Inspection of the learning community
surrounding Gracemount High School
The City of Edinburgh Council
5 February 2013
Transforming lives through learning
1. Context
Community and learning development (CLD) partners within the area of Gracemount
High School were inspected by Education Scotland during December 2012. During
the visit Education Scotland staff talked to children, young people and adults. We
worked closely with local CLD managers, CLD providers, partners, paid staff and
volunteers. We wanted to find out how well partners are improving the life chances
of people living in the community through learning, building stronger more resilient
communities and improving the quality of services and provision. We also looked at
how well, paid staff and volunteers are developing their own practices and how well
partners, including schools are working together. We looked at some particular
aspects of recent work which were identified by partners including:
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early intervention through family learning and parental support initiatives;
sustaining positive destinations; and
effective integration of services at a local level.
2. How well are partners improving learning, increasing life chances,
promoting and securing wellbeing?
Gracemount CLD partners are improving learning, increasing life chances, promoting
and securing wellbeing. They have a good knowledge of the learning community
area. Data shared by the Youth Tasking and Coordinating Group enables partners
to respond positively to identified youth issues and behavioural trends. There is a
clear focus on addressing employability in the area. The number of activity
agreement providers has increased. There is a good range of community based
recreational and learning activities on offer. Both strategic and local planning link
well to Single Outcome Agreement outcomes. Within the CLD staff team a more
systematic approach to planning is developing and staff are demonstrating an
increasing understanding of the value of this approach. Youth work staff are
increasingly using the experiences and outcomes from Curriculum for Excellence in
their day to day work. This is improving the quality of youth employability
programmes and youth work within schools. Trends in youth attainment are
improving. A recently introduced management information system is not yet fully
effective in informing improvement planning.
Activity Agreements are supporting young people to progress to positive
destinations. Focused youth work contributes well to the delivery of broad general
education and senior phase stages of Curriculum for Excellence. As a result of
youth worker engagement young people have successfully returned to school after a
period of significant absence. A good variety of high quality learning opportunities
and facilities are available. Youth work provision is responsive, informed by learners
needs and delivered in a safe environment. Participation by young people in
community based youth work provision such as Open All Hours is high. Learning
experiences offered through holiday programmes and residential opportunities are
highly valued by young people. While the use of accreditation is increasing, these
opportunities are not yet fully integrated into practice. Data on learner achievement
in community settings is not fully captured and shared systematically with the school.
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The lack of information and communications technology provision at The Mansion is
limiting learning opportunities for the young people who attend.
A wide range of partners develop and support family learning opportunities. They
have a good understanding of the challenges being faced by families. The range of
models for family learning in the area provides different entry routes for families with
different needs. As a result, learners progress well through different life stages and
transition points. Groups such as the Mums Together parents support group and
Kaimes Lockhart Parent and Toddlers group provide effective informal peer support
and address issues of isolation and child development well. Formal programmes
such as such as Parents Early Education Partnership and Positive Parenting
Programme provide good learning and support around key issues. CLD family
learning staff engage families effectively in early learning and support children to
make a successful transition from nursery to primary. This is helping to break down
barriers between schools and families. In kind support from both Valley Park
Community Centre and Gracemount Youth and Community Centre (GYCC) makes a
valuable contribution to supporting free or low costs activities for local people.
Parenting programmes have a clear focus and stated outcomes. However
information about the wide range of opportunities available could be better
coordinated across providers. Male participation in family learning is limited. The
example of a Beginners Information and Communications Technology (ICT) class
lacked impact and progression. There is scope to develop the use of social media to
engage better with current and potential learners.
Community groups are run by confident, skilled and active members. Groups such
as South Edinburgh Healthy Living Initiative (SEHLI) and GYCC actively engage in
the design and delivery of local services in response to local need. Services
delivered by SEHLI have significant positive impacts on the health and wellbeing of
local people. Opportunities such as Polish Rhyme time and Chinese Bookbug are
inclusive and reflect the cultural diversity of the local area well. Gracemount High
School pupil council actively engaged in the Neighbourhood Partnership review of
local services for young people. Self-organising parents groups work in effective
partnership with support from local community centres. Peer support and volunteer
development is strong. SEHLI actively promotes volunteering and provides support
and training to develop volunteer led groups. Trained volunteers take on effective
leadership roles in family learning groups. The active engagement of community
members in the work of Arts South Edinburgh demonstrates that levels of community
involvement and cohesion are strong. Community groups successfully access a
range of funding sources to implement projects based on community need.
Productive and effective networks operate locally.
3. How well are partners working together and improving the quality of
services and provision?
Highly effective partnership structures are in place through the Neighbourhood
Partnership and its subgroups. Partners engage well with stakeholders to identify
local needs, particularly with young people. Integration of local services which
respond to priority need is strong. The multi-agency approach to partnership
working is developed well. Effective local networks and relationships actively
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support vulnerable families and providers of activity agreements. Progress is
regularly reported to key stakeholders in a variety of relevant formats and
increasingly is making good use of social media. A very good range of quality
Continuous Professional Development opportunities are being accessed. These are
effectively developing CLD provider’s confidence, knowledge and skills resulting in
significant impact for learners and communities. Partners demonstrate an
increasingly multi-agency approach to training. Good use is made of ICT training
opportunities to improve learners’ experiences. A culture of reflective practice has
been established and is developing well. Providers have a good understanding of
self-evaluation. Increased opportunities for joint reflection and more robust
self-evaluation with partners would enhance partnership working. Partnership
training opportunities could be developed further, in particular with education
colleagues around Curriculum for Excellence. CLD staff and partners would benefit
from further support to embed outcome planning and evaluation through use of the
developing LOMIS system. The development of a strategic plan for GYCC would
help ensure that the agreed vision for the area is reached and that the centre
continues to develop and improve its sustainability.
This inspection of learning and development in the learning community surrounding
Gracemount High School found the following key strengths.
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Family learning programmes that contributes positively to wellbeing.
Activity Agreements which impact positively on young people.
Integration of local services.
A learning community that has a good understanding of its strengths.
We discussed with partners how they might continue to improve their work. This is
what we agreed with them.
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Within local planning procedures establish baseline data and set more
challenging targets.
Develop further outcome focused planning and evaluation with partners.
Integrate opportunities for accreditation better into practices.
Improve ICT infrastructure across the learning community.
4. What happens at the end of the inspection?
The inspection team was able to rely on the high quality self-evaluation provided by
the learning community. Partners have a good understanding of their strengths and
areas for improvement and communities are achieving very well. As a result we
have ended the inspection process at this stage.
Stewart Maxwell
HM Inspector
5 February 2013
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Additional inspection evidence, such as details of the quality indicator evaluations,
for this learning community can be found on the Education Scotland website at
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/reports/othersectors/com
munitylearninganddevelopment/GracemountHighSchoollc.asp.
Please contact us if you want to know how to get the report in a different format, for
example, in a translation. You can contact us
at enquiries@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to us at BMCT, Education
Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way,
Livingston EH54 6GA.
If you want to give us feedback or make a complaint about our work, please contact
01506 600200, or write to us at the above address or email:
feedback@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk.
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above or by telephoning 01506 600259.
Crown Copyright 2013.
Education Scotland
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