Raising Attainment Update
Perth and Kinross Council · 30 November 2022
Back to Scrutiny and Performance Committee — 30 November 2022 and its agenda
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL LEARNING & FAMILIES COMMITTEE 2 NOVEMBER 2022 SCRUTINY AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE 30 NOVEMBER 2022 RAISING ATTAINMENT UPDATE Report by Executive Director (Education and Children’s Services) (Report No 22/267) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report provides an update to progress on the Education and Children’s Services Raising Attainment Strategy 2020-23. Specifically, it provides information on a range of performance measures across the National Improvement Framework for Education priorities. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Learning & Families Committee: • Considers and comments as appropriate on the contents of the report. It is recommended that the Scrutiny & Performance Committee: • Scrutinises and comments as appropriate on this report. 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Performance Summary • Section 6: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 A renewed Raising Attainment Strategy was approved by Lifelong Learning Committee in August 2020, building upon the previous version for the period 2016-2019. 4.2 The Education Service Improvement Plan 2022/23 was approved by the Learning and Families Committee in August 2022 and subsequently submitted to the Scottish Government. This annual plan meets the requirement set out by the Scottish Government on planning and reporting
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progress on the priorities set out in the National Improvement Framework (NIF) for education. 4.3 It provides an update on key achievements for the academic session 2021/22 on the progress against this framework. This supplementary report provides more detailed reporting on the attainment data pertinent to the Raising Attainment Strategy. 4.4 The Raising Attainment Strategy outlines the approach within Perth & Kinross Council’s (PKC) Education & Children’s Services (ECS) in the pursuance of the current priorities of the NIF which are: • Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy; • Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged; • Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing; and • Improvement in employability skills and sustained, positive school leaver destinations for all young people. 4.5 These priorities guide the reporting of progress using a range of measures describing both excellence – performance for all; and equity – focusing on poverty-related and other gaps in outcomes. 4.6 The Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress (the Framework) has been developed to support the next phase of the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC). It aims to set high expectations, including annual stretch aims, developed across all 32 education authorities, to help ensure significant progress is made in recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and in achieving the mission of the SAC. These are set out in Appendix 2. 4.7 Appendix 3 is an infographic which summarises much of the key performance data contained in the detailed report, all on one page. 4.8 When the Perth and Kinross Raising Attainment Strategy is renewed and refreshed in 2023, existing local targets and stretch aims will be considered alongside the emerging SAC stretch targets to establish a comprehensive, unified approach. 5. PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 5.1 Appendix 1 provides information on progress made in academic session 2021/2022 towards each of the four NIF priorities. Key performance measures reported include: Improvement in attainment particularly in literacy and numeracy • The proportion of P1s meeting developmental milestones before starting primary school has improved to 83% (from 82% in 2021). • For primary pupils, achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels have improved and largely the highest seen in almost all curricular areas and stages. • For secondary pupils in S3, achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels have improved by 8% on those last recorded in 2019.
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• In literacy, 2021 school leavers’ levels are slightly below the virtual comparator (the short-term target) and approaching the stretch aim at both levels 4 and 5. In numeracy, further improvement is required to meet both of these aspirations. Comparison is difficult because of the alternative approaches in 2020 and 2021. • Overall leaver’s attainment, as measured by tariff score, remains similar to the virtual comparator. The lowest attaining 20% of our school leavers remains the area requiring the greatest attention. Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged • The poverty-related gap has narrowed for primary 1s meeting developmental milestones, meeting the stretch aim of 5%. • The poverty-related attainment gap for primary P1, P4, P7 and secondary S3 literacy and numeracy shows a mixed picture, narrowing for P4 and S3, but some areas widening at P1 and P7. • The poverty-related attainment gap remained largely static for the school leavers in 2021, considering both literacy and numeracy, and as measured using tariff points. • Staying on rates for S4 pupils to S5 reduced slightly from the high of the previous year and the equity gap for this measure has increased by 5%. • Attainment of the relatively small cohort of 18 Looked After school leavers dipped slightly in Senior Phase, except for the very highest performing young people. • Provisional figures show in S3 the achievement of Curriculum for Excellence third level increased by 3% to 58% for the 16 Looked After young people. For primary P1, P4 and P7, 49% of the 36 Looked After children achieved expected levels, compared to 37% across the previous three reported years. Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing • School attendance was impacted by COVID-19 in academic session 2021/2022 across primary and secondary sectors, and this area remains a focus for further, sustained improvement. Exclusion rates remain on a steady downward trajectory although more were recorded last year than the previous (exceptional) year. The national Health and Wellbeing Census undertaken in 2021/2022 will provide a range of information into health and wellbeing topics as it is analysed over the coming year. • Attendance of Looked After young people, especially those looked after at home, remains below that of their peers. Improvement in employability skills and sustained, positive school leaver destinations for all young people • Positive destinations and participation in positive activities (16–19-year- olds) are improved on previous years and sit positively within a national context. • Effective partnership takes place between schools, colleges, universities, employers and the Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Board. A
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total of 582 business partnerships with schools were recorded in 2021/2022, an increase of 53 on session 2020/2021. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The report outlines, in detail, a range of measures describing progress in raising attainment and related outcomes for children and young people across Perth and Kinross. 6.2 Notable improvements are seen in some key measures, particularly in early years and primary, which will form a foundation for later progress. There are also indications of narrowing of poverty-related gaps in some outcomes; a sustained focus will be maintained to reduce these further. 6.3 Academic session 2021/2022 has remained challenging as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continued, not least in school attendance. The adjustments to assessment approaches for S4-S6 pupils also makes comparisons more complex for senior phase attainment. Authors Name Designation Contact Details Paul Davison David Macluskey Corporate Research and Information Manager Service Manager (Secondary Schools) ECSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Sheena Devlin Executive Director (Education and Children’s Services) 18 November 2022
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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. (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; (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. (ii).
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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. 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. Sustainability 3.3 N/A Legal and Governance
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3.4 N/A 3.5 N/A Risk 3.6 N/A 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 Service Managers within Education and Children’s Services were consulted in the preparation of this report. Consultation on the stretch aims was conducted with Headteachers and Education Officers. External 4.2 The Education Scotland Attainment Advisor was consulted in the preparation of this report. 5. Communication 5.1 N/A 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 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. 3. APPENDICES 3.1 Appendix 1 - Raising Attainment Update 2021/2022 Appendix 2 - PKC Scottish Attainment Challenge Stretch Aims Appendix 3 - Attainment Update 2022 Infographic Data