Inspection of the learning community
Inspection of the learning community surrounding
Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen City Council
6 January 2009
Contents
1.
About the report
2.
The learning community
3.
Particular strengths of the learning community
4.
Examples of good practice
5.
How well do participants learn and achieve?
6.
How well does CLD help the community to develop?
7.
How effective are providers in improving the quality of services?
8.
Do CLD providers have a clear sense of direction?
9.
What happens next?
1. About the report
This report tells you about community learning and development (CLD) activities
in the communities surrounding Aberdeen Grammar School. It complements a
separate report on the school. We explain how well people involved in community
learning activities do in a wide range of experiences, and the quality of learning
activities on offer to them. We describe how communities can influence decision
making and how they can respond positively to their own issues. We also talk
about how organisations work together and how they improve lives in local
communities. Finally, our report looks at the vision for the area, and how well all
organisations and the community are working together to achieve it.
2. The learning community
The learning community around Aberdeen Grammar School includes the
Midstocket, Rosemount and West End neighbourhoods.
The number of workless people is 7.9% below the Scottish average of 15.1% and
4.6% below the rest of Aberdeen City. 4.5% of the catchment area population are
Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities which is higher than the city
average of 3%. The area is not a priority area for community learning and
development (CLD) resources. The CLD team had recently been restructured.
3. Particular strengths of the learning community
•
The commitment of operational staff.
•
Effective use of accredited award schemes.
•
Active participation in decision making by young people.
•
Commitment to equalities and inclusion.
•
CLD service has good relationships with local primary schools.
1
4. Examples of good practice
•
Midstocket Matters – Rosemount Rocks. The Rosemount Rocks Project is
an excellent collaboration between Skene Square School and Midstocket
Matters community newsletter. The project raises awareness of the social,
environmental and economic benefits of using local facilities. In addition to
raising these issues with the wider community, the project has supported
reluctant writers and raised levels of talking and listening amongst school
pupils.
•
Community Learning (Mental Health) Team. (Supporting transition back
into the community). The community learning mental health team provides
guidance and support to people with mental health problems. Participants
are actively encouraged to take up learning and leisure opportunities in the
community to aid their recovery and to encourage them to be full and active
participants in their community.
By visiting www.hmie.gov.uk you can find out more about these examples of good
practice.
5. How well do participants learn and achieve?
Performance reporting is improving. The Central Team Service Plan clearly
demonstrates targets being met and exceeded. Increasing numbers of young
people are accessing summer learning opportunities and after school
programmes. Authority-wide targets set for participation and successful
completion of Youth Achievement Awards and Dynamic Youth Awards had been
exceeded. Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-gender (LGBT) participant numbers
are increasing. Despite budget efficiencies, adult learners are being successfully
retained. The authority is introducing a recently purchased electronic
management information system for recording CLD data. The local team had
recently begun setting their own performance measures based on the three
national priorities for CLD taking into account budget efficiencies. Effective CLD
team improvement plans are in place. CLD providers have responded effectively
to trends. In light of feedback from young people, youth work provision has been
amended from the previous drop in model to more structured cultural and sports
activities. As a result, participant numbers have increased. Using police and
community warden intelligence, streetwork staff are quickly deployed to identified
hotspots. Approaches to reporting are quantitative rather than qualitative. Scope
remains to make better use of data gathered. There is potential to develop further
use of other accredited youth awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Young people
Young people have access to a good range of productive youth work programmes
and activities. In response to identified need, the emphasis is now on cultural and
activity-based programmes. Relationships between young people and youth
2
workers are very positive. Streetwork staff are enthusiastic and effectively
engage with young people. CLD staff working in partnership with The Terence
Higgins Trust (THT) are effectively supporting local LGBT young people through a
city wide support group. Young people are effectively engaging in decision
making. Five young people from the area are office bearers in the city wide
Youth Action Committee (YAC) (Council decision making structure made up of
elected representatives and young people). Two are members of the Scottish
Youth Parliament (SYP). Inclusion is firmly embedded in the YAC city wide youth
strategy. Increasing numbers of young people are successfully completing youth
achievement awards with set targets exceeded. P7 pupils in cluster schools
trained as sports leaders are confidently delivering lunchtime activity programmes
for P3 pupils. Links between CLD staff and Aberdeen Grammar School are
limited. As a result, young people are not getting the full benefit of services on
offer. Improved links and communication with uniformed organisations around
what providers are offering and how they might work together would be of benefit.
