S o u th Ay rs h ire Co u n c il
F o l l o w - u p In s p e c t i o n R e p o r t
O c t o b e r 20 0 4
Contents
________________________________________
Page
Introduction
i
1.
The aims, nature and scope of the inspection
1
2.
Changes in the operational context of the
Education Service
1
3.
Continuous improvement
2
4.
Progress towards the main points for action
6
5.
Conclusion
17
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 inspection team also includes an Associate
Assessor who is a senior member of staff
currently serving in another Scottish local
authority.
All inspections of the education functions of
educational authorities are followed up by
inspection teams, normally around two years from
the date of the original published inspection report.
i
_______________________________
South Ayrshire Council
Follow-up Inspection Report
1. The aims, nature and scope of the inspection
The education functions of South Ayrshire Council were
inspected during the period April to June 2002 as part of
the national inspection programme of all education
authorities in Scotland over a five-year period.
The local authority prepared and made public an Action
Plan, indicating how it would address the main points for
action identified in the original HMIE inspection report
published in August 2002.
An inspection team revisited the authority in June 2004 to
assess progress made in meeting the recommendations in
the initial report.
2. Changes in the operational context of the Education
Service
Since the initial inspection of the education functions of
South Ayrshire Council, there had been some important
changes within the Council and in the Education, Culture
and Lifelong Learning (ECLL) Department.
At the time of the initial inspection, the Council
administration was led by the Labour Party. Following
the local government election in May 2003, no party had
an overall political majority with Labour and
Conservatives each having 15 councillors. After
applying agreed legal procedures, Labour retained
leadership of the Council. Changes in personnel since the
original inspection included the Convenor and Vice
1
Convenor of the Lifelong Learning Committee, the key
policy and decision-making body for education. The
political leadership of the Council demonstrated a
continuing strong commitment to supporting, and
scrutinising the work of the ECLL Department. At
corporate level, a Chief Executive had recently been
appointed and further changes in the Council’s
departmental structure were being considered.
There had been a number of changes in the ECLL senior
management team. At the time of the follow-up
inspection, two members of the Departmental
Management Team were undertaking, in an acting
capacity, the roles of two former Heads of Service. The
Director had taken the opportunity to realign
responsibilities across the Department and had created
two new posts of Senior Quality Improvement Officers
(SQIOs). The number of Quality Improvement Officers
(QIOs) had been increased slightly, to allow each to be
linked to a cluster of schools. All officers had very clear
roles and responsibilities with an appropriate focus on
promoting effective learning and teaching across the
authority.
3. Continuous improvement
Since the publication of the initial inspection report, the
education authority had continued to improve its overall
effectiveness. The Convenor and Vice Convenor of the
Lifelong Learning Committee had made valuable
contributions in supporting the ECLL Department in its
work. The Department had further strengthened the
impact of its aims, vision and values. It had taken
effective action to ensure its core values of ‘honesty,
respect, responsibility, equality and compassion’,
permeated all aspects of its work. It had encouraged
schools to identify and articulate their core values and
was drawing on these values in shaping the authority’s
plans and school development plans. The follow-up
2
inspection confirmed that the Department’s focus on
further improving the quality of consultation and
self-evaluation was making a positive impact.
In a commendable initiative to further strengthen the
Department’s approaches to consultation, groups of
‘critical friends’ had been identified. These groups
comprising mostly, but not entirely, of headteachers, had
been consulted for their views on a wide range of the
activities of the Department. They had provided valuable
advice which had assisted senior managers in evaluating
the impact of current and new initiatives. Overall, staff
employed centrally, headteachers and staff in schools felt
that they had important roles in contributing to the work
of the Department. Pupils also had regular opportunities
to contribute their views, and appreciated the
opportunities to influence their own educational
experiences.
The Department had engaged in wide-ranging
consultation on four major policy documents which
underpinned its vision for education and provided a clear
sense of direction and purpose. These documents
appropriately identified the Department’s current and
future priorities for development. Priorities included
improving the school estate, developing key aspects of
the authority’s work on social inclusion, and
strengthening the quality of leadership and management,
learning and teaching, and ethos in schools. The
Department’s commitment to improving the quality of
education was clearly demonstrated in the strong focus on
professional development and on the roles,
responsibilities and expectations of staff.
