A major £4.3 million investment in education has been secured in Highland Council’s 2025/26 budget.
This funding marks a significant step forward for Highland schools, benefiting 31,000 pupils and over 2,000 teachers and support staff.
Education Committee Chair, Councillor John Finlayson, emphasised that the budget responds to the challenges faced by both urban and rural schools while creating vital investment opportunities.
The My Future Highland Programme is committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people, with a particular focus on supporting the most vulnerable.
This investment will strengthen the workforce by introducing Additional Support Need (ASN) specialist teachers and a new Pupil Support Assistant Lead Practitioner model.
The commitment to Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) remains at the heart of this initiative.
A significant portion of the funding will also be directed toward increasing teacher capacity, providing more time for curricular planning, and fostering leadership development.
Strengthening Additional Support Needs provision is a key priority, with £1.048 million allocated to enhance pupil support and create professional pathways for staff.
A ‘Pupil Equity Fund’ will be bolstered with an additional £0.320 million to help close the attainment gap for pupils impacted by poverty.
An investment of £2 million will enable more teachers to have the time required to plan and deliver high-quality education in line with national policy.
A further £1 million is dedicated to educational leadership development, ensuring that teachers receive the support needed to create effective learning environments.
Councillor Finlayson highlighted the importance of improving operating models to achieve greater efficiency and cost savings without negatively impacting pupils.
Falling school rolls will lead to expenditure reductions as staff deployment is reconfigured to maximise resources effectively.
Over three years, £0.744 million in efficiencies is expected by optimising resource alignment across all Council services.
Reviewing management post allocations across secondary schools will save £0.600 million, with further savings of £0.250 million from integrating multiple roles into a single, secure contract.
Improved short-term absence management will contribute an additional £50,000 in efficiencies.
Ensuring value for money remains a priority, and these measures will allow targeted investments to have the greatest impact.
This budget plan aims to strengthen the education system, ensuring that all pupils, regardless of background or challenges, receive the support they need to achieve their full potential.
The full budget report is available on the Highland Council website
