Dumfries and Galloway Council
May 2007
Contents
Page
Introduction
i
1.
The aims, nature and scope of the inspection
1
2.
What are the challenges for the Council?
1
3.
How good are attainment and achievement of children and young
people and how well are they supported?
2
4.
What impact has the authority had in meeting the needs of parents,
carers and families, staff and the wider community?
10
5.
How effective are key processes and planning?
15
6.
How well is the authority led?
16
7.
What is the Council’s capacity for improvement?
21
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Quality indicators – Core and Additional
24
Appendix 2 – Performance information
25
Introduction
The education functions of each local authority in Scotland were inspected between
2000 and 2005. A second cycle of inspections began in 2006 taking a proportionate approach
using the findings of the original inspection and other information subsequently available.
Section 9 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 charges HM Inspectorate of
Education (HMIE), on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, to provide an external evaluation of the
effectiveness of the local authority in its quality assurance of educational provision within the
Council and of its support to schools in improving quality. Inspections are conducted within a
published framework of quality indicators (Quality Management in Education 2) 1 which
embody the Government’s policy on Best Value.
Each inspection is planned and implemented in partnership with Audit Scotland on behalf of the
Accounts Commission for Scotland. Audit Scotland is a statutory body set up in April 2000,
under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. It provides services to the
Accounts Commission and the Auditor General for Scotland. Together they ensure that the
Scottish Executive and public sector bodies in Scotland are held to account for the proper,
efficient and effective use of public funds.
The inspection team also includes Associate Assessors who are senior members of staff
currently serving in another Scottish local authority.
1
Quality Management in Education 2 (HM Inspectorate of Education 2006) is a framework of self-evaluation for Local
Authority Education Services.
i
1. The aims, nature and scope of the inspection
HMIE inspects the education functions of all 32 councils within Scotland as part of its
commitment to inspect and report on the quality of education and to help secure
improvement. HMIE reported on the first inspection of Dumfries and Galloway Council in
February 2005. In the period since the publication of this report HM Inspectors have worked
with senior officers of the Council to monitor progress on the main points for action arising
from the 2005 report. This report refers to progress since the 2005 report as well as looking
more widely at education across the Council.
During the inspection, members of the inspection team visited the neighbourhoods of Annan,
the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, Sanquhar and North West Dumfries.
2. What are the challenges for the Council?
Context
Dumfries and Galloway is the third largest council area in Scotland, covering
6,425 square kilometres. It has a population of around 147,000, mostly within 120 small
towns and villages. Only two towns, Dumfries and Stranraer, have a population of more
than 10,000. Forty-nine percent of people live in rural areas, in contrast with 19% in
Scotland as a whole. Twenty-six percent live in remote areas, in contrast with 8.5% in
Scotland as a whole. The geographic scale of the Council, the dispersed nature of its
population and the pressures arising from demographic changes pose significant
challenges for the overall allocation of resources within the Council, and for Education
and Community Services (ECS) in relation to its schools estate, workforce planning and
professional partnerships with community and health services.
The Council comprises an extensive rural area with just over 8% of Scotland’s agricultural
land. The proportion of jobs in agriculture, forestry and fishing was 6% compared with a
national figure of 2%. The proportion in finance and business was 8% compared with the
Scottish figure of 18%. The unemployment rate of 2.8% was below the figure for Scotland
as a whole. However, there was significant unemployment in some areas and pockets of
rural deprivation. Of those employed, 71% were in full-time employment, compared with
the equivalent Scottish figure of 75%. The overall percentage of children in primary schools
entitled to free school meals had risen from 11.2% in 2004 to 13.6% in 2006. In secondary
schools, it had risen from 6.8% to 10.1%. These figures are above the proportions for
comparator authorities 2, but below those for Scotland as a whole.
The proportion of children aged under 16 years had decreased by 1.8% from 2000 to 2004
and over the following ten years is projected to decrease by a further 17%, well above the
anticipated average of 9.7% for Scotland as a whole. By contrast, the number of pensioners
was anticipated to increase by around 17% in that period, above the average for Scotland.
2
The term ‘comparator authorities’ refers to the group of education authorities which are comparative to each other in terms of
socio-economic and demographic factors.
1
The education authority is responsible for around 21,000 pupils in 16 secondary schools,
107 primary schools, and two special schools. The future of the special schools was under
review at the time of the inspection. Many schools had small rolls, with 40% of primary
schools having 50 pupils or less and six secondaries having 500 pupils or less.
Political and organisational structure
Dumfries and Galloway Council was controlled by a minority Labour administration,
which had replaced the former Independent, Liberal, Scottish National Party alliance in
February 2006. The Labour administration held 13 out of the 47 seats and convened the
Council, chairing the Corporate Policy Committee and its Schools/Public Private
Partnership (PPP) Sub-Committee, and the ECS Committee. The ECS Department was
led by a Director, with a Chief Social Work Officer and four Group Managers responsible
respectively for Schools Services, Community Services, Adult Services and Business
Services. At the time of the inspection, imminent retirals within the Schools Group and a
restructuring of the operational functions of the community learning and development
(CLD) service were resulting in ongoing reorganisation within ECS. An immediate
challenge for the Council was the management of these changes.
The ECS Committee was responsible for pre-school and schools; services for adults and
older people; services for children and families; CLD; leisure and sport; libraries, arts and
museums; registration; housing strategy, including homelessness; youth justice and criminal
justice; youth work and the Children’s Panel Advisory Committee. The ECS Committee has
three sub-committees, namely the Children’s Services Sub-committee, responsible for
developing services for vulnerable children and children in need, the Adult Services
Sub-committee responsible for services to older people and adults with disabilities, and a
Voluntary Sector Sub-committee which deals with grants to voluntary organisations.
The Council was structured on the basis of four geographical Area Committees, and
seven Community Area Committees. Four Area Managers were responsible to the Chief
Executive’s Department for implementing and developing the Council’s policy for
decentralisation, for monitoring and adapting local services to meet needs, for developing
community planning and joint working, and for managing local area committees and
customer service centres. Following a Best Value review, the Council agreed in June 2006
to transfer operational responsibility for CLD from ECS to the Area Managers within the
Chief Executive’s Department, as part of the Council’s policy of de-centralising services. At
the time of the inspection the budgetary, management and logistical issues related to this
decision were still under active consideration.
3. How good are attainment and achievement of children and young
people and how well are they supported?
The quality of outcomes achieved by children and young people and improvements in their
performance varied across different sectors. Overall performance in this area showed
strengths, which outweighed weaknesses. Outcomes in some aspects were good or very
good. However, performance within the National Qualifications framework in secondary
schools was variable and uneven. The impact of authority work on the experiences of
learners also varied. It was adequate overall and was improving.
2
Pre-school
The Council had continued to build on the quality of support in pre-school contexts for
children and their families. The impact of the Early Years Team was good overall, with
very good outcomes achieved in a number of areas. The bringing together of the National
Childcare Strategy, pre-school education funding, SureStart, Working for Families, Early
Years Health Improvement and Changing Children’s Services funding was enabling the
successful delivery of a broad range of quality services and initiatives. Staff in the
authority’s pre-school centres and partner providers were very positive overall about the
extent to which they were supported in key developments. In most pre-school centres
inspected over the last three years, programmes, children’s progress, and leadership were
found to be good or very good.
The Early Years Team had been restructured at the start of the school session, following staff
changes. The two experienced and effective officers were each linked to large numbers of
establishments and were engaged in auditing childcare provision. A good range of staff
development was available to pre-school centres and partner providers, although joint
training was not a feature. A recently appointed Childcare Manager was taking forward
Workforce Development within the Council’s continuing professional development (CPD)
programme and offering routes for education and childcare qualifications. Uptake of such
opportunities was increasing.
The impact of effective partnership working across agencies for vulnerable children and their
parents had enabled an increase in childcare places, wraparound care and baby care to allow
parents and carers to return to work or training. Strong provision was in place for children
with additional educational needs, well supported by the Educational Psychology Service.