The Department had further strengthened its approaches
to quality assurance. In addition to the well-established
and rigorous Directorate visits to all schools, the acting
Head of Educational Attainment and the Head of
Educational Resources now followed up these visits as
appropriate. They returned to schools and departments to
3
provide further support and challenge in areas identified
as underperforming. These follow-up visits focused very
effectively on identifying the causes of specific
weaknesses and the approaches to be adopted to secure
improvements.
Raising attainment and promoting wider achievement
were key priorities for the Council. Improvements in the
strategic management of lifelong learning included
important developments in joint working with other
Departments and agencies to improve the quality of
services for children and to promote success in various
contexts. The impact of the improved arrangements was
seen in, for example, increased attainment levels of
looked after children.
The Department had implemented a number of initiatives
which were successfully meeting pupils’ needs by
offering alternative curricular pathways to other stages of
education or employment. For example, in partnership
with The Prince’s Trust, seven secondary schools were
providing a two-year course for pupils in S3/S4 which
included aspects of citizenship and interpersonal skills,
community awareness, preparation for the world of work,
entrepreneurship, and a residential experience. The
Department had also extended the range of initiatives
undertaken in partnership with Ayr College to include,
for example, well-designed vocational courses for pupils
from Social Inclusion Partnership areas. In the above
examples, good use of curriculum flexibility had
increased the motivation of pupils to achieve success in
preparation for further study or employment. In addition,
a strengthened emphasis on promoting and celebrating
success included wide recognition of pupils’
achievements in aspects such as enterprise education,
drama, music, and in a range of national awards.
Figures for 2003 indicated that the performance of pupils
in primary schools and at S2 in reading, writing and
mathematics had remained above the national averages
4
and those for comparator authorities. Data for 2004
indicated that in all measures of performance in S4 to S6
the authority’s figures were above the national averages,
and broadly in line with those for comparator authorities.
During the period since the inspection of the education
authority, HMIE had carried out a number of school
inspections and follow-through visits. In primary
schools, the overall quality of attainment in English
language and mathematics had been maintained and was
good or very good in almost all schools. Many of the
subject departments in secondary schools were
performing well. In all sectors HM Inspectors found
improvements in approaches to planning and assessment
and to school self-evaluation, and the quality of
leadership had remained consistently high. The
Department’s performance in following up main points
for action from HMIE reports was very strong. All
schools that had received follow-through visits
demonstrated improvements in the quality of provision
for pupils. Link officers had worked effectively with the
schools to support and challenge them in improving
performance. Follow-through inspections and
moderation visits to schools demonstrated that they had
the capacity to further improve, and had made good or
very good progress towards meeting the main points for
action identified in the original inspection reports.
Overall, and with particular reference to its work in
further strengthening elements of consultation and
self-evaluation, the ECLL Department had demonstrated
a continuing commitment and a clear capacity to improve
the quality of its support and challenge for schools. The
impact of the Department was seen in evidence from
school inspections which confirmed improvements in the
effectiveness of schools’ approaches to self-evaluation.
In a ‘showcase’ during the follow-up inspection, staff and
pupils from schools across the authority provided very
positive evidence of the impact of some of the authority’s
initiatives in addressing national priorities of raising
5
achievement and attainment and promoting social
inclusion.
4. Progress towards the main points for action
The initial inspection report published in August 2002
identified five main points for action. This section
evaluates the progress the authority has made with each
of the main action points and the resulting improvements
for pupils and other stakeholders.
4.1 Procedures for the development and review
of central staff and the devolved management of
resources should be strengthened.
The education authority had made good progress in
strengthening the effectiveness of procedures for the
development and review of central staff. Very good
progress had been made in improving arrangements for
devolving resources to schools.
The Council’s policy for professional development and
review had been extended to include all
centrally-deployed staff within the ECLL Department.
Links between the Council’s Human Resources and
ECLL Departments had been strengthened through the
collaborative work of Officers. In addition to working
with central staff, she was liaising with school cluster
administration managers to finalise the roles and
responsibilities of school-based support staff in the
development and review process.
