Item 12 Appendix 1
West Dunbartonshire Council · 24 June 2026
Back to Educational Services Committee — 24 June 2026 and its agenda
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Appendix 1 Pupil Equity Fund Interventions for Equity West Dunbartonshire Council Education, Learning and Attainment
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PEF Impact 2025/2026 – Thematic Grouping Attainment (Literacy, Numeracy & Writing) Aitkenbar PS In Aitkenbar Primary School the raising attainment teacher has worked with 119 children across P2-7, to support developing their reading skills and building staff capacity through team teaching approaches. This has helped 28 children increase their attainment by 1 CfE phase, an increase of 23.5%. There are now 82 learners across P2-7 working at expected levels and beyond in reading, with an additional 15 children now on track because of this intervention, an increase of 12.6%. Children report they are enjoying reading more and staff have observed an increase in the volume of books pupils have been reading. Clydemuir PS In Clydemuir Primary School our support teacher has worked with 59 children across the school to develop and consolidate their reading and writing skills. In Primaries One – Three the focus has been on phonics and blending to develop confidence in writing and in Primary Four the focus has been on improving confidence in sentence writing. We have used a mixture of active approaches including digital learning programmes. Dumbarton Academy In Dumbarton Academy, 27 pupils are receiving targeted literacy support through a dyslexia support group led by a support teacher, using Wordshark Software to develop spelling, reading and typing skills through personalised learning activities. Following an initial assessment to identify starting levels, pupils progress through increasingly challenging levels at their own pace while receiving regular feedback on their progress. 20 of the 27 pupils have already progressed by at least one level, with the highest improvement being eight levels. In addition to improvements in literacy attainment, the small-group approach has had a positive impact on wellbeing and engagement, with 100% of pupils reporting that they enjoy attending the group and feel it supports their learning, highlighting the value of interactive learning and increased confidence in their literacy skills. Bonhill PS Intervention Context & Rationale Over the past three sessions, Bonhill Primary School has implemented a dual- approach intervention designed to improve learner wellbeing, attendance, and literacy attainment. Recognising that traditional classroom environments can sometimes act as a barrier for our most disengaged learners, we utilised the Forest School framework as a primary engagement tool, paired with targeted, consistent in- class reading support.
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Key Achievements & Impact • Breadth of Impact: The programme has successfully reached over 100 pupils, providing a high-quality outdoor learning experience that prioritizes mental wellbeing and emotional regulation as a foundation for academic success. • Closing the Attainment Gap: By aligning Forest School delivery with dedicated in- class reading support from the same staff members, we have observed a measurable rise in reading progress. The continuity of staff across both settings fostered stronger relationships and increased learner confidence. Enhanced Engagement: The outdoor setting reduced "learning anxiety," allowing children to develop the resilience and focus necessary for their subsequent indoor literacy tasks. Conclusion: The synergy between outdoor experiential learning and focused literacy intervention has proven effective in breaking down barriers to learning. This holistic approach has not only boosted core skills in reading but has also fostered a more inclusive environment where our most vulnerable learners feel motivated to attend and achieve. Braehead PS In Braehead Primary School, our Pupil Equity Funding has been used to fund additional teaching time for targeted groups of children, focusing on those not achieving or at risk of not achieving expected levels in writing across different cohorts. This targeted intervention has increased our attainment levels across these groups (for example P3 in August - writing attainment was at 53% on track to achieve, now 80% on track to achieve and sustaining being on track).
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Carleith PS and Goldenhill PS Pupil Equity Funding has been used to create the "Centurion Award". HMIE recently evaluated this in Carleith Primary School writing the following: "Children use ‘Centurion Awards’ exceptionally well to develop their ability to recognise and track their own personal, social and academic progress. These awards, designed and created by the school community, link children’s behaviours, actions and progress directly to their ‘learning powers’. Children use these awards to set their own targets for achievement, create their own support plan, seek feedback from others, and collect evidence of their progress. Children are rightly very proud of their achievements. They explain eloquently how working towards achieving their awards advances their ‘learning powers’.” Kilbowie PS In Kilbowie Primary our PEF funded principal teacher has been working with a group of First Level pupils to support their skills in writing. They have been using the ‘Writing Bundle’ from the National Improving Writing Programme. This has had a positive impact on our pupils' attainment as almost all of the pupils are more engaged with their writing and have made improvement in their writing scores. They have been working on improving Tools for Writing and have been successful in using their bespoke success criteria to make improvement. All children have made improvement in termly writing assessments since beginning the project.
