A Report on Standards and Quality In North Ayrshire Council Educational Services

Transcription

1 A Report on Standards and Quality In North Ayrshire Council Educational Services June 2008

2 Introduction Welcome to this report on the Standards and Quality of educational provision in North Ayrshire. The report contains an evaluation of progress made since our last Standards and Quality Report in February Many of the developments described have been recognised nationally as examples of good practice by agencies such as Her Majesty s Inspectorate for Education (HMIE), Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) and SLF. In particular, HMIE rated several aspects of the work of Community Learning and Development (CLD) as excellent, the highest evaluation. North Ayrshire CLD was the first in Scotland to achieve this. Other authorities have expressed significant interest in some of the innovative developments within North Ayrshire Council establishments. The considerable improvements which have been made have been achieved through the combined efforts of staff, pupils, parents and the wider community and the report reflects the crucial role played by all stakeholders in providing a quality education service in North Ayrshire. We hope that you will find the report informative and encouraging and that you will share both our pride in North Ayrshire s achievements and our commitment to continuous improvement in the future. 2

3 Profile of Educational Services North Ayrshire Council is responsible for all educational services within its area. With an annual budget of almost 148 million, education is the largest part of the Council s operation. North Ayrshire s 53 primary schools cater for almost 11,000 pupils and vary widely in size with pupil numbers ranging from under 20 to over 500. They work within the national 5-14 curriculum and in recent years have extended their provision for ICT, music and sport. All schools are developing aspects of a Curriculum for Excellence. Primary schools, particularly in rural and island areas, also provide a valuable focus for their local communities. All primary schools in North Ayrshire are associated with a specific secondary school and the two sectors work in partnership to provide continuity and progression for their students. In the secondary sector, North Ayrshire provides education for nearly 9,000 young people aged from 12 to 18 in 9 comprehensive schools. These schools are staffed by 700 teachers, assisted by technicians, librarians and support staff. Students are offered a wide range of courses enabling them to proceed to employment, further education and higher education. The experience of young people attending these schools is enhanced by extra curricular activities including sports, drama, music and debating. Schools in North Ayrshire have effective links with James Watt and Kilmarnock Further Education colleges which offer an extensive range of vocational courses to students. All children in North Ayrshire have access to a part-time nursery place from the term following their third birthday and there are some 250 places for two year olds. Children either attend one of the Council s 40 nurseries or are supported in an approved voluntary or private nursery. Most young people in North Ayrshire with additional support needs will attend either their local primary or secondary school or one of the four special schools in North Ayrshire. In cases of more specialised need, arrangements are made for children to attend schools outwith North Ayrshire. Teachers, parents and others are aided in their assessment and support of children by the psychological service, which also plays a key role in relation to research, training and policy development. All schools on the mainland have access to Out of School Care enabling parents to access work or training. Children s Outreach Services also run breakfast clubs in a number of schools and this impacts on attendance, attainment and health. All schools in North Ayrshire can make use of a comprehensive range of central support services. The Quality Improvement Service has a lead role in improving the quality of learning, teaching and achievement and staff development and assists 3

4 schools in the process of self-evaluation and improvement planning. The Education Resource Service supports teachers through centralised collections of resources to support the curriculum, in-service facilities for teachers and deployment of specialised staff to support effective resource provision in schools. The Technician Service provides schools with advice and repairs, and supports school technicians in secondary schools. The Toy Library, run within Children s Outreach Services, provides schools and nurseries with a wide range of resources to support the curriculum, especially helpful in the drive to promote play as a method of learning in the early years. Many individual pupils attending North Ayrshire schools receive specialist help in certain aspects of their education. This is provided by a range of central services such as the Pupil Support Service and the Music Service. North Ayrshire Council also has an Outdoor Education Resource on Arran. Eglinton Country Park provides a varied programme of leisure and physical activity opportunities for schools, families, the community and visitors. Children s Outreach Services promotes the importance of play by running activities for children whilst, at the same time, working with parents to help them realise the importance of play in a child s development. North Ayrshire Council has given a high priority to its school estate, building a new primary school each year since Through its Public Private Partnership programme, the Council has built three new secondary schools and one primary school which were opened in The Accessibility Strategy Steering Group (ASSG) works to ensure that all educational establishments are fully accessible and equipped to a high standard to meet the needs of children, young people and staff members affected by disability. The ASSG is a multi-agency forum ensuring the sharing of high quality information enabling a wide range of needs to be addressed. The organisation of Community Learning and Development, Children s Outreach Services and the provision of libraries, arts centres and museums are included within the Council s Educational Services grouping. The Council has established North Ayrshire Leisure Ltd as an independent charitable trust to provide sports and leisure services. Educational administration is based in Cunninghame House, Irvine. It supports schools in such matters as finance, property and personnel, as well as dealing with the requirements of individual students for school transport, education maintenance allowances and footwear and clothing grants. North Ayrshire Council works closely with all its educational establishments to ensure that a high quality of education is provided and that all students are helped to realise their full potential. 4