An integrated pre-school and childcare team had been established and had produced a draft
plan for the future development of the sector. Work was ongoing on the development of a
birth to three years programme.
Effective work had also been done to develop planning and assessment in early year’s
establishments and to introduce personal learning plans. These developments were enabling
staff to identify and respond well to the range of children’s needs. Further work was now
needed to integrate the plans more fully into transition arrangements with primary schools.
The Council was placing a strong focus on improving learning and teaching approaches and
on a 3-18 approach to the curriculum. Staff in the pre-school sector felt fully involved in
debate and future developments.
Inspections of nursery classes found that children had made good or very good progress in
the key areas of their development in most classes inspected. Progress in their emotional,
personal and social development was very good in almost all classes. The quality of
programmes, staff interaction with children and the effectiveness of leadership were good or
very good in most nursery classes. Assessment, record keeping and reporting were judged to
be good or very good in the majority. This aspect had been identified as a priority for the
authority and it had issued new guidance to nursery classes, which was beginning to lead to
improvements. The quality of provision in the education authority’s classes continued to be
strong. The quality of provision offered by partner providers was not consistently high.
3
Features of good practice: Working with young children and families
The authority was using its Cradle Project to give support to mothers and their babies.
The project involved personnel from health, social work, community mental health and
midwifery working, in a coordinated way, with mothers from pregnancy to the end of the
baby’s first year. The focus was on providing support for parenting skills and for early
child development. Teachers from the pre-school Educational Visitor Service also worked
with parents, carers and staff in nurseries, playgroups and voluntary organisations to
identify and support children with additional support for learning needs. Their input was
valued by parents, carers and staff. In both cases, the development of the young children
involved benefited from the targeted support.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
Primary schools
Overall, pupils in primary schools continued to benefit from a good standard of education.
Most pupils were attaining appropriate national levels in reading and mathematics. A
majority were attaining these levels in writing. The proportions of pupils attaining
appropriate national levels had risen over the last five years (2002 to 2006). In the latter
period, attendance had improved and exclusion rates had decreased. Schools were well
supported by the Schools Services of ECS. Improvements in the provision of performance
information and consistency with which officers engaged with schools had resulted in a
clearer focus on quality assurance and improvement. Pupils were positive about their
school experience. The Council’s work in promoting enterprise in education was having a
positive impact on pupils’ learning.
Pupils’ performance in National Assessments in reading, writing and mathematics had
improved steadily from 2002. The proportions of pupils gaining appropriate national levels
of attainment at the end of P7 had also improved. On the last national figures available in
2004, overall performance was below the national average and that for comparator
authorities. There had been a continued improvement, however, in 2005 and 2006. The gap
between boys’ performance and that for girls had not been reduced and was particularly
notable in writing.
Findings from inspections over the last three years indicated that leadership was most
frequently evaluated as good. In most schools, the quality of learning and teaching and the
degree to which pupils’ needs were met were found to be good. Attainment in English
language and mathematics was good or very good in most schools. Pastoral care, climate
and relationships and partnerships with parents and the community were consistent strengths.
Self-evaluation was evaluated as adequate in almost half of the schools inspected.
In pre-inspection questionnaires, almost all pupils reported that they enjoyed being at school.
They thought that teachers explained things clearly and told them how they were getting on
with their work. However, only a majority thought that the behaviour in school was good.
The Educational Psychology Service, in partnership with other support services, should
prioritise support in this area to achieve better outcomes for children.
4
The authority’s strategy for enterprise education had impacted positively on primary schools.
At all stages, pupils’ learning experiences had been enhanced through very good
opportunities to be involved in enterprise education initiatives. Pupils’ skills had been
developed through increased opportunities to use information and communications
technology (ICT) such as computers, interactive whiteboards and digital cameras. The
authority’s Creative Education Arts Team (CREATE) had provided pupils in specific schools
with opportunities to be involved in a range of innovative drama, arts, cultural and media
initiatives. Some further work was required in tracking pupils’ involvement in these
initiatives, in order to ensure equality of opportunity across the authority.
Pupils had good opportunities to express their views through participation in School
Councils, School Nutrition Action Groups and Eco Schools Groups. As a result, they were
developing good levels of self-confidence. Almost all pupils felt that teachers listened to
what they had to say and that they had a say in how to make their schools better. Attendance
levels in primary schools had improved and were better than those of comparator authorities
and the national average.
Features of good practice: Wider achievement in the school sector
The Creative Education Arts Team (CREATE) demonstrated very effective strategic
leadership in providing, facilitating and sustaining as wide a range of initiatives as
resources permitted across the Council. Activities included writers’ workshops, writers
and artists in residence, and a range of innovative drama, arts, cultural and media
initiatives. The music team was also very well led and continued to provide a wide range
of musical and singing experiences for pupils across the authority, including involvement
in orchestras and choirs. The number of pupils taking instrumental tuition had increased.
Through the national Youth Music Initiative, all pupils at the P5 stage were offered the
opportunity to learn a musical instrument. The provision of opportunities for sports and
physical activities across the authority was equally strong. A number of initiatives, such as
Active Schools, Girls in Sport, the provision of in-house tutors from the Leisure and Sports
team for Community Sports Leaders awards, a ‘ride for free scheme’ to alleviate transport
difficulties, were having beneficial effects for a wide range of pupils across the authority.
Pupils were very positive about the benefits they had received from all these initiatives.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
Secondary schools
There were continued weaknesses in the support for secondary schools from the education
authority since the inspection of 2004, although the situation was beginning to improve at
the time of the 2006 inspection. A more strategic approach to quality assurance and better
management information about performance in secondary schools had begun to develop
over the last year. However, these improvements had yet to impact fully on the quality of
educational provision in secondary schools. The views of secondary headteachers and
staff varied about the impact of the authority on the quality of secondary education. Most
staff at senior management level in the schools visited, however, recognised that they were
now beginning to receive more focused and effective support from the education authority.
Support for the development of pupils’ broader achievements in enterprise education,
health, sport, culture and the arts remained a significant strength.
5
Pupils’ performance in National Assessments in reading and writing at S2 had been below
national averages and those of comparator authorities in 2004, the last year for which figures
were available nationally. From 2004 until 2006 there had been an improving trend in
reading and writing, but a declining trend in mathematics, although levels of performance
exceeded those of 2002 in each by around 7%. The performance of boys in writing remained
well below that of girls.
Performance within the National Qualifications framework was inconsistent. Overall, there
had been a declining trend from 2002 to 2006 in a series of important measures. In the
period between 2002 and 2006, the authority performed above the national average in the
percentage of pupils attaining Levels 3 3, 4 and 5 by the end of S4. Whilst there had been a
decline in performance from 2002 to 2005 the statistics for 2006 showed improvement in
these measures.
The performance of the authority remained above the national averages for the performance
of pupils attaining three or more and five or more awards at Level 6 by the end of S5.
However, between 2002 and 2006, there had been a consistent decline which had narrowed
this gap. The authority now performed below comparator authorities in respect of pupils
attaining three or more awards at Level 6. There had also been a decline in the percentages
of pupils achieving three or more and five or more SCQF awards at Level 6 by the end of S6.
The overall performance of the authority remained above national averages, but had declined
overall in each of these measures between 2002 and 2006. Performance in five or more
awards at Level 6, however, showed improvement in 2006. The proportion of pupils gaining
at least one award at Level 7 had also declined overall since 2002, although it had improved
slightly in 2005 and 2006.
Inspections of seven secondary schools in the three year period to September 2006 were
characterised by unevenness in the quality of provision. In the majority of these schools, the
quality of provision was good. In two, there was consistently weak provision. The quality
of the curriculum was good in most of the sample, as was the overall quality of learning and
teaching and the degree to which pupils’ needs were being met. However, there were
important weaknesses in these aspects in two of the schools. Pastoral care was good overall,
as was attainment other than at S1/S2. The ethos of the schools varied from being very good
to weak, as did partnerships with parents and the community. There were important
weaknesses in accommodation throughout the sample, and unsatisfactory accommodation in
one case. Leadership varied significantly from being very good to unsatisfactory, as did the
quality of self-evaluation. The authority was now working to achieve much more
consistency in quality of provision across its secondary schools.
