N or t h L a n a r k s h ir e C o u n c il
F e b ru a ry 2 0 0 3
Contents
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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
11
4.
Consultation and communication
17
5.
Operational management
21
6.
Resource and financial management
27
7.
Performance monitoring and continuous
improvement
34
8.
How well does the authority perform overall?
48
9.
Main points for action
51
Appendices
Performance information
Inspection coverage
Quality indicators
53
58
61
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
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Inspection of the education functions of
North Lanarkshire Council
1. The aims, nature and scope of the inspection
The education functions of North Lanarkshire Council
were inspected during the period October to
November 2002 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 and to partnership
pre-school establishments.
2. The Education Service: operational context
Social and economic context
North Lanarkshire Council was formed in 1996 at the
time of the establishment of unitary authorities. With a
population of 322,000 it is the fourth largest local
authority in Scotland. North Lanarkshire’s population
has remained steady since 1991 however, a fall in the
1
pupil population is forecast to continue at greater than the
national average rate which will present the Council with
the challenge of managing school capacities.
Due to the decline of traditional industries in the area the
Council has made efforts to revitalise the local economy
and to alleviate the effects of poverty and deprivation.
Manufacturing jobs in North Lanarkshire had decreased
by 23% between 1995 and 2000. The unemployment rate
in September 2002 was 4.7%, above the Scottish average
of 4.1%. Long-term unemployment has fallen more
slowly than in Scotland as a whole with numbers falling
in North Lanarkshire by 13% compared to a fall in
Scotland overall of 26%. Compared to Scotland there
was a high percentage of jobs in Production and
Construction. Numbers of jobs in the service sector were
lower than in Scotland, however these had increased
significantly between 1995 and 2000.
The fall in unemployment amongst 18-24 year olds was a
more positive trend. This figure had fallen by 8% in
North Lanarkshire compared with no change in Scotland
as a whole.
The uptake of free meal entitlement (FME) by primary
pupils in November 2002 was 25%, higher than the
national figure of 20%. Similarly, in secondary schools,
FME was higher with a Council figure of 20.5%
compared to the national average of 16%.
Health is a problem for many in North Lanarkshire: the
rate of death from coronary disease was 12% above the
Scottish average in 2000 and 20% above the national
average for respiratory disease. The complex links
between deprivation, health, social exclusion and
educational achievement present significant challenges
for the Education Department.
2
Political and organisational context
North Lanarkshire Council has 56 Labour, 12 Scottish
National Party and two Independent councillors. The
Council reviewed the Committee structures in 2000 as
part of its commitment to modernisation. The structure
was streamlined from 12 principal committees to six
main committees. Two scrutiny panels were established
to monitor the implementation of the Corporate and
Community Plans and to review the performance of all
departments including the implementation of the Best
Value plan.
The Education Committee has responsibility for the
supervision and control of the Education Department and
is the main policy-making and decision-making body for
education. It has 42 members and the work of the
committee is supported by three sub-committees and a
stand-alone Educational Trust Committee. The chair of
the Education Service Committee also serves on the
Council’s Policy and Resources Committee. The
Community Services Department oversees provision for
community education. Six members of the Education
Committee also serve on the Social Work Committee.
The officer structure of the Council consists of the Chief
Executive, the Assistant Chief Executive, the
Commercial Partnership Manager and seven service
groups each led by a Director including the Director of
Education. The Corporate Management team meets
weekly to provide strategic management and to oversee
the operation and performance of the Council. There are
19 corporate working groups which take forward the
strategic themes of the Corporate Plan and the aims of the
Council. An appropriate Director or Head of Service
chairs each group to advance operational matters and to
ensure cross-service working.
The Council has a clear mission statement and sets out to
maximise the benefits of North Lanarkshire’s location
3
creating prosperity, achieving social justice and meeting
local needs by providing Best Value quality service. The
Council has set out seven strategic themes. Six of these
themes detail the Council aims and the seventh,
Developing the Organisation sets out how this will be
facilitated. The six themes that guide the actions of the
Council are as follows:
•
Stimulating business and the economy.
•
Promoting social inclusion.
•
Encouraging lifelong learning.
•
Improving health, well-being and care.
•
Improving housing and the environment.
•
Promoting community safety and development.
The Director of Education is supported by a Depute
Director with responsibility for personnel, finance, social
inclusion and office management. There are two Heads
of Service with respective responsibility for Quality and
Support Services and Educational Provision. Both Heads
of Service also have responsibility for schools in an area
of the Council. Five Education Officers have
responsibilities for the quality development service;
support for learning and SEN; contracts and provisions;
early years and finance. Each Education Officer also has
a pastoral responsibility for schools in a local area.
Officers are supported by administrative and professional
staff, including some seconded from schools. A policy
unit supports the work of the senior Directorate by
overseeing the development of policy and monitoring
progress against the service plan. The unit also provides
management information including the analysis of
attainment data.
4
Educational provision and performance
In November 2002 the Education Department was
responsible for around 59,200 pupils. There are
26 secondary schools, and 130 primary schools.
Pre-school education is provided in 25 Council nurseries,
52 nursery classes in primary schools and six nursery
classes in special schools. Places are also commissioned
from 42 pre-school partnerships with private providers.
There are 11 special schools and eight specialised units
within mainstream schools.
Eighty-eight percent of secondary schools and 80% of
primary schools have School Boards.
The Council provides a pre-school place for all three- and
four-year-old children whose parents wish a place. The
Accounts Commission Statutory Performance Indicators
(SPIs) for 2000-2001 show that 94% of four-year-old and
86% of three-year-old children took up a pre-school place
compared to the national averages of 96% and 87%.
The Council faced significant under-occupancy in
secondary schools. The SPIs indicate that 35% of
secondary schools had occupancy levels of below 60%
compared to a national average of 16%. No school in the
Council had an occupancy level of 101% or more
compared to the national figure of 15%. Occupancy rates
in primary schools compared more favourably against the
national average with 25% of primary schools having
rates of below 60% occupancy compared with 32%
nationally. Rationalisation of schools in one area of the
Council over the last five years had begun to tackle issues
of under-occupancy.
Running costs in both primary and secondary schools
were in line with national averages. The pupil : teacher
ratio in all schools was slightly higher than the national
5
average. The authority had met the Government’s targets
on class size in P1 to P3.
In 2001-2002 the Council allocated £211,534,000 to the
revenue budget for education. In 2002-2003 the figure
had increased to £240,382,000. In addition, funding from
the National Priorities Fund and special programmes was
allocated. In 2001-2002 this figure was £11,505,000 and
in 2002-2003 it was £10,687,000.
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 number of pupils staying on after the compulsory
school leaving age had increased and was now in line
with the national average. Those staying on had
increased from 63% in 1999 when it was below the
national average to 64% in 2001 when it was in line with
the national figure. This figure was above the average
figure for comparator authorities (CAs) at 62%.
The numbers of pupils entering full-time higher education
had risen faster than the national figures over a three-year
period. It remained below the national average at 30%
compared to 32% however, it was above the average for
comparator authorities (28%). Similarly the numbers of
pupils entering full-time further education had also risen
in line with the national average and was slightly below
the national figure and that for comparator authorities.
The numbers entering employment had dropped
significantly and were now in line with national figures,
and well above the average for comparator authorities.
This reflected the increase in pupils staying on after the
compulsory school leaving age.
6
Attendance and absence
•
In the period 1999-2001, the percentage attendance
figures in primary and secondary schools had been
consistently below the national average. However,
absence rates in secondary schools had fallen slightly
over the same period, in line with the national rate.
•
The 2000-2001 target for improving attendance in
secondary schools was to reduce absence by
12 half-days from its 1997-1998 starting level figures.
Current percentage attendance rates indicate that the
Council had not achieved targets for primary or
secondary. Absence rates had risen slightly from
2001 to 2002 in line with national averages.
•
The number of exclusions had increased in the period
1999-2001, increasing in line with the national
average and remaining above it.
5-14 performance
•
Between 2000 and 2002 the Department had
increased the percentage of primary school pupils
achieving or exceeding expected levels of attainment
for their stage in reading, writing and mathematics.
Performance in reading and writing had remained
consistently better than that of similar authorities and
the national average. Performance in writing had
improved from being well below the national figure
to being above it. Performance in mathematics was
well above the national average and that of
comparator authorities. However, the average
performance in comparator authorities was improving
at a slightly faster rate in mathematics than in North
Lanarkshire. The Department had met its target, set
for 2002 as part of the Government’s Raising
Standards - Setting Targets initiative, in reading,
writing and mathematics.
7
•
In secondary schools, National Test results between
2000 and 2002 for S2 pupils showed that the
performance in reading, writing and mathematics had
steadily improved but had remained well below the
national average. Performance was also below the
level of comparator authorities in reading and writing,
but had overtaken it in mathematics. The authority
had not managed to meet the targets it had set for
itself in any of these areas.
SQA examination performance
8
•
The results of pupils in North Lanarkshire in SQA
examinations in National Qualifications had improved
between 1998 and 2002. Performance in 2002 was
generally slightly below that of 2001, in line with
national figures, but the improvement had otherwise
been consistent year on year. Overall, this trend was
in line with national improvements and those of
comparator authorities.