5 Aims, Values and Priorities A review of aims, values and priorities was undertaken and involved wide consultation with all stakeholders. Our Overall Aim To work in a sustainable way with our partners to build a better North Ayrshire in which all citizens can participate, learn and contribute to the community. Our Values Respect Equity Inclusion Excellence Openness Our Priorities 1. Getting people into work 2. Improving educational attainment and achievement 3. Providing a cleaner, greener and more attractive environment 4. Promoting healthier and more active communities 5. Making our communities safer and better protected 6. Reducing disadvantage and promoting equal opportunities 7. Improving our customer service 8. Using our resources more efficiently and effectively 9. Attracting, retaining and developing our employees 5

6 Framework for the Report The report is structured under North Ayrshire Council s Local Priorities as aligned with the Single Outcome Agreement in relation to the new Concordat between the Scottish Government and local councils. This is done to streamline the planning process and to show how Educational Services contributes to the goals of creating a better North Ayrshire. These are: 1. Getting people into work 2. Improving educational attainment and achievement 3. Providing a cleaner, greener and more attractive environment 4. Promoting healthier and more active communities 5. Making our communities safer and better protected 6. Reducing disadvantage and promoting equal opportunities 7. Improving our customer service 8. Using our resources more efficiently and effectively 9. Attracting, retaining and developing our employees The work of Educational Services under these priorities fits very well with the five National Priorities in Education and also with the four capacities that underpin a Curriculum for Excellence: links to both will be highlighted where appropriate. North Ayrshire Council has endorsed these priorities as the basis for evaluating the quality of its educational provision. This report covers the period from March 2007 to June 2008 and it provides an evaluation of work accomplished under each Local Priority. For each Local Priority area there is: a description of the progress which has been made; a section on our key achievements; a summary of what we will do next. Relevant comments from HMIE reports on schools (March 2007 June 2008) and aspect inspections of Community Learning and Development are included. 6

7 How do we know? The evidence for this report has been gathered from a range of sources: Analysis of school improvement plans; Monitoring and evaluation visits to schools; Analysis of 5 14 attainment data; Analysis of attendance; Analysis of SQA results; Monitoring of North Ayrshire Council Plan; Reports for Educational Services Executive; Performance reports; Service Plans and Improvement Plans for the Authority; Surveys of pupils; Best Value Performance Reports; National Priority Profiles from schools; Schools Standards & Quality Reports; Analysis of HMIE reports on schools in North Ayrshire; HMIe inspection of services to protect children; Evaluations of courses, conferences and seminars. Questionnaires to parents and children; Outcomes of consultation with stakeholders; 7

8 GETTING PEOPLE INTO WORK North Ayrshire Council is one of seven local authorities where the numbers of year olds not in employment, education or training is a particular challenge. North Ayrshire is ranked second in Scotland in the local authority ranking of indicators related to year olds not in employment, education or training and is first in terms of benefit claimants. Ensuring that all school leavers progress to education, training or secure employment is fundamental for North Ayrshire Council s vision of increasing educational achievement and getting people into work. Getting people into work is the top regeneration priority for North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership and as such has been allocated 50% of the Fairer Scotland Funding. What progress has been made? Percentage of school leavers not in education, employment or training 2004/ / /07 NAC 19% 15.5% 15.4% National average 16% 14.9% 13.7% National figures have fallen by 2.4%. North Ayrshire has managed to reduce the figure by 3.6%. This has been a major achievement given the local economic and employment challenges. North Ayrshire Council percentage of pupils entering higher or further education NAC NAC 2005/ /07 % of leavers entering higher education % of leavers entering further National average 2005/06 National average 2006/ % 30.5% 27% 29.7% 29.4% 23.2% 29.6% 23.3% education % of leavers entering training 7.1% 5.1% 6.7% 5.1% Total 64.5% 58.8% 63.3% 58% While the percentage of young people transferring from school to further education, higher education and training are more than 5% above the national level, the percentage going into employment is particularly low at 6% below the national figures. 8

