Learning community inspection
Continuing engagement
A report by HM Inspectors
Inspection of the learning community
surrounding Kelso High School
Scottish Borders Council
15 January 2013
We published a report on the learning community surrounding Kelso High School
in January 2012. That report set out key strengths of the learning community and
areas for improvement.
This continuing engagement report is based on an inspection visit which was
carried out in November 2012. It tells you about improvement since the original
inspection in the quality of learning opportunities provided. It also comments on
how providers are getting on with the main points for action. We describe how
learners are doing and how good the learning community is at helping them to
learn. We comment on how well staff, learners and groups work together and the
difference they are making in the learning community. Finally, we focus on how
well the learning community is led and how leaders help the learning community
achieve its aims.
If you would like to learn more about our original inspection of the learning
community, please visit www.educationscotland.gov.uk. You will also find a report
on the secondary school.
Contents
1.
The learning community
2.
Particular strengths of the learning community
3.
How well do participants learn and achieve?
4.
How well are communities developing and achieving?
5.
How effective are providers in improving the quality of services?
6.
Does the learning community have a clear sense of direction?
7.
What happens next?
1. The learning community
Kelso learning community includes the settlement of Kelso, together with nine
very small rural villages.
2. Particular strengths of the learning community
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•
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Increased partnership work between the Community Learning and
Development Services (CLDS) and Kelso High School.
Strong focus on working to lessen social isolation, especially amongst older
people living in the rural villages.
The ongoing development of the Town Heritage Initiative (THI) and the
FutureKelso group.
3. How well do participants learn and achieve?
CLDS have been involved in a major council-wide review concluding in
autumn 2012. As a result, CLDS have made a number of changes to the staff
team in the Kelso area. Many staff have recently taken on new roles following the
review. Work in the Kelso area has been re-focused on priority areas. However,
much is still in the early stages of development. As a result, most of the targets
set by CLDS are not yet being met. There is still an ongoing need to gather and
interpret data and use this to develop their work. CLDS has continued to develop
and extend its work with local schools well. It is now more actively involved in
initial work to support capacity building in the rural areas. There is more
involvement with key local groups in the Kelso area such as FutureKelso and THI.
This has the potential to develop further, particularly given the recent
announcement of the proposed replacement for Kelso High School.
Young people
CLDS has continued to increase its work in Kelso High School. The CLDS worker
now contributes to the newly established Wider Achievement group. The work on
peer education continues to develop effectively and this has now been extended
to the S3 year group. The school is now working more effectively to develop
youth voice, particularly around young people’s involvement in Curriculum for
Excellence and engaging them in the consultation about the new school. CLDS
are now working better with local primary schools on transition programmes. The
CLDS youth worker is now more involved in local decision making forums and
groups, for example the Cheviot Learning Community Board, Abbey Row Centre
management committee and the Cheviot Area Forum. Partners within the
learning community should seek to develop the use of achievement awards,
particularly in transitions from primary school and with young people who attend
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the Rezz youth club. CLDS should continue to support the work of THI and link
this to curriculum subject areas in Kelso High school. This is an area for further
development.
Adults
CLDS staff are now focused more clearly on working with parents and family
learning. CLDS staff have made an effective start and have built new links to
local primary schools. CLDS continues to develop and deliver its effective work in
employability. Adult learning in the area has been affected by recent college
re-organisation and changes to the funding of some key partners such as Access
to Industry. CLDS has worked well to take on this work and to develop new
partnerships, although numbers of adult learners have declined slightly. Well
attended adult learning programmes continue to be delivered in the Abbey Row
Centre. These meet a local need and counter social isolation, particularly among
elderly groups. An increasing focus on developing health and wellbeing courses
for elderly residents in outlying villages is making a difference. This work is
leading to improvements in the mental health of some participants.
4. How well are communities developing and achieving?
CLDS are now working more effectively with a range of partners in Kelso. A
recent mapping exercise is informing local development and identifying gaps in
provision for older people. Partners are working well to address issues of social
isolation and mental health. This links well to council priorities. There are
encouraging developments in the rural villages. Abbey Row Centre management
committee are delivering a well attended and successful programme of learning
and numbers are increasing. They are seeking to involve young people more in
the work of the centre. THI are now building good links with primary schools.
Whilst there are a few encouraging developments, much is at an early stage and
does not yet demonstrate clear impacts for the community.
5. How effective are providers in improving the quality of services?
CLDS staff now demonstrate a better understanding of the role of self-evaluation
for improvement. Planning processes are improving and all CLDS staff are using
an agreed format. CLDS managers are now linking target setting, tracking and
monitoring into staff appraisal and reporting. However, this remains at an early
stage. Partners delivering Prepare to Care courses are now gathering participant
feedback in a more consistent way and they are able to capture and report on
impact. As yet, there is limited joint self-evaluation across the learning
community. Reporting to stakeholders remains limited and Kelso regeneration
work is at an early stage of development. Information from stakeholders involved
in capacity building activity is not yet being gathered systematically.
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6. Does the learning community have a clear sense of direction?
The Kelso High School learning community has begun to establish a sense of
direction but Community Learning and Development partners have much still to
do. CLDS have made an effective start to re-develop and re-design their work in
Kelso. They have continued to progress work with Kelso High School and are
now extending this to primary schools. They have begun to build links to a
number of key Kelso organisations and are developing new partnerships to
support their work in the rural villages. The deployment of experienced staff from
other areas has brought more focus to the work of the CLDS and has added value
to the good work of existing staff. While much of this is positive and the focus of
CLDS service in Kelso has improved, much of the work is at an early stage of
development. Dialogue needs to continue between partners within the learning
community to establish that sense of direction.
7. What happens next?
Improvements are still required in the Kelso High School learning community.
CLDS and their partners have more to do in terms of understanding their
strengths and areas for improvement. Our Area Lead Officer along with the local
authority will discuss the most appropriate support in order to build further
capacity for improvement. We will visit the learning community to check on
progress within one year of the publication of this report.
HM Inspector
Sheila Brown
15 January 2013
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If you would like to find out more about our inspections or get an electronic copy
of this report, please go to www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Please contact us if you want to know how to get the report in a different format,
for example, in a translation, or if you wish to comment about any aspect of our
inspections. 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.
Text phone users can contact us on 01506 600 236. This is a service for deaf
users. Please do not use this number for voice calls as the line will not connect
you to a member of staff.
You can find our complaints procedure on our website
www.educationscotland.gov.uk or alternatively you can contact our Complaints
Manager, at the address above or by telephoning 01506 600259.
Crown Copyright 2013
Education Scotland