The Moray Council
28 January 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 learners and how well
are they supported?
2
4.
What impact has the authority had in meeting the needs of parents,
carers and families, staff and the wider community?
10
5.
How well is the authority led?
16
6.
What is the Council’s capacity for improvement?
21
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Quality indicators
24
Appendix 2 – Performance information
25
Introduction
The education functions of each local authority in Scotland were inspected between
2000 and 2005. A second cycle of inspections began in 2006 taking a proportionate approach
using the findings of the original inspection and other information subsequently available.
Section 9 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 charges HM Inspectorate of
Education (HMIE), on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, to provide an external evaluation of the
effectiveness of the local authority in its quality assurance of educational provision within the
Council and of its support to schools in improving quality. Inspections are conducted within a
published framework of quality indicators (Quality Management in Education 2) 1 which
embody the Government’s policy on Best Value.
Each inspection is planned and implemented in partnership with Audit Scotland on behalf of the
Accounts Commission for Scotland. Audit Scotland is a statutory body set up in April 2000,
under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. It provides services to the
Accounts Commission and the Auditor General for Scotland. Together they ensure that the
Scottish 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 The Moray Council in February
2004. The follow-up inspection report carried out in December 2005 found that the
education authority had made either good or very good progress in relation to the main points
for action in the initial report.
During the inspection HM Inspectors visited the neighbourhoods of Forres, Speyside, Buckie
and Fochabers to sample the impact of the work of the authority. The inspection included
the evaluation of the quality of educational psychology provision in the area.
2. What are the challenges for the Council?
Context
The Moray Council faces a number of challenges related to the changing nature of the
population and the continuing need to achieve best value in education expenditure.
Situated in the North East of Scotland along the Moray Firth coast, it is one of the largest
Councils in terms of area but has the fourth lowest population density. The majority of
people live in the five main population centres of Elgin, Buckie, Forres, Keith and
Lossiemouth. The rural nature of the Council and the dispersed nature of the population
pose significant challenges for the overall allocation of resources within the Council and
for Educational Services in relation to the schools estate.
The overall population within the Council area is around 87,000 and had varied over the
period since 1991. By 2016 the school age population is predicted to fall by 22% compared
to a reduction of 17% nationally. At the same time the 19% forecast growth in the retired
population is slightly above the national average.
Within the next ten years, the number of people aged under 16 is projected to fall by
14%, while the number of people over 65 is expected to increase by 23%. Much of the local
economy is related to the two Royal Air Force bases at Lossiemouth and Kinloss. Armed
forces personnel make up 21% of the working population within the area. Increasing
numbers of Polish and Portugese families were coming to the area for economic reasons.
The rate of unemployment within Moray is lower than the national rate. The percentage of
jobs in manufacturing is greater than that in Scotland as a whole. Most of these jobs are in
whisky production and food processing. Average wages within Moray are 10% lower than
the national average. The proportion of pupils entitled to free meals is 10% in primary
schools and 9% in secondary schools. These figures are lower in both sectors than the
national and comparator averages.
Political and organisational structure
Since the initial inspection of the education functions of The Moray Council in February
2004 there had been changes in the Council’s political administration. Over half of the
1
26 elected members were new to the Council. Since May 2007, the ruling group of
Independent members had been replaced by a coalition between Independent members
and the Conservatives with no group having an overall majority over the other political
parties. The Chief Executive had led a comprehensive induction programme for elected
members and the Director and Heads of Service had been involved in familiarising them
with the work of Educational Services. A number of sub groups, comprising elected
members and senior officers, had been formed to formulate the strategy for implementing
the Council’s priorities, including educational attainment and achievement. The
inspection was taking place at a key point in time during the Council’s change in political
leadership.
A number of long standing elected members, including the previous convenor of the Council
and the chair of the Educational Services committee, were no longer members of the
Council. The recently formed Education and Social Services committee directed the work of
the Educational Services. This committee had a wide-ranging remit which included the
direction of children’s services, community learning and development (CLD) and leisure
services, social work, youth justice, libraries and health improvement.
The Council’s Educational Services was led by a Director and three Heads of Service. These
Heads of Service had individual responsibilities for Educational Resources, Educational
Development, and Educational Support. The work of the Community Learning and
Development Service was directed by the Head of Educational Support Services. The
Council was in the process of developing an integrated model of localised services around
communities served by Associated Schools Groups (ASGs) and Local Community Networks
(LCNs) in order to develop more targeted services.
3. How good are attainment and achievement of learners and how well
are they supported?
Improvements in performance
Overall strengths in this area just outweighed weaknesses. There were encouraging
improvements in some key indicators such as attainment in 5-14 and the numbers of
pupils leaving school with levels of attainment in English language and mathematics.
Performance at the upper stages of secondary had not improved over the five year period.
Inspections of establishments showed a variable picture in all sectors.
Over the last five years pupils’ attainment in primary had improved in reading, writing and
mathematics. Most pupils were attaining or exceeding the national levels for 5-14 in
reading, writing and mathematics. Over the same period, there had been overall
improvements in pupils’ attainment in the first two years of secondary. Although there had
been a slight dip in attainment in mathematics over the last year, the majority of pupils
reached appropriate national levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the
end of S2. Despite fluctuations over the last three years, attendance levels in both primary
and secondary were overall higher than those of comparator authorities 2 and nationally. The
2
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.
rates of exclusions had also fluctuated. Fewer pupils were excluded from schools in the
authority than in comparator authorities and nationally.
The number of pupils, including looked after 3 children attaining National Qualification unit
awards at Access level and achieving recognition of their achievements through the Award
Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) had increased significantly.
The figure was now the second highest in relation to Access awards as compared with
comparator authorities. Skill Force 4 had contributed positively to pupils’ achievements,
particularly in relation to those pupils with social, emotional and behavioural needs (SEBN).
Some schools were making effective use of the relaxation of age and stage restrictions to
meet the needs of pupils more effectively. Around half of the secondary schools were now
presenting some pupils for Standard Grade or equivalent qualifications in some subjects in
S3, a year ahead of the norm. These developments were helping to address concerns about
the pace of learning at S1/S2, to recognise some pupils’ capacity to progress more quickly to
certification, and to give pupils more time to prepare for Higher and Intermediate awards.
There were early indications that pupils’ attainments, for example, at Higher level, were
beginning to improve in a few of these schools. There was a need to sustain the gains made
by pupils in S1-S3 in all schools into the upper stages of secondary.
Pupils’ attainments in Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) examinations at
Levels 3 5 and 4 or their equivalent had improved over a five year period, and were
consistently above those nationally and in comparator authorities. By the end of S4, there
had been steady improvements in the attainment of pupils in English and mathematics at
SCQF Level 3 or better. The percentages achieving five or more awards at Level 5 or better
were above national averages, but generally below comparator authorities. Pupils’
performance by the end of S5 was below that of national and comparator authorities. The
percentage of pupils attaining three or more awards at Level 6 had fallen. There had been
fluctuations in performance in relation to five or more awards at Level 6. By the end of S6,
the authority performed below comparator authorities and those nationally in relation to the
percentage of pupils achieving three or more awards and five or more awards at Level 6.
Performance had consistently declined in these key indicators.
The proportion of pupils gaining entry to Higher education had increased but was
consistently below national and comparator authority averages. The proportion entering
further education was in line with national and comparator authority averages. Greater
proportions of pupils progressed directly to employment than nationally and in comparator
authorities.
Overall, inspection findings in the last three years showed a variable picture in all sectors.