9 The More Choices More Chances Strategy Group has made good progress in addressing the needs of young people who require more choices and more chances in order to secure positive post school destinations. An effective range of programmes and activities has been developed by partners, designed to both prevent year olds falling into the NEET category and also to support the 16+ young people who are already not in employment, education or training. Effective partnership working has ensured better identification, tracking and aftercare for young people in need of more choices more chances. Linked to the authority s strategy on creating More Choices, More Chances, the Psychological Service has been running a project piloting psychological services post-school. This has focused on improving transitions for young people when they leave school, primarily through the introduction of a transition passport. The project has also improved links to post-school agencies. Good progress has been made in addressing the recommendations set out in Determined to Succeed. The local authority Framework for Enterprise in Education P1 S6 is being used by all schools and a programme of support is in place. The Framework is designed to ensure that the activities deliver a balance between careers education, experiential entrepreneurship, planning and organisation and service provision. In addition, it addresses the teaching of core skills which are delivered through a variety of curricular contexts. It fits well with the four capacities outlined in A Curriculum for Excellence. There is an entitlement for every child from P1-S6 to experience at least one integrated Enterprise in Education activity per year. Young people in North Ayrshire schools have regular planned opportunities to develop enterprising skills and attitudes through participation in activities such as running a mini-business, eco-committees, pupil councils, science and technology challenges and work related experiences. The Cultural Careers project aims to give pupils an enhanced awareness of career opportunities in the field of arts and culture, enhance skills in a specific area of the field and approach learning in an enterprising way. There has been a major expansion in the involvement of local and national business with schools as a result of the implementation of Determined to Succeed. In 2005/6 a total of 527 business partnerships were in place for secondary, special and primary schools, with partnerships greatly exceeding the Scottish Government target of 5 per cluster. A partnership agreement involving North, South and East Ayrshire and the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce has resulted in the employment of a business liaison officer to work with schools in developing business links. 9

10 Through a process of Personal Learning Planning with Looked After young people, the Better Futures team arranged relevant, ongoing work experience. A very high percentage of the young people determined to undertake further education in a chosen vocational area related to their work experience. At June 2008, 19 Looked After young people had completed a successful transition to college or other training opportunity. The Childcare Partnership ensures that a range of accessible, flexible and quality childcare services exist to support parents in training or employment. The Childcare Partnership has worked very closely with Working for Families since 2004 and has supported their Childminding and Sitter Services projects. The availability of out of school care for primary pupils also supports parents/carers in taking up employment or training. The number of out of school care places available within North Ayrshire has risen from 294 places in 2004 to 1,164 places in The number of breakfast club places has also risen from 232 in 2004 to 522 in Care Commission Inspection reports have been very positive with those services run by Children s Outreach Services being inspected only every two years rather than annually. Parents are regularly consulted on their views of the services provided and evaluations have again been very positive. Parents of children with additional support needs previously faced a number of barriers finding an appropriate form of childcare to allow them to work. The Inclusive Childcare Project, established in 2004, has removed these barriers and 42 children with Additional Support Needs now access mainstream childcare. This project was awarded a COSLA Excellence Award in 2008 for the positive impact it has had on children and families and for the strength of its partnership working. Community Learning and Development continues to develop and extend opportunities for community based learning. Over the past four years, a project for Motivation and Training, Education and Support (MATES), has engaged with 206 school leavers. During the last reporting year, 40 participants progressed to other learning opportunities and 28 participants progressed to college. Community Learning and Development s recent work in one secondary school with young people in a winter leavers group has resulted in 40% of the group returning to school after Christmas. Overall, 100% of this group ended up in a positive destination by either returning to school, gaining employment or going to college. Partnership working with schools and Community Learning and Development has become more strategic, with a stronger focus on a shared curriculum and improving post-school outcomes. Young people who have engaged in CLD programmes have reported increases in a range of educational, personal and social skills. In 2006/07, 91% of young people reported an increase in confidence, 86% reported that they were better at working 10

