Agenda Document Pack - Executive Sub-Committee of the Learning and Families Committee - 03/06/2024
Perth and Kinross Council · 3 June 2024
Back to Executive Sub-Committee of the Learning and Families Committee — 3 June 2024 and its agenda
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Securing the future… • Improving services • Enhancing quality of life • Making the best use of public resources Council Building 2 High Street Perth PH1 5PH 27/05/2024 A hybrid meeting of the Executive Sub-Committee of the Learning and Families Committee will be held in the Council Chamber on Monday, 03 June 2024 at 13:00. If you have any queries please contact Committee Services on (01738) 475000 or email Committee@pkc.gov.uk. THOMAS GLEN Chief Executive Those attending the meeting are requested to ensure that all notifications are silent on their device and other devices are in silent mode. Please note that the meeting will be broadcast online and recorded. The recording will be publicly available on the Council’s website following the meeting. Members: Councillor John Rebbeck (Convener) Councillor Steven Carr (Vice-Convener) Councillor Michelle Frampton (Vice-Convener) Bailie Chris Ahern Councillor Liz Barrett Councillor Dave Cuthbert Councillor Caroline Shiers Page 1 of 64
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Executive Sub-Committee of the Learning and Families Committee Monday, 03 June 2024 AGENDA MEMBERS ARE REMINDED OF THEIR OBLIGATION TO DECLARE ANY FINANCIAL OR NON-FINANCIAL INTEREST WHICH THEY MAY HAVE IN ANY ITEM ON THIS AGENDA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COUNCILLORS’ CODE OF CONDUCT. 1 WELCOME AND APOLOGIES 2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST 3 MINUTE OF MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE SUB-COMMITTEE OF LEARNING AND FAMILIES COMMITTEE OF 22 APRIL 2024 FOR APPROVAL (copy herewith) 5 - 6 4 STANDARDS AND QUALITY IN SCHOOLS, LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND PRE-SCHOOL CENTRES/ DAY CARE OF CHILDREN Report by Strategic Lead - Education and Learning (copy herewith 24/173) 7 - 48 5 SUMMARY REPORT ON CARE INSPECTORATE AND EDUCATION SCOTLAND INSPECTIONS Report by Strategic Lead - Education and Learning (copy herewith 24/126) 49 - 64 Page 3 of 64
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EXECUTIVE SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE LEARNING AND FAMILIES COMMITTEE Minute of Hybrid Meeting of the Executive Sub-Committee of the Learning and Families Committee held on Monday 22 April 2024 at 1.00pm. Present: Councillors J Rebbeck, S Carr, Bailie C Ahern, M Frampton, L Barrett, D Cuthbert and C Shiers. In Attendance: S Devlin, G Doogan, D Macluskey, E Paul, J Clark, V Donaldson, H Freeland and J Chiles (all Education and Learning) and S Hendry, W Hacuma, A Brown and M Pasternak (all Legal and Governance). Councillor J Rebbeck, Convener, Presiding. 1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES The Convener welcomed all those present to the meeting. There were no apologies for absence. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest made in terms of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. 3. MINUTE OF PREVIOUS MEETING The minute of meeting of the Executive Sub-Committee of the Lifelong Learning Committee of 28 August 2023 was submitted, approved as a correct record. 4. STANDARDS AND QUALITY IN SCHOOLS, LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND PRE-SCHOOL CENTRES/DAY CARE OF CHILDREN There was submitted a report by the Strategic Lead – Education and Learning (24/119 Revised) setting out the key findings following inspections of schools and nurseries by Education Scotland/HM Inspections of Education (HMIE) and of early learning and childcare (ELC) settings undertaken by the Care Inspectorate in the day care of children. Reporting is of inspections reported since the Executive Sub- Committee of Learning and Families Committee on 28 August 2023. Resolved: Having heard from the relevant officers on the key findings of the inspection reports and following consideration and questions from the Sub-Committee, the contents of Report 24/119 (Revised) and its appendices, be noted. 3 Page 5 of 64
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Perth And Kinross Council Executive Sub-Committee of Learning and Families Committee 3 June 2024 STANDARDS AND QUALITY IN SCHOOLS, LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND PRE-SCHOOL CENTRES/DAY CARE OF CHILDREN Report by Strategic Lead – Education and Learning (Report No. 24/173) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report sets out the key findings following inspections of schools and nurseries by Education Scotland/ His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) and of early learning and childcare (ELC) settings undertaken by the Care Inspectorate in the day care of children. Reporting is of inspections reported since the Executive Sub-Committee of Learning and Families Committee on 22 April 2024. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: • Considers and comments as appropriate on the contents of the report. 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Recently Published Reports • Section 6: Performance Summary • Section 7: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 Education Scotland/HMIE Inspections 4.1.1 As required for the National Improvement Framework, HMIE will report on and provide grades for the following Quality Indicators (QIs) as part of full model inspections: • QI 1.3 – leadership of change • QI 2.3 – learning, teaching and assessment • QI 3.1 – ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion; and • QI 3.2 – raising attainment and achievement Short model inspections focus on QIs 2.3 and 3.2. 4 Page 7 of 64
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4.2 ELC Inspections 4.2.1 ELC settings are subject to inspections from the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland and can experience joint inspections where both scrutiny bodies evaluate the quality of the provision. 4.2.2 An updated quality framework for day care of children, childminding and school aged childcare, February 2022 was published by the Care Inspectorate in July 2021 and was used in test inspections, without published grades, before full implementation. This framework is now in place for inspections carried out since 1 June 2022. 4.2.3 The framework is framed around four key questions. Each of these include a number of QIs for actual inspection which are: • How good is our care, play and learning? • How good is our setting? • How good is our leadership? • How good is our staff team? The final key question is: What is our overall capacity for improvement? This requires a global judgement based on evidence and evaluations from all the other key areas but is not evaluated specifically. 4.2.4 Each QI is graded on a 6-point scale in which 1 = unsatisfactory, 2 = weak, 3 = adequate, 4 = good, 5 = very good and 6 = excellent, and the overall key question evaluation is based on the lowest QI rating if more than one is completed. Following the publication of Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare Providers: Principles and Practice, all ELC settings must gain evaluations of good or better to be able to provide funded ELC in partnership with the local authority. 4.2.5 Recommendations and requirements may follow an inspection. • Recommendations: statements that set out actions the care service provider should take to improve or develop the quality of the service; and • Requirements: statements which set out what is required of the care service provider to comply with relevant legislation. 4.2.6 Care service providers must submit an action plan to the Care Inspectorate addressing any requirements and recommendations identified. Progress against the action plan is monitored by the Care Inspectorate through annual return and self-assessment forms submitted by the care service provider, and through subsequent inspection. Page 8 of 64
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5. RECENTLY PUBLISHED REPORTS 5.1 Education Scotland/HMIE Inspections 5.1.1 Since the Executive Sub-Committee of Learning and Families Committee on 22 April 2024, the following report has been published by Education Scotland1: • St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School was inspected in February 2023 by Education Scotland. On 23 April 2024, Education Scotland published a follow-up report on the progress made on areas for improvement identified in the original inspection. This report is available as Appendix 1. 5.2 Care Inspectorate Inspections - Day Care of Children 5.2.1 A total of 6 inspections have been undertaken and published2 by the Care Inspectorate since the Executive Sub-Committee of Learning and Families Committee on 22 April 2024. 5.2.2 Of these reports, 1 required to be reported as an exception (where any grading has been awarded an evaluation of unsatisfactory, weak, or excellent). ABC Day Nursery was inspected in February 2024 and awarded 2 ‘weak’ and 2 ‘unsatisfactory’ quality gradings. A follow up inspection will be carried out during 2024. The inspection report is included as Appendix 2. 5.2.3 For the 6 published inspections; of the 24 indicators inspected; 2 received ‘unsatisfactory’, 2 received ‘weak’, 10 received ‘good’ and 10 received ‘very good’. 5.3 Care Inspectorate Inspections – Kids Clubs 5.3.1 In addition to the 6 inspections above, 1 Kids Club inspection has been undertaken and published3 by the Care Inspectorate since the Executive Sub-Committee of Learning and Families Committee on 22 April 2024. 5.3.2 For this inspection; of the 4 indicators inspected; 2 received ‘good’ and 2 received ‘very good’. 5.4 Care Inspectorate Inspections - Childminding Services 5.4.1 From academic year 2019/20, childminders commenced providing funded hours within the Councils ELC expansion plan for 1140 hours. All registered childminders are inspected by the Care Inspectorate using the updated quality framework for day care of children, childminding and school aged childcare, February 2022. 1 As at 31 Mar 2024 2 As at 8 Apr 2024 3 As at 8 Apr 2024 Page 9 of 64
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5.4.2 Inspections of those childminders that have funded places in partnership with the Council will be included in this report by exception, as for other childcare settings. No inspections require reporting in this way to date. Performance/benchmarking information will be developed as numbers of these increase. Since the Executive Sub-Committee of Learning and Families Committee on 22 April 2024, there have been no more childminding inspections published by the Care Inspectorate. 6. PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 6.1 Inspections: Education Scotland/HMIE 6.1.1 This section provides a summary of the performance of ELC settings and schools since August 2016 in inspections undertaken by Education Scotland. Since August 2016, the inspection model has changed with QI 1.1 Self- evaluation for self-improvement no longer being evaluated. 6.1.2 28 ELC providers and 35 primary schools have been inspected since the beginning of academic session 2016/17. There have been 4 secondary school inspections carried out in the same period. 6.1.3 Table 1 below gives a summary of the evaluations for each QI for all ELC, primary & secondary school inspections. Page 10 of 64