Overall, pupils were positive about the education they received, although they recognised
specific weaknesses in particular schools. Most enjoyed school and felt they were well
taught and supported overall. Most felt that the quality of pastoral care was such that schools
kept them safe and healthy, that bullying would be dealt with effectively and that teachers
knew them well. The majority felt that they were treated fairly. Attendance levels in
3
6
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Levels:
7: Advanced Higher at A-C/CSYS at A-C
6: Higher at A-C
5: Intermediate 2 at A-C; Standard Grade at 1-2
4: Intermediate 1 at A-C; Standard Grade at 3-4
3: Access 3 cluster; Standard Grade at 5-6
secondary schools were improving and were better than those of comparator authorities and
the national average.
The education authority had endorsed a measure of curriculum flexibility in its secondary
schools, but had restricted major structural change to particular schools within the context of
national initiatives such as Schools of Ambition or the Future Learning and Teaching (FLaT)
projects. It had placed a moratorium on further radical curricular change in other schools
until the implementation phase of the national Curriculum for Excellence 4. Most secondary
schools had engaged in some initiatives related to curriculum flexibility, particularly in
providing alternative curricular choices for pupils, which were meeting pupils’ needs more
effectively. The authority had established a working group in June 2006 to consider the key
principles of the curriculum from 3-18 years. Initial policy statements had been issued
recently to all schools. They complemented statements on learning and teaching, adopted at
the start of the school session. The policy statements were intended to provide a general
basis for discussion in school clusters and a review of the extent to which schools were
currently meeting the stated principles.
Partnership between the education authority and Careers Scotland had facilitated effective
vocational guidance and work experience across the secondary schools. The Determined to
Succeed 5 initiative had been pursued with energy. All secondary schools were now Eco
Schools. In many schools, pupils benefited from the quality of sports, arts and cultural
provision, within the curriculum and in activities outwith school.
Children and young people with additional support needs
Overall, the quality of provision was good. The authority was committed to the promotion
of inclusive practices. It had established a strong ethos of inclusion through policy
guidance and an extensive professional development programme for staff at all levels.
The authority had set up multi-agency groups to oversee its strategic and operational
response to The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004
(ASL). The impact and outcomes for some groups of pupils with additional support needs
were good overall. More effective tracking and monitoring of pupils’ progress was
required by all support services, including the Educational Psychology Service, to improve
outcomes for all pupils with additional support needs. Pupils with a wide range of
additional support needs benefited from access to a flexible curriculum and multi-agency
projects and resources. Transition arrangements for pupils moving from pre-school to
primary and from primary to secondary provision were well developed. More effective
strategic planning and monitoring was required across the authority to better meet the
needs of all pupils, particularly those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties,
and including pupils who are looked after 6.
The authority was effective in including pupils with additional support needs within
mainstream schools and their local community. Pupils of primary age with a wide range of
learning needs, including those with sensory or physical disabilities and autism, were
educated in mainstream classes with relevant additional support or advice. Schools accessed
additional support through good use of the authority’s Framework for Support and through
4
The Curriculum for Excellence programme outlines the purposes and principles of the curriculum 3-18 to provide a framework
within which improvement to Scottish education can and should be made.
5
Determined to Succeed – Scottish Executive, 2002.
6
The term ‘looked after’ in this report includes all children looked after or looked after and accommodated by the Council.
7
the annual audit of need. Support included effective input from classroom assistants,
learning support teachers, specialist teachers and therapists. However, a significant number
of headteachers and other staff felt that they did not have clear guidance on working with
other services, including the Educational Psychology Service.
The authority’s very good training opportunities for mainstream and specialist teachers and
classroom assistants had improved their skills and confidence. Transfer from primary to
secondary schools for pupils with learning difficulties was undertaken effectively. The level
of support for primary pupils with significant social, emotional and behavioural difficulties
(SEBD) had increased during the past five years. The authority also had effective provision
within two primary schools where pupils experiencing SEBD received significant additional
support. However, while many staff had undertaken good training to equip them with skills
to reduce the aggression of pupils, they were less confident about supporting pupils with
challenging behaviour in primary classes. The authority had good plans in place to provide a
range of training to support staff in managing difficult behaviour. Access to small group
provision was not yet appropriately targeted across the region.
Almost all pupils with additional support needs in secondary schools were educated in
mainstream classes. The authority also had one special school for secondary pupils with
severe and complex needs. In the light of its inclusive policy, and in consultation with
parents, the authority was considering the appropriateness of this provision. Pupils with
additional support needs in mainstream secondary schools had good opportunities to attain
National Qualifications at appropriate levels. Some schools and agencies used Award
Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) effectively to raise
achievement. Pupils with additional support needs in most secondary schools benefited from
very good opportunities to be involved in whole school activities such as school shows and
sporting events. In one school, they could also take part in very good community activities
at the end of the school day.
Features of good practice: The work of Crannog
Very good, well-coordinated, individualised support was provided by Crannog in
three locations across the authority. This service, run by Aberlour Child Care Trust, was
effective in meeting the needs of a range of secondary pupils with complex social and
emotional needs. It provided a range of alternative individual programmes and activities
to meet the very specific needs of children and young people. Crannog staff had been
involved, for example, in working with Gretna Football Club in developing the power of
football literacy scheme, which involved a focus on achievement and confidence building.
Good plans were in place to increase the Crannog service substantially. The focused
assessment and intervention approaches of Crannog ensured that young people were
supported in their local communities and continued, wherever possible, to be educated
within their own school with additional support, sometimes using an alternative
curriculum.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
The authority had developed an effective approach to planning and training in relation to the
implementation of the duties outlined in the ASL Act. It had produced a range of leaflets to
inform stakeholders, including parents, of the support available for pupils with additional
8
support needs. A well-established training programme for staff at all levels was helping
them to develop understanding and awareness of the requirements of the legislation.
Many significant aspects of the authority’s policy on supporting behaviour, Behaviour
Matters, had not been implemented consistently across all schools. As a result, the quality of
provision for pupils experiencing SEBD varied considerably. Some secondary schools were
coordinating effective support for pupils with challenging behaviour. The exclusion rate,
although still above the average for comparator authorities, had reduced in 2006 for the first
time in many years. Some pupils with challenging behaviour in secondary schools received
additional support from behaviour support teachers. Most schools operated an effective
‘stepped’ approach to accessing additional or alternative support, using their pupil support
group and school referral group to respond to pupils’ behaviour needs. The authority now
needed to update its guidelines in light of the demands of the Act and implement these along
with the very well planned training.
Coordination of the Pupil Support Service involved several working groups, such as the
SEBD and disabilities tactical groups, working at a strategic level to try to ensure
consistency of provision and support. These groups were well supported by the Educational
Psychology Service. The authority now needed to ensure that approaches to supporting both
learning and behaviour are considered in a more coordinated way. An inter-agency working
group was developing strategies to ensure that the attainment and achievement of looked
after children were monitored closely through an improved planning system. Another group
had identified all children at the secondary stages who were in danger of missing out from
education. The quality of the service was evaluated through visits by Area Managers for
support for learning, and through regular monitoring by some headteachers and some
principal teachers. As a result, areas for improvement had been identified and were being
addressed. Crannog had undertaken several thorough external evaluations which clarified
outcomes for individual young people. The authority’s quality improvement officers had a
developing role in working with specialist managers and educational psychologists in
formally evaluating the quality of additional support, particularly within learning centres and
special schools.
Community learning and development
The CLD service delivered an effective programme of activities and support for young
people, adults and communities. Increasingly, programmes were being targeted at
individuals and communities who required them most. Family learning coordinators and
youth work staff were effective in delivering targeted activities in primary and secondary
schools. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was reaching a wide range of young people
and the numbers gaining awards had increased substantially over the last year. While
improvements were needed to address variations in provision across the authority, overall,
the impact of CLD activities on participants was good.