•
At S4, performance over the period 1998 to 2002 was
below the national average, except for the percentage
of pupils achieving Level 3 awards, which was the
same. The percentage of S4 pupils achieving five or
more awards at Level 4 was below national
performance, but the same as that for comparator
authorities. The percentage of pupils achieving five
or more awards at Level 5 was also below national
performance, but the same as that for comparator
authorities.
•
At S5, the percentage of pupils gaining three or more
awards at Level 6 had improved between 1998 and
2002 in line with national performance and
comparator authorities. The quality of awards had
also improved. The percentage of pupils achieving
five or more awards at Level 6 had also improved in
line with national performance and that of comparator
authorities. Performance at this level had remained
below the national performance, but similar to that of
comparator authorities. The proportion of pupils
gaining one or more awards at Level 7 or the
equivalent by the end of S6 over the period had
increased slightly, but remained below the national
average and was now below the average performance
of comparator authorities.
School inspection evidence
In the period from the start of session 1999-2000 to
November 2002 HMIE inspected 51 schools in North
Lanarkshire, with evaluations made against a full set of
quality indicators. Reports were published on 41 primary
schools, eight secondary schools and two special schools.
The overall quality of attainment in English language and
mathematics was good or very good in most schools
inspected. Attainment at the early stages was generally
strong. The quality of the teaching process was good or
very good in almost all schools and pupils’ learning was
good in most. These positive evaluations often reflected
the impact of the Education Department’s support for
specific interventions such as writing and oral, interactive
mathematics. However, in more than one-third of
schools, teaching was not well matched to pupils’ needs
and experiences. Around two-thirds of schools had some
important weaknesses in their arrangements for
assessment and about half of schools required to improve
planning weaknesses, usually by making better use of
assessment information.
All primary schools had a good or very good ethos.
Consistently strong features were the provision for
pupils’ personal and social development, structure of the
curriculum, provision of staff, schools’ management of
devolved finances, effectiveness of promoted staff,
partnership with School Boards, communication with
parents, effectiveness of learning support, quality of
courses and programmes, professional review and
9
development, pastoral care and links with other schools.
Almost all schools had good or very good leadership.
Development plans and their implementation were good
or very good in most schools. However, approaches to
self-evaluation had some important weaknesses in more
than one-third of schools.
All eight secondary schools generally provided good
learning and teaching. The overall quality of attainment
at S3/S4 was good in half of the schools and very good in
one. It was good at S5/S6 in four schools inspected but
fair in the others. At S1/S2, the overall quality of
attainment had important weaknesses in six schools.
The quality of the curriculum, pastoral care, partnerships
with parents and management of devolved finances was
good or very good in all secondary schools. Ethos was
very good in half of the schools and good in three of the
remaining schools. Other strengths included
communication with parents, the quality of guidance, and
the provision of staff and arrangements for their
development and review.
Learning support was judged to be good or very good in
all secondary schools. The implementation of SEN
legislation had some important weaknesses in three
schools and in general, the Education Department and
schools required to improve the maintenance and
implementation of Records of Needs. The quality of
accommodation and facilities was fair in four schools.
Important weaknesses included the continuing need for
repairs and maintenance.
Leadership was good or very good in three-quarters of the
secondary schools inspected. Planning for improvement
was good in most schools but self-evaluation was fair in
three.
Main points for action in primary and secondary
inspection reports most frequently related to
10
accommodation issues, the need to continue to raise
attainment, and improvement to aspects of the
curriculum, planning and assessment, the setting of
appropriate pace and challenge for pupils, and quality
assurance procedures.
The two special schools inspected catered for pupils with
a wide range of special educational needs. The ethos in
both schools was very good and the quality of learning
and teaching was good. Pupils were making good
progress in coursework and some aspects of their
attainment reached a high standard. The schools
provided very good care and welfare and provision for
pupils’ personal and social development. There was a
need to consider further the length of the school week in
special schools.
Evidence from the Department’s pre-inspection reports to
HMIE showed a good overall knowledge of the quality of
provision in schools, supported by statistical data.
Reports were prepared to a common format, reflecting
How good is our school?1. The Department’s
pre-inspection reports did not always match those of
HMIE’s evaluations. However, increasingly reports
included more detailed and evaluative comment, for
example the effectiveness of leadership. The Department
was revising follow-up progress reports to HMIE to
summarise more fully the progress schools had made in
improving quality.
1
How good is our school? – Self-evaluation using performance indicators (Audit
Unit – HM Inspectors of Schools, SOEID, 1996, revised edition, HM Inspectorate of
Education, 2002).
11
3. Strategic management of the service
Vision, values and aims
Performance in this area was very good. The Council had
a very clear and appropriate long-term vision and set of
aims for improving the quality of life in North
Lanarkshire. The aims reflected those of the Council as a
whole and the department’s motto, Aiming Higher,
promoted raising achievement. The Department’s aims
were very widely known and shared by staff in all
educational establishments.
Aims and values set out by the Department were relevant
to the Council’s key priorities in lifelong learning,
economic regeneration and promoting social inclusion.
Priorities for education reflected National Priorities. The
Department had placed a strong emphasis on sharing and
developing the aims for education, in particular through
the development of its Raising Achievement for All policy
and related initiatives.
The aims and values of the Department had been
communicated very effectively to a wide range of
stakeholders. This approach had ensured that staff and
parents understood and shared the aims directed at school
improvement. School development plans demonstrated a
commitment to fulfilling Department aims and priorities
at establishment level. Almost all heads of establishment
who responded to the pre-inspection survey indicated that
senior managers in the Education Service communicated
a clear overall vision for the development of education.
There was a high level of commitment to achieving the
Department of Education’s aims.
The Department had developed very good working
relationships with other departments. At a senior level in
the Council there was a strong commitment to corporate
working. In order to improve joint working and
12
awareness of the education context, the Corporate
Management team met regularly in educational
establishments. Senior officers in the Education
Department chaired or were members of a range of
corporate working groups that impacted on the work of
the Education Service. Relationships were very good and
joint working was effective. In particular, the Children’s
Services Strategy Group was impacting on joint service
delivery between Education and Social Work by
providing more coherent services to children and their
families. Senior staff in the Education Department were
also committed to working in area forums within the
Council’s community planning strategy. Joint working
between Education and Community Services was also
very good and service level agreements between the two
departments enabled pupils to be supported by staff from
Community Services in a range of out of school learning
activities. Partnerships had been established with a wide
range of other agencies at both local and national level
and these enhanced the work of the Education
Department.
Leadership and management
The quality of leadership and management was very
good. The Director had made a significant impact in
establishing the effectiveness of the Department and its
relationship with schools and other establishments. He
demonstrated the ability to inspire staff and had earned
the respect and confidence of elected members. In
particular the Director’s astute leadership had won broad
support, commitment and enthusiasm for the Education
Department’s flagship policy of Raising Achievement for
All. Schools had been strongly encouraged to adopt
flexible approaches in delivering the curriculum and to
recognise the achievements of pupils. As a result of this
pupils had benefited from a range of initiatives such as
those in outdoor education, music and sports.
13
Education featured prominently in the Council’s plans,
through, for example, the priority of Encouraging
Lifelong Learning. Elected members had demonstrated
their commitment to education as a priority area for the
Council and establishments were very well resourced.
The Director, as an influential member of the corporate
management team, played a key role in the Lifelong
Learning working group. In addition to contributing
effectively to corporate groups the Director and senior
colleagues were also actively involved in numerous
external organisations, national and international
initiatives. The knowledge and experience gained as a
result of this involvement was used well to inform
decision-making and enhance local provision.
The Director and his senior management team had
worked very successfully to establish open relationships
and a sense of trust with establishments. Nonetheless,
they were prepared to take hard decisions and, if
appropriate, initiated direct intervention in individual
schools to further the improvement agenda.
The Depute Director was highly effective in carrying out
her remit. Her meticulous attention to detail and skill in
dealing with staffing issues were recognised and
respected by staff and elected members across the
Council.
Heads of Service and Education Officers brought a
complementary range of skills to the senior management
team. Overall they formed a cohesive and very effective
team. Each had a demanding individual remit with
strategic responsibilities as well as a quality assurance
role for a group of schools. The direct involvement of the
senior management team in school target setting,
sampling and validating Standards and Quality reports,
and the professional review and development of
headteachers strongly emphasised to schools the
expectation of continuous improvement.
14
The pre-inspection survey indicated that almost all heads
of establishment agreed that senior managers in the
Education Department showed a high level of
commitment to the promotion of quality. Consistent
features of the Director’s and senior management team’s
style of working included:
•
being accessible and responsive to stakeholders, staff
and elected members;
•
regularly seeking feedback from stakeholders and
establishments;
•
a thorough knowledge of individual establishments as
a result of their planned involvement in quality
assurance visits;
•
giving structured feedback on establishment and
individual performance; and
•
actively fostering the very good ethos of the
Department by participating in team building
exercises, regularly recognising the contribution of
individuals, groups and establishments, and frequent
attendance at school events.
