Inspection of the learning community
surrounding Tain Royal Academy
The Highland Council
26 November 2013
Transforming lives through learning
1. Context
Community learning and Development (CLD) partners within the area of Tain Royal
Academy (RA) were inspected by Education Scotland during September 2013.
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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post 16 employability;
literacy, numeracy and information and communications technology;
health and wellbeing; and
empowering communities.
2. How well are partners improving learning, increasing life chances,
promoting and securing wellbeing?
Within the Tain Learning Community partners work well together to address local
needs around the health and sports agenda. As part of the Community Sports Hub
initiative, partners such as The Highland Council (THC) and High Life Highland’s
(HLH) Active Schools staff work well with local sports organisations. This has
resulted in improved facilities and increasing access to more localised courses. The
Community Sports Hub works to agreed targets which are linked to local need and to
the National Commonwealth 2014 Legacy framework. An effective collaboration
between NHS Highland and HLH has resulted in a number of effective and targeted
programmes for older people. The quality of life for participants is improving. High
numbers of volunteers actively contribute to the delivery of much needed services.
Regular intelligence supplied by local youth workers assists Tain RA to better meet
the needs of individual young people.
No up-to-date community profile of need or similar exercise to identify specific needs
has been undertaken in recent times. As a result, partners do not have a current
picture of the needs of the Tain Learning Community. Data is not shared across
partners in a regular and systematic way. Participant and completion rates for
accredited awards are low. Young people’s out of school achievement is not
effectively recorded and shared. As a result Tain Royal Academy does not have a
complete picture of young people’s wider achievement. Performance information is
not effectively linked to profiling statistics and trends. Participation and retention
rates are not reported in a meaningful way which helps improve decision making.
Not all partners work to clear and measurable outcomes and targets. There is a
need to develop and implement agreed actions, targets and outcomes at individual
organisational level and across partnerships. Joint reviewing of the impact of
individual programmes could be improved.
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A good range of targeted interventions built on strong and trusted relationships are
helping to improve the life chances of young people. Provision for young people is
inclusive. Tain Youth Café offers an attractive, welcoming and well-resourced facility
for young people at times that suit. Young people from St Duthus secondary special
school enjoy their time in the youth café and as a result have improved social skills
and increased self-confidence. Detached youth workers have been effective in
addressing under-age drinking at weekends. Young people are increasing in
confidence and responsibility. The Youth Café Young Mums group are increasingly
taking responsibility for managing the group. Young people acting as Peer
Educators deliver drugs education to P7 age group. The young people are not only
sharing their learning but increasing their own knowledge and confidence. A survey
of local leisure facilities conducted by the recently established Tain Youth Forum
attracted a particularly high response rate. Findings from the survey has informed
the October holiday activity programme. Through groups such as Tain, Invergordon
and Alness employment project small numbers of young people have progressed to
employment opportunities within the gas and oil industry locally.
Tain Library provides valuable adult and family learning opportunities. Parents enjoy
sharing learning with their children. A Gaelic Bookbug session meets the needs of
Gaelic speakers effectively. Adult learners enjoy positive and highly valued
relationships with staff. Learners benefit from increased levels of confidence and
skill development. In addition to increased confidence, volunteers within Christian
Community Support Team (CCAST) gain accredited training in first aid and health
and safety. They also access Work Club resources to look for work whilst
volunteering. As a result of their learning and increased confidence English for
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners are integrating well into the local
community and enjoy improved chances to secure employment. Literacy learners
are making good progress against individual targets set. A range of effective
activities improve learners’ health and wellbeing. Older people participating in an
exercise programme to help reduce falls, are more mobile, increasingly motivated
and have a more positive outlook in life. This programme is having a significant life
changing impact on participants many of whom reside within a care home.
Opportunities to better recognise and celebrate young people’s and adult learner
achievements are not fully capitalised on. Involvement of young people in local
decision making whilst improving remains limited. Networking across all local youth
work providers including voluntary and uniformed organisations is ineffective. Youth
work providers are not clearly evidencing outcomes for young people. The number
of adult literacy learners is low. There is no coordinated programme of adult and
family learning across providers. The range of learning opportunities for adults could
be further expanded.