The ECLL Department had taken appropriate steps to
ensure that the new arrangements provided a meaningful
review experience and appropriate development
opportunities for all staff. It had delivered training
courses to raise awareness of procedures and timescales
for implementation. While this process had taken some
time, the system was now firmly in place and was being
6
implemented effectively in well-planned phases. All
centrally-deployed officers had received useful training in
the review process. The Director, Heads of Service and
almost all central staff had been reviewed. In addition,
significant improvements had been made to the
professional development and review process for
teaching staff in schools, with firm plans in place to
re-launch the programme at the start of session
2004/2005.
Improvements in the professional development and
review procedures had begun to assist centrally-deployed
staff improve their effectiveness. Interviews were
systematically recorded, collated and prioritised with a
clear focus on addressing staff development needs. An
increased range of opportunities was available for central
staff to take part in working groups, to engage in job
shadowing activities, and to share their expertise more
widely. Award bearing courses, including Scottish
Vocational Qualifications, had been made available to all
levels of staff. As a result of these measures,
centrally-deployed staff were now in a stronger position
to support improvements in the quality of education
across the authority’s schools.
Arrangements for the devolved management of resources
had been improved significantly. Since the original
inspection report, the Council had established a revised
scheme for the delegation of funds. The new
arrangements were very clear and had been well received
by schools. In particular, improved arrangements for
viring funds gave schools greater flexibility in carrying
forward and making effective use of surpluses from one
year to the next. Schools had also appreciated
improvements related to greater transparency in the
allocation of funds and earlier notification of the finance
available.
On a broader front, the Council had also made very good
progress in bringing all schools into the corporate
7
financial system. This had significantly increased the
quality of financial information available. Following a
restructuring of central staffing dealing with finance,
clear links had been established between the ECLL
Department and Financial Services. Support for ECLL
from finance staff had been strengthened by an increase
in the number of staff and in their levels of expertise. In
recognising the importance of working closely with
Financial Services, the ECLL Director had included
senior finance staff in his extended Departmental
Management Team. Their inclusion at this strategic level
assisted finance staff to keep in close touch with
educational developments.
Overall, the level of financial advice and support
available to assist the authority and schools achieve their
aims was now very good. The improvements in financial
arrangements had made a positive impact on schools.
With improved access to financial information and
increased flexibility in their use of devolved finances,
headteachers were now able to plan improvements for
pupils more systematically and effectively.
4.2 Senior managers in the Education Culture
and Lifelong Learning Department should
further develop the expertise and skills of link
officers in supporting and challenging schools.
The ECLL Department had made very good progress in
addressing this main point for action.
The Director had acted quickly to consult with
headteachers on proposals to strengthen the support and
challenge role provided by link officers to schools.
Following this consultation exercise, the role of the link
officer had been re-defined with a sharper focus on
securing school improvement. The number of QIOs with
link officer responsibilities had been increased and all of
the officers had undertaken a comprehensive,
well-planned and valuable training programme. The
8
programme had helped to further develop officers’ skills
in monitoring and evaluating the work of schools and in
analysing and using performance information effectively.
Link officers had benefited from shadowing experienced
senior officers on quality assurance visits to schools.
The Department had taken the significant step of setting
up the Quality Development Unit to provide a lead in
promoting and supporting improvements in the standards
and quality of provision across all of the education
functions of the Council. The Unit was continuing to
gather and disseminate a very useful range of statistical
data to assist schools in evaluating their effectiveness.
Building on the existing very good framework for quality
improvement, the acting Head of Educational Attainment
and a SQIO had taken action to underpin key aspects of
the quality improvement processes with more efficient
and effective management information systems. The
acting Head of Educational Attainment provided
excellent leadership and support to link officers. He had
played a key role in training link officers and had ensured
that they were well equipped to carry out their quality
improvement roles.
All link officers had a clear understanding of their remits
and were carrying out their roles very effectively. They
had established very good relationships with schools and
had given valuable support through assisting with school
self-evaluation, reviews, development planning and
monitoring, and commenting on standards and quality
reports. They had contributed to clear improvements in
the rigour and consistency of schools’ self-evaluation
processes and in the quality of reporting on standards and
quality. Link officers now played a more active role in
assisting schools to prepare for the Director’s visits to
establishments and to respond to the points for action
agreed after these visits. Staff in schools appreciated the
support provided by link officers.