Targets set for groups need to be reviewed regularly to ensure progress is being
made.
Adults
Most learners are successfully progressing to further learning opportunities.
Learners are becoming more confident and engaged within a range of learning
opportunities. Target numbers of adult learners have been met despite budget
efficiencies. Learners show increasing use of their improved confidence and skills
within a range of situations in their lives. Positive parenting programmes are
assisting parents to support their children’s learning. Learners are actively
involved in local committees and organising community activities. The “Living in
Aberdeen” pack (a welcome pack for migrant workers) helps support learners
whose first language is not English to become active citizens. Staff create
supportive environments for learners in The Working for Families Project and the
mental health initiative. CLD staff use targeted and innovative approaches to
ensure the participation of ethnic minorities and disadvantaged individuals. Adults
with mental health issues are organising and running their own football training
and support group. Individual learning plans are not used with every learner or
every group of learners. Not all learners receive the offer of guidance which
would help to inform their learning choices, progression and assist in setting
goals. The range of learning opportunities offered, including online learning, could
be further developed.
6. How well does CLD help the community to develop?
The local learning community is served by skilled and committed community
members. The Midstocket and Rosemount Management Committees use their
skills and local knowledge to provide a number of beneficial activities for the
community. Rosemount Community Council provides good advice and targeted
funding to a range of other community organisations to increase community
involvement. Effective relationships between CLD staff, Skene Square and
Gilcornston Primary Schools have created positive outcomes for the school and
adult community. The Rosemount Management Committee has been successful
3
in retaining their community centre as a local resource and is heavily involved in
plans for its future development as a learning hub. The Midstocket Area
Management Committee has actively contributed to the 3Rs project, (local
authority school replacement programme) ensuring that adequate space is
provided in the new facility for community need. The Midstocket Community
Network undertake a Midstocket walkabout with the city council’s environmental
manager, representatives from police services and the roads department to
identify and agree action on local issues affecting the community. The CLD
service effectively support community organisations to come together under a
number of headings such as Family Fun Days, Health Events, and
Neighbourhood Network Events. These activities are successfully bringing
together a range of partners to tackle local issues. Community organisations now
need to introduce effective planning and evaluation against planned targets.
Capacity building training needs to be provided to community organisations,
particularly around periods of change. Organisations need to be more active in
encouraging inclusion and social and cultural diversity.
7. How effective are providers in improving the quality of services?
There is a commitment by staff locally to improve evaluation. Individual workers
contribute to the local team plan which is reviewed annually. Peer-led evaluations
are carried out on a regular basis as a means of providing evidence of impact on
learners. Thematic development groups are conducting a number of local
evaluations including Youth @THT. The Working for Families Project has been
effectively evaluated. CLD staff are actively participating in a city wide evaluation
of the impact of capacity building. The local CLD improvement plan is based on
the outcome of self-evaluation across the three priorities for CLD. Areas for
improvement are included in individual worker improvement plans. Training has
been given on the development of these plans. A consistent planning format
operates with specific reference to Scottish Government priorities. CLD staff
regularly use the Mid Stocket Matters newsletter as an effective mechanism for
reporting back to the wider public. However, there is a need to further develop
individual self-evaluation clarifying the difference between outputs and outcomes.