Pre-school provision was generally evaluated positively with most centres judged to be good
or very good in most aspects. There were strengths in the quality of the programmes in
3
The term ‘looked after’ in this report includes all children looked after or looked after and accommodated by the Council.
Skill Force is a UK wide programme which places ex-Armed Forces instructors into schools to allow pupils to undertake awards, learn
new skills and undertake new experiences.
5
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
3
emotional, personal and social development and in children’s progress in this area. There
were weaknesses in support for pupils with additional support needs, assessment, record
keeping and reporting and leadership. In primary schools, the quality of provision varied
greatly. In a few schools, all aspects were judged to be good or very good. Attainment in
English language and mathematics was evaluated as either very good or good in half of the
primary schools inspected. In almost all schools there were strengths in the climate and
relationships and in the arrangements to ensure equality and fairness. Across inspections,
there were common weaknesses in self-evaluation and in meeting pupils’ needs.
In over a quarter of the schools inspected the quality of leadership and the school’s capacity
to improve was sufficiently high for HM Inspectors not to undertake any further inspection.
Most schools which were part of follow-through arrangements after inspection made
effective progress. In two secondary schools, HM Inspectors remained engaged with the
follow-through process beyond the normal two year period as they did not consider that
sufficient progress had been made in raising attainment.
The recent inspection report of CLD in Elgin reported on the very good impact that youth
work was having on young people. Targeted partnership work with young people, such as
midnight football and drug and alcohol initiatives were very effective and reached the most
vulnerable learners.
Impact on learners
The impact of the authority’s work on the experiences of learners was improving and good
overall. Pre-school learners had access to an increasing range of provision which helped
them to develop their skills, for example, in information and communications technology
(ICT). Primary-aged learners were positive about their school experience. They had
benefited from a range of successful new initiatives aimed at increasing their skills, for
example, in reading. The authority required to continue to share and disseminate the
positive outcomes from these developments in order to maximise the benefit for all
learners. Secondary-aged learners had more opportunities for choice within courses and
this had impacted particularly positively on vulnerable learners. Opportunities for adult
learners were very effective but engagement was with a limited number of participants.
Learners of pre-school age
The impact of effective partnership working across agencies had enabled an increase in
childcare places. Staff in pre-school centres, including those in centres in partnership with
the authority, were positive about the support and assistance provided by the authority. This
had included a range of helpful training activities aimed at improving children’s learning
experiences and regular focused visits to pre-school centres to model good practice. The
Quality Improvement Officer (QIO) and Pre-school Field Officer had worked effectively
with staff in establishments to develop good practice. They had arranged evening training
sessions to improve practice and had demonstrated how pre-school staff could use ICT
equipment to enrich children’s learning. Authority staff had provided a range of useful
procedural and welfare policies. They recognised the need to improve written advice on key
curricular areas in order to ensure consistency of progression in children’s skills. The
authority had put in place useful transition arrangements to support children in their transfer
to primary school. These arrangements had been implemented in almost all centres and
schools across the authority. The authority had entered into productive joint-working
4
arrangements with Care and Learning Alliance (CALA) and The Moray Childcare
Partnership. Staff from CALA visited pre-schools and partnership centres to offer advice on
planning to ensure improvement in provision for learners. The Moray Childcare Partnership
staff had provided training on important aspects including food hygiene and child protection.
Children were increasing their opportunities for involvement in physical activity through a
programme developed by the authority’s active schools coordinator. The Moray Interagency
Developmental Assessment and Support (MIDAS) service provided effective integrated
support for children with disabilities. Through the LCNs, encouraging steps had been taken
to set up support systems for parents including a group for vulnerable mums and a post-natal
group. Other groups focused on aspects such as speech and language and rhythm and rhyme.
Features of good practice: MIDAS
The Moray Interagency Developmental Assessment and Support (MIDAS) service
provides a framework for locally based integrated assessments for pre-school children with
significant and complex additional support needs which require the involvement of more
than one agency. Central to the work of MIDAS is the team around the child model which
ensures that the focus remains on the needs and aspirations of children and families. The
service has removed the need for families to travel to a regional assessment centre around
70 miles away. It has also improved early identification and intervention, provided parents
with a consistent source of support, coordinated the input of a wide range of agencies,
improved transitions to early years education and ensured compliance with The Education
(Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (ASL).
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
Primary-aged learners
The authority had developed a number of initiatives to improve pupils’ learning experiences
in primary schools. Learning and teaching officers had provided productive support to
teachers in developing approaches to assessment for learning, literacy and numeracy and this
had led to improvements in pupils’ skills in individual schools. The work of librarians was
impacting positively on pupils’ reading attainment through initiatives such as the summer
reading challenge involving 1,200 participants. A few schools had taken encouraging steps
to implement the approaches of Curriculum for Excellence 6 through cross-curricular
initiatives. Approaches to improving thinking skills, reciprocal teaching and reading were
also being piloted by teachers in specific schools. These approaches were beginning to make
an impact, for example, on levels of attainment in specific schools. Heads of Service
recognised the need to evaluate these developments in order to make informed decisions
about the way forward. Within ASGs there were examples of productive curricular
transition programmes, for example, in mathematics. Overall, schools had not yet capitalised
enough on the opportunities to link the curriculum across sectors. The authority had not
placed sufficient emphasis on encouraging schools to implement consistent approaches to
developing pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding across sectors.
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.
5
The authority was committed to promoting inclusive practices. Staff from Educational
Services had consulted widely in relation to the implementation of The Education
(Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (ASL) and had responded to
stakeholder feedback which had impacted positively on services provided to pupils with
additional support needs. The Educational Psychology Service (EPS) had made a significant
contribution to the implementation of the ASL Act across the authority. Almost all pupils
with additional support needs were successfully integrated into their mainstream schools or
alternatively in bases sited within a mainstream primary or secondary school servicing a
geographical cluster of local schools. All pupils within the bases had individualised
educational programmes (IEPs) which were reviewed regularly and progress recorded within
the pupil’s file. Pupils within the bases were successfully integrated into aspects of the
mainstream curriculum such as at lunch times or during physical education classes. These
opportunities would benefit children even more through better planning and more detailed
IEP targets. LCNs supported and developed effective programmes focused on transitions of
vulnerable learners from primary to secondary school. Some programmes offered John Muir
Award certification and young people settled into their new learning environment and
contributed more effectively across a range of subjects.
The work of the active school coordinators had complemented the physical education
programme and impacted very positively on the physical development and skills of children
and young people across sectors. The Stay and Play scheme had been particularly successful
in increasing the participation of children in sports and often led to their further involvement
in extra-curricular activities and clubs within the community. For example, a dance club was
established in Portknockie as a result of the annual dance festival. Forty-five pupils with
additional support needs developed their self-esteem and gained confidence through
participation in horse-riding. For those pupils with a physical disability the authority had
collaborated with For Moray’s Children Group and MOVE Scotland 7 to deliver a specialist
physical programme benefiting a total of 76 pupils. The programme allowed pupils to
integrate their physical development targets with wider learning objectives outlined in their
IEPs. At P5, all pupils had an opportunity to learn the recorder and have singing and
percussion lessons as part of the Youth Music Initiative.
The authority was making steady progress in promoting schools’ use of ICT to enhance
pupils’ learning. Teachers were increasingly making use of new resources, such as
interactive whiteboards. The authority recognised the need to continue to provide support
and continuous professional development (CPD), to ensure that the new resources impacted
positively on pupils’ learning.