Almost all participants were very positive about their engagement in a wide variety of CLD
activities, which included literacies programmes, English for speakers of other languages
(ESOL), youth work, youth strategy and family learning. Most could articulate clearly the
benefits to them in terms of increased levels of confidence, self-esteem and attainment.
ESOL learners in the neighbourhoods visited reported very strong support from CLD tutors.
They had increased their language skills and confidence, and were able to engage very
effectively in their local communities. Participants in adult literacies programmes had
9
learned practical skills such as driving theory and computer skills. Local adult literacy and
numeracy partnerships had been developed to enable partners to prioritise and plan according
to local needs.
Young people involved in skateboard park development projects had substantially increased
their self-confidence. They had developed teamworking skills as well as a long-term
commitment to active citizenship. The Youth Issues Unit and Youth Strategy Group had
undertaken a consultation exercise with over 2,000 young people. This survey had resulted
in a published youth strategy, which had clear targets and priorities for a wide range of
services. CLD staff were working productively with vulnerable pupils in a number of
secondary schools to deliver an effective alternative social skills curriculum.
The authority had undertaken successful programmes to increase the level of staff and
volunteers trained for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions. It had increased the
number of awards gained during 2005/2006 by over 80%. Small numbers of young people
were engaged in Youth Achievement Awards. Use of nationally recognised methods of
measuring changes in self-esteem and confidence, however, was inconsistent across the
authority as a whole.
An inspection report on CLD in Dumfries had been published in February 2004.
HM Inspectors made a follow-up visit in November 2005 to evaluate progress. Very good
progress had been made in relation to development and integration of planning and good
progress had been made in use of systematic assessment procedures. However, use of these
procedures was not consistently effective across the authority. Baseline information had
been gathered on adult learning provision and managers planned to use this information to
target provision more effectively. Overall, however, performance information was not yet
being collected systematically to assist with planning and with measuring trends and
improvements over time.
4. What impact has the authority had in meeting the needs of parents,
carers and families, staff and the wider community?
Impact on parents, carers and families
Overall, the impact of the authority on meeting the needs of parents, carers and families
was good. Parents were very positive about the quality of education their children
received. They had access to a range of services and networks to support and encourage
involvement in their children’s learning. The Parents Link Up Service (PLUS) and the
Parent Inclusion Network (PIN), for example, supported parents whose children have
additional support needs. The authority promoted positive relationships with chairpersons
and members of School Boards. It used a wide range of means to communicate with
parents and carers at school and authority level. Parents were encouraged to express their
views during formal and informal consultation meetings held in their local communities.
Good progress had been made in involving parents in the implementation of the Parental
Involvement Act 2006.
10
School Boards were well established across the authority, and were well supported by
headteachers and officers. Evidence from questionnaires returned during school inspections
indicated that parents and carers were very positive overall about the quality of education
received by their children, and nearly all felt that partnership working with the education
authority was effective. In the pre-inspection survey of School Boards/Parent Associations,
almost all respondents agreed that the education authority was well led. Most respondents
felt very positive about the opportunities for pupils to learn about keeping healthy and
engage in sporting initiatives. A majority felt that there were good working relationships
among services to help children and families.
The authority undertook regular parental consultation through its three-yearly stakeholder
survey, as well as focused consultation on specific aspects. Parents and carers had also
received training in key areas, such as the implementation of the ASL Act. The authority
had also produced a number of helpful leaflets for parents and carers about the
implementation of this Act. The Educational Psychology Service had developed positive
working relationships with children, young people and families with whom it worked.
Individual educational psychologists took care to ensure that children, young people and
their families were involved in the development of plans to support them.
Through implementation of the Parental Involvement Act 2006, the authority sought to
improve the active involvement of parents and carers in their children’s learning. To support
this development, it had provided comprehensive advice to schools about how to improve
consultation with parents. The Parents’ Charter helped to keep parents well informed by
providing them with information on key aspects of education, including data on attendance
and attainment. The authority had recently reviewed its complaints procedure and had
produced a new leaflet for parents to advise them of the process.
Features of good practice: The work of Family Learning Coordinators
Family Learning Coordinators, who had been employed to work across 16 primary
schools, provided a highly valued service to parents and carers. They provided support for
parents to extend their own learning as well as their understanding of how to support their
children’s learning. The Coordinators had produced good practice guidelines, teaching
and learning resources and materials which parents could use. Parents were involved in a
range of activities, including curriculum workshops and development of parenting skills.
A particular example of good practice was the work undertaken through the Men and
Children Group in Upper Nithsdale. The project’s wide range of activities had fostered
very effective home school partnerships and increased the confidence of fathers in
engaging with the process of education. The initiative was evaluated positively by all
participants and had received national interest.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
The authority had a range of successful targeted initiatives in place for specific groups of
parents to engage them in supporting their children’s learning. However, it had recognised
the need to have a formal strategy to coordinate the evaluation and extension of these
initiatives across the authority to better meet local needs and further improve outcomes for
families and carers.
11
Impact on staff
The impact on staff was good overall. Staff development opportunities had been linked
well to ECS priorities for learning and teaching and assessment. Pre-five and primary
staff were very positive about the quality and range of staff development opportunities.
Very good arrangements were in place to support probationer teachers and student
placements were encouraged and supported very well. Effective child protection training
was being provided across the authority. The appointment of staff to support training in
ICT and management information systems was beginning to have an impact. The
centrally-planned events delivered bi-annually to all staff were very well received.
Teaching and support staff were positive about working in schools, although support staff
would welcome greater training opportunities. Some centrally-based staff expressed
concerns about strategic direction and there were weaknesses in morale among some staff.
All heads of establishment who responded to the pre-inspection survey thought that the
authority assisted staff to access development and training and that centrally-deployed staff
took action when a matter of concern was raised. Almost all headteachers agreed that they
were kept informed about child protection issues and that quality improvement officers
maintained effective contact. Most respondents felt that they had received good advice from
centrally-deployed staff to take forward improvements and senior managers maintained
effective contact. Respondents were less positive about staff having good opportunities to
make suggestions about improvements. Most centrally-deployed staff felt that there was a
high quality working ethos and that their work was recognised and valued. Less than half,
however, felt that morale among staff was high. A moratorium on filling CLD vacancies had
impacted on staff morale in this sector.
There was positive recognition by staff across the authority of the further improvements to
provision of CPD. The programme for probationer teachers was highly regarded. There was
strong support for student placements and increasing partnerships with teacher education
institutions to develop accredited learning. Teachers appreciated the major bi-annual
development days organised by the authority. Integrated community schools (ICS) cluster
meetings were providing good opportunities for local staff development, some of which was
cross-sectoral. However, variations across clusters meant that there was not always equality
of opportunity for all staff. A significant minority of teachers, particularly those in rural
locations, would have preferred alternative arrangements for twilight provision, and a
significant number of support staff felt that more targeted provision for their CPD needs was
required. The authority had responded to this feedback and had plans to further widen access
to CPD.
The geography and demography of the Council presented challenges for recruitment and
retention of staff. The Council had taken significant steps to attract and develop staff and the
CPD team was working effectively with teacher education institutions. The ‘home grown
teachers’ programme, organised in partnership with Strathclyde University, enabled outreach
development of classroom assistants in the authority who wished to train as primary teachers.
Through partnerships with Glasgow and Paisley universities, a Postgraduate Diploma in
Education (PGDE) secondary course was also available to English, biology, chemistry and
mathematics applicants. Well-planned coaching and mentoring programmes were available
at many levels of the organisation, and were having a positive impact on staff involved. A
postgraduate certificate course for additional support for learning was well established. The
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professional review of staff, including headteachers and central staff was inconsistent. The
authority had re-launched the programme but some staff were unaware of where they were in
the planning cycle. All staff had received a professional development portfolio for recording
staff development activities. The review process for support staff had not been fully
implemented.
Impact on the local community
The authority’s impact on the local community was good. Schools had developed very
positive relationships with their communities. Community organisations and management
committees were well supported, particularly in relation to applying for funding.
Engagement by ECS with some local industries to raise awareness of their role in the local
community was productive.
