Validated self-evaluation
Orkney Islands Council
11 May 2010
Contents
Page
1. The aims, nature and scope of the validated self-evaluation
1
2. Validated self-evaluation in Orkney Islands Council
2
3. Summary of the self-evaluation in Orkney Islands Council
4
Appendix: Orkney Islands Council self-evaluation
10
Orkney Islands Council requested that HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE)
work alongside the Council to undertake a validated self-evaluation (VSE).
This joint summary provides information about VSE in general and on how it
operated in Orkney Islands Council. It also describes the key outcomes for
learners in Orkney and the Council’s future actions, which have been agreed
with HMIE.
1.
The aims, nature and scope of the validated self-evaluation
Section 9 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000 charges HMIE,
on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, to provide an external evaluation of the
effectiveness of the local authority in its quality assurance of educational
provision within the Council and its support to schools in improving quality.
Evaluations are based upon a published framework of quality indicators
(Quality Management in Education 2) 1 which embody the Government’s
policy on Best Value. The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000
provides a framework for improvement planning that requires education
authorities to set out and report on improvement objectives related to the
National Performance Framework (NPF), national priorities and associated
measures of performance.
HMIE’s mission is to work with others to secure improvements in the
education and wellbeing of the people of Scotland. It promotes public
accountability for the delivery of high quality education for all learners, and
services for children. HMIE no longer operates a cycle of inspection of the
education functions of local authorities (INEA) but is developing a more
proportionate approach to evaluating and reporting on these functions in line
with the drive to reduce external scrutiny at service level. Working in
partnership with other agencies and organisations and building on the findings
of inspection and review, HMIE aims to promote improvements for the benefit
of all learners and service users. VSE contributes to this aim.
What is validated self-evaluation?
VSE is a voluntary process which aims to support and challenge the work of
education authorities to deliver and improve the quality of provision and
outcomes they offer for learners. It involves a partnership between the
education authority and HMIE. HMIE apply their knowledge of educational
delivery and expertise in evaluation in order to extend, challenge and support
the education authority’s own self-evaluation processes. This enables HMIE
to affirm (or otherwise) the outcomes of the self-evaluation and strengthen the
process. VSE acknowledges that the responsibility for improving services and
outcomes lies with the education authority. It recognises that self-evaluation
is increasingly well embedded across the Scottish educational landscape and
that high quality self-evaluation can lead to continuous improvement for
1
Quality Management in Education 2 (HM Inspectorate of Education 2006) is
a framework of self-evaluation for Local Authority Education Services.
1
learners and the achievement of excellence in practice and provision. In
summary, VSE seeks to:
•
Build the capacity of education authorities to evaluate their own
performance and improve the quality of services and outcomes for
learners.
•
Promote and develop good practice and best value in education
authorities.
•
Provide information to Scottish Ministers and the public on the quality of
educational provision in Councils.
•
Offer independent evaluation and validation.
•
Contribute to a reduction in external scrutiny at service level where
possible, taking account of risk, and provide high quality and robust
information for the shared risk assessment process.
The VSE process is designed to accord with the principles recommended by
the Crerar ‘Reducing the Burden’ Action Group, in that it is:
•
Focused on outcomes.
•
Proportionate to need.
•
Owned by those carrying out the self-evaluation.
•
Flexible, with the scope to recognise differences in service levels and
types.
•
Built on existing good practice and relevant existing standards.
•
Rigorous and transparent.
•
Designed to secure continuous improvement.
2. Validated self-evaluation in Orkney Islands Council
Scope of the validated self-evaluation
The self-evaluation process set out to enable Education and Leisure Services
(ELS) staff to answer the following questions:
•
What are our key strengths?
•
What key outcomes have we achieved?
2
•
How well do we meet the needs of stakeholders?
•
How good is our leadership?
•
What are our key priorities for improvement?
•
What is our capacity to improve?
Working with HMIE, ELS identified key themes that they considered were
areas of strength and also areas of challenge. This enabled detailed
consideration of the impact of aspects of education services in the authority
area. The four themed areas were:
•
Achievement.
•
Developing our people.
•
Partnerships.
•
Pre-school and early years.
Process of validated self-evaluation in Orkney Islands Council
HMIE and Orkney Islands Council agreed to work together to evaluate the
impact of educational services for learners and communities across the
authority area. ELS are the lead department in the authority and they brought
together a wide range of partners to work together throughout the
self-evaluation process.
Senior managers of ELS developed an expanded and enhanced version of
the processes which they had used to develop their Standards and Quality
Report. In particular, the process was extended to include a wider range of
stakeholders. HMIE worked with senior managers to brief other key
stakeholders on the principles and processes of VSE.
Each thematic group was led by a chair and supported by senior managers
and administrative staff from ELS. The groups had a broad membership
including elected members, parents, learners and representatives from a
range of partner agencies and Orkney Islands Council services. HMIE joined
these groups to offer support in gathering appropriate, robust evidence and in
analysing the findings. The groups engaged in other meetings and events
which were already arranged, such as the Orkney Learning Festival, to gather
data and views. There were regular meetings of representatives of thematic
groups, senior managers and HMIE team members throughout the process to
discuss initial findings, test emerging conclusions and share expertise on
effective practice. The team made use of performance data and other
evidence of quality and impact from a wide range of partners and from early
years and primary school HMIE inspection evidence (there was no recent
inspection of a secondary school).
3
HMIE found that the range and quality of questioning, discussions and
analysis by the team led to a strong evidence base. The programmes and
activities that were planned were well considered and provided good
opportunities for the team to consider the quality and outcomes of a wide
range of provision. Evidence was considered rigorously and robustly.
Examples of self-critical findings from the thematic groups included the
identification of the need for further development of tracking of progression in
wider achievements and more effective analysis of the impact of Continuous
Professional Development (CPD). The rationale for the agreed strengths and
areas for improvement was sound.
3. Summary of the self-evaluation in Orkney Islands Council
The points below are the agreed summary of how successful Orkney Islands
Council and their partners are in delivering effective services for learners.
The full report is also included within this document.
Opportunities for learners and how well they achieve
A very good range of high quality learning experiences is available across the
authority area. These opportunities are valued highly by learners and the
wider community. There has been a sustained focus on music, arts, physical
activity and sports, outdoor activities, and culture and heritage. Increasingly
ELS is working effectively with partners to ensure that these experiences lead
to enhanced learning for all, with increasing success in targeting of hard to
reach participants.
Attainment is very high in Orkney schools, particularly by the end of S6, and is
consistently higher than in comparator authorities. This contributes to the
readiness of young people to go to positive post-school destinations including
higher and further education, employment, training or volunteering. In this
regard, 94% of Orkney’s young people leave school to go to positive
destinations, the highest level in Scotland.
However, not all young people attain highly or find positive destinations.
There is not yet a consistent and rigorous analysis of attainment, and in
particular the outcomes for lower attaining learners. ELS is collaborating with
partners to target resources. For example the Connect project, based at
Voluntary Action Orkney, works with young people who do not have positive
post-school destinations, and ensures that they are offered appropriate
choices.
The wellbeing indicators and the language of the four capacities of Curriculum
for Excellence 2 are being increasingly used across services as a means of
evaluating individual children’s and young people’s needs. ELS and their
2
Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve a transformation in education in
Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from
3 to 18.
4
partners are achieving very successful outcomes for children and young
people. In particular, vulnerable learners are very well supported.
Services for adult learners are also very good. The Learning Link provides
life-changing opportunities for adult learners through its literacy and numeracy
programmes, and Orkney College provides an increasing range of high quality
courses for school-aged and adult learners.
Parents and families are regarded as key partners in learning. They are
consulted through well-supported Parent Councils, and consistently express
high levels of satisfaction with services.
The key partners who work together to deliver education
ELS has made much progress in developing its internal partnerships. The
schools, establishments and services which make up Education and Leisure
are now much better at planning and working in partnership to provide
education through sharing aims, avoiding duplication, and adding value to
each other’s work. Similarly, they work increasingly well with partners such as
social work, health, police and the Third Sector. The driving force with
external partners has been the need for high quality child protection and
children’s services, and as a result vulnerable learners are very well served.
The service must now begin to plan strategically with partners for all learners
in order to develop the curriculum and continue to raise achievement.
Where services are strong
During the last five years, ELS and partners have worked hard and
successfully to improve the overall quality of education from ‘good’ to ‘very
good’. There are some areas of service which are of outstanding quality, and
which approach or have reached ‘excellence’ as a result of staff commitment
to continuous improvement. Overall, the Council’s education services are
very effective. Self-evaluation is well embedded, and leadership is focused
and strong.
•
The quality of pre-school provision is very high and is improving further.
There is an impressive range of experiences for primary and
secondary-aged learners as a result of the provision of high quality staff
and facilities. As a result, many learners achieve very highly. The
performance of the lowest-attaining 20% of S4 learners is a real strength
of the authority.
•
Services such as the Learning Link, which helps adults with literacy and
numeracy skills, and Orkney College, which delivers a range of further and
higher education courses, have extended the range of opportunities for
adult learners within Orkney. The views of learners and evaluations from
HMIE are extremely positive.
5
•
Through effective partnerships, the coordinated support given to
vulnerable learners and their families by all services and agencies is very
good.
•
Education services are very well led and elected members and senior
officials know their services well. There are effective arrangements to
distribute leadership to all levels. Staff respond well to leadership
opportunities, and are highly committed to their service users.
•
CPD programmes are very effective and increasingly cross-sectoral. The
induction programme for probationer teachers is of very high quality and
recognised nationally.
•
Considering the small size and remoteness of Orkney, ELS and their
partners make significant contributions to the national education
community. Staff make significant contributions to national networks and
conferences, and share a range of areas of best practice with colleagues.
What improvements are required and planned?
The service and partners will address a number of planned improvements
over the next year or two. The thematic groups identified a number of
additional operational action points which have already been incorporated into
individual and departmental work plans.
In particular, two key improvements need to be made, and these encompass
the more detailed action points that follow. HMIE agrees with these priorities
and will offer support though ongoing contact through the District Inspector.
•
While Orkney Islands Council plan strategically with partners to support
the most vulnerable learners and keep children safe, they have yet to
engage in strategic planning for learning for other learners. For example,
there is still insufficient involvement of key players such as CLD, the Third
Sector and Orkney College in developing Curriculum for Excellence.
•
Orkney Islands Council and their partners will ensure that learners’
attainment is scrutinised at all levels with a consistent rigour and in so
doing will establish the reasons for variations in performance and address
these.
What does the Council plan to do next?
