INVOLVING parents in nurturing pupils' love for reading has been a rousing success for one Hillfoots school.

Alva Primary School's headteacher Allison Littlejohns told Clackmannanshire Council People Committee earlier this month how she utilised the £100,000 in Pupil Equity Funding at her school.

She explained that when pupils were asked, they highlighted a need and want for improved reading spaces, rather than having to flick pages at a desk.

This led to the redesign of some areas with the creation of a community library, where parents can also get involved and read together with their children – said to be a key factor in improving literacy.

She reported that "almost all" pupils now like to read, not just at school but at home as well, as teachers continue to build a "love for reading and real books".

Gemma Kennedy, headteacher at Banchory Primary School, also addressed the elected members at Kilncraigs.

She described how the use of digital technologies has enhanced learning at the Tullibody school.

A proportion of the funding was spent on hardware, such as iPads, and what was previously a high number of exclusions has come down with improved levels of attendance.

She added that research suggested the use of digital tools can help motivate children in their learning.

Teaching coding, or creating computer software, was also a focus, the headteacher reporting that 70 per cent of girls at the school are engaged in that activity.

At the same time, the school is also focusing effort on outdoor learning and it is understood Banchory is the first Wee County primary to embrace digital learning to such a great extent.

The main concern raised by elected members at the meeting related to the sustainability of the funding as a fair share of the money was being used to recruit additional staff, which included a wide range of roles from deputy heads to learning assistants.

Speaking to the Advertiser following the meeting, Councillor Graham Lindsay, committee chair, said: "I think it was clear from the two presentations, certainly from the inputs of the two headteachers were really-really positive in terms of the outcomes that they are seeing first hand.

"They mentioned literacy, reading in particular, where they are actually seeing significant improvements through the targeted work that Pupil Equity Funding is bringing in."

For now, the funding is committed only until 2021, due to the fact there is an election and new parliament set down for then.

However, Cllr Lindsay added: "I'm confident that if we continue the showcase the improvements that we are seeing through this funding steam then we will continue to receive funding in some form in the future."