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Table 1: Number of QI Evaluations - 2016/17 to date. ELC QI Grading 1.3 Leadership of change 2.3 Learning, teaching & assessment 3.2 Securing children’s progress 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality & inclusion 1.1 Self-evaluation for self- improvement All QIs Excellent - - - - - - Very Good 5 6 7 7 - 25 Good 8 10 13 10 1 42 Satisfactory 5 7 3 1 1 17 Weak - 1 3 - - 4 Unsatisfactory - - - - - - Total 18 24 26 18 2 88 Primary Schools QI Grading 1.3 Leadership of change 2.3 Learning, teaching & assessment 3.2 Raising attainment & achievement 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality & inclusion 1.1 Self-evaluation for self- improvement All QIs Excellent 1 - - 1 - 2 Very Good 8 7 11 8 3 37 Good 6 13 13 10 - 42 Satisfactory 4 7 6 - 1 18 Weak - 1 2 - - 3 Unsatisfactory - - - - - - Total 19 28 32 19 4 102 Secondary Schools QI Grading 1.3 Leadership of change 2.3 Learning, teaching & assessment 3.2 Raising attainment & achievement 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality & inclusion 1.1 Self-evaluation for self- improvement All QIs Excellent - - - - - - Very Good - - - - - - Good - - 1 1 - 2 Satisfactory 3 3 2 1 - 9 Weak - 1 1 1 - 3 Unsatisfactory - - - - - - Total 3 4 4 3 0 14 6.1.4 In Perth and Kinross, there is an expectation that ELC provision and schools meet “good” evaluations in all QIs. This is higher than the national “satisfactory” expectation. Therefore, where a school or ELC setting receives less than a “good” evaluation, the Quality Improvement Officer for the school/setting works with the Headteacher/Manager to develop an action plan which will secure improvement in the areas of identified need. 6.1.5 Benchmarking data for ELC, primary and secondary inspections up to March 2024, using national and comparator authority information, is shown in Appendix 3. Page 11 of 64
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6.1.6 For all ELC QIs evaluated from 2016/17 to date, 76% were graded as ‘good’ or better. 6.1.7 For all primary school QIs evaluated from 2016/17 to date, 79% were graded as ‘good’ or better. 6.1.8 For all secondary school QIs evaluated from 2016/17 to date, 14% were graded as ‘good’ or better. 6.2 Inspections: Day Care of Children 6.2.1 This section provides a summary of the performance of ELC settings in inspections carried out by the Care Inspectorate. A total of 37 Day Care services across Perth and Kinross have been inspected by the Care Inspectorate since the beginning of the financial year 2023/24. 6.2.2 Table 2 below gives a summary of the evaluations for each Key Question. A summary list of inspections as well as benchmarking over a longer time period (since financial year 2021/22) against national and comparator data can be found in Appendix 4. This also includes an analysis of overall evaluation statistics to give the current position of inspections. Table 2: Number of Day Care of Children Evaluations Received in PKC 2023/24 to Date. QI Grading How good is our care, play and learning How good is our setting How good is our staff team How good is our leadership All QIs Excellent 0 0 0 0 0 Very Good 13 15 22 16 66 Good 18 18 8 11 55 Satisfactory 4 3 6 7 20 Weak 2 1 0 2 5 Unsatisfactory 0 0 1 1 2 Total 37 37 37 37 148 6.2.3 There is an expectation that ELC providers meet “good” evaluations in all QIs. Therefore, where an ELC provider receives less than a “good” evaluation, the Service Manager and Quality Improvement Officer for the ELC establishment works with the Headteacher/Manager/Leader to develop an action plan which will secure improvement in the areas of identified need. 7. CONCLUSION 7.1 Inspection reports provide further information on the standards and quality in PKC schools, nurseries and funded partners providing ELC. This report sets out the outcomes of Education Scotland and Care Inspectorate reports of schools and ELC settings inspected and published since 22 April 2024. The overall performance of schools and ELC settings in inspections is strong, and where necessary, action plans put in place provide evidence of continuous improvement. Page 12 of 64
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Author Name Designation Contact Details James Chiles Performance Officer ECSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Sheena Devlin Strategic Lead – Education and Learning 23 May 2024 Page 13 of 64
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes/None Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement None Corporate Plan None Resource Implications Financial None Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment None Strategic Environmental Assessment None Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) None Legal and Governance None Risk None Consultation Internal None External None Communication Communications Plan None 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (i). Corporate Plan 1.2 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the achievement of the Council’s Corporate Plan Objectives: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (i). Page 14 of 64
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1.3 The report also links to the Education & Children’s Services Vision, Values and Priorities in respect of the following key Priority area: • Best Start 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 N/A. Workforce 2.2 N/A. Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 N/A. 3. Assessments Equality Impact Assessment 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: (i) Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.2.1 The proposals have been considered under the Act; however, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report. This is because the Committee are requested to note the contents of the report only and the Committee are not being requested to approve, adopt or agree to an action or to set the framework for future decisions. Page 15 of 64
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Sustainability 3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • In the way best calculated to delivery of the Act’s emissions reduction targets. • In the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaption programmes. • In a way that it considers most sustainable. 3.3.1 N/A. Legal and Governance 3.4 N/A. 3.5 N/A. Risk 3.6 N/A. 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 Service Managers within Education and Learning. External 4.2 N/A. 5. Communication 5.1 N/A. 6. BACKGROUND PAPERS 6.1 No background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing the above report. 7. APPENDICES 7.1 Appendix 1 – St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School Appendix 2 – ABC Day Nursery Inspection Report Appendix 3 – Summary of Care Inspectorate Day Care of Children Inspections Appendix 4 – Summary of Education Scotland HMIE Inspections Page 16 of 64
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1 | St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School and Nursery Class, Perth and Kinross Council, 5347726 © Crown Copyright 23 April 2024 Dear Parent/Carer In February 2023, HM Inspectors published a letter on St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School and Nursery Class. The letter set out a number of areas for improvement which we agreed with the school and Perth and Kinross Council. Recently, as you may know, we visited the school again. During our visit, we talked to children and worked closely with the new headteacher and staff. We heard from the new headteacher and other staff about the steps the school has taken to improve. We looked at particular areas that had been identified in the original inspection. As a result, we were able to find out about the progress the school has made and how well this is supporting children’s learning and achievements. This letter sets out what we found. To support all children to make progress in their learning, teachers and practitioners should improve approaches to planning, assessment and moderation in the school and nursery. They should ensure that learning is progressive and clearly based on Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) experiences and outcomes. There is a need to develop a shared understanding of what children’s progress looks like within and across CfE levels. Supported well by the new headteacher, the staff team has taken positive steps in improving these aspects of their work. Staff are now more confident in planning children’s learning linked to Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes. As a result, children now experience a broader curriculum. Teachers now plan effectively to meet the needs of all children and include assessment as part of their planning process. This includes working more effectively with support assistants and support for learning teachers to plan appropriately for children who require additional support with their learning. As a result, all children are now making appropriate progress in their learning. Teachers now use a wider range of approaches to assess children’s learning and monitor their progress. This enables teachers to identify gaps in learning promptly and provide additional help where it is required. Practitioners in the nursery now observe more closely children’s learning and the specific skills they are developing. They make good use of these observations to make judgements about children’s progress and identify appropriate next steps in learning. As a result of these new approaches, children’s needs across the nursery and the school are better met and they are making better progress in their learning. Staff work well together as a team to ensure consistency in their planning and tracking progress in children’s learning. Working together, staff have developed approaches to ensure their shared understanding of national standards and expectations. This is ensuring that teacher judgements of children’s progress and attainment are now more robust and reliable. Moving forward, staff should engage with teachers across the local area group and beyond to strengthen their understanding of national standards, particularly across the early level. 4 Page 17 of 64
