REFORM Scotland claims Government guidance to headteachers on the use of direct funding for schools is too prescriptive.

The right-leaning think tank says that while it backs the introduction of the Pupil Equity Fund (PEF), its goal of empowering headteachers and giving schools more local autonomy risks being undermined.

The scheme provides direct funding to schools to reduce the attainment gap between poorer and better off pupils. This will give headteachers control over spending of around £1,200 per deprived pupil on their roll.

But will operational guidance to schools thwart any attempts at innovation and creativity?

The concern expressed by Reform Scotland is that headteachers are still expected to comply with many local authority processes including accounting procedures.

But this seems reasonable – it is still necessary for schools to be accountable for the way they spend public money. Meanwhile, heads appear to have been involved in shaping the guidance themselves.

What was proposed by the Scottish Government was never the kind of academy schools so prevalent – and criticised in many quarters – in the English education system.

If your starting point is that local authorities are a barrier to educational progress, then the new approach will not meet with approval. But there was never any intention to get rid of local education authorities and they will still be part of the process, whether we like it or not.

There is also a legitimate argument that during the transition to a new system headteachers need time to build their own capacity and that of their school to determine new approaches.

The initiative will not work if ultimately the guidelines do get in the way of local flexibility and block new ideas. But if the systems for administering the PEF are too prescriptive, time will tell. At present, Reform Scotland’s conclusion that this approach will perpetuate a risk-averse and centralist culture seems simply premature.