Inverclyde Council
September 2001
Contents
________________________________________
Page
Introduction
i
1.
The aims, nature and scope of the inspection
1
2.
The Education Service: operational context
1
3.
Strategic management of the service
7
4.
Consultation and communication
10
5.
Operational management
15
6.
Resource and financial management
20
7.
Performance monitoring and continuous
improvement
25
8.
How well does the authority perform overall?
35
9.
Main points for action
36
Appendices
Performance information
Inspection coverage
Quality indicators
38
42
44
Introduction
The education functions of each local authority in
Scotland will be inspected between 2000 and
2005. Section 9 of the Standards in Scotland’s
Schools Etc. Act 2000 charges HM Inspectorate of
Education, 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) 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 external auditor member of the inspection
team carries out a performance management and
planning (PMP) audit of the education functions
of the authority. The inspection team also
includes an Associate Assessor who is a senior
member of staff currently serving in another
Scottish local authority.
i
ii
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Inspection of the education functions of
Inverclyde Council
1. The aims, nature and scope of the inspection
The education functions of Inverclyde Council were
inspected during the period April – June 2001 as part of a
five-year national inspection programme of all local
authorities in Scotland.
The inspection team interviewed elected members and
officers of the Council. The inspection team also
attended meetings, visited schools and other
establishments in the authority and met with staff,
chairpersons of School Boards and other key stakeholders
of the Education Service. A summary of inspection
activities is given in Appendix 2.
On behalf of HM Inspectors, an independent company
issued and analysed responses to questionnaires to
headteachers of all educational establishments within the
authority and to the chairpersons of the School
Boards/Parents’ Associations.
2. The Education Service: operational context
Social and economic context
Inverclyde Council was established in 1996. With a
population of 83,000 in 2001, it is the third smallest
mainland local authority in Scotland. The unemployment
rate of 4.5% is above the national average of 4.2% and
has fallen much faster than the fall for Scotland as a
whole in recent years. The socio-economic context is one
1
of marked contrasts between different parts of the
Council area. Broadly the rural southern parts are
affluent and have low levels of unemployment. The
coastal towns, which make up the bulk of the population,
have experienced a decline in shipbuilding and heavy
engineering. They include areas of severe social,
economic and health deprivation.
Overall the balance in socio-economic terms is markedly
weighted to the side of disadvantage. The free meal
entitlement (FME) of 24% in 2000 was above the
national average of 20% and sixth highest in Scotland.
Of the total population 24% live in social inclusion
partnership (SIP) sub areas within Port Glasgow and
Greenock. Over 20% of the population live in postcode
areas which are designated as amongst the most deprived
10% in Scotland. Mortality rates are amongst the highest
in the U.K.
The decline of some 10% in population since 1991 is the
second highest in Scotland and a further decline is
predicted up to 2013. The decline is likely to be even
more marked in the child population aged 0-14 years. In
addition Inverclyde is experiencing a shift of population
from the urban coastal fringe towards the south of the
Council area. Together, these socio-economic and
demographic factors present considerable challenges for
delivery of the Education Service of the local authority.
Political and organisational context
The political representation consists of ten Labour
councillors, nine Liberal Democrats and one
Conservative. The administration is led by the Labour
Party. The Education Services Committee (ESC) is one
of six main Committees of the Council.
The Council has a clear mission statement for Inverclyde
to ‘become an attractive, healthy and safe place to live,
work and play. It will provide the highest quality of
services provided caringly, effectively, efficiently and
2
economically.’ The two over-riding themes of the
Council’s corporate strategy are the economic and the
social regeneration of Inverclyde. The Council has
determined that the key service priorities should be
within Education, Social Work, Economic Development
and Information Technology. In order to implement its
strategy the Council has set out the following service
priorities.
•
Support and promotion of the Invest in Inverclyde
campaign.
•
Development of policies to encourage population
growth.
•
Development of policies to promote employment
growth.
•
Continuation of physical regeneration.
•
Action to address poverty and deprivation.
•
Action to tackle issues of poor health.
•
Policies to promote social inclusion and community
inclusion.
•
Policies to promote quality education and lifelong
learning.
•
Policies to promote care of the youth, the elderly and
the vulnerable.
•
Policies to promote community safety.
•
Policies to embrace technology.
The officer structure of the Council consists of a Chief
Executive and seven service groups each led by a
3
Director, including the Director of Education Services,
who together form the Corporate Management Team.
The Director of Education Services is supported by four
Heads of Service with responsibilities for Planning and
Resources; Support for Learning; Pre-five and Children’s
Services; and Special Educational Needs and Information
Technology. In turn each of the Service Heads are
supported by administrative and professional staff
including some who are seconded from schools.
Educational provision and performance
The Education authority is responsible for 23 pre-5
establishments, three special schools, 32 primary schools
and eight secondary schools. The pupil population in
session 1999-2000 was 14,900 pupils, including almost
500 places commissioned from 13 pre-school partner
centres.
At the time of the inspection, all primary, special and
secondary schools had School Boards.
The Accounts Commission Statutory Performance
Indicators (SPIs) for 1999-2000 show that 95% of
four-year-old and 81% of three-year-old children took up
a pre-school place compared to national averages of 96%
and 75% respectively.
The SPIs for the same period also indicate that Inverclyde
faced major problems with school capacities. Thirty
eight percent of primary schools had occupancy levels of
under 60% compared to a national average of 32%.
Thirty eight percent of secondary schools had occupancy
levels of under 60% compared to a national average of
18%. At the same time 38% of secondary schools had
occupancy rates of 101% or over. Taken together with
the projected decline in pupils these imbalances indicate
that the Council faces a considerable challenge in
planning for its future provision of school places. In
session 1999-2000 budgeted running costs of primary and
4
secondary schools per pupil were below the national
average.
In 1998-99 the Council allocated £44,681,000 to the
revenue budget for education. In 1999-2000, the revenue
budget was £47,725,000 (both totals include direct grants
under the Excellence Fund core and special programmes).
In 2000-2001, the Council allocated £49,291,000 to the
revenue budget (including Excellence Fund core and
special programme direct grants).
The following commentary draws on key performance
information about the schools in the Council provided
in Appendix 1.
Staying on rate and school leavers’ destinations
•
The percentage of pupils staying on after the
compulsory leaving age in 1999 was just below
national average figures and declined between
1997-98 and 1998-99.
•
The percentage of pupils entering full-time Higher
Education was below national average figures in 1998
and 1999 but rose sharply in 2000 to be above the
average nationally and for similar authorities. In the
same period the percentage of leavers entering
full-time Further Education also rose to be above the
average for similar authorities and nationally. The
percentage of leavers entering employment over the
same period was below the national average and that
of similar authorities.
