GLASGOW’s top education official has issued a warning about “snake oil salesmen” trying to get their hands on £21m of extra school funding coming to the city.

Maureen McKenna, who is in charge of education services at the city council, said schools had been “inundated” with requests from individuals eyeing up the new funding pot for headteachers.

The Scottish Government’s new flagship Pupil Equity Fund (PEF), which comes into effect in April, gives over £120m to head teachers, not councils, to help close the attainment gap.

John Swinney, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, is rethinking the current role of local authorities in delivering the school service and believes heads are better placed to make key spending decisions.

Glasgow will get £21.6m of the pot – the biggest chunk of the new funding – and the council gave this newspaper access to key education figures on the eve of the money becoming available.

Mary McNulty, the headteacher of St Roch’s primary which serves the deprived Royston area, supports the PEF and her school will be getting around £160,000.

At the school pupils in primary 1 are above the Glasgow-wide levels in reading, writing and numeracy, but by primary 4 the school is behind in these areas.

McNulty said the “main focus” of the new cash will be on “early intervention” in primaries one to three.

She said parental involvement in the first year at school is high, but tails off, and so the PEF won’t just be about helping pupils.

“This money is going to help me get staff in to support children and parents,” she said.

The headteacher intends to hire a child development officer and said: “We are wanting to raise the children’s attainment that is measurable. And we are wanting to raise our children’s confidence.”

Jean Miller, who is the headteacher of Smithycroft secondary in Glasgow, is also optimistic about the scheme.

Her school, which is yards away from Barlinnie prison and serves pupils in the city’s east end, will be getting around £140,000 in PEF.

In 2013, Education Scotland’s inspection report awarded the school “very good” grades in all areas. However, it also pointed to scope for improvement. By the end of fourth year, pupils were ahead of so-called “comparator” schools, but behind nationally on some indicators, a gap that grew in fifth year.

Miller said her school is “still not there yet” in some areas between S4-S6, but is planning to use the PEF to build on initiatives she believes have already led to improvements.

She cited digital learning, study support, investment in one-to-one mentoring and literacy development as areas that could be accelerated.

Miller also said targeting a small number of pupils can be beneficial: “It doesn’t always reach huge numbers of young people, but it can not only have an impact on that individual young person, but can actually have an impact on the rest of the peer group. These are the kinds of initiative we are looking at.”

The Herald:

Picture: Jean Miller, Head teacher at Smithycroft School in Glasgow

However, the local council will still have a key role in the PEF.

The local authority has circulated a 44-page guidance document advising headteachers on spending the extra cash.

In Glasgow, schools in receipt of PEF money will have to submit a proposal to the council on how their decisions will improve literacy, numeracy and health and well-being.

Targeted outcomes, such as on raising attainment and attendance levels, or reducing exclusions, will be specified.

Schools will also hand over a summary report to the council at the end of each academic year that evaluates progress in meeting these outcomes.

Speaking to the Sunday Herald, McKenna, who is the executive director of education services at the council, said her department is “very relaxed” about the extra money going to schools.

However, she said the role of headteachers cannot be seen in isolation: “It makes sense that additional funding goes directly to the headteachers, as long as it is a team approach that is taken. It is not headteachers’ money. It is local communities’ money.”

She added: “The funding is a partnership between the schools, the local authority and the Scottish Government – and it is the headteachers who are just leading the process because they know their communities.”

On the council’s role in monitoring how the public money is spent, she said: “It is about making sure that what they are doing does add value. There’s a quality assurance element to it.”

As an example, McKenna recalled her scepticism about a suggestion by one school about spending money on a carpet. “Will a carpet raise attainment? Tell me what outcomes will improve?”

McKenna also issued a warning about outside interests trying to get their hands on a chunk of the £21m.

“We have to beware of the snake oil salesmen because they are coming out from every corner,” she said.

She said headteachers should be mindful of people who say “I can fix your literacy problems, just give me a huge wad of money”, adding: “My inbox is full of them and our schools are inundated with them. It is very attractive, particularly in Glasgow where we’ve got £21m coming in.”

She pointed out: “Audit Scotland will be auditing our books, not individual head teachers.”

Although she is grateful for the extra funding, Miller is keen to stress the positive relationship her school has with the council.

“So whilst it is all very good the money coming to the school, without the support of my colleagues at the centre we wouldn’t be able to achieve what we are doing.”

At a meeting hosted by Swinney on the PEF at Celtic Park recently Miller asked the Cabinet Secretary about this relationship

She told this newspaper: “It does concern me that we might enter a period of change that that level of support, as well as scrutiny, might not be there.”

Bailie Liz Cameron, who is the Executive Member for Children, Young People & Lifelong Learning at the council, said: “We welcome the additional funding for our schools as this will complement the amazing work they are doing as part of the wider Glasgow’s Improvement Challenge to raise attainment and achievement.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The Pupil Equity Fund provides additional support, allocated directly to schools, to target closing the attainment gap. Headteachers should work in partnership with each other and their local authority to agree the use of the funding and ensure best value for money.

“The Scottish Government is providing information on proven, evidence based interventions that assist in closing the attainment gap. This is available on the Education Scotland Improvement Hub and provides a valuable resource that will assist headteachers in ensuring these new resources have maximum effect."