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2 | St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School and Nursery Class, Perth and Kinross Council, 5347726 © Crown Copyright Continue to develop approaches to tracking and monitoring of children’s progress. Teachers and practitioners should improve how observations, assessment data and other key information is used to help raise attainment and achievement for all learners. The staff team has worked well together to make strong progress in this area for improvement since the original inspection. The staff team are now planning more effectively for children to ensure that they make appropriate progress and experience the right level of challenge. They are now more focussed on what support children need to achieve their expected levels and use a range of assessments and observations to identify any gaps in learning. Teachers and senior leaders meet regularly to review children’s progress. They are now more clearly focussed on what support children need to achieve well. The support for learning teacher works very closely with class teachers to identify and support children’s needs through a range of interventions. These inputs are evaluated regularly to ensure they are making the appropriate impact on individual children. Teachers and practitioners now use tracking data more robustly to assess the progress and attainment of children across the year. They are using this data to ensure that identified gaps in learning, these are addressed and supported well in classes. All of this work supports children to make progress in their learning. To support effective communication further, senior leaders should include the support for learning teacher and pupil support assistants where possible, at attainment meetings. Ensure that the nursery team benefits from strong leadership and direction. The nursery class should be included in whole school strategic planning for continuous improvement. The new headteacher provides strong strategic leadership and direction which is leading to significant improvement across the nursery setting. As a result, staff have made very strong progress in this area for improvement. The staff team values greatly the support they now receive from the new headteacher. The new headteacher supports the staff team effectively to identify what is working well in the setting and areas still requiring improvement. This is supporting the new headteacher and staff team together to take forward areas for improvement successfully. The new headteacher ensures that the nursery is now included in the whole school’s plan for continuous improvement. The new headteacher is a visible leader and ensures she spends time in the nursery setting. She supports practitioners well to continue to improve their practice. Practitioners meet with the new headteacher termly to discuss children’s individual progress and plan next steps in learning. This is supporting the staff team to have a better understanding of children’s individual progress and next steps in learning. There is a strong sense of teamwork across the team. All practitioners demonstrate an aspiration to improve outcomes for children and their families. Practitioners are keen to take Page 18 of 64
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3 | St Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School and Nursery Class, Perth and Kinross Council, 5347726 © Crown Copyright forward new developments. For example, a few practitioners are leading targeted intervention support groups. These groups are helping children new to the setting, to develop key early communication skills. Practitioners along with the new headteacher monitor the impact of these targeted interventions. Practitioners now make more effective use of national guidance and self-evaluation tools to audit their practice. They appreciate the opportunities they have to share good practice with colleagues from other settings. Practitioners access a range of relevant professional learning opportunities which they embrace and put into practice to support children to make better progress in their learning. Practitioners are proud of the improvements they have made since the original inspection. As recognised by the new headteacher, it will be important that senior leaders maintain robust quality assurance approaches to ensure new developments are sustained and delivered in a consistent way. What happens next? The school and nursery class have made good progress since the original inspection. We are confident that the school and nursery class have the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. Perth and Kinross Council will inform parents about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Teri McIntosh HM Inspector Page 19 of 64
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ABC DABC Daay Nursery Nurseryy Day Care of Children 12 Rose Terrace Perth PH1 5HA Telephone: 01738 623 291 Type of inspection: Unannounced Completed on: 13 February 2024 Service provided by: Service provider number: ABC Children's Services Limited SP2010011116 Service no: CS2003010080 4 Page 21 of 64
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About the service ABC Day Nursery is a day care of children service registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 70 children at any one time. The service is provided from a terraced two storey Victorian building in the city centre of Perth. The upper floor consists of one playroom for babies (0-2 years), one playroom for younger children (2-3 years), toilet and nappy changing facilities, a kitchen and a staff room. The lower floor had one playroom for older children (3-5 years), toilets, and an office space. Direct access to the nursery garden to the rear of the property is available from the playroom on the lower floor. The building overlooks a large green space and is close to shops and parks. About the inspection This was an unannounced follow up inspection, however, due to significant concerns identified we carried out a full inspection. The inspection took place on 12 February 2024 between 08:45 and 15:00 and 13 February 2024 between 08:55 and 15:50. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors and a team manager was present undertaking quality assurance from the Care Inspectorate. To prepare for the inspection we reviewed information about this service. This included previous inspection findings, registration information, information submitted by the service and intelligence gathered since the last inspection. In making our evaluations of the service we: • spoke with children using the service • received feedback from 15 families • spoke with staff and management • observed practice and children's experiences • reviewed documents. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 2 of 15 Page 22 of 64
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Key messages • Most children experienced kind, caring and warm interactions. However, some children spent significant amounts of time without adult interaction or support. • Children continued to be at risk as child protection and absent child procedures were not effective. • Children's play opportunities were inconsistent across the service. Most children had fun. However, they did not always experience high quality play, learning and development opportunities which enabled them to achieve their potential. • Significant concerns were identified around infection, prevention and control measures. The service was not well maintained with basic provisions such as toilet paper and paper towels not always available for children. • Children had some developmentally appropriate resources. However, younger children played with resources which were unsafe for their stage of development. • Staff members were not effectively deployed, and children were not always well supervised. • The pace of change was too slow to ensure positive outcomes for children. From this inspection we evaluated this service as: In evaluating quality, we use a six point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent How good is our care, play and learning? 2 - Weak How good is our setting? 2 - Weak How good is our leadership? 1 - Unsatisfactory How good is our staff team? 1 - Unsatisfactory Further details on the particular areas inspected are provided at the end of this report. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 3 of 15Page 23 of 64
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How good is our care, play and learning? 2 - Weak We made an evaluation of weak for this key question. Whilst we identified some strengths, these were compromised by significant weaknesses. Quality Indicator 1.1: Nurturing care and support Most children experienced kind, caring and warm interactions. They were offered cuddles and physical comfort which supported them to settle. Families commented positively on the staff who cared for their children. Their comments included, "Staff who are usually in my child's room are friendly and welcoming", "My child loves being there, has a great time, loves all the staff" and "The staff work hard, are always welcoming and always have a smile on their face". Children did not always get the right support. Whilst babies and older children were cared for by staff who knew them well, several staff supporting younger children were new to the service or did not know children's individual needs well. They were not attuned to children and did not always recognise and respond to their cues. For example, younger children frequently stood at the playroom doorway or looked out the window. Some children spent significant amounts of time without adult interaction or support. As a result, they became disengaged and withdrawn. A significant lack of information in younger children's personal plans about their care, preferences and strategies of support meant that staff did not have the right information to meet their needs (see requirement 1). Babies experienced nurturing, gentle interactions when receiving support with feeding. As a result, they experienced a cosy, relaxed environment. Children had some involvement in snack preparation which supported them to develop life skills. However, opportunities for younger children to develop independence could be increased, for example through self-serving. Mealtimes were generally positive and sociable experiences for children as staff sat with them and chatted. Babies were supported through sensitive sleep arrangements. Their preferences were followed, for example, being comforted and rocked to sleep. However, staff were not responsive to younger children's cues. When children were tired, they were not always offered a safe and comfortable space to sleep. This did not support their safety and emotional wellbeing. Staff who were familiar and known to children were knowledgeable about their medical needs. However, these staff were not always available. This meant that children's medical needs may not be consistently met as some children were cared for by staff who did not know them. There were ineffective procedures in place to ensure medical equipment was always available when needed. As a result, children may not receive the medical care they need at the right time. Children continued to be put at risk as child protection procedures were not effective. For example, not all staff were clear who the child protection officer was and there was not always a competent and well- trained designated person for child protection available. Whilst some progress had been made to the recording of concerns, there continued to be gaps in the information, including actions taken. As a result, children may not receive the right support at the right time or concerns may not be acted on effectively. In addition to this, management lacked an understanding of how to use chronologies effectively to support children, resulting in potentially ineffective responses to child protection and wellbeing concerns (see requirement 2). Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 4 of 15 Page 24 of 64