9
There was clear evidence that the greater levels of
support and challenge provided by link officers were
having a positive impact on the quality of pupils’
experiences. Headteachers interviewed during the
follow-up inspection confirmed that the effectiveness of
link officers work had improved. Link officers had
encouraged and supported collaborative working among
clusters of schools and network groups to help identify
and promote specific initiatives. Their work focused well
on securing improvements for pupils in schools across the
authority. Link officers had, for example, effectively
supported improvements in the continuity of pupils’
learning from P6 to S2, and in working to raise standards
of attainment at S1/S2 in English language and
mathematics. Link officers were also making important
contributions in helping schools implement
authority-wide initiatives focusing on, for example, more
coherent and relevant experiences for pupils in S3/S4.
The strengthened focus on their quality improvement
remit supported by a very good training programme, had
enabled link officers to carry out their role more
confidently and competently. All schools were benefiting
from the increased levels of support and challenge
provided by link officers.
4.3 Steps should be taken to improve the
provision of staff development for teachers, and
extend the arrangements to support
probationers.
The ECLL Department had made very good progress in
addressing this main point for action.
An extensive range of continuous professional
development (CPD) activities was now available to all
teaching and non-teaching staff. The Department had
developed more effective systems for ensuring that the
menu of training activities met the specific needs of
10
individual members of staff and the authority’s priorities
for improving the quality of pupils’ experiences.
The increased focus on the needs of individual schools
and their pupils was an important feature of the improved
arrangements for CPD. A systematic analysis of school
development plans and departmental plans helped to
identify CPD activities that related to schools’,
departments’ and pupils’ needs. In mathematics and
science, for example, working groups had supported the
development of coherent authority-wide programmes of
study to improve pupils’ experiences in these areas of the
curriculum. The identification and collation of
subject-specific needs was assisted by regular meetings of
schools’ CPD co-ordinators and informed by meetings of
lead principal teachers. In addition, the analysis of HMIE
reports and the results of Director’s visits to schools
influenced the menu of courses. The Council was also
piloting courses focusing on additional support needs,
with places offered to parents as part of that provision.
The Department had reviewed models of delivery of CPD
to offer greater flexibility. CPD provision now included
twilight and week-end sessions. Shared activities within
clusters of schools focused well on improving pupils’
experience of transition between pre-school and primary
and between primary and secondary sectors. The focus
on transition provided pupils with more coherent and
progressive learning experiences in all sectors.
Approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of CPD
activities had been strengthened. Feedback from a range
of stakeholders was closely evaluated and the Department
provided follow-up reports to working groups and
networks on action taken in response to feedback.
The authority had significantly extended and improved its
arrangements to support probationers. Each probationer
was being supported by a nominated school mentor who
had received appropriate training to undertake the role
11
effectively. An annual programme of events for
probationers and mentors was well targeted on
curriculum and generic issues relevant to all sectors. It
also took very good account of the results of surveys of
previous probationers’ views on strengths and areas for
improvement. A series of network support meetings for
probationers throughout the year provided a very useful
forum for discussion of key issues. The Department had
also produced helpful materials to support new staff in
pre-school centres. Further developments included a
co-operative venture with East Ayrshire Council in
establishing a website for probationers. Positive
evaluations by probationers of their experience in schools
and of the quality of support provided by the authority
confirmed that the ECLL Department had made
significant advances in this aspect of its work.
The authority’s focus on improving the quality of
teaching was a key feature of its commitment to raising
attainment. Evidence from school inspections,
particularly with reference to improvements in
approaches to planning and assessment, indicated that the
provision of staff development for experienced and new
teachers was making a positive impact on important
aspects of teaching and learning.
4.4 Provision of ICT equipment and training for
teachers in the use of ICT should be further
improved.
The authority had made very good progress in addressing
this main point for action.
The Council had invested heavily in the ICT network
within education, providing additional funds to augment
those allocated through the National Grid for Learning
(NGfL) framework. This investment had significantly
improved the average ratio of computers to pupils across
the authority’s schools. The provision of computers in
schools in all sectors now met national targets.
12
All schools now had high speed access to the internet. A
new system was being introduced in schools to improve
the management of information in aspects such as
tracking attendance and recording pupils’ progress.
Schools were finding some initial difficulties in operating
the system, but recognised the potential benefits in
various aspects of their work.
The recruitment of a schools technology officer had been
an important factor in securing strategic improvements in
the use of ICT across the authority. He liaised very
effectively with schools to ensure that modern technology
could be used to best effect in learning and teaching. He
chaired a number of strategic forums which included
headteachers and ICT co-ordinators to discuss issues and
initiatives to improve pupils’ experiences in using ICT.
