£15 million of SNP attainment fund left unspent thanks to school staff shortage

Millions of pounds from Nicola Sturgeon’s flagship fund for driving up the performance of poor pupils are lying unspent because schools cannot find the staff they need to employ, according to an official assessment.

A Scottish Government-commissioned evaluation found almost £15 million of the £52 million handed to councils and schools during the first two years of the drive was not spent, with “difficulties in recruiting staff to posts” being blamed.

Local authorities singled out for extra help because they have high levels of deprivation spent only half of the £11.7million they were handed in 2015/16 and barely three-quarters of the £32.5 million they were given last year.

Some councils reported...