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Levenvale PS In Levenvale school, the majority of P1-4 children have participated in the Read Write Inc Phonics Programme. PEF has supported this through the purchasing of resources, training and additional staffing for smaller group teaching and interventions. The data from this shows that 75% of children have moved up at least three levels this year. “I used to prefer typing my stories but I am getting better at writing and I like it more when we write in our jotters.” “I never used to like writing because I wasn’t very good at it. Now I am better at adding punctuation, adjectives and figurative language. I like writing every day and for 15 minutes.” “I prefer writing everyday for a shorter time. I like having the success criteria in my jotter and Mrs Hainan puts the numbers beside the parts of the SC so we know how many of each we are aiming for.”
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Our Holy Redeemer PS In Our Holy Redeemer Primary school the raising attainment teacher has worked with 12 P5 children and 10 P2 pupils to support their skills in writing. This has helped children increase their attainment and their ability to use data to inform their next steps in learning. P5 pupil “I now know what I have to focus on to make my writing better, when we learn something new it can be hard at first but then when I don’t give up it gets easier and I feel better!” Our Lady of Loretto PS 5 teachers provided 40 hours of additional literacy support to 34 children. This has helped children make greater progress in reading and achieve benchmarks in line with national expectations for their age and stage. St Ronan’s PS 106 children and 6 members of staff have engaged in Visible Learning to improve learning, teaching and assessment through enhanced feedback. 61 children engaged in whole class or target group interventions, and all have made progress in the way they use feedback to move their learning forward. All staff report that their practice has improved as a result of this programme. St Stephen’s PS A group of P5 pupils received a 1:1 numeracy intervention. This supported 100% of children to increase their attainment (evidenced by improved maths age), with 20% now working in line with national expectations. (2023/24). A group of P2 pupils received an early numeracy intervention. This resulted in 100% of children increasing their pace of learning, with 33% now working in line with national expectations. (2023/24). A group of P4 pupils engaged in an online digital platform intervention. This led to 67% of children increasing their pace of learning, with an average maths age improvement of 18 months over 10 months. (2024/25). A phonics intervention was delivered to 17 pupils across P4 and P5. The initiative resulted in an average reading age increase of 20 months over a five-month period. (2024/25). A visual phonics intervention supported 9 pupils across P1–P3 who were not on track with phonics acquisition. All participants demonstrated accelerated progress, with three pupils achieving national expectations in reading (2024/25). Vale of Leven Academy (VOLA) Since December PEF has been used to second three primary teachers from our link Local Learning Community Schools to work at VOLA. As well as enhancing the teaching of Maths and English in first and second year classes, primary staff have worked with groups of our pupils on reading. 25 pupils have been provided with enhanced support to improve their reading and comprehension skills.
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Feedback from one of the primary teachers 'I feel the weekly reading group sessions have increased pupil enjoyment of reading, encouraged reading for pleasure and have equipped pupils with the necessary skills to not only decode the text but to gain a deeper understanding of it, through predicting, questioning, clarifying and summarising of the text.' Whitecrook Primary School PEF funding at Whitecrook Primary School has enabled the deployment of a class teacher to deliver targeted literacy and numeracy interventions for 27 children working below expected levels, with a focus on accelerating progress and closing identified gaps. Across both areas, structured small-group teaching, consistent modelling and approaches such as multisensory literacy strategies, Concrete- Pitcorial-Abstract (CPA) methods and Number Talks are strengthening core skills including phonics, common word recognition, sentence construction, the four operations, rounding and problem-solving. A shared meta-cognitive emphasis on concentration, task-stamina and independent application is helping learners build confidence, accuracy and resilience in extended tasks. Early evidence from assessments, jotter monitoring and classroom observations shows that pupils are beginning to transfer strategies more independently, demonstrating improved fluency, accuracy and engagement. Ongoing assessment and close collaboration with class teachers will ensure that next steps remain responsive and that learners continue to make strong progress towards their end-of-session literacy and numeracy targets. Wellbeing, Emotional Support & Mental Health Balloch PS In Balloch Primary a Pupil Family Support Worker supported the wellbeing of 30 pupils through a variety of targeted interventions. Individual check ins supported emotional wellbeing, providing children with support strategies and the opportunity to talk. Friendship groups supported collaboration and communication while developing social emotional skills through art or games. Outdoor learning and partnership working, with Choices and Loch Lomond Community Pantry, targeted improving motivation and engagement with literacy and numeracy through a real life context, also leading to improved attendance for some.
