Argyll and Bute - Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24 and Education Strategic Plan 2024-26
Argyll and Bute Council · 22 August 2024
Back to Community Services Committee — 22 August 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 22 AUGUST 2024 ARGYLL AND BUTE – EDUCATION SERVICE PROGRESS AND IMPACT REPORT 2023-24 AND EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2024-26 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The purpose of this report is to update Committee on the progress made by the Education Service in achieving the priorities included in the Argyll and Bute Education Strategic Plan for 2022-24 (2023-24 update) presented at Community Services Committee in August 2023 and outline priority actions for 2024- 2026. 1.2 It is recommended that the Community Services Committee: • Note the progress made with respect to priority actions within the 2022-24 Education Strategic Plan (2023-24 update) outlined in the Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24. • Approve the Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24 and Strategic Plan 2024-26 (Appendix 1) • Approve the publishing of the Education Strategic Plan 2024- 2026 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023- 24 on the Council website • Approve the submission of the Education Strategic Plan 2024- 2026 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023- 2024 to Scottish Government.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 22 AUGUST 2024 ARGYLL AND BUTE – EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2024-26 AND EDUCATION SERVICE PROGRESS AND IMPACT REPORT 2023-24 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Section 13 of the statutory guidance of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 (‘the 2000 Act’) as amended by section 4 of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016 (‘The 2016 Act’), enables the Scottish Ministers to issue guidance to education authorities in relation to their functions under section 3 to 8 of the 2000 Act, and education authorities are required to have regard to this guidance in discharging these functions. 2.2 The guidance focuses in particular on education authority duties which are designed to enhance equity and support improvement within schools and across education authorities. 2.3 Sections 3F, 3H and 6 of the 2000 Act: impose duties on education authorities in relation to the annual planning and reporting; namely the publishing of an Annual Education Plan. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that the Community Services Committee: 3.1 Note the progress made with respect to priority actions within the 2022-24 Education Strategic Plan (2023-24 update) outlined in the Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24. 3.2 Approve the Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24 and Strategic Plan 2024-26 (Appendix 1) 3.3 Approve the publishing of the Education Strategic Plan 2024-26 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24 on the Council website. 3.4 Approve the submission of the Education Strategic Plan 2024-2026 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-2024 to Scottish Government.
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4.0 DETAIL 4.1 The Education Service must prepare and publish an annual plan setting out the steps we have taken, over the course of the planning period: • to reduce inequalities of outcome experienced by pupils as a result of socioeconomic disadvantage, including the use of Strategic Equity Funding (SEF) and Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) • to comply with the duties imposed on it by section 3B(3) (to seek and have regard to the views of the persons listed in section 3B(4) and to provide any advice and support the authority thinks appropriate to those persons in relation to its consideration of decisions of a strategic nature about the carrying out of its functions relating to school education; • in pursuance of the National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education; and • to set out any educational benefits for pupils that the Authority considers have resulted from taking these steps. 4.2 The Education Strategic Plan 2024-26 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24 has been prepared in compliance with the statutory guidance and contains the following sections: • Progress towards achieving the priorities of the National Improvement Framework. • Education Service Strategic Plan 2024-26 • Local Authority Stretch Aims 2023-26. 4.3. In light of the national reform agenda for education, our plan and report take into account the recommendations from recent national publications including: • It’s Our Future- Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, • All Learners in Scotland Matter: Findings from the National Discussion on Scottish Education, • Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education, • OECD Independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence, • Support for Learning: All our children and All their potential, • Fit for the Future: developing a post-school learning system to fuel economic transformation, • Upper-secondary education student assessment in Scotland 4.4 The plan and report also take cognisance of the findings of our Collaborative Improvement activity in association with ADES
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(Association of Directors of Education, Scotland) and Education Scotland. 4.5 The Education Strategic Plan 2024-26 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24 focus on achieving excellence through equity for all children and young people across Argyll and Bute. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The planning and reporting processes at school, service and Education Authority levels are designed to produce robust, consistent and transparent data of the work of the Education Authority, to improve our understanding of what works and, ultimately, drive forward priorities that will improve outcomes for the children and young people of Argyll and Bute. 5.2 The Education Strategic Plan 2024-26 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24 presented to Community Services Committee has been prepared in compliance with the requirements set out in the Statutory Guidance accompanying the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 taking full account of the requirement to: • Analyse the interim outcomes of the 2022-2024 Education Strategic Plan (2023-24 update) and prepare and publish the annual report of progress and impact as soon as possible after 31 August 2024; • Enables us to respond to the national context for education and in particular the anticipated reform agenda and associated reviews and publications. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy – The development of the Education Strategic Plan 2024-26 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24 supports the central purpose of the Scottish Government and the delivery of national outcomes. The framework supports delivery on the OCTF Key Objectives 1-6 and NIF priorities 1-5 and the Argyll and Bute Corporate Plan 2023-27. 6.2 Financial - None 6.3 Legal – Council is required to prepare and publish the Education Strategic Plan annually as directed within the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 200, set out within the supporting Statutory Guidance published March 2017.
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6.4 HR - None 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 6.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – The Education Strategic Plan sets out the Council’s response, delivered by Education Services to section 3B of the 2000 Act which imposes duties on education authorities which are designed to promote a reduction in inequalities of educational outcome experienced by pupils as a result of socioeconomic disadvantage. 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty - None 6.5.3 Islands - None 6.6 Climate Change - None 6.7 Risk – There are potential reputational risks for the Council should they fail to deliver the legislative requirements set out within the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 statutory guidance of March 2017 6.8 Customer Service – This report provides elected members with an overview of service performance for 2023-2024 and priorities for 2024-2026 6.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) - Our children and young people are at risk of being educationally disadvantaged if we cannot deliver on the priorities set out in the Strategic Pan 2024-26. Douglas Hendry - Executive Director with responsibility for Education Councillor Audrey Forrest - Policy Lead for Education 18th July 2024 For further information contact: Wendy Brownlie Head of Education – Performance and Improvement Wendy.Brownlie@argyll-bute.gov.uk Jennifer Crocket Chief Education Officer/ Head of Education-Wellbeing, Inclusion and Achievement Jennifer.Crocket@argyll-bute.gov.uk Appendix 1 – Education Strategic Plan 2024-26 and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2023-24.