•
3
Senior managers 3 will use Curriculum for Excellence to develop the
provision offered to children, young people and adult learners. Senior
managers will work with all appropriate partners to draw up an Orkney
Learning Strategy. This will include training to develop the knowledge,
skills and attitudes for successful partnership working.
‘Senior managers’ refers to all promoted staff in the service, and its partners.
6
•
Senior managers will improve the consistency of learning experiences
and continuity of practice across Curriculum for Excellence early level.
They will continue to roll out opportunities for High/Scope 4 training and
will work with partners to develop a comprehensive learning through play
strategy for Orkney. Senior managers and practitioners will further
develop the practice of gathering views from children about the quality of
their pre-school/early years experience.
•
Senior managers will explore how the secondary sector and Orkney
College can work better together to improve options and choices for
learners through Curriculum for Excellence.
•
In order to keep attainment at its present high level, senior managers will
maintain a focus on evaluating attainment during the period of
development of Curriculum for Excellence. They will ensure that the
work identified to address specific attainment issues and tracking of
wider achievement is undertaken and implemented. They will ensure
rigour and consistency of scrutiny in key evaluations of attainment.
•
In order to build on recent success, senior managers will continue their
current focus on improving self-evaluation at all levels in order to improve
and raise achievement.
•
The ELS extended management team 5 will review the co-coaching
scheme and establish how to improve leadership for managers.
•
The ELS extended management team will build on the good start made
to accreditation of wider achievement, and further develop progression
pathways for all young people. They will work with partners to evaluate
programmes and, where appropriate, develop them in order to be more
effective in meeting the needs of all participants.
•
Senior managers will raise achievement for all by increasing
opportunities for all young people, and particularly those with additional
support needs, to participate in as wide a range of activities as possible.
•
Senior managers will ensure that learning activities offer appropriate
challenge for all children and young people, including those who show a
particular talent in one or more areas of their learning.
•
The ELS extended management team will work with school staff to
identify and analyse which young people are opting out of
non-mandatory cultural activities.
4
High/Scope is a method of learning which allows young children to be
involved actively in their own learning.
5
The ELS extended management team are those centrally based staff in
management positions.
7
•
Senior managers will ensure that primary and junior high schools
achieve the target, and that secondary schools are moving towards the
target, of two hours core curriculum physical education by August 2010
at all stages.
•
In order to build on the excellent opportunities for children and young
people, senior managers will consult with young learners to ensure wider
ownership of the cultural entitlements; they will ensure that young
learners and their families know and understand their entitlements; they
will ensure that all agreed basic cultural entitlements are delivered; and
they will evaluate their contribution towards raising achievement.
•
To further strengthen the very good staff development, senior managers
will develop a process to ensure that service CPD provision takes into
account the needs of the whole service; they will clarify all managers’
roles and responsibilities for CPD; they will ensure that the percentage of
staff in receipt of annual staff review is increased to at least 90%; and
they will ensure that there is a clear structure for staff reviews and CPD
plans, with clear outcomes and impact for future development.
Further details of areas identified for improvement are given in the attached
report prepared by Orkney Islands Council as part of the VSE process.
How has the VSE contributed to Orkney Islands Council’s capacity to
improve?
The evidence gained by HMIE in working alongside Orkney Islands Council
staff and partners confirms that a culture of self-evaluation within services is
well-established, that the approach is open and rigorous and that there is
commitment to improvement across services.
The Council reports that the VSE process has further enhanced the
commitment and skills of those involved in bringing about improvement
through self-evaluation. The HMIE team participated in interviews, visits and
focus groups and offered challenge and support, coaching and skills
development as appropriate. In doing so, they developed further the skills of
team members, for example in challenging each other on the implications of
data analysis and focus group questioning. Staff from across various sectors
and services in the Council worked very well together to develop their own
knowledge and understanding. There was a notable increase in skills of
questioning and analysis throughout the process. HMIE gained valuable
knowledge about good practice in the authority area and insights into how the
VSE process can develop into the future.
Senior managers from Orkney Islands Council plan to continue to use VSE to
further shape future performance management and self-evaluation across
education in Orkney. Work has already begun on a new and promising
approach to planning and evaluating lifelong learning. The evidence indicates
that development and implementation of the Orkney Learning Strategy will
deliver major benefits in terms of resource efficiencies and improved curricular
8
planning. The impact of the VSE on local operational planning and personal
reflective practice across sectors is very positive and the value of what they
have gained has been acknowledged by everyone involved. The engagement
of HMIE in developing the skills of Orkney Islands Council staff in addition to
undertaking evaluative activities has increased the level of expertise which
can be used by ELS and their partners in ongoing self-evaluation activities.
Orkney Islands Council and their partners have the capacity and commitment
to further improve services.
Maureen Mallon
HM Inspector
Directorate 5
HM Inspectorate of Education
Leslie Manson
Director of Education
and Leisure Services
Orkney Islands Council
11 May 2010
How can you contact us?
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of validated self-evaluation
you should write to Gill Robinson, HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education,
Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston
EH54 6GA. Alternatively, if your query is related to this report, you may
also write to Lesley Manson, Director of Education and Leisure Services,
Orkney Islands Council, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY.
.
9
Appendix: Orkney Islands Council Self-Evaluation Report
Context
Orkney Islands Council is the smallest local authority in Scotland, but its
population is dispersed over 17 inhabited islands: the whole population is
classified as “remote”. A third of the population live in remote small towns,
and the rest in remote rural areas. More than half of the total population live
in the two principal towns of Kirkwall and Stromness. The outlying isles
communities have populations ranging from around 600 to just a single family.
There are frequent air and sea connections between the isles, and between
Orkney and the Scottish mainland, although these are subject to disruption
due to weather during winter months. The implications for the day-to-day
running of education services are huge.
Although rurality and remoteness generate many challenges, there are fewer
stresses on services than in most other parts of Scotland – no area of Orkney
is classified as deprived, crime rates are low, and employment rates are high.
The proportion of children whose mothers have degrees or other professional
qualifications is above the national average at 22%. So far, Orkney is faring
better that the rest of Scotland during the recession.
The population is increasing slightly, but the demographic changes are more
pronounced than over Scotland as a whole. In Orkney, the under-15
population is predicted to fall by 5.5% by 2016, while the percentage of people
of pensionable age will rise by over 20%. Currently, the school population is
declining at around the national rate.
Role and structure of ELS
ELS are responsible for delivering a range of services including: pre-school,
schools, further education and elements of higher education; CLD; library and
archive services; arts, sport, leisure, museums and heritage services;
residential services for secondary-aged learners.
The Director leads and manages ELS in accordance with the scheme of
delegation and serves on the Council’s Corporate Management Team. The
management of ELS is organised into four service delivery areas each led by
an Assistant Director who provides the strategic leadership in his/her area of
service. The Director and the four Assistant Directors make up the
Directorate, or senior management team of ELS.
10
Education & Leisure Services
Director
Support for
Learners
Educational
Resources
Quality
Improvement
Leisure and
Culture
Assistant Director
Assistant Director
Assistant Director
Assistant Director
Community
Learning and
Development
Manager
Educational
Psychology Service
Principal
Psychologist
Resource
Management
Educational
Resources Officer
Schools
Head Teachers
Arts, Museums
and Heritage
Service Improvement
Officers
Orkney Libraries
and Archive
Manager
Manager
Peripatetic Staff
Principal Teacher
Orkney College
Principal
Support for Pupils
Staff
Principal Teacher
School
Improvement;
Learning and
Teaching;
Curriculum
Sport and Leisure
Manager
Papdale Halls of
Residence
Manager
11
Section 1
What key outcomes have we achieved and how well do we
meet the needs of stakeholders?
Successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens,
effective contributors.
Since September 2008, all HMIE inspection reports on Orkney schools have
been positive, with all quality indicators good or better.
Attainment at all stages across Orkney schools is consistently very high
overall. Where dips in attainment occur, these are quickly identified by link
officers and school managers, and remedied.
Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics for primary-aged learners has
been consistently high. In secondary schools, recorded levels of attainment
by the end of S2 have shown a declining trend in reading, writing and
mathematics. Because of this, link officers and head teachers will ensure that
all staff maintain a focus on attainment in order to ensure that children and
young people make appropriate progress during the period of development of
Curriculum for Excellence.
Overall, performance of learners at S4, S5 and S6 is above that for learners in
comparator 6 authorities, above that in almost all other authorities, and well
above national averages. Around 95% of young people attain five or more
awards at SCQF 7 Level 3 or better by the end of S4, and almost half attain
five or more awards at SCQF Level 5 or better. Attainment at the end of S6 is
particularly impressive, with a quarter of young people leaving school with five
or more higher awards. There is, however, no improvement trend in
attainment at S4 and S5 and this requires improvement.
The performance of the lowest-attaining 20% of S4 learners is a real strength
of the authority, and figures are significantly better than in comparator
authorities and the national average. However, this figure has dropped in the
last year, as has attainment at Levels 3 and 4. Link officers and school
managers will establish the reasons for this, and work with schools to address
this dip in performance to ensure better outcomes for all learners.
The number of children and young people looked after 8 by the authority is
very low. The proportion of looked after and accommodated young people
leaving care who achieve qualifications in both English and mathematics at
SCQF Level 3 or better is consistently at or close to 100%.
6
Comparator authorities are those council areas whose socio-economic
circumstances are most similar to Orkney i.e. Shetland, Western Isles, Moray,
Highland, Scottish Borders.
7
SCQF describes the framework of courses and programmes that lead to
qualifications at different levels.
8
The term ‘looked after’ in this report includes all children looked after or
looked after and accommodated by the Council.
12
In the last three years, involvement in The Duke of Edinburgh Awards
Scheme has been reinvigorated, Dynamic Youth and Youth Achievement
awards have been introduced, and other joint work between the senior
secondary schools and the CLD service to support learners has been
initiated. Staff are developing progression routes for learners and there is
already good evidence of progression to higher levels of accreditation. The
service will build on this good start and further develop progression pathways
for young people.
Participation and exposure to a range of rich experiences is a key part of the
learning experience for children and young people. Participation by learners
of all ages is high and increasing. Examples include the level of purposeful
usage of leisure and sport facilities, numbers of learners who play a musical
instrument, attendance levels at youth clubs, and uptake of courses at Orkney
College.
The service provides a wide range of enriching experiences for young people
in arts, sports, culture and outdoor education activities. There are a large
number of examples of innovative, good practice which have a very positive
impact on learning experiences. The service has recently begun to compile
data on participation in these activities through its cultural entitlement model,
and it will be important that this data are used to benchmark with other
authorities, if possible, and establish longitudinal trends. Current participation
is very high, though the service has yet to fully evaluate how participation
contributes to higher achievement.
