Rosneath Primary School has gone from strength to strength since benefitting from the Government’s Attainment Scotland Fund 18 months ago.

The school was one of 57 schools across Scotland to receive a share of the funding, aimed at improving literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing for primary school pupils.

Argyll and Bute Council's Head of Education, Anne Paterson said: “Some of the pupils lacked confidence in reading and literacy so the school began to change its way of teaching and encourage pupils to become more confident learners.

"Since then there's been a significant improvement, not just in reading and literacy but across all subjects and in the children themselves.

“In reading, pupils are advancing at a tremendous rate. Data shows gains of an average of eight months for almost all children over the first seven weeks.

“There has been a massive change across the board. Pupils have become really confident and enthusiastic about learning. All of the primary four to seven children have signed up to become reading buddies and there are 25 children in this age range accessing the Accelerated Reading Programme.

“Parents have been a contributing factor to the success of the scheme. Parental involvement is up by 50% and there is a real family feel in the school, with parents/guardians taking an active interest in what’s happening.

"Some of the most vulnerable families are now working alongside a Homelink member and the school has also purchased new cooking equipment to support the cooking club and encourage health eating, with parents being involved in this too.

“The fund has been extremely beneficial to the whole school community.”

Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Education and Lifelong Learning, Councillor Rory Colville, said: “The Attainment Scotland Fund has clearly had a very positive impact on Rosneath Primary School and this is extremely encouraging news.

"The successes which have taken place show a welcome difference not only to the pupils themselves, but to parents and guardians. There appears to be a very positive ethos at the school which I warmly welcome. Children need to be happy at school in order to thrive and this certainly seems to be the case at Rosneath.

"I would like to congratulate everyone involved for their hard work and dedication. For reading and literacy statistics to increase at the rates they have is exceptional and shows an eagerness to succeed."