Learning community inspection
Follow-through
A report by HM Inspectors
Inspection of the learning community
surrounding Montrose Academy
Angus Council
26 June 2012
We published a report on the learning community surrounding Montrose Academy
in September 2010. That report set out key strengths of the learning community
and areas for improvement.
This follow-through report is based on an inspection visit which was carried out in
April 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
Angus Council’s community learning and development (CLD) service was recently
re-organised. Core functions are now shared between the Education Service and
Neighbourhood Services. Local community plans are being reviewed. A
Children’s and Learning Partnership has been established in the learning
community to plan and coordinate provision.
2. Particular strengths of the learning community
•
Growing numbers of young people are achieving through a good range of
provision.
•
Local voluntary groups are making very effective progress in managing their
organisations and delivering local services.
3. How well do participants learn and achieve?
Increasing numbers of young people are now benefiting from taking part in
accredited achievement and award bearing programmes. The Montrose and Area
Local Children’s and Learning Partnership has made good progress in mapping
young people’s participation and achievement. As a result, staff are now better
placed to support young people to make progress. Increasing numbers of adult
learners are being supported to improve employability skills. Important wider
impacts of partnership activity include measurable reductions in crime. Further
work is needed to achieve a more consistent focus on the impact and outcomes of
CLD provision.
Young people
Young people benefit from a broad range of provision in the learning community
including music, sports and dance activities. They can describe how taking part
helps them to develop skills and confidence. More are achieving qualifications
and certificates. YMCA (YM Montrose) effectively engages large numbers of
young people in a variety of activities. Those taking part in music lessons are
highly motivated to develop skills and a few are contributing to a planned local
music festival. The Cook-IT programme is helping targeted young people to
remain constructively engaged in learning and develop employability skills.
Partners working with Montrose Academy now need to work more effectively
together to ensure a higher proportion of school leavers progress to employment,
training and further education.
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Adults
Increasing numbers of adult learners are taking part in programmes to improve
employability skills. A few are achieving core skills accreditation and making
progress in volunteering and employment. Learners are well supported to identify
personal goals and make progress. Older adults continue to take part in a very
broad range of activities which impact strongly on improving their health and
wellbeing. CLD staff have improved their capacity to deliver Scottish
Qualifications Authority courses. They are now working to engage learners who
might benefit most from taking part. English for speakers of other languages
learners continue to receive effective support. Overall, numbers of adult learners
achieving qualifications remain low. Staff now need to implement their plans to
increase numbers achieving and improve their arrangements to track learners’
progress to employment and other learning opportunities.
4. How well are communities developing and achieving?
Partners provide very effective support to a large number of community groups
and organisations. Many groups access high quality support, advice and training.
This has enabled local groups to secure grant funding to take forward their plans
and deliver effective services to the local community. Town centre and harbour
regeneration plans are supported by high levels of community involvement.
Volunteers in Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre have developed a new
resource and learning centre which benefits large numbers of visitors from local
primary schools. Hillside Scouts have secured funding to purchase land for new
premises. Borrowfield Community Group and Montrose Out of School Enterprise
are well supported to manage their organisations and access funding.
Community Councils and village hall committees benefit from high quality training
and advice. Montrose Together has not succeeded in its aspiration to bring
groups together in a unifying vision for Montrose. Local community groups would
benefit from improved communication and information on the full range of activity
taking place in Montrose. Young people are not sufficiently engaged in local
community planning.
5. How effective are providers in improving the quality of services?
Some improvements have been achieved in work with young people, adult
learners and local community groups. The Montrose and Area Local Children’s
and Learning Partnership has developed an action plan. This is helping to
provide a basis for improved focus on outcomes for young people. The plan
includes some examples of measurable targets. Analysis of levels of youth
participation has improved. However, staff are not consistently able to state clear
priorities. There are too many plans, in different formats for different teams. The
introduction of a management information system has not yet resulted in an
improved ability to measure and report on the impact of services. More consistent
use of appropriate tools could improve staff effectiveness in evaluation and
planning for improvement.
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6. Does the learning community have a clear sense of direction?
Overall, the Montrose and Area Local Children’s and Learning Partnership is
developing well. It has established a good basis for partners to plan together
across the learning community. It now needs to build on the progress being made
to develop its overall vision for the learning community.
7. What happens next?
Progress and improvement in a number of aspects of provision has been
achieved since the last inspection. Partners now need to sharpen their focus on
key shared priorities and more consistently monitor and track progress against
planned outcomes. Within one year of the publication of this report we will ask the
education authority to provide a report on continuing progress. We will then
consider whether or not to carry out any further inspection visits.
HM Inspector: Peter Hamilton
26 June 2012
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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 2012
Education Scotland