The authority had supported schools well in promoting enterprise as a positive influence on
pupils’ learning. There was an effective framework of support, through staff development
opportunities including teacher placements with employers, meetings of school coordinators
to share good practice, and the celebration of pupils’ achievements in newsletters. These all
had a positive influence on the quality of pupils’ learning, adding stimulus and challenge and
good opportunities for teamwork and problem solving. Staff and employers valued the
contributions of the authority’s enterprise development officers, for example, in sharing good
practice. Teachers had used the principles of enterprise well, harmonising with other major
influences on learning and teaching such as formative assessment and critical skills, to
7
MOVE Scotland is an activity based programme designed to help children with profound and multiple learning disabilities to gain
independent movement.
6
improve the quality of pupils’ experience. Pupils were increasingly involved in decisionmaking, for example in pupil councils, eco committees and other contexts. Many staff were
incorporating enterprising approaches into lessons in the mainstream curriculum, for
example, setting challenges in mathematics, or team investigations for environmental studies
topics.
Schools were progressing well in developing pupils’ understanding of healthy lifestyles.
Artists in residence had worked effectively with pupils in 32 primary schools to decorate the
dining halls as part of the Hungry for Success 8 initiative.
Secondary-aged learners
All the authority’s secondary schools were actively attempting to improve the extent to
which their curriculum met the needs of all pupils. All secondary schools were offering
subjects across a greater range of levels, including Access and Intermediate in order to meet
pupils’ needs more effectively. All eight of the secondary schools had incorporated
Skill Force into their programmes, helping to provide more choices and more chances for
pupils whose behaviour and lack of motivation were sometimes difficult to address through
mainstream curriculum approaches. The authority had provided a good framework to help
schools identify those lower attaining pupils most likely to miss out on education,
employment and training, to enable the schools to consider alternative pathways and
experiences. Importantly, the authority was also introducing systems for identifying, earlier
in their school careers, characteristics in pupils who were likely to disengage from education
as they progressed through secondary school stages. The broader curriculum provided by the
secondary schools gave these pupils more opportunities to find programmes and learning
approaches which better met their needs and aspirations. Schools were also making effective
use of an expanding range of accreditation including The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award,
Youth Achievement Awards and ASDAN.
Contributions from CLD staff were helpful in extending the range of experiences and
certification available to pupils, including some who needed a wider range of opportunities
and different approaches to learning. Schools valued their links with local colleges, and had
noted significant improvements in the service which the colleges had provided to school
pupils in recent years. These links brought direct benefits to pupils in the form of more
relevant learning experiences, vocational opportunities and qualifications. Pupils achieved
well in their placements with local employers through the work experience programme.
Employers expressed positive views of the quality of pupils’ performance in the workplace.
The learning opportunities of pupils with additional support needs were enhanced through
the support of Pinefield Project Assessment and Resource Centre (PARC) and links with
Moray, Banff and Buchan Colleges.
The authority was in the process of reorganising services to improve provision for pupils
with SEBN and had been successful in maintaining some of the most challenging pupils
within Moray by providing creative individual multi-agency support packages. However, the
standard of provision varied across schools and, given the wide range of learning and
behavioural needs, a few of the bases, particularly in the secondary sector, did not adequately
meet all pupils’ needs. In both primary and secondary SEBN provisions, there were shared
placements with pupils’ mainstream schools. The need for pupils to travel sometimes
8
Hungry for Success – A whole school approach to school meals in Scotland, Scottish Executive, November 2002.
7
considerable distances between their home school and their specialist provision made it
difficult for staff to ensure continuity of pupil experience. Specialist placements provided
pupils with improved learning experiences, especially in the development of literacy skills.
More localised support would enable the authority to have a greater impact on all pupils with
SEBN. EPS had taken forward training in Solution Oriented Schools (SOS) to help schools
intervene appropriately with SEBN pupils. At the time of inspection 200 teachers had
received a basic level of training and 72 had been trained to an advanced level. Other
agencies and parents had also been trained in the approach.
Secondary-aged learners had opportunities to widen their experience and develop their skills
through involvement in a range of arts and sports activities. For example, pupils developed
skills in performance through drama productions. In June 2007, pupils from five secondary
schools successfully took part in a production of Macbeth in the cathedral at Elgin. The
project was conceived by the Moray Arts Development officer in conjunction with the
National Theatre of Scotland. Pupils also benefited from involvement with a council theatre
in education company working with Waste Aware Moray, and produced a show to reinforce
the ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ message. This had proved a stimulus for pupils to do
further work on Eco Schools status. Across the authority, pupils had the opportunity to
benefit from a wide range of instrumental instruction during a week of the summer holidays.
Seventy pupils had performed as the Moray Orchestra in the Elgin town hall. Sports
activities were well supported by volunteers and coaches. Pupils were developing sporting
skills from sustained involvement in a range of activities such as Moravian orienteering,
rugby, athletics cricket, football and badminton.
The authority had a long standing and effective partnership working arrangement with
Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council, to develop Health Promoting Schools.
This partnership had delivered benefits to learners in terms of increasing their awareness of
how to improve their health. Over a third of schools had achieved Health Promoting School
status, with a further 12 close to achieving this. Staff at one secondary school had achieved a
Gold Award from Scotland’s Health at Work for their efforts to improve their own health.
There were a number of examples of effective initiatives in health education. These included
the Confidence to Cook initiative in one secondary school, working with targeted groups of
pupils to improve their health and self-esteem.
The authority had been pro-active in responding to the needs of minority groups such as
Gypsy/Travellers, children of migrant workers and pupils who were learning English as an
additional language (EAL) through a variety of interventions to improve opportunities for
learning. The Gypsy Traveller Working Group had positively impacted on non-attending
Gypsy/Traveller pupils by building positive relationships within the Gypsy/Traveller
Community. The EAL team had produced very helpful information on their website for
schools to use in supporting pupils with EAL. They had also been proactive by anticipating
demands from schools, responding positively to the changing population within Moray.
Events celebrating children’s day in Poland and Christmas were held which specifically
targeted children from across Moray from the Polish community. Twenty-seven children
and seven parents participated in the children’s day event and 80 children and 45 parents in
the Christmas event. Participants felt that their culture was valued and felt less isolated.
There were early signs that the authority focus on coaching as part of their leadership
programme was impacting positively on the quality of pupils’ educational experience.
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Staff who had been involved in the programme had used some of the techniques to assist
pupils in improving their learning and in taking a leadership role in their learning.
The authority and its partners were developing a systematic approach to ensuring
engagement and communication between Moray Youth Forum and pupil forums across the
area and integrating these into community planning through their Youth Participation
framework. Young people who were currently involved in these forums were very positive
about the impact of these activities on their own confidence and self-esteem but were less
clear about their impact on decisions within the authority. Pupil Councils had been
established in all schools but varied in their effectiveness. Many pupils were actively
engaged within Eco Schools committees and Healthy Schools committees.
