A new £100 million-plus fund aimed at ensuring youngsters from the poorest parts of Scotland do better at school has been unveiled by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Money from the Attainment Scotland Fund will initially be targeted at schools in council areas with the greatest levels of deprivation.
The four-year-long initiative will distribute £20 million in the coming financial year, with the money focused on improving health and wellbeing in primary schools, as well as increasing literacy and numeracy levels.
The fund will support the new Scottish Attainment Challenge - which is based on a scheme in London which has boosted school performance in the UK capital, as well as similar initiatives from across the globe.
Ms Sturgeon, who announced the new fund on a visit to Dundee, said she had been "particularly impressed" with the impact of the London Challenge in "transforming school performance".
The new Scottish Attainment Challenge will "draw heavily" on this initiative, she added.
Each school or cluster of schools could see its own bespoke improvement plant drawn up, with work also to be done to measure the impact of the scheme.
The First Minister said: "Education is both key to the future of Scotland's children and an investment in the future of Scotland's economic health.
"We know school education in Scotland is getting better, with record exam results and a record number of school leavers in work, education or training.
"While we are proud of what has been achieved, we have long recognised attainment as being an important area where improvement is needed and initiatives such as our Raising Attainment For All Programme are already starting to make a positive impact.
"But we know that much more needs to be done as too many of our young people have life chances narrowed by circumstances out of their control.
"The establishment of the Scottish Attainment Challenge, backed by the Attainment Scotland Fund, signals how strongly we are committed to righting that wrong."
Ms Sturgeon addressed an audience of teachers, student teachers and education experts as she visited the campus building that houses Dundee's St Joseph's Primary, Victoria Park Primary and the Balgay Hill Nursery.
She stated: "As I have seen today in Dundee, great things are already happening in schools across Scotland. By providing greater access to funding, expertise and resources, schools will have more opportunity to offer the creative and innovative teaching that helps our young people succeed."
She stressed the importance of learning "not just from good practice here in Scotland, but also from elsewhere in the UK and overseas, to find ways of working that have the greatest impact".
Ms Sturgeon continued: "I have been particularly impressed with the results of the London Challenge in transforming school performance in that city and so, while not all of it will be appropriate to Scottish circumstances, we will draw heavily on it in developing our own Attainment Challenge.
"We must do all we can within the powers and resources we have to narrow the gap and drive up standards at all levels.
"We want each child to enjoy an education that encourages them to be the best they can be and it is imperative they are given the tools now that will help them unlock the door to a successful future."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called for a greater focus on the early years and childcare in a bid to improve attainment.
Mr Rennie said: "It is critical and crucial that childcare is at the heart of the Scottish Government's attainment ambitions. Nobel prize-winner James Heckman tells us that the best educational investment we can make is before the age of three.
"Our plans to expand childcare to 40% of two-year-olds would give 8,000 more children the opportunity they need to get on in life.
"It would build a stronger economy and a fairer society. We can't afford for the SNP to take its eye off the ball for another year to focus on another campaign.
"Education is too important to be used as a pawn in the pitch battle between SNP and Labour. If the First Minister is serious about closing the attainment gap, she should give our proposals serious consideration."
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