A commitment to rigorous self-evaluation and
improvement was evident in the very well developed use
of the Quality Management in Education2 framework to
identify strengths and areas for improvement within the
Department. In addition, thorough analysis of school
attainment data enabled senior managers to have an
accurate view of school performance. Increasingly the
Department intervened to provide focused support where
it was most needed.
2
Quality Management in Education (HM Inspectors of Schools, 2000) is a framework
of self-evaluation for Local Authority Education Departments.
15
Policy development
Overall, the quality of policy development was very
good. A set of circulars and policy statements presented
a very good range of procedural advice to establishments
on most activities in the Department of Education.
Almost all headteachers (94%) agreed that these policies
were appropriate to the needs of their establishments.
Policies and circulars had been inherited from the former
Regional Council and the Department had developed a
systematic approach for updating. Policies and
procedures were well understood by senior officers and
senior staff in establishments. Roles and responsibilities
were clearly identified. To improve school access to
current policy documentation, planning was well
underway for cataloguing all policies and circulars in
electronic format on the Council’s Intranet system.
The Department had a clear framework for quality
development including advice on school development
planning, standards and quality reporting, and
professional review and development. The Quality
Framework set out the key principles and processes
relating to school improvement. Almost all headteachers
(95%) indicated that they had a clear understanding of the
Department’s policy and procedures for quality
development.
The Council viewed economic regeneration of the area as
a priority and this was reflected in the central policy of
the Department, Raising Achievement for All. Notable
was the extent of the consultation process, both formal
and informal, on this policy involving all staff employed
in the Department and Elected Members as well as all
other stakeholders. The Raising Achievement for All
policy was being reviewed by a working group
co-ordinated by the Policy Unit, in order to update the
content and integrate several additional initiatives.
16
Processes for policy development were very effective.
Formation of working groups of headteachers and other
staff to develop new policy or review outdated circulars
was a well-established practice. This had helped to create
the high level of trust evidenced between the Department
and staff in educational establishments. There was good
inter-departmental working on policy and guidelines
development in pre-5 provision and within the Children’s
Services Strategy Group. Arrangements for the
composition of working groups and selection of staff for
membership were well understood in schools. Senior
managers incorporated findings of Best Value Reviews in
policy formulation.
The Department recognised that it did not yet have a
comprehensive and clearly defined policy on inclusion.
There were several separate initiatives in place to
promote inclusion but these were not yet part of an
overall strategy. The Department had recognised this and
had taken initial steps to address the policy issues. The
Looking Forward policy on special educational needs had
been produced and a working group had been established
to develop a framework for Better Behaviour Better
Learning. The Department should now move to develop
a more comprehensive policy and guidelines for schools
in the area of social inclusion.
Overall, the Department’s policies set out clear
expectations for establishments and staff in schools used
policy guidelines to guide their work.
4. Consultation and communication
The Education Department had very good arrangements
for consultation and communication with stakeholders.
The Education Department had produced a clear and
comprehensive policy setting out arrangements for
consultation and communication. Senior managers and
17
officers implemented this policy very effectively. They
worked closely with other Council departments and had a
wide range of helpful contacts with local businesses and
local, national and international agencies.
The Director had given a clear lead in making himself
and other senior managers accessible to school staff,
parents and other stakeholders. Headteachers and staff
commended the Director and senior managers for their
accessibility and commitment to consultation. Regular
formal meetings and informal contacts provided very
good opportunities for face-to-face consultation and
communication with key stakeholders, including pupils.
In the pre-inspection survey, headteachers expressed very
positive views on the Department’s approach to
consultation. Almost all (92%) thought that the
Department consulted effectively with their
establishments. Most heads of establishments (82%)
thought that they were consulted appropriately on the
direction and priorities of the Service Plan. However,
only a majority (52%) of School Board chairpersons
agreed that through consultation they had opportunities to
influence the Department’s aims and plans for education.
Notable features of the Department’s approach to
consultation included the following.
18
•
Teaching and support staff, parents and a wide range
of other stakeholders had been consulted effectively
to agree key aims of the Department’s educational
policy and Service Plan.
•
Effective consultation with parents and School Board
representatives through the Parents’ Consultative
Group and annual Parents’ Conference to agree a
number of policies including those on parents’
evenings, school dress codes and homework.
•
Very good opportunities for headteachers to consult
effectively with the Director and senior officers at
frequent and regular meetings.
•
Headteachers and teaching staff had very good
opportunities to contribute to policy development and
implementation through their involvement in a
number of working groups taking forward Service
Plan projects. The Department also sought their
views on the effectiveness of its service provision
through annual written questionnaires.
The Department placed considerable importance on
consulting with young people, both through pupil
councils within schools and through an annual Youth
Conference. In addition, senior pupils were invited to
join other stakeholders at a conference to discuss a range
of educational issues.
Following consultation with staff in early years
partnership centres to seek their views on partnership
arrangements, the Department had published the results
and had drawn up an action plan to improve areas of
identified weakness.
The Local Negotiating Committee provided an effective
means of consulting with teachers’ professional
associations. They met regularly with senior managers
and elected members to discuss conditions of service and
were consulted on policies and initiatives.
Communication was very good overall. The Director and
senior officers had used a very wide range of strategies to
ensure effective communication with stakeholders.
Headteachers also played a key role in communicating
information to staff. At all levels, staff were clear about
the Department’s overall aims and priorities.
The pre-inspection survey indicated that all headteachers
in primary and secondary schools thought that senior
19
managers had successfully communicated a clear overall
vision for the development of education. Most School
Board chairpersons (85%) were aware of the Council’s
main aims and values for education. All headteachers
and heads of establishments were aware of the
Department’s expectations regarding their performance in
key areas of their work. Almost all School Board
chairpersons (97%) stated that they were aware of how
well their school was performing. Most School Board
chairpersons (89%) were aware of how to channel their
views, enquiries and complaints.
Parents and staff in establishments were kept well
informed and notable features of communication included
the following.
20
•
The Director and senior officers met regularly with
headteachers, heads of establishments, staff and a
range of working groups. These meetings provided
very good opportunities for headteachers and staff to
be kept fully informed about key developments.
•
The Department provided headteachers in primary
and secondary schools with a wide range of very
helpful performance data, which was also related to
the performance of similar schools and departments.
Headteachers appreciated the regular visits to schools
by link advisers and staff from the Quality
Development Service.
•
The Department had produced a wide range of
informative leaflets for parents and other
stakeholders. An in-house newspaper was distributed
to all households and educational establishments,
giving useful information and highlighting examples
of good practice.
•
The achievements of individual establishments and
the Department were widely and effectively
celebrated at public events and through a range of
publications.
The Director and officers provided appropriate
opportunities for elected members to be informed and
consulted about the work of the Department. Papers to
the Education Committee were clear and officers
provided briefings for elected members both before and
during committee meetings. Elected members were able
to access more detailed information to support committee
papers. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Education
Committee met regularly with the senior Directorate
team.
The Department’s Standards and Quality Report for
2001-2002 was appropriately evaluative and very well
presented. It contained a summary of key achievements,
with supporting evidence and outlined areas for further
development. All schools had produced standards and
quality reports and the senior managers took effective
steps to ensure that the quality of these reports was
consistent.
The Department had established a clear system to record
and respond to complaints and enquiries. They had
arrangements in place to collate, monitor and respond to
all enquiries.
Staff in establishments and parents were kept well
informed by the Education Department. Stakeholders
had the opportunity to influence the direction of
education, though there was scope to involve more
parents in this area. Pupils were now able to make their
views known through pupil councils and through an
annual conference.
21
5. Operational management
Service planning
The quality of service planning had improved in recent
years and was now very good overall. Service planning
was central to the Department of Education’s systematic
approach to planning which helped to ensure the
consistent and coherent delivery of its priorities. The
Education Service Plan 2001-2004 linked directly with
the timescale of the Council’s corporate, financial and
operational planning in an integrated planning process.
The annual update of the plan for 2002-2005 had been
produced in a format consistent with other Council
services and re-titled as the Service Improvement Plan to
reflect the Council’s commitment to continuous
improvement. Within the three-year major review cycle,
twice-yearly reviews of implementation provided senior
managers and elected members with useful information
on progress.
As with previous Service Plans, the Improvement Plan
was set firmly within the context of the Council’s
Community and Corporate plans, its six priority themes
and its commitment to creating prosperity, achieving
social justice and meeting local needs through high
quality education. In addition, Local Community Plans
drew together the work of education and other Council
services and helped to determine action to meet local
issues and encourage the participation of local people in
community planning.
The Department’s major consultation exercise with all
stakeholders in 2000 had established strategic aims for its
work. These aims had been refined further to form its
key priorities for improving learning and teaching,
developing skills for the future and promoting inclusion.
Identified development tasks were based on a number of
sources of evidence. These included the Department’s
22
comprehensive programme of Best Value Reviews and
established Standards and Quality reporting at individual
school, specific central service and Departmental levels,
its Performance Management and Planning Audit and
detailed evaluations of a range of local initiatives.