In addition to accreditation for individual learners, schools and establishments
achieve other forms of accredited status such as the John Muir Award and
eco-school status. Currently around two-thirds of primary-aged learners are
involved in these environmental initiatives and this is increasing their
awareness of sustainability.
There are a number of initiatives which have enabled learners to work with
their Orkney peers, learners from other parts of Scotland, and professional
musicians and composers. Notable examples are:
•
•
•
St Magnus Festival – each year the service part funds the festival in order
that around 150 learners have the opportunity to work and perform
alongside professionals.
Music instrumental courses – twice, annually, large numbers of players
meet together to learn pieces under the tutelage of professionals, and
perform concerts locally. Around 230 children and young people are
involved.
A further development of instrumental work has been the several
collaborations with learners and staff from East Renfrewshire and
Shetland Councils, culminating in performances locally, in Shetland, and in
Glasgow and Edinburgh. Around 50 young people benefited from this
experience.
13
•
Weekend Rock Schools have been arranged by the CLD service at the
four junior high schools over the past two years. Around 80 young people
gained skills and confidence, and took part in final performances.
Similar opportunities in art and design, drama and dance are provided,
and one result of this is an increase in exam presentations and levels of
attainment in music, drama and art.
There is a strong commitment by the service to promoting active citizenship
among school pupils and young people in the community. For example, the
annual Orkney Youth Conference gives young people a chance to debate
issues that matter to them in the presence of elected members and public
service staff. Over 50 young people attend each year. The agendas are built
upon preliminary surveys which identify topics for discussion. In this way,
young people can raise awareness of issues which are important to them and
are able to influence attitudes and services. The annual Chamber debate is
another opportunity for school learners from all the secondary and junior high
schools to debate issues they consider important with councillors in the
presence of senior council officials.
In an increasing number of schools, children and young people are learning to
be responsible citizens through their involvement in pupil councils and school
eco-groups. They are becoming more confident in contributing to meetings,
using literacy skills in real-life contexts and responding well to the
responsibilities they are given around school. In this way, children play an
active and important part in improving their schools. For example, the
majority of pupil councils have improved their school grounds through tree
planting and choosing and buying playground equipment. In one school,
pupils helped reduce the school’s carbon footprint through community
awareness raising.
In one island youth work setting, young people have embarked on a project to
create their own youth drop-in centre after taking part in Youth Involvement
Training run by Youth Scotland. Young people are clearly able to identify the
positive impact that their involvement in youth work has, particularly on
building confidence, creating a better image within the school and community,
gaining new skills and building ambition.
Through schools and youth work provision, young people successfully
contribute to a number of worthwhile causes through involvement in, for
example, Bag the Bruck, an annual Orkney-wide beach-cleaning exercise,
and Children in Need, during which schools organise a range of activities to
raise funds for charity.
A number of young people have the opportunity to directly influence the
services they use. For example, the CLD team provided support for the
recent establishment of the Orkney Youth Café as a safe environment for
young people to meet and socialise, and also as a place where staff from a
range of partners can engage with young people and provide advice and
support in an informal setting. The Youth Café will provide opportunities for
young people to be actively involved in managing the service and to have
14
their say on issues that affect them. During the first two months of this
initiative, over 120 young people have visited, with the majority making repeat
visits.
Through the local media, children and young people and the staff who work
with them are able to celebrate many of their achievements. Regularly
featured are schools, youth clubs and other events and successes. This
includes young people who achieve awards such as Dynamic Youth or Youth
Achievement, teams which win trophies or are successful at the sports
awards, or individual successes such as the ‘deepender’ award for young
children who swim 25 metres.
Wellbeing indicators – safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active,
respected and responsible, included.
The service has adopted the wellbeing indicators as a means of evaluating
the needs of individual children and young people. The Support for Learners
team has worked effectively with partners to ensure that planning and
assessment considers the whole range of wellbeing indicators.
The service contributes to keeping children and young people safe and
nurtured in a number of ways. Through the ethos of schools and
establishments, as evidenced through HMIE reports, children and young
people are cared for and respected. Their safety is addressed through staff
training and effective procedures and policies including those for child
protection, school security, internet usage and excursion risk assessment.
Pastoral support and guidance are of high quality, and are valued by young
people.
All schools meet the criteria for health promoting school status and a number
of initiatives have resulted in improved outcomes. For example, effective
sexual health programmes in partnership with NHS Orkney have led to
significant reductions in teenage pregnancy rates.
The education authority has developed and consistently promoted inclusive
practice within schools. Success in meeting needs is consistently good or
better and almost all parents report that their children are treated fairly and
with respect.
Orkney schools are very effective in ensuring that children and young people
are included and engaged with school education. Attendance in pre-school
centres and classes, and primary and secondary schools is consistently very
good and is amongst the best in Scotland.
Exclusion rates in Orkney’s schools are consistently the lowest in Scotland.
Exclusions from primary schools are rare, and the rate of exclusion from
secondary schools is around 10 exclusions per 1000 pupils. However, the
prevalence of exclusion is significantly higher for looked after children and
young people, and further training with school staff is required.
15
Another indicator of the effectiveness of the service to meet needs is the
decreasing number of young people who require education outwith Orkney.
The service is working successfully with partners to make more flexible
provision locally in order to obviate the need for Out-of-Orkney placements.
A particular challenge for the service is geographical isolation and exclusion,
and considerable targeting of resources ensures that learners enjoy equity of
access to services. A consequent additional benefit for learners of their
participation in cultural and sporting activities is the opportunity to travel and
meet peers from other schools and regions. A feature of the service is the
commitment to ensuring that learners have experiences which allow them to
see beyond their own horizon. This is done particularly well by island schools,
as evidenced by inspections. In all primary schools, P7 learners prepare for
transition to secondary school through participation in liaison visits to
secondary and through involvement in transition sports.
Pre-school and early learners
Evidence from service managers, parents and inspections by HMIE and the
Care Commission demonstrates that almost all pre-school settings provide
welcoming and inclusive environments for young children to learn and play.
Children are making good or very good progress across key aspects of their
learning and there is increasing emphasis on providing opportunities for
children to make choices and decisions and become more independent. The
recent appointment of a peripatetic early years support teacher has enhanced
the quality of service by supporting pre-school establishments and partner
providers with improved approaches to children’s learning and development
using the High/Scope approach.
Support for very young children (0-8) and their families is provided very
effectively through the education service working in partnership with a number
of agencies, such as health visitors and social workers. The Homelink service
is the lead agency together with the Orkney Childcare Partnership for the
Positive Parenting Programme, which was recently awarded a national
commendation and identified by HMIE as a key strength.
The service also significantly supports the volunteer agency HomeStart
Orkney to reach out to families with very young children. A recent external
evaluation reported how effectively the organisation was operating for the
benefit of families in the community. From its base at Orkney Library and
Archive, BookStart Orkney runs very successful and well-attended events for
babies, toddlers and parents. Through Bounce and Rhyme times, parents are
introduced to early literacy with their young children in a supportive fun
environment. Parents report how much they enjoy and value the social
interaction and learning together.
Staff have worked increasingly well with other agencies to improve children’s
health and wellbeing. For instance, working closely with the dental service in
a tooth-brushing initiative, levels of tooth decay in young children have
markedly decreased. Building on the play and active learning in pre-school,
greater attention is now being given to ensuring continuity of children’s
16
learning experiences between nursery and P1. Use of the outside as an
extension of the learning environment is continuing to develop. Most schools,
pre-school settings and communities are well resourced with equipment and
play areas. The service should now develop a comprehensive play strategy.
Primary-aged learners
The learning environment in schools and youth work settings is very good,
with high staffing levels, a positive ethos and good accommodation.
Learners experience high levels of achievement, particularly in the early years
where attainment is very good. Staff provide lively, active and motivating
learning experiences which benefit children. This includes good opportunities
to develop independent thinking skills, to interact with others, to explore their
rich local environment and to become responsible citizens. Interactive
whiteboards and computers are used increasingly well to support learning. In
most schools staff are using personal learning planning to encourage children
to think about their learning targets. Teachers use formative assessment
strategies to share the purposes of lessons and involve children in identifying
success criteria. Self and peer assessment features in many classrooms and
helps children to become more aware of their next steps in learning.
Staff are using Curriculum for Excellence to improve the curriculum, with an
initial focus on planning effective interdisciplinary projects. Children are
benefiting from increased opportunities to understand links between different
aspects of their learning. There is room to improve further monitoring of
learners’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics particularly in the
upper stages of primary. There is a need to improve aspects of learning such
as presentation of written work and meeting the needs of all learners,
particularly challenging the most able.
Outdoor activities are well-planned and safe. The outdoor education service
provides high quality instruction, and increasingly coheres with schools and
services in the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. Peripatetic
teachers of expressive arts collaborate with Active Schools and Sports
Development and Cultural Coordinators to ensure activities provide
coherence for learners. Almost all primary and junior high schools now
provide at least two hours physical education each week for primary-aged
learners.
Secondary-aged learners
Secondary-aged learners enjoy a wide range of accessible opportunities.
They report that their experiences have a positive influence on their
confidence and their effectiveness as contributors. They are well-supported
by staff in both schools and partner agencies in well-resourced schools and
subject departments.
Through involvement in the Schools of Ambition programme, secondary-aged
learners have improved their knowledge and skills. For example, in
17
leadership development, S6 learners have led leadership sessions for S1
learners. The Speak Up, Speak Out programme has helped young people
build their confidence and skills in listening and talking. Cross-school visits
and the use of e-platforms by staff and young people have encouraged a
closer look at culture, heritage and environments. Local and global links have
provided a wide range of learning experiences that will last beyond the life of
the programme. In particular, learners have established meaningful links with
Malawi, Norway and Italy.
Through partnership working, young people are developing skills for work and
skills for life. ELS works with other providers, such as Orkney College, to
facilitate a number of work-based opportunities and this will develop further in
the coming sessions. Junior High schools, in partnership with their local
communities, provide bespoke courses in local skills and crafts for S3 and S4
learners.
In order to improve attainment, systems for tracking young people’s progress
have been introduced. S1 and S2 learners take Middle Years Information
System (MidYIS) assessments which predict attainment in S4 and staff work
closely to help learners achieve their targets. Tracking at the senior stages
helps to identify and support those who are at risk.
Although not all secondary learners yet receive two hours core curriculum
physical education, schools are moving towards this target for August 2010.