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Children were not kept safe as ineffective procedures were in place to monitor and report their absences. The necessary steps were not taken by management to uphold the rights of children to be safe and protected from harm. Whilst immediate action was taken, when prompted by inspectors, to ensure children were safe, the lack of understanding and robust procedure had the potential to cause harm to children (see requirement 3). Quality Indicator 1.3: Play and learning Children's play opportunities were inconsistent across the service. Babies and older children were engaged and having fun during their play experiences. Staff were responsive to their requests to play and joined in with them. Younger children had some opportunities to engage in imaginative and sensory play. However, at times, some younger children were disengaged and spent significant periods of time wandering around the playroom. A lack of attention to detail in the resources and materials provided meant that play experiences were not sufficiently stimulating or challenging for some children. For example, whilst older children were able to freely access a range of mark making materials, younger children were not. This meant that younger children had limited opportunities to be creative and develop fine motor skills (see area for improvement 1). Children's opportunities to develop language and literacy skills were inconsistent. Staff read stories with children and sang songs, for example, babies enjoyed using props to choose songs. Children across all playrooms experienced warmth and enjoyment when sharing a story with staff. This supported their interest in books and helped create nurturing relationships. However, interactions to support children's engagement were inconsistent across the rooms. Some staff used effective questioning and were beginning to support children's learning through discussion. However, language was not always meaningful and did not always promote age-appropriate vocabulary or understanding. Children had some opportunities to develop their numeracy skills. For example, staff supported children to count when preparing snack. Planned numeracy opportunities for older children had been considered to support their development. However, there was a lack of rich spaces and experiences to enhance children's learning. Overall, children did not experience high quality play, learning and development opportunities which enabled them to achieve their potential. Families did not feel well informed about their children's play and learning experiences. Their comments included, "Unsure what activities take place every day, sometimes I am told but most days not" and "There has also been no parents evenings arranged in a long time or regular photo updates". Requirements 1. By 10 April 2024, the provider must ensure children’s care, welfare and development needs are met by developing children’s personal plans and ensuring staff use this information effectively. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum, ensure: a) personal plans set out children’s current needs and how they will be met. b) all staff are aware of and understand the information within the personal plans, including support strategies, and use this to effectively meet each child’s needs. c) personal plans are regularly reviewed and updated in partnership with parents. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 5 of 15Page 25 of 64
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This is to comply with Regulation 5(2)(a) and (b) (Personal plans) of the Social Care and Social Work and Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulation 2011 (SSI 2011/2010) This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘My personal plan (sometimes referred to as a care plan) is right for me because it sets out how my needs will be met, as well as my wishes and choices’ (HSCS 1.15) and ‘My care and support meets my needs and is right for me’ (HSCS 1.19). 2. By 30 April 2024, the provider must ensure that children are safeguarded and protected from harm. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum ensure: a) staff are competent, skilled and knowledgeable in relation to local and national child protection guidance relevant to their role b) staff apply their learning into practice. This is in order to comply with the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulation 2011 (SSI 2011/210) 4(1)(a) - Requirements to make proper provision for the health and welfare of service users. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘I am protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities' (HSCS 3.20). 3. By 12 March 2024, the provider must ensure that children are safe and protected. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum ensure: a) a clear and robust absent child procedure is developed b) staff, including the management team are competent, skilled and knowledgeable in relation to the absent child procedure c) staff, including the management team, apply their learning to practice. This is in order to comply with the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulation 2011 (SSI 2011/210) 4(1)(a) - Requirements to make proper provision for the health and welfare of service users. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘I am protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities’ (HSCS 3.20). Areas for improvement 1. To enable all children to be cared for in an environment that meets their needs and supports them to reach their full potential, the manager and staff should as a minimum ensure play spaces offer a range of resources and materials to effectively challenge and stimulate children and reflect their current interests and curiosities. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 6 of 15 Page 26 of 64
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This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘As a child, I can direct my own play and activities in the way that I choose, and freely access a wide range of experiences and resources suitable for my age and stage, which stimulate my natural curiosity, learning and creativity' (HSCS 2.27). How good is our setting? 2 - Weak We made an evaluation of weak for this key question. Whilst we identified some strengths, these were compromised by significant weaknesses. Quality Indicator 2.2: Children experience high quality facilities Children and families experienced an environment which had some homely features. For example, the baby room had soft furnishings which helped to create a cosy environment. The service was not well maintained with basic provisions, such as toilet paper and paper towels not always available for children. This was unacceptable and did not give children the message that they mattered. Action was taken during the inspection, when prompted by inspectors, to ensure children had access to basic provisions (see requirement 1). Children had some developmentally appropriate resources. Since the last inspection, they had increased the provision of loose parts and natural materials which promoted children's curiosity and creativity. However, younger children played with resources which were unsafe for their stage of development and were not effectively supervised. The resources were potential choking hazards and had the potential to cause serious health implications if swallowed. Whilst these serious issues were addressed during the inspection, when raised by inspectors, the manager and staff's lack of ability to identify risks had the potential to cause significant harm to children (see requirement 1). Significant concerns were identified around infection, prevention and control measures. For example, overflowing bins had not been emptied from the previous week, incorrect disposal of waste and inconsistent handwashing. We observed the door to the nappy changing area and toilets was frequently left open throughout the day. These facilities were located opposite the kitchen where food was prepared. The poor practice observed had the potential to cause significant harm in the event of an outbreak of infection (see requirement 2). The garden was in the early stages of being developed. Children had more space to move freely, access water play and shelter in cosy spaces to read stories. Children's access to outdoors varied due to the layout of the building and ineffective staff deployment. Several families disagreed that their child had the opportunity to play outdoors every day. One family told us, "Until moving downstairs (3-5 room) the children were rarely outside. I'm glad this has improved since being downstairs in the older room". Older children had free flow access which enabled them to make independent choices about where they played and provided opportunities for fun, energetic play. However, younger children did not experience outdoor play until late in the afternoon and babies did not get outside. This limited their opportunities for physical, active play and fresh air. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 7 of 15Page 27 of 64
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Requirements 1. By 5 March 2024, the provider must ensure that children experience an environment which is safe and meets their basic needs. To do this, they must, as a minimum: a) ensure resources are safe for children’s stage of development b) ensure children are effectively supervised c) ensure that basic provisions such as toilet paper and hand towels are easily accessible d) implement an effective system to audit the environment and ensure actions identified are appropriately and timeously addressed This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) (Welfare of users) of the Social Care and Social Work and Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulation 2011 (SSI 2011/2010). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: 'My environment is safe and secure' (HSCS 5.17). 2. By 12 March 2024, the provider must ensure the health and safety of children through effective infection prevention and control measures. To do this the provider must, at a minimum, ensure: a) staff are knowledgeable and competent in infection prevention and control guidance and procedures; b) staff follow infection prevention and control guidance and procedures; and c) quality assurance processes are in place to monitor the effectiveness of infection prevention and control practices. This is to comply with Regulation 4 (a) (Welfare of users) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: 'I experience an environment that is well looked after with clean, tidy and well maintained premises, furnishings and equipment' (HSCS 5.22). How good is our leadership? 1 - Unsatisfactory We were very concerned about aspects of the care being provided and we evaluated the service as delivering an unsatisfactory level of care for this key question. Quality Indicator 3.1: Quality assurance and improvement are led well Two requirements and two areas for improvement made in May 2023 remained unmet. Where improvements had been identified at the last inspection, some of these had not been sustained. We recognised that there had been a number of staff changes and significant flood damage which impacted upon the service delivery. However, the pace of change was too slow to ensure positive outcomes for children. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 8 of 15 Page 28 of 64