Attendance and absence
Between 1998 and 2000 the percentage of total absences
in primary schools had improved and remained just above
the national average. The authority’s 2001 target for
improving attendance would leave absence just above the
national target figure.
5
•
Between 1998 and 2000, the percentage of total
absences in secondary schools was above the national
average. However, attendance had improved at a
faster rate than the national rate of improvement.
•
Temporary exclusions were well above the national
average in 1999-2000.
5-14 Performance
•
National Test results reported by primary schools
between 1998 and 2000 were around the national
average figures. Improvements in reading, writing
and mathematics were around the national average
rate of improvement. Inverclyde’s target figures set
as part of the Raising Standards – Setting Targets
initiative in reading and mathematics, if achieved,
would maintain the authority’s position in relation to
the national average.
•
National Test results in 1998 for S2 pupils in reading,
writing and mathematics were below the national
average. The rate of improvement between 1998 and
2000 in all three areas was amongst the fastest in
Scotland and well above the national average.
Inverclyde’s 2001 target figures in all three areas, if
achieved, would improve the authority’s position in
relation to the national average. Target figures for
2001 had been exceeded in reading and writing.
SQA examination performance
•
6
In Standard Grade performance between 1997-1999,
Inverclyde was above national average figures and
that of similar authorities for the percentages of the
S4 roll gaining five or more awards at levels 1-6 and
1-4. It was below national averages for the
percentage gaining five or more Credit awards in
1997 and 1998 but performance had increased to be
above the national average and that of similar
authorities in 1999. The rate of improvement in
respect of five or more Standard Grades awards 1-4
and 1-2 was faster than that nationally and for similar
authorities. The authority’s 2001 targets for Standard
Grade awards at 1-6 and 1-4, if achieved, would leave
its position relatively unchanged compared to the
national average and slightly further below at
Standard Grade 1-2.
•
At Higher Grade from 1997-99, the authority was
below the national average figures for the percentage
of the S4 roll gaining three or more and five or more
Higher Grades. In 1999 performance declined. The
authority’s targets for 2001, if achieved, would leave
its position relatively unchanged compared to the
national average.
•
The percentage of the S5/S6 roll gaining three or
more National Certificate modules from 1997-99 was
above the national average and increased by two
percentage points.
3. Strategic management of the service
Vision, values and aims
Performance in this area was very good. The Council had
a clear and distinctive mission statement and education
was seen as central to its core themes of economic
regeneration and social inclusion. In partnership with
schools the Education Service had defined its strategic
management role very well and its strategic objectives
clearly matched the Council’s ambitions. The objectives
were also geared to meeting national priorities such as
raising attainment. The Chief Executive gave a high
priority to the role of education in achieving economic
and social regeneration for the area. Elected members
increasingly had come to see continuous improvement in
education as an important priority in taking Inverclyde
forward.
7
Education’s aims and values had been very well
communicated and their impact was strikingly apparent at
all levels of the service. They were widely understood
and accepted as informing the work of establishments and
staff. Establishments felt that they were working not just
to benefit their own pupils but as part of a common
enterprise across Inverclyde. Officers and senior
managers in schools and pre-school establishments
demonstrated a high level of commitment to continuous
improvement within the spirit of Council and Education
Service goals and values.
Education Service senior officers had succeeded in
developing effective partnerships with agencies such as
the health service and the police, with parents and
businesses in the community, and with a number of
service departments in the Council.
Leadership and management
The effectiveness of leadership and management was
very good. Above all the Director of Education Services
and his senior management team had succeeded in
working with headteachers to establish a relationship of
trust. Support and challenge were well balanced and staff
appreciated the recognition and celebration of success.
The Director of Education Services had provided very
good leadership in defining the strategic role of the
Education authority, taken forward through widely
accepted key priorities, which was highly appropriate to
Inverclyde’s circumstances. He had helped to create an
ethos of high but realistic expectations, together with a
focus on the needs of individual children. The Director
did not shirk hard decisions, but was skilled in mobilising
support for education priorities and had built effective
working relationships with elected members and with a
wide range of other stakeholders.
The four Heads of Service who formed the senior
management team were highly effective as a team and in
8
their individual responsibilities. Their skills,
commitment and responsiveness were recognised and
respected across the authority area. Together with the
Director they had succeeded in creating a positive
working ethos at all levels within the Department and
with school staff. Each Head of Service had a demanding
remit, with geographical responsibility for a group of
schools and pre-school establishments as well as a
functional role. This system worked well. The
involvement of all Heads of Service in a quality
assurance and development role gave a strong signal to
schools about the importance of continuous improvement.
In response to various internal reorganisations parts of
Heads of Service remits had changed over time. There
was now a need for minor readjustments within remits,
for example to bring together related aspects of support
for pupils.
The senior management team worked together
systematically and made good use of well-managed team
meetings. The team evaluated its performance in several
ways, such as through management information, Service
Plan progress checks and, more recently, through use of
the Quality Management in Education framework1.
However, there was no formal system of staff review and
development for Education Service centrally-deployed
staff and this process should now be established.
Policy development
Performance in this area of work was good. There was a
helpful set of standard circulars and policy statements
which covered most activities of the Education Service.
Some policies had been inherited from the former
Strathclyde Region and were now under review. The
method used to develop policies was systematic, led by
officers or headteachers and usually involving
establishment staff and appropriate representatives from
other agencies and departments. For example, the health
1
Quality Management in Education (The Scottish Executive Education Department,
2000) is a framework of self-evaluation for Local Authority Education Departments.
9
policy being developed currently brought in parents,
social work staff, police and health boards representatives
as well as school staff.
The quality development policy was a model of its kind.
Its development had been led by a seconded headteacher
and schools felt they had a good deal of ownership of the
policy. Roles and responsibilities were spelled out
clearly and the policy statement was accompanied by a
calendar of events which gave it a practical application.
The Department was aware that, while it had provided a
range of specialist services, resources and locations to
meet special education needs, there was no overall
strategy and policy to guide the development of these
services. Its recently established working group to
review provision should take account of the Best Value
Reviews of psychological services, and services for deaf
and hearing impaired pupils.
There was a need also to revisit policy for New
Community Schools, particularly to clarify
communication channels across services and agencies,
and to specify roles and responsibilities at strategic and
operational level more clearly.
4. Consultation and communication
10
The effectiveness of the authority’s approaches to
consultation was good. Strategies for communication
were very good. Senior Education Managers were
committed to working in partnership with establishments
and parents. The Council Education Service liaised
closely with other departments and had a wide range of
contacts with local and national agencies including very
good links with local business. Good mechanisms were
in place for consulting with School Boards. The
authority was beginning to engage pupils more in the
process of consultation.
Notable features of consultation included the following.
•
Headteachers from the pre-school, primary, secondary
and special education sectors met regularly with the
Director and senior Education Service staff. These
meetings were a useful and valued means of
consulting and communicating directly with heads of
establishments.
