Fife Council
13 May 2008
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?
3
4.
What impact has the authority had in meeting the needs of parents,
carers and families, staff and the wider community?
11
5.
How well is the authority led?
17
6.
What is the Council’s capacity for improvement?
23
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Quality indicators – Core
25
Appendix 2 – Performance information
26
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 Government 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 other Scottish local authorities.
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 Fife Council in March 2002. 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 2002 report.
The follow-up inspection report of March 2004 found that the education authority had made
either good or very good progress in addressing each of the main points for action in the
initial report. In June 2006, HM Inspectors undertook a further visit to the Council to discuss
progress made by the education authority. In the light of progress made, HMIE decided to
make no further visits to the education authority in connection with the inspection report of
March 2002.
During the current inspection, HM Inspectors visited the neighbourhoods of Kirkcaldy West
(including the Balwearie High School cluster), Levenmouth (including the Buckhaven High
School cluster) and the north east of Fife (including Leuchars Primary School) to sample the
impact of the work of the education authority’s functions. The inspection also included the
evaluation of the quality of educational psychology provision.
2. What are the challenges for the Council?
Context
Fife Council faces a number of challenges related to the changing nature of its
population, an increase in the number of pupils entering primary school and the
continuing need to deliver high quality services whilst facing considerable efficiency
savings. Fife Council is the third largest authority in Scotland employing 22,000 people
and serving a community of over 350,000. It is the second largest in terms of pupil
population. The area is a mixture of rural and urban settings with the majority of the
population living in the main towns of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Cupar and St
Andrews. Across the Council, there are significant variations in economic performance
including areas of relative economic advantage and of significant multiple deprivation.
The effects on some families and communities of increasing drug and alcohol misuse are
significant.
Fife's population is showing some of the strongest growth of Scottish Local Authority areas.
By 2018, the population is projected to grow to 378,000. The recent decline in child
population is slowing down and is projected to rise, back to current levels by 2024. Despite
school rolls having declined over the last five years, the numbers of pupils entering primary
school have started to increase. This is projected to continue in contrast to the pattern
nationally.
The number of people in employment has risen steadily to 174,000 (77%) in December
2006, above the Scottish rate of 75%. In terms of unemployment, Fife compares favourably
to Scotland as a whole. Fife is still more dependent on manufacturing than is typical
1
nationally. In 2006, there were 1,913 young people (9.9%) in the 16 to 19 year old age
group identified as not in employment, education or training, down from a peak of 2,282 in
2002 and just above the Scottish rate of 9.5%. Just under 17 % of primary and secondary
pupils are entitled to free school meals, slightly above the national average. There is an
uptake of free school meals of just under 70% of those eligible, significantly above the
Scottish average. The effects on some families and communities of increasing drug and
alcohol misuse are significant. Alcohol-related hospital admissions across Fife are above the
Scottish average.
Political and organisational structure
Since the initial inspection of the education functions of Fife Council in March 2002,
there had been significant changes in the Council’s political administration. A number of
elected members were new to the Council. Since May 2007, the ruling group of Labour
members had been replaced by a coalition established between the Scottish National Party
(SNP) and Liberal Democrats. The Council was developing its first three-year plan
following the elections of May 2007 and the introduction of multi-member wards. These
new ward arrangements were seen as an opportunity for the Council to improve
engagement with all Fife’s communities.
The new administration was led by the SNP in coalition with the Liberal Democrats,
although Labour constituted the largest single party in the Council. Fife Council had
established strategic committees to take forward important aspects of its work. The
recently-formed Education and Children’s Services Committee directed the work of the
Education Service. In addition to strategic committees, the Council had introduced
seven new local area committees to improve local service delivery and make a difference to
the wellbeing of the community. These groups had responsibility for scrutinising the
delivery of education in their locality. The Chief Executive, the Executive Director,
Education and Senior Managers had been involved in familiarising members of these groups
with the work of the Education Service. The inspection took place at an early stage in the
life of the new Council and in the development of the seven local area committees.
The Chief Executive had been in post for a year. He was supported by six Executive
Directors who together made up the Council Management Team (CMT). This included the
Executive Director, Education and the Executive Director, Local Communities and Housing.
Prior to a Council management restructure in late 2006, the Education Service was not
directly represented on the CMT. The Chief Executive had recognised that the Education
Service had many strengths, including the leadership of the Director, which he wanted to use
and share across other Council departments. The new post of Executive Director, Education
was established and the Executive Director became part of the new CMT in April 2007. As
a result, the Education Service now had a key role in shaping and leading the delivery of
education and Council-wide priorities and initiatives.
The Executive Director, Education had been in post for two years at the time of the
inspection. He was supported by five Senior Managers, three of whom had been in post for
less than two years. Four Senior Managers had individual responsibilities for strategic areas
of education in addition to managing clusters of schools in different geographical areas
across Fife. The fifth Senior Manager had responsibility for resources. The Education
2
Service had recently rationalised the previous Quality Improvement Officer (QIO) and
Education Officer roles. In January 2007, a new structure consisting of 12 Education
Officers, had been introduced. Two Education Officers had been in post for less than a year
at the time of the inspection.
The Council’s Community Learning and Development (CLD) work was led by the Senior
Manager CLD, within Community Services. A Head of Service was responsible for leading
the work of Community Services which was one of the services under the direction of the
Executive Director, Local, Community and Housing Services. At the time of the inspection,
the service was in the process of implementing significant changes to how it delivered
provision.
3. How good are attainment and achievement of children and young
people and how well are they supported?
Improvements in performance
There were important strengths with some areas for improvement in performance.
Pre-school provision was strong. Attainment of primary-aged pupils had improved
steadily in recent years with most pupils now attaining well in reading, writing and
mathematics. Performance of pupils in reading writing and mathematics at S1 and S2
stages in Fife secondary schools was improving. The authority had taken a number of
important steps to promote pupils’ wider achievements. However, at S3/S4 and S5/6,
aspects of pupils’ performance needed to improve. The Council’s strategic approach was
proving effective in improving the wider achievement of learners with additional support
needs. Inspection evidence indicated high quality provision in pre-school establishments,
good and improving provision in primaries but a more variable picture in secondary
schools.
Inspection findings in the last three years had shown a very positive picture in pre-school
establishments. In 2006-2007, children in almost all centres were making good or very good
progress in emotional, personal and social development. Most children were making either
good or very good progress in expressive and aesthetic development and physical
development and learning. Of children with additional support needs, most were making
either good or very good progress in their learning. Leadership was good or very good in
most centres.
Over the last three years, pupils’ attainment in primary had improved in reading, writing and
mathematics. Most pupils were now attaining or exceeding the appropriate national levels
for 5-14 in all three areas. In recent years, the proportion of pupils performing below the
expected national level in these three areas had decreased. In reading in particular, the
proportion of pupils achieving beyond their expected level had increased significantly.
Inspection evidence over the last two years confirmed the picture of improving performance.
The percentage of inspections in which attainment in these areas was evaluated as having
major strengths had increased. Improvements in performance were notable in the attainment
of pupils by the end of their primary education. The performance of lower attaining pupils at
P7 had improved over time. In both reading and writing, performance had improved
3
annually. Authority staff recognised the need to ensure that that the attainment of boys
improved further in writing.
Overall, the authority had made good progress in improving the attainment of
secondary-aged learners at S1/S2 in reading, writing and mathematics. A majority of pupils
now achieved relevant national levels in these areas. The proportions doing so had increased
steadily from 2004 to 2006. At S3/S4, secondary schools in the authority performed broadly
in line with the national average and with comparator authorities 2 in Scottish Qualifications
Authority (SQA) examinations at Levels 3 3 and 4, but performed less well than the national
average and comparator authorities at Level 5. At S5, the proportions of pupils achieving
one or more and three or more awards at Level 6 had declined steadily from 2003 to 2007
and had fallen below the national average. The proportion of those achieving five or more
awards at Level 6 was in line with the national average and comparator authorities. At S6,
the proportions of pupils achieving three or more and five or more awards at Level 6, and
one or more award at Level 7 had fallen but remained generally in line with the national
average and comparator authorities. Achieving significant improvement in pupils’
attainment from S3 to S6 remained a priority for the Council.