Findings from school inspections showed strong relationships, in almost all cases, between
schools and their communities, particularly in primary schools. Schools played a major part
in their local communities, establishing close links through the church and through
involvement in community activities and charity work. All primary schools were involved in
the Eco School initiative and many had helped to enhance their local environments through
work carried out to improve the area surrounding their school. The authority had achieved
the highest number of bronze and silver Eco School awards across Scotland.
The Council’s Small School Review process encouraged active involvement of members of
local communities. The approach was effective in enabling consideration of community use
of resources and involvement of CLD and economic regeneration staff in future activities.
The British Nuclear Group at Chapelcross was engaged in productive partnerships with
primary and secondary schools in Annandale and Eskdale to raise awareness of the work and
priorities of the industry. The West of Scotland Seafish Training Association had delivered
training programmes in four secondary schools over the past three years. These courses had
benefited local seafish industries by raising awareness of their work, with some pupils taking
up employment.
The CLD service and community regeneration staff offered effective support to community
organisations and centre management committees. This input enabled them to bid
successfully for internal and external funding and to build their skills and knowledge to
achieve long-term sustainability.
Led through the Community Safety Partnership, effective joint work was being developed by
a range of agencies in working with the new migrant Polish community in the Stewartry.
Through its multi-cultural association in Castle Douglas, for example, the Council had held a
very successful open day to welcome members of the Polish community to the area. The
Better Neighbourhood Services Fund (BNSF) pathfinder for vulnerable young people aged
12 to 18 had delivered over 9,000 opportunities for young people to engage in citizenship
activities. The development of a local Youthbank with initial funding from BNSF had
enabled young people to gain skills in developing projects, applying for funding and making
decisions. Youthbank had funded a range of youth activities, including music, dance and the
development of youth groups in small rural villages. The good practice in effective use of
community agents in North West Dumfries was being replicated in the Upper Nithsdale area.
The community agents engaged effectively with their local communities through outreach
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work. They identified issues and learning and support needs, which were referred for action
to the appropriate agency.
Features of good practice: Eastriggs skateboard park project
The Eastriggs skateboard park project involved work to create a skateboard facility for the
local community. The project was strongly supported by the community learning and
development (CLD) service and by key local organisations, including the gala committee,
community council, playgroup committee, community centre management committee and
the local initiatives development group. All of these groups appreciated the effective
advice and support from CLD staff. It had helped them to develop the knowledge and
skills to engage in successful fundraising, as well as to undertake long-term planning to
ensure sustainability of the project. The project had been very effective in terms of
building community capacity and had resulted in a strong network of skilled community
activists.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
Impact on the wider community
Impact on the wider community was good. A number of the authority’s initiatives had
achieved national recognition. In particular, the work of the CREATE team was
recognised as sector leading. Several aspects of the Council’s work, such as that related to
sexual health, had influenced thinking at national level. Interest had also been shown in
developments within the authority to deal with demographic changes and falling school
rolls, and the challenges of recruiting and developing staff.
The authority’s support for creativity and innovation had resulted in several initiatives
achieving national recognition. The work of CREATE was recognised nationally as an
example of best practice. With support from the Scottish Executive, the use of
video-conferencing was helping to overcome the challenges of providing music instruction to
all P5 pupils in Dumfries and Galloway Council, including those in schools in remote areas.
The authority continued to be innovative and forward-looking in terms of educational use of
ICT. The youth issues Inspector8 programme, which had involved young people in
undertaking pilot inspections of services, had gained a bronze award from the Convention of
Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), and the ESOL women’s group in Annan won a Scottish
Adult Learning Partnership award.
Senior managers and officers at other levels served on a range of national groups, and their
involvement provided them with opportunities to keep abreast of national initiatives as well
as to influence wider policy and practice. The Council’s work, well supported by the
Educational Psychology Service, on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender matters and on
sexual health had influenced national thinking and practice. ECS encouraged contacts with
staff in other councils, as well as international links, to assist in sharing and learning from
effective practice and in addressing the challenge of the Council’s geographical location.
The Educational Psychology Service was effective in disseminating its research findings,
both nationally and internationally, through professional journals and presentations.
14
The Council’s well-established Small School Review policy exemplified action to respond to
demographic changes and falling school rolls. The process, which prompts a review of any
school where stated criteria are met, actively engaged members of the local community and
removed some of the uncertainties associated with falling school rolls. It had been
recognised by COSLA as an example of good practice. The Council acknowledged that
further action was required to deal with excess capacity in the school sector. It was making a
determined effort to work closely with teacher education institutions to improve its
recruitment and retention of staff. The authority’s survey on attitudes to promotion, gathered
to identify reasons inhibiting applications for promoted posts, had created interest beyond
Dumfries and Galloway Council, as there was limited national data.
5. How effective are key processes and planning?
To evaluate progress made since the last inspection in taking forward the main point for
action which identified the need for the Council to finalise its plans for the development of
the school estate, the inspection team evaluated aspects of resource management.
Resource management
Overall management of resources was good. The revised PPP scheme to address some of
the weaknesses in the school estate had the full support of elected members. Financial
close was planned for September 2007 and no delays were foreseen by the Council.
Further clarification of how the programme to upgrade schools not included within the
PPP project would be funded was required. While much good work had been completed
or initiated in relation to resource management, some important strategic aspects
remained to be addressed.
A particular challenge facing the authority has been the management of the school estate and
the provision of cost effective rural schooling. Six primary schools had closed between
2002 and 2004. Closure of four further primary schools had been confirmed at the time of
the inspection. Where local circumstances made it practicable, the Council had introduced
joint management of some primary schools and of Dalry Secondary School and Castle
Douglas High School.
Plans for a major PPP initiative at the time of the last inspection had involved the
refurbishment of all 16 secondary schools and 41 primary schools, and the building of
four new primary schools and one all-through school. However, the lack of an adequate
market response had resulted in the Council having to withdraw this scheme. A revised and
reduced scheme covering 11 projects was now being taken forward. In addition, three new
primary schools were to be built under the Council’s capital programme. The PPP timetable
envisaged the selection of a bidder in March 2007 and financial close in September 2007.
No delays were foreseen by the Council and elected members had given the project their full
support. A separate review of the CLD estate to address issues related to the cost effective
use of community facilities was underway, with a further report to Committee due in
early 2007.
15
The Council had agreed revenue funding for the PPP initiative of up to £5 million per year
for the 30 year period of the scheme. It was anticipated that some monies not allocated to
the 11 projects would be used to finance borrowing to progress the upgrading of other
schools not included in the PPP scheme. These schools had been prioritised for action under
the Council’s School Estate Management Plan. The Council had not examined in detail what
the financial effect would be of rationalising and upgrading the non PPP schools, but it
expected that there would be a reduction in the overall running costs. It was committed in
principle to funding the requirements for the whole school estate, a requirement under the
conditional PPP offer by the Scottish Executive. There were three categories of priority, in a
series of five-year programmes, to be completed over a 15 year period. It was not clear, at
the time of the inspection, how later stages of the upgrade programme would be financed.
The Council’s current capital budget for Schools Services was fully committed, mainly to
ongoing maintenance and to the requirements of health and safety. The health and safety
requirements were expected to be fully funded in respect of both capital and revenue.
However, recent inspections in some schools had found health and safety issues that still
required to be addressed.
In addressing the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the Council had
audited 61 schools for access requirements, and audits of the remainder were due.
Requirements had been identified at three levels of priority. The available funding was
likely to cover all priority one works by 2007/2008. There was no separate funding for
addressing the more expensive priority work, such as the installation of lifts and ramps. It
was likely that this work would have to wait to be carried out with other upgrade work in
schools.
6. How well is the authority led?
Vision, values and aims
Overall performance in this area showed strengths, which outweighed weaknesses. The
vision, values and aims of ECS were clearly set out in the Education Improvement Plan.