•
Regular meetings between the chairpersons of School
Boards, the Director and senior Education Service
staff provided a forum where the views of parents
were actively sought. Parents’ representatives were
briefed and consulted on key developments and
parents’ focus groups had been set up to consult on
specific issues.
•
In addition to headteachers representing the views of
school staff at meetings, there were some examples of
direct consultation with teaching staff over a range of
issues including the policy on staff development and
review, and annual staff development needs. Staff in
schools appreciated the impact that this consultation
had had on policy.
•
The Council also consulted teaching staff through a
wide range of working groups that included both
managers and teaching staff. In particular, working
11
groups set up to support policy development were
instrumental in giving the views of staff in schools.
•
A good range of initiatives had been undertaken to
consult with parents in nursery and early years.
Recent consultation by the Childcare Partnership over
future provision for early years education had
gathered the views of parents of pre-school children.
The result of this consultation had been used to good
effect in planning future provision.
•
The Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) provided an
effective mechanism for consultation with teachers’
unions. Very positive working relationships had been
established.
Schools were encouraged to use a good range of methods
for consulting with parents and pupils. Many schools had
carried out their own surveys of parental opinion on a
range of matters. The majority of School Board
chairpersons (66%) surveyed for the inspection agreed
that through consultation they had a chance to influence
the aims and plans for education in Inverclyde. However,
33% disagreed with this view. The Council had already
taken an important step in having a parental
representative on the Education Services Committee and
was exploring further representation of parents’ views.
In seeking to widen contact with parents, conferences and
parents’ workshops had been held and these were highly
rated in feedback from participants. The Council
recognised the need to involve the wider parent body and
intended to develop further ways of working with
parents.
Arrangements to consult with pupils at authority level
were at an early stage of development. Some good steps
had been taken, including a pupils’ focus group who were
convened to comment on the Service Plan, and
consultation with pupils on the authority’s ‘Peaceful
School’ initiative. Many schools had set up pupils’
councils but there was no mechanism across the authority
12
that would allow them to feed into a central forum. The
Education Service had recognised the need to involve
children and young people further in decision-making
and this was to be addressed further in the next Service
Plan.
Responses by headteachers to the pre-inspection survey,
evidence from school visits and meetings with
headteacher focus groups indicated a positive view of
consultation. The survey indicated that most (81%)
believed senior managers in the Education Service
consulted effectively with their schools.
Communication was very good overall. Headteachers
saw themselves in a corporate role as officers of the
authority and played a key role in communicating
information well to staff. A very wide range of strategies
was used to ensure effective communication with
stakeholders. Notable features of communication
included the following.
•
The Director and senior officers held a range of
regular meetings which fostered good
communication. These included meetings with
headteachers, staff development co-ordinators,
secondary subject networks and working groups.
These meetings ensured an effective channel of
regularly updated information to schools.
•
The Education Service had developed systems to
ensure good communication with local and national
agencies. Regular meetings and joint planning of
services and projects ensured very good
communication links with partners including social
work services, the Childcare Partnership, and local
business partners.
•
Headteachers in both primary and secondary schools
were very positive about the amount and quality of
performance data that was communicated by the
Education Service. The regular updating of this
13
information, and support for schools in understanding
the data ensured that information on attainment was
used well.
•
The aims and priorities of the Education Service had
been very effectively communicated to staff in
schools and pre-school establishments and had clearly
influenced their work. Staff at all levels in
establishments were clear about the main messages
communicated about the aims of the Education
Service.
•
Account had been taken of the information needs of
stakeholders and key documentation was produced in
different formats. This included the production of
different versions of the Education Service Plan. All
schools produced standards and quality reports.
These were in the early stages of development and the
Council recognised that further work would be
needed to ensure consistency in format and intended
audience.
•
A very helpful range of leaflets had been produced in
a series designed to assist parents to help their
children at home. These were used along with parent
workshops to give information and guidance to
parents about learning beyond school.
School Board chairpersons were also very positive about
the quality of communication. Most (88%) responses to
the pre-inspection survey agreed that the Education
Service provided opportunities to join with other School
Boards to hear about developments. A similarly high
number agreed that they were aware of the main
initiatives the Council was taking to implement its plans
for education. Almost all (92%) agreed that they were
aware of how to channel their views, enquiries and
complaints. All felt that they were aware of how well
their school was performing.
14
In their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire
almost all headteachers (98%) agreed that senior
managers in the Education Service communicated a clear
overall vision for the development of education in
Inverclyde. Most (87%) felt that the Education
Department was effective in disseminating good practice
about how to improve standards and quality in education.
The authority’s Standards and Quality report for
1999-2000 was published in June 2001. It contained
statistical data on school performance and comments on
each area of development against national performance
indicators. The report was written in a helpful way with
comments of both a descriptive and evaluative nature.
The report linked clearly to the Service Plan, reporting
accurately on progress against each of the key priorities
set out in that plan. The sources of evidence and means
of gathering evidence were clearly set out, as were the
priorities for action arising from the report.
Regular reports from senior managers to the Council
Education Services Committee provided information on
attainment and kept elected members well informed of
progress in priority areas. Information for parents on
school performance was detailed and distributed through
schools after discussion at the Committee. The
information provided to elected members, parents and
other stakeholders enabled them to assess how well the
service was performing.
The Council had established a clear system to record and
respond to complaints and enquiries. Arrangements were
in place to collate and monitor all enquiries.
There were good examples of consultation and evidence
of very good communication. These had evolved over
time and senior staff in the Education Service were aware
of the need to develop an overall strategy as a basis for
review and development. They had produced a position
paper which was a good starting point.
5. Operational management
15
Service Planning
The quality of planning was very good. Systematic
planning to achieve significant improvements in
education played a key part of education services at all
levels. The 2000-2001 Education Service Plan was
clearly set within the local context and linked to the
Council’s corporate strategy. Priorities and objectives
focused well on national and Council priorities and
included specific references to raising attainment,
enhancing learning and teaching and curriculum
development. There was clear linkage between the
Service Plan, the action plans which derived from it and
school development plans.
The planning process drew on a range of sources of
evidence, including: an audit using Quality Management
in Education; a review of progress on previous targets;
analyses of statistical data; evidence from studies and
reviews, including Best Value reviews; the outcomes of
quality visits to schools; HMI reports and school
standards and quality reports. The Service Plan
contained references to progress on the previous plan’s
targets, which drew on the above. The Education
Service’s Standards and Quality report also pulled
together many of the outcomes of the audit process.