Fewer pupils stayed on from S4 to S5 than did nationally and in comparator authorities, and
the proportion had fallen. However, the proportion of pupils going to further education,
including from S4, had increased to well above the national average. The proportion going
to higher education had been in line with both the comparator and national average but had
declined recently.
The authority had made some progress in closing the gap in attainment between the lowest
performing 20% of pupils and the other 80%. There remained more to be done in this area.
The performance of children who were looked after 4 was generally stronger than the national
average. The proportions of pupils presented at Access 2 and 3 were higher than most
comparator authorities, confirming the Council’s efforts to recognise attainment across the
ability range. Some secondary schools were making effective use of programmes and
qualifications, in addition to those available through the SQA, such as ASDAN 5, in an
attempt to find approaches better suited to the range of learners’ needs. However, not all
secondary schools were making enough use of these, or other complementary approaches to
meet the broad range of pupils’ needs. The authority was providing clear guidance to
secondary schools to promote greater flexibility in programmes. This advice was still being
embedded in a number of schools. Attendance of secondary pupils was generally in line
with, or above, both comparator and national averages. The proportion of pupils excluded
from secondary schools was lower than the national and comparator authorities’ averages,
and had fallen steadily from 2004 to 2006.
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.
3
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
4
The term ‘looked after’ in this report includes all children looked after or looked after and accommodated by the Council.
5
Awards Scheme Development and Accreditation Network.
4
Features of good practice: Performance Information Analysis
Schools had begun to make specific improvements in pupils’ attainment through more
focused monitoring and tracking of progress. The authority had recently developed an
innovative system for tracking pupils’ progress which had been well received by staff in
schools. It provided schools with high quality processes for analysing learners’
performance, as indicated by test and examination data at individual, stage, subject/aspect,
school and authority level. Senior staff had quickly implemented this very effective
framework which was supporting decision-making at Council, school, departmental and
individual teacher level. Schools were being offered clear and helpful data which allowed
them to analyse key aspects of pupils’ performance and to use this analysis to make
decisions about the curriculum, learning and teaching. The data also provided the basis for
professional dialogue between school and authority staff. The authority is continuing with
its plans to use the data analysis system to agree with schools their targets for
improvement in key aspects of attainment.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk
Fife had embedded the implementation of the Education (Additional Support for Learning)
(Scotland) Act 2004 within its inclusion strategy Inclusion in Fife. The authority had
established a strong and effective ethos of inclusion which was leading to improvement in
the performance of a wide range of learners. A well-embedded strategic framework guided
practice and was helping to improve the wider achievement of children and young people
with additional support needs. Pupils with additional support needs were making good
progress toward agreed targets in their course work and most had been successful in gaining
appropriate National Qualifications (NQs).
The recent inspection report on CLD in Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly, Kelty and Benarty
highlighted very good practice across adult learning and youth work. Fife CLD had
developed a range of approaches to increase youth participation and progression. In adult
learning, there was an appropriately strong emphasis on increasing employability through
gaining qualifications, new skills and enhanced self-esteem.
Impact on learners
The authority had ensured a clear and positive impact on the experiences of learners.
Significant progress had been made in its stated objective of improving the quality of
learning and teaching in pre-school provision and in primary schools. Provision for
pupils with additional support needs was strong. Families were well supported by strong
multi-agency working. Pupil Councils had helped pupils develop a greater understanding
of how they might influence their own life and environment. Primary-aged pupils
benefited from the commitment to cultural activities and Fife schools recorded high levels
of success in national competitions, including in team sports. Initiatives such as Cool in
School and Safe Drive, Stay Alive had made a significant impact on pupils and were
helping to enhance outcomes for vulnerable learners. Outcomes for achievement of
secondary-aged learners in a wide range of areas were improving, but uneven.
5
Learners of pre-school age
The Education Service had developed a range of appropriate policies and relevant guidance
to assist staff in improving the outcomes for pre-school learners. Various initiatives,
including the development of the Forest Kindergarten project, were having a positive effect
on children’s outdoor learning. A Development Officer and Education Officer were very
effective in sharing good practice, through, for example, visits to establishments and
joint-training of pre-school and P1 staff. Effective use was being made by a team of
pre-school teachers (EQUATE) to support learners in partner centres through working with
staff to improve their practice. There were also good examples of positive practice where
Community Services and Education Service staff had combined to benefit learners through
community and family support work. Inspection evidence indicated that nursery provision
was having a very good impact on pre-school learners.
A varied range of partnership work was having positive outcomes on children and their
families. The pre-school home visiting service (PSHVS) provided effective support to
families who had young children requiring additional help with their learning. Children with
additional support needs were identified early and appropriately and were well supported by
staff from the PSHVS and the integrated pre-school community teams. Inspections of
pre-school centres in the previous three years indicated that provision for pupils with
additional support needs was good or very good in most centres. Children and parents were
well supported at points of transition through strong multi-agency working. The use of
Person-Centred Planning approaches actively involved parents and children in reviewing
progress, and placed the family at the centre of assessment, planning and placement
decisions.
Features of good practice: Early Years
Fife’s Early Years provision is modern and innovative and is rated highly by parents. In
the last year, work has been undertaken to join together different parts of this provision by
reorganising teams, sharing good practice and planning for a new curriculum for young
children. As a result, the service is now better placed to meet the needs of children and
their families. Arrangements for staff becoming involved early with those communities
and families who have the greatest need means that resources are targeted effectively.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk
Primary-aged learners
The authority had made significant progress in its stated objective of improving the quality
of learning and teaching in primary schools. The authority’s Curriculum and Performance
teams promoted effectively the strategy of high quality learning and teaching as the key
element in the authority’s drive to improve the quality of provision for learners. A
significant number of schools were working with Durham and Dundee Universities on a peer
learning project which aimed to improve pupils’ learning skills, motivation and attainment.
Project evaluations indicated positive benefits for both staff and learners. The work of a
strategy group was offering a clear lead on the development and implementation of
6
Curriculum for Excellence 6. Identified schools had responded positively to the
encouragement to innovate at a local level. The involvement of primary schools in
developing and applying the principles of the national programme Assessment is for
Learning 7 had led to examples of very positive outcomes for primary-aged learners. These
included the increased involvement of pupils in setting their own learning targets to support
their next steps in learning.
Inspection evidence confirmed that the clear focus on learning and teaching was having a
positive impact on primary-aged learners. Findings of HMIE inspections of primary schools
in recent years were generally positive, and improving. Areas of strength included the
quality of learning and teaching, the curriculum, partnerships with parents and pastoral care.
In the important area of leadership, the percentage of inspections in which this was evaluated
as having major strengths had improved significantly over the last five years. In most
inspections in the last year, the quality of leadership of the headteacher had been evaluated as
good or better. In a number of inspections recently, the quality of leadership had been
evaluated as ‘excellent’.
Almost all staff interviewed on the neighbourhood visits confirmed the impact of
authority-led strategies in improving the quality of learning and teaching. They reported that
the implementation of these strategies was having a clear and positive benefit for
primary-aged learners. Primary headteachers, for example, reported that implementation had
been supported effectively by high quality provision in continuous professional development
(CPD). In the Kirkcaldy West neighbourhood, headteachers, teaching and support staff
commented positively on the impact of partnership working at the school and classroom
level. Effective working relationships were in place with a range of partners, including
school nurses, family workers and educational psychologists. These were having a positive
impact on their ability to address the needs of learners.