11 with others in groups and 76% indicated that their youth work experience had helped to make changes in their lives an increase from figures reported in 2005/06. In partnership with colleges and other providers, a range of community-based adult learning opportunities is provided across North Ayrshire. These courses support learners to return to learning, as well as providing the motivation and confidence to progress to further education and employment. In 2006/07, 90% of adult learners reported an increase in confidence, 57% reported that they were better at working with others and 70% indicated that their learning experience had helped to make changes in their lives an increase from figures reported in 2005/06. The Three Towns Motor Project continues to offer high quality learning opportunities through activities connected to motor vehicles. The project works with secondary schools and James Watt College to provide an alternative curriculum for pupils. The project has been highlighted as a good practice illustration of impacts and outcomes in the HIME publication Improving Scottish Education: Making a difference in Scotland s Communities In partnership with local colleges and employers, skill centres in three secondary schools have been developed to provide additional vocational opportunities for students. The Activate programme provides enhanced Careers Service support for targeted young people in four North Ayrshire secondary schools. The programme is delivered in partnership with Careers Scotland and has been in place for three years. Each year, around 90% of the young people participating have made a successful transition to education, employment or training. During this session, the programme has been extended to include a further four secondary schools. All S4 pupils are given the opportunity to participate in work experience in their local community. More than 70% of S4 pupils participated in session volunteers have participated in radio developments at Three Towns FM (3TFM) and Garnock Valley FM (GVFM). As a result of increased confidence, three volunteers have progressed to university courses and three volunteers have moved into employment. Other volunteers have become more active in their communities, become peer educators and provide training to other community groups. 3TFM is registered as a Social Economy Organisation and won the John Smith Award at the 2007 Scottish Adult Education Awards ceremony. Career points have been developed in three libraries in conjunction with Careers Scotland as part of the Community Guidance Action Plan. The Community Employment Initiative Scotland and a range of other organisations have identified libraries as a prime location to attract clients. Accommodation is regularly made available for such groups. 11

12 Remaining challenges While there have been a number of key achievements in relation to getting young people into work, particular challenges remain in relation to tackling this problem: Overall lack of employment and training opportunities High proportion of small and medium sized business and related issues regarding offering training opportunities and work placements Low level of business start-up Employers attitudes to the employability of young people Engaging with local employers The partners who contribute to the work of the More Choices More Chances Strategy group are committed to work together to address these challenges in order: To stem the flow of young people not in education, employment or training To address the needs of those caught long-term in this situation 12

13 IMPROVING ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTAINMENT Improving educational attainment and achievement is one of the key aims both of North Ayrshire Council and of Educational Services. The authority strives to raise standards of educational attainment in all schools, especially in the core skills of literacy and numeracy, and to achieve better levels in national measures of attainment including examination results. Integrated working and positive partnerships are seen as vital to the success of the strategies put in place. Good progress is being made in a number of areas and evidence of impact is being identified. What progress has been made? Pre-Five and Early Years Staff in all nurseries have had access to a variety of in-service training courses promoting imaginative play, science discovery and supporting the more able child. Following staff training, new curriculum planning guidelines have been issued to make planning more responsive to children s needs and to help children to become more involved in their own learning. The recently developed transition support package has been distributed to all nurseries including partner providers. It is now embedded in all pre-five establishments and has been adapted and developed to suit individual contexts. It has attracted very favourable comments from staff and parents and is considered a valuable tool in facilitating a smooth transition. Very good in-service training for P1 staff, followed up by a series of twilight sessions has had a very positive impact on the learning experiences for P1 pupils. Staff tutors have also contributed effectively to the development of active learning in the early years, by supporting staff in their classrooms. An identical model for P2 pupils has been put in place. There has been interest nationally in how North Ayrshire has taken this forward. Staff from the authority have made presentations at national conferences. 13

14 5-14 Attainment National Assessments Attainment in Reading, Writing and Mathematics in North Ayrshire Schools % Achieved Primary 2005/ / /08 NAC Target 2009 Reading Writing Mathematics % of pupils in North Ayrshire attaining or exceeding the appropriate levels by the end of the appropriate stage (P3, P4, P6, P7) % Achieved Secondary 2005/ / /08 NAC Target 2009 Reading Writing Mathematics % of pupils in North Ayrshire attaining or exceeding Level E in each subject by the end of S2 In primary schools reading maintains the improving trend of the previous three years. In writing, there is good improvement (4%) over the same period. In mathematics there has also been an upward trend (over 2%). An ambitious target has been set for 2008/09. Performance in primary across all measures and all groups shows an improving trend. Attainment in P3 has been regularly at a high level for the past four years, with considerable improvement in writing and results for mathematics consistently above 95%. In secondary, there have been marked improvements in reading over the past three years (4%) and writing (6%) but there has been a slight dip in mathematics attainment. Steps have been taken to address this at departmental, school and authority level. An ambitious target for improvement has been set for 2008/09 14