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Clydebank HS In Clydebank High School, groups of young people in S1 and S2 work with our Nurture Specialist. This is having a positive and measurable impact on our their social, emotional, and academic development. We currently have 2 groups of Nurture which is delivered to eight S1 pupils 5 periods per week and ten S2 pupils twice per week. It is through consistent small group support our pupils are developing greater confidence, improved emotional regulation, strengthened relationships with both peers and staff. As a result, the pupils are now more engaged in their learning, better able to cope with transitions, improved timekeeping, and attendance. Kilpatrick School At Kilpatrick School, we use PEF to fund Rebound Therapy. We have used our funding to buy equipment and train 5 practitioners across our setting. We have seen many benefits for our young people, such as relaxation, increased communication, and increased muscular tone and mobility. This has allowed our pupils to be more ready to learn and has improved their general health and wellbeing. We have managed to have over 40 pupils access this intervention and have had great feedback from staff, pupils and families. Our Holy Redeemer PS In Our Holy Redeemer Primary school 8 children have worked with a Pupil and Family Support Worker and Y -Sort-it on an outdoor learning project which focussed on developing communication and co-operation skills as well as increased attendance. The children have told us “I loved planning for our outdoor days as I have a lot of good ideas that I can share with others”. “xx is loving the chance to be outdoors all day and is excited to come to school!” (P7 parent)
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St Joseph’s PS In St Joseph’s Primary School, 8 pupils have worked with a Play Therapist, for around 12 weeks to help them to understand and express their feelings and thoughts. Parents and staff have told us that their child is able use strategies they have learned, to manage their emotions and transitions. Two of our older pupil’s attendance has increased by more than 10% due to being able to manage their anxiety better after working with the Play Therapist. St Martin’s PS The Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) has had a significant positive impact on our small primary school. Funding a 0.5 Learning Assistant has allowed us to backfill staffing and provide targeted wellbeing support for three pupils at First Level. This has included tailored 1:1 support, enabling the children to access a personalised curriculum. Staff have observed the children and report increased levels of participation and confidence. Parents have shared that their children’s needs are being well met through this bespoke support, highlighting the value of PEF in improving outcomes for our learners. St Mary’s PS, Alexandria In St Mary’s PS, one teacher has been employed as additional staffing over one term to offer targeted wellbeing support to 12 pupils across first level. The intervention involved a "soft start" to the morning within a quiet, small-group setting and the use of social stories to help the children settle into the day. There were also afternoon sessions x 4 times a week which focused on developing a growth mindset, building positive attitudes and learning strategies to manage big emotions. All children who participated spoke positively about the intervention. They all said it had helped them to manage better when they have ’big’ feelings. The teachers of the children have noticed a more settled start to the day with almost all of the children ready to engage in learning. All parents who responded said they have noticed a positive difference in their child's general wellbeing and mood since they began attending the wellbeing sessions. They have also been aware of their child using different strategies to manage self-regulation at home. St Peter’s PS In St. Peter’s Primary school 30 children have worked with a Pupil and Family Support Worker on Lego and Resilience projects. The Lego group supports children to develop their communication and collaboration skills. The children can talk about the role they have for the group—such as the "Engineer" or the "Builder"—and that i helps them to develop their listening skills and to solve problems as a team, which directly strengthens their peer relationships. The focus of the resilience work is to help children overcome fears and to develop confidence to tackle unfamiliar situations.
