Clackmannanshire Council – Education and Community Services
Standards and Quality Report 2006/2007
December 2007 – Report for Clackmannanshire Council’s Scrutiny Committee
Introduction
This report provides information on the progress which the various elements of Education and Community Services have made in overtaking the objectives which the Service outlined in the relevant parts of the Council’s 2006/2007 Service Plan.
The report provides quantitative and qualitative information on the progress which has and is being made. It also provides illustrative and evaluative comment in relation to this information.
The progress made in 2006/2007 has contributed to and informed the objectives which the Service as a whole has set for 2007/2008 and beyond and the objectives which educational establishments and other elements of the service have set in relation to the detail of their operations.
The report is arranged under five main headings; these headings reflect the National Priorities for Education, the existing vision for Scotland’s children and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) quality framework for education authorities and schools in Scotland. The final selection of headings is a compromise between and amongst these related and overlapping perspectives. The headings used in the report are;
Ø Achieving
Ø Safe and Nurtured
Ø Healthy and Active
Ø Respected and Responsible
Ø Included.
23% of Clackmannanshire’s primary school pupils were entitled to free school meals in 2006/2007. This is a higher percentage than any of Clackmannanshire’s comparator authorities. 17% of Clackmannanshire’s secondary school pupils were entitled to free school meals in 2006/2007. This is a higher percentage than any of Clackmannanshire’s comparator authorities.
39% of school pupils in Clackmannanshire live in areas which are amongst the most deprived in Scotland. Only two of Clackmannanshire’s comparator authorities have larger percentages living in such circumstances.
Overall, nursery, primary, special and secondary schools in Clackmannanshire perform well. Care Commission, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) and other inspections confirm this. For example, there were three primary school inspections during 2006/2007 and over 80% of HMIE’s ratings of their work were good or very good. All of the other ratings were adequate, just less than good. There was one secondary school inspection; while it was disappointing, overall HMIE noted that the school was moving in the right direction and that it was improving.
HMIE reported that the Council’s Cultural and Community Service had responded very well to the report on its inspection which was published in late-2005. HMIE reported that the service had made good or very good progress in relation to all of the main points for action in the original report.
The Third Survey (2007) of the Clackmannanshire Citizens’ Panel reported that 93% of the panel thought that primary schools were providing a good or better service and that 80% of the panel thought that secondary schools were providing a good or better service.
Achieving and creating the conditions for future, further achievement
Young people’s attainments
HMIE reports on primary schools over the last two school sessions indicate that attainment in English Language (reading, writing, talking and listening) is good or better and that attainment in Mathematics is adequate or better.
77% of pupils in P3, P4, P6 and P7 attained national standards or better in reading. In 2006 the comparable figure was 75%. 73% of pupils in P3, P4, P6 and P7 attained national standards or better in writing. In 2006 the comparable figure was also 72%. 81% of pupils in P3, P4, P6 and P7 attained national standards or better in mathematics. In 2006 the comparable figure was also 80%.
There is no reliable data available about the attainments of primary school pupils in comparator authorities. No national averages are produced in relation to this data; it is no longer collected nationally.
NOTE; comparator authorities are authorities which HMIE judge to be similar to one another. Clackmannanshire’s comparator authorities are East Ayrshire, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian.
The data available underestimates the extent of young people’s attainments in reading, writing and mathematics. These pupil attainments provide a solid basis upon which to secure further improvement in the future.
Pupils’ attainments at the end of secondary school, overall, are on upward trends over the last five to six years. At the end of June 2007 pupils’ attainments at the end of S4 were:
Ø 92% of pupils obtained an award in English and Mathematics at SCQF Level 3 or better; 2 points higher than in 2005
Ø 90% of pupils obtained 5 or more awards at SCQF Level 3 or better; 2 points higher than in 2005
Ø 71% of pupils obtained 5 or more awards at SCQF Level 4 or better; 1 point higher than in 2005
Ø 28% of pupils obtained 5 or more awards at SCQF Level 5 or better; 1 point higher than in 2005
While these results remain below national averages, they compare relatively well with the attainments of pupils in Clackmannanshire’s comparator authorities.