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Several families told us that they did not feel communication was effective and that they were not kept up to date with changes. Their comments included, "Better communication from management, especially on staff/nursery plans moving forward", "Since the flood, I feel that it's severely compromised the environment for the older 3-5 children and reduced the space they have for play and learning. There has been no communication of an update on this" and "I would have expected faster/quicker changes for the nursery since the last review". Staff were in the very early stages of evaluating the service. They had reflected on different outdoor environments and begun to make changes to the garden. We were beginning to see the positive impact this had on older children's outdoor play experiences. Quality assurance processes were ineffective (see requirement 1). Some monitoring and auditing had been carried out however, it did not have a positive impact on improving the quality of experiences for children and ensuring their basic health, safety and welfare needs were met. There were significant gaps in the areas covered by the quality assurance systems. For example, appropriate infection prevention and control measures, gaps in safer recruitment and ensuring staff were effectively deployed. As a result, we highlighted significant concerns in areas which had not been identified by the manager. The manager's lack of awareness was highly concerning and compromised children's safety and wellbeing. Requirements 1. By 21 May 2024, the provider must ensure improved outcomes for children by implementing effective and robust quality assurance processes. To do this the provider must, at a minimum, ensure: a) regular, effective, and focused monitoring is carried out across the setting b) robust audits are developed and implemented, and any actions are addressed promptly c) clear and effective plans are developed to maintain and improve the service d) the management team effectively monitors the work of each member of staff and the service as a whole. This is to comply with Regulation 3 Principles and Regulation 15 (a) and (b) Staffing of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes’ (HSCS 4.19). Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 9 of 15Page 29 of 64
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How good is our staff team? 1 - Unsatisfactory We were very concerned about aspects of the care being provided and we evaluated the service as delivering an unsatisfactory level of care for this key question. Quality Indicator 4.3: Staff deployment Staff within some rooms communicated well together. The use of walkie talkies in the 3-5 playroom supported transitions and teamwork. Some staff had relevant knowledge and skills to support positive outcomes for children. However, this was not consistent across the staff team and ineffective planning by the manager meant that those with the right skills were not always deployed effectively. The approach to staffing across the setting was not outcome focused (see requirement 1). There were ineffective induction processes. As a result, this put children at risk. New and unfamiliar staff were left alone with children for periods of time and had not been given relevant information about children's needs. For example, information such as fire evacuation plans and children's medical needs had not been shared with them. Children and families were not always advised when staff were absent or introduced to new or temporary staff. This meant children and families did not experience continuity of care. Families told us they would like "Better communication from management, especially on all the recent long term staff leaving", "More information on who the keyworker is" and "to be informed if there are other staff covering in rooms as I dropped my child off this week to two completely different people than normal". Supervision of children was not effective across the service. Whilst minimum adult:child ratios were met, this did not provide sufficient support to effectively meet all children's needs. Some staff told us they felt understaffed, and this was challenging at key times of the day. Some families agreed with this and told us, "There is usually only one staff member available at the end of the day in my child's room and sometimes it is not even someone who has been in the room that day. It is often difficult to get much information about how my child's day has been". Arrangements for planned absence and staff breaks were poorly managed. This meant that children experienced several different staff caring for them throughout the day, including some staff who did not know them well (see requirement 1). Requirements 1. By 20 March 2024, the provider must ensure that children are effectively supported and supervised in order to keep them safe. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: a) ensure staffing is well planned to support continuity of care for children; b) ensure staff communicate and work together effectively; c) ensure staff are flexible in their approach to meet children's requests for help and attention; and d) monitor staff practice and deployment and, where necessary, make improvements. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 10 of 15 Page 30 of 64
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This is to comply with Regulation 4 (a) and (b) (Welfare of users) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: 'I use a service and organisation that are well led and managed' (HSCS 4.23) and 'My care and support meets my needs and is right for me' (HSCS 1.19). Requirements Requirement 1 By 30 November 2023, the provider must ensure that children are safeguarded and protected from harm. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum ensure: a) staff are competent, skilled and knowledgeable in relation to local and national child protection guidance relevant to their role b) staff apply their learning into practice. This is in order to comply with the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulation 2011 (SSI 2011/210) 4(1)(a) - Requirements to make proper provision for the health and welfare of service users. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: I am protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities (HSCS 3.20). This requirement was made on 12 May 2023. Action taken on previous requirement A lack of progress had been made to ensure that children were safeguarded and protected from harm. Staff and management did not fully demonstrate they were competent, skilled and knowledgeable in relation to child protection guidance. Further information can be found under key question one. This requirement has not been met. The timescale has been extended to 30 April 2024. Not met Requirement 2 By 8 December 2023, the provider must ensure improved outcomes for children by implementing effective and robust quality assurance processes. What the service has done to meet any requirements we made at or since the last inspection Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 11 of 15Page 31 of 64
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To do this the provider must, at a minimum, ensure: a) regular, effective, and focused monitoring is carried out across the setting b) robust audits are developed and implemented, and any actions are addressed promptly c) clear and effective plans are developed to maintain and improve the service d) the management team effectively monitors the work of each member of staff and the service as a whole. This is to comply with Regulation 3 Principles and Regulation 15 (a) and (b) Staffing of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: 'I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes' (HSCS 4.19). This requirement was made on 12 May 2023. Action taken on previous requirement Quality assurance processes were ineffective. Whilst some monitoring and auditing had been carried out, they did not have a positive impact on improving outcomes for children. Further information can be found under key question three. This requirement has not been met. The timescale has been extended to 21 May 2024. Not met Areas for improvement Previous area for improvement 1 To effectively meet children's individual needs and support their wellbeing, development and progress, children’s personal plans should be further developed. This should include but is not limited to, ensuring all staff are knowledgeable about each child’s tailored care and support strategies and use this information effectively to meet those needs. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which states that: 'My personal plan (sometimes referred to as a care plan) is right for me because it sets out how my needs will be met, as well as my wishes and choices' (HSCS 1.15) and 'My care and support meets my needs and is right for me' (HSCS 1.19). This area for improvement was made on 12 May 2023. Action taken since then Significant concerns were identified as staff did not have the right information to meet children’s individual needs. What the service has done to meet any areas for improvement we made at or since the last inspection Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 12 of 15 Page 32 of 64
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This area for improvement is no longer in place and has been incorporated into a new requirement under key question one. Previous area for improvement 2 To enable all children to be cared for in an environment that meets their needs and supports them to reach their full potential, the manager and staff should as a minimum ensure play spaces offer a range of resources and materials to effectively challenge and stimulate children and reflect their current interests and curiosities. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘As a child, I can direct my own play and activities in the way that I choose, and freely access a wide range of experiences and resources suitable for my age and stage, which stimulate my natural curiosity, learning and creativity' (HSCS 2.27). This area for improvement was made on 12 May 2023. Action taken since then Play spaces were not challenging and stimulating for all children. See key questions one and two for further information. This area for improvement has not been met and remains in place. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 13 of 15Page 33 of 64
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Detailed evaluations How good is our care, play and learning? 2 - Weak 1.1 Nurturing care and support 2 - Weak 1.3 Play and learning 2 - Weak How good is our setting? 2 - Weak 2.2 Children experience high quality facilities 2 - Weak How good is our leadership? 1 - Unsatisfactory 3.1 Quality assurance and improvement are led well 1 - Unsatisfactory How good is our staff team? 1 - Unsatisfactory 4.3 Staff deployment 1 - Unsatisfactory Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 14 of 15 Page 34 of 64
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To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough. Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service. You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 Find us on Facebook Twitter: @careinspect Other languages and formats This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for ABC Day Nursery page 15 of 15Page 35 of 64
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Appendix 3 Summary of Care Inspectorate Day Care of Children Inspections National and Comparator Authority Benchmarking 2021/22 to date (Comparator and National Data as of 08 April 2024*) *All data supplied by Care Inspectorate Data Store and covers published inspections to 08/04/2024. This includes PKC Partner Provider settings for PKC and non Local Authority supplied settings for Comparator Authorities/ National. 4 Page 37 of 64
