A partnership between councils in the north of Scotland has been awarded £385,000 from the Scottish Government to unlock the potential of schools in their area.
The Northern Alliance, which comprises seven northern and island local authorities, will receive the funding over two years to pool and strengthen resources that support learning and teaching.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney made the announcement days after setting out sweeping new powers for schools which promotes collaborative working at all levels of the education system.
The Deputy First Minister said: “Where collaboration is already taking place we have seen a demonstrable and positive impact on young people. This funding will allow the Northern Alliance to build on and share best practice across the system.
“It is a brilliant example of working together, supporting networks and partnerships that are tailored to local needs.
Funding boost for teaching collaborative
21 June 2017
“This is part of our wider package of support to empower teachers and bring about real change. Let me be clear, we have excellent teachers across Scotland who are committed and working hard to raise attainment.
“The best decisions about a child’s education are taken by those who know that child best – their parents, teachers, school and young people themselves. By giving headteachers control over how schools are run and enhancing the role for parents we will ultimately improve the life chances of our children.”
A spokesperson for the Northern Alliance said: “The funding will allow us to extend the number of schools involved in our literacy project, deliver school based training and peer to peer coaching for numeracy teaching and to address the poverty gap.”