Pupils’ attainments at the end of S5 are also on upward trends overall. Pupils attainments at the end of S5 in June 2007 were:
Ø 34 % of pupils obtained 1 or more awards at SCQF Level 6 or better; 3 points lower than in 2005
Ø 17% of pupils obtained 3 or more awards at SCQF Level 6 or better; 3 points lower than in 2005
These results remain below national averages and they compare relatively poorly with the attainments of pupils in comparator authorities.
Significant numbers of young people follow college-based vocational courses in their third, fourth and fifth years at school. Young people place some value on these courses and, generally, they do well in them.
When taken altogether, the attainment of the lowest performing young people, the lowest attaining 20% in any year group, is rising. The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% has risen year on year. There has been a 15 point rise in the average tariff score of the lowest performing 20% in the last two years; this is the equivalent of 2 Standard Grade passes.
NOTE; a points value can be allocated to each level of award a pupil attains in Standard Grades, college-based vocational courses and other courses. The total of these points is called a Tariff Score. The Average Tariff Score is the average for any group of pupils, e.g. the lowest attaining 20%.
Improving attainment for all pupils remains a key priority in the coming years.
Attendance, absence and exclusions
Attendance at school correlates strongly with attainment. Attendance at Clackmannanshire’s primary schools was 95.4% in 2006/2007. This was just above the national average of 95.3%. Attendance in Clackmannanshire’s comparator authorities ranged from 94.5% to 95.6%; this made Clackmannanshire’s attendance 3rd= amongst its comparator authorities. Secondary school attendance was 91.4%. This was above the national average of 90.6% and it was the highest attendance rate amongst Clackmannanshire’s comparator authorities.
School staff, supported by the authority’s Attendance and Welfare Officers, have worked hard to raise attendance rates and, helped by automated call systems in secondary schools, they are making very good progress in doing this.
Despite these relatively high rates of attendance at school however some issues remain to be resolved on this front: there are still too many temporary exclusions from the authority’s secondary schools and the number of young people who are absent from school because of unauthorised holidays remains relatively high.
Overall in 2006/2007 there were 561 temporary exclusions from Clackmannanshire’s schools; there were 26, one less than in the previous year, exclusions from special schools, 72, four less than in the previous year, from primary schools and 463 from secondary schools, an increase of ninety-seven from last year. Almost all of the increase arose from a particular policy drive, the implementation of a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on smoking, in one school. In relation to the temporary exclusions;
Ø 66% of pupils excluded were boys
Ø 98% of pupils excluded were white
Ø 50% of pupils excluded were entitled to free school meals
Ø 7% of pupils excluded were looked after
Ø 35% of all exclusions were a result of general and persistent disobedience.
The rate of exclusion from Clackmannanshire’s secondary schools is amongst the highest in Scotland and is the highest amongst its comparator authorities.
There were 45 reported incidents of anti-social behaviour and violence against school staff in 2006/2007 compared to 73 such incidents in 2005/2006.
Creating conditions conducive to learning
The construction of the Council’s three new secondary schools is making very good progress. They remain on schedule to open in 2008/2009.
Investment in the refurbishment and maintenance of the authority’s other schools has continued; investment in the computing infrastructure in and supporting schools has continued as well, e.g. electronic whiteboards are now common-place in schools.
There have been significant investments in the further development of management information systems to, e.g. register and record the progress made by individual pupils, students and participants. Positive progress is celebrated and interventions are planned and undertaken when progress is less than might be anticipated.
Opportunities for staff development have been extended across all categories of staff; e.g. in relation to substance and young people’s mental health, cooperative learning, the use of self-evaluation in promoting service improvement and child protection.