Targeted youth work was used effectively to reach young people not currently engaged in
education provision and supported them to access appropriate services and youth work
programmes. Thirty young people had completed the First Steps to Work with Children and
Young People course, including young people who used their participation towards Youth
Achievement and Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. There had been a number of successful
outcomes as a result of this work. These included involvement in further training,
volunteering and seeking paid youth work opportunities. CLD staff delivered a youth
participation pack in Buckie and Keith secondary schools, which targeted pupils who were
hard to engage. Almost all participants developed small community projects in their local
communities and were working towards accreditation. However, relationships between
schools and CLD services including the voluntary sector were dependant on individual
worker relationships rather than strategic planning at local or authority level. Wider
achievement of young people was not systematically recognised in the school environment
although some schools such as Speyside High School were developing their own processes
to achieve this. The Moray Childcare Partnership in collaboration with Educational
Services, social work, NHS Grampian, the voluntary sector, mainstream childcare provision
and Educational Psychology had provided a valuable input for pupils with additional support
needs during summer holiday periods.
Features of good practice: Hut 9
Hut 9 in Forres Academy focused on secondary aged pupils with a history of challenging
behaviour and exclusions from mainstream education. Very effective multi-agency
working ensured that pupils’ individual needs were met by a wide range of personalised
educational and work experiences designed to increase confidence and self-esteem. Staff
in the base had high expectations of pupil behaviour and potential and worked well with
individuals to develop their self-esteem. Effective links with subject teachers in Forres
Academy ensured that where appropriate, pupils could continue their mainstream work in
the base and re-integrate back into their mainstream classes. Very good partnerships with
Skill Force enabled almost all pupils to successfully complete National Qualifications and
achievement awards such as Awards Scheme Development and Accreditation Network
(ASDAN) and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. Attendance rates increased
significantly for almost all pupils leading to greater engagement with education and better
life long learning outcomes for pupils.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
9
Adult learners
The CLD Service focused its provision and resources on vulnerable learners. Most adult
learning opportunities were very effective but engaged only a minority of the adults in the
targeted categories, such as those who were most vulnerable. Almost all adult learners who
were engaged in programmes were very positive about its impact on their lives. The range of
subjects covered was broad and community based adult learning opportunities were available
across the authority area. Staff and volunteers worked with parents to increase their literacy
levels which enabled them to support their children’s learning. They also ran programmes
for parents of young children to encourage them to make effective use of library services.
The Reading Together project provided a welcoming environment which assisted parents in
engaging with the learning of their children within the context of stories. The Side by Side
buddying project, enabled learners to be supported by other local people who had recently
been essential skills learners themselves. Most adult learning opportunities were run in
partnership with other services and agencies and this enabled participants to make more
effective transitions on completion of programmes. Be Active Lifelong projects were
developed in partnership with CLD, Age Concern, Sports Development and NHS, and
participants engaged in taster sessions, progressed onto other programmes and courses and
made more regular use of local facilities. In the Give it a Go project, excluded and hesitant
adult learners were encouraged to try something for the first time such as Indian cookery.
Most learners progressed their learning through attendance at other projects or through
moving onto further education opportunities.
4. What impact has the authority had in meeting the needs of parents,
carers and families, staff and the wider community?
Overall, the impact of the authority in meeting the needs of parents, carers and families
was good. Parents were positive about the quality of education which their children
received. Over the last three years they were active in authority decision-making and had
access to a range of opportunities to develop their own learning through adult literacy and
adult learning programmes. The strategy to take forward the Scottish Schools (Parental
Involvement) Act 2006 had been well planned and was received positively by parents.
The authority regularly sought the views of parents and carers about the quality of education
provision. Evidence from questionnaires returned to the authority during the past three years
indicated that most parents were satisfied with the provision in the schools that their children
attended. In all schools inspected over the last three years, partnerships with School Boards,
parents and the local community were judged to be good or better.
In recent years, the authority had taken significant steps to ensure that parents and carers
were actively involved in the work of the education authority. A strategy group and a series
of nine working groups had been established which included parents and a wide range of
other stakeholders. One group revised the policy on consultation and communication. As a
result, stakeholders believed that the authority was genuinely listening to their views. An
annual programme of consultation had been developed to seek stakeholder views on, for
example, service planning, budget planning and policy development. Meetings had proved
effective in gathering views which had influenced policy making. The Director of
Educational Services met regularly with the parents’ forum. He chaired focus groups,
10
including parents’ groups, to consider educational priorities and examine the progress of the
Service Improvement Plan. As a result of discussions with parents, the authority distributed
a leaflet summarising the plan in plain language. The authority had held a number of
successful information sharing events which were well attended by parents. Parents
welcomed these and evidence from questionnaires showed that the majority of respondents
felt positive about the consultation processes.
The authority consulted widely on actions to meet the requirements of the ASL Act, and the
parents concerned felt that the process had led to effective support being provided for their
children. Individual educational psychologists took care to ensure that parents were involved
in the development of plans to support their children. The authority had also set up a
parents’ steering group to assist in taking forward the Scottish Schools (Parental
Involvement) Act 2006. The steering group, led by an officer of the Council, had produced a
comprehensive support pack to help schools develop Parent Councils. The support pack had
been very well received by parents and staff in schools. All schools now had these
procedures in place or were in the process of engaging parents more effectively in their
children’s education. Individual schools had been successful in involving parents, for
example, in homework clubs and this experience had assisted parents in supporting their
children’s learning. A few parents were trained in communication skills to support their
children with autism spectrum disorders. Through the LCNs there was a range of successful
targeted initiatives in place for specific groups of parents to engage them in supporting their
children’s learning. The overall strategy to build upon these examples of successful work
with parents was developing well. The authority recognised the need to ensure that all
schools effectively engaged parents in their children’s learning.
Family Support Workers developed effective home-school links and strengthened
communications and relationships with parents who were not effectively engaged with
schools. The impact of their work was demonstrated by a number of positive changes in
young people’s lives and behaviour. However, methods to measure the impact of family
support work in relation to family and individual development required to be further
developed. CLD staff worked well with young parents who were not effectively engaged in
education to give them good opportunities to further their own learning. The EPS had
developed positive working relationships with children, young people and families with
whom it worked. Educational Services followed the Council’s complaints procedures. A
research officer analysed complaints and provided the Director with regular updates on the
nature of enquiries.
Impact on staff
The impact on staff was good overall. Teachers across the authority recognised that there
had been considerable improvements in provision for CPD. Morale across staff in schools
and CLD was generally positive. The authority’s strategy for leadership development
addressed the needs of all teachers including probationers and management teams.
Coaching was well-established in the authority through involvement in the National
Leadership Project.
Evidence from the pre-inspection survey indicated strong support from staff about the work
of the authority. Almost all headteachers agreed that the authority assisted staff in accessing
development and training, that QIOs maintained effective contact with their establishment
11
and that they were kept informed about child protection issues. Most headteachers agreed
that they had access to training for leadership and that the authority was effective in
disseminating good practice about how to improve the quality of education. Most
headteachers also agreed that centrally-deployed staff provided good advice to take forward
improvements and that centrally-deployed staff took action when a matter of concern was
raised.
Most centrally-deployed staff agreed they had access to the information they needed to do
their jobs effectively; they had a sound knowledge of child protection procedures; that they
had time to carry out CPD effectively and that they received feedback from their line
manager about the quality of their work. However, less than half agreed they had time to
fulfil their remits effectively or that morale was high among staff.
Across the authority teachers recognised that there had been considerable improvements in
the provision of CPD and most of these were focused on the authority’s priority to support
effective learning and teaching. A number of effective and innovative initiatives had been
introduced, including, Assessment is for Learning 9 (AifL), mental strategies in mathematics,
critical skills and reciprocal teaching. These initiatives were supported by well-planned staff
development activities. The authority had also introduced a well-managed electronic system
for booking CPD activities. Probationer teachers were effectively supported by a
comprehensive programme of activities including pre-arrival support, two induction days,
supporter meetings and a further eight days of training designed to support the Standard for
Full Registration. Strategies to evaluate the long-term impact of CPD were developing well.