Key actions for development in the 2002-2005
Improvement Plan generally identified clear tasks,
timescales and the person with responsibility. Actions to
achieve important aspects of social inclusion needed to be
more detailed. The draft 2002-2005 Plan provided more
specific information on the targets and measurable
outcomes that the Department expected to achieve than in
previous plans. Targets in related plans and National
Priorities had been cross-referenced to the Plan to
identify how the Department would contribute to their
achievement. This new approach should enable staff to
improve the monitoring and reporting of the plan’s
overall impact on improving the quality of education.
Lead sections such as Quality Development Service
(QDS), Education Resource Service, Early Years,
Communications, and Personnel prepared improvement
plans for implementing their key action tasks. Some
sections reviewed progress in meeting targets at regular
team meetings. QDS also prepared additional, specific
development plans for major initiatives such as the
Literacy Base and support for 5-14. However, drawing
on best practice, improvement plans required to be more
consistent in setting clear targets and measures of success
and identifying how these related to the key actions.
School development plans took very close account of the
Service Plan. The Department ensured that
establishments had early notification of planning
priorities and key actions and had prepared helpful
guidelines for schools. The QDS had provided
substantial staff development on planning. Link Advisers
scrutinised school development plans to ensure that
schools fully reflected local and national priorities and
23
that, generally, plans contained an appropriate range and
level of detail. However, Link Advisers required to place
greater focus on the suitability of priorities and quality of
the improvement planning process, particularly in
primary schools.
The Department’s joint planning with other Council
services was very effective. Key staff were actively
involved with other services and partners in corporate
working groups such as Lifelong Learning, Race
Equality, and Social Inclusion. Through the Chief
Executive Department’s promotion of joint planning, the
Education Department contributed extensively to the
Children’s Services Plan, the Capital Plan, the Childcare
Plan and the Joint Community Care plans. It also took
lead responsibility for delivering key aspects of social
justice.
The very effective service planning process gave a clear
lead to schools. It provided a focus on improvements in
learning and teaching and set out the support available to
raise achievement for pupils.
Deployment and effectiveness of
centrally-employed staff
The overall effectiveness of centrally-deployed staff was
very good. Staff were well deployed to deliver service
plan targets. They operated within the Department’s
clearly articulated and well understood Quality
Framework.
The Quality Development Service (QDS) was an
appropriate size for a large Education Authority and was
generally very effective and highly valued by schools. It
provided establishments with sound curricular advice and
a wide-ranging menu of well regarded staff development
opportunities. Staff effectively promoted and facilitated
the sharing of good practice. The link and pastoral roles
of an experienced team of Advisers were well
established. The QDS team undertook an agreed series of
24
visits to schools and adopted consistent recording
procedures when responding to school development
plans. However, the level of challenge offered to schools
was still too variable. They were now beginning to
become involved in the annual Directorate review and
discussion of school progress which took place with
senior staff in the secondary sector. Following a Best
Value Review, restructuring of the QDS had been agreed
by elected members. This restructuring showed a clear
recognition of the changing role of the QDS and the
expectation of a more direct focus for link advisers on
quality improvement.
The Policy Unit managed a number of initiatives related
to Raising Achievement for All (including out of school
hours learning), co-ordinated the departmental service
planning and Standards and Quality processes,
co-ordinated staffing developments and provided an
extensive range of high quality statistical data for the
central Department and individual schools. This data had
enabled the identification of trends in performance,
benchmarking of schools and the negotiation of
challenging but realistic targets for improvement.
Commendably, the department was making good use of
statistical data to determine differentiated levels of
support for individual schools by Quality Development
Officers and senior managers in the Department. While
the statistical information was valued, overall the roles of
staff in the policy unit in supporting school and service
improvement needed to be more clearly explained.
Psychological services and area network support teams
were well staffed. They provided good support to
schools and pupils. Educational psychologists provided
advice to schools, worked with pupils and their families
and worked well with other agencies. Support for pupils’
learning bilingual support and behaviour support was
provided by the network support teams. Staff from
network support worked with individual pupils, groups
and with teachers to ensure that more good individual
25
programmes for pupils with additional learning needs
were promoted.
The Council had maintained an Outdoor Education
Centre at Kilbowie, near Oban. In order to guarantee a
residential experience for all primary 6/7 pupils, the
Department had successfully bid for New Opportunities
Fund (NOF) funds to extend the centre’s capacity.
The Public Private Partnership team had thoroughly
investigated options for new or renovated schools by
visiting other local authorities, meeting with a range of
staff and pupils, and considering informal submissions
from parents’ groups before preparing public consultation
documents. At the time of the inspection formal
consultation was taking place across the Council.
Staff in schools reported that the quality of training in the
use of ICT was effective and that ICT support team
members were helpful. However, more technical support
was required for primary schools to ensure that hardware
problems were resolved without undue delay to ensure
that pupils’ learning was not affected.
The Communications Unit processed a wide range of
high quality publications including leaflets, posters and
educational packages which were consistently well
designed.
Other centrally-based staff, including a group of
secondees, made notable contributions. The Adviser with
responsibility for the Literacy Base provided strong
leadership. Through her guidance, base staff had forged
strong partnerships with schools. They worked
effectively alongside teachers in classrooms to improve
learning and teaching, and raise attainment. The Early
Years Team had worked well with pre-school partnership
centres to provide support, challenge and very good
opportunities to access training. Teams involved in
taking forward music and sports initiatives were
26
enthusiastic and highly committed. Very good support
was provided for teachers undertaking the Scottish
Qualification for Headship. The staff welfare service was
valued by teachers.
Schools appreciated the support they received from
highly committed financial, personnel and other
centrally-based administrative staff who were viewed as
responsive and helpful. Staff in these centrally-based
services helped to ensure that schools were supported in
deploying resources effectively and worked well with
schools to provide staff support to minimise disruption to
pupils’ education.
6. Resource and financial management
Resource management
The management of resources was good overall. Staffing
levels were above the national average. Headteachers
expressed satisfaction with the level of resources
provided by the Education Department. However, a
number of important issues remained to be addressed.
The Council had allocated resources above levels
estimated by the Scottish Executive to support education.
Education was a key priority of the Council. It had a
clear rationale for the allocation of resources which took
account of corporate aims, National Priorities and
development tasks and took account of the availability of
specific funds such as the National Priorities Action
Fund. In addition, the Education Department had been
successful in securing external funding for a wide range
of initiatives.
27
The Council continues to face difficult issues in relation
to school occupancy and the effective maintenance and
improvement of school buildings. The Department had
estimated that some £100 million would be required in
terms of major maintenance: 20 schools are over
100 years old. It had also identified some 11,000 surplus
primary places and 9,000 secondary surplus places.
The Council had successfully dealt with some problems
of over capacity in the Cumbernauld area. A number of
schools were closed and new schools built to
accommodate a shifting population. Limited action,
however, had been taken in relation to the remaining
schools.
The Department had an established five-year capital
programme and maintenance programme intended to
target remaining school maintenance issues.
The Council was now committed to its Education 2010
programme supported by a school estates strategy which
aimed to address the identified problems through Private
Public Partnership (PPP) and capital funding in order to
fulfil two of its main objectives:
•
the provision of high quality educational facilities for
school pupils and leavers of all ages in North
Lanarkshire Council; and
•
contributing to the social and economic regeneration
of communities by providing a range of Council
services in the new refurbished school buildings.
The Department had submitted an initial PPP bid for
some £311 million to the Scottish Executive. The bid
was successful in part and a funding level of £150 million
was agreed. The Department had to revise its initial
strategy and, at the time of the inspection, formal
consultation processes were underway. The Council
28
planned to bid for additional funding in future years to
fully deliver its Education 2010 strategy.
Property repairs and maintenance, authority-wide, had
been the subject of a Public Private Partnership between
the Council and a contractor. With the exception of
major capital works and jobs which the contractor was
unable to undertake, all minor adaptations, repairs and
maintenance jobs were processed through the Council’s
Housing and Property Services for attention by the
contractor. Aspects of this service required improvement.
There was a lack of transparency in charging
arrangements. While charges were made in accordance
with the rates set in the agreed contract, that charge may
not necessarily have reflected the actual cost input into
the job.
Senior staff in almost all schools raised value-for-money
issues relating to repairs, maintenance and minor
adaptations carried out by the preferred contractor. A
number of issues required to be addressed in relation to
the quality of the work, the time taken to complete a job
and the difficulties of matching the eventual charge to the
work completed. The Council was acting, as a priority, to
address some of the problems, Housing and Property
Services had restructured and were introducing a
dedicated team to deal solely with education issues. In
addition, a new repairs system had been introduced which
was designed to track outstanding repairs more
effectively. The effect of these changes should be
reviewed and monitored by the Department.
A number of measures had been taken to ensure the
economic, efficient and effective use of resources to
deliver education. These included:
•
Best Value Reviews;
29
•
Condition surveys of all establishments within the
2010 programme, including risk and security
assessments and access survey;
•
Corporate Capital Monitoring;
•
Health and Safety Audits; and an
•
Information System/Information Technology strategy.
However, the Department required to formalise its
arrangements for energy monitoring and spend to save
initiatives, neither of which were monitored on an
ongoing basis.
The quality and provision of information and
communications technology (ICT) in schools was good.