The ECLL Department had recently published its strategy
for using ICT in learning and teaching. This document
clearly and concisely documented the aims of the
authority together with the roles and responsibilities of
individuals in helping to achieve these aims. Particular
emphasis was given to training staff in using ICT
effectively with pupils.
In addition to the investment in hardware, the Council
had improved various aspects of support available to
schools. The central helpline was now responding well to
requests for technical support. Four technician posts had
been created to support secondary schools. Three
designated ICT support officers assisted establishments
and individuals over and beyond the provision of New
Opportunities Fund training for teachers and librarians.
A wide range of training units and a corporate ICT
training suite were now available to teaching and
non-teaching staff. Very good arrangements were in
place to respond to requests for one-to-one and group
training. The authority had developed fruitful
partnerships with national agencies to support
13
developments in using ICT in the context of provision for
pupils with additional support needs, including aspects of
behaviour management. Staff had also benefited from
valuable training opportunities in the use of interactive
whiteboards and digital cameras.
Overall, the authority’s investment in these developments
had made a very positive impact in schools. Teachers’
confidence in using ICT had been increased significantly.
Network groups had focused on improvements to
secondary subject courses, 5-14 developments, early
years programmes, and provision for pupils with
additional support needs. Staff who had participated in
ICT Masterclass training were supporting valuable
developments across the authority in enhancing pupils’
learning. Pupils were clearly benefiting from the
developments. The opportunities to use an increased
range of modern technology were considerably enhancing
their learning experiences.
4.5 The Department should continue to focus on
improving the curriculum and attainment at
S1/S2, and should seek to further improve
attainment in national examinations, particularly
at Standard Grade.
The ECLL Department had made good progress in
addressing this main point for action.
The Department had given high priority to improving the
quality of the curriculum and attainment at S1/S2. It had
successfully supported the development of programmes
of study to support continuity and progression from P6 to
S2 in specific areas of the curriculum. Approaches to
improvement had included writing support materials,
purchasing new programmes of study, seconding able
practitioners as staff tutors, establishing working groups
to support targeted developments, and employing
educational consultants with expertise in specific areas.
The ECLL Department had provided schools with a
14
helpful list of curriculum materials in use across the
authority with a view to sharing good practice and
facilitating improvements. It was making good use of the
Council’s intranet as the main vehicle for providing
access to curriculum resources.
The Department had co-ordinated a review of assessment
materials and encouraged staff in primary and secondary
schools to work more closely together to ensure
continuity in assessing pupils’ progress. In addition to
his meetings with headteachers, the Director had met with
networks of depute headteachers and principal teachers to
discuss and review issues arising from the analysis of
performance across subjects. Key areas and priorities for
development were agreed with a focus on pupils’
performance at S1/S2 and in national examinations at S4
to S6 across the authority’s schools.
Figures for 2001 to 2003 showed that the authority had
been successful in improving attainment in S1/S2. At S2,
in reading and writing, South Ayrshire’s performance
continued to be above the national average figures and
those for comparator authorities. The improvement in
attainment in mathematics was a notable feature. In
mathematics, the authority had improved from a position
of being below national and comparator averages in 2001
to above these figures in 2002 and 2003. General
strategies had included a closer focus on tracking and
analysing pupils’ performance, setting targets, and
devising improvement strategies. The particular
emphasis on developing pupils’ skills in mental
calculation and in using ICT had made important
contributions to improved attainment in mathematics.
In seeking to improve pupils’ performance in national
examinations at S4 to S6, the ECLL Department had
taken action to address a number of issues which had
been identified as potential hindrances to effective
learning and teaching. The Department had introduced
greater rigour into quality assurance procedures relating
15
to the allocation of permanent contracts to teaching staff
and to the evaluation of temporary staff. The increased
availability of twilight or weekend CPD activities for
staff aimed to improve continuity in teaching for pupils
by reducing the extent to which teachers needed to be out
of school. Significant increases in the allocation of
resources to pupil support and inclusion had the purpose
of improving the quality of learning for all pupils. The
Department had designed these and other commendable
initiatives with a clear focus on supporting improvements
in the quality of pupils’ learning and in their attainment.