As part of the authority’s strategy to build leadership capacity in schools, some senior staff
had joined the QIO teams for school reviews. Headteachers and principal teachers valued
the opportunities to be involved in this work and had also benefited from training to prepare
for their role in the review. Increasingly, members of the centrally-deployed team and staff
in schools had the opportunity to share practice and inform developments at events both
within and outwith the authority.
The morale of staff in CLD was high. They were positive about their role in the authority
and felt empowered to contribute effectively to service delivery. They valued the
opportunity to work in functional teams covering the whole authority and also in area teams.
Features of good practice: Coaching
Moray was one of four authorities in Scotland involved in the National Leadership Project.
The aim of the project was to create, through coaching, the conditions through which
transformational change can take place in schools. The three year project, which began in
2006, has involved staff from seven primary and four secondary schools as well as a Head
of Service, Quality Improvement Officers and the Learning and Teaching Steering Group.
Feedback from the phase one coaches on the impact of coaching in the project schools has
identified cultural change with regard to self-reflection, problem solving and enhanced
leadership capacity, and positive changes to pupils’ self-esteem and attainment.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
9
Assessment is for Learning (AifL) is a Scottish Executive Education Department development programme which outlines key principles
which connect assessment with learning and teaching.
12
Their involvement in taking forward the priorities of the community plan brought them into
contact with a wide range of departments and agencies. The increased focus on targeting
vulnerable communities and individuals gave clarity to their role and responsibilities. The
development of Illuminating Practice case studies was seen as very positive by CLD staff as
it assisted them in focusing on the impact of their work.
The authority had been successful in securing finance from the Scottish Government Schools
Directorate for an innovative project entitled Coaching for Change which was one of four
national leadership projects. Through the CPD programme, increasing numbers of teaching
and support staff were developing coaching and mentoring skills. The authority had been
pro-active in disseminating case studies of how participants had utilised their skills to
improve learning experiences for pupils. The authority joined in partnership with
Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council to create a joint project team to take
forward Curriculum for Excellence.
Training in child protection had not yet been made available to all staff and the authority had
not updated records of training. Staff training in the ASL Act was comprehensive and good
on-going support was provided by EPS to help schools and other agencies implement the
authority’s strategy. The authority had recognised the need for more advanced training for
staff in aspects of additional support needs such as autism, and had provided specific training
courses. Support staff who worked with pupils with additional support needs did not all feel
that they had appropriate training to carry out their job effectively. Training for technicians
was not always accessible and often demand outweighed availability. Staff from EPS and
CLD were very positive about the range of training opportunities available both internally
and through external agencies. However, approaches to CPD for CLD staff were not yet
systematic enough. There was limited joint training for CLD with schools.
Centrally-based officers and schools in the authority were well supported by a clerical and
administrative section ably managed by a principal administrative officer. Following
concerns expressed by headteachers about the way information was communicated to
schools, a short-term working group comprising headteachers and administrative staff was
set up to investigate possible options for improving communications. As a result, a helpful
weekly communications bulletin was established. The professional review of teaching staff
was carried out annually with a report going to the Educational and Social Services
Committee. The majority of schools had reviewed all staff in the previous session. Central
support staff were reviewed by the principal and section administrative officers.
Over a period of three years, there had been an increase in staff absence and this was being
monitored through a newly introduced absence management policy. Recruitment strategies
continued to be developed, in particular, in response to a difficulty in securing the
appointment of headteachers.
Impact on the local community
The authority’s impact on the local community was good. Schools had developed
productive relationships with their communities. There was a strong commitment in the
authority to engaging with the local community through the establishment of Local
Workers Groups, Local Neighbourhood Forums (LNFs) and Youth Forums in each of the
eight ASG areas of the Council. The forums had been successful in raising awareness of
the community to opportunities which were available to them. However, there had been
13
few opportunities for forum members to influence wider decision-making. Development of
programmes and activities in partnership and based on local needs was variable across the
authority area.
Findings from school inspections showed strong relationships, in almost all cases, between
schools and their communities. Almost all schools were registered as Eco Schools. Through
the LCNs there had been innovative partnership work with the Forestry Commission in
Lossiemouth and Fochabers to utilise the forests in Moray as learning environments. There
were developing links with RAF Lossiemouth as a facility for young people attending
Pinefield PARC. Increased numbers of community volunteers had assisted coaches in
providing sports activities for young people as part of the Active Schools Programme. This
work had impacted effectively in sustaining specific developments through local sports
clubs. Employer representatives were clear that the approach taken by the local authority to
work in schools and some specific elements of adult learning were addressing their future
and current needs for suitable employees. Approaches to work experience and joint work on
Skills for Work programmes with colleges were highlighted as being particularly successful.
Voluntary sector representatives were well supported to contribute effectively at a local and
strategic levels within community planning.
CLD staff supported learners who were less likely to engage in local decision-making. This
had led to some LNFs having a membership which was broadly representative of the more
vulnerable communities but not the wider community. LNFs had enabled local residents to
become actively involved in shaping developments in their communities. There were
examples of practice which showed clear impact including the deployment of police to match
specific community needs.
LCNs had a focus on children and families and were an effective means of engaging partner
agencies in sharing information. LCN support officers met on a regular basis to share
information and formulate plans of action. There was variability in the impact of these
networks across the authority. They were not always effective in engaging partner
organisations in decision-making. Partner organisations were not always clear about how
priorities were set or the criteria for selection of projects and allocation of funds. As a result,
the full potential of LCNs had not been fully realised.
The community planning partnership had recognised that local community planning
mechanisms and the inter-relationship between the different community groups were not
working effectively and had recently prepared protocols to enable connections and
approaches to be clearer and more systematic across the authority.
Impact on the wider community
Impact on the wider community was good. The authority had become more outward
looking and had increased its profile nationally. A number of the authority’s initiatives
had achieved wider recognition. In particular, the work on SOS and leadership had
attracted national and international interest. The national training for SOS had been
delivered by staff from the authority.
The Council’s officers and schools took an active part in a wide range of national
developments, and had established a number of international links. Schools and officers had
14
related well to national developments in enterprise in education, contributing to national
conferences and networks aimed at sharing good practice. EPS staff had published research
findings in national journals, and effectively contributed to national projects and conferences.
Council approaches to improving support for pupils, for example, through implementation of
the ASL Act and SOS, had attracted interest from a number of other Scottish authorities.
The work of the authority in supporting the implementation of the ASL Act had been
adopted by a number of neighbouring authorities, and had improved transition arrangements
for pupils with significant additional support needs.
Features of good practice: Solution Oriented School (SOS) Programme
The Solution Oriented School (SOS) Programme is a whole school improvement
programme that encompasses behaviour and a model of staged intervention. It has been
developed over several years by the Educational Psychology Service (EPS) and the
Inclusion and Support Service working in partnership with the independent Sycol
organisation.
The programme encourages reflective practice and the application of the SOS approach
through coaching conversations within the school and backed up by support from external
agencies. The aim is to improve the school culture in a sustainable way, enhancing the
potential of all its members and leading to improved behaviour and better outcomes for
children and young people. The SOS training programme includes initial training for the
whole school and intensive training at different levels for key members of staff involving
between 12 and 36 hours per year. SOS is supported by the Scottish Government and was
identified by the Discipline Stakeholder Group in October 2006 as one of six innovatory
approaches recommended to all schools and Education Authorities in Scotland.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
Officers’ work in laying the foundations for new working practices for teachers and for
involvement of parents within the context of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act
2006, had been taken forward very effectively and had been recognised nationally.