They reflected the commitment of ECS to work in partnership with young people, parents,
communities, staff and other agencies to provide effective learning and the highest
possible attainment and achievement for all. They related well to national priorities and
the aims of Curriculum for Excellence. However, the aims of ECS did not encompass the
broader vision of how CLD would work with schools. Elected members had a clear vision
for some decentralisation of services. However, this vision, and the Council’s view of the
role of education in furthering its overall aims, had not been articulated clearly enough to
senior officers, staff and wider stakeholders.
The key priorities for ECS took account of the aims and priorities identified in the
Community Plan and the Corporate Plan, which focused on three themes of developing
Enterprising and Learning Communities, Inclusive Communities, and Safe and Healthy
Communities. At the time of the inspection, the relationship between the vision for schools
and CLD activities was not clear, particularly in relation to the strategic future of these
services following the restructuring of CLD operational delivery.
16
Senior officers and elected members demonstrated a strong commitment to inclusion.
Education staff at the centre and in establishments shared this key aspect of the vision.
Inclusive approaches were reflected across a range of contexts, including learning, provision
for pupils with additional support needs and the authority’s work in promoting broader
achievement. Some further work was required in tracking the involvement of pupils in
sporting and cultural initiatives in order to ensure equality of opportunity.
There were some signs that the implementation of the revised strategy for ICS was beginning
to gain the momentum necessary to impact more positively on young people and families.
The introduction of home link workers within school clusters had assisted in providing
vulnerable pupils with support. School clusters were increasingly promoting partnership
through jointly planning improvement initiatives with other agencies. A good start had been
made by clusters in providing cross sectoral staff development for aspects of learning and
teaching. While headteachers demonstrated their commitment to this process, this vision
was not fully embedded in the approach of all staff. Senior staff in ECS were aware of the
need to capitalise on good practice within clusters and had planned an evaluation of cluster
working arrangements.
The Council’s strategic drive to introduce broadband, through the South of Scotland
Broadband Project had been given a high priority as a means of improving data
communication and assisting decentralisation. Developments were beginning to impact
positively on schools and wider services such as libraries.
Leadership and direction
There were several strengths in the leadership and direction of the education functions of
the Council. The Director of ECS was visible, accessible and very knowledgeable about
the authority. He had a key role in corporate planning, and had identified specific
priorities within education as drivers for change. The Chief Executive had secured the
support of elected members for implementing improvements to the school estate, and to the
South of Scotland Broadband Project. The latter was beginning to impact on services
within ECS. However, the Council had not yet given sufficient priority to discussing the
overall quality of provision and attainment in schools. While proposals to restructure
CLD were still being finalised at the time of the inspection, weaknesses in strategic
leadership and direction for CLD remained. Overall, the quality of leadership and
direction in the context of the education functions of the authority was adequate.
Almost all headteachers felt that senior managers showed a high level of commitment to
improving education and that the authority was well led. The Director and Group Manager
of Schools Services provided visible, accessible leadership, and had a comprehensive
knowledge of the authority and its schools and related community issues. Almost all
centrally-deployed staff felt that senior managers also took a high profile in joint planning
and working with external partners. Most agreed they had good opportunities to be involved
in the decision-making process and that the authority was well led. A majority believed
there was effective communication among staff in the authority. Elected members were
knowledgeable about their local areas. They had shown a desire to protect aspects of school
budgets. However, a significant number of stakeholders felt that, as a whole, they did not
demonstrate a strong commitment to improving the quality of education.
17
The Director of ECS had a very broad remit and a key role in planning at corporate level.
Plans produced by ECS continued to reflect corporate principles. The Education
Improvement Plan and operational plans also gave clear direction in relation to national
priorities. Financial plans flowed from these plans. The ECS revenue and capital budgets
were facing major challenges, which were impacting on both short-term and long-term
planning.
The planning process in the Council was being developed to include a recently created
performance management framework to provide a flow of performance information from all
areas of council activity to stakeholders, managers and elected members. Systems had been
put in place recently to allow variances from expected performance throughout the Council
to be measured and corrected. Elected members were also provided with performance
information through the committee system and the web-based Members’ Briefcase, which
allowed access to greater amounts of data than previously. However, members had not yet
discussed the overall quality of provision and attainment in education across the Council, or
given priority to using that information to inform strategic planning for improvement.
Individually and collectively, the very experienced Director of ECS and senior officers were
committed to taking forward the priorities of the Corporate Plan and the Education
Improvement Plan, which provided a good focus for the work of schools. The work of the
Planning and Resources Team was beginning to have a positive impact on the provision of
sound management information systems within ECS, particularly in relation to Scottish
Qualifications Authority (SQA) examinations performance across and within schools. This
information needed to be used in a more consistently effective way by Group and Operations
Managers to ensure more strategic deployment of resources to achieve agreed objectives.
The authority proposed to restructure CLD to an area-based service, but the details were still
being considered by elected members at the time of the inspection.
The Council had a corporate risk management system which identified and quantified all
known risks at various levels. It was not clear that financial decision-making at strategic
level was always paying sufficient attention to sustainability. Means of securing
continuation of successful initiatives led by members of Schools Services and CLD, for
example, were not always clear. Overall, the challenge of the Financial Efficiency Strategy
meant that leadership and direction of officers and senior managers in relation to planning,
best use of resources and management of risk remained a high priority.
The Director of ECS was building on successes within the authority, and also on sound
strategic partnerships, to provide direction for further improvement. The proposed
development of learning communities was aimed at introducing the next step in establishing
an effective continuum of 3-18 provision. Building on good practice in relation to inclusion
and cluster working, the initiative was intended to provide a more consistent, integrated and
flexible experience for young people which would improve attainment and achievement.
This initiative together with a determination to continue to improve quality assurance and use
of management and statistical information, were key drivers for change.
Developing people and partnerships
Performance in this area was good. Effective partnership working with a range of
agencies, as well as some effective joint working within ECS, was having a positive impact
on the experiences of young people. The work of the Council’s tactical groups had
18
resulted in positive outcomes in areas such as inclusion and child protection, although
there had been less impact in respect of some aspects of improving attainment. There was
a good focus on developing leadership capacity within schools. The need for further
action to improve joint working within ECS, had been recognised. Successful
development of cohesion and teamwork within some of the teams, was having a positive
impact on schools. Proposals for furthering restructuring of ECS and CLD provided an
opportunity to build on these signs of improvement and address the remaining weaknesses.
Elected members and senior officers of the Council continued to show strong commitment to
meeting the needs of young people through effective partnership working. The Council had
maintained sound strategic partnerships with a range of agencies. Examples of productive
partnerships within ECS included effective working with libraries and museums and with
leisure and sport. Libraries staff had contributed well to successful initiatives to improve the
reading development of pupils in Wigtown and Gretna. Very good liaison between Schools
Services and Leisure and Sport had resulted in increased participation by young people in
physical education and activity, as well as the preparation of a well-focused joint Leisure and
Sport Strategy for 2006-2010. Almost all headteachers felt that the authority promoted
productive links with agencies. Most felt that they knew about the services provided by
other departments of the Council, and had been involved in joint training. Few felt, however,
that there were good working arrangements with other Council departments in terms of
improving the school environment.
The Chief Officers’ Group, which included the Director of ECS, had continued to give high
priority to developing an Integrated Children’s Services Plan. Priorities that required
coordinated working were based principally on the work of the Council’s six tactical groups.
These groups had been set up by the Chief Executive to take forward planning and actions to
address key areas of development and support and to ensure more consistent improvement in
services for children, young people and their families. In areas such as inclusion and child
protection, the work of the groups had resulted in positive outcomes. Successful
multi-agency training had been a particular feature. However, there had been less impact in
respect of some aspects of improving attainment and achievement.
CLD staff had established productive partnerships with Dumfries and Galloway College.
Partnership working at strategic level within the Council, including with Schools Services,
however, was not well developed. Opportunities to gain from the experience of Schools
Services staff, for example, to improve approaches to quality assurance of CLD, had not
been fully exploited.
Schools Services of ECS now comprised five cross-sectoral teams, based on the concept of a
3-18 service. The Pupil Support Team had joined Schools Services, following the retiral of
the Group Manager for Children’s Services, along with Educational Psychology Services.