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Attendance & Engagement Bonhill PS Targeted Attendance Improvement: The initiative specifically targeted a cohort of pupils for whom low attendance was a persistent barrier to progress. For these ‘target’ learners, the Forest School sessions acted as a vital "hook," leading to improved attendance rates and a more positive disposition toward the school day. Carleith PS Data showed an improvement in attendance across the school with average attendance improving by 0.8 % in 2024/25. However, through PEF funding children were identified for target attendance support. Strategies such as leadership roles in the School Pantry, transport assistance, and dedicated key staff supporting families we have seen an average improvement of 6.43% in attendance of the target group. Edinbarnet PS Attendance at Edinbarnet Primary School has increased for almost all pupils supported by targeted intervention delivered by our Pupil and Family Support Worker (PFSW) for example emotional support, transport to school, tuition and financial support. Ongoing targeted support from the PFSW has improved attendance and reduced unauthorised absences for some of our families identified as needing support. Gavinburn PS In Gavinburn PS a play therapist increased engagement and attendance for 5 children. Also in Gavinburn PS, supported study classes in p7 increased attainment for 67% of participants.
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Our Lady & St Patrick’s HS The ‘Pitchin’ In’ Programme at Our Lady & St Patrick’s High School engaged 35 S2 pupils and delivered strong, measurable benefits, with 100% reporting improved understanding of how their behaviour affects the community, Police Scotland and their own wellbeing. Attendance was positive (80–90%), with all pupils reporting they enjoyed the sessions and expressed interest in further opportunities. The programme significantly strengthened awareness of key social issues—including sectarianism, exploitation, domestic violence, positive relationships, addictions and mental health—with 75% of our young people noting a considerable increase in understanding. Pupils valued open discussion with peers and police officers, often using football-based scenarios to relate to the issues explored, and their feedback reflected increased empathy, improved communication and greater personal responsibility. Overall, the programme strengthened relationships with police partners, supported early intervention and equipped young people with the confidence and language needed to make safer, more informed choices. Our Lady of Loretto PS A group of 17 children worked with the Pupil Family Support Officer on an outdoor garden project in collaboration with community partners. With a focus on developing skills for learning, life and work, all children have shown improved engagement and attendance. St Peter the Apostle HS At St Peter the Apostle High School, PEF funded a teacher to work on developing our Pupil Parliament to ensure stronger representation across the school. This has led to the introduction of hybrid meetings (online and in person), increasing engagement to over 300 young people. The Pupil Parliament now plays a central role in school improvement, contributing to key decisions including planning our Activities Week, the purchase of a new card reader, development of the coffee cart scheme, review of the draft behaviour policy, and evaluation of learning and teaching. In addition, pupils have directly influenced the design of enhanced study support, with over 400 young people accessing Easter provision, study weekends and targeted one-to-one outreach learning, leading to notable improvements in both wellbeing and attainment. A further PEF-funded initiative has strengthened family engagement, with staff supporting families to prepare nutritious meals, develop budgeting skills, and take- home ingredients to replicate dishes independently. This has helped build confidence, reduce financial pressures, and promote healthier lifestyles, contributing positively to family wellbeing and resilience. Pupil feedback highlights increased confidence in expressing views and a strong sense of being listened to and empowered in meaningful decision-making.
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St Ronan’s PS 60 children from P4 - 7 engaged in outdoor learning experiences with Operation Play Outdoors. This programme focussed on developing team building and problem- solving skills. 3 members of teaching staff shadowed these sessions and reported that children were engaged and motivated during these experiences. Children have reported that these experiences were enjoyable, challenging and they would like to continue to be involved in similar activities in the future. Vale of Leven Academy A target group of 20 S1 and S3 girls have worked with a Pupil and Family Support Worker at VOLA to improve their attendance through target setting and rewards. 13 girls (65%) have already improved their attendance since the intervention started in January 2026. An S3 girl has told us ‘it’s good to see my attendance finally going up and now I am managing full weeks of school when I haven’t been able to’.