St Thomas Primary School had won an award for its work in international education.
Buckie High School had well-established links, evolved over a number of years, with a
school community in Tanzania. These links brought mutual benefits, with reciprocal visits
by pupils and staff, and opportunities were taken to incorporate cultural themes into the work
of the school. These experiences made valuable contributions to pupils’ understanding of
global issues, an important aspect of their development as responsible citizens. Officers had
made worthwhile visits to explore effective practice in other countries, in and beyond
Europe. They had taken an active part in national developments in leadership and had
contributed presentations on aspects of their work, such as approaches to leadership and
evaluating educational quality, at national and international conferences. The Head of
Educational Resource Services played a key role in the Association of Directors of Education
Personnel Network and had contributed to a significant number of personnel issues.
The authority liaised well with some other councils to take forward new initiatives. A
Pan-Grampian group had successfully developed a joint accreditation scheme for health
promoting schools. The North East Consortium provided a useful forum for joint curriculum
developments in relation to Curriculum for Excellence.
15
5. How well is the authority led?
Vision, values and aims
The authority’s vision, values and aims were good overall. Elected members, the Chief
Executive and senior officers showed a strong commitment to the fulfilment of the
authority’s vision, values and aims, which provided appropriate guidance for the
Education Service. The process of establishing the vision statement and aims had created
a unity of purpose across all service groups. They were well focused on social equality,
inclusion, and on promoting the wider achievements of children, young people and their
families. They related well to national priorities and the aims of Curriculum for
Excellence. However, better links were now required between the Moray vision and the
strategic requirements of CLD.
The vision statement Learning to Live, Living to Learn was approved by the Educational
Services Committee in May 2006. Each of the three aims inspire, include and improve were
in line with corporate priorities, and focused strongly on raising achievement, working for
inclusion and equality, and modernising and improving Education Services. The vision,
values and aims of the Education Service were clearly set out in the Education Improvement
Plan.
Elected members, the Chief Executive and senior officers showed a sound understanding of
the authority’s wider vision, values and aims for education. They shared the authority’s
commitment to joint working in neighbourhoods as a means of promoting social equality and
raising achievement and attainment. Senior staff were working towards increasing the
transparency of the newly developed vision through communications, written policies, events
such as key staff development days which helped reinforce the understanding of staff of
Moray’s vision for education.
Senior officers and elected members demonstrated a strong commitment to inclusion.
Education staff at the centre, in establishments and working in the community shared this
key aspect of the vision. Inclusive approaches were reflected across a range of contexts,
including learning provision for pupils with additional support needs and the authority’s
work in promoting broader achievement. Some further work was required in better meeting
the needs of pupils with SEBN to increase participation and ensure equality of opportunity.
The authority’s vision set out its commitment to the promotion of positive attitudes to
cultural diversity. Commitment to the implementation of this vision was evident in many
aspects of the authority’s work with EAL pupils and their families. Authority staff,
including CLD staff, had worked well with groups of parents and children to encourage their
greater participation in cultural and sporting activities.
The authority had made a solid beginning to communicating and sharing the vision across
most staff groups. Most staff in educational establishments were aware of the authority’s
wider vision, values and aims. However, heads of establishments and their senior promoted
staff required to take more responsibility in involving all staff in understanding their roles
and responsibilities in taking forward the vision for Moray. Staff were committed to raising
attainment and achievement and valued the partnerships with parents and other stakeholders.
This had a positive impact on the confidence of young people, and their aspirations for
achievement. Heads of Service in the authority recognised that the practical application of
16
the vision was still at the early stages of development and had yet to impact fully on the
experiences of learners across the authority. CLD staff had a good understanding of the
overall vision of the Education Service. However, there was not a clear strategic vision for
delivery of CLD services.
Leadership and direction
Overall, strengths just outweighed weaknesses in leadership and direction. The Chief
Executive, the Director of Educational Services and the three Heads of Service had
brought about significant improvements in strategic leadership. They had worked
effectively with a range of stakeholders in improving the arrangements to ensure that the
Service Improvement Plan was well focused on appropriate priorities and articulated
effectively with the authority’s corporate plan. The Council continued to face significant
financial pressures and substantial savings were required in order to balance the budget
over the next four years. While elected members had historically not taken a consistent
lead in identifying areas for improvement and responding effectively, there were
encouraging signs that newly elected councillors had recognised the need to provide a
clearer strategic direction. There was scope for heads of establishment to play a more
strategic role in planning and evaluating improvements as senior officers of the authority.
Almost all headteachers agreed that the Director of Educational Services and Heads of
Service showed a high level of commitment to improving education. The Chief Executive
had taken a strong lead in the induction of the newly formed political administration. He had
assisted them in taking on specific roles and responsibilities in committees and in forming
groups to focus on key aspects of the Council’s work, including educational attainment.
Elected members welcomed the information from officers about key aspects of educational
provision. They recognised the important role played by the Quality Improvement Team
(QIT) in supporting and challenging schools.
Since the previous inspection, the Council had introduced clearer mechanisms for scrutiny
and performance. The Director of Educational Services and the Heads of Service had
improved the arrangements for reporting on educational performance to elected members and
had provided helpful guidance on aspects such as the school rationalisation programme.
Under the capable direction of the Head of Educational Development Services, authority
staff had improved the degree to which they offered effective direction, support and
challenge to establishments. They had not yet been fully successful in ensuring that all heads
of establishments recognised their roles and responsibilities as senior officers of the authority
in evaluating the quality of the provision within their establishment, and taking effective
action. Effective arrangements were in place to inform the allocation of budgets to
Educational Services. Elected members were provided with detailed information on which
to base their decisions and work was progressing towards policy-led budgeting. Priorities
were currently being established for the new Council and these were to be used to inform
future decision-making. Services were currently in the process of identifying a range of
savings options from their budgets. One of the key financial pressures facing the Council
was the management of the schools estate. The Council required substantial investment to
meet the Scottish Government’s commitment to reduce maximum class sizes and to achieve
an acceptable standard for condition and suitability for all schools. There was also
uncertainty over the future of the proposed public private partnership to build three new
17
schools in Moray. Any change to the number of schools included in this project would
impact on the amount of investment required to manage and maintain the schools estate.
There continued to be overcapacity in primary schools. Since the previous inspection, the
Council had reviewed the nine schools with lowest occupancy levels, of which one had been
recommended for closure, subject to the approval of Scottish Ministers. Councillors had
removed the remaining eight schools from the review process. Efforts were being made to
find alternative uses for the excess capacity including incorporating libraries within some of
the schools.
Educational Services had completed Best Value reviews of pre-five provision and libraries.
However, these reviews were undertaken in response to the need to generate efficiency
savings not as part of a comprehensive and planned programme. The Council was currently
developing a workforce strategy to ensure that staff were deployed effectively to deliver
quality services. Key aspects of risk management were in place. A corporate risk register
had been developed which evidenced how the Council determined and managed the risks
that it faced, and a strategic departmental risk register had been prepared for each service.
Educational Services had also completed operational risk registers for key business
objectives. All risk registers included an assessment of the level of risk and the control
measures to address them. Risk management was not embedded at all levels throughout the
service. The development of business continuity plans for schools and establishments was
underway.