One of the key aims of the authority’s Excellence for All vision was to promote wider
achievement. The authority had taken a number of important and effective steps to develop
this further. These included the development of an achievements website which had helped
staff to recognise and celebrate success, as well as share good practice. Authority staff
worked closely with schools to promote opportunities for young people to develop their
capabilities as active and responsible citizens. All primary schools had Pupil Councils.
Inspection evidence indicated that in most schools, Pupil Councils had helped pupils to learn
about how democracy worked. Pupils were developing a growing understanding of how
they, as citizens, could influence their own lives and their local environment. The promotion
of community awareness amongst primary-aged learners has been a targeted area for
improvement. There had been a significant rise in the number of primary pupil volunteers,
as well as a rise in participation rates for after-school physical activity and in after-school
sports clubs.
Primary-aged pupils were benefiting from the commitment of the Education Service to
cultural activities. Pupils in all Fife primary schools had access to regular instrumental
6
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.
7
Assessment is for Learning (AifL) is a Scottish Executive Education Department development programme which outlines key principles
which connect assessment with learning and teaching.
7
instruction. The range was broad and, in some schools, included the opportunity to learn the
bagpipes and clarsach. Under the auspices of the Scottish Government’s Youth Music
Initiative, pupils in primary schools had the opportunity to become involved in local project
work. Connected to this was the programme of training for staff in Kodaly 8 approaches to
learning in and through the medium of music. The impact of this initiative had helped staff
to develop the skills and enthusiasm of primary-aged learners. Importantly, Fife Council’s
commitment to large-scale festivals in music, drama and dance provided pupils with an
opportunity to apply their performance skills in front of large audiences. Fife schools also
recorded high levels of success in national competitions, including in team sports.
The authority had taken strong and effective steps to address the needs of learners, including
primary-aged learners, with social, emotional and behavioural needs. The educational
psychology service (EPS) had played an important role in leading these aspects of the
authority’s work. The EPS had conducted high-quality evaluations of initiatives which had
helped encourage innovation and promote innovative practice within the authority. The
implementation of initiatives and programmes such as Cool in School and Self-regulation
had made a significant impact on a number of schools and on a majority of teaching staff.
Significantly, these initiatives were helping to improve outcomes for vulnerable learners.
This included helping them to develop strategies to cope with challenges in their learning,
and keeping them productively involved in learning at times when they would otherwise be
in danger of missing out. Plans were underway to extend these approaches across all
establishments in Fife. The EPS also delivered a broad and balanced range of services with
regard to advice and consultation, assessment and intervention, training and development and
research and strategic development.
Secondary-aged learners
Secondary headteachers were responding well to the Council’s objectives of improving
learning experiences for pupils and raising attainment. Some schools had extended their
programmes by offering flexible curriculum packages better matched to the needs of specific
groups of pupils. These included extended work placements, vocational options and outdoor
activities. Examples of very effective practice included the delivery of relevant Skills for
Work courses. These were being delivered in partnerships with the four Fife colleges and
were preparing pupils well for the world of work. Other partnerships, which were effective
in extending the range and variety of curriculum options, included outdoor education
programmes delivered by CLD staff. Overall, however, the quality of the curricular
programmes and attendant outcomes for pupils was too variable across schools.
Evidence from recent inspections of secondary schools indicated that raising overall
attainment at all stages remained a priority for the authority. In other aspects of pupils’
experiences, there was evidence of improvement. In almost all recent inspections of
secondary schools, the quality of the curriculum had been evaluated as good or better. In
personal and social development, school programmes were having a positive effect on
pupils, with some examples of particularly effective practice. The quality of pastoral care
was another area of strength. Overall, however, inspection evidence indicated a need for
secondary schools in the authority to continue to seek to improve the impact they have on
8
Based on the work and approach of the Hungarian composer and educator, Zoltan Kodaly.
8
learners. The quality of learning and teaching was generally evaluated as having significant
strengths. There were also some areas that required improvement.
The Council placed high priority on providing pupils with a broad range of opportunities for
wider achievement, for example, through sporting and cultural activities. These included
well-established annual festivals in dance, drama and music, and the contributions of touring
initiatives for the arts. Staff were taking steps to relate these contributions to the
implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. Provision for football through the Fife
Football Partnership was particularly strong. There was effective targeting of after-school
sports programmes funded by Sports Scotland in the West Fife villages. This had resulted in
a number of positive benefits including the development of two satellite clubs. As a result,
young people were successfully achieving Community Sports Leader Awards (CSLA) in
school and there had been an increase in volunteering in local youth work settings. The CLD
service provided some young people with opportunities to accredit their achievement through
Youth Achievement Awards (YAA) and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. However,
provision across the authority in this area was too uneven.
The authority had been successful in reducing the levels of exclusion for secondary-aged
pupils. These had fallen to below the national averages and those of comparator authorities.
A number of initiatives had contributed to better meeting the needs of vulnerable pupils.
These included use of restorative practices, an approach coordinated by the EPS, to promote
the development of active citizenship and personal and social development. Further
initiatives in the secondary sector included the development of multi-agency forums such as
school liaison groups. These forums helped the process of planning for the needs of young
people with complex learning or behavioural needs, and targeted transition programmes for
vulnerable young people transferring from primary to secondary schools. This approach was
helping to promote the development of active citizenship and personal and social
development on the part of pupils. Vulnerable young people benefited from well-planned
transition programmes when transferring from primary to secondary schools.
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Features of good practice: Strategy for Behaviour and Discipline
The strategy for behaviour and discipline was developed in close consultation with staff,
trades unions, parents and pupils. Its emphasis is on prevention of difficulties through the
positive development of good ethos and order. Within the strategy for inclusion, it gives
clear and practical guidance on the organisational development that a school needs to
achieve to be effective. This is based firmly on what has been found to work in schools.
The strategy has been informed particularly by schools in Fife that have improved their
ethos and by schools that are rated well in the survey of staff perceptions of behaviour,
discipline and welfare.
Strategically planned development work has been sponsored across Fife, some of it now
impacting on national and international contexts. In particular, a positive mainstream
social skills curriculum for pupils (P1-S3) has been developed, based on everyday
situations of immediate relevance to the age group, using skills rehearsal and delivered by
class teachers. This is known as Being Cool in School and at secondary stage What’s
Going On? Evaluations conducted by the Psychological Service indicate that this
programme has a positive impact on pupil behaviour. Restorative Approaches have been
developed initially in six schools as part of a national pilot. Evaluations have again been
positive and this has led to rolling out the approach to a further 55 primary schools, using
leading practitioners from Fife.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk
Authority staff offered a wide range of creative and supportive approaches to meet the needs
of individual pupils with additional support needs and involve them in learning opportunities
within their local community. Provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
and sensory difficulties was well supported by specialist staff. Joint working with partner
agencies, including social work and health was well-developed. This had led to improved
outcomes for a wide range of pupils including those who were looked after by the authority,
and those with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Effective partnership
arrangements with social work staff provided good levels of support to children and young
people who were looked after. An identified officer supported effective communication
between agencies and schools regarding the ongoing needs of pupils who were looked after.
Centrally-based staff, including a team of specialists who provided support to pupils with
English as an additional language and pupils from the Gypsy/Traveller Community, offered
strong support to staff in schools. Services for children and young people with social,
emotional and behavioural difficulties required to be developed further. Service delivery
was inconsistent across the authority and did not systematically meet the needs of all young
people. In order to address these concerns, the authority was in the process of reviewing all
of its secondary off-site provision for young people with social, emotional and behavioural
needs. This review was a significant first step in improving provision.