The CLD Service provides opportunities for young people to achieve through
activities such as the Momentum driving programme and the Girls on the
Move programme. Youth Achievement Awards are being developed for use
within community and healthy eating projects and to accredit service and skills
development.
Almost all school leavers have positive destinations, remaining in education,
or going to training, employment or volunteering. Annually, around 6% of
young people currently fail to do so, one of the lowest levels in Scotland. This
figure amounted to fifteen young people in 2009. To address the needs of
this group of young people, and working with partners, the service helped
develop the Connect project, based at Voluntary Action Orkney. This initiative
is in line with the service commitment to young people that all will receive an
offer of an opportunity for education, employment or training. So far, ten
young people have participated, of whom two have gained employment.
Adult learners
There are consistently high levels of participation in community learning
courses. Opportunities have been extended in recent years through
partnership with Orkney College. Demand for English for Speakers of Other
Languages courses (ESOL) decreased in 2008-09 to 40 learners compared to
the high level of demand in previous years of around 60, in line with
acknowledged migration trends. In order to ensure optimal take-up of
18
learning opportunities, CLD and Orkney College staff plan to further market
ESOL, targeting local employers.
The number of Adult Literacy and Numeracy learners at the Learning Orkney
Islands Council increased significantly from levels of around 70 to over 100 in
2008-09. Participants in literacy programmes have made substantial changes
in their lives through this engagement. Learners report significant increases
in self-confidence. There is extensive evidence of personal learning and
growth. This includes learners obtaining employment, pursuing a professional
development course in nursing, studying in further education and becoming
able to assist grandchildren with homework.
In early 2009, the Learning Link found that there was an increase in demand
from workers made redundant by Woolworths in Kirkwall. A short course was
devised in partnership with Orkney College and Skills Development Scotland
for delivery to build self-confidence and improve employability skills. Four of
those attending have found new jobs and three have gone into further
education.
A high level of satisfaction is consistently reported in feedback questionnaires
from participants in community learning courses. Ninety nine percent said
that they would recommend the course to others (2008).
Orkney College has maintained very high retention and attainment rates for its
further education learners. During its review in February 2006 the College
received very good or good grades in all subject areas.
A College-wide process of three individual review interviews each allows
learners to formally discuss progress and priorities with teaching staff,
allowing opportunity to reflect upon wider achievement. Class representatives
also raise points relating to learning and teaching with teaching staff which are
considered and responded to quickly. Attainment levels and learner feedback
give a very positive picture of effective learning and teaching.
The views of learners are appropriately considered by teaching staff within the
College through an established system of class representatives. Class
representatives have a clear understanding of their role, and are confident to
give feedback to staff on class issues with a clear focus on learning and
teaching. Teaching staff are open to feedback and are responsive. However,
the student association has not been successful in attracting sufficient class
representatives to college-wide meetings. The student association and class
representatives are not sufficiently clear on their role and contribution to
college committees or the wider life of the College.
Impact on parents, carers and families
Schools have developed very good partnerships with parents, Parent
Councils and the wider community. Feedback from both schools’ and
authority surveys, and HMIE questionnaires and reports, confirms that
parents are pleased with almost all aspects of the work of schools.
19
Schools consult parents on aspects of the curriculum, including sensitive
health issues. Parents of learners with additional support needs are fully
involved in discussions regarding their children’s learning. Most schools
have well designed websites which provide a range of useful information
and up-to-date news. Regular newsletters are increasingly of a high
standard and parents find these and the school websites informative. A
small number of schools have started to develop innovative ways to
ensure parents are given direct responsibility for aspects of their children’s
learning. A recent example from Stromness Academy, showcased at a
National Parent Involvement conference, resulted in an Orkney parent
being invited as a member of the national steering group to set up the
National Parent Forum.
Education and Leisure Services are involved with a number of different
partners and services (including the Third Sector) to help children and families
secure outcomes for themselves. Examples include support for Parent &
Toddler Groups, Bookstart, Home Start, FACT Finders (Fathers and Children
Together), Introduction to Babysitting course, Triple P (Positive Parenting
Programme), Young Mums’ Groups, and support for adult literacy and
numeracy at the Learning Link. As a result, officers within the education
service are well informed and play a significant role in the strategic direction of
the work of the Orkney Childcare Partnership, a key provider of early years
and family support. In particular, the Home Link Service provides very
effective direct support to families with young children and is a very important
conduit for successful joint working across services and with schools for the
benefit of children and their parents/carers.
Staff in Support for Learners have created a support programme for parents
of children with autism spectrum disorder. They have delivered training to
staff in partner agencies in order to develop a pool of parent coaches. As a
result, families report greater confidence in managing their children’s
challenging behaviour and this reduces levels of stress within families.
Service managers attend many Parent Council meetings, and meet with
Parent Council chairs on an annual basis to discuss matters of collective
interest, one example being the implications of the Parental Involvement Act.
Impact on staff
The Orkney Islands Council employee survey found very high staff morale
across the service. Education and Leisure employees consistently reported
views and attitudes which were more positive than average across Orkney
Islands Council: 98% felt they had the opportunity to put forward new ideas or
suggestions and 99% felt their performance had improved as a result of skills
they had developed over the past year. Through authority surveys of staff
opinion, and HMIE questionnaires, almost all school staff were very positive
about their work and workplace. Staff absence across the service is the
lowest of all Council services with, for example, teaching absence levels
showing an improving trend and now well below the overall Council average.
20
The authority places considerable importance on supporting staff through
consultation and involvement, and CPD experiences are well planned and
effective. Managers work well with teaching unions through the Local
Negotiating Committee for Teachers.
There are low levels of staff accidents and incidents of violence against staff,
with only four reportable incidents, all of which involved young people with
additional needs. The number of disciplinary hearings and grievances/dignity
at work complaints is also very low.
Senior officers have improved the degree to which staff are well informed
about the Council’s aims for education and their role in helping to realise
them. The Council’s programmes for induction and continuing professional
development are viewed very positively and the courses themselves are
judged to be very successful by those attending them. Professional review is
well embedded and currently accessed by 75% of staff. Senior managers
plan to raise the percentage of staff in receipt of staff review to at least 90%.
Service managers formally evaluated the success of the scheme of
professional review and development (2007), and the extent to which it
impacts on children’s learning, and feedback was extremely positive.
Through the last four Learning Festivals, a very wide range of CPD courses
has been organised, many linking to the development of Curriculum for
Excellence, and these events are increasingly accessed by colleagues in
other departments and agencies. The focus for the 2009 Learning Festival
was health and wellbeing, with an emphasis on building healthier
communities. Schools and establishments are being encouraged to register
for the Healthy Working Lives accreditation scheme, which provides a
framework for improving staff health and wellbeing. The central service has
recently gained a bronze award in Healthy Working Lives. Currently three
schools have registered with five more having expressed an interest.
Staff value the opportunities for CPD, as evidenced by the very high level of
teachers who attend twilight and weekend courses. During 2008-09, a total of
390 attendances were registered. The service is working in partnership with
six other authorities in the North of Scotland (North Alliance) to identify and
develop opportunities for training and development for CLD practitioners in
the public and Third Sectors. In the most recent school ethos survey, 91% of
classroom-based staff and 82% of other staff agreed that they had good
opportunities to take part in continuing professional development. Staff who
achieve noteworthy CPD accreditation have their contributions recognised at
Council functions attended by members and senior managers, and through
press articles. CPD often leads to the dissemination and adoption of good
practice. For instance, following the success of an Assessment is for
Learning 9 project on personal learning planning, the authority supported
training for a number of early years practitioners in the use of the High/Scope
9
Assessment is for Learning provides a coherent framework for assessment,
in which evidence of learning can be gathered and interpreted to best meet
the needs of learners.
21
approach. This has positively influenced practice and professional
development.
An innovative approach to learning and teaching has been offered to primary
and secondary teachers through participation in the Critical Skills
Programme 10 . It equips staff to offer children real-life challenges, gets them
to think for themselves, to solve problems, to think outside the box, to work in
a structured manner and produce quality work. Eighty-five teachers across
schools in Orkney have received Level 1 training and feedback is 100%
positive with many stating it is the best CPD ever experienced. Evidence of
impact of this effective practice is documented in schools’ own evaluations of
learning and teaching as well as in recent inspection reports.
A large proportion of staff have opportunities to influence the work of the
service through authority development work and membership of working
groups or focus groups.
Purposeful and respectful relations between managers and teaching union
representatives lead generally to negotiated solutions. The service is
constantly keeping under review policies which impact on staff or on the
service, and senior managers work very well with trade unions to consider
staff issues. Two years ago, recruitment and retention of staff was identified
as a serious problem for the service. A strategy to address this was
developed by a range of stakeholders and, as a result, numbers of vacant
posts have reduced and levels of staff turnover have dropped.
Impact on the local community
As a result of strong partnerships with parents and community groups,
schools make a positive impact on their local communities.
Schools and establishments are extremely close to their local communities,
and most schools are designated as community schools with shared
accommodation and resources.
CLD officers maintain close links with community associations and work
closely with head teachers of community schools to help build the capacity of
associations to respond to community needs. A number of community
schools, particularly in the isles, have integrated facilities – sports halls,
community rooms, swimming pools, healthy living centres, play parks, playing
fields – such that learners, parents and other community members work and
learn together.
The CLD service has worked with partners to develop community learning
action plans for each of the multi-member electoral wards, having consulted
extensively with community associations, community councils and
development trusts. As a result, there are now clear and agreed priorities to
10
Critical Skills Programme is an approach to learning which is collaborative,
experiential and problem-based.
22
develop opportunities for community learning and community action. It will be
important to keep these plans under review in order that their impact can be
evaluated.
Orkney College works very effectively with partner organisations in Orkney to
provide an accessible and inclusive curriculum to local communities, including
those sections of the community in remote locations.
Staff also work with a number of organisations to promote sport and increase
participation and standards, notably with rugby, golf and football. The service
has formed a partnership with the Scottish Rugby Union to create a three-year
post of rugby development officer. Clubgolf, through a partnership with
Scottish Golf Union, has enabled all P5 children to have an introduction to golf
whilst the Highland Football Academy has worked with both local schools and
clubs to provide coaching and establish the Orkney Football Trust.
Impact on the wider community
Despite the relative remoteness of the authority, the service is an active
participant in the national education scene. Service managers and staff play
a significant part in national networks. The director is the president of the
Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and a member of
the General Teaching Council. The Assistant Directors all play active parts in,
and have represented ADES in, key national networks. A number of staff
have trained as associate assessors with HMIE. A number of Orkney’s head
teachers and teachers have been seconded to various development posts by
Learning and Teaching Scotland, showing that staff can develop the attributes
of highly enhanced professionals within the service. These national
perspectives have also enhanced local provision through having increased
the knowledge and skills of the participants.