Leadership of people and partnerships
Performance in this area was good. The authority had placed a high priority on
improving educational provision through well-planned opportunities for professional
development. The QIT were increasingly making an impact on improvements through
focused support and challenge. Primary headteachers were particularly positive about this
professional working relationship. The benefits of partnership working were recognised at
all levels and were particularly impacting on improving provision for vulnerable learners.
Overall, there remained a need for improved strategic direction in the development of key
partnerships to benefit children and young people.
Since the previous inspection the Director of Educational Services and Heads of Service had
embarked on a more meaningful partnership with headteachers and schools. They had taken
a stronger lead in improvement activities, for example, through leading the audit team in
school reviews. Meetings of headteachers were used effectively as a means of consultation
and sharing good practice as well as information giving. Staff from establishments
participated in key working groups on themes such as leadership, CPD and learning and
teaching. The Educational Services newsletter and the CLD Illuminating Practice
publications were highly effective means of sharing good practice among service providers
and beyond.
18
Features of good practice: Illuminating Practice
Staff at all levels within community learning and development (CLD) were involved in
devising case studies about a broad range of practice which were compiled into annual
publications for adult learning and youth work. These examples included areas of best
practice and also projects which required further development. They outlined sources of
evidence and key lessons for future practice and used the quality indicators from How
good is our community learning and development 2? (HGIOCLD2?). The reports were
widely used by staff and volunteers to discuss practice and to enable dissemination of
appropriate projects across the authority.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
The involvement of some school staff in the National Leadership Project had re-energised
them and assisted in raising the profile of leadership more widely across the authority. The
authority recognised the need to extend this important development to include staff across
the Education Service. Within central services, staff held varied views about leadership and
management within educational services. Morale was low among some sections of staff.
Less than half felt that they had opportunities to be involved in decision-making and that
there was effective communication among staff. Heads of Service had not yet ensured that
all parts of the central team felt valued.
The QIT had been enhanced to provide more effective support and challenge to schools. Led
effectively by the Head of Educational Development Services, the team worked productively
together and shared expertise. The Head of Educational Development Services had reviewed
his own leadership in conjunction with the QIT. The work of the learning and teaching
officers had impacted successfully on classroom practice across schools. Subject groups for
principal teachers from secondary schools visited each others schools to share good practice
and materials. Primary and secondary headteachers and individual principal teachers in
secondary schools extended their professional experience effectively through opportunities to
be involved as a member of the authority’s audit and review team. As part of developing
leadership capacity, the authority was increasingly involving more staff in this process.
Newly appointed headteachers were well supported through a programme of coaching and
mentoring.
The authority was taking steps to improve approaches to succession planning to ensure that
staff had appropriate skills and experience for senior management. There were very
effective working relationships with the Local Negotiating Committee of Teachers (LNCT)
and a strong commitment from senior management to develop collegiate approaches. All
headteachers and teacher representatives had participated in a conference organised by the
authority on the theme of collegiality.
The implementation of the ASL Act was well executed through consultation with a wide
range of stakeholders. The effective ASL framework had been developed by an interagency
team comprising of elected members, educational services, community services (social work
division), NHS Grampian, unions and partners in the voluntary sector. A Parental Forum
contributed to the development of parental information leaflets and advised the
implementation team on parental requirements. The EPS had contributed well to specific
areas of partnership working within the authority. In particular staff from EPS had
19
collaborated effectively with specific external agencies, including social work and voluntary
sector to develop support packages for young people with complex social, emotional and
behavioural needs.
As part of a strategic plan to integrate services, the authority had taken encouraging steps to
integrate the public library service within certain schools. Partnership working across LCNs
varied in its effectiveness and impact. All LCNs supported an initiative to involve young
people in a street football programme which had contributed to a reduction in youth crime.
CLD played an active role in encouraging and training people to take part in local forums. A
successful summer school was facilitated for young people in Buckie by CLD staff resulting
in a concert and production of a CD.
Leadership of change and improvement
The quality leadership of change and improvement was good overall. Since the last
inspection, the authority had become significantly more outward looking and had
introduced positive developments on aspects of learning and leadership. It had built on
and improved further its culture of inclusion. The well-planned approaches to CPD had
been received positively by staff. The authority was making more effective use of
information on school attainment to target support and increase challenge. The level of
challenge was increasing but had not impacted sufficiently in improving self-evaluation
processes in schools and departments. The CLD service and its partners had worked
effectively to support vulnerable adults. Senior officers and staff in CLD now needed to
implement systematic approaches to monitoring of performance data, for example, in
relation to engagement, participation and achievement.
The authority had strengthened the capacity of central teams to support and challenge
schools and was implementing a more robust approach to quality assurance. The remits of
QIOs included both quality assurance and support roles. The QIOs had established a more
consistent focus on improvement in schools and were highly regarded by headteachers.
They worked on a cross-sectoral basis. By shadowing each other and through team work,
they had strengthened their expertise and experience. The well-planned programme for
quality assurance included whole school reviews and thematic audits and took appropriate
account of local circumstances and issues. The quality of statistical information had
improved and was increasingly being used by Heads of Service and QIOs to focus on areas
requiring improvement. The accuracy and consistency of pre-inspection reports had recently
improved. Learning and teaching officers provided well-focused support by working
alongside teachers and modeling good practice.
Approaches to analysing SQA attainment were improving. The Director of Educational
Services and Head of Educational Development Services met with headteachers of secondary
schools to discuss attainment in SQA examinations. QIOs discussed subject data with
principal teachers at subject group meetings. However, these encouraging developments had
not yet impacted sufficiently on the culture of self-evaluation within all schools and
departments. There was headroom for improvement in the use of attainment information by
senior managers in schools. In secondary schools, SQA data was not consistently used at
whole school and departmental level to identify strengths and weaknesses in performance
and take appropriate action.
20
The Director of Educational Services and Heads of Service had set out an agenda for
improvement which emphasised leadership, learning and inclusion. Approaches to
improvement planning by officers were systematic and outcomes were evaluated through
stakeholder surveys and meetings of focus groups. Positive steps were being taken to use the
information gathered by QIOs through school audits and other visits in order to identify areas
for improvement across the authority.
The authority had encouraged initiatives which supported vulnerable learners and their
families. There were productive initiatives to involve young people and support their wider
achievement, for example, through sports, enterprise and the arts. Innovative work on
coaching and approaches to learning and teaching were impacting positively on staff
involved. Heads of establishments supported the authority’s vision, values and aims but had
not all been successful in ensuring that staff had a full understanding of their roles and
responsibilities. Further work was required in sharing good practice among schools to make
an impact across the authority. Educational psychologists had assisted in improving the
quality of provision for specific groups of children and young people across the authority.
Their work now needed to be aligned more closely with the priorities of Educational
Services to enable them to contribute more comprehensively to improving outcomes for
Moray’s children and young people.
6. What is the Council’s capacity for improvement?
The Moray Council had demonstrated a capacity for continuous improvement in several
aspects of its work. The Director of Educational Services and Heads of Service had taken
effective steps in promoting the vision for learning and inclusion. The focus on leadership
and learning was beginning to impact positively on the culture within the authority.
Overall, there were variations in the quality of education across establishments which
required to be addressed. Staff provided effective support to vulnerable pupils, in
particular in the transition from primary to secondary school and in promoting their wider
achievement. Productive steps had been taken to strengthen the focus on raising
standards and there had been improvements of attainment in primary and early secondary.