Installation of ICT infrastructure had been slow to start
but networking was now complete. The schools’ network
was supported by a dedicated Department ICT team. The
Department had met National Grid for Learning targets
for computer to pupil ratios in primary and secondary
schools, but the mixed platform of computers was
causing frustration in some schools. All schools had been
connected to the Internet and all pupils and staff had
e-mail addresses. Although technical support to schools
was perceived as helpful, the number of trained
technicians available, particularly to primary schools, was
inadequate. An ICT support helpline had been
established but this was sometimes slow to respond to
requests for assistance. The Department had recognised
these difficulties and was taking action to improve the
level and quality of technical assistance available to
schools. School-based training programmes for teachers
in ICT were progressing well.
In line with Council policy, the Department had
undertaken a systematic programme of 13 Best Value
Reviews. These included reviews of QDS, Central
Learning Support and Psychological Services. The
30
review process followed corporate guidance and included
key elements such as performance measurement and
monitoring, obtaining a customer/citizen focus and
conducting an option appraisal.
The Education Resource Service was well resourced and
valued by staff, particularly in primary and nursery
schools.
Staffing levels in schools were generally good and
additional staffing was provided by the Department to
support initiatives where appropriate. In line with
national trends there were, however, emerging difficulties
in securing supply staff for teacher absence and
development work and also issues relating to retaining
some staff employed on long-term temporary contracts.
Investment in resources for learning and good staffing
levels provided pupils with good support for their
learning. The Council had taken a number of measures to
improve some school buildings. However, not all pupils
had access to a quality learning environment and the
Council needed to identify further means of improving
the quality and maintenance of all school buildings.
Financial management
The quality of financial management was very good.
Elected members were provided with very clear and
concise budget monitoring reports which were submitted
to every committee meeting. These reports also advised
members of the projected out-turn figures at the year-end
and of differences between the budgeted and actual
average teachers’ salaries. Because only significant
variances or issues of particular importance/interest were
reported to members the very tight control mechanisms
that existed within both the Education and Finance
Departments were required.
31
The Depute Director had specific responsibility to
manage and maintain the budget and to ensure the most
effective delivery of service. She was assisted on a
day-to-day basis by an Education Officer and a Budget
Unit.
While monitoring reports were submitted by the Director
of Education, the Director of Finance had to concur with
the information included within the report. In addition to
those reports submitted to committee, monitoring reports
were produced on a regular basis for discussion at the
Education Senior Management Team and the Corporate
Management Team meetings. Financial matters were
discussed regularly with budget holders and were a
standing item on the agenda of senior management team
meetings. In addition, named individuals within the
Budget Unit were assigned to budget holders to ensure
that there was a comprehensive overview of each area of
expenditure.
There was a very good working relationship between
Corporate Finance and the Education Department with
regular meetings taking place between both parties. The
level of service provided by Corporate Finance to the
Education Department is documented within an agreed
Service Level Agreement.
Financial monitoring and control was very good. At the
end of every accounting period, Education staff produced
variance reports based on the SEEMIS system, a
commitment accounting system. These reports were
compared to the corporate financial ledger for differences
and then issued to budget holders for review and
explanation of variances. Departmental monitoring
reports, based on the corporate financial ledger system,
were then produced for discussion by senior
management.
Three-year budget planning was linked into the service
planning process establishing a clear link to the
32
Department’s corporate objectives and the National
Priorities. However, the Service Plan required further
development to incorporate an estimate of the costs
involved in undertaking planned actions in relation to
financial, personnel and physical resources.
A clear set of financial procedures was in place including
the corporate financial regulations, and this was reviewed
annually. A financial scheme of delegation ensured that
there was no ambiguity in relation to accountability and
delegated areas of responsibility to specified officers
within the Department.
Over 80% of the schools’ budget was devolved to schools
through the scheme of Devolved School Management
(DSM). The scheme was effective and generally well
regarded by headteachers. On-line access to the
establishment’s committed expenditure was available to
users and the system provided clear financial information
that enabled headteachers to monitor their current
expenditure effectively to the benefit of pupils. However,
previous budget cuts had not been properly integrated
into the school budget and continue to be disclosed as an
adjustment to the total delegated budget.
Each cluster of schools had an Administration and
Finance Assistant (AFA) based at the secondary school
and, together with related clerical staff, was responsible
for providing support to headteachers. Administration
and Finance Officers (AFOs), based within the central
Budget Unit, were responsible for maintaining contact
and for providing advice and guidance to the AFAs when
required. Headteachers appreciated the support from
AFAs.
The DSM policy had been the subject of recent review by
the Department in accordance with the requirements of
the SEED Review of Devolved School Management in
October 2001. The revised scheme was planned to take
effect in April 2003 and was likely to further improve
virement arrangements.
33
In response to an Accounts Commission report on
financial controls in the Education Department in another
Scottish local authority, the Council had undertaken a
review of their procedures for financial monitoring. The
Department’s procedures were considered to be
sufficiently robust. In order to tighten procedures further,
the review of DSM will restrict carry forward flexibility
to 2% of the total budget delegated to schools and would
be for planned activities previously agreed with the
Council.
Following the approval of committee to the revised DSM
scheme (October 2002), financial training had been
offered to all school managers.
Finance to schools was very well managed overall and
this allowed schools to make good use of well-regulated
budgets to the benefit of pupils.
7. Performance monitoring and continuous improvement
Measuring, monitoring and evaluating
performance
Performance in this area was very good. The Department
had set out a clear overall framework and strategy for
performance monitoring. Almost all headteachers who
responded to the pre-inspection survey were confident
that the Department had a good knowledge of the
performance of their schools. A range of approaches had
been developed to measure performance at establishment
and authority level. An improvement planning cycle set
out the Department’s expectations for quality assurance
and raising standards. This cycle included development
planning, standards and quality reporting, audit and
benchmarking exercises, target setting, staff development
and review and the reporting of successful practice.
34
The Department had engaged in a wide range of Best
Value Reviews and had a comprehensive system for
public reporting. The Department had carried out an
in-depth self-evaluation exercise using the Quality
Management in Education (QMIE) framework and had
involved headteachers in evaluating the effectiveness of
this exercise. Action plans and targets from Best Value
Reviews and from self-evaluation exercises were clearly
set out and were generally well addressed.
A number of systems had been put in place to monitor the
contribution of each Council department in cross-cutting
initiatives. In particular, two scrutiny groups, made up of
elected members had a key role to play in monitoring the
work of the Department of Education.
All schools made use of How good is our school? as part
of their self-evaluation strategy. They were also expected
to evaluate their effectiveness overall in raising the
achievement of pupils. The results of this self-evaluation
were co-ordinated and analysed by the Department. This
information was used to produce the Department’s
Standards and Quality Report and to identify and share
good practice. The Department also made use of this
information to identify areas that needed further
development in particular schools and across the Council
more generally. School development plans and standards
and quality reports were scrutinised by officers and
schools received helpful, individual feedback on their
development plans. The Education Department
complemented this process by sampling annually across
10% of schools to verify the accuracy of school
self-evaluation. Teams which included officers and
senior managers from schools carried out verification
visits. This process was rigorous and challenging but
also supportive to schools in improving school
management, learning and teaching and pupils
experiences. Schools involved in this verification process
had revised their evaluations where necessary and as a
35
result had focussed more closely on the impact of their
work. The Department recognised that it should now
extend further the scope of their verification procedures
by sampling teaching and examining the effect on pupils’
learning more systematically.
The Department collated and analysed a range of data to
monitor and demonstrate improvements in performance.
This included information on pupil attainment in 5-14
levels of performance, Scottish Qualifications Authority
(SQA) data and figures on absence and exclusions from
school. Work was underway on piloting baseline
assessment in primary schools. Packs of data for each
school showing local and national comparisons were
compiled for use by officers and shared with
headteachers prior to an annual discussion of attainment
with officers. The data for comparison with other schools
had been used for some time by secondary schools and
headteachers made use of the information in reviewing
pupils’ overall attainment. Where headteachers or
Council officers identified areas for improvement,
internal and external support was provided. The
provision of detailed and comparative data had been more
recently introduced in primary schools. There was scope
for further work to ensure that all headteachers
understood and could make use of the data to set targets
for improvement which related to raising pupils’
attainment. A good start had been made to providing
staff development in this area for senior managers in
primary schools. Similarly, Link Officers had received
training to allow them to make better use of performance
information in working with schools to improve pupils’
attainment. Some officers required further training in this
area and this was being made available.
The Department had recently introduced procedures to
give additional support to schools which had been
identified as underachieving and where a more consistent
service to pupils and parents was needed. A team of
officers and staff from the identified school worked
36
together to identify actions to address weaknesses in
performance and to provide additional support and
training within the school. The officers continued to give
this enhanced level of support until there were clear signs
of improvement in performance. As yet, these
procedures were being implemented in only one
secondary school. However, the Department had
identified a number of other schools that would now be
included in the Special Support Programme.
Officers in the Department knew their establishments
well. Annual visits to schools and discussion with
headteachers focussed on improvement in achievement
and, within that, attainment. Link Officers provided
further support throughout the year, in particular in terms
of school development planning and standards and
quality reporting. There was now a need to further focus
the role of the Link Officer in challenging schools and
raising attainment.