Key contributions are made to national events by local staff, and in this way
Orkney has further enhanced its reputation:•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Presentation at HMIE good practice conference for Early Years (2007).
Presentation at Assessment Symposium (2009).
Presentation on Orkney’s teacher induction programme, to probation
managers at the General Teaching Council annual meeting (2009).
Samba project presentation, an expressive arts collaboration, at the
Scottish Learning Festival (2009).
Arctic Voice, an interdisciplinary presentation, at an international Learning
and Teaching Scotland event (2009).
Presentation at Parental Involvement national conference (2009).
Interdisciplinary projects, at the Scottish Learning Festival (2009),
including the leadership development metasaga, a journey through culture,
heritage and physical landscape, which is gaining national recognition as a
highly motivational and interactive leadership too.
Comenius projects and e-twinning at British Council national meetings
(2008-2009).
23
Good practice is also showcased through arranging visits of international
groups of educationalists. Orkney has hosted ARION programme
international visits on Leadership in Schools in 2003 and Improving Learning
and Teaching through self-evaluation in 2006 and will host a successor
ECOTEC programme, Building Leadership Capacity through the Learning
Community, in 2010. This outward looking attitude is further evident in
approaches to international education. Furthermore, Orkney entertained a
study visit requested by education staff from Indonesia who were investigating
various international programmes from around the world on teacher training,
recruitment and retention, and professional development.
A number of schools and individual staff have developed links with other parts
of the world through their schools’ citizenship programmes. The global
agenda is supported by international study visits for staff through the LTS
International Programme of Continuing Professional Development. This
initiative has allowed staff to visit places such as Canada, California,
New Zealand, Hong Kong, Brazil, and Amsterdam where they were able to
look at practice in leadership, mentoring, early years assessment, music, and
holocaust education. This in turn has been shared with colleagues and
informed changes in practice locally.
All schools have been encouraged to apply for the British Council’s
International Schools’ Awards and to date five schools have been successful
at different levels.
Section 2
How good is our leadership?
The Council and its partners share a clear, appropriate vision for the
development of education services to children, young people and adults living
in their communities. This vision is set out in a number of key planning
documents which, taken together, provide a clear, coherent basis for action
and which articulate well with corporate goals and national priorities. The
contribution of the service to the Single Outcome Agreement (produced by the
Community Planning Partnership) is considerable and well embedded. The
Council and the Community Planning Partnership share six guiding principles:
promoting survival, sustainability and equality; working together; working with
communities; and working to provide better services. Education and Leisure
Services have synthesised their vision statement with a particular emphasis
on working together, high expectation and inclusion:
“This is our community we want the very best for everyone.”
The service has identified key improvement priorities, namely self-evaluation,
leadership and performance management, and has successfully ensured
widespread commitment to these. As a result, improvements to services and
to the quality of schools and establishments can be demonstrated. Service
priorities are reinforced during the frequent jointly planned development days
during which senior managers across the service meet for core CPD,
consultation, briefing and sharing good practice. In addition, key policies and
24
initiatives such as Education is for All 11 , corporate parenting, and Getting it
right for every child 12 are discussed and disseminated at these events in order
that there is consistency across the service.
Service managers provide leadership of very high quality, confirmed by
inspection and audit evidence. Leadership has been successfully distributed
across the service so that the majority of staff have had leadership
development opportunities and many have had the chance to share the
leadership of teams or projects at establishment or authority level.
Elected members and other chief officers are now strongly involved in the
strategic leadership of the service and in performance monitoring. The chair
and vice-chair of the Committee work closely with senior managers and are
energetic and committed advocates for the service and scrutinise
performance robustly. Senior managers and key councillors know their
schools and establishments very well. The arrangement whereby service
improvement officers act as link officers for schools is supportive and highly
valued.
The key factors in the quality of leadership are:•
•
•
•
•
The very strong leadership provided by the senior management team of
the service.
Very effective distributed leadership across the service, and commitment
of staff to leadership opportunities.
The commitment to consulting with and listening to stakeholders.
The focus on quality development and improvements to learners’
attainment and achievements.
The clear and focused priorities shared across the service, leading to
demonstrable improvement.
Senior managers are highly aware of the ways in which economic, social and
cultural factors impact on the daily lives of children, young people and adult
learners. They are equally aware of the impact of changes, including
demographic changes and financial pressures, on services. Managers
demonstrate a depth of understanding of the different needs of the various
communities across Orkney and the ways in which services address the
range of needs. Tailoring services according to the community context is a
key strength.
A strong culture of self-evaluation and performance management is
embedded across the extended management team and increasingly this
culture is becoming embedded across the whole service and is leading to
clear improvements. This focus on self-evaluation will continue.
11
Education is for all is Orkney Islands Council’s educational inclusion policy.
The Getting it right for every child approach aims to ensure that centres,
schools and educational services work more closely with partner agencies so
that all children get the help that they need when they need it.
12
25
Almost all senior managers have recently taken part in coaching and
mentoring training with a view to establishing co-coaching arrangements for
all leaders in order to develop their leadership role. There is no evidence yet
that this approach is improving leadership, and so senior managers will review
the initiative.
ELS have a clear focus on recruiting the right staff, and giving them the best
start in post. Succession planning is strong across the service and staff at all
levels are given opportunities to be involved in leadership activities including
membership of working groups, secondments, acting up posts, CPD
opportunities, and attendance at conferences and seminars. The induction
scheme for Newly Qualified Teachers consistently receives positive
evaluation and has been showcased at a GTCS conference.
Staff are encouraged to develop their skills and a number of individuals lead
working groups or other developments across the service. Recently,
individual staff have:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Provided support in developing core skills and new tools in IT, probationer
and student teacher support.
Led the health and wellbeing working group.
Become external moderators for Youth Achievement Awards.
Taken a key role in the schools’ new build project.
Provided individual support for staff and schools in behaviour support.
Gained additional professional qualifications to support and lead CPD
events.
The service is also now more internally joined up and seamless. The
existence of internal teams and networks means that staff work together more
effectively. A good example of this is the Wider Achievement Team, which
has worked together to coordinate and organise activities, compiled an events
calendar to avoid duplication and enhance communication, monitored the
range and quality of cultural and sporting activities, and compiled the initial
dataset of cultural experiences for school pupils.
Further partnership working, based on the authority’s experience of New
Community Schools and on an Extended School Support Team pilot project,
is being developed. This has resulted in further collaboration between
schools, services and partners to meet the needs of children and young
people. The local policy Getting it Right for Orkney’s Children and Young
People gives a local context for the national Getting it right for every child
initiative. Written and developed as a collaboration between the education
authority, community social services, NHS Orkney, Northern Constabulary
and the Children’s Reporter, this has provided the policy and training
framework for current developments. Parents and carers indicate that they
feel more engaged in the process of supporting their children as a result of
this approach, and its effectiveness in improving outcomes for children and
young people was confirmed during recent inspections of child protection and
Psychological Services.
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Orkney College delivers a wide range of education provision and is a key
partner within UHI Millennium Institute. Successful school-college partnership
work on Skills for Work programmes in construction, rural skills, hospitality
and early years education are well established. In addition, work with learners
at risk of exclusion has led to improved retention and attainment for these
learners and contributed to the Scottish Government’s Fairer Scotland
objective.
Section 3
Thematic reports
Theme 1
Achievement
Where we are now
Achievement is measured in a number of ways across the service, for
example through attainment in national qualifications, qualitative and
quantitative measurements, and also through people’s views and direct
observation of wider achievement activities.
Attainment data is collected, monitored and evaluated by link officers and
school managers. The service gives a high priority to promoting learners’
well-being, creativity and self-confidence through the provision of sports,
outdoor education, music, arts and cultural activities. Specialist trained staff
and professionals play an important role in supporting the delivery of these
services, enhancing learning for participants. The Cultural Coordinator
programme has extended the range of opportunities offered to young people.
Healthy Living Centres operate across Orkney for young people and adults.
These facilities help customers achieve their personal goals, including fitness
and weight loss.
The CLD service provides opportunities for young people and adults to
participate in a range of learning activities.
The Library and Archive works closely with schools to encourage reader
development, and the Museums and Heritage services offer the opportunity to
experience history in a local context. Schools regularly access resources and
report the benefits of having appropriate materials and artefacts to support
topics studied in the classroom.
What we have achieved
The thematic group confirmed earlier evaluations of attainment, noting that:
•
•
•
Performance in National Qualifications is good overall and very good at
S6.
Attainment is consistently above the average for comparator local
authorities and well above national levels in almost all measures.
There is a drop in level 3/4 performance with a small cohort of young
people who do not reach level 3 awards for mathematics and English.
27
•
The lowest 20% of learners do well in Orkney with fewer young people in
this national category than comparator local authorities.
At school department level, Standard Tables and Charts data and
accompanying commentaries are used by most subject departments to
provide effective evaluation of learner, class and whole school results. Their
analysis leads to action points for improvement in learning and teaching and
indicates where additional targeted support for groups of learners and
individuals is needed.
Attainment monitoring at 5-14 stages is fully embedded in all schools and
increasingly schools are developing more effective tracking systems which
lead to target setting for individual learners. These targets are based on data
obtained by using Performance Indicators in primary schools and the Middle
Years Information System, along with professional judgments.
Link officers engage with school managers to monitor and support
departmental and whole school analysis. Subject attainment reports are
incorporated into whole school Standards and Quality Reports. Some of
these reports are evaluative and identify next steps. Senior managers should
ensure that all subject attainment reports are evaluative and identify next
steps.
The thematic group also confirmed increasing levels of activity by learners in:
•
•
•
•
•
CLD led activities leading to accreditation.
Youth Achievement activities within Kirkwall Grammar School.
High levels of participation in community learning courses including.
literacy and numeracy courses, and ESOL courses.
Outdoor education activities.
Activities supported by Active Schools and Sports Development.
More detailed evaluations were elicited for a number of services.
The development of the Young Achievers programmes in Kirkwall Grammar
School was a result of partnership between the school and the CLD service.
Although there were positive developments, the recent evaluation suggested
some young people in the Youth Achievement programme did not believe that
their needs were being met.
Participants in literacy programmes were making substantial changes in their
lives through their engagement with the Learning Link. Learners reported
significant increases in self-confidence and there was extensive evidence of
personal learning and growth. This included learners obtaining employment,
pursuing a professional development course in nursing, studying in further
education and becoming able to assist grandchildren with homework.