A major strength of the approach to planning was the
extent to which it was seen as an essential part of the
work of staff at all levels. Staff within Education
Services were fully conversant with the plan, its purpose
and their role. Headteachers knew and understood both
the content of the Service Plan as it related to their area of
activity, and their part in the planning process. They
were similarly clear about the relationship between the
Service Plan and their own establishment plan. This
clarity about the relevance of the Service Plan extended
to School Board chairpersons, staff in schools and,
16
commendably, pre-school partnership centres. There was
a strong sense of commitment to the planning process.
The Service Plan was clearly set out and presented. It
proceeded from the Council’s core themes of social and
economic regeneration, and the legislative framework and
national priorities which had to be addressed, to establish
a comprehensive set of strategic objectives and key
targets. Action plans, relating to each of the four main
areas of management responsibility then set out specific
targets and clear measures of success. While managers
understood the costs associated with the various
developments and initiatives set out in the Service Plan,
and could track these to budget lines, costs were not set
out explicitly within the plan itself.
Most headteachers reported favourably on the
consultation processes associated with the Service Plan.
They thought that they had good opportunities to
comment on drafts and contribute to the production of the
final plan. They were appreciative of the steps taken to
ensure that they had sufficiently early sight of likely key
priorities to inform school development planning.
Teachers and parents also had appropriate opportunities
to participate in the planning process.
Schools used the Service Plan’s key priorities to inform
their development plans. Evidence from school visits and
recent HMI inspections indicated that almost all school
development plans were very good or good and that their
implementation mostly resulted in significant
improvements. The introduction of a standard format for
school development plans and the monitoring and support
by Education Services staff helped ensure that there was
a high degree of consistency across plans in specifying
clearly tasks, responsibilities, timescales and success
criteria. Development planning had been successfully
established in all education authority and partnership
pre-school establishments.
17
Arrangements for joint planning worked effectively for
the most part. There were some good examples of shared
vision and close co-operation with other council services
and external agencies, for example in the Inverclyde
Childcare Partnership, and with local businesses.
However, joint working with the Council’s Information
Services, which had corporate responsibility for
information and communications technology (ICT), had
not been so successful and there was a widely held view
among staff in schools that the lack of co-operation was
contributing to delays in progress with ICT.
In order to support the implementation of the Service
Plan’s strategic objectives and key priorities the authority
provided a comprehensive staff development programme.
This programme was well matched to the needs of the
authority, establishments and individuals. There was a
good process of consultation with staff. The requirement
for staff in partnership centres to participate, and the
consideration given to their needs, was a commendable
feature. Most staff thought highly of the range and
quality of staff development offered by the authority.
Deployment and effectiveness of
centrally-employed staff
The deployment of central staff was very good.
Individually and collectively they displayed a high degree
of commitment to the Education Service and a strong
sense of teamwork. They had clear remits which
reflected the authority’s commitment to quality assurance
and raising standards. They understood their role in
delivering the authority’s priorities.
All Heads of Service were directly involved in carrying
out quality visits to schools. They had a good knowledge
of the strengths and development needs of the pre-school
establishments and schools for which they had
responsibility. There was strong perception among
school staff that Heads of Service were accessible and
18
responsive. They worked hard and made an effective
team.
The experienced Principal Officer (Research and
Development) provided an extensive, high quality range
of statistical information and support for schools. These
approaches were well integrated with the work of the
educational development service, who through their
pastoral contacts with schools, participation in quality
visits and involvement in staff development were able to
contribute a range of information to senior officers.
Pre-school staff were particularly strong in their approval
for the support they were given. Their morale and
motivation were very high. At the time of the inspection
two adviser posts were unfilled. As a result some staff in
primary schools had less positive views of the support
available from central staff. The authority should
continue to review the provision of specialist support,
especially for the primary sector.
Advisers were responding positively to the shift in role
from subject-specific advisers to broader remits
incorporating a strong quality development element.
Psychological services and support for learning provided
effective support for schools and the principal
psychologist knew the schools and the needs of pupils
very well.
Other centrally based staff, including a number of
secondees, made very strong contributions. The work of
the Early Years Team was very highly regarded by staff
in pre-school establishments, including partnership
centres. The Staff Welfare Officer provided a very
valuable service for teachers. The Development Manager
for Health and Outdoor Education was helping take
forward priorities in areas such as sport and health. The
appointment of additional staff to assist in developing
ICT in schools was timely. Secondees and newly
appointed staff were very positive about the support,
19
including professional development, which they had
received since taking up post.
Centrally-based administrative staff provided a good
level of support to schools and pre-school establishments
which was appreciated by all staff.
6. Resource and financial management
Resource management
The management of resources was fair overall, with
important issues needing to be addressed.
Since its inception the Council had faced challenging
interconnected problems to do with achieving optimum
levels of school occupancy and the effective maintenance
and improvement of school buildings. There were
important weaknesses in the management of resources in
these areas.
The Accounts Commission statutory performance
indicators, and more recent data researched and provided
to elected members by officers in the Education Service
Department, demonstrated clearly that a significant
number of primary and secondary schools were
considerably under or over capacity. In 1997, there were
some 3600 surplus places in primary schools and 2800 in
secondary schools. These problems have been
compounded by the high rate of decline in school age
population, and by a population shift between different
parts of the Council area. Information provided by
officers showed that these trends would continue and
exacerbate accommodation cost inefficiencies.
In addition, much of the existing school building stock
was dated and required considerable and continuing
maintenance work. For example, over the past two years
two primary schools had been decanted to other
accommodation whilst major repairs were carried out.
20
An authoritative survey commissioned by the Council
costed total maintenance needs for all school buildings at
around £60 million. Current funds were inadequate to
meet this backlog of maintenance and to keep up with
necessary refurbishment and modernisation.
Despite careful analysis of the cost implications and
disadvantages to pupils if this situation were to continue,
and well-conceived schemes for school rationalisation
presented by officers shortly after inception of the
Council, elected members over several years had deferred
key decisions. They had only taken minor steps to
remedy pressing problems. A major consequence was
that a significant amount of revenue funding, which could
have been used for improving the quality of pupils’
experience, was being used to subsidise surplus places
and to carry out time and again basic accommodation
maintenance work in old school buildings.
There were some signs that elected members were
beginning to address this key value for money issue. The
Council had agreed to carry out a Private Public
Partnership (PPP) feasibility study into school
accommodation that would address plans for
rationalisation and new build. However, the study in
itself would not remove the challenge to members to
make important decisions about school accommodation.
Further delay would result in a continuation of inefficient
and wasteful use of resources.
With the exception of the initial year of the Council’s
life, education had largely been protected from the
significant budget cuts which had faced other service
departments and expenditure to support education had
been above the GAE Assessment. The budget for
allocating resources to education was set by the Council
following recommendations from the corporate
management team based on the Council’s key service
priorities and policy aims. Objectives were appropriately
costed prior to inclusion in the Service Plan and other
plans, although the Plan did not directly link the
21
allocation of resources to key priorities. Staff in the
Education Services department were skilled in identifying
and tapping into various funds to improve front-line
service delivery, with the result that key projects were
well supported.