Gains in pupils’ attainment were not sustained into the upper stages of secondary. As a
result, the needs of all pupils were not being fully met.
The authority had continued to build on improvements noted in the follow-up inspection
report published in May 2006. Since the appointment of the current Head of Educational
Development Services, there had been an increased focus on quality improvement. The QIT
had been strengthened and the work of QIOs and learning and teaching officers had impacted
positively on individual schools across the authority. While there had been improvements in
the analysis and use of attainment information, these approaches were not well enough
understood or developed by all heads of establishment and promoted staff, particularly in
secondary schools.
Staff from CLD worked effectively to extend the experiences and promote the wider
achievement of young people. However, links between CLD and schools had not been
capitalised upon sufficiently in sharing staff expertise and targeting support and resources for
learners. In the most effective practice, there were productive partnerships and multi-agency
working within the LCNs which was having a positive impact on vulnerable young people
21
and their families. However, there were inconsistencies across the LCNs in their
management and effectiveness. As a result, their full potential for impact across the
authority had not yet been realised.
While there continued to be a need for the authority to provide more strategic direction and
ensure consistency in the quality of education, there was evidence of continuing
improvement and a more secure base for the future. The authority should build on its
identified successes to ensure the continuous improvement of education within The Moray
Council.
22
Key strengths
•
The well planned and comprehensive programme for continuous professional
development.
•
The strong ethos of inclusion, support for vulnerable learners and their broader
achievement.
•
The impact of the Parental Involvement Strategy in preparing staff and parents for
working in partnership.
•
Successful Active Schools Sports programme in increasing the participation of young
people in physical activity.
Main points for action
•
Continue to improve the quality of attainment, particularly at S5 and S6.
•
Improve approaches to self-evaluation within establishments and across community
learning and development and ensure that headteachers and senior promoted staff take
responsibility for monitoring and evaluating performance.
•
Continue to improve the strategic direction of the authority’s work to ensure greater
impact on all learners.
The authority has been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how it will address the
main findings of the report. HMIE will maintain contact with the authority and will make a
return visit within two years to evaluate progress.
Annette Bruton
HM Chief Inspector
Directorate 5
January 2008
23
Appendix 1
Quality indicators
Quality Indicator 10
Improvements in performance
Impact on learners
Impact on parents/carers and families
Impact on staff
Impact on the local community
Impact on the wider community
Vision, values and aims
Leadership and direction
Developing people and partnerships
Leadership of change and improvement
Evaluation
Adequate
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Adequate
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
10
24
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
Moray
95.9
95.7
95.5
CA Average
95.7
95.8
95.5
National
95.3
95.0
95.0
Secondary:
2004
2005
2006
Moray
92.3
92.3
91.8
CA Average
91.2
91.0
91.2
National
90.2
90.1
90.5
Staying on Rate
Table A.2: Percentage of pupils staying on to S5 (Post Christmas)
2004
2005
2006
Moray
61.7
64.7
63.6
CA Average
66.7
66.4
64.5
National
64.2
64.1
63.8
Pupil Destinations
Table A.3: Percentage of pupils entering each destination
Higher Education:
2004
2005
2006
Moray
27
25
27
CA Average
30
30
30
National
29
31
30
2004
2005
2006
Moray
21
25
23
CA Average
22
22
24
National
21
21
23
Further Education:
25
Training:
2004
2005
2006
Moray
1
1
2
CA Average
3
4
4
National
5
5
5
2004
2005
2006
Moray
35
33
33
CA Average
28
29
29
National
25
27
26
2004
2005
2006
Moray
7
9
10
CA Average
9
9
9
National
13
10
11
2004
2005
2006
Moray
2
5
2
CA Average
4
3
3
National
3
3
2
2004
2005
2006
Moray
8
2
3
CA Average
4
3
2
National
4
3
2
Employment:
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:
Moray
2004
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
90
12
117
15
92
12
7
4,478
Secondary:
Moray
26
11
8
5,319
2004
13
10
5,779
2005
15
2006
Total
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
Total
Per 1,000
351
59
452
75
399
67
CA Average
National
2006
Total
CA Average
National
2005
67
33,465
105
75
35,513
112
62
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
* 2007 data is pre-appeal.
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S4
English at Level 3
or better
Mathematics at
Level 3 or better
5 + at Level 3 or
better
5 + at Level 4 or
better
5 + at Level 5 or
better
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
92.3
93.3
95.9
95.8
96.1
CA Average
94.1
94.0
94.1
94.0
93.8
National
93.7
93.7
93.6
94.0
93.9
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
92.8
93.9
94.8
95.9
95.5
CA Average
93.4
93.2
93.1
91.8
94.5
National
92.6
92.5
92.1
92.9
93.1
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
91.1
91.9
92.5
92.3
93.4
CA Average
91.5
91.4
91.0
90.4
91.4
National
90.7
90.8
90.2
90.7
90.5
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
78.8
83.7
79.6
80.4
82.2
CA Average
78.9
78.6
78.2
78.5
77.6
National
76.4
76.6
76.1
76.8
75.0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
34.1
34.3
34.0
36.0
33.7
CA Average
37.0
36.5
35.8
36.0
34.4
National
34.0
34.6
34.2
34.8
32.3
27
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S5
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
21.4
21.4
20.6
19.9
20.0
CA Average
24.0
24.9
23.8
23.2
21.5
National
22.6
22.7
22.7
21.7
21.6
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
7.3
7.6
6.6
9.2
7.8
CA Average
10.1
10.1
10.3
10.3
9.0
National
9.6
9.4
9.9
9.7
9.4
3 + at Level 6 or better
5 + at Level 6 or better
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by the end of S6
English and
Mathematics at Level
3 or better
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
92.0
94.6
90.9
93.2
94.5
CA Average
93.9
92.8
92.7
92.4
92.5
National
92.3
91.6
91.8
91.7
91.5
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
91.2
94.0
91.4
93.3
93.4
CA Average
92.8
92.5
92.2
92.2
91.8
National
91.1
91.3
91.2
91.4
90.9
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
84.7
85.1
80.9
85.0
81.7
CA Average
82.7
81.2
80.9
80.4
80.2
National
78.6
78.6
78.4
78.5
78.4
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
49.0
51.4
46.3
48.8
47.5
CA Average
51.4
50.0
50.5
49.7
49.4
National
46.9
47.2
47.1
47.6
47.2
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
44.6
45.1
42.8
43.8
42.6
CA Average
47.0
46.5
46.8
44.8
44.2
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
28
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
33.2
31.9
29.6
28.8
26.8
CA Average
33.4
32.8
33.2
31.1
31.0
National
30.7
30.6
30.1
30.0
29.2
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
21.1
19.6
18.1
18.3
17.6
CA Average
21.2
21.3
21.7
20.8
20.2
National
19.6
19.6
19.4
19.7
18.9
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Moray
12.5
11.5
11.4
12.0
11.2
CA Average
13.1
13.3
13.4
13.5
12.7
National
11.9
12.3
12.1
12.5
11.9
3+ at Level 6 or better
5+ at Level 6 or better
1+ at Level 7 or better
Notes:
(1) CA Average denotes comparator authority average.
(2) Comparator authorities for The Moray Council include:
Comparators
(3)
Rating
Angus
*****
‘Extremely Close’
Highland
****
‘Very Close’
Dumfries and Galloway
****
‘Very Close’
Falkirk
****
‘Very Close’
Scottish Borders
****
‘Very Close’
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.
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HM Inspectorate of Education
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