Perth and Kinross Council has set out its Education Improvement Plan for the coming year, which aims to raise attainment, improve attendance and support children and young people to reach their full potential.
The new plan must be submitted to the Scottish Government by the end of September.
It builds on the success of previous annual improvement plans.
The Education Improvement Plan highlights the Council's focus on enhancing the quality of learning and teaching in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings and schools. It also highlights the drive to improve inclusive practice and support for pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN).
Nearly 7000 children and young people —more than a third of the total in schools—are recorded as having ASN. The plan outlines strategies for the coming year to expand intensive support provisions, the continuum of support for children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural needs and to improve the local availability of inclusion support in schools.
Over the coming year targeted schools will develop language rich environments that will improve the talking and listening skills of children in primary 1. Employment opportunities will be developed to improve recruitment in Early Years and Childcare sector through a co-ordinated approach to developing the workforce, including the young workforce. A Digital Strategy will have been developed, presenting a shared digital vision for 2026-30 that will support learning opportunities for children and young people.
The importance of partnerships is also highlighted in supporting children and young people who may face additional barriers. A range of agencies are working with Young Carers, those who are care-experienced and those impacted by poverty to ensure that they too can achieve their potential.
The 2024/25 academic year saw a 12% reduction in reports of distressed, challenging, violent or aggressive behaviour in schools.
This progress reflects the impact of ongoing work by trade union representatives, school staff and Central Officers within Education and Learning to reduce incidents in Early Learning and Childcare settings and schools.
Attendance has also shown encouraging signs of recovery following the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Primary school attendance improved from 93% in 2023/24 to 93.8% in 2024/25, which is higher than the Scottish average of 92.5%.
Whilst secondary school attendance remains a challenge targeted interventions are being used to address persistent absence and five secondary schools are participating in the National Attendance Programme, supported by Education Scotland and the Council's Educational Psychology Service.
The Council's "Connecting Families" project supports families where attendance is critically low, and the redesigned Sustained Emotionally Based Absence (SEBA) programme is helping young people with mental health challenges re-engage with education.
Outcomes from the small-scale SEBA pilot included six participants gaining national qualifications, increased positive community involvement for all, and three young people making successful returns to school.
Councillor John Rebbeck, Convener of the Learning and Families Committee, said: "We want every child in Perth and Kinross to reach their full potential. Staff in our schools do tremendous work for the children and young people there, but we know every improvement we make means better life chances for those pupils.
"Our ambitious plan sets out strategies for improving attendance, raising attainment and providing the right support for those pupils who need it the most."
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