Local community groups such as CCAST, Tain YMCA, Seaboard and Hilton
Community Council and local charity Made in Tain are run by confident, skilled and
committed community members. Local targeted services developed in response to
local need make a positive impact in addressing issues such as welfare benefit
reform and drug addiction. The Silver Network delivers local Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) which is self-sustaining. Volunteer run Tain and
District Museum makes a positive contribution to local economy whilst enriching
cultural life. Tain Community Sports Hub is improving the capacity of local sports
clubs whilst increasing the delivery of local sporting events. Made in Tain creates
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meaningful work experiences as well as opportunities for social interaction and
improved life skills for young people with additional support needs. Community
groups are not fully engaged in the community planning process. Applications by
local organisations to funding opportunities such as Deprived Area Funds are low.
There is recognition locally that community organisations are not fully accessing
available funding, support and training. The imminent appointment of new
Community Support Workers by High Life Highland, with funding from the local
authority will help address these issues.
3. How well are partners working together and improving the quality of
services and provision?
Highly effective partnership working between THC, HLH and NHS Highland has
resulted in a range of preventative programmes for children and older people. Some
partners are using national and local data well to plan effectively for improvement.
For example, national and local comparison of the frequency of falls among older
people provides a helpful baseline to evaluate the impact of local exercise
programmes for the elderly. Similarly HLH and NHS Highland use feedback and
consultation with participants to reflect on and improve provision in line with their
preventative agenda. Tain Community Sports Hub offer a good example of a
structured, well led and planned partnership, working to an agreed set of aims where
stakeholder feedback has improved services. However, out-with the development of
the Community Sports Hub there is a lack of any clear leadership being taken in
bringing key partners together. Whilst informal partnership working at an operational
level is good, there is no formalised partnership or strategic planning structure.
Access to mandatory youth work training for HLH and Tain Youth Café volunteers is
good. HLH’s Active Schools and Sports Development staff provide a range of quality
coaching and leadership training for school staff, volunteers and parents.
Across the learning community plans are in place for a range of individual projects
and initiatives such as Active Schools Joint Cluster Plan and YDO work planning.
However, these plans are not sufficiently outcome focused, collated or coordinated
to provide an overview of how the needs of the Tain Learning Community are being
addressed and improved. There is no joined up or robust approach to
self-evaluation and planning for improvement. Local CLD partners lack a detailed
understanding of the Scottish Government Strategic Guidance to Community
Planning Partnerships on CLD. As a result, their ability to deliver on national
outcomes is limited. Workforce development is not well planned and integrated
across the partnership. Those opportunities which do exist are not always
accessible to voluntary sector partners.
This inspection of learning and development in the learning community surrounding
Tain Royal Academy found the following key strengths.
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Significant contribution made by volunteers to improve the local community.
Committed and enthusiastic staff, volunteers and partners.
Community organisations delivering much needed services.
Older learners gaining increased confidence and improved health and wellbeing.
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We discussed with partners how they might continue to improve their work. This is
what we agreed with them.
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Undertake a comprehensive local needs assessment.
The Highland Council to offer clear leadership on developing effective local
strategic partnerships.
Develop effective joint evaluation and planning structures based on a set of
agreed outcomes.
Improve collation and shared analysis of data across partners to better improve
outcomes for learners.
Improve performance management and reporting.
4. What happens at the end of the inspection?
There are significant improvements needed and partners do not yet have a good
understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. However, as impacts
on participants and the community are strong, we have decided to end the inspection
at this time. We do not intend to revisit this learning community in connection with
the inspection of September 2013. We will meet with The Highland Council to
discuss the most appropriate support in order to build capacity for improvement.
Stewart Maxwell
HM Inspector
26 November 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/tainroyalacademylc.asp
If you would like to receive this report in a different format, for example, in a
translation you can contact the administration team on 01506 600381.
If you want to give us feedback or make a complaint about our work, please contact
us by telephone on 0141 282 5000, or e-mail:
complaints@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to us, addressing your letter to
The Complaints Manager, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Livingston,
EH54 6GA.
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Please do not use this number for voice calls as the line will not connect you to a
member of staff.
Crown Copyright 2013
Education Scotland
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