Promoting enterprise and creativity
Enterprise activities are well-established throughout the county’s schools. In 206/2007 there were nearly 19,000 pupil engagements in enterprise activities of one kind or another; 10,000 in primary schools, 8,000 in secondary schools and 500 in special schools. The number of business partnerships developed by schools rose to over 300.
More than 500 school staff attended training courses in Enterprise Education.
An authority-wide Enterprise Showcase was held and all primary and secondary schools made a contribution to the event. A number of schools made contributions to National Enterprise Week. Pupils from across the authority were challenged to develop their marketing, event, business, personal and social skills by setting up a project with £50.00 to make the most profit. Participating teams attend a training session run by local entrepreneurs who gave pupils advice and tips on how to create successful projects. Money raised through the projects was used by schools in ways that they thought best; many made donations to charities.
The authority is making very good progress implementing its Determined to Succeed Action Plan.
The authority has set up an Expressive Arts Team which provides programmes of art and music-related work to all pupils in primary schools.
The authority has continued to operate a very successful Youth Music programme in primary schools; this has choral work as its central focus. The Hillfoots Music for Youth ensemble continues to thrive; it provides young people with an increasing range of opportunities to perform publicly, most recently at national conferences run by the Tapestry Initiative.
Out of school, increasing numbers of young people, including those with additional support needs, became involved in a range of council and national projects; many of these projects led to young people obtaining Duke of Edinburgh and other awards.
The range of opportunities for young people, and others, to become involved in cultural and creative activities has been extended. The Cultural Pathfinder Project in Tullibody is a good example of this. The project enables young people to learn about creativity and to apply these skills in photography, multimedia and dance within their schools, community and in international projects. The project helps disadvantaged young people to work directly with professional artists. The young people involved in the project have become actively involved in the regeneration of their community. The authority operates a very successful youth music initiative which supports young people in learning about all aspects of contemporary popular music.
Safe and Nurtured
Work in schools and other services
All pre-school children receive full 38 week provision in local authority, private or voluntary sector provision. The authority also makes pre-pre-school provision. Children are taken into provision as close to their third birthday as possible. All such provision is for the time equivalent of 38 weeks.
The Council’s family centres and nursery schools work closely with parents to help them look at safety in the home; home safety equipment, e.g. stair gates, can be borrowed where necessary. This work is complemented by the Bright Start Programme; it provides support to vulnerable families with young children.
New personal safety programmes, the Home Truths and the Feel, Think, Do programmes, were introduced in primary schools. The programmes have been well-received by all involved in their use.
All 3 secondary schools in Clackmannanshire were accepted on to the Schools of Ambition (SOA) Programme. Their work in this connection over the next couple of years will focus on restorative practice. This will help to transform the relationships between and amongst pupils and pupils, pupils and staff and staff and parents.
The Council’s Community Wardens have worked closely with schools and with young people to address safety issues both within and outwith schools.
School buses have been fitted with CCTV. This has had a very positive impact on behaviour in school buses. For example, there have been fewer complaints about pupils’ behaviour, fewer incidents of bullying and more children are wearing seatbelts than has been the case previously. The Council’s Safer Routes to School Co-ordinator has continued to encourage young people to walk and cycle to school.
Child Protection
Child protection training was provided for all Cultural and Community Service staff; it continues to be offered as required in schools and other educational establishments. Education and Community Service staff participated in the full range of child protection training which is provided under the auspices of the Central Scotland Child Protection Committee. Work continued on improving the services which the Council provides to protect children from various forms of abuse. The effectiveness of these services was inspected in late-summer/early-autumn of 2007; the outcome of the inspection is expected to be published early in 2008.
Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)
Arrangements have been made for the implementation of Getting it Right for Every Child. These arrangements will focus on the early identification of children at risk, however this might arise, and the planning of interventions, e.g. the Interventions for Recovery Programme, which will reduce the risks to which any child is being or may be exposed. These arrangements will depend very heavily on the exchange of information about children between and amongst all the agencies which have an interest in promoting their well-being. This exchange of information will be governed by explicit protocols.