15 Many pupils achieve national assessment levels earlier than might normally be expected. There has been an increase in early achievement at P2, P7 and S1 in reading, writing and mathematics. All schools have set targets for 5-14 for the period 2008/09. North Ayrshire s targets are: Primary Secondary Reading 86% 70.5% Writing 82% 59% Mathematics 89% 65% Based on the attainment levels of 2006/07, the majority of schools are well placed to achieve their targets. Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Awards In S4, most presentations continue to be at Standard Grade (89%) with a few National Qualifications (5% at Access 3 and 6% at Intermediate) in both 2005 and Overall performance in SQA qualifications for S4 was around national average during the period, but there certainly is scope for improvement. In 2007, performance at foundation level (5+ at SCQF level 3 or above) has increased compared to 2003 and the previous year, but was slightly below national levels. However, at less than 90%, this is below the comparator authorities average. Results for 5+ at SCQF level 4 and 5+ at SCQF level 5 are below national and average comparator authorities levels. These have decreased since 2005 the best year of the past 5-year period. While there has been an occasional dip in some SQA performance measures over the last 5 years, performance at and 5+ at SCQF level 6 by the end of S5 continues to be broadly in line with comparator authorities. In 2006, performance was stronger than the comparators family average. There is evidence of a positive impact of additional measures on previously poorly performing departments and this continues to be a priority area for improvement. North Ayrshire students perform particularly well in Administration and Computing Studies and French at Standard Grade and in Computing and French at Higher level. At the end of S6, over 16% of the original S4 cohort in 2007 had left with 5 or more awards at SCQF level 6 or above, which is slightly lower than the performance achieved in 2003, but an increase over the previous 3 years and more than one percentage points above the comparators average. There is also room for improvement in S6 pupils SQA performance, since most measures, although on a general upward trend, remain below national levels. Analysis of three-year rolling averages (by the end of S6 cohorts) indicates that, despite focused interventions in a multitude of areas, results are lagging behind comparators average and national levels. However, the latest results indicate that 15

16 results at level 6 are improving and that can be only the result of cumulative gains throughout the pupils learning experience at each stage. In September 2007, only 75% of the previous year s S4 pupils have stayed on onto S5 (56.5% by January) and almost 39% of the original S4 cohort has stayed on into S6. This is a drop from the figures registered in the previous years and it is mainly due to the increase in the availability of further education opportunities in North Ayrshire. Through improved school-college partnerships and the awareness raising programmes supported by NAC Educational Services, our pupils are now much better informed. The rate of school leavers entering further education has reached 29.6% in 2007 which is over 6 percentage points higher than the national figure. Educational psychologists have contributed to the elaboration of the curriculum, through the evaluation and development of Lets Encourage Thinking, a training pack to promote thinking skills, and the introduction of the curriculum, Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PAThS). Removing the impact of disadvantage The authority works hard to ensure that various groups, acknowledged to face significant disadvantage, are enabled to achieve their potential. These efforts yield welcome, positive results. SQA results for 2007 shows that boys in North Ayrshire, in common with the national trend, achieve less than their female counterparts. However, the gap in performance in 2006 was less for NAC than for the national group. Children from ethnic minority groups are generally performing as well as other children with the exception of children from traveller families. A number of initiatives are currently underway to address the particular needs of this group. SQA statistics for special schools show very good attainment for pupils undertaking courses at Access 1,2 and 3. Some pupils have achieved Foundation and General levels at Standard Grade. The attainment of looked after young people is well above the national average. In 2006, 51% gained awards in SCQF level 3 or better in both English language and mathematics against a national average of 40%. 64% of looked after children gained at least 1 SCQF award against 50% nationally. The Better Futures initiative focused on raising the attainment and achievement of Looked After Children. Twenty seven S3 and S4 pupils from the nine mainland secondary schools have been involved in the project. For 80% of these pupils, exclusion rates have reduced, attendance has increased and attainment in English language and mathematics has significantly improved. All participants are also engaged in vocational training. Nineteen young people have made a successful transition to college or into preparation for work courses with Careers Scotland. 16

