Renfrewshires Education Scotland National Thematic Inspection ECSPB
Renfrewshire Council · 15 May 2025
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 15 May 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 15 May 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Renfrewshire’s Education Scotland National Thematic Inspection Report ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary Overview of Thematic Inspection (who involved, length of visit etc): 1.1. Renfrewshire’s National Thematic Inspection Report which refers to the inspection which took place by His Majesty’s Inspectorate (HMI) in October 2024, provides significant evidence of the very good progress being made across: the implementation of effective improvement planning and standards and quality reporting; self-evaluation and quality assurance; professional learning; and universal and targeted support and challenge. 1.2. All of our schools inspected by Education Scotland since January 2023 have achieved either Excellent, Very Good or Good gradings. Across all 4 QIs, the Renfrewshire average for ‘Very Good’ and ‘Good’ evaluations outperforms the national average. 1.3. The National Thematic Inspection took place in Renfrewshire in week beginning 6 October 2024, with two HM Inspectors and an associate Local Authority (LA)inspector meeting key stakeholders on 7 and 8 October. 1.4. Inspectors also met with focus groups of around 60 staff – groups of HTs; groups of teachers and promoted staff; LA central staff; parent representatives; Union Representatives and members of Education and Children’s Services Policy Board. 1.5. Questionnaires (HTs and Central Staff) and range of key documents shared as part of the evidence.
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___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to note the very positive work of the central team to support establishments with the implementation of effective improvement planning and standards and quality reporting; self-evaluation and quality assurance; professional learning; and universal and targeted support and challenge. 3. Background 3.1. Children’s Services welcomes the process of audit undertaken by Education Scotland as supportive to continuous improvement in Renfrewshire’s central team. The team approached the inspection in a positive manner and embraced it as a professional learning opportunity in partnership with colleagues at Education Scotland. 3.2. The inspection report will inform planned improvement activity and will enable the central team to build on the recognised strengths and focus further development on areas for improvement. ______________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – No financial implications 2. HR & Organisational Development – No HR implications 3