Clear procedures existed to support schools during and
after inspections by HMIE. Link Officers were active in
supporting schools to produce and implement action
plans following inspection reports.
The Education Department had established a clear policy
and guidelines on staff development and review. All
senior management and administrative staff in Education
headquarters had been reviewed. Almost all teaching
staff in establishments had been reviewed and these
reviews had led to targeted staff development. The
Department was developing a system for review for
support staff in schools.
The Education Department was committed to improving
the quality of education for pupils. It had introduced a
very good range of strategies to monitor school
performance. These methods of evaluation could now be
refined to focus further on the impact of initiatives on
37
pupils’ learning and the value that was added to their
attainment.
Continuous improvement in performance
The overall impact of the Education Department in
promoting continuous improvement was good. Almost
all headteachers who responded to the pre-inspection
survey were confident that the Education Department was
helping schools to improve the quality of education. The
Department had put in place a very wide range of
strategies designed to improve learning and teaching.
Central to this was the authority’s Raising Achievement
For All policy and strategies. Schools were provided
with a high level of support for curriculum development
and benefited from the high quality and wide range of
classroom resources developed centrally by the Education
Department to support the delivery of the curriculum.
Support for pre-school education
The Council provided pre-school placements for all
three- and four-year-old children whose parents wished it.
It offered very good support to its own nursery
establishments and to partner centres. Early years staff in
QDS regularly visited nursery establishments and partner
centres to discuss and monitor practice and to offer
advice on a range of issues including planning and
recording children’s progress, curriculum development
and planning for improvement. The Department’s own
survey of partner centres showed a high degree of
satisfaction with the support provided and parents and
their children had access to a good range of nursery
provision.
The Department also provided extensive and useful
support materials, including guidelines for staff on
improving children’s early literacy and numeracy skills.
The staff development programme offered very good
opportunities for staff in nursery establishments and
38
partner centres to access accredited courses to improve
their skills. High quality designated accommodation in a
primary school provided a very useful base for meetings
and staff development.
Support for primary schools and 5-14
The Department provided very good support for its
primary schools. The Department had successfully
implemented its Early Intervention strategy to raise
standards of literacy in P1 and P2, using a range of
approaches including the development of improved
home-school links and the provision of additional staffing
and resources.
Primary schools were very well supported through
helpful policy statements and curriculum advice. The
Department had developed a range of support materials to
improve pupils’ reading and writing, and a science
strategy support programme was in place. QDS officers
had provided a wide range of very good staff
development activities to assist teaching staff to use these
support materials effectively. As part of the Raising
Achievement for All strategy, schools were further
supported by the ability to access a residential outdoor
experience at the authority’s outdoor education centre at
Kilbowie, by a centrally co-ordinated Eco Schools
initiative, and by a Primary Study Support Network
which co-ordinated and supported out of school hours
learning. Staff in schools were very positive about the
support they had received and welcomed the practical and
helpful advice of the QDS officers.
The Department had successfully managed to achieve
consistent improvement in attainment levels in its
primary schools. A significant proportion of pupils was
now achieving Level A in Primary 2. Standards in
reading and writing were above the national average, and
those in writing had risen from well below the national
average to a position above it. The rate of improvement
39
had been higher in writing than nationally, but lower in
mathematics than in comparator authorities. The
performance of individual schools was analysed in detail
by Education Officers. Performance targets had been set
for 2001 and 2002, and were being set for 2005. Many
schools had reached or exceeded their previous targets,
and almost all showed improvements.
Support for secondary schools
Overall, the Education Department supported secondary
schools well. School senior managers worked with the
QDS to use the outcomes of the annual Directorate
monitoring meetings to identify support requirements for
schools and individual departments. Subject advisers
provided specific support for the development and
delivery of most areas of the curriculum. Some also
co-ordinated support for other subject areas. Staff in
secondary schools greatly appreciated the range of
subject provision although some felt that it required to be
extended further to help meet their professional
development needs. Working as a team and individually,
School National Qualification Co-ordinators had
provided strong support for the brisk expansion of new
courses across the authority in recent years.
A range of initiatives relating to Raising Achievement for
All, including the Outward Bound programme, Easter
Schools, Summer Schools, and school-based out of hours
learning were co-ordinated centrally by Policy Unit Staff.
All initiatives were targeted in relation to deprivation, and
were designed to support schools in meeting the targets
set for pupils in the policy. Regular network meetings
were held with co-ordinators in schools, and high quality
materials had been produced to assist schools in
managing these initiatives to ensure that as many pupils
as possible benefited.
Principal teachers attended useful network meetings,
co-ordinated by the QDS. These meetings enabled
40
principal teachers to discuss important improvements to
areas of the curriculum, prepare materials, and share
experiences and expertise. QDS also used the meetings
to help principal teachers develop management skills and
a greater awareness of cross-curricular issues such as
writing. The Department’s regular public events and
widely distributed reports provided further opportunities
for schools to share best practice.
QDS staff had provided specific materials to support
aspects of the S1/S2 curriculum. However, although the
transfer of pupils’ attainment and achievement data from
primary schools was very well organised, progress in
improving the curriculum and pupils’ attainment at S1/S2
had been variable. Secondary schools did not work
closely enough with primary schools to ensure continuity
in pupils’ experiences.
The Department actively promoted and supported greater
flexibility in subject choice at all stages to encourage and
motivate pupils to higher levels of achievement. Most
schools were responding creatively to the Department’s
challenge in providing a curriculum which better suited
pupils’ interests, needs and aspirations, particularly from
S3 to S6. Schools were beginning to share best practice,
such as:
•
time-tabling pupils’ more open choices of the range,
number and levels of courses they studied;
•
piloting of specific initiatives such as enterprise
activities, developments in ICT-based learning by the
Learning Centre, and Skillforce which included a
broad range of activities in working with others and
confidence building; and
•
working closely with colleges to deliver an increased
range of vocational courses.
41
Good progress in 5-14 attainment was not well matched
in secondary schools. There was now a need to improve
the quality of provision at S1/S2.
All secondary schools had made good progress in
introducing new courses to provide pupils with
opportunities to gain National Qualifications. Teachers
had been given time to attend national training and staff
development related to individual subjects and the
analysis of examination performance data.
Over the period 1998 to 2002, the percentage of pupils
achieving five or more awards at Level 5 had risen
steadily, although there had been a slight drop in 2002
along with the national average. The percentage of pupils
achieving five or more awards at Levels 4 and 5 had risen
slightly over the period. Over the same period the
number of pupils in S5 achieving three or more awards at
Level 6 had increased, but was still below the national
average. The Department should proceed with its plans
to extend the Special Support Programme to other
secondary schools to increase attainment through further
challenging some secondary schools as part of the
improvement agenda.
Support for pupils
The Council had in place a wide range of provision to
support pupils with special educational needs. Provision
included special schools, units within mainstream schools
and a network support service that provided bilingual
learning and behaviour support. Special schools provided
good support for pupils. The work of the network
support services was appreciated by staff in schools. The
rationale for different levels of staffing in Learning
Support in secondary schools was not clear.
The Department had developed Looking Forward which
was a helpful policy statement that described the
Department’s intended approach to inclusion. However,
42
this policy now needed further development to provide
clearer advice and guidance on how the principles in the
policy would be put into practice. There was a need for
clearer strategic direction and guidelines for support for
pupils and inclusion to ensure a more coherent approach
to future provision.
The Department had set up a range of provision for pupils
with challenging behaviour which included in-school
additional support and specialist provision outwith
mainstream schools. A staged intervention system for
pupil behaviour was at the early stages of being
developed in schools. Whilst many schools had
approaches to dealing with challenging behaviour this
had not yet been addressed in general terms through an
authority wide policy initiative and resources needed to
be more targeted. The Department had recognised the
need for further development in this area and a working
group had been set up to address issues of behaviour
management.
A small number of pilot schools had received funding to
establish behaviour support bases and although
accommodation had been identified and upgraded,
staffing of the bases remained an issue. Across
secondary schools strategies were being developed which
made use of curricular flexibility to develop alternative
curricula for disaffected pupils. Whilst still at an early
stage, these initiatives had considerable potential to
provide a wider range of opportunities for young people
who were disaffected by school.
The Department required to establish a clearer approach
to meeting special educational needs, including social
inclusion, in order to secure consistency of provision in
this area and to ensure the availability of mainstream
education for all pupils.
The Raising Achievement For All policy outlined the
need to challenge pupils irrespective of socio-economic
43
background, gender, race or level of ability/disability.
The Department’s commitment to equal opportunities
was evident in a range of practical measures, for example,
the Department had successfully bid for funds to
modernise accommodation at its outdoor centre to ensure
appropriate access for all. In special schools, out of
school learning funds enabled clubs to operate during
lunchtimes where end-of-day transportation might have
made participation difficult. In primary schools, taxis
were provided for pupils who wished to attend out of
school learning and who would normally receive
transport.