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Overall, most ELC settings perform well. PKC perform consistently better than comparator authorities, and at national level when inspected by Care Inspectorate. Almost all inspections show that ELC settings provide high quality provision for the children under ‘How good is our setting’. Most inspections are good or better for the ‘How good is our care, play and learning’, ‘How good is our staff team‘ and ‘How good is our leadership’. Under the new grading system, we are now scoring above our comparator authorities and at national level. A continued focus on embedding the Experiences and Spaces Document and Family Mealtime Experience audit are both having a very positive impact on the grading for How good is our setting. The ELC Leadership programme continues to support the How good is our Leadership grading with a focus on the high standard of Quality Assurance, robust Self Evaluation and Improvement Planning. It should be noted that the Early Years Team are currently working with a number of settings to take forward action plans to address the outcomes of these inspections. Where evaluations are adequate or weak, a ‘team around the setting’ approach is taken in order to secure improvements. Currently, action plans are in for 4 settings which are supported by relevant officers. These are regularly monitored and reviewed with a final report on improvements being presented to parents. Inspections in Financial Year 2021/22 and Later under the new grading system *New inspections since the last Executive Sub-Committee of Learning & Families Committee Local Authority Service Name Inspection Date How good is our care, play and learning How good is our setting How good is our staff team How good is our Leadership Alyth Primary School Nursery 26/06/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Good Balhousie and North Muirton ELC 04/03/2022 Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good Blair Atholl Primary School Nursery 29/09/2023 Very Good Good Very Good Very Good *Breadalbane Academy 20/02/2024 Good Good Very Good Very Good Comrie Primary School Nursery 02/05/2023 Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Coupar Angus Primary School Nursery 13/09/2022 Good Very Good Good Very Good Dunbarney Primary School Nursery 25/05/2022 Good Good Very Good Good Errol Primary School Nursery 27/09/2022 Good Very Good Good Very Good Errol Primary School Nursery 23/11/2023 Good Very Good Very Good Good Fossoway Primary School Nursery 09/03/2023 Good Good Very Good Very Good Glenlyon Primary School Nursery 29/09/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Page 38 of 64
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Goodlyburn and City of Perth Early Childhood Centre 06/03/2023 Very Good Weak Good Adequate *Goodlyburn and City of Perth Early Childhood Centre 07/02/2024 Very Good Good Very Good Very Good Guildtown Primary School Nursery 22/11/2021 Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Inch View Primary School Nursery and Wrap Around Care Service 22/03/2023 Good Good Good Good Inchture Primary School Nursery 20/03/2023 Very Good Very Good Excellent Very Good Kirkmichael Primary School Nursery 09/09/2023 Good Good Very Good Very Good Letham Primary School Early Childhood Centre 21/02/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Logierait Primary School Nursery 06/05/2022 Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Longforgan Primary School Nursery 09/06/2022 Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Luncarty Nursery Class and Wrap Around Care 28/02/2022 Good Good Adequate Good Luncarty Nursery Class and Wrap Around Care 04/11/2022 Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Milnathort Primary School Nursery 26/04/2022 Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Murthly Primary School Nursery 15/05/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Newhill Primary School Nursery 12/05/2022 Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Oakbank Primary School Nursery 16/06/2022 Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Pitlochry High 17/11/2022 Good Very Good Good Very Good Rattray Early Childhood Centre 09/12/2022 Good Very Good Good Very Good Riverside Primary School 22/04/2022 Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good Robert Douglas Memorial Primary School Nursery 18/11/2022 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Royal School Of Dunkeld Primary School Nursery 25/11/2022 Very Good Good Very Good Very Good *St. John’s Academy Nursery Class 14/03/2024 Very Good Very Good Good Good St. Ninian’s Episcopal Primary School Nursery 15/12/2021 Very Good Good Very Good Good The Community School of Auchterarder 31/05/2023 Good Good Good Very Good Tulloch Primary School Nursery 07/11/2023 Good Good Good Good Page 39 of 64
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Local Authority Kid’s Clubs Service Name Inspection Date How good is our care, play and learning How good is our setting How good is our staff team How good is our Leadership Kinnoull Kids Club 08/12/2023 Very Good Good Very Good Good Milnathort Kids Club 09/11/2023 Good Good Very Good Adequate *St John’s Kids Club 18/03/2024 Good Very Good Good Good Partner Providers Service Name Inspection Date How good is our care, play and learning How good is our setting How good is our staff team How good is our Leadership ABC Day Nursery 12/05/2023 Weak Adequate Adequate Unsatisfactory ABC Day Nursery 13/09/2023 Adequate Adequate Adequate Adequate *ABC Day Nursery 12/02/2024 Weak Weak Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Ardvreck Nursery 23/08/2022 Good Very Good Good Good Auchlone Nature Kindergarten 25/04/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good *Bridge of Earn Nursery 05/03/2024 Good Good Very Good Very Good Bright Starts Nursery 20/05/2022 Adequate Good Adequate Adequate Bright Starts Nursery 23/05/2023 Good Good Good Good Busy Bees Nursery 22/11/2021 Very Good Good Very Good Good Cheeky Monkeys 23/05/2023 Good Good Good Good Cornerstones Nursery 26/04/2021 Good Good Good Good Country Bumpkins 17/10/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Daisy Chain Nursery School Perth LTD 23/09/2022 Adequate Adequate Adequate Weak Daisy Chain Nursery School Perth LTD 26/05/2023 Good Good Good Good Doodlebugs Day Nursery (Aberuthven) 26/05/2023 Good Good Very Good Adequate *Doodlebugs Day Nursery (Bridge of Earn) 26/01/2024 Good Good Good Very Good Fair City Munchkins Day Nursery 05/08/2022 Adequate Good Good Good Fair City Munchkins Day Nursery 713/09/2023 Good Very Good Very Good Very Good FossoPLAY Outdoor Nursery 03/05/2022 Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Page 40 of 64
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Here4you Childminding 12/09/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Honeypot Children’s Nursery – Almondbank 06/07/2023 Good Good Very Good Good Honeypot Children’s Nursery - Luncarty 24/08/2023 Good Very Good Good Good Just 4 Kidz 02/07/2021 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Lauriston Nursery @ Kinross 06/10/2022 Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Linda Anderson 10/11/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Little Scallywags Nursery 14/12/2021 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Little Steps Childcare 21/09/2021 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Maria’s Childminding Service 22/06/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Morag Fielding 14/12/2023 Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Morrison's Academy Nursery 01/06/2022 Good Good Good Good Muirton Community Nursery 09/11/2023 Good Very Good Very Good Good Perth College Nursery 08/11/2021 Very Good Good Very Good Good Rosemount Nursery School Ltd 13/09/2021 Very Good Good Very Good Very Good Swansacre Playgroup 06/02/2023 Good Good Good Very Good Thrive Childcare and Education Corner House Perth 23/06/2022 Adequate Adequate Adequate Adequate Thrive Childcare and Education Corner House Perth 02/08/2023 Adequate Good Adequate Adequate Current Position The chart shown is an illustration of the individual results of the most recent inspection for each setting. Some settings will be inspected more than once during this period, and some Quality Indicators are not covered in every inspection. The accumulated result of all these inspections is the position of all Early Learning and Childcare services in Perth & Kinross. This chart summarises the proportion of settings that have a Good or better rating, based on the latest inspection for each indicator, and therefore reflects the current gradings of Early Learning and Childcare services in PKC. Page 41 of 64
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Appendix 4 Summary of Education Scotland Inspections National and Comparator Authority1 Benchmarking 2016/17 to 2023/24 Pre-School Inspections 1 Comparator Local Authorites are Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, Highland, Scottish Borders and Stirling. – No data available for 2023/24. 4 Page 43 of 64
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Primary Inspections Secondary Inspections Page 44 of 64
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Inspections from 2016/17 to date Pre-School Inspections Academic Year Name of School/Partner Provider Type Inspectio n Date Publication Date Leadership of change Learning, teaching and assessment Securing h ’ progress Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement 2016/17 Dunning Stepping Stones Full Feb-17 Mar-17 Good Good Good Good - 2016/17 Glenlyon Primary School Full Mar-17 May-17 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good - 2016/17 Coupar Angus Primary School Follow Through Mar-17 Jun-17 - - - - - 2016/17 St Dominic's RC Primary School Full Sep-16 Nov-16 Good Good Good Very Good - 2017/18 Fossoway Pre-School Group Full May-17 Aug-17 Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Satisfactory - 2017/18 Alyth Primary School Short Jan-18 Apr-18 - - Good - Satisfactory 2017/18 Robert Douglas Memorial School Full Feb-18 Apr-18 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good - 2017/18 Honeypot Children's Nursery – Luncarty Full Feb-18 May-18 Good Good Good Good - 2017/18 The Wendy House Full May-18 Jul-18 Very Good Good Good Very Good - 2017/18 Balbeggie Primary School Full May-18 Aug-18 Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Good - 2017/18 Paint Popts Nursery Full Mar-18 Aug-18 Satisfactory Good Good Good - 2017/18 Arngask Primary School Short Jun-18 Sep-18 - - Good - Good 2018/19 Letham Primary School Full Sep-18 Oct-18 Satisfactory Weak Weak Good - 2018/19 Kinross Primary School Full Oct-18 Jan-19 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good - 2018/19 Newhill Primary School Full Jan-19 Mar-19 Good Good Good Very Good - 2018/19 Goodlyburn Primary School Full Apr-19 Jun-19 Good Satisfactory Satisfactory Good - 2018/19 Methven Primary School Short May-19 Sep-19 - Very Good Very Good - - 2019/20 Braco Primary School Short Oct-19 Dec-19 - Very Good Very Good - - 2019/20 Inchture Primary School Full Dec-19 Feb-20 Good Good Good Good - Page 45 of 64
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Academic Year Name of School/Partner Provider Type Inspectio n Date Publication Date Leadership of change Learning, teaching and assessment Securing h ’ progress Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement 2019/20 North Muirton Primary School Short Nov-19 Mar-20 - Satisfactory Weak - - 2019/20 St Madoes Primary School Full Feb-20 Mar-20 Good Good Good Good - 2019/20 Letham Primary School Follow Through Mar-20 Jun-20 - - - - - 2021/22 North Muirton Primary School Follow Through Jan-22 - - - - - 2022/23 Crieff Primary School Short Nov-22 Jan-23 Good Good Good Good - 2022/23 S N ’ Ep p P m School Full Dec-22 Jan-23 - Satisfactory Weak - - 2022/23 Auchtergaven Primary School Full Apr-23 Jun-23 - Satisfactory Satisfactory - - 2022/23 Invergowrie Primary School Full Mar-23 May-23 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good - 2022/23 Craigclowan Preparatory School and Pre-School Full Jan-23 Mar-23 Very Good Good Very Good Very Good - 2023/24 Craigie Primary School Short Jun-23 Sep-23 - Very Good Very Good - - Primary Inspections Academic Year Name of School Type Inspectio n Date Publication Date Leadership of change Learning, teaching and assessment Raising attainment and achievement Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement 2016/17 Glenlyon Primary School Full Mar-17 May-17 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good - 2016/17 Muthill Primary School Short Feb-17 Apr-17 - - Very Good - Very Good 2016/17 Ruthvenfield Primary School Full Oct-16 Dec-16 Very Good Very Good Very Good Good - 2016/17 St Dominic's RC Primary School Full Sep-16 Nov-16 Good Good Good Very Good - 2017/18 Grandtully Primary School Short Sep-17 Oct-17 - - Very Good - Very Good Page 46 of 64