With the exception of school occupancy, a good range of
measures had been taken to ensure the economic,
efficient and effective use of resources to support the
delivery of education. These included:
•
the development of an asset management plan;
•
some “spend to save” initiatives, for example through
water metering; and
•
Best Value service reviews.
Although there were severe constraints on what
refurbishment and improvement of school buildings
could be undertaken, basic health and safety issues were
acted on promptly. There were also specific instances of
good practice in deploying scarce resources to good
effect, for example in creating additional places for preschool expansion and improving the learning
environment. The Council had also done well in
addressing school security issues. In the pre-inspection
survey and in school visits, some schools expressed
concerns about requests for accommodation work,
beyond basic health and safety, not being met timeously
by Property Services. There should be a Service Level
Agreement between Education Service and Property
Services that clearly sets out priorities for building
maintenance and the timescales for the completion of any
agreed work.
In line with Council policy, Education Services had
developed a full programme of Best Value reviews that
would cover all major service areas. At the time of the
inspection the completed reviews had focused on a
number of the smaller services, such as psychological
22
services and reviews had been carried out rigorously and
well. However, there had been some slippage in the
timescale for the completion of these reviews through the
Council process, and it was likely that this would have an
adverse affect on the future programme. Furthermore, as
Best Value reviews of some of the larger services, such as
primary and secondary schools, had still to be
undertaken, there was also a potential issue over the
feasibility of resources available for future reviews.
Progress towards meeting the Government’s National
Grid for Learning (NGfL) targets for implementation of
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
hardware, software and training had been too slow,
particularly in primary schools. This was partly because
the Council initially did not allocate sufficient funds to
projects and partly because of internal communication
difficulties amongst Education Services, Information
Services and schools. The Council had now allocated
appropriate finance and a more structured approach to
ICT planning had been adopted through a new project
management methodology. These improvements should
assist the Council in moving towards the Government’s
targets for 2002. However, the Council needed to resolve
difficulties at a corporate level quickly if targets and
timescales for NGfL were to be met.
Financial management
The overall quality of financial management was good.
The Council’s Financial Regulations were clear and
comprehensive. Education Services maintained a
reasonable fiscal relationship with the Resources Services
Department which had responsibilities for corporate
finance. Budget monitoring undertaken within Education
Services was based on monthly monitoring reports
received from Corporate Finance Services which
compared budgeted and actual expenditure and calculated
variances. Education Services had recognised that the
presentation and analysis of that information were not
23
sufficiently detailed for their operational purposes.
Further work was needed in this area, although the
appropriate appointment of a qualified accountant to
education was helping to improve this process.
Corporate finance personnel and the education finance
officer were able to monitor the education budget
effectively using information derived from the corporate
financial systems. The Head of Planning and Resources
within Education Services kept the Director of Education
Service and the senior management team informed about
the revenue and capital financial position on a regular
basis. The Council’s well established budget setting
process gave clear central guidance to the Department
and the Council’s Corporate Management Team
monitored departmental budgets and budgetary
performance across the Council.
The Council had tackled the issue of three year revenue
budgeting and a draft three year budget had been
produced. This was a promising start although further
work on the detail for years two and three was still
required.
Regular reporting of the financial position to elected
members was made every six weeks within the overall
Council report for the Policy and Strategy Committee. In
addition, there was a standing financial monitoring report
on the Education Services Committee’s agenda which
provided an appropriate level of detail for monitoring
purposes.
Over 85% of the budget was managed through the
devolved management of resources (DMR) scheme
which involved all primary and secondary schools.
Headteachers received monthly monitoring information
from Education Services. The current system, inherited
from Strathclyde Regional Council, provided clear,
understandable financial information that enabled the
headteachers to monitor their current expenditure.
24
Information passed to schools on their expenditure
showed cumulative spending and some committed funds
against total budget and calculated the remaining budget
available to spend. Eight administrative finance
assistants (AFA’s) were deployed to assist schools within
their designated areas to monitor their budgets.
Headteachers commented that the role of the AFA was
successful and highly appreciated. The Education
Services Department’s accountant was also available to
give support when requested.
Within the DMR budget there was sufficient flexibility to
allow headteachers to address school priorities. There
was also clear financial procedures and guidance
available to schools to enable them to properly use this
flexibility. Overall this part of financial management was
very effective.
7. Performance monitoring and continuous improvement
Measuring, monitoring and evaluating
performance
The overall quality of work in this area was very good.
The authority had a wide variety of well-developed
approaches to monitoring and evaluating schools’ and
pre-school establishments’ performance. Policy and
procedures were clearly set out in a standard circular and
an associated annual calendar of events. Senior managers
and staff in the education development service had well
defined roles in monitoring performance. They knew
their schools well, and significantly, almost all
headteachers were confident that the work of their
establishments was well known and understood by senior
managers of the authority. Reports provided to
HM Inspectorate of Education prior to their inspections
increasingly confirmed that the authority knew its schools
well. Elected members, headteachers, School Boards and
officers of the authority were confident that a sufficient
25
range of information on the quality of provision was
available and accessible.
The process of collection and analysis of educational data
was well supported by the Principal Officer. A wide
range of data on primary and secondary school
performance was available and different formats and
methods of presentation were used. Trends in data were
analysed. The authority’s work in collating and
disseminating data to schools using its own
computer-based approach was particularly noteworthy.
Methods of data presentation had been improved in
consultation with schools to better support their
self-evaluation. Primary and secondary school staff felt
increasingly confident in data use as a result of training
and individual support from officers. The systems were
employed to provide information for identifying issues
and taking action on them at both authority and school
levels. For example, it had been used successfully in
identifying areas which needed to be addressed in
meeting attainment targets, and differences in attainment
between boys and girls across Inverclyde and within
schools. This wide ranging analysis and use of
performance information was a considerable strength of
the authority. Senior managers in the authority and
schools had a very good picture of overall and individual
school performance.
The authority was very good at collating and using
information from different sources, such as trends from
HMI reports, their own surveys and staff development
needs analyses.
Through their pastoral and other contacts with schools,
advisers were able to contribute a range of information
regularly to the senior officers. This information along
with performance data was used in an annual programme
of quality visits carried out by Heads of Service and
advisers in pre-school establishments including partner
centres, and all schools. The two quality visits per
session were a commendable feature in monitoring school
26
performance and promoting improvement. They
provided a clear focus both for collection of information
by the authority and in direct support and challenge to
schools. One visit supported the development planning
process while the second was linked to standards and
quality reporting by direct monitoring of outcomes,
achievements and progress towards targets. Altogether
quality visits were well-embedded and welcomed
generally by headteachers who saw them as open,
rigorous and effective.