Youth work staff, linked to the Integrated Community Schools (ICS) programme, made good
use of targeted project work around outdoor and environmental education to engage with
young people. Young people involved in the Cupar Environmental Project, for example, had
an increased awareness of issues facing wheelchair users. Participants in the Glenrothes
High School Horse Riding Project had benefited from developing teamwork and
10
communication skills. They had modified their behaviour in school as a result of the
valuable experiences undertaken. A number of participants had also successfully gained
weekend employment at the local stables. A range of relevant local youth forums operated
across Fife. Over 50 young people participated in the authority-wide Fife Youth Forum
(FYF). The authority offered good support for FYF members and members of the Scottish
Youth Parliament (MSYPs). Relationships between support staff and FYF participants were
very positive. Members were enthusiastic, felt valued and empowered. For the first time,
ten new MSYPS had been elected at the last election. The Big Shout initiative, aimed at
improving the participation of young people in local decision-making, showed early signs of
offering an effective mechanism for young people to engage with community planning and
decision-makers. The authority had organised a series of relevant workshops consulting with
young people on the development of the Children’s Services Plan. A recent Fife open voice
event for Pupil Councils had engaged effectively with young people on their experiences of
schools. Links between youth forums and Pupil Councils were being formalised.
Adult learners
CLD provided an effective and relevant range of learning opportunities for adults. Adult
learning opportunities were supported effectively by appropriate guidance to assist
participation and progression. There was an increase each year in the number of adults
participating in adult literacies programmes and in the number of new learners. A recent
survey found that almost all Adult Basic Education (ABE) learners felt the service had
improved their lives. Adult literacy learners reported an increased sense of self-value as a
result of engaging in ABE. Parents reported that as a result of their involvement in learning,
their own children were more enthusiastic about their learning. The Never Winter Nights
project successfully engaged with young adults who were developing their literacy skills.
The well-attended annual Fife Adult Literacy Awards celebrated learners’ achievement
effectively. The Fife Women’s Technology Centre provided effective support for women,
young people and men moving into electronic engineering employment. There was a good
range of provision available for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) at a range of
levels including certificated courses. An effective network of Learn Direct branded learning
centres operated across Fife. The Levenmouth ICS team were working well with the more
difficult to engage sections of the community. Women with a history of drug misuse had
successfully progressed to Open University courses and to courses run by Kirkland
Community College.
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 in meeting the needs of parents, carers and families
was good. The Council had made significant progress in relating to parents, carers and
families and had developed a helpful range of informative leaflets for families on topics
such as inclusion and parental rights. The Council’s Pupil and Parent Participation
Development Officer was contributing to provision in a number of important ways. Parent
Councils were now in place in almost all Fife schools. The authority had provided
11
innovative and effective training in parenting and was well placed for the necessary
continuing improvements in its work with parents, carers and families.
The Council had made good progress in establishing appropriate channels of communication
with parents, carers and families. Authority staff had developed a helpful range of
informative leaflets for families on topics such as inclusion, parental rights and the
Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. Staff had also developed
practice guidelines to support work with parents and their children in areas including ADHD.
Parents were actively involved in the development of policy and strategy for vulnerable
groups, including ASD and disability equality issues. Parents and families were very
positive about the quality and range of services available to support their children with
additional support needs. Educational psychologists took care to ensure that young people
and their families were fully involved in the process of making decisions about plans to
support them. Parents of children with additional support needs reported that input from
authority staff had led to an improved understanding of conditions such as ADHD.
Importantly, this meant that they were now engaging increasingly in their child’s education.
The work of ICS staff impacted positively on parents. In the identified neighbourhoods,
parents reported the benefits of ICS involvement to include improved communication and
reduced tensions within families.
Contacts with parents were overseen by the parental involvement strategy group which met
regularly with senior council staff. The authority had appointed a Pupil and Parent
Participation Development Officer on a permanent basis, reflecting its commitment to this
aspect of its work. Parent Councils were now in place in almost all Fife schools. The
Executive Director, Education had shown great personal commitment in addressing various
groups of parents in the preparatory period for the establishment of Parent Councils.
Procedures for consulting with parents, pupils and the wider community, for example over
the authority’s Children’s Services Plan, were increasingly effective. These procedures
included major consultation events which were effective in ensuring a voice in the Council’s
planning processes for these key groups. The authority had provided innovative and
effective training in parenting, jointly for professional staff and parents. Staff had developed
helpful informative leaflets which summarised issues associated with specific learning
difficulties, and advice to support parents of learners with additional support needs. The
authority had provided helpful briefings on the implications of the Education (Additional
Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. Overall, the authority’s approaches to engaging
with parents were well judged, but had yet to achieve a full impact and succeed in
convincing all parents that their views were consistently taken into account. Through the
Parent Councils, some parents expressed a sense of remoteness from the authority and its
decision making processes. Most, however, indicated their confidence that the authority was
improving key aspects of its performance. Overall, the Council was well placed for the
necessary continuing improvements in its work with parents, carers and families.
Impact on staff
The impact on staff was very good. Across the Council, staff accessed a very varied and
highly relevant training programme which supported effectively their own CPD. Overall,
staff morale within the Education Service and CLD was positive and optimistic. The
Education Service’s CPD team had developed and implemented a very strong programme
12
of activity which staff reported was meeting their needs very well. The programme for
leadership development was very strong. Newly qualified teachers were very well
supported through an informative and varied programme which was meeting their needs
very well at an early stage in their career.
Staff were motivated and meaningfully involved in developing services through their
involvement on working groups and networks. Staff reported that measures taken by the
Education Service in recent years were supporting continuous improvement. Overall,
feedback from staff at meetings, focus groups and from neighbourhood visits indicated very
high levels of personal and professional satisfaction. Staff made effective use of a wide
range of opportunities to prepare for potential future leadership responsibilities by
involvement in a well planned CPD programme. They also had very good opportunities for
career development through secondments and involvement in local and national working
groups. Recently, staff had benefited from a major Leadership for Learning conference and
the establishment of a Quality Improvement Network for aspiring leaders.
Aspects of provision for CPD for staff, and in particular for teaching staff, were excellent.
At all levels, staff accessed a flexible and wide-ranging CPD programme through cluster,
twilight and weekend courses and through use of the Council’s intranet programme FISH.
Staff reported that these experiences helped to influence and improve their practices in terms
of their teaching approaches and ways in which they promoted pupils’ learning. In addition,
teaching staff benefited from a nationally-recognised induction programme for probationers
and a very well-received induction and mentoring scheme for all new headteachers. Training
programmes for classroom assistants and special needs assistants were also well received.
Staff interviewed on neighbourhood visits reported that these activities were helping them to
effect change in schools. In the course of neighbourhood visits, headteachers and staff
reported that Education Officers and other staff from community groups, National Health
Service (NHS) and voluntary organisations worked well with partner centres, nurseries and
schools to support aspects of practice. The service had developed very effective work in
staff welfare, in cooperation with trade unions. Some of this work had been developed in
liaison with Teacher Support Scotland as part of a national pilot. Audit tools had been
developed to allow the service to benchmark pilot school results against national norms in
England and Wales. There was clear evidence of improvement, including levels of staff
absence in pilot schools. Child protection training was appropriate.
Since the appointment of a full training officer in CLD, there was evidence of improved
training for youth work. Induction processes were now in place for youth work training and
the core training programme had been developed and made available across the Council.
Course evaluations in youth work showed that staff considered almost all courses to be good
or very good. Fife CLD Partnership had developed its own website and regular online
resources which were helping to ensure effective communication with staff. A significant
number of staff benefited from multi-agency training. In response to positive feedback and
ongoing demand from partner agencies, the Adult Literacies Strategy Group had provided a
programme of specialist training for staff in all agencies who had individual contact with
adults displaying a literacy difficulty. As a result, adults were able to improve their literacy
skills.
13
Across the Council, staff were confident in their ability to carry out their duties and, overall,
reported that teamwork was very effective. Senior managers in schools reported that they
worked well with senior managers from the Education Service. Overall, staff were
appropriately deployed, engaged and felt valued across the authority. A number of service
reviews had taken place to ensure that deployment of staff was effective and providing Best
Value. Annual Council surveys of pupil behaviour and discipline showed that staff
perceptions of pupil behaviour had improved since 2005. It also found very high, and
improving, levels of wellbeing and ethos in schools. Almost all attendees at regular best
practice conferences on Positive Behaviour stated that they had increased individual
confidence in dealing with behavioural issues. The Education Service had enjoyed
significant success at the Council’s annual excellence awards ceremony when outstanding
contributions by staff were recognised.