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Academic Year Name of School Type Inspectio n Date Publication Date Leadership of change Learning, teaching and assessment Raising attainment and achievement Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement 2017/18 Portmoak Primary School Full Sep-17 Nov-17 Excellent Very Good Very Good Excellent - 2017/18 Alyth Primary School Short Jan-18 Apr-18 - - Satisfactory - Satisfactory 2017/18 Robert Douglas Memorial School Full Feb-18 Apr-18 Good Good Good Very Good - 2017/18 Balbeggie Primary School Full May-18 Aug-18 Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Good - 2017/18 Arngask Primary School Short Jun-18 Sep-18 - - Very Good - Very Good 2018/19 Letham Primary School Full Sep-18 Oct-18 Satisfactory Satisfactory Weak Good - 2018/19 Kinross Primary School Full Oct-18 Jan-19 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good - 2018/19 Newhill Primary School Full Jan-19 Mar-19 Good Good Good Good - 2018/19 Cleish Primary School Short Mar-19 May-19 - Good Very Good - - 2018/19 Goodlyburn Primary School Full Apr-19 Jun-19 Good Good Satisfactory Very Good - 2018/19 Burrelton Primary School Short May-19 Jun-19 - Very Good Very Good - - 2018/19 Logiealmond Primary School Full May-19 Sep-19 Good Good Good Good - 2018/19 Glendelvine Primary School Short Jun-19 Sep-19 - Good Good - - 2018/19 Methven Primary School Short May-19 Sep-19 - Satisfactory Satisfactory - - 2019/20 Braco Primary School Short Oct-19 Dec-19 - Good Good - - 2019/20 Inchture Primary School Full Dec-19 Feb-20 Very Good Good Good Very Good - 2019/20 North Muirton Primary School Short Nov-19 Mar-20 - Weak Weak - - 2019/20 St Madoes Primary School Full Feb-20 Mar-20 Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Good - 2022/23 Crieff Primary School Full Nov-22 Jan-23 Very Good Good Good Good - 2022/23 S N ’ Episcopal Primary School Short Dec-22 Jan-23 - Satisfactory Satisfactory - - 2022/23 Auchtergaven Primary School Full Apr-23 Jun-23 - Satisfactory Satisfactory - - 2022/23 Invergowrie Primary School Full Mar-23 May-23 Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Good - Page 47 of 64
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Academic Year Name of School Type Inspectio n Date Publication Date Leadership of change Learning, teaching and assessment Raising attainment and achievement Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement 2022/23 Pitlochry High School2 Full Apr-23 Jun-23 Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Good - 2022/23 Rattray Primary School Full Feb-23 Apr-23 Very Good Good Good Good - 2023/24 Craigie Primary School Short Jun-23 Sep-23 - Good Good - - 2023/24 Abernyte Primary School Full Oct-23 Dec-23 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good - 2023/24 Collace Primary School Full Nov-23 Jan-24 Good Good Good Good - 2023/24 S N ’ Ep p P m School Follow Through Jan-24 Apr-24 - - - - - Secondary Inspections Academic Year Name of School Type Inspection Date Publication Date Leadership of change Learning, teaching and assessment Raising attainment and achievement Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement 2018/19 Perth High School Full Nov-18 Jan-19 Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory - 2019/20 Perth Grammar School Short Nov-19 Jan-20 - Satisfactory Weak - - 2021/22 Perth Grammar School Follow Through Dec-21 - - - - - 2022/23 Pitlochry High School3 Full Apr-23 Jun-23 Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Good - 2023/24 Perth Academy Full Nov-23 Mar-24 Satisfactory Weak Satisfactory Weak - 2 Graded as All Through school – results are the same for Primary & Secondary. 3 Graded as All Through school – results are the same for Primary & Secondary. Page 48 of 64
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Perth And Kinross Council Scrutiny And Performance Committee - 24 April 2024 Executive Sub-Committee of The Learning And Families Committee - 3 June 2024 SUMMARY REPORT ON CARE INSPECTORATE AND EDUCATION SCOTLAND INSPECTIONS Report by Strategic Lead - Education and Learning (Report No. 24/126) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report provides an overview of the performance of Education and Children’s services inspected and reported over the past year by the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland, since the previous report of this type in 2023, and sets out the Service’s approach to implementing improvement actions arising out of inspection. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Scrutiny & Performance Committee: • Scrutinises and comments as appropriate on the contents of the report. It is recommended that the Executive Sub-Committee of the Learning and Families Committee: • Scrutinises and comments as appropriate on the contents of the report. 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Summary of Inspections • Section 6: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 Care Inspectorate 4.1.1 Regulated care services in Scotland are inspected by the Care Inspectorate using a range of quality frameworks, each with key questions and quality indicators. Services are measured against the National Health and Social Care Standards. 5 Page 49 of 64
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4.1.2 Where inspected, each key question and contributing quality indicator is graded on a six-point scale in which 1 = unsatisfactory, 2 = weak, 3 = adequate, 4 = good, 5 = very good and 6 = excellent. 4.1.3 An updated quality framework for day care of children, childminding and school aged childcare, February 2022 was published by the Care Inspectorate in July 2021 and was used in test inspections, without published grades, before full implementation. This framework is now in place for inspections carried out since 1 June 2022. 4.1.4 The framework is framed around four key questions. Each of these include a number of quality indicators for actual inspection which are: • How good is our care, play and learning? • How good is our setting? • How good is our leadership? • How good is our staff team? The final key question is: What is our overall capacity for improvement? This requires a global judgement based on evidence and evaluations from all the other key areas but is not evaluated specifically. 4.1.5 The Care Inspectorate conducts unannounced inspections for all regulated services as the main inspection method unless there are practical reasons that this is not appropriate. There are longer intervals between inspections for better performing services and a greater focus on risk-based inspections for poorly performing and high-risk services such as those which provide 24- hour residential care. 4.1.6 Following an inspection, the Care Inspectorate publishes a report that may set out a series of: • Recommendations: statements that set out actions the care service provider should take to improve or develop the quality of the service; and • Requirements: statements which set out what is required of the care service provider to comply with relevant legislation. 4.1.7 Care service providers must submit an action plan to the Care Inspectorate addressing any requirements and recommendations identified. Progress against the action plan is monitored by the Care Inspectorate through annual return and self-assessment forms submitted by the care service provider and through subsequent inspection. 4.2 Education Scotland 4.2.1 Education Scotland inspects and reports on the quality of education in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings, primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, community learning and development services, colleges, and residential educational provision. Page 50 of 64
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4.2.2. Inspections resumed post COVID-19 pandemic in September 2022 across all local authorities, selecting early years settings and schools for inspection on a proportionate basis as previously, using a sampling approach. 4.2.3 For ELC inspections, the How good is our early learning and childcare (HGIOELC) framework is used. For school inspections, a selection of the How good is our school (HGIOS4) quality indicators are evaluated on a six- point scale. 4.2.4 A short letter is provided to report the inspection, highlighting strengths and aspects for development, and includes a table indicating the quality indicator evaluations against the six-point scale. The inspection evidence gathered during the inspection is published online as a document called the Summarised Inspection Findings. 4.3 Analysis of Inspection Outcomes 4.3.1 There are a number of factors which can make the analysis of the inspection gradings complex over long reporting periods. These factors include: • Improvements and changes to the inspection models and quality frameworks such that it is not possible to make direct comparisons across years; • The number of inspections carried out within the local authority area varies from year to year; and • The selection of quality indicators and themes can vary from inspection to inspection. 5. SUMMARY OF INSPECTIONS 5.1 Services Providing Day Care for Children 5.1.1 This section presents an overview of the performance of services providing day care for children inspected over the past year where Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) is the registered provider, and for services registered as funded partners; this includes childminders with funded childcare places. The Care Inspectorate Inspection Reports are reported to the Executive Sub- Committee of the Learning and Families Committee by exception, where any grading has been awarded an evaluation of unsatisfactory, weak, or excellent. In the past year, one service has been reported for receiving excellent gradings. One service was graded as unsatisfactory or weak. 5.1.2 All 28 inspections of services providing day care for children in 2023/24 were unannounced. 5.1.3 To date, in 2023/24, 88% of grades awarded were good or better, similar to the previous year and above national and comparator benchmarks. The Page 51 of 64