A scheme of staff development and review for teaching
staff was firmly established and staff who had
participated recognised its benefits. However the
authority was aware that their timetable of headteacher
reviews had slipped and they were now accelerating this
process.
A wide variety of mechanisms existed to monitor how
schools implemented particular policies, or how
particular educational themes were progressing. This was
achieved, for example, as a specific part of a quality visit
agenda, through internal and commissioned evaluations
such as on Early Intervention. However, school staff,
particularly at levels below senior promoted staff, were
not always clear how the authority monitored the impact
of specific policies at their level. This should now be
clarified in the policy statement.
The implementation of authority policy was also
monitored through Best Value reviews. A number of
reviews had been planned that directly related to learning
and teaching and support to pupils. These were identified
through an authority audit. Much could be gained by
ensuring that this programme of reviews is shown clearly
to link with wider educational self-evaluation. This
would ensure further depth to the monitoring of specific
policy priorities.
Very good progress had been made in promoting
self-evaluation in pre-school centres and schools based
27
on nationally used performance indicators. The authority
had provided substantial support to schools in developing
a systematic approach to self-evaluation, including the
provision of training courses using external consultants
and development planning clinics. All schools had
produced standards and quality reports and it was planned
to extend this to pre-school centres in session 2001-2002.
Current reports were, however, variable in terms of
content and clarity of evaluation. The authority
recognised that much could be gained by exchanging
good practice on the production of these documents and
clarifying their intended audience.
There was strong evidence that a consistent and
energetically-applied approach to service monitoring and
continuous improvement featured as part of the culture of
the authority. Managers at all levels understood their role
in service monitoring and it was valued by schools.
Continuous improvement in performance
The overall impact of Education Services approaches to
quality improvement was very good. An impressive
range of strategies and activities had been effective in
securing improvement over a wide front. These strategies
focused clearly on national and local priorities and were
well supported by Education Service officers and staff
seconded from establishments.
The Education Service provided very good support to
pre-school partner centres and schools in the follow-up to
HMI inspections, with almost all recommendations being
met by the time of the follow up visit.
Support for pre-school education
The authority provided pre-school placements for all
four-year-old children, although the take up rate was
95%, and was making good progress towards the
Government’s target of a placement for all three-yearolds by August 2001. Extensive, high quality, support
28
had been provided for pre-school partnership centres and
they were well integrated within the authority’s overall
framework for quality development. Authority staff had
succeeded in establishing very good procedures for
development planning, curriculum development and
monitoring, recording and reporting on children’s
progress. Its own surveys of parents showed a high
degree of satisfaction. Overall, this was a very strong
aspect of the work of the authority.
Support for primary schools
In the primary sector, the authority’s Young Learner’s
Project had successfully taken forward Early Intervention
strategies at P1 and P2. While the Council initially had
focused attention on a number of designated schools and
provided additional staffing and resources for them it had
succeeded in extending many of the benefits to the others.
The authority’s own evaluation study showed significant
gains in aspects of English language and numeracy.
Attainment at P2 in reading, writing and mathematics was
improving and in mathematics most pupils (75%)
achieved level A in P2. The authority was close to
meeting the Government target for class sizes at P1 to P3.
Almost all classes at these stages had fewer than
30 pupils.
Primary schools were well supported across the
curriculum by useful policy statements, standard circulars
and curriculum guidelines. They were making very good
progress in implementing the 5-14 curriculum. Working
groups of teachers had produced curriculum development
packs and there were standardised formats for
development planning and reporting to parents.
Successful initiatives aimed at raising standards in
primary schools included paired reading, writing, oral
interactive mental maths and primary/secondary liaison in
science. These initiatives were supported by a
programme of parents’ workshops aimed at helping
parents to help their children in learning at home. There
were also innovative developments in sports and health
29
education. However, progress towards Government
targets in ICT was slow.
Statistical data indicated that standards were improving in
reading, writing and mathematics. Almost all schools
were meeting or exceeding their targets for attainment in
reading and mathematics. HMI inspection reports over
the past three years showed the overall quality of
attainment in English language as very good or good in
most primary schools. In mathematics it was very good
or good in almost all cases.
Inverclyde’s New Community School project was
established in 1999 and involved all the primary schools
in a cluster serving an area of social disadvantage. The
project was fully consistent with the authority’s approach
to promoting educational inclusion. A good start had
been made to this project and a thorough consultation
exercise had been undertaken. There had been some very
successful initiatives, including the Heartstart project and
other health promotion projects. However, progress had
been hindered by a number of factors including a delay in
the appointment of key staff, particularly those from
partner agencies, and difficulties in attendance at the
steering group. Progress in introducing personal learning
plans had begun but was slow. The good start to the
project should be further developed by adopting a more
rigorous approach to monitoring and ensuring greater
involvement of the steering group.
Support for secondary schools
The authority had introduced or encouraged a wide range
of initiatives to improve attainment and achievement in
secondary education. In almost all of the areas they had
identified as priorities there was evidence of significant
success. In S1/S2, standards of attainment were rising
sharply in reading, writing and mathematics. In S3/S4,
Standard Grade results at all levels had improved. In
S5/S6, Higher Grade results had been less good and the
authority had been aware that success at Standard Grade
30
was not being converted into Higher Grade awards.
However, recent evidence showed that this was being
addressed and that performance at three or more and five
or more Higher Grade awards at A-C had risen
considerably. Attendance was also improving as were
entry rates to Further and Higher Education, having
benefited from a specific initiative.
Schools were making good progress in achievements in
sport and culture and there were some enterprising
initiatives which were beginning to show benefits in
health education and education for work.
Notable features to do with continuous improvement in
secondary education were as follows.
•
The authority had made its expectations on
implementation of 5-14 guidelines and National Tests
very clear and schools were responding well to this
challenge. Schools were supported by relevant staff
development such as on writing skills, problem
solving in mathematics, and curriculum guidelines
which had been developed or were in the process of
development.
•
Very useful data analyses helped to identify and focus
on authority and individual schools’ areas of concern.
Schools could target areas such as boys’ attainment
and their progression from S4 to S5/S6 and take
appropriate action which was resulting in improved
performance.
•
Supported Study, including summer schools and
homework clubs, was seen by schools as extremely
successful at the upper stages in enabling them to
support pupils with particular needs. Supported
Study was now being extended to S1/S2.
•
The Education Action Plan, involving two secondary
schools, had been used effectively to trial two models
which included a range of initiatives to raise
31
attainment. Staff in both schools were very positive
about the contribution made to learning and teaching
by the Action Plan. They were able to identify
significant improvements in both resources and the
outcomes for young people in terms of their
motivation, attendance and achievements.