The Bilingual Support Service provided good peripatetic
support to schools in terms of direct classroom support,
consultancy and by providing home-links. The service
was proactive in raising awareness of diversity of
languages spoken within the Council. Access to an
interpreting service was available to support
communication with parents and pupils. The service
conducted an annual survey of all pupils who spoke a
language other than English at home.
The Department was represented on a corporate working
group considering race equality issues. The group had
identified the implications of the Race Relations
Amendment Act and had briefed the corporate senior
management team. The Council was drafting its policy
and race equality scheme at the time of the inspection.
A corporate group including the Education Department,
Social Work Services and Housing maintained an
overview of Looked after Children. A number of good
measures had been taken recently to improve services to
Looked After and Accommodated Children. These
included the development of better systems for
exchanging information and tracking the educational
progress of Looked After Children, the development of
an inclusion support base and the setting up of study units
in residential schools. The staff working at the Inclusion
44
Support Base provided support and advice to schools as
well as ensuring that a large selection of resources was
available on short-term loan. The base also served as a
training centre for foster carers and social work staff.
Additional support was provided by home-link teachers
who were based there.
Although several initiatives for dealing with young
people with challenging behaviour in schools had been
implemented, a general strategy had not been devised.
Some development work had begun within the newly
established Better Behaviour Better Learning Working
Group and early implementation of the Framework For
Intervention initiative had taken place. A staged
intervention system for pupil behaviour to allow more
targeted deployment of resources was still at an early
stage of development.
Support for staff development
There was a very strong commitment in the Department
to staff training and development including a Corporate
Management Development Programme. Wide ranging
provision was made from pre-school to secondary
education, including partnership nurseries. Provision
included an extensive programme of courses set out in a
catalogue of in-service courses, exhibitions and support
for school-based training and meetings for support groups
and curriculum networks. Teachers and non-teaching
staff were generally positive about the quality of staff
development. Good arrangements were in place for
classroom assistants and SEN auxiliaries to gain
qualifications and develop their skills. Almost all
headteachers (91%), responding to the pre-inspection
survey, indicated that the authority assisted staff in
accessing appropriate staff development support. Staff
development opportunities were based on an analysis of
school development plans, the results of school quality
assurance visits and national and local priorities. The
QDS effectively targeted areas of priority for the
45
Education Department when devising the menu of staff
development. The QDS had organised a range of twilight
courses and particular support for school clusters.
Further use should be made of ICT to ensure all staff can
access the good quality training opportunities provided.
A proactive approach to staff development included a
wide range of activities including:
•
national conferences on learning and teaching;
•
work with external consultants to develop innovative
approaches to learning and teaching;
•
a series of Learning for the Millennium seminars;
•
international events and exchanges; and the
•
roll-out, over five years, of the Canadian model of
Co-operative Learning.
Secondments to support key initiatives and developments
served as a very good opportunity for staff development
for a number of staff from schools.
Newly appointed headteachers generally had good
induction support as did probationer teachers.
Designated advisers kept in close touch with headteachers
for a time after their appointment and most headteachers
were positive about this support.
Good progress had been made in implementing the NOF
training programme to develop teachers’ and librarians’
skills in using ICT. All schools had started the training
programme for their teaching staff and were committed to
involvement in the programme. The Education
Department needed to review the impact of the ICT
training programme to determine whether it had enhanced
key aspects of learning and teaching.
46
Overall, the Education Department provided a high level
of staff development and support to teachers. Courses
were focussed on improvements in learning and teaching
and were relevant to service priorities for development.
Other features of support
The Department had very effective procedures to support
schools preparing for inspection by HMIE and to assist
them in planning for improvement. As a result, the
Department and schools had made good or very good
overall progress in meeting the main points for action by
the time of their follow-up inspections.
The Department produced an annual Spotlight on Success
catalogue highlighting examples of good practice and
annually hosted a major awards ceremony for staff in
establishments. The Department actively encouraged
schools to achieve national external awards of quality and
improvement, and provided well-judged support to help
them prepare. The Department and some schools had
achieved Investors in People status. Ten schools had
attained Schools Curriculum Awards. A high proportion
of schools had gained Charter Mark accreditation for the
excellence of their public service and others were
successful in receiving awards as ECO-schools or Health
Promoting Schools.
Two primary school projects, one a joint project
involving a denominational and a non-denominational
school, were involved in piloting the New Community
Schools initiative in the Council. Breakfast clubs and
summer school developments had been very successful.
Links with Social Work and the Health agencies were
improving from a low base and multi-agency work was
becoming more productive at both local and Council
levels. Plans for roll-out of the New Community Schools
approach had been agreed and were being taken forward
with a total of 26 primary schools involved. Notably,
substantial funding from the Council’s Changing
47
Children’s Services Fund had been secured to increase
the number of schools joining the programme during the
financial year. In order to meet the target of achieving
New Community School status for all schools by 2007,
the Council should take steps to accelerate the pace of the
roll-out programme, particularly to the secondary sector.
The Department had demonstrated its commitment to
raising attainment and social inclusion through a number
of successful initiatives in sport, the arts and music. All
children in primary school were able to take part in
outdoor education including a residential experience.
Music and sports ‘colleges’ provided specialist support
and out of school learning for a wide range of pupils of
all abilities. There was a very high level of participation
in these activities and parents and pupils were very
positive about the opportunities they received in these
areas.
The Department had made a significant investment in
Outward Bound. About one quarter of young people in
S4 in secondary schools had the opportunity to benefit
from an Outward Bound course each year. Students who
would benefit from activities designed to raise
self-esteem, develop confidence and promote team
working took part in the project. Student views in the
subsequent evaluations were very positive.
8. How well does the authority perform overall?
Overview
In addressing the many social and economic difficulties
facing the area, education was a very high priority for
North Lanarkshire Council. Elected Members were
committed to delivering a quality education service and
funding levels to education were high. Parents and pupils
benefited from very good levels of staffing and resources.
48
The Director of Education had a high profile and
provided very good leadership by setting a very clear
direction for the Education Service in conjunction with
Elected Members. His enthusiasm and commitment set
the tone for the whole Department. A very strong team
spirit was evident among staff at all levels in the
Department and in schools. The Director was very ably
supported not only by the highly effective Depute
Director but also by other senior officers who together
gave clear strategic direction for the Department. As a
team, they had successfully established an ethos of trust
with staff and parents across the Council and were
establishing a culture of improvement. Service Plan
priorities, which linked to raising achievement for
children and young people were being implemented by a
team of hardworking and dedicated education officers,
advisers and seconded staff.
The Council had articulated a clear vision for education
and priority had been given to raising standards of
educational provision. These priorities were clearly
articulated in the Raising Achievement for All policy and
the aims were in line with National Priorities for
education. Aims were underpinned by a very effective
service planning process which established clear links at
corporate, service and school level. Notable was the
involvement of key stakeholders in developing policy and
the very good mechanisms for communication
undertaken by the Department. Parents were consulted
on developments in education and were provided with
good information about schools and the service as a
whole. Some work had been done to consult pupils about
how to improve the education service and this had been
targeted for further development.
While the Department was making good progress with
PPP proposals, there remained issues with the
effectiveness of maintenance and repairs of school
buildings. Some pupils had benefited from the
re-organisation and building of new schools. Elected
49
Members and officers needed to address further the
over-capacity in schools to ensure that all pupils had
access to a good learning environment.
Financial management of the Education Department was
very sound and ensured that resources allocated for
children’s education were well used. The Department
had a very good working relationship with the
Department of Finance and with finance staff located in
schools. There was a need to align budgets more directly
with Service Plan priorities.
Through very effective monitoring of performance, the
Directorate acknowledged the need to reinforce specific
areas of departmental work. There had been
improvement in attainment over the last three years,
particularly in primary schools. However, there was now
a need for further improvement in some secondary
schools, particularly in S1 and S2 and at Higher Grade in
S5.
Significant steps had been taken recently to develop the
present role of Link Adviser in the direction of Quality
Improvement Officer in order to challenge and support
schools further in raising the attainment of all pupils.
The Department had prepared a helpful policy on
inclusion. However this now needed to be further
developed to ensure a strategic approach and to provide
further guidance to schools in meeting special educational
needs.
Commendably, the Council had made a very significant
commitment to widening the achievement of pupils as
defined in its Raising Achievement for All policy.
Children and young people in North Lanarkshire had
access to very good experiences in addition to the formal
school curriculum. Entitlement to outdoor education
experiences, Outward Bound, Music, Arts and Sports
were among the broad range of initiatives that pupils
50
benefited from. Collectively these made an important
contribution to lifelong learning.
Key strengths
•
The clear vision, values and aims linked to Council
priorities and clearly communicated to stakeholders.
•
The very high quality of leadership by the Director
and Depute Director of Education.
•
The Department’s approach to improvement planning
and the systematic framework for the delivery of its
priorities.
•
The processes for involving stakeholders in the
development and implementation of policies such as
Raising Achievement for All and the holistic approach
to pupils’ achievement taken by the Council.
•
The work of the Quality Development Service in
providing support for staff and curriculum
development.
•
The proactive approach taken to promoting flexible
approaches to meeting pupils’ needs in the
curriculum.
•
The quality of financial monitoring and control.