Quality Improvement, Support and Development, and Planning and Resources completed the
Schools Services team. This structure was about to change again, following further
retirements. Establishing effective teamwork among the Director, Group Manager and
Operations Managers was recognised as a key priority for attention. The need for greater
integrated working both within ECS as a whole and between Schools Services and other
agencies was recognised in the Education Improvement Plan. The Schools Services
Management Team had taken part in joint development activity to foster teamworking and
19
discuss shared issues. They recognised that further action was required to improve aspects of
teamwork.
At operational level, the Operations Managers of the Quality Improvement and the Planning
and Resources Teams, under the overall management of the Group Manager Schools
Services, had been successful in developing cohesion and teamwork, which was having a
positive impact on schools. Ninety-eight percent of headteachers agreed that quality
improvement officers maintained effective contact with their establishments. The work of
the Planning and Resources Team, across the range of its responsibilities, was contributing
very well to the work of other teams, as well as making a direct impact on the work of
schools. The Pupil Support and Educational Psychology Teams were extending awareness
of each other’s roles and responsibilities to foster more effective teamwork. Staff within
teams worked very well together and showed energy and commitment in fulfilling their
various remits. Weaknesses in the strategic direction of the Support and Development Team
and in the effectiveness of its working with other teams had so far constrained its capacity to
provide schools with a clear sense of direction and priorities for development.
ECS was taking effective steps to develop leadership capacity within its schools. Staff in
schools were very positive about the opportunities to develop leadership skills and
appreciated the mentoring arrangements for new headteachers and deputes. A good number
of staff had gained the Scottish Qualification for Headship.
Leadership of change and improvement
Leadership of change and improvement had some strengths, but was inconsistent overall.
The reorganisation of the education authority’s operational teams, planned at the time of
the 2004 inspection, had not been fully implemented until the start of session 2005/2006.
The authority’s aim was to provide more rigorous challenge and more consistent support
across the pre-school, primary and secondary sectors, through more effective teamwork
and a more focused role for quality improvement officers in quality development. In
addition, the authority had recognised the need for a clearer strategic lead for secondary
schools in terms of policy development and prioritisation of initiatives. The authority had
been partly successful in achieving these aims. The Quality Improvement Team had
established a more consistent and effective quality culture in its interaction with schools.
The Planning and Resources Team had begun the process of reviewing the wide range of
policies to bring these up to date, within a clear and coherent policy framework. The
quality of support and development for schools related primarily to the sustained efforts of
individuals within the Support and Development Team. At the time of the 2006 inspection,
the structure of operational teams and support for CLD were again subject to
restructuring in order to achieve a more robust framework for continuous challenge,
support and improvement.
Primary schools and, increasingly, secondary schools were appreciative overall of the efforts
of quality improvement officers to challenge and support them. The cycle of interaction with
primary and secondary schools was consistent. It reflected the clear quality improvement
framework that had been developed by the Quality Improvement Team and shared with
schools. It also took proportionate account of local circumstances and issues, the anticipated
HMIE inspection programme and the need for follow-through activity after inspections. The
authority had recognised the need to develop more consistent self-evaluation in schools to
20
achieve sustainable improvement and was about to embark on cluster-related self-evaluation
training for schools.
Quality improvement officers in the primary sector operated across extensive, designated
geographic areas and had begun to target their quality improvement on learning and teaching
as well as school improvement planning. They had a good knowledge of their schools and
the communities they served. Pre-inspection reports in the primary sector were
comprehensive and accurate overall and had improved as a result of more effective
interaction with schools. The approach to the follow-through of HMIE inspections was
sustained and effective. The authority was now publishing its own follow-through reports on
primary schools, with a decreasing need for moderation by HMIE. The impact of the Quality
Improvement Team in secondary schools was improving as a result of better teamwork.
However, being only recently established, the Quality Improvement Team’s impact on
secondary schools was yet to be fully realised. The team was now involved in more effective
interaction with schools requiring support, including those which had been inspected. The
impact of the team was increasing as a result of the management and statistical information
provided by the Planning and Resources Team. The quality of follow-through reports on
secondary schools from the authority was improving.
The authority had begun a series of thematic evaluations of provision across its schools in
relation to key issues. This initiative was developing expertise in peer evaluation as a means
of ensuring sustainable quality improvement. In addition, useful cross-sectoral quality
developments were being initiated, for example involving the primary and pre-school quality
improvement officers. Parallel developments in quality improvement were required in
relation to the CLD service. More effective mechanisms for spreading good practice across
the authority were also required.
The strategic provision of support to schools was more variable, particularly in the secondary
sector. It depended on the energy and enthusiasm of individuals within the Support and
Development Team in managing the budgets allocated to the authority from the Scottish
Executive Education Department. Initiatives in relation to enterprise in education, education
for citizenship, health education and promotion, music, sports and the arts were impacting
positively on pupils in both primary and secondary sectors. Senior staff in schools, however,
were uncertain of the coherence and sequence of these initiatives and the sustainability of
funding. They were involved in the development of policies and initiatives through working
groups and discussion at headteachers’ meetings. However, they felt the need for a clearer
direction and prioritisation in achieving sustainable support across the authority and
addressing identified needs, a clearer policy development framework and a clearer link
between the developments in schools and CLD. The Educational Psychology Service had
made a good start in directing service activity to better meet the needs of children and young
people. However, more focus and challenge was now required to achieve authority
objectives.
7. What is the Council’s capacity for improvement?
Dumfries and Galloway Council had demonstrated a capacity for continuous improvement
in several aspects of its work. Successful establishment of an ethos of inclusion, very good
support for some groups of pupils with additional needs, continuing high quality
21
pre-school provision, and high quality support for pupils’ wider achievements were
examples of the positive impact of the authority. It had also secured improvements in
attainment in primary and established a clear and improving quality assurance framework
for schools. Variations in the quality of provision and attainment in the secondary sector
and weaknesses in leadership and direction for CLD, however, needed to be addressed. In
fulfilling its education functions, the Council was facing challenges related to political
and strategic leadership and financial management. The authority should build on its
identified successes as it reviews its vision and aims to ensure the continuous improvement
of education within Dumfries and Galloway Council.
The Council had shown the capacity to build on the quality of provision at pre-school and
primary to continue to improve the outcomes for pupils. Key stakeholders consulted during
the course of the inspection gave a positive view of many aspects of the authority’s support
for education. Attainment levels in primary schools, as well as successes in wider
achievements across sectors, had increased. The Council had been successful in establishing
a strong ethos of inclusion. Support from ECS had resulted in some very good outcomes for
groups of pupils with additional support needs. While there had been some improvements in
attainment in secondary, overall performance within the national qualifications framework
was inconsistent. The work of the Quality Improvement Team was beginning to have an
impact on secondary schools requiring support. Also, the team’s effectiveness was
increasing through better access to statistical data. Action to address variations in the quality
of provision in the secondary sector required greater focus at strategic level.
Productive partnership and multi-agency working were having a positive impact on young
people and their families. The Educational Psychology Service had developed strong and
productive partnerships with a range of external agencies. Leadership of this aspect had been
effective overall. Actions which showed potential for improvement in areas where there
were weaknesses included the review and restructuring of CLD. Proposals provided an
opportunity to improve strategic planning between Schools Services and CLD.
At the time of the inspection, proposals already existed to restructure the teams and School
Services to ensure a stronger focus on maintaining and further improving the effectiveness of
the work of teams within Schools Services and CLD. Due to imminent retirements, the
Council also faced the challenge of succession planning. It was anticipated that
implementation of PPP would bring about much needed improvements to some areas of
priority in the school estate. However, challenging decisions remained to be made by the
Council in relation to budget pressures and falling rolls.
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Key strengths
•
Improving trends in attainment and the quality of education in primary schools and the
quality of pre-school provision.
•
The positive impact of effective partnership and multi-agency working on young people
and their families, including within the context of some ICS.
•
Successful establishment of a strong ethos of inclusion, including very effective support
for some groups of young people with additional support needs.
•
Support for the development of pupils’ broader achievements in enterprise education,
health, sport, culture and the arts.