The Outdoor Education Programme provided courses including environmental
studies, and land and water based activities. These aimed to promote a
healthy respect for the outdoors and the development of key skills such as
28
cooperating to achieve joint aims. A significant number of schools also
worked successfully towards elements of the John Muir Award as part of their
outdoor programme. Evaluations from participants had been collated and
59% reported that it had been a good learning experience, 90% had had the
opportunity to work as a team, while 80% would take part again.
A range of popular activities had been promoted and delivered across all
schools by Active Schools and Sports Development staff including Transition
Programmes, Basic Moves, holiday programmes and the Community Sports
Leaders Award. Training had also been provided for teachers and together
this had made a significant contribution to helping schools meet the national
physical education target of two hours per week.
Mainland swimming pools offered well-attended junior swimming programmes
and enjoyed a high level of participation and customer satisfaction. Younger
participants were able to achieve deepender certificates and some progress
to the swimming club, where they then had the opportunity to compete locally
and further afield.
Healthy Living Centres reported increased uptake. A GP Referral Scheme
operated at the Stronsay Healthy Living Centre and had been successful in
improving the health of those on the programme.
Participation in the Active Schools programme had increased year on year
and schools were able to offer greater opportunities as teachers were trained
by Active Schools coordinators to deliver the programme.
Around one third of school pupils visited the museum service each year and
the service appeared to be valued by schools.
There was some evidence from questionnaires and feedback from learners
that participation in wider achievement activities resulted in transferable skills
for learners, including building confidence, improving communication,
increasing concentration, enhancing problem solving, commitment, and
resilience as well as improving knowledge and understanding. Learners with
additional support needs also benefited from targeted activities which aimed
to enhance their team working skills, further develop positive relationships
between the students, staff and parents, and offered a degree of
independence for the young people. There was wider evidence of young
people being inspired by their engagement to prepare and organise their own
projects e.g. planning their own museum of toys.
Teaching staff reported that cultural activities enhanced teaching and
extended learning particularly when they included pre and post-visit sessions.
They were also positive about the contribution achievement makes to an
individual’s well-being and attitude. Pupils acknowledged the role that wider
participation had in building their confidence, that it helped motivate them to
do better in subjects and introduce them to new areas of learning.
29
What we have yet to achieve
The self-evaluation process should have established underlying reasons for
some of the recent disappointing attainment data, but failed to do so. There is
therefore an urgent need to return to these issues, establish through robust
self-evaluation the causes, and take appropriate action to improve.
The barrier to participation which was most frequently mentioned was
financial constraint, most especially relating to transport, although residents at
Papdale Halls of Residence also indicated that the lack of weekend
accommodation prevented them from accessing cultural activities. Other
barriers included waiting lists to learn musical instruments, and a desire for
formal tuition in a wider selection of musical instruments including guitar and
drums. Some schools also reported that the completion of complex risk
assessments could limit the number of activities accessed.
The 2008-09 cultural entitlements data will be an initial benchmark and used
to gauge future improvement. Service managers will keep under review the
appropriateness of the cultural entitlements through, for example, consultation
with young people. The service has yet to fully inform learners and their
parents and carers of cultural entitlements. Not all basic entitlements are yet
met, and managers will work towards full implementation so that all or almost
all pupils receive their agreed basic entitlements. Managers have yet to
evaluate links between cultural entitlements and improved achievement.
A good start had been made in developing opportunities for young people to
gain recognition and accreditation for their wider achievement, including a
drive to ensure equality of opportunity for young people on the islands and
rural areas. This aspect needed to be further developed.
Young people participated in a wide range of activities, both in school and in
the community with many activities supported by the voluntary sector. There
was less access and uptake beyond school and for those with additional
support needs. Further investigation would be needed to ascertain which
young people are opting out of non-mandatory cultural activities, and why.
In schools, there was little formal capture, use, analysis or formal discussion
of wider achievement information. Most young people did not feel that their
wider interests and achievements were recognised by teachers at school.
Some staff complained of excessive time out of class to participate in these
activities e.g. instrumental courses, festival productions. The suggestion to
use achievement logs was viewed positively.
The Healthy Living Centre (HLC) concept was still developing, and the
accommodation and appointments of qualified fitness advisers was only the
first stage of this. The HLC programme needed to ensure that it was
accommodating all community needs, such as GP referrals in all the isles,
fitness programmes, sessions for specific groups and nutritional advice.
30
Active Schools participation levels were still developing in some schools. This
would ensure children were not missing out on an opportunity to support their
wider achievement.
Theme 2
Developing our people
Introduction
During the fieldwork week, the theme group tried to ensure that wherever
possible there was a random sampling of people’s views as well as scrutiny of
specific data. However, due to the short time period it was felt by the group
that there was insufficient time to ensure a wide and representative sample
was undertaken at all times. One particular group which has yet to be
sampled are the learners themselves.
Where we are now
In the HMIE inspection report of 2005 on the education authority, the very
good provision for CPD for teaching and non-teaching staff was identified as a
key strength. The current self-evaluation looked at education in the widest
sense and evaluated the Developing our People theme across all of the
services within Education and Leisure.
In April 2009, the Department of Education and Recreation Services was
restructured to become ELS. This resulted in the Arts, Museums and
Heritage services, Orkney Libraries and Archive, and Sport and Leisure
coming under the umbrella of a new assistant director for Leisure and Culture.
The other three sectors have remained constant but the restructuring has
made a significant change to the overall structure of the service.
The key question as defined by the thematic group leading this self-evaluation
was:
How effective are we at developing our skills, knowledge and
understanding to facilitate the best possible outcomes for our learners?
This was then supported by three further questions:
1.
2.
3.
How effective are the recruitment and induction policies and procedures
for the sample group?
Through development and training activities, what has been the impact
on outcomes for learners?
What contribution do other partners and agencies make in
a.
developing our people?
b.
outcomes for learners?
As the process became more refined, the timescale to cover all questions
became an issue and as a result question three was not looked at specifically
as part of this self-evaluation process, although some evidence was
31
incidentally gathered. This remains an important part of this theme and will be
followed up at a later date.
What we have achieved
Procedures in recruitment were clearly focused on securing the right staff.
They were fair and flexible enough to be shaped to each specific role. Senior
officers worked well with unions on the development of policies relating to
recruitment and selection and teaching staff issues.
The induction for newly appointed teaching and school based staff was
effective and evaluated positively. The induction scheme for Newly Qualified
Teachers was highly regarded and consistently received very positive
evaluations from probationers themselves as well as from senior managers.
There was a wide range of CPD opportunities for all Education and Leisure
staff and interested staff could opt into these. Attendance at CPD events was
high. These opportunities enabled staff to keep up to date with changes in
education and delivery of services. Staff valued the opportunities for CPD as
well as the opportunity to network with colleagues from other schools and
services. Staff feedback from the range of CPD activities was very positive.
CPD opportunities across the range of ELS were beginning to be shared more
widely both within ELS but also with partner agencies.
Teaching staff, in particular, were encouraged to develop their skills and a
number of individuals led working groups or other developments across the
service.
The Critical Skills Programme for teaching staff had had a notable impact on
learning and teaching with all staff and senior managers reporting positively
about the experiences and the impact on learners.
Staff across the service had opportunities to achieve accredited qualifications.
In leisure services where there was a requirement to have accredited training,
staff either had the qualification or part of the condition of appointment was
that they worked towards it. Some staff worked towards higher accredited
courses. In Orkney the proportion of chartered teachers was the highest in
Scotland. This led to improved staff skills and provided opportunities for
succession planning.
The importance of working with and developing approaches to the overall
health and wellbeing of staff had been recognised by those in ELS in the
Council Offices. Staff had been working towards gaining a bronze award
through the Healthy Working Lives accreditation scheme. Early indications
suggested that the process had been positive and further work had already
been planned to clearly identify the impact.
Almost all staff across the service were positive about their work and
workplace. There was low staff turnover leading to high staff retention across
32
the service. The opportunities for CPD and the value staff placed on them
were linked to the positive staff retention figures.
What have we yet to achieve
The draft Recruitment and Selection policy and procedures for teaching staff
were beginning to have a positive impact on the recruitment process although
the ongoing effectiveness of this had yet to be regularly monitored and
reviewed.
Staff across the service had the opportunity to attend both the Council’s
corporate and service induction programmes. Uptake for these sessions was
variable dependent on how this was effectively communicated between the
services, as well as staff availability.
Induction for most teaching staff had been positive although for some
non-teaching staff, including senior managers across the service, their
experiences did not always reflect this and had been varied. A minority
reported no induction at all. Early indications suggested that this was also the
case for supply and itinerant staff but there is a need for further evidence to
substantiate this.
CPD, training and development opportunities were accessible for most
teaching staff and had been generally evaluated as a strength within the
service. Uptake and impact of this did not always appear to be systematically
tracked and evaluated. Some CPD opportunities were regarded as lacking
range, depth and relevance across the service.
With the exception of the probationer programme, although CPD
data/feedback were generally collated, there were no formal mechanisms in
place to systematically evaluate the impact of this and to inform subsequent
CPD which was offered through the service. There appeared to be no formal
procedures for inputting CPD requirements from establishments and sectors
into an overall CPD strategic plan for the service.
CPD opportunities were beginning to be shared across the service ensuring a
wider uptake for professional development. However, designated roles and
responsibilities for coordinating CPD across the service were unclear.
Professional review was beginning to be embedded within schools and across
sectors of the service but was not yet systematically and rigorously deployed
within these settings, or consistently embedded across the service. The use
of CPD plans was also variable within establishments and across the service.
The Induction Scheme for Newly Qualified teachers was a considerable
strength of the service although there was less structured support for the
transition, post-induction year.
Talent was often identified and nurtured by senior managers but as yet there
was no transparent system in place to ensure that the talents, skills and
33
experiences of all staff were identified and utilised effectively across the
service. There were opportunities for staff to either develop their own role
further or to be involved in leadership activities in promoted posts/working
groups and acting up posts but the impact of this was unclear and would need
further clarification and tracking.
Education and Leisure sickness absence data were low compared to other
corporate figures, and although most staff across the service were positive
about their place of work, these data nationally would suggest that this aspect
of the service is comparable to the national picture.
Staff identified that the introduction of increased flexible working and the
standardisation/ consistency of Time off in Lieu would be key factors in
retention.
Conclusion
The strengths of the service in providing opportunities for induction and
development were clearly recognised. It was important that through this
self-evaluation process we continued to maintain and build on the strengths
identified for any future improvements to the service. We will continue to
reflect on how effective we are at developing our skills, knowledge and
understanding to facilitate the best possible outcomes for our learners.