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proportion of excellent and very good grades awarded is at 50%, a similar figure to the 52% in the previous year. 5.1.4 Appendix A (Summary of performance, services providing day care of children inspected by the Care Inspectorate) provides further details and interpretation of the overall figures as well as comparator and national benchmarks. The current inspection position of all settings indicates a positive picture relative to national and comparator benchmarks, across all Quality Themes. 5.1.5 Overall, every theme shows consistently high performance and improvement over the previous year, with only Quality of Leadership and Management showing a slight decrease compared to last year. 5.1.6 It is common for only certain key questions to be assessed during an inspection. When looking at individual indicators, care must be used in interpretation as some may be evaluated less frequently than others and therefore subject to greater change from year to year. 5.1.7 Education and Learning continue to monitor, support, and challenge all centres through a planned programme of improvement visits. 5.2 Support and Residential Care Services Fostering Service 5.2.1 There were no fostering service inspections carried out by the care inspectorate in the year 2023/24. Adoption Service 5.2.2 There were no adoption service inspections carried out by the care inspectorate in the year 2023/24. Adult Placement Service 5.2.3 There were no adult placement service inspections carried out by the care inspectorate in the year 2023/24. 5.3 ELC Settings and Schools – Education Scotland Inspections 5.3.1 This section presents an overview of the performance of PKC ELC settings, including partner providers, and schools inspected by Education Scotland and reported to the Executive Sub-Committee of Learning and Families Committee. 5.3.2 A combined summary of achievement (2016/17 to date) as well as performance against comparator local authorities and Scotland as a whole, is shown in Appendix B (Overview and Comparison of Education Scotland Inspections 2016/17 - 2023/24 by Performance Indicator. PKC consistently Page 52 of 64
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outperforms both the comparator group of local authorities and the Scotland average across both the primary school and ELC sectors. Performance for secondary inspections is generally lower than both our comparator authorities and the Scotland average. Only four secondary school inspections have been carried out since 2016/17, these are Perth High School (Nov 2018), Perth Grammar School (Nov 2019), Pitlochry High School (April 2023) and Perth Academy (Nov 2023). 5.3.3 Areas for improvement identified during an inspection are addressed through a School Action Plan. Progress against the plan is monitored and a report is prepared for parents/carers within one year of the inspection report being published. 5.3.4 Broad themes for improvement are considered across all inspections and feed into the overall Education Quality Improvement Framework. They influence the development of the annual Education Improvement Plan and the Raising Attainment Strategy. 5.3.5 Inspection reports are scrutinised by members of the Executive Sub- Committee of the Learning and Families Committee. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The analysis of the gradings and reports by the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland provide positive confirmation that the standards and quality in our services remain high and set a clear agenda for continuous improvement. Author Name Designation Contact Details James Chiles Performance Officer ECSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Sheena Devlin Strategic Lead – Education and Learning 15 April 2024 Page 53 of 64
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes / None Community Plan / Single Outcome Agreement Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial None Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment None Strategic Environmental Assessment None Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) None Legal and Governance None Risk None Consultation Internal Yes External None Communication Communications Plan None 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (i) and (ii). Corporate Plan 1.2 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the achievement of the Council’s Corporate Plan Objectives: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; Page 54 of 64
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(iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (i) and (ii). 1.3 The report also links to the Education & Children’s Services Vision, Values and Priorities in respect of the following key Priority areas: • Best Start • Learning and Achievement 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 N/A Workforce 2.2 N/A Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 N/A 3. Assessments Equality Impact Assessment 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. 3.1.1 The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: (i) Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.2.1 The proposals have been considered under the Act; however, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report. Page 55 of 64
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This is because the Committee are requested to note the contents of the report only and the Committee are not being requested to approve, adopt or agree to an action or to set the framework for future decisions. Sustainability 3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • In the way best calculated to delivery of the Act’s emissions reduction targets. • In the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaption programmes. • In a way that it considers most sustainable. 3.3.1 The proposals have been considered but are not applicable for this report. Legal and Governance 3.4 N/A 3.5 N/A Risk 3.6 N/A 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 Relevant Heads of Service and Service Managers within Education and Learning have been consulted in the preparation of this report. External 4.2 N/A 5. Communication 5.1 In the case of an initial Education Scotland inspection of a school, a public meeting is held after the publication of the inspection report with invitations going to parents, the local elected members, and members of the Learning and Families Committee. These meetings give parents, carers, and other members of the community the opportunity to discuss the findings of the Page 56 of 64
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inspection and to be consulted on the areas for improvement to be taken forward. 5.2 Where further inspection activity is carried out, Education Scotland will report publicly to parents and stakeholders. Other continuing engagement activities undertaken by PKC will also be reported to parents and stakeholders. This includes the publication of reports to parents on Extended Learning and Achievement Visits and follow-up reports on the school’s website and on each school’s page on the Council’s website (www.pkc.gov.uk). 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS The following background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing the above report: • Education Scotland Inspection reports, published by Education Scotland. • Care Inspectorate Inspection reports, published by the Care Inspectorate. 3. APPENDICES 3.1 Appendix A: Summary of performance, services providing day care of children inspected by the Care Inspectorate Appendix B: Overview and Comparison of Education Scotland Inspections 2016/17 - 2023/24 (to date) by Performance Indicator Page 57 of 64
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Appendix A Summary of performance1, services providing day care of children inspected by the Care Inspectorate2 3 Table A1: Summary of performance – 2023/24 (to date)4 Number of services inspected = 28 Previous Themes Care and Support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership Quality Themes Care, Play and Learning Setting Staff Team Leadership Total Excellent 0 0 0 0 0 0% Very Good 10 14 19 13 56 50% Good 15 12 6 10 43 38% Adequate 2 2 3 4 11 10% Weak 1 0 0 0 1 1% Unsatisfactory 0 0 0 1 1 1% Total 28 28 28 28 112 CHART A1: Performance 2023/24: PKC, Comparator Authorities and Scotland 1 Note that rounding of percentage figures may mean totals reported elsewhere differ slightly. 2 Note that comparator and national proportions include all services for day care of children whereas Perth and Kinross figures only represent local authority and partner provider services (it is not possible to distinguish these in national statistics). It also restates previous gradings when quality themes are not assessed in every inspection. 3 Comparator local authorities are Argyll and Bute, Aberdeenshire, Stirling, Scottish Borders and Highland Council. Comparator and national proportions currently available until January 2024. 4 Inspected, published and reported to Learning and Families Executive Sub-Committee 5 Page 59 of 64
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CHART A2: Performance 2016/17 to 2023/24: PKC, Comparator Authorities and Scotland Commentary: National and comparator figures show PKC out- performing comparator and national benchmarks at both Good and Better and Very Good or Better levels. Note: Vertical axis adjusted to emphasise differences * Quality Indicators changed on 01/06/2022 by Care Inspectorate. CHARTS A3-6: Performance 2016/17 to 2023/24*: PKC CHART A3 CHART A4 CHART A5 CHART A6 Page 60 of 64
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Current Position The charts above illustrate the aggregated individual results of inspections over several years. Some settings will be inspected more than once during this period, and some Quality Indicators are not covered in every inspection. The accumulated result of all these inspections is the current position of all Early Learning and Childcare services in Perth & Kinross - shown in the charts below. These summarise the proportion of settings that currently have a Good or better rating, based on the latest inspection for each indicator. CHART A7: Current Quality Ratings - PKC Page 61 of 64
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Appendix B Overview and Comparison of Education Scotland Inspections12 2016/17 – 2023/24 (to date) by Performance Indicator Table B1: ELC Settings Overview by Performance Indicator Number of Pre-Schools inspected = 28 (2 Follow Through, 20 Full and 6 Short Inspections) QI Grading Leadership of change Learning, teaching & assessment Securing Children's Progress Ensuring wellbeing, equality & inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement All Quality Indicators Excellent - - - - - - Very Good 5 6 7 7 - 25 Good 8 10 13 10 1 42 Satisfactory 5 7 3 1 1 17 Weak - 1 3 - - 4 Unsatisfactory - - - - - - Total 18 24 26 18 2 88 Chart B1: ELC Settings Comparison by Performance Indicator 1 Inspected, published and reported to Learning and Families Executive Sub-Committee 2 Comparator Authorities are Argyll and Bute, Aberdeenshire, Stirling, Scottish Borders and Highland Council. 5 Page 63 of 64
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Table B2: Primary Overview by Performance Indicator Number of Primary Schools inspected = 35 (3 Follow Through, 21 Full and 11 Short Inspections) QI Grading Leadership of change Learning, teaching & assessment Raising attainment & achievement Ensuring wellbeing, equality & inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement All Quality Indicators Excellent 1 - - 1 - 2 Very Good 8 7 11 8 3 37 Good 6 13 13 10 - 42 Satisfactory 4 7 6 - 1 18 Weak - 1 2 - - 3 Unsatisfactory - - - - - - Total 19 28 32 19 4 102 Chart B2: Primary Comparison by Performance Indicator Table B3: Secondary Overview by Performance Indicator Number of Secondary Schools inspected = 5 (1 Follow Through, 3 Full and 1 Short Inspection) QI Grading Leadership of change Learning, teaching & assessment Raising attainment & achievement Ensuring wellbeing, equality & inclusion Self- evaluation for self- improvement All Quality Indicators Excellent - - - - - - Very Good - - - - - - Good - - 1 1 - 2 Satisfactory 3 3 2 1 - 9 Weak - 1 1 1 - 3 Unsatisfactory - - - - - - Total 3 4 4 3 - 14 Chart B3: Secondary Comparison by Performance Indicator Page 64 of 64