17 Raising the attainment of the lowest 20% in secondary schools A range of strategies has been put in place to address the needs of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils. Secondary schools are responding more effectively to the varying needs of pupils at S3 to S6 by offering greater curriculum flexibility. This has led to a wider range of NQ courses at Access and Intermediate levels; to some schools embarking earlier on Standard Grade; and to courses leading to ASDAN. Each year, Community Learning and Development staff work with all mainland secondary schools delivering a variety of programmes and award schemes including the Three Towns Motor Project, XL Princes Trust clubs, Fire Reach, Millennium, Duke of Edinburgh s and John Muir Awards. In excess of 800 pupils are involved in these programmes. A Performance Information Evaluation System (PIES) has been developed by CLD to record the learning outcomes of the young people involved in these learning activities. Participation has resulted in a richer profile of achievements for a wider range of young people. Stakeholders report improvements in behaviour and attendance including more teamwork and better communication. As part of the Regeneration Outcome Agreement, additional pupil support staff were employed in 26 primary schools in regeneration data zones. These schools also had funding to support Family Clubs, which enable children and parents to come together to share in educational, social and recreational activities, and to access supported study opportunities in public libraries. This has now been reviewed as part of the Fairer Scotland Fund. Functioning within the Pupil Support Service, the Extended Outreach Service makes a valuable contribution to raising educational attainment and achievement for vulnerable young people. The Library and Information Service delivers within the Raising Educational Attainment strand of the Community Planning ROA through the work of a Supported Study Development Officer who provides supported study opportunities in public libraries. 53 primary schools had sessions for P6 pupils in 2006/07 and ROA data zones schools benefited from two sessions each. There is 100% take up for this project. Homework clubs are being established in all seven data zone libraries as well as on a travellers site. This session 70 young people in S3, 48 in S4 and 170 in S5 and S6 have enrolled in vocational educational courses on a part-time basis. These courses lead to qualifications including SVQ Level 1 and Skills for Work awards. S5 and S6 students participate in Community Sports Leader Awards. Fifty S5 young people have achieved the Community Sports Leader Award and 24 S4/S5 young people have achieved the Junior Sports Leader Award. Some of the students involved are also being given the opportunity to achieve First Aid Certification and Sports Governing Body Awards resulting in qualifications outwith the National Qualifications framework. 17

18 The Activate programme provides enhanced Careers Service support for targeted young people in four North Ayrshire secondary schools. The programme is delivered in partnership with Careers Scotland and has been in place for three years. Each year, around 90% of the young people participating have made a successful transition to education, employment or training. As part of the More Choices More Chances Strategy, this has been extended to include a further three secondary schools. In addition, Community Learning and Development s recent work in one secondary school with young people in a winter leavers group has resulted in 40% of the group returning to school after Christmas. Overall, 100% of this group ended up in a positive destination by either returning to school, gaining employment or going to college. Children s Outreach Services run a very pro-active Bookstart Project running Bookstart Rhymetimes in libraries and community venues across North Ayrshire. During ,105 children attended these events and just under 200 children joined the library service as a result. Bookstart staff have had great success in encouraging parents to use books with even the youngest of children and this earliest of early intervention initiatives contributes to the services literacy strategy. Primary, Secondary and Special school pupils have opportunities to participate in outdoor learning activities designed to develop a range of key life skills including team working, problem solving and decision making. A purpose built facility, the Arran Outdoor Centre provides an excellent base for this work to be developed. The new facility was opened in January Twelve S2 pupils and twelve S3 pupils from two secondary schools participated in a partnership with Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service in the Fire Reach Project. As well as providing opportunities for the young people involved to achieve certification in First Aid, the project supported the development of a wider range of life skills including team working, time-keeping, problem solving and communication. The project was out in session to S3 pupils in seven secondary schools. Pupils in special schools continue to succeed in an increasing range of courses. Subjects include literacy and numeracy studies, communications and media, computing, design, home economics, and developing an environmental project. Provision is also made for personal and social awareness and development. In addition to SQA courses, there is provision for pupils to achieve through the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) life skills courses, and the Caledonia Award Scheme. 18

19 Improving attendance Attendance % of half day attendance 2002/ / / / / 2007 CA average 2005/2006 National 2005/ 2006 Primary 94.5% 95% 94.7% 94.7% 95% 94.8% 95% Secondary 88% 88.2% 88.4% 89.5% 90% 89.6% 90.4% Special 94.1% 94.1% 94.1% 93.9% 94.9% 88.9% 90.7% The introduction of the automated call system in November 2005 has had a positive effect on attendance in secondary schools. The recording of authorised and unauthorised absences is now more accurate. This, together with the appointment of Pupil Welfare Officers and Home School Inclusion Workers has enabled secondary schools to direct their support to pupils in a more focused way. The attendance rose by 1% in Attendance in primary and special schools is consistently high at an average 95% Reducing exclusions Exclusions No. of days lost through exclusions per 1000 pupils 2002/ / / / / 2007 CA average 2005/2006 National 2005/ 2006 Primary Secondary Session 2005/06 was an exceptional year in relational to primary school exclusions. Since that time, there has been a significant drop in primary school exclusions. Figures for 2006/07 are now better than both comparator and national levels. The increase in the number of exclusions at the secondary stage within the authority is recognised as a cause for concern. Tackling this issue is a priority in the Service Improvement Plan. A Creating Confident Schools Group has been established to focus on prevention and alternatives to exclusion. There has been a workshop focusing on this with secondary Head Teachers and individual discussions with the Head Teachers of schools with the highest levels of exclusion. A case study audit of exclusions will take place in September More focused work on handling conflict will take place with the six primary schools which account for 57% of exclusions within that sector. 19