•
The Department’s wide range of thorough approaches
to monitoring and evaluating the quality of its work
and that of its establishments.
•
The commitment of teams of centrally-employed staff
to improvement and their support to staff and pupils
in establishments.
51
9. Main points for action
In addition to addressing the areas for improvement
identified in this report, the local authority should act on
the following recommendations:
•
Take further action to address over-capacity and
improve repairs and maintenance in schools.
•
Improve the overall strategic framework for inclusion
and provide guidance to schools on support for pupils
and inclusion.
•
Extend the role of Link Officers to ensure a consistent
approach to quality assurance across establishments.
•
Improve attainment and in particular focus on
improving performance in S1 and S2.
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 main points for
action in the report.
Ian Gamble
HM Chief Inspector
Quality, Standards and Audit Division
February 2003
52
Appendix 1
Performance information
Statistical indicators
•
% of school pupils staying on to S5 (post Christmas)
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average 3
•
1998/99
1999/00
2000/01
63
65
60
64
65
63
64
64
62
Pupil destinations
1998/99
1999/00
2000/01
% Entering Full-Time
Higher Education
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
27
31
26
28
31
28
30
32
28
% Entering Full-Time
Further Education
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
16
18
21
19
19
22
19
20
22
% Entering
Employment
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
30
26
20
29
26
20
26
24
18
3
CA (comparator authority) average refers to the group of education authorities
which are most similar to each other in terms of various socio-economic and
demographic factors.
53
•
Absence
As part of the 2002 Target Setting initiative, North
Lanarkshire Council set itself the following target to
minimise the average number of half-days absence per
pupil in primary and secondary schools by 2002.
Target
Level
(June
2001)
1999
2000
2001
Target
Level
(June
2002)
2002
Primary
North Lanarkshire
National
15
18
21
20
20
19
22
20
18
17
21
19
Secondary
North Lanarkshire
National
39
36
52
43
49
41
51
43
43
37
50
42
•
Exclusions from schools in North Lanarkshire
2000/2001
North
Total
Exclusions Per
Temporary
Permanent
Exclusions
1000 Pupils
Exclusions
exclusions
3609
69
3584
25
38,656
51
38,334
322
Lanarkshire
National
As part of the 2002 Target Setting initiative, North
Lanarkshire Council set itself the following targets in
reading, writing and mathematics to be achieved by 2002,
and has made the following progress in achieving them.
54
The figures represent the percentage of pupils in primary
schools attaining and expected to attain appropriate 5-14
levels by P74.
Primary
Target
Level
June
2001
1999
2000
2001
Target
Level
June
2002
2002
Reading
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
78
77
-
74
73
71
77
76
76
81
80
79
83
81
-
83
81
81
Writing
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
64
67
-
57
60
56
65
66
64
70
70
68
73
73
-
73
72
72
Maths
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
82
81
-
78
76
74
79
77
76
81
79
79
85
82
-
83
80
80
The figures represent the percentage of pupils in
secondary schools attaining and expected to attain
appropriate 5-14 levels by S25.
Secondary
Target
Level
June
2001
1999
2000
2001
Target
Level
June
2002
2002
Reading
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
48
54
-
38
44
43
49
53
49
50
56
53
56
59
-
53
59
57
Writing
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
41
48
-
33
38
40
37
43
42
41
46
44
46
51
-
42
50
48
Maths
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
48
55
-
40
42
36
41
47
44
48
51
46
55
56
-
49
54
48
4
Level A by end of P3. Level B by end of P4. Level C by end of P6
Level D by end of P7.
5
Level E by end of S2.
55
•
Results in Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
National Qualifications.
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) levels:
7: 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
Percentage of relevant S4 role achieving
By end of S4
1999
2000
2001
2002
SG English 1-6
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
93
93
90
94
94
92
95
94
93
94
94
93
94
94
93
SG Maths 1-6
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
92
92
90
93
94
91
94
94
93
94
94
92
92
93
92
5+ @ level 3 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
90
90
87
91
91
89
92
91
89
92
91
89
92
91
90
5+ @ level 4 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
71
74
68
72
75
69
75
77
72
75
77
72
72
76
72
5+ @ level 5 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
25
30
25
27
32
25
29
33
27
28
34
27
27
33
27
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
By end of S5
3+ @ level 6 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
15
20
15
16
21
16
19
23
18
18
23
18
17
22
18
5+ @ level 6 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
4
6
5
4
7
5
6
8
6
6
9
7
6
9
6
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
6
9
6
6
10
7
6
10
7
8
11
8
7
11
11
By end of S6
1+ @ level 7 or better
56
1998
North Lanarkshire
National
CA Average
As part of the 2002 Target Setting initiative, North
Lanarkshire Council set itself the following targets for
pupils attainment in National Qualifications, and has
made the following progress in achieving them.
Target
1999/2001
1999/200
1
Target
2002
2002
SG English 1-6
North Lanarkshire
National
94
94
94
94
95
95
94
94
SG Maths 1-6
North Lanarkshire
National
94
94
94
94
95
95
92
93
5+ @ level 3 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
92
93
91
91
93
93
92
91
5+ @ level 4 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
73
77
74
76
77
79
72
76
5+ @ level 5 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
27
34
28
33
31
35
27
33
3+ @ level 6 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
17
23
18
22
19
24
17
22
5+ @ level 6 or better
North Lanarkshire
National
5
8
5
8
7
9
6
9
57
Appendix 2
Inspection coverage
Establishments visited:
Ailsa Nursery
Airdrie Academy
Albert Primary School
Alexander Peden School
Bellshill Academy
Berryhill Primary School
Cabbage Patch Nursery
Carbrain Primary School
Castlehill Primary School
Coatbridge High School
Croft Park Nursery
Croy Nursery
Dalziel High School
Fallside School
Glencryan School
Golfhill Primary School
Holy Family Primary School
Muirstreet Primary School
New Stevenson Primary School
Noble Primary School
Richard Stewart Nursery
Shawhead Nursery
Sikeside Primary School
St Aidan’s High School
St Ambrose High School
St Margaret of Scotland Primary School
St Maurice’s High School
St Monica’s Primary School
St Patrick’s High School
St Serf’s Primary School
St Timothy’s Primary School
Taylor High School
Tollbrae Primary School
Wishaw Academy Primary School
58
Meetings attended:
Education Committee Meeting
Parent’s Consultative forum
Quality Development Service Team meeting
Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers
Education Resource Service meeting
Early Years team meeting
Principal Teachers (Chemistry ) meeting
Primary Target-Setting meeting
Interviews or meetings with Council Members and
Officers:
Leader of the Council
Convenor of the Education Committee
Chief Executive
Assistant Chief Executive
Head of Social Work Services
Group of Labour Councillors
Group of Opposition Councillors
Representative of Church Groups
Director of Finance
Head of Accounting Services
Interviews or meetings with other Stakeholder Groups:
Focus Groups of Headteachers representing
Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Special
Education Sectors
School Board Chairs or Parent representatives in
establishments visited
Parents Consultative Group
Pupils and staff attending the Music Academy and
other out of school activities
Representatives of Teachers Unions
Interviews with Education Service Staff:
Director of Education
59
Depute Director of Education
Heads of Service for Quality and Support, and
Educational Provision
Education Officers for Finance, SEN, Quality
Development Service and Early Years
Policy Advice Team
Officers of the Quality Development Service
Professional Officers Staffing and Finance
Seconded Officers
PPP Officers
Literacy Officers
Adminstrative staff in establishments visited
ICT Officers
Education Resource Service staff
Education Officer for Contracts and Provisions
60
Appendix 3
Quality indicators
We judged the following to be very good
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Visions, values and aims
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Policy development
Mechanisms for consultation
Mechanisms for communication
Service planning
Financial management
Deployment and effectiveness of centrally-deployed
staff
Measuring, monitoring and evaluating performance
We judged the following to be good
•
•
Resource management
Continuous improvement in performance
We judged the following to be fair
•
No aspects were found to be in this category
We judged the following to be unsatisfactory
•
No aspects were found to be in this category
61
How can you contact us?
Copies of this report have been sent to the Chief
Executive of the local authority, Elected Members, 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 address
below or by telephoning 0131 244 0746. Copies are also
available on our web site: www.hmie.gov.uk
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 Ian Gamble,
HMCI at:
HM Inspectorate of Education
Quality, Standards and Audit Division
1-B95
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
A copy of our complaints procedure is available from that
office and on our website.
If you are still dissatisfied, you can contact the Scottish
Public Services Ombudsman directly or through your
member of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Public
Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has
powers to investigate complaints about Government
Departments and Agencies. She will not normally
consider your complaint before the HMIE complaints
procedure has been used. Instead, she will usually ask
you to give us the chance to put matters right if we can.
62
Complaints to Scottish Public Services Ombudsman must
be submitted within 12 months of the date of publication
of this report.
The Ombudsman can be contacted at:
Professor Alice Brown
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
23 Walker Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7HX
Telephone number: 0870 011 5378
e-mail: enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk
More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be
obtained from the website:
www.ombudsmanscotland.org.uk
Crown Copyright 2003
HM Inspectorate of Education
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.
63