The Committee wanted to look at what is happening across Scotland, inside and outside school to support school children experiencing poverty. What work helps them and what the barriers are to this work succeeding. We also wanted to find out what support is not working and why. We wanted to hear about what works in local communities that could work elsewhere in Scotland.
We wanted to hear from those with practical experience who can tell us from personal experience what needs to change. We looked for responses from parents/guardians/carers, young people, teachers or other school staff and professionals who work with young people and/or families who experience poverty.
We highlighted a number of questions for different groups of people (below). The Convener also wrote directly to a number of stakeholders seeking views on the inquiry.
The deadline for response was Thursday 22 March 2018 although we accepted a number of responses after that date. All the responses can be found on the submissions page for this inquiry.
Questions
For parents/carers/guardians experiencing poverty, if you want to could you share:
- How your children have been supported (in school or outside school)?
- What was good about it and what could have been better?
- How has this impacted on what the children in your family have achieved?
- What other things might support your children in achieving at school?
For children and young people of school age experiencing poverty:
- How have you been supported (in school or outside school)?
- What was good about it? What could have been better?
- How has this impacted on how you get on at school including achievements?
- What other things would support you to achieve at school?
For teachers and other school staff:
- What has your school done to support children from families affected by poverty? What has worked well and what barriers have there been to success?
- Are there any services that your school has not been able to provide that you believe would work?
- How do services provided outside of school support families who are affected by poverty help with educational attainment?
- What else could be done to support the attainment of children and young people from families affected by poverty?
Other people who work to support young people who experience poverty, including work that helps attainment and achievement at school (this could be work that links in with a school or totally separate to school life):
- How has your work supported the educational attainment of children and young people? What has worked well and what barriers have there been to success?
- Are there any services that you / your organisation has not been able to provide that you believe would work?
- If you work with schools/local authorities/others to address school attainment and wider achievement, what makes collaboration on this issue easy/difficult?
- What else could be done to support the attainment /achievement of children and young people from families affected by poverty?