A more evaluative rather than descriptive approach to recording the impact of
youth work would be beneficial. There is no current Standards and Quality report
for CLD in place. Opportunities for staff to reflect on their own practice should be
developed.
8. Do CLD providers have a clear sense of direction?
At a local level, providers work well together. The CLD team leader offers
effective local leadership. CLD operational staff are held in high regard. An
effective service level agreement operates between CLD, Safeguarding
Communities – reducing offending (SACRO) and Aberdeen Council Strategic
Services. The Midstocket Network provides a good opportunity for service
providers and local people to meet. CLD staff are actively engaged with a number
of partners including the THT and Grampian Health Board. There are good links
with local primary schools. However, there is no agreed vision locally for CLD
4
partners. Young people at Aberdeen Grammar School are not benefiting from
CLD service input. Opportunities exist for youth work partners to better share
practice and develop joint working.
9. What happens next?
There are some important improvements needed, but because CLD providers
have a good understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement, and
communities are achieving well, we have ended the inspection process at this
stage. We will monitor progress through our regular contact with the education
authority.
We have agreed the following areas for improvement with the education authority
and its partners.
•
Develop effective working links between CLD service and Aberdeen
Grammar school in support of work with young people.
•
Further develop more consistent use of individual learning plans with all
adult learners to monitor their progress.
•
Ensure that learners are offered guidance at appropriate stages in their
learning.
•
Develop more qualitative reporting of impact on young people, learners and
the community.
•
Develop a more systematic approach to individual staff self-evaluation and
reflection.
Quality indicators help CLD providers and inspectors to judge what is good and
what needs to be improved in the work of the school. You can find these quality
indicators in the HMIE publication “How good is our community learning and
development? 2”
5
The report uses the following word scale to make clear judgements made by
inspectors.
Excellent
Very good
Good
Satisfactory
Weak
Unsatisfactory
Outstanding, sector leading
Major strengths
Important strengths with some areas for improvement
Strengths just outweigh weaknesses
Important weaknesses
Major weaknesses
HMIE checks five important quality indicators to keep track of how well all Scottish
CLD provision is doing. Here are the results for the learning community
surrounding Aberdeen Grammar School.
Improvements in performance
Impact on young people
Impact on adults
Impact of capacity building on communities
Improving services
Managing Inspector: Stewart Maxwell
6 January 2009
6
good
very good
good
very good
satisfactory
How can you contact us?
HMIE has responsibilities to evaluate the quality of pre-school education, all
schools, teacher education, community learning and development, colleges and
local authorities. We also publish reports of interest to the public and
professionals about services for children and evaluate child protection services.
From this extensive evidence we are able to give the professional advice needed
to support the development of educational policy.
For more information about the work of HMIE, including examples of good
practice and links to Journey to Excellence, please visit our website at
www.hmie.gov.uk
To find out more about inspections go to www.hmie.gov.uk. Please contact the
Business Management and Communications Team if you require any of our
information available in translated or other appropriate versions.
If you wish to comment about any of our inspections, contact us at
HMIEenquiries@hmie.gsi.gov.uk or alternatively you should write to Business
Management and Communications Team, HM Inspectorate of Education,
Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston
EH54 6GA.
Our complaints procedure is available from Rona Littleproud, HM Inspectorate of
Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way,
Livingston EH54 6GA or phone 01506 600258 or from our website at
www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints
procedure, you can raise a complaint with the Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman (SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to
investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should
write to the SPSO, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also
telephone 0800 377 7330, fax 0800 377 7331 or email ask@spso.org.uk. More
information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website
www.spso.org.uk.
Want to join us?
In addition to HMI, inspection teams often include people who are not HMI but are
involved directly in education. They are called Associate Assessors and most
work in community learning and development. Most inspection teams also
include a member of the public called a Lay Member. More information about
how you can become an Associate Assessor or Lay Member is available at
www.hmie.gov.uk .
Crown Copyright 2009
HM Inspectorate of Education
7