The overall picture of performance throughout S4 to S6
indicated that the authority was continuing to sustain
levels of attainment above the national averages. The
performance of pupils in S4 to S6 had remained broadly
constant over the last three years. The authority had
maintained its position above national averages, but while
performance at Levels 4 and 5 in S4 had improved
slightly in 2004, there had been a slight decline in
standards of performance at Level 6 in S5 and S6.
In relation to the authority’s work in supporting inclusion,
notable improvements had been achieved in the
attainment of looked after children. Very good progress
had been made between 2002 and 2003 in reducing from
60% to 22% the number of 16 and 17 year-old pupils
leaving care with no qualifications at Level 3 or better.
Similarly, with the same group of pupils over the same
period, the authority had made very good progress in
increasing from 10% to 56% the number who achieved
Level 3 or better in English and mathematics. In both of
these cases, South Ayrshire had significantly improved its
position relative to comparator authorities and national
averages over the last two years. The Department was
continuing to give appropriate priority to supporting all
pupils to achieve success in National Qualifications.
The Department’s rigorous analysis of performance data,
the Director’s visits to schools, follow-through visits and
16
interviews with under-performing departments and staff
were indicative of a clear determination to improve
performance. Following the Director’s strong lead, staff
throughout the Department demonstrated a continuing
focus on exploring ways of further raising pupils’
achievement and attainment.
5. Conclusion
Since the publication of the inspection report in August
2002, the Director and his staff had made very good
progress in strengthening the work of the authority in
supporting and challenging its schools. Changes in the
management structure of the ECLL Department had
focused on improving the ability of central staff to
provide a high quality service to staff and pupils in South
Ayrshire schools. Since the initial inspection, the very
good strategic management and the very high quality of
leadership had been not only maintained but further
strengthened.
Following the Director’s impressive lead, senior
managers and centrally-employed staff demonstrated that
they had the skills to motivate staff in schools to give of
their best for pupils. The extended Departmental
Management Team showed a very strong commitment to
improving quality through effective teamwork.
Centrally-employed staff had benefited from an extensive
range of opportunities to participate in or lead
cross-departmental groups or working parties. The
resulting increased sense of ownership and responsibility
among staff was making a positive impact on the quality
of education provided in schools across the Council.
The Department had increased its support for teachers
and probationers through important improvements in the
provision of CPD. There had been significant
improvements in the provision and use of ICT equipment
across the authority’s schools, and considerable progress
17
in reviewing and developing the skills of central staff and
teachers.
The focus on meeting the wide range of pupils’ needs and
promoting social inclusion was a particular strength.
Initiatives and projects which encouraged pupils to
achieve success were making a positive impact, notably
in providing alternative curriculum pathways to motivate
pupils to achieve success and to promote social inclusion.
Overall, there was clear evidence to show that the
authority had sustained and strengthened its capacity to
ensure continuous improvement in the quality of its work.
As a result of the overall very good progress made by the
authority, HMIE will make no further visits to the
education authority in connection with this inspection.
Ian Gamble
HM Chief Inspector
Directorate 5
October 2004
18
How can you contact us?
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the Chief
Executive of the local authority, elected members,
the Head of 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 HM Inspectorate of
Education, Area 1-B South, Victoria Quay,
Edinburgh EH6 6QQ or by telephoning 0131 244
0747. Copies are also available on our website:
www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you wish to comment about education authority
inspections
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of
education authority inspections, you should write in
the first instance to Mr Ian Gamble, HMCI, at HM
Inspectorate of Education, Room 1-B95, Victoria
Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.
Our complaints procedure
If you have a concern about this report, you should
write in the first instance to Hazel Dewart, Business
Management Unit, HM Inspectorate of Education,
T1 Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive,
Edinburgh EH11 3XD. A copy of our complaints
procedure is available from this office or by
telephoning 0131 244 8468 or from our website at
www.hmie.gov.uk.
19
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken
at the end of our complaints procedure, you can raise
your complaint with the Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman. The Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to
investigate complaints about Government
departments and agencies. You should write to The
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4-6 Melville
Street, Edinburgh EH3 7NS. You can also telephone
0870 011 5378 or e-mail
enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk. More
information about the Ombudsman’s office can be
obtained from the website:
www.scottishombudsman.org.uk
Crown Copyright 2004
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.
20