20 HMIe Inspections and Follow Through Nursery schools / classes Since August 2004, 30 local authority and 18 partner provider nurseries have had an integrated inspection. The quality of programmes in local authority nurseries was judged to be Very Good in 50% of the establishments and Good in the other 50%. Effectiveness of leadership was judged to be Very Good in 44% of establishments and Good in the remaining 56%. In the partner provider nurseries the quality of programmes was evaluated as Very Good in 27% of establishments, Good in 66% and Fair in 7%. Programmes of communication and language and physical development and movement required to be improved. Effectiveness of leadership was judged to be Very Good in 27%, Good in 39% and fair in 34%. Primary Schools Since August 2004, 15 primary schools have been inspected. Pupils attainment in English language and mathematics, and Teaching, Learning and Meeting Needs show an improving trend with over 85% either Good or Very Good. Pastoral Care and Ethos indicators show major strengths in most schools inspected since the introduction of the six point scale with four Excellents being awarded in these areas. Around half of the schools inspected had leadership evaluated as Very Good. The quality of self-evaluation has been a focus of support and is now showing signs of improvement. Secondary schools Since August 2004, four secondary schools have been inspected. Three schools were evaluated as Good or Very Good for Pastoral Care, Personal and Social development, Learning Support, Partnership with Parents and Leadership. The remaining school had a poor report with significant areas of weakness. This required systematic and focused input from Educational Services during followthrough in order to address the issues identified. The Follow-through inspection showed that progress had been made. Special Schools All four of the authority s special schools have been inspected since August Evaluations of Attainment, Teaching, Learning, Meeting Pupils Needs and Leadership were all either Good or Very Good. Particular strengths were identified in Pastoral care and Ethos with one Excellent being awarded. The Stanley Educational Support Resource (ESR), which provides part-time, small group and individual educational experience for pupils presenting severe social, emotional and behavioural problems, was inspected in October Particular strengths were identified in Pastoral care, Ethos, links with local schools and the successful reintegration of a number of pupils into their own schools. Teaching, 20

21 Learning, Meeting Pupils Needs, Self-evaluation and Leadership were all identified as Good. Further improvements A Curriculum for Excellence (ACE) A Curriculum for Excellence has created a unified set of purposes and principles for the whole curriculum in Scotland, throughout the early years, primary school and secondary school. Our aspiration for all children and for every young person is that they should be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society and at work. A Curriculum for Excellence Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) 2004 A Curriculum for Excellence aims to improve the learning, attainment and achievement of children and young people in Scotland. At a strategic level, a Curriculum for Excellence strategy group and two short-life working groups have been set up to progress developments. The focus of these specific groups is currently Advanced Higher and S1-S3. The authority s new Teaching and Learning policy has been developed to articulate closely with a Curriculum for excellence. School, Community Learning and Development and other staff will be supported to enable them to deliver the best experiences and outcomes for learners. Within North Ayrshire, the ACE team of two Quality Improvement Officers and two Development Officers has provided extensive support and training for staff at both school and cluster level. Staff in schools are reflecting on current practice and many are beginning to make very good cross-curricular links. Each school has identified an ACE co-ordinator who attends regular meetings where local and national information is shared. Opportunities have arisen for good practice to be identified, recorded and shared at a variety of CPD sessions. Assessment North Ayrshire Council schools use a range of assessment strategies to support pupils learning. These include summative assessments at the end of a specific theme or section of work, 5-14 National Assessments, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) awards and cognitive ability tests (CAT). There is an increasing level of formative assessment in schools as the national Assessment is for Learning (AifL) programme becomes embedded. AifL strategies 21

22 are designed to motivate pupils and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning. Examples include: Sharing expected learning outcomes with pupils; Providing constructive feedback, both oral and written, to pupils; Pupils being involved in evaluating their own, and other pupils, work; Discussion with pupils about areas for improvement and how to achieve this. In North Ayrshire, regular meetings of cluster Associated Schools Group (ASG) representatives have been established. These have provided a very useful forum for staff to discuss and share ideas and information. Two Quality Improvement Officers and ASG representatives have attended national seminars and conferences. Information is regularly disseminated to clusters. Case studies highlighting good practice in schools within the ASGs have been submitted to Learning and Teaching Scotland. Feedback on the Critical Skills approach has shown that this is a powerful way of assisting the delivery of a Curriculum for Excellence outcomes. There will be significant further training available to teachers to progress this model. Literacy and Numeracy The success of the Early Intervention Programme has been maintained, with several strategies being continued from primary schools into the first two years of secondary. Support for schools in sustaining these benefits has been provided in a range of ways: The Education Resource Service provides very good support to nursery, primary and special schools through Early Intervention resources and support. The Library and Information Service provides mobile library services to 5 freestanding nurseries and to the 3 nurseries providing pilot nursery places for 2 year olds within the authority. Book loans are available for use in the local breakfast clubs. For many children, this chance to do homework with supporting resources is particularly beneficial. The Children s Outreach Services continues to deliver a busy programme of Bookstart Rhymetimes to parents and very young children. Some sessions are now run on Saturdays to give working parents the opportunity to take part. The Primary School Library Project has enabled pupils to have access to high quality library provision and to enable them to develop lifelong learning skills. 22