•
Introduction of a sound quality improvement framework for evaluating the work of
schools.
•
The work of the Planning and Resources Team in improving the quality of management
information.
Main points for action
•
Take steps to ensure that all stakeholders are clear about the overall vision and aims of
the Council in relation to its education functions, and ensure that allocation of resources
is targeted to achieve stated aims and bring about continuous improvement.
•
Finalise and implement proposals for restructuring Schools Services and CLD so that the
potential among staff in these teams can be fully realised to further increase the impact
on all young people and their families.
•
Improve attainment and the overall quality of provision in the secondary sector.
•
Finalise and implement plans for improving the school estate, including addressing the
challenges of demographic change and falling rolls.
The authority has been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how it will address the
main findings of the report. HMIE will maintain contact with the authority and will make a
return visit within two years to evaluate progress.
Annette Bruton
HM Chief Inspector
Directorate 5
May 2007
23
Appendix 1
Quality Indicators
Quality Indicator
Improvements in performance
Impact on learners
Impact on parents/carers and families
Impact on staff
Impact on the local community
Impact on the wider community
Vision, values and aims
Leadership and direction
Developing people and partnerships
Leadership of change and improvement
Evaluation
Adequate
Adequate
Good
Good
Good
Good
Adequate
Adequate
Good
Adequate
In addition to the core quality indicator reported on above, the inspection team evaluated the
following additional indicator relating to key processes and operational management.
Quality Indicator
Resource management
Evaluation
Good
Note
The quality scale used in inspections is indicated below. Further details are provided on the
inside cover of this report.
Old level
Very good
Good
New level
Excellent
Very good
Good
Adequate
Fair
Weak
Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory
24
Description
Outstanding, sector leading
Major strengths
Important strengths with some areas for
improvement
Strengths just outweigh weaknesses
Important weaknesses
Major weaknesses
Appendix 2
Performance information
Attendance
Table A.1: Percentage Attendance
Primary:
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
96.2
96.1
96.0
CA Average
95.6
95.8
95.5
National
95.3
95.0
95.0
Secondary:
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
92.2
92.3
93.3
CA Average
91.7
91.6
91.4
National
90.2
90.1
90.5
Staying on Rate
Table A.2: Percentage of pupils staying on to S5 (Post Christmas)
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
62.2
61.5
60.4
CA Average
67.7
67.8
66.5
National
64.2
64.1
63.8
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
30
31
32
CA Average
30
30
30
National
29
31
30
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
27
21
25
CA Average
22
23
24
National
21
21
23
Training:
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
4
4
3
CA Average
2
3
3
National
5
5
5
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
24
28
27
CA Average
31
31
30
National
25
27
26
Pupil Destinations
Table A.3: Percentage of pupils entering each destination
Higher Education:
Further Education:
Employment:
25
Unemployed and seeking
employment or training:
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
8
9
9
CA Average
7
7
9
National
13
10
11
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
6
4
3
CA Average
3
4
3
National
3
3
2
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
2
3
1
CA Average
5
3
2
National
4
3
2
Unemployed and not seeking
employment or training:
Destination unknown:
Exclusions
Table A.4: Total number of exclusions and exclusions per 1,000 population
2004
Primary
Dumfries and Galloway
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
94
8
89
8
82
7
8
4,478
11
5,319
5,779
2005
15
2006
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
673
70
760
79
677
71
63
33,465
105
70
35,513
SQA Attainment
Table A.5: Results in Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) National Qualifications
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) levels
Level 7: Advanced Higher at A-C/CSYS at A-C
Level 6: Higher at A-C
Level 5: Intermediate 2 at A-C; Standard Grade at 1-2
Level 4: Intermediate 1 at A-C; Standard Grade at 3-4
Level 3: Access 3 Cluster; Standard Grade at 5-6
26
13
11
Total
CA Average
National
9
2004
Secondary
Dumfries and Galloway
2006
Total
CA Average
National
2005
112
63
36,136
115
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S4
English at Level 3
or better
Mathematics at
Level 3 or better
5 + at Level 3
or better
5 + at Level 4
or better
5 + at Level 5
or better
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
93.1
94.6
93.8
93.9
94.1
CA Average
95.0
94.0
94.7
95.0
94.8
National
93.4
93.7
93.7
93.6
94.0
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
94.3
94.2
93.3
93.6
94.2
CA Average
94.4
93.9
94.2
94.2
94.0
National
92.6
92.6
92.5
92.1
92.9
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
93.2
92.8
91.2
91.0
92.0
CA Average
92.7
91.9
92.6
92.3
91.3
National
90.8
90.7
90.8
90.2
90.7
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
80.1
79.3
78.3
77.0
79.7
CA Average
82.2
80.5
81.7
81.0
79.9
National
76.7
76.4
76.6
76.1
76.8
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
37.3
37.7
37.8
35.0
36.8
CA Average
38.8
38.1
37.3
38.2
37.1
National
33.9
34.0
34.6
34.2
34.8
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S5
3 + at Level 6
or better
5 + at Level 6
or better
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
26.8
25.3
25.2
25.2
22.0
CA Average
25.6
25.2
25.9
24.0
24.5
National
22.8
22.6
22.7
22.7
21.7
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
11.6
11.3
11.4
11.3
10.8
CA Average
9.4
10.2
10.0
10.1
10.7
National
9.3
9.6
9.4
9.9
9.7
27
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S6
English and
Mathematics at
Level 3 or better
5 + at Level 3
or better
5 + at Level 4
or better
5 + at Level 5
or better
1 + at Level 6
or better
3 + at Level 6
or better
5 + at Level 6
or better
1 + at Level 7
or better
28
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
94.7
93.4
93.3
93.3
92.4
CA Average
94.7
94.3
94.0
93.2
93.4
National
92.3
92.3
91.6
91.8
91.7
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
93.8
93.3
94.4
93.3
92.0
CA Average
93.6
93.4
93.5
92.7
93.4
National
90.9
91.1
91.3
91.2
91.4
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
83.2
83.2
81.9
80.9
79.7
CA Average
84.2
84.7
84.1
82.6
83.5
National
77.9
78.6
78.6
78.4
78.5
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
50.9
51.6
50.8
49.5
49.3
CA Average
52.7
53.0
52.8
52.2
51.4
National
45.7
46.9
47.2
47.1
47.6
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
47.3
47.2
46.6
45.0
43.8
CA Average
50.0
48.3
48.6
48.6
46.7
National
43.7
43.6
43.5
43.1
43.0
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
34.1
34.5
33.8
32.6
31.8
CA Average
35.8
34.9
34.6
34.7
31.9
National
31.0
30.7
30.6
30.1
30.0
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
23.3
22.8
22.6
22.5
23.3
CA Average
22.0
22.0
22.3
22.4
20.9
National
19.7
19.6
19.6
19.4
19.7
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Dumfries and Galloway
15.3
15.0
13.8
14.1
14.4
CA Average
13.0
13.2
13.7
14.2
13.6
National
11.6
11.9
12.3
12.1
12.5
Notes
(1) CA average denotes comparator authority average.
(2) Comparator Authorities for Dumfries and Galloway include:
Comparators
Angus
Highland
Argyll and Bute
Scottish Borders
Moray
Rating
*****
****
****
****
****
‘Extremely Close’
‘Very Close’
‘Very Close’
‘Very Close’
‘Very Close’
(3) Caution should be exercised when making comparisons with comparator authority
averages if there are a number of authorities that are not extremely or very close.
29
How can you contact us?
If you wish to comment about education authority inspections
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of education authority inspections, you should
write in the first instance to Annette Bruton HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education,
Directorate 5, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston
EH54 6GA.
Our complaints procedure
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to our
Complaints Manager, HMIE Business Management Unit, Second Floor, Denholm House,
Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston, EH54 6GA. You can also email
HMIEcomplaints@hmie.gsi.gov.uk. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from
this office, by telephoning 01506 600200 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 your 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 e-mail
ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from
the website: www.spso.org.uk.
Crown Copyright 2007
HM Inspectorate of Education
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