EFFORTS to close the attainment gap in the town have been praised by the headteacher of a Dumbarton secondary school.

Funding from the Scottish Attainment Challenge is being used to provide integrated support for parents and pupils through the development of a multi-agency hub at Our Lady and Saint Patrick's High School.

Attainment Advisors from Education Scotland have been working in the school to support the delivery of the challenge since its launch five years ago.

They play a strong role in linking the work of Education Scotland, Scottish Government and local authorities to improve educational attainment and to reduce the attainment gap between children from the least and most socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

The hub has improved pupil and parental engagement, increased attendance and reduced exclusions for pupils and families receiving personalised support.

Pupils have clocked up over 2,500 volunteering hours (the equivalent of 100 days) as a result of the hub, supporting them to give back to their local community.

Christopher Smith, head teacher at Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School, said: “Our multi agency approach has supported us to build further upon our strong relationships with our students and their families. The agencies who work alongside us have brought a great deal to the school in terms of supporting the wellbeing of all of our young people and those most in need.

"We are able to provide a truly integrated service with regards to pupil support through nurture, mindfulness, resilience development, interpersonal relationships and parent and carer learning opportunities. Our staff have a higher degree of leadership capability and this further strengthens the ethos and vision of our school as we strive to support all of our young people to maximise their full potential in all aspects of their lives.”

The multi-agency hub project is aligned to the area’s overarching priority to reduce inequalities and support citizens and communities to be flourishing, independent, nurtured, empowered and safe.

And the family opportunities team provide families with advice and support in relation to finance, housing, volunteering opportunities, employment pathways and learning opportunities. A number of parents have since gone on to achieve SQA qualifications.

Gayle Gorman, chief executive at Education Scotland, said: “The multi-agency hub at Our Lady and Saint Patrick's High is a great example of how schools can help improve attainment by taking a proactive approach to identifying and helping remove the barriers young people may face in achieving their full potential.

“Closing the attainment gap is vital for a modern, successful Scotland and everyone involved in Scottish education must continue to focus on reducing the impacts of deprivation on educational outcomes.”