We can provide rigorous evidence of the wide range of opportunities across
the service for developing our people and the value and commitment staff
have in developing their skills, knowledge and understanding. However, we
have less clear evidence of the impact that this has on outcomes for our
learners. One of the main themes arising was that of consistency of
approaches across induction and development for all staff and this is a main
feature of the action points.
Theme 3
Partnerships
Where we are now
Since 2005 there have been a number of significant contextual changes which
impact on partnership working, not least of which has been the service
restructure. In addition, the Council and its Community Planning Partners
have drawn up a Single Outcome Agreement with the Scottish Government,
the Council and NHS Orkney have developed a new model for delivering
health and social care services, and the Parental Involvement Act has
changed the basis of how schools work with parents as partners.
In March 2005 the inspection of the authority noted that effective collaboration
between departments of the Council was having a positive impact on the
quality of the education service, as well as the wider range of children’s
services. In particular, as a result of this work, the quality of the schools’
estate was mentioned, as were the strong links with Orkney College and
Community Social Services.
34
At that time, the positive partnership with parents was noted as a consistent
feature of primary school inspections in the period before the HMIE inspection
of the local authority.
Throughout the period of change, staff at all levels within the Education
Authority have continued to work collaboratively with others across the
Council, as well as the wider community, in order to sustain, develop and
deliver a range of services.
Collectively, however, the structural changes challenge any assumptions that
could be made about the effectiveness of previous, current and emerging
partnerships in delivering improved education services to learners in Orkney.
What we have achieved
Orkney Islands Council has successfully sustained and developed a range of
partnerships across sectors and services. Staff have been consistent in their
commitment to undertaking a range of roles at a strategic level within, and on
behalf of, Orkney Islands Council. This includes membership of, and
participation in, the Council’s Corporate Management Team and Extended
Corporate Management Team, as well as the Orkney Community Planning
Partnership through the Planning Liaison Group. Within the last twelve
months, formal representation from the Services for Children and Young
People Development Group on the Planning Liaison Group has been
established.
The Education Authority publishes plans for improvement in a range of
documents including the Corporate Improvement Plan, the Schools
Investment Programme, the CLD Action Plans, the Integrated Children’s
Service Plan, the Early Years and Child Care Strategy, and the Education
Service Improvement Plan. The number of targets within the Integrated
Children’s Services Plan has been reduced to four, all of which involve the
Education Authority in partnership to take them forward.
The impact of this work results in consistently positive outcomes for most
children and young people in Orkney, particularly when considered in terms of
national indicators such as attendance, exclusion and attainment. Evaluation
of demand has resulted in a number of initiatives, for example the Youth Café
and Connect Project. The involvement of youth workers in schools is being
developed to provide new contexts and learning experiences for young
people.
The impact of partnership activity in the early years in particular – for example
Triple P, Home Start and Home Link – continues to be well received by the
families, parents and carers using these services.
There are also improved outcomes for adult learners. Partnership with
Orkney College and others has been maintained to ensure positive outcomes
for adult literacy learners and ESOL learners
35
Education Authority staff also maintain links and work in successful
partnership with a number of services, agencies and providers outwith Orkney
including, for example, Learning and Teaching Scotland, the General
Teaching Council for Scotland, and the Association of Directors of Education
in Scotland.
The overall impact and effectiveness of strategic planning and activity within
and across partnerships in Orkney has begun to be monitored through the
Single Outcome Agreement. At the end of 2008-2009, in the initial annual
report, a majority of the target areas (including those directly relating to
outcomes for children and young people) were reported as improving.
Education Authority staff have worked with a range of partners to improve
services and outcomes for vulnerable and hard to reach children and young
people and Getting it right for every child approaches are increasingly in
evidence across a range of services. The Education Authority in Orkney has
played a full part in taking forward the Getting it right for every child approach,
including actively seeking, embracing and modelling the behaviours which will
sustain effective partnership working.
Children and young people at risk (of harm or threat of harm) are well
supported and their needs met.
Services for children and young people with additional support needs are
generally effective in ensuring that ‘the right help, at the right time, in the right
way is offered’. Parents indicate that they feel more included, more
empowered and more involved in processes and not just problems. Children
and young people indicate that they feel more confident about their part in the
process and are more resilient, and that meetings lead to real outcomes. All
professionals indicate that they have an increasing confidence in the process
which is enabling them to work beyond traditional professional areas.
Outcomes for looked after children continue to be very good compared to
national trends. Elected members are signalling a significant commitment to
ensuring decisions are positively influenced by their responsibility to looked
after children. The introduction of annual reporting to all members at the
Council’s Policy and Resources Committee has assisted in maintaining
awareness of current and pressing issues. Outcomes for the lowest attaining
20% have remained relatively consistent, with an average tariff score gap of
124.
Those young people at risk of exclusion have been supported by a range of
services and partners: Outdoor Education, Active Schools and Sports
Development, Community Learning and Development, Educational
Psychology Service, Community Social Services.
School leaver destinations remain generally positive. Students report that
there are good links with Skills Development Scotland, and the advice they
are given helps to match subjects to careers. Work to meet the needs of
young people who are not in education, employment or training is being
36
further developed through the Connect Project. Although this project has
been running for a relatively short term, and is not guaranteed long term
funding, partnership activity has had a number of significant impacts on the
lives of the young people involved. There is increased attendance as a result
of a personalised curriculum and practical support, for example collecting
young people from home for short periods of time. Social behaviour skills
have increased through group interaction, including a residential trip, and
positive relationships have been developed. The young people are
demonstrating increased confidence, for example through achievement of
short course qualifications, millennium volunteering awards and progress with
literacy and numeracy. They are subsequently more likely to progress to
other types of education, employment or training, for example attending
college or the Get Ready for Work programme.
The Education Authority has enabled all parents to play a stronger role as
partners in their children’s learning and development. HMIE inspections
continue to report consistently that partnership with parents and the wider
community is good or better. Almost all parents of primary aged children feel
actively involved in their learning. The majority of parents of secondary aged
students also feel involved, but this figure is significantly less.
Every school now has a Parent Council whereas, in the past, not all schools
had a School Board. All schools communicate with the wider Parent Forum
through newsletters and periodic publications and press releases. All have
developed website materials targeted at parents, with a few schools using this
as an interactive tool for information and consultation. Representatives of the
Parent Council chairs have indicated that setting up the new Parent Forums
and Parent Councils, and the transition from School Boards, has been
successful. They commended the support from the local authority in that
process. Following interest from several parents, one parent will represent
Orkney on the new National Parent Group. Another will continue to be
involved on the steering group, following her contribution to the national
conference.
The Director of Education and Leisure Services and senior managers meet
the Parent Council chairs on an annual basis to develop and share good
practice and link officers attend many Parent Council meetings. In a few
schools, a start has been made to involve parents more directly in planning
and implementing improvements in learning and teaching. Parents are
routinely invited to be involved in the recruitment of staff and have received
recruitment training.
What we have yet to achieve
Despite examples of good practice, collaboration, involvement, informal
partnerships, formal partnerships and partnership working are not yet
sufficiently well defined or differentiated. Across agencies and services there
is no agreement on what constitutes partnership behaviour and the process of
effecting change to improve partnership behaviour is not a universal feature of
practice.
37
Greater use should be made of training opportunities which bring partners
together,(for example corporate induction, child protection training and Getting
it right for every child training) to explore the nature of partnership working,
including modelling behaviours to support and enhance it.
The corporate redesign leading to the emergence of a new ELS is still
relatively recent. The scope and potential of what is being, and could, be
delivered has yet to be fully mapped. Mapping would make it easier for
schools and other partners to understand what is available as well as
providing an opportunity, if appropriate, to use Curriculum for Excellence as a
catalyst to bring a range of supports together.
While the ELS Improvement Plan and other high level plans are maintained
and reviewed on a regular, cyclical, basis, the strategic approach to
developing learning provision amongst a wider range of partners is as yet
underdeveloped. Consideration needs to be given to developing an Orkney
Learning Strategy. If this were to be based on Curriculum for Excellence then
access to, and understanding of, the new curriculum would be enhanced
across schools, other services, the Third Sector and the wider community.
This would also be an opportunity to develop an evaluation of Curriculum for
Excellence in a wider range of settings and circumstances.
Levels of uncertainty sometimes appear to exist, particularly when unmet
needs emerge, as to who, or indeed which partnership, will progress which
piece of work (and into which plan it will fit).
The development of a lifelong learning strategy would involve a wide range of
people, and all learning providers in particular. Further consideration could
then be given as to how agreed outcomes are monitored and reported to
ensure that there is an effective and precise evaluation of the projects and
activities which make a difference. While funding of particular partnership
projects may continue to be an issue, a learning strategy would facilitate a
risk/benefit analysis to be recorded and shared.
The initial evaluation of the educational attainment of looked after children,
compared to their peers, has raised a number of helpful and challenging
questions for schools and other partners. The Educational Psychology
Service research proposal to investigate this in more depth has been well
structured but will not report until next year.
The initial development of the Getting it right for every child approach in
Orkney has been well received by many in the professional community. It has
had a positive impact on those children, young people and families involved in
both the pilot work and initial roll out. Evidence from HMIE inspections of
Services to Protect Children and Young People and of Psychological Services
in Orkney would generally support this. However, more needs to be done to
ensure all staff are clear about their role in planning and providing support.
38
Practitioners need to continue to be involved in the evolution of protocols and
practice. This will further enhance practice and enable learning to be
transferred between levels within and across services and organisations.
Training should have a particular focus on creating a wider shared
understanding of the process amongst all practitioners as well as on solution
oriented meetings/approaches.
Initial feedback should be used to continue to explore best practice in
preparing parents and children for meetings in ways which take account of
individual needs. Getting it right for every child approaches should be used
and developed in transition planning to help ensure more seamless delivery of
the relevant services. Schools and service audits should seek to establish
staff understanding of the Getting it right for every child process and training
should extend to all staff and not just the named person and/or lead
professionals. Getting it right for every child training and child protection
training should be reviewed together with a view to creating a more
synthesised approach to identifying and meeting a range of needs.
Transitions from school to Orkney College work well and this partnership has
become more formal and systematic. A range of very successful,
personalised programmes and courses have been implemented for students
with additional support needs. Some secondary school students have
indicated that they feel that they are not sufficiently challenged by the
curriculum on offer. In particular they felt that there was not a wide enough
range of Advanced Highers on offer. For example they pointed out that while
sport was of a particularly high standard in Orkney there is no Advanced
Higher offered in the subject. Timetabling issues across and between the
schools and college should be resolved so that options are not limited for any
students, including high achievers, who might wish to explore a school/college
programme.