23 The Information Literacy Toolkit developed by the Education Resource Service ensures that library resources are used to support pupils literacy development and to support reading for pleasure. The ERS website is used extensively by pupils in schools and at home to access recommended sites for topic work, literature related resources, competitions and Live and Clicking. The website was recently identified by HMIE as an example of authority good practice in a report analysing the use of ICT in education. Pupils in P6 and P7 are able to access supported study opportunities at their local libraries which link to the environmental studies topics being covered in school. Authors visits to schools and libraries are very popular with children. Library statistics reflect increased borrowing by children after such sessions. Between April 2006 and May 2007, 154 author and writer sessions took place in public libraries with 5,707 children benefiting directly from the experience. This approach is acknowledged to be the first strategic approach by a local authority to develop equitable reader development entitlements for pupils in all schools. Four children s reading groups, based on the Literature Circle model, and one writing group (Write to be Bright) meet monthly and weekly respectively. The Literacies Action Plan Team is on track to meet the targets set out in the North Ayrshire Adult Literacy and Numeracy Strategic Plan. Evaluations from learners show increases in the key literacies skills as well as improvements in the use of these skills to support areas such as work, family, community and personal life. A Family Learning Officer was appointed jointly in January 2007 by the Library and Information Service and CLD to extend the activities of the Literacies team. This post is already impacting in a number of ways: supporting parents in a 1:1 setting; engaging with the previously hard to reach Chinese community by creating, in partnership, a Chinese community newsletter; and outreach work with the travelling community to provide supported study for children and adults. Children s Outreach Services continues to support the travelling community by taking mobile play units onto their site and offering play sessions once a week. In consultation with CLD, Social Services, Housing and the community itself, including the children staying there, a new play area has been built on the site. Environmental Studies Thirty-one schools received support from the science staff tutor in the form of Coaching in Context and whole-school CPD sessions. Coaching in Context sessions were targeted at pupils in P5-P7 in line with national recommendations. CPD sessions focussed on promotion of investigative methods in teaching science. A sample science policy was distributed to schools in January It has been adapted and used successfully by a number of schools. 23

24 The primaries and associated secondary school in three clusters are collaborating to examine ways of streamlining science programmes more effectively. Expressive Arts In-service workshops were organised to support the implementation of a structured programme for art and design in primary schools. All evaluations were very positive and primary school staff involved reported that they felt more confident and better able to carry out the requirements of the programme. Following requests from staff, more courses were organised which were well supported and received. Five schools benefited from the support of art workers. Each school received a series of workshops developing the art themes of printing, textiles or ceramics. In most cases the schools used the artist support to enable them to carry out special projects which otherwise they would have been unable to do. Responses to this support have been very positive. Pupils skills and confidence have increased. As part of the Youth Music Initiative, the ABC Creative Music programme has been introduced into 69 nursery classes and 31 primary schools. This programme enables all children in the class to participate in creating music and to gain confidence in their musical ability. Evaluations from schools have been very positive and a number of staff have remarked on the improvements in children s concentration and listening skills. As one of Tapestry s four lead authorities in music, our young people have showcased their talents several times at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. Reid Professor of music, Nigel Osborne, has worked in conjunction with staff and pupils in two special schools to develop confidence and improve interaction with vulnerable learners. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) North Ayrshire makes very good use of ICT to enhance delivery of the curriculum and to prepare young people for the challenges of modern technology. All pupils have broadband access to the internet and . Primary schools also have wireless access. Outdated hardware is replaced strategically A regular ICT newsletter keeps service users up to date with developments. Seconded primary ICT staff tutors have provided very good support to staff and pupils in developing ICT skills and in using ICT to enhance the curriculum. Live and Clicking is part of the ERS website and is distinguished by its facility to engage with and consult with pupils on an ongoing basis. 24