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Family Engagement & Community St Mary’s PS, Duntocher PEF Impact Example 1 – Forest School Family Sessions Over the past four years, more than 50 families at St Mary’s Primary, Duntocher have taken part in our Family Cooking Project, working with a Community Chef, Working 4 U and school staff to prepare healthy meals on a budget. Parents reported increased confidence in cooking and budgeting, with one sharing that they now “enjoy cooking as a family activity” and another saying “I can now cook together with confidence”. Children also developed practical skills and a willingness to try new foods, telling us “we made all different foods and tried things we didn’t normally like”. Many families continue to use the recipes at home, demonstrating sustained impact on wellbeing, healthy choices and positive family time. PEF Impact Example 2 – Forest School Family Sessions Across three blocks of Forest School Family sessions, 21 families have taken part in weekly outdoor learning designed to build confidence, resilience and communication skills. Children reported feeling more confident in managing risk and showed increased determination, persistence and improved listening and talking skills. Parents also noted positive changes, with many saying they felt “more confident to allow their child to engage in risky play” and that they enjoyed learning together in a way that felt more meaningful than homework. Several families shared that they planned to continue similar outdoor activities at weekends, showing the project’s wider impact on family wellbeing and engagement in learning.
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St Michael’s PS Our baby and tots after school group engages families in a nurturing, play-based environment focused on building strong early foundations for learning and wellbeing. One parent/carer has Bookbug training and is able to lead singing and rhyme. Supported by our pupil and family support worker, the group strengthens relationships, promotes early communication, healthy eating and supports positive parent–child interaction. This targeted early intervention helps develop confidence, belonging, and the key skills that underpin successful transitions into school.
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Equity / Cost of the School Day Christie Park PS This year, we allocated a portion of our Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) to minimise the 'cost of the school day' for some of our families. By subsidising school trips, experiences, and the P7 residential trip to Ardentinny, we have worked to remove financial barriers and ensure equity for all learners. Specifically, this funding enabled 34 out of 37 P7 pupils to attend their outdoor residential trip without causing financial hardship for their families. Gartocharn PS In Gartocharn Primary School, a modernised and high quality reading scheme has been purchased to benefit all first and second level children. Assessments within Numeracy and Maths have been enhanced through the introduction of digital assessments. School trips have been made more financially accessible to all.
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Wider Achievement & Enrichment Choices School A lot of our PEF budget has gone to the purchase and maintenance of a minibus for Choices school. This has allowed us to place an emphasis on outdoor learning and cultural trips for all our young people. This has been recognised by parents, young people and HMIE as having a positive impact on the educational experience offered.
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Positive Destinations & Outcomes Vale of Leven Academy At VOLA a S&FE Hub youth worker has engaged with over 150 young people with barriers to engagement and at risk of a negative destination in the future. This is through tailored programmes of youth work interventions and this work has had a pivotal role in supporting VOLA’s continued strong positive destination data. This session there are currently 100 young people who have accessed the Hive for interventions in Literacy, Numeracy and Health & Wellbeing, 12 are S4 pupils receiving targeted support for National 5 Maths and English. There are currently 17 groups running across the week. A pupil has said 'I would never have been able to complete an assessment like this before having you as my Hive teacher. I was much more confident and have done much better now than I would have before I started the Hive.' Parental feedback is ‘My son now engages better with school, he had very poor mental health and struggled with school, but is now thriving and a much happier person. His relationships with his peers has improved.’ VOLA’s on-going PEF strategy supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds: 96.58% of students in quintile 1 achieved a positive destination. This is 3.34% higher than the National average and 6.27% higher than the WDC average. The "Deprivation Gap" is 3.42%. Nationally, this gap is wider at 4.72%, indicating that VOLA is more effective at ensuring equitable outcomes for its students. 94.03% of FME students at VOLA had a positive destination. This significantly exceeds the performance of FME students across WDC (86.72%) and the National average (91.46%). A target group of 20 S1 and S3 girls have worked with a Pupil and Family Support Worker at VOLA to improve their attendance through target setting and rewards. 13 girls (65%) have already improved their attendance since the intervention started in January 2026. An S3 girl has told us ‘it’s good to see my attendance finally going up and now I am managing full weeks of school when I haven’t been able to’. Since December PEF has been used for Primary specialists to work at VOLA. As well as enhancing the teaching of Maths and English in BGE classes, primary staff have been taking reading groups. 25 pupils have been provided with enhanced support to improve their reading and comprehension skills.
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Primary Teacher feedback is 'I feel the weekly reading group sessions have increased pupil enjoyment of reading, encouraged reading for pleasure and have equipped pupils with the necessary skills to not only decode the text but to gain a deeper understanding of it, through predicting, questioning, clarifying and summarising of the text.'