Learning at home and home-school partnerships, as set out in the Parental
Involvement Act, are at different stages of development in different settings.
Some schools have had a specific focus on homework, consulting with
parents in terms of the nature, quality and impact of homework. In the
secondary sector in particular there would appear to be a need to prioritise
involving parents in approaches to supporting student achievement and
attainment. There is also scope for further engaging, and utilising, Parent
Councils in developing and expanding these two aspects of the Parental
Involvement Act.
Primary aged learners for instance have indicated that while homework was
sometimes helpful in consolidating learning, it could also be repetitive. They
felt a mixture of subjects was better and appeared to favour creative/activity
based work, for example Mathletics. Importantly, learners were aware that
parents did not always understand the purpose of homework, or feel that it
involved them in their child’s learning, and that for some learners finding a
supportive, quiet environment was a particular challenge. Some learners
reported that they had the opportunity through the school year to show, and
39
share with, their parents their work in the classrooms. They also reported that
children do not join parents at parent/ teacher meetings. However, there were
other opportunities for the school and families to meet together
e.g. Factfinders.
Secondary aged students have reported that they felt that parents should be
encouraged to be more actively involved and that communication was
generally only for negative reasons. They also suggested that school reports
were not individualised enough and that the comments were too obviously cut
and paste. Parents’ evenings were seen by some students to be a bit of a
waste of time with not enough information passed over. This suggests that
closer parental involvement in processes such as target setting and tracking
should be further explored and considered.
Theme 4
Pre-school and early years
Where we are now
There is a high level of commitment by local authority staff at all levels to work
in partnership with colleagues from other services and agencies. With the
recent publications of the Early Years Framework and Positive Start Positive
Outcomes comes a new approach to tackling national issues such as poverty,
inequality and support for parents during the earliest years of a child’s life.
In December 2007, Orkney Islands Council agreed to appoint a temporary
Early Years Support Teacher whose main duties were to enhance and
support two partner providers on a regular basis and local authority settings
with no nursery teacher on an occasional basis. Following a report to the
Education, Recreation and Cultural Services Committee on the success of
this appointment, and as part of the local commitment to the Single Outcome
Agreement, the post was granted permanency in February 2009. Since then,
the post holder began, and is currently completing, a High/Scope trainer’s
course.
Across Scotland the new Curriculum for Excellence has been introduced. The
advice from Building the Curriculum 2, with its focus on active learning, has
featured in school improvement plans. Local interpretation as to what this
might realistically look like in early level pre-school and early years settings
has been promoted through presentations and guidance, though full
implementation across the authority continues to be developed. There are an
increasing number of opportunities for pre-school and early years staff to
attend professional development activities and courses together.
Self-evaluation is a current priority in all pre-school and early years settings.
40
What we have achieved
Early Years Framework
Building on the strengths of partnership working, early years practitioners
continue to improve outcomes for children and families. This is achieved
through regular contact with colleagues from other services such as health
visitors, Home Link staff, social workers, speech and language therapists,
dental nurses and the Support for Learners Team. Good communication
between services ensures that there is better information sharing, a greater
emphasis on a shared service and staff knowing people in other agencies and
having a direct link with them. Staff report that they feel there is more
collaborative work across services.
The results of this are:•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Close relationships with other services provides a way of getting
in/reaching out to families.
Multi-agency working ensures that the most appropriate person supports
the family.
Good communication between schools/settings and other agencies
ensures that the school/setting can be cued into family background and
needs.
Working together helps all partners to see the bigger picture.
Vulnerable children and families are better supported.
Working together on child protection.
Significant reduction in children’s dental decay.
Commended example of multi agency-working - Triple P (Positive
Parenting Programme).
By taking a systemic approach to partnership working, a more coherent
package is provided for families of children with additional needs.
Whilst there is a commitment to partnership working, there is also a need to
ensure that there is consistency of practice across the whole service.
Parent views sampled showed that almost all are very satisfied with and
well-informed about the wide range of services on offer. Parents and children
enjoy using library services, swimming pools and play areas. Most parents
had either used, or heard of, the Triple P. A number reported on the shortage
of toddler spaces in Kirkwall and suitable childminding places in their local
area. It was noted in the feedback from parents from the isles that they had
less consistent access to some of the services e.g. Bookstart. There were a
small number of suggestions from parents to further improve services.
At a strategic level there is firm evidence of improved lines of communication
to ensure that there is planned, joined-up working across services and
agencies. In order to progress the Scottish Government initiated Early Years
Framework, a clear link has been established from Community Planning to
the Services for Children and Young People Development Group through to
the Orkney Childcare Partnership. As a result, a coherent approach to
41
identifying the right local priorities for early years and family support is
beginning to emerge. Together with the interest and will of well-informed
elected members there is very good capacity to address the aspirations of the
national agenda. Senior managers within the education service are becoming
aware of their responsibility to ensure this priority is addressed through for
example Curriculum for Excellence and Getting it right for every child.
A major contribution to recent pre-school improvement is the creation of the
post of Early Years Support Teacher. Feedback from a wide range of
stakeholders has demonstrated that this newly created post has more than
fulfilled the original remit of support for two partner providers and schools with
no nursery teacher thus achieving the Scottish Government’s aim to provide
all pre-school children with access to a nursery teacher. In addition, it has
been possible to support settings with their improvement agendas following
identification of weaknesses in HMIE or Care Commission inspection reports.
Specifically this has supported practitioners in settings to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Organise room layout and resources effectively.
Plan following children’s interests and choices.
Engage in quality interaction with children.
Support the development of daily routines including an appropriate
balance of adult/child initiated experiences.
Consider better use of outdoor play spaces and relevant resources.
Evaluate playroom practice and assessment of children’s learning.
Deal confidently with conflict resolution.
Involve parents as participating partners in their child’s learning.
Link with one another in settings across the county.
Begin to develop clusters or professional learning communities e.g. West
Mainland cluster.
Practitioners report that due to this support their settings are calmer, with
children taking more responsibility and actively leading learning. One head
teacher described the post as an immense step forward for the local authority.
Practitioners and their managers are provided with written records of support
visits and are able to reflect on and/or share feedback along with action points
to follow up. A full case study detailing support provided for one setting
confirmed HMIE views of significantly improved provision.
Curriculum for Excellence
In December 2007 an associated schools’ group of early years practitioners
from pre-school and primary settings brought together examples of evolving
practice in active learning and presented their findings to early years
colleagues at a national HMIE Best Practice conference, as well as to local
head teachers and practitioners at CPD twilight sessions. An illustrative CD
rom was completed and distributed to all schools and partner providers. As a
result, schools incorporated aspects of local good practice into their own
42
approaches to Curriculum for Excellence early level. Two years on, the
impact of these projects on children and staff is significant.
Project 1: Personal Learning Planning – influenced by the High/Scope
approach
Development of High/Scope
As a result of the personal learning planning Associated Schools Group
project, an early years cluster formed in the West Mainland and met regularly
over 18 months, mostly in their own time, to attend a High/Scope
implementation course, which was funded by the local authority. Motivated
staff studied, reflected on and discussed their practice and following a site
visit from High/Scope’s UK co-ordinator, received accreditation for completing
the course. The Early Years Support Teacher has undertaken further training
in the High/Scope approach so that more in-depth training can be rolled out
across Orkney. Feedback gathered demonstrated that:•
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Practitioner satisfaction with the course was very high.
Practitioners reported that they had learnt new strategies and put ideas
into practice.
Practitioners were able to share experiences and develop a shared
language.
Practitioners reported that they felt they became more reflective.
Practitioners felt they had become more aware of their interactions with
the children, the use of questioning and how they used praise.
Practitioners noted that the children seemed more independent and
confident and that they had more ownership of their learning.
A P1 teacher noted that the children who had used the approach in the
nursery were more able to deal with and resolve conflicts amongst
themselves.
Project 2: Study visit to New Zealand – influenced by Te Whaariki
Development of New Zealand approaches
Following a study visit, one school piloted an approach to active learning and
also an emergent writing pack in P1. Teachers from other schools visited
classes to view and share these approaches in order to implement active
learning in their own settings more effectively. Following the implementation
of this:•
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Practitioners felt that children were now more confident and relaxed
learners and were more involved in their play.
A more relaxed start meant that practitioners could focus more on the
children’s social and emotional needs, before they tackled more formal
work. This led to an improved transition experience compared to previous
years.
The P1 experience was more continuous with that of the nursery
experience.
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At P2, these children were much more skilled and confident writers and
were able to produce more content within their writing.
Project 3: Transition – influenced by the Dunrossness model
Development of transition
Based on practice within and outwith the authority a number of schools have
experimented with the early level approach to active learning from pre-school
through to P1. This has included identifying experiences that could be shared
together such as plan-do-review from nursery to P4, P1 children and nursery
sharing sessions, opening up adjacent doors and sharing resources between
classes. On school visits, children were observed to be:•
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Positive about and actively engaged in their experiences.
Learning from each other, with older children providing role models for
younger ones.
Demonstrating a sense of family.
Taking shared responsibility for themselves and others.
A number of staff and parents reported that the transition from pre-school to
P1 appeared to be much smoother as a result.
There is evidence from school visits which suggests that continuity of practice
in P1 (and beyond) is developing in some schools and only just emerging in
others. Further investigation and evaluation is necessary to confirm if this is
the case. In addition, the ability to demonstrate impact and progression of
active learning approaches using the self-evaluation tool Child at the Centre 2
is an area identified for further development.
Most recently, and building on local good practice, an early years working
party has been formed to share approaches to using learning stories as an
effective tool for assessing children’s learning and developing continuity and
progression. The evolving formats include evidence of the child’s voice.
Further encouragement is required to extend ways of gathering feedback
directly from children.
What we have yet to achieve
A number of areas for development have emerged through the self-evaluation
process. For instance, parents interviewed were generally very happy with
service provision but indicated there were some pressure points e.g.
availability of toddler spaces in Kirkwall and child minder availability in local
areas. There may also be a demand for expansion of provision of services in
the isles e.g. Triple P and/or Bookstart through skilling up workers for multiple
delivery.
Though there is a very good understanding of partnership working at frontline
and strategic level, feedback from some focus groups would suggest that it
would be appropriate to increase awareness by, for example, head teachers
of partner agencies who support or work in the service. This would ensure
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consistency in partnership working across the whole service. Third Sector
viability was reported as a high concern and a potential risk area to the
service if funding was removed. This would especially affect the lifeline
service HomeStart Orkney.
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