Features of good practice: Developing Staff (CPD)
Fife Council seeks to empower staff to improve both their own performance and the
performance and practice of the service through a culture of support and challenge. The
induction programme in Fife for all probationers has gained national recognition.
Newly-qualified teachers are supported effectively through this interesting programme
which is helping them in learning and teaching situations at an early stage in their career.
The central CPD team supports headteachers and CPD Coordinators to embed a positive
culture of collaborative working and sharing good practice at school/cluster level. There is
a comprehensive programme of leadership opportunities at all levels and multi-agency
training is now a regular feature of CPD provision. It is very helpful in supporting existing
managers and aspiring leaders take on leadership roles. At all levels, staff are helped to
improve their practice through being able to access training and staff development in
numerous ways, for example through attendance at courses or through using the Council’s
Intranet services.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk
Effective inter-agency work had taken place between the Education Service, Social Work
and Fife NHS which had provided significant support for health promotion. Staff from the
Levenmouth neighbourhood reported increased confidence in developing the health aspects
of children’s and young people’s learning. Pupils had a good knowledge of how to keep
themselves safe and well. They knew the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise.
The authority provided a comprehensive range of training and development activities to
support its inclusion strategy and improve the skills and knowledge of its staff to meet the
needs of pupils with ASN more effectively. Principal educational psychologists and service
managers demonstrated very effective leadership skills which successfully motivated and
challenged EPS staff. Staff in this area were highly motivated and worked very effectively
in teams. Educational psychologists made very good use of training and development
activities to improve their practices. They also contributed significantly to the on-going
development of other professionals including support assistants, educational authority staff
and health colleagues.
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Impact on the local community
The authority’s impact on the local community was good. Changes to community
planning and engagement were showing signs of improvement. Overall, voluntary
organisations felt well supported. Schools had developed very positive relationships with
their communities. The work of social enterprise groups such as the Kingdom Credit
Union was having a positive impact on people’s daily lives. The authority was continuing
to develop effective partnerships working with local colleges. The authority’s strategy for
developing community capacity building and for community planning at a local level was
at an early stage of development.
The Children’s Services Group, chaired by the Executive Director, Education, played a key
role in linking agencies and partners to strategic developments. Changes as a result of
restructuring within the Council were enabling better coordination of resources and
personnel to meet identified priorities. Improvements had been identified, and were being
addressed, across a range of priorities. The Council supported a large number of voluntary
organisations which were linked appropriately to strategy groups. The organisations
provided a wide range of support to communities. This included examples of very effective
multi-agency collaborations within clusters which were having a positive impact on
communities. Evidence from school inspections showed that schools in almost all sectors
had very strong relationships with their communities. Schools made effective use of
resources in the community to support pupils’ learning and partners were active in
supporting community work. Almost all establishments had registered as Eco-Schools with
many already gaining a bronze or silver award, and some having achieved Eco-Schools’
Green Flag status.
The Council was continuing to develop its links with local colleges and a high number of
Skills for Work courses had been established. The outcome of this work had still to be
evaluated across all colleges. Nursery, primary and secondary schools had productive
college links. For example, children in some pre-school establishments benefited from
experience of aspects of engineering through the mechatronics initiative. Pupils at P7 and
from S4-S6 had developed important skills through involvement in catering activities.
Pupils with additional support needs enjoyed valuable placements in the colleges, developing
their self-confidence and employability. Colleges were involved in school enterprise
activities, careers advice and vocational programmes. The Digital Fife (DF) initiative
provided good support for local community organisations. Over 100 local community
organisations had benefited from the DF approach to developing websites. The
community-led Abbeyview Regeneration Forum had made effective use of the DF website to
encourage a sense of local community spirit, through highlighting current community events
and local opportunities.
Young people from FYF had delivered a presentation to the Education and Children’s
Services Committee on their recent study visit to Norway to look at how young people there
were participating in local council decision making structures. As a result of its closer
engagement with FYF, the Committee had since initiated a consultation on youth facilities
across the authority. Big Shout members had also recently been engaged with Fife
Constabulary on its proposed policing policy. In response to local concerns, the Linking
Together project in Linktown, Kirkcaldy had identified and addressed issues relating to
15
vandalism and anti-social behaviour. A community group, established with support from
council officers, had successfully accessed funds, working closely with a range of local
agencies to address key issues. The Frae Fife project, of which Community Services was the
parent service, effectively targeted the black and minority ethnic population through a variety
of community learning programmes.
The Kingdom Credit Union was addressing and meeting a number of local community
financial needs. Social enterprises were well developed through the Benarty Regeneration
Action Group (BRAG). The Newburgh Waterfront regeneration group had successfully
redeveloped a derelict factory site into an attractive play area. The authority was working
towards a more coherent and integrated approach across the Local Community and Housing
Service to ensure a more structured approach in localities. Changes to the CLD structure
were showing early signs of improved local working relationships between CLD staff,
locality managers and rural partnership support staff. However, the authority’s strategies for
developing community capacity and for community planning at a local level were at an early
stage of development. An outline strategy, which mapped out the stages of development of
local community planning, had yet to be implemented in full.
Features of good practice: Digital Fife (DF)
The DF project offered community groups access to flexible and appropriate free training
and support with regard to website development and management. Over 100 local
community organisations had benefited from the simple and easy to use system for
developing websites. As a result of the training and support from DF umbrella
organisations such as the Fife Federation of Tenants and Residents Association had
benefited from improved networking, more effective sharing of information and in
cascading good practice. Community organisations used the online survey tool developed
by DF to effectively engage with local communities to identify issues of concern. The
ability to record user statistics had assisted organisations to improve their data gathering.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk
Impact on the wider community
Impact on the wider community was very good. A number of authority initiatives had
gained awards and generated interest nationally. Effective partnerships had been
developed with other Councils to take forward common priorities. The Council had
developed strong international links including youth exchanges and Global Citizenship
programmes.
A number of schools across the authority had formed links with colleagues and organisations
in Malawi which had resulted in teacher and pupil visits and exchanges. Across the
authority, there was evidence of strong international engagement with a wide range of
countries including China. This had enabled exchanges at a number of levels and the
opportunity to share educational and cultural experiences. Effective partnerships with, for
example, the British Council had secured an International Schools’ Award in 2005 and 2007.
Training had been provided to support capacity building in the development of youth
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workers and leaders to organise international exchanges at local level. A large number of
young people across the authority were benefiting from these links.
The Executive Director, Education and his team had established a range of working groups
aimed at taking forward the raising attainment strategy. This had led to the production of
helpful guidelines, good practice events and online systems. The Council also made
effective use of national and international good practice to inform local developments.
Senior managers were very well represented on national groups and organisations and
contributed at strategic levels on these. The Council had won a number of national
Education Awards in the last two years, including, recently, the Local Authority, Making A
Difference Award at the National Awards for Excellence. Visits from a range of
international groups had helped share local experience and expertise. Many of these had
resulted from international interest following national presentations, partnerships and
exchange activities.
Partnerships at local level between Community Services, the Education Service and
Community Planning Partners had gained the Council recognition through its Active Fife
programme of health improvement. The Anne Frank + You programme had had a
particularly strong impact, as recognised in the COSLA Excellence Awards 2008. This had
resulted from the visit to the site of the concentration camp at Auschwitz by pupils from
three Fife secondary schools and had then developed into a Council-wide event that attracted
very large numbers of young people and adults from across the authority. It had been very
well received.
The authority’s support for creativity and the arts had achieved a number of awards in the
last two years. A strong commitment to music was evident through the contribution of a
range of groups to national festivals and local and Council-wide performances. The Council
had successfully secured external funding to support effective developments in creativity and
the arts. Sport specific development officers were effective in enabling a wide range of
sporting activities to be offered to all age groups. Some of this work had generated national
recognition. Innovative partnership programmes, including Radiowave in media skills and
with communities through DF, had led to continued work with colleges to develop online
learning modules. These activities offered young people effective learning routes for
accreditation and life skills as well as providing alternative and stimulating environments for
learning. The Active Fife Partnership, in association with voluntary and national partners,
had increased awareness of health promotion across the Council. Early Years developments
had also attracted national interest. Programmes such as Play@home had been adopted by
several other Councils. The very promising Forest Kindergarten project was being
developed further by the Council and was being publicised and promoted nationally.
5. How well is the authority led?
Vision, values and aims
The authority’s vision, values and aims was very good, with some outstanding features.
Fife Council had developed a very clear vision for its work in seeking high quality
provision for learners. Elected members, the Chief Executive and senior officers were
17
committed to the implementation of the Council’s stated vision, values and aims. Staff at
all levels in the Education Service recognised the achievement of Excellence For All as
their goal. Senior managers in the CLD service had developed agreed underlying
principles for the future development of the service. There was a very impressive level of
agreement amongst staff across the services on what required to be done to ensure high
quality attainment and achievement for learners.
The Education Service’s statement Excellence For All provided a very clear vision for the
work of the service. It linked closely to agreed corporate and community aims and was
consistent with the key values and principles which permeated corporate policies. These
included the Council’s commitment to placing the needs of the customer first and to the Fife
Community Plan’s emphasis on a well skilled and educated Fife. Other common elements
included an adherence to partnership working and to ensuring equality of opportunity for all.
The Fife CLD Strategy set out clearly the underlying principles for the delivery of the CLD
service. These were linked closely to the Fife Community Plan. In the Education Service,
Excellence for All offered a very well recognised sense of direction. While the core of the
vision had been established for some time, senior managers had been proactive in ensuring
that it remained consistent with changing national priorities. This was evident in the
increasing attention being given to the promotion of both attainment and wider achievement.
Senior Managers within both services modelled the vision very well. The Head of
Community Services and the Senior Manager CLD had been proactive in developing and
sharing the recently revised vision. CLD service staff expressed very positive views about
the clarity of vision and direction for their work. The Executive Director, Education, played
a key role in promoting the values and aims of the education service. As a member of the
Council’s Management Team and as Chair of the Children’s Services Group, he ensured that
the vision was shared across a range of services and partners. The Chief Executive and
elected members valued and endorsed the direction offered by the Excellence for All vision.
Senior elected members were strongly supportive of the vision.
The key aspects of the vision, including developing and improving attainment, achievement
and inclusion, were widely known by staff at a range of levels. Importantly, the vision and
the commitment to ensuring that it led to discernible improvement for learners, had won the
full support of headteachers. In a recent Fife Council education survey published in August
2007, 99% of headteachers reported that a clear and consistent strategic direction for the
service was effectively communicated to schools. This was supported by the views of staff
at a range of levels during the neighbourhood visits. In response to the pre-inspection
questionnaires issued as part of this inspection, almost all headteachers reported that Heads
of Service and Directorate staff showed a very high level of commitment to improving
education. Almost all headteachers also reported that the authority made a significant and
positive difference to improving the quality of learning and teaching, and that the authority
was well led. The EPS had been central to supporting the vision of inclusion in a
well-focused and effective manner. Overall, the clear and agreed vision of what learners in
Fife should attain and achieve had helped to secure improvement in a range of important
aspects. The impact of this work had not yet, however, been fully realised in consistently
improved levels of attainment for secondary-aged learners.
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Leadership and direction
The quality of leadership and direction was very good. Senior Managers worked very well
together and were highly committed to improving education provision for children and
families in Fife. Elected members worked closely with the Chief Executive and senior
finance officers to enable them to make effective budgetary decisions. The Education
Service’s implementation of formal workforce planning arrangements had led to improved
management of staffing resources and had contributed to more effective succession
planning. There had been significant improvements to the authority’s information
technology infrastructure. Plans were in place to ensure that information and
communication technology (ICT) provision supported fully the need for continued
improvement in learning and teaching.
In the Education Service, there was a strong sense of energy and commitment to change that
was helping to drive forward and direct service improvements. The Chief Executive
communicated a clear and strong message of the need to improve attainment and promote
wider achievement for all young people. Elected members had been supported effectively by
the Chief Executive and senior officers to take forward well-judged improvements in the
planning process. This had resulted in a simpler approach to service planning and a clearer
focus on outcomes for children and their families. Senior officers provided elected members
with relevant advice to make informed decisions.
The Executive Director, Education displayed outstanding leadership qualities. Working
closely with senior managers, his commitment to personal engagement with staff had helped
develop a culture of openness in which staff at various levels felt a sense of ownership of the
work of the authority. Recognising the need for continued improvement in attainment in
secondary schools, he was unrelenting in his promotion of the authority’s clear
attainment-raising strategy. In the pre-inspection questionnaire, almost all headteachers
agreed that the Executive Director, Education and Senior Managers showed a high level of
commitment to improving education. Senior managers, working very effectively as a team,
had improved the quality of the direction, and the level of support and challenge, offered to
establishments. Each member of the Education Service’s management team had played a
key role in taking forward corporate and service planning in their respective areas. As a
result of its commitment to developing quality across provision, the Education Service has
gained two EFQM Excellence Awards 9 in recent years.
The Head of Community Services and the senior manager CLD provided valuable strategic
direction to the reorganised CLD service. Recently appointed service managers and team
leaders now had appropriate remits and agreed lines of responsibility and accountability. In
liaison with the voluntary sector, clear plans were in place to develop and build integrated
working. However, the new CLD structure was not yet fully embedded. Senior Managers
recognised the need to provide appropriate levels of support to develop community capacity
building.
There had been significant improvement in financial performance over the last five years.
Elected members worked closely with the Chief Executive and senior finance officers to
9
The European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Awards.
19
enable them to make effective budgetary decisions. The Education and Children’s Service
Committee received regular, helpful financial reports to help them plan and resource
provision in Fife. Managers and headteachers were challenged appropriately to identify
efficiencies within their budgets. Business managers provided headteachers with regular and
helpful financial reports and projections for the financial year. These were shared with area
teams and Education Officers and enabled senior staff to identify any key issues at an early
stage and to support schools to manage resources efficiently within their service planning
cycle. Headteachers were very positive about the impact of business managers.
The Education Service’s implementation of formal workforce planning arrangements had led
to improved management of staffing resources and had contributed to more effective
succession planning. Revised timescales in workforce planning were helping to link service
business planning cycles more closely to ensure appropriate staffing arrangements. Recently
undertaken major Public Private Partnership work to develop ten new schools over a
three year period had improved considerably the accommodation and facilities available to
support the learning and teaching in these schools. Improved communication links between
schools and Education Service’s Resource Managers had led to more effective strategic
deployment of resources. The Council had made significant progress in developing
corporate risk management. This had been highlighted positively in a recent report by
auditors. Staff were making good progress in taking forward risk management arrangements
at service levels.
The Education Service had undertaken considerable and effective work to improve the
strategic deployment of resources. In particular, it had prioritised effectively the need to
improve the quality of provision of ICT for establishments. A clear e-strategy had been
developed in consultation with stakeholders. This had led to significant improvements in the
authority’s information technology infrastructure. The service recognised that further work
was needed to improve the standard and quality of ICT to support high quality learning and
teaching in all establishments.
Developing people and partnerships
Performance in this area was already strong and improving. Changes in senior personnel
and structures across the Council in recent years had helped develop an effective
approach to partnership working within and outwith the authority. A number of effective
groups and partnerships had been introduced in recent years to offer support and
challenge in achieving high quality provision. A range of successful joint-working
initiatives involving health, social work and the police were having a clear impact on the
lives of children and young people. This aspect of leadership was very good.
As a result of the Council management restructure, the Education Service was now leading
and coordinating in relation to the work of children’s services. Staff at a variety of levels
were working collaboratively across service boundaries in order to share information and
improve outcomes for learners. The Corporate Management Team gave high priority and
commitment to joint working across Council services. The Executive Director, Education
was using his position as chair of the Children’s Services Committee to develop effective
partnerships with a number of agencies such as Fife NHS and Fife Police, as well as
voluntary groups. Staff at all levels of the service welcomed the strong direction provided by
20
the Executive Director, Education and his senior officers. They valued the opportunity to
play a leadership role in promoting continuous improvement.
The work of a number of effective groups and partnerships offered clear support and
challenge in achieving high quality provision. A multi-agency Quality, Innovation and Skills
(QIS) group operated effectively within the Fife CLD Partnership. Area Quality Assurance
Teams (AQuATs) worked closely with EPS teams to ensure that appropriate action was
taken to meet the needs of vulnerable pupils. Curriculum Networks (QuINs) 10 had been
increasingly successful in sharing good practice and promoting improvement. Newly
appointed headteachers had benefited from high quality CPD programmes which were
helping to develop further their leadership skills. At cluster level, school staff delivered high
quality training in a range of curriculum contexts and across sectors. Headteachers were
proactive in planning local CPD events. Training events were highly rated and well
attended. Almost all staff felt that the authority was well led.
Senior staff in the Education Service and Community Services demonstrated a shared
commitment to working closely with each other, with other Council services and with
community partners to provide the best opportunities for all children and young people
across Fife. A minority of headteachers, however, felt they had not been involved in training
with other departments of the Council and lacked guidance on working with other services.
The Education Service had put in place a very well planned strategic framework for
developing inclusion. This was led very effectively by senior managers through a strong
partnership approach and was helping to deliver effective support to diverse groups of
children and young people. This had helped to promote successfully their personal and
social development and achievements. The EPS had made a significant contribution to the
development of effective partnership working across the authority. In particular, it had
supported the development of multi-agency school liaison groups which were helping to
improve outcomes for young people with additional support needs and those leaving care.
Highly effective multi-agency working was also evident at all levels across the authority to
meet the needs of pupils who required additional support. In a range of provision, education
and therapy staff were working very well together to provide a high quality service. The
implementation of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 had
enhanced effective partnership approaches in engaging with key stakeholders. Key staff
within the Education Service demonstrated a sound knowledge and understanding of the
legislation. This was serving to strengthen existing practice to the benefit of those with
additional support needs. The authority was making good progress in identifying pupils who
would need a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP). Further work was required to ensure that all
partner agencies working directly with children understood their responsibilities in relation to
the Act.
A number of professional support and development groups relating to the key priorities of
CLD and in support of policy development had made early progress on work with young
people and adult learning. Recently appointed CLD area team leaders were positively
engaged in local discussions with a range of services and agencies to improve partnership
working.
10
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Curriculum Networks (QuINs) Quality Improvement Networks.
Leadership of change and improvement
The quality of leadership of change and improvement was good. Authority staff were
committed to seeking continuous improvement in the attainment and achievement of
learners. Elected members accepted their responsibility to work with schools to ensure
improvement. Headteachers were very clear on their role in this area. Both authority and
school staff were making good use of high quality performance information to focus on
the progress and needs of learners. There was a need to ensure that the level of challenge
provided by the new Education Officer team was consistently high and appropriate across
the service.
The Education Service demonstrated a strong commitment to achieving excellence. There
was an impressive sense of unity of purpose amongst leaders at a range of levels. All were
committed to working towards achieving high standards in the quality of provision for
learners. In particular, staff at all levels recognised the need to improve pupils’ levels of
attainment in secondary schools. Senior elected members were aware of their
responsibilities in terms of supporting and challenging the Education Service and its
managers and headteachers. The recent introduction of seven local area committees offered
the potential for strengthening the process of how elected members worked with schools to
ensure continuous improvement. These committees were at a very early stage of
development. A key element of the service’s strategic approach in seeking to develop a
culture of continuous improvement was to ensure that senior managers of the authority,
including headteachers, understood and accepted their key role in ensuring improvement.
Headteachers reported that they were clear on their responsibilities and on their roles in
ensuring accountability. In response to the pre-inspection questionnaire, almost all
headteachers reported that the authority had encouraged development of a systematic
approach to self-evaluation and that they had access to effective training for leadership. Staff
in EPS at all levels were challenged to improve their performance and provided with peer
support systems to bring about improvement.
The Education Service provided high quality support for staff in schools and other
establishments. The authority was effective in disseminating good practice about how to
improve the quality of education. Headteachers were very well supported by authority staff.
Areas of particular strength included examples of high quality curriculum support,
strategically designed and focused to ensure improvements to learning and teaching.
Impressive CPD opportunities were very well received by staff at a range of levels and had
helped ensure improvements in important areas such as the quality of leadership and in
ensuring that newly qualified teachers made a strong start to their teaching careers. A strong
commitment to focus on the use of cluster level work had led to some very effective joint
working between schools. This was particularly evident during the inspection team’s
neighbourhood visits.
Senior CLD managers were committed to ensuring improvement in the quality of provision
for learners. They had taken important steps to secure further improvement and recognised
that strategic measures introduced recently would need careful monitoring and review.
Senior managers in the Education Service promoted a culture in which headteachers and
managers challenged staff constructively and continuously to improve the quality of
provision for learners. Recently, the quality of performance management information
22
available to authority and school staff had improved significantly. Importantly, both
authority and school staff were making improved use of the information to focus on the
particular progress and needs of learners. In situations where senior managers had identified
school underperformance, clear and decisive action had been taken. The expanded tier of
Education Officers worked closely with headteachers and school staff to ensure
improvement. Most headteachers who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire
reported that Education Officers knew their establishments well. Staff interviewed in the
course of neighbourhood visits were often very positive about the work of the Education
Officers, reporting that they provided them with both effective support and constructive
challenge. Overall, however, there was a need to ensure that the level of challenge provided
by the Education Officer team was consistently high and appropriate across the service.
6. What is the Council’s capacity for improvement?
The development of a clear vision supported and directed the work of staff and helped to
ensure and sustain the drive for improvement. The impact of clear strategic leadership
across both the Education Service and Community Services had been demonstrated across
a range of aspects of the Council’s performance. The authority was in a good position to
continue to address the need for further improvement in aspects of the performance of
secondary-aged learners.
The authority had continued to build on the significant improvements identified in HMIE’s
follow-up progress visit of June 2006. Senior officers had developed a cohesive and shared
strategy for improvement which placed a strong and appropriate focus on improving
experiences for all learners. The development of a clear vision had helped to direct the work
of staff and sustain the drive for improvement. This was modelled and reinforced effectively
by the collective leadership from senior managers. In particular, the Chief Executive,
Executive Director, Education and the Head of Community Services provided a strong sense
of direction at a time of change. Senior Managers in the Education Service were committed
to offering high quality support and rigorous challenge to school staff. Managers, including
headteachers, recognised their role in seeking improvement for learners. The Senior
Manager, CLD provided clear direction to staff. There was a very strong sense from school
and CLD staff across Fife that the authority was working collectively and effectively to
secure improvements. A highly effective and, in parts, sector-leading programme of CPD
opportunities provided a strong platform for support. Increasingly robust approaches to
performance management had assisted staff at a variety of levels in focusing on the progress
and needs of individual learners. Continued efforts were required, however, to ensure that,
working with elected members, Education Officers, headteachers and managers within CLD
provided consistent levels of challenge to assist staff to meet fully the needs of all learners.
The impact of strong strategic leadership across both the Education Service and Community
Services was evident in a range of aspects of the Council’s performance. In a number of
important areas, the work of authority managers and staff had resulted in improved outcomes
for learners. This included improvements in performance for pre-school and primary-aged
learners. Senior staff and headteachers recognised the need for a sustained emphasis on
translating effective strategies into better attainment for secondary-aged learners and
improved outcomes from youth work. As a result of highly effective strategic leadership, the
authority had a clear and developing capacity to improve further.
23
Key strengths
•
The commitment of headteachers, managers and staff to the vision, values and aims of
Education and Community Services.
•
The strong strategic leadership provided by the Executive Director, Education and the
Head of Community Services.
•
The high quality provision for pre-school and adult learners, and improvements in key
outcomes for primary-aged learners.
•
The impact of the authority’s commitment to inclusion, and innovative approaches to
addressing the behavioural needs of pupils.
•
High quality provision for CPD which had impacted on improved school leadership.
•
The impact of highly effective partnership working at a cluster level.
•
The introduction and effective use of high quality performance management information
to track pupils’ progress.
Main points for action
•
Ensure that the strategic measures taken to improve attainment and wider achievement in
secondary schools result in improvements in performance.
•
Continue to develop the quality of support and challenge provided by the Education
Officer team to ensure more consistent impact on schools.
•
Implement plans to improve the standard and quality of information and communications
technology to help schools ensure better outcomes for learners.
•
Ensure that structural changes within the CLD Service lead to improvements in identified
priority areas, and in particular in improvements in outcomes for young people.
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 ask the
authority for a report on pupil achievement and attainment in September 2009.
Annette Bruton
HM Chief Inspector
Directorate 5
13 May 2008
24
Appendix 1
Quality indicators
Quality Indicator 11
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
Good
Good
Good
Very good
Good
Very good
Very good
Very good
Very good
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
Fair
Unsatisfactory
11
25
New level
Excellent
Very good
Good
Adequate
Weak
Unsatisfactory
Description
Outstanding, sector leading
Major strengths
Important strengths with some areas for improvement
Strengths just outweigh weaknesses
Important weaknesses
Major weaknesses
The indicators in this list are evaluated in all inspections.
Appendix 2
Performance information
Attendance
Table A.1: Percentage Attendance
Primary:
2004
2005
2006
Fife
95.3
95.1
94.9
CA Average
95.4
95.1
95.2
National
95.3
95.0
95.0
Secondary:
2004
2005
2006
Fife
90.8
90.4
90.3
CA Average
89.6
89.7
90.3
National
90.2
90.1
90.5
2004
2005
2006
Fife
63.3
62.9
60.8
CA Average
63.9
65.1
64.1
National
64.2
64.1
63.8
2004
2005
2006
Fife
30
31
28
CA Average
30
31
31
National
29
31
30
2004
2005
2006
Fife
26
30
32
CA Average
17
19
19
National
21
21
23
Training:
2004
2005
2006
Fife
5
5
4
CA Average
5
6
6
National
5
5
5
Staying on Rate
Table A.2: Percentage of pupils staying on to S5 (Post Christmas)
Pupil Destinations
Table A.3: Percentage of pupils entering each destination
Higher Education:
Further Education:
26
Employment:
2004
2005
2006
Fife
19
21
20
CA Average
26
27
28
National
25
27
26
2004
2005
2006
Fife
16
9
12
CA Average
15
12
13
National
13
10
11
2004
2005
2006
Fife
2
2
2
CA Average
3
3
2
National
3
3
2
2004
2005
2006
Fife
2
3
2
CA Average
3
2
1
National
4
3
2
Unemployed and seeking employment or
training:
Unemployed and not seeking
employment or training:
Destination unknown:
Exclusions
Table A.4: Total number of exclusions and exclusions per 1,000 population
Primary:
Fife
2004
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
287
10
383
14
398
14
8
4,478
Secondary:
Fife
27
11
9
5,319
2004
13
12
5,779
2005
15
2006
Total
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
2959
130
2703
121
2385
107
CA Average
National
2006
Total
CA Average
National
2005
118
33,465
105
117
35,513
112
119
36,136
115
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
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S4
English at Level 3 or better
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
93.3
93.4
93.3
94.4
92.3
CA Average
94.3
94.2
93.9
94.4
95.0
National
93.7
93.7
93.6
94.0
93.9
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
92.3
93.4
92.1
93.9
91.6
CA Average
92.9
92.9
93.2
92.8
94.0
National
92.6
92.5
92.1
92.9
93.1
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
89.3
91.3
90.4
90.9
89.1
CA Average
91.3
91.4
90.1
90.9
91.0
National
90.7
90.8
90.2
90.7
90.5
Mathematics at Level 3 or better
5 + at Level 3 or better
28
5 + at Level 4 or better
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
75.4
77.4
75.4
75.5
73.1
CA Average
76.0
75.8
75.9
77.5
74.5
National
76.4
76.6
76.1
76.8
75.0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
32.1
33.2
31.9
31.9
27.6
CA Average
33.5
33.9
33.6
35.1
32.2
National
34.0
34.6
34.2
34.8
32.3
5 + at Level 5 or better
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S5
3 + at Level 6 or better
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
20.6
21.6
21.3
19.8
19.3
CA Average
20.7
21.5
21.5
20.5
21.1
National
22.6
22.7
22.7
21.7
21.6
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
8.0
8.7
7.9
8.2
7.5
CA Average
9.0
8.7
9.3
8.9
9.2
National
9.6
9.4
9.9
9.7
9.4
5 + at Level 6 or better
29
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S6
English and Mathematics at Level 3 or
better
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
92.3
91.1
91.3
92.0
91.0
CA Average
92.1
90.7
92.4
92.7
93.3
National
92.3
91.6
91.8
91.7
91.5
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
90.5
90.5
89.7
91.9
90.9
CA Average
90.9
90.4
91.7
91.9
91.4
National
91.1
91.3
91.2
91.4
90.9
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
78.5
78.9
77.9
79.8
77.5
CA Average
77.4
76.6
77.7
77.9
78.7
National
78.6
78.6
78.4
78.5
78.4
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
47.5
47.3
46.7
47.3
43.9
CA Average
45.5
44.9
46.0
46.7
46.3
National
46.9
47.2
47.1
47.6
47.2
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
44.0
43.3
42.7
41.7
38.2
CA Average
42.6
41.5
41.9
42.1
41.8
National
43.6
43.5
43.1
43.0
42.4
5 + at Level 3 or better
5 + at Level 4 or better
5 + at Level 5 or better
1 + at Level 6 or better
30
3+ at Level 6 or better
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
31.1
29.1
29.2
28.2
26.3
CA Average
29.4
29.1
28.7
28.8
28.3
National
30.7
30.6
30.1
30.0
29.2
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
20.1
18.8
18.7
17.9
17.8
CA Average
17.9
18.0
17.7
18.6
17.5
National
19.6
19.6
19.4
19.7
18.9
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fife
13.9
13.7
13.2
12.6
12.0
CA Average
10.3
10.3
9.9
11.5
10.7
National
11.9
12.3
12.1
12.5
11.9
5+ at Level 6 or better
1+ at Level 7 or better
Notes
(1)
CA average denotes comparator authority average.
(2)
Comparator authorities for Fife include:
Comparators
Rating
South Lanarkshire
*****
‘Very Close’
Falkirk
*****
‘Very Close’
Clackmannanshire
****
‘Close’
West Lothian
****
‘Close’
Renfrewshire
****
‘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.
31
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If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the Chief Executive of the local authority, elected
members, the Head of Education, other local authority officers, Members of the Scottish
Parliament, Audit Scotland, heads of the local authority educational establishments,
chairpersons of the local authority Parent Councils and to other relevant individuals and
agencies. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of charge from
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Copies are also available on our website www.hmie.gov.uk.
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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
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Crown Copyright 2008
HM Inspectorate of Education
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32