes. This involves ensuring all programmes meet the GTCS Standard for Provisional Registration (SfPR). The SfPR sets out that student teachers are required to demon…

4 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reported decision not to include systematic synthetic phonics in initial teacher education.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Initial teacher education programmes ensure student teachers are exposed to a range of pedagogies to teach literacy and reading instruction. This can include systematic synthetic phonics, as well as other approaches.

4 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the reading ages of school children, and how it uses any such data.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government does not gather or hold any data on the reading age of school children.

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used to identify and nominate railway stations for the UK Government Department for Transport's Access for All programme.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Rail accessibility in Scotland is a reserved matter for the UK Government. In June 2022, the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed, in writing, to Transport Scotland that nominated stations will be assessed primarily against similar criteria to those used …

23 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funds are currently available to schools to maintain or make repairs to their playgrounds.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: All local authorities in Scotland have a statutory responsibility to manage and maintain their school estate, including school playgrounds. Since 2007, the number of schools in ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ condition has increased from 61% to 90.7% - seeing a 77%…

16 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm whether the mandatory service period expected of prospective educational psychologists to work within a local authority after undertaking the MSc in Educational Psychology is waived in the event that the prospective educational psychologist is unable to successful…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government and COSLA agreed jointly in 2018 to a significant investment in the training of educational psychologists, to address a shortfall in numbers of practitioners across Scotland. This investment was made to secure a workforce for employmen…

16 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish the national service specification for secure transport.

Answer · Natalie Don: The responsibility for the provision of secure transport lies with local authorities, and the development of this specification is being led by COSLA. Discussions with key partners around the use of the specification are ongoing and will be discussed at the …

15 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy that was announced in its Programme for Government.

Answer · Natalie Don: Ultimately, the costs of the strategy will be determined by the actions which are included when the strategy is finalised. These will require to be assessed and agreed within the context of the 2024-25 Published Budget process. To support development of the …

11 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates it will publish the outcome of its consultation, Enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland's homes.

Answer · Paul McLennan: The consultation is due to close on 19 October 2023. The responses will then be analysed to inform our next steps, which will be set out in due course.

10 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the support provided to pupils with additional support needs (ASN) who are entitled to free school meals is considered as part of school inspections.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government’s vision for Scottish education is excellence and equity and ensuring that every child has the same opportunity to succeed regardless of their social circumstances or support needs. The school’s approaches to closing the poverty relat…

10 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many young people have gained qualifications at Higher level, or equivalent, in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Table 1 provides the number of school leavers who left school with one or more National Qualification(s) at Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF) Level 6 or better from 2012-13 to 2021-22. This covers attainment in National Qualifications such as…

10 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many secondary schools currently employ a dedicated qualified librarian.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The requested information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

10 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to placing a statutory duty on local authorities to provide librarian services in schools.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Responsibility for school libraries is devolved to local authorities, who already have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services for their residents. There are no plans to impose a specific statutory duty on local authorities …

10 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many young people were in positive destinations (a) six months, (b) one year, (c) two years and (d) five years after leaving school in each of the last 15 years for which data is available.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government publishes statistics showing the number of young people who were in a positive destination three months and nine months after the end of each school year. These statistics are available on a comparable basis for school leavers from aca…

10 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the participation rate of children aged 10 to 15 is in cultural activities, including theatre, drama, music and sport.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The most recent data on sports participation is from the 2021 Scottish Health Survey, which shows that the average percentage of children aged between 11 and 15 that had taken part in a sport activity in the past week was 65%. The Scottish Government does n…

10 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the rate of attrition has been for the (a) primary and (b) secondary teaching workforce, in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Scottish Government collects data on teachers through the annual teacher census, statistics from this are available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-c…

10 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures progress regarding any reductions in intergenerational income.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the question S6W-20602 on ? 29 August 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/writt…