Validated self-evaluation
Scottish Borders Council
4 September 2012
Contents
Page
1.
The aims, nature and scope of validated self-evaluation
1
2.
Validated self-evaluation in Scottish Borders Council
1
3.
Education Scotland’s assessment of the quality of
self-evaluation in Scottish Borders Council
2
4.
What does the Council plan to do next?
3
Appendix: Link to Scottish Borders Council self-evaluation
4
1.
The aims, nature and scope of validated self-evaluation
2.
Validated self-evaluation in Scottish Borders Council
Scottish Borders Council invited HM Inspectors (Education Scotland) to join them for
a validated self-evaluation (VSE). The Council’s Education and Lifelong Learning
Department had been through a period of significant change in the three years prior
to the VSE. Immediately prior to the VSE a new senior education officer structure
had been put in place and a new District Inspector had recently been assigned. The
Council therefore felt that this was a helpful time to review the strategic direction of
the department and progress made in a number of key development areas.
Following consultation with stakeholders, the Council’s Education and Lifelong
Senior Management Team, in partnership with HM Inspectors, identified four themes
to consider in greater detail during the VSE.
These themes were designed to evaluate.
1. Progress made in the development of children’s writing across schools.
2. How well parents are involved in the life and work of the school.
3. Progress of the development of the learning community model since
Transforming Children’s Services recommendations were implemented.
4. Improvement through self-evaluation.
Each theme group was chaired by an experienced headteacher and supported by a
senior education officer. Members were recruited from schools, community learning
and development, and the department’s policy and planning team. The parental
partnership officer and a parent joined the parental involvement theme group.
Education Scotland staff, both HM Inspectors and Associate Assessors from other
local authorities, joined each theme group.
In each theme group, staff were enthusiastic, highly motivated and committed to the
process of self-evaluation. All theme groups undertook a range of activity including
visits to schools, surveys and interviews with a range of stakeholders, and collection
and analysis of data.
By the end of the first week, theme group members had identified that they needed
more evidence and more time to collate and analyse the data that had been
collected. This also allowed time to identify gaps and take action to ensure all of the
information required was available. Over a number of months they collected more
information to help ensure more rigorous and robust evidence-gathering. For
example, the theme group which looked at parental involvement developed and
issued a survey to all parents. This will provide a helpful baseline for the Council in
the future.
Between the first and second weeks of the VSE, theme groups met to continue their
work. During the second week, HM Inspectors continued to work in partnership with
theme groups to review the evidence and help to refine the emerging messages.
1
3.
Education Scotland’s assessment of the quality of self-evaluation in
Scottish Borders Council
The VSE process was conducted in a very honest, open and transparent manner.
Staff at all levels were highly motivated and engaged very well with representatives
from Education Scotland. During the initial stages of the VSE, HM Inspectors and
Associate Assessors provided support to team members to ensure that they were
sufficiently outcome focused and that they gathered robust evidence that could be
triangulated. Staff confidence improved noticeably as the VSE progressed, and
council staff took on full responsibility for leading and setting the direction for their
theme groups. At this stage, HM Inspectors agreed with council officers that further
work was required before the self-evaluation could be validated.
Following a seminar and workshop led by HM Inspectors and senior council officers,
staff knowledge of self-evaluation for improvement increased. This included a
greater understanding of the need for robust and rigorous evidence which could be
triangulated. Progress with the self-evaluation of the themes improved significantly.
Thereafter, council staff were increasingly confident, questioning was more
challenging and analysis of data more rigorous. Links between self-evaluation and
improving outcomes for learners were increasingly better understood. Groups
identified, for example, the need to clarify the purposes of learning communities and
to evaluate their developments and, in writing, the need to ensure dependable data
and enable staff to share standards within and across schools.
What strengths has the validated self-evaluation identified?
•
Strong commitment from the Director to devolve leadership and resources to
staff, who feel empowered to take decisions and secure improvements for
learners.
•
Flexible, autonomous approach which encourages and empowers communities
to make and act on local decisions.
•
The contribution of staff from all levels who are very keen to improve outcomes
for all learners in Scottish Borders.
•
A strong commitment to the process of self-evaluation leading to improved
outcomes for learners.
•
Honest, open and transparent approach to the VSE process.
What is the Council’s capacity for improvement?
Scottish Borders Council demonstrates strong commitment and motivation to
improve outcomes for all learners. The service has been through a number of
significant changes and several senior education officers had very recently taken up
post. During the VSE the full impact of these changes and new appointments on
improvements to outcomes for learners was not sufficiently clear.
2
The Director and his team are committed to giving learning communities, including
their schools, greater responsibility and more control of resources. Learning
communities are empowered and given responsibility to make changes to meet the
needs of their own communities and to secure improvement. There is now a need to
increase accountability at all levels within this devolved framework. As a result of the
VSE, the Council is now reviewing the balance between central direction and
flexibility at a local level.
As a result of the VSE process, the Council has already taken a number of important
steps. For example, council officers have put together a new draft strategic
improvement plan which has been developed which includes the VSE findings. They
have also produced draft revised operational guidance for learning communities to
improve the quality and consistency of strategic planning at a local level, firmly
based on both council and local priorities and needs. This will help to ensure there is
a system of coherent implementation, evaluation and sharing of plans across the
Council. Further work is planned to build on the increased understanding of the links
between self-evaluation and improvement. This will be important in developing
further the quality and consistency of self-evaluation across the education authority.
Our very constructive engagement with Scottish Borders Council through the VSE
has given us evidence that the department is strengthening its capacity to continue
to improve. During the process, the department identified a number of areas of
strength across key aspects of their work. In addition, council officers recognised
that there were areas where they needed to improve their approaches to
self-evaluation and build capacity for further improvement. They are strongly
committed to building further on this and will continue to work with Education
Scotland in doing this. We will therefore continue to engage with the Council in a
support and challenge role to help to build further capacity for improvement.
4.
What does the Council plan to do next?
As a result of the work undertaken within the VSE process, Scottish Borders Council
and HM Inspectors have agreed broad areas for further improvement. These are to:
•
review guidelines on school improvement planning and standards and quality
reporting to help ensure clearer links between self-evaluation and improved
outcomes for children;
•
continue to work with schools to improve parent participation in all aspects of
school life and increase their ability in handling complaints;
3
•
work with stakeholders to improve writing across all schools, with a focus on
transition across sectors and across schools and ensuring regular opportunities
for children and young people to engage in self and peer assessment; and
•
continue to invest in leadership development.
Further details of areas identified for improvement are given in the report prepared
by Scottish Borders Council as part of the VSE process.
Elizabeth Morrison
HM Inspector
Education Scotland
4 September 2012
How can you contact us?
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of validated self-evaluation you
should write to Alastair Delaney, Strategic Director, at Education Scotland,
Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston,
EH54 6GA. Alternatively, if your query is related to this report, you may also
write to Tracey Logan, Chief Executive, Scottish Borders Council, Council
Headquarters, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0SA.
Appendix: Scottish Borders Council self-evaluation
http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/905/management_and_inspection 4