•
The authority had set up networks of subject principal
teachers, with a subject leader who had a specific
time allocation for this role, to co-ordinate and direct
each network. Advisers also attended network
meetings so that there was direct communication with
the authority. Networks were seen by schools as very
useful in providing good communication about new
developments and expectations, in spreading good
practice and in identifying and trying to resolve
difficult issues. For example, proactive attention to
Higher Still had helped to overcome possible
difficulties in implementing new courses. The
authority had a good implementation plan which was
well on track.
•
The authority had clear expectations on following up
action points from HMI national subject standards
and quality reports and provided direct support to
achieve this. Good examples were noted in science
and modern languages.
•
A clear authority policy on learning and teaching was
backed up by staff development which encouraged
innovative teaching, for example of thinking skills or
teaching styles appropriate to gender differences.
•
Approaches to improving attendance had been piloted
successfully and were being taken up by other
schools.
Links with business were excellent and specifically
designed to meet Inverclyde’s economic regeneration
ambitions. Careers education and work experience,
organised through a Learning-Business Partnership, were
32
rated by schools as highly effective. Local companies
were involved with schools in initiatives such as
mentoring boys, women into technology, and laptops for
science. An innovative Business Language course had
been developed by schools and an international company,
and accredited through SQA. Its first two years had been
successful and modern languages teachers reported
heightened interest from pupils in uptake of a language.
Initiatives and materials to improve health education such
as ‘Heartstart’ and ‘Dare to be Different’ were well
received by schools.
Sport and arts
The authority and schools encouraged activities in the
arts, for example through funding choirs, bands and
orchestras, and were nurturing a wide variety of team and
individual sports through contacts with clubs and
individuals, and through the appointment of sports
co-ordinators. Choirs and bands had been very
successful at a national level.
Support for pupils
The Council aimed to provide a range of support services
and locations so that children and young people could
access education in the least restrictive environment.
Special schools, mainstream schools and specialist
support facilities within some mainstream schools helped
to provide this continuum of support to meet the widest
possible range of pupils needs. Although support for
individual schools and pupils was good or very good
there was no overall strategy framework to guide future
provision.
Schools generally received good assistance in supporting
pupils with special educational needs. Teachers were
positive about the good quality of staff development
provided by the Council. An audit had been carried out
that had identified staff development needs and these
33
were being addressed through the Council staff
development programme.
Recently, the authority had provided a template and
advice on developing individual education programmes.
This was welcomed by most staff, though some were still
experiencing difficulty in adapting the profile to meet the
needs of pupils in their schools. The development of the
use of individual education programmes (IEPs) was
beginning to impact in programmes for pupils in primary
schools and in some subjects in secondary schools. In
special schools and in support bases IEPs had been
developed to set targets and to plan the programmes for
all pupils.
Primary schools received very good support from the
Network Support Service. Staff from this service
supported staff and pupils in meeting special educational
needs and learning difficulties.
Psychological services also provided very good support
to pupils, parents and staff. In addition they gathered and
analysed information about pupils in the early years of
primary school in order to target support effectively.
Staff in schools were very positive about the quality of
the service provided by psychologists.
Schools were clear about the Council’s aim for inclusion
and appreciated the additional resources that were
provided to support this aim. Resources included
additional staffing in some schools for behaviour support
and the adaptation of a number of school buildings and
the provision of new fitness suites in two schools to allow
high quality fitness education for young people with
physical disabilities. The provision of classroom
auxiliaries to support pupils with special educational
needs access their learning was appreciated by
headteachers and staff.
Within schools the Council had established a number of
support bases providing full time and part time places for
34
pupils with a range of learning difficulties or special
educational needs. These support bases provided an
educational setting for pupils across a cluster of schools
or, in some cases, across the Council. Good links were
being established to ensure pupil access to mainstream
education where this was appropriate. More recently
links between the programmes being taught in the support
bases and the work of mainstream classes was being more
closely planned.
Across all stages and sectors staff and parents felt that
officers were good at identifying and spreading good
practice and officers and elected members went out of
their way to attend awards ceremonies and to join with
schools in celebrating success.
8. How well does the authority perform overall?
Overview
The Education Service of Inverclyde Council was
managed very effectively. Education Service Managers,
together with senior staff in schools, were succeeding in
building a culture of continuous improvement based on
rigorous monitoring and evaluation. Despite an
inheritance of largely difficult economic and social
circumstances, improvement was evident over a wide
front encompassing academic attainment and
achievement in health education, business education,
sport and the arts.
The Director of Education Services and his senior
officers had provided very good leadership by firmly
setting the strategic direction for education in a small
Council. They had capitalised on the small size of the
education community through very good communication
and establishing a relationship of trust with key
stakeholders, particularly with heads of establishments.
This, together with a readiness to recognise success and
35
achievement, meant that staff were willing to tackle
challenges, knowing that support would be given.
There remained some difficult issues to tackle, foremost
amongst which was the need to address the issue of
school rationalisation to ensure Best Value in the use of
scarce resources. The Education Service had also
showed by its successes that its ambitions in terms of
targets for improvement had perhaps been set too low.
The evident improvements in school performance needed
to be sustained. On its past record there was a very
strong basis for optimism that education would continue
to make an important contribution to the Council’s vision
for the economic and social regeneration of Inverclyde.
Key strengths
•
The clarity and impact of vision, values and aims.
•
The high quality of leadership and management of the
Director of Education Services and senior officers.
•
Very good communication.
•
High quality planning.
•
Very good knowledge of performance of the authority
as a whole and individual establishments, founded on
comprehensive and helpful use of performance
information.
•
The establishment of an ethos of achievement which
was paying off in evidence of improvement over a
wide front.
9. Main points for action
36
In addition to addressing the areas for improvement
identified in this report, the Local authority should act on
the following recommendations.
•
As a high priority the Council should address value
for money issues concerning school rationalisation.
•
The Council should ensure that targets and timescales
are met for implementation of the National Grid for
Learning and other ICT improvements.
•
A strategy and policy for the continuum of special
educational needs should be developed.
•
The Council should take action to build on existing
successes to further improve educational attainment
and achievement, particularly for senior pupils.
Around two years after the publication of this report
HM Inspectors will re-visit the authority to assess
progress in meeting these recommendations. The local
authority has been asked to prepare and make public an
action plan, within eight weeks of the publication of this
report, indicating how it will address the following main
points for action in the report.
Bill Clark
HM Chief Inspector
Quality, Standards and Audit Division
September 2001
37
Appendix 1
Performance information
Statistical indicators
•
% of school pupils staying on to S5 (post-Christmas)
1997
67
64
61
1998
65
64
59
1999
63
65
59
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
1997/98
28
30
24
1998/99
27
31
24
1999/00
32
31
25
% Entering Full-Time
Further Education
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
19
19
20
19
18
19
22
19
19
% Entering
Employment
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
25
26
23
17
26
25
19
26
25
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils1
•
Pupil destinations
% Entering Full-Time
Higher Education
•
Absence
In relation to the Raising Standards – Setting Targets
initiative, Inverclyde Council set itself the following
target to minimise the average number of half-days
absence per pupil in primary and secondary schools by
2000/01.
Primary
Secondary
•
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Starting Level
(1997/1998)
Current Level
(1999/2000)
Target Level
(2000/2001)
22
21
55
43
20
19
48
41
19
18
47
36
Exclusion from schools in Inverclyde
1
Av. similar councils refers to the group of education authorities which are most
similar to each other in terms of various socio-economic and demographic factors.
38
1998/1999
1999/2000
905
1
1006
1
Total exclusions
Removal from roll
•
As part of the Raising Standards – Setting Targets
initiative, Inverclyde Council set itself the following
targets in reading, writing and mathematics in
primary schools to be achieved by 2001, and has
made the following progress in achieving them. The
figures represent the percentage of pupils attaining
and expected to attain appropriate 5-14 levels by P71.
Target
Reading
Writing
Maths
•
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Starting Level
June 1998
Current Level
June 2000
Target Level
June 2001
71
69
54
56
74
73
78
76
65
66
78
77
79
77
68
67
82
81
As part of the Raising Standards – Setting Targets
initiative, Inverclyde Council set itself the following
targets in reading, writing and mathematics in
secondary schools to be achieved by 2001, and has
made the following progress in achieving them. The
figures represent the percentage of pupils attaining
and expected to attain appropriate 5-14 levels by S22.
Target
Reading
Writing
Maths
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Starting Level
June 1998
Current Level
June 2000
Target Level
June 2001
35
41
27
36
37
41
60
53
54
43
52
47
54
54
46
48
54
55
1
Level A by end of P3. Level B by end of P4. Level C by end of P6.
Level D by end of P7.
2
Level E by end of S2.
39
•
Results in Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
National Qualifications.
% S4 Roll gaining:
5+ S Grades at 1-6
40
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
1997
92
90
87
1998
93
90
86
1999
94
91
88
5+ S Grades at 1-4
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
73
73
66
74
74
67
77
75
68
5+ S Grades at 1-2
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
26
29
22
25
31
23
32
31
25
3+ H Grades at A-C in S5
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
16
20
14
16
20
14
15
20
14
5+ H Grades at A-C in S5
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
5
6
4
6
6
4
5
7
4
% S4 roll gaining 1+ CSYS
at A-C in S6
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
7
10
6
6
9
6
6
10
6
% S5/S6 roll gaining 3+
NC modules
Inverclyde
National
Av. similar councils
41
41
43
43
41
43
43
39
41
•
As part of the Raising Standards – Setting Targets
initiative, Inverclyde Council set itself the following
SQA Standard Grade and Higher Grade targets for
session 2000-2001, and has made the following
progress in achieving them. The figures represent the
percentage of pupils achieving particular targets.
SG English 1-6
SG Maths 1-6
5+SG 1-6
5+SG 1-4
5+SG 1-2
HG, 3+ (A-C)
HG, 5+ (A-C)
•
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Inverclyde
National
Starting Level
(1995/97)
Current Level
(1997/1999)
Target Level
(1999/2001)
93
92
93
92
91
89
72
72
25
28
17
20
6
6
94
93
93
93
93
91
75
74
28
31
16
20
5
6
94
94
94
94
93
93
77
77
29
34
19
23
7
8
Value Added from S Grade to H Grade
(- represents a performance lower than would be
expected and * indicates a performance significantly
below expectations)
Inverclyde
1997
-5.60*
1998
-2.49
1999
-9.44*
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Appendix 2
Inspection coverage
Establishments visited:
Glenburn School
Finnart Playgroup
Kelly Street Children’s Centre
Carsemeadow Nursery
Ardgowan Primary School
Moorfoot Primary School and Nursery Class
Highlander’s Academy Primary School and
Language Unit
St Mungo’s Primary School and Language Unit
Kilmacolm Primary School
Larkfield Primary School
St Stephen’s High School
Wellington Academy
Notre Dame High School
Meetings attended:
Education Services Committee
Education Services Senior Management Team
Primary Headteachers
Secondary Headteachers
Interviews or meetings with Council Members and
Officers:
Council Leader
Convener of Education Services Committee
Former Convener of Education Services
Committee
Liberal Democrat and Conservative
Spokespersons
Church Representative on Education Services
Committee
42
Parental Representative on Education Services
Committee
Chief Executive
Director of Social Work and Housing Services
Director of Information Services
Head of Property Services
Head of Accountancy Services
Interviews or meetings with other Stakeholder Groups:
School Board Chairpersons meeting
School Board Chairpersons in five of the schools
visited
Focus Group of Headteachers
Focus Group of Heads of Partner Centres
Representatives of Teachers’ Unions
IBM, Greenock
Interviews with Education Service Staff
Director of Education Services
Heads of Service
Research and Development Officer
Principal Psychologist
IT Support Officer
Development Manager, Health and Outdoor
Education
Education Advisers
Principal Officers
Pre-five/Early Years Team
Special Education Needs Adviser
Seconded Staff in the Education Services
Department
New Community Schools Integration Manager
Welfare Officer
Complaints Officer
43
Appendix 3
Quality indicators
We judged the following to be very good
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vision, Values and Aims
Effectiveness of Leadership and Management
Mechanisms for Communication
Service Planning
Deployment and effectiveness of centrally-employed
staff
Measuring, monitoring and evaluating performance
Continuous improvement in performance
We judged the following to be good
•
•
•
Policy development
Mechanisms for consultation
Financial management
We judged the following to be fair
•
Resource management
We judged the following to be unsatisfactory
•
44
No aspects were found to be in this category.
How can you contact us?
Copies of this report have been sent to the Chief
Executive of the local authority, the Head of the
Education Service, other local authority officers,
Members of the Scottish Parliament, Audit Scotland,
heads of the local authority educational establishments,
chairpersons of the local authority School
Boards/Parents’ Associations and to other relevant
individuals and agencies. Subject to availability, further
copies may be obtained free of charge from the office at
the address below or by telephoning 0131 244 0746.
Copies are also available on our web site:
www.scotland.gov.uk/hmie
Should you wish to comment on, or make a complaint
about, any aspect of the inspection or about this report,
you should write in the first instance to Bill Clark, HMCI
whose address is given below. If you are unhappy with
the response, you will be told in writing what further
steps you may take.
HM Inspectorate of Education
Quality, Standards and Audit Division
1-B01
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Crown Copyright 2001
Scottish Executive
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except
for commercial purposes or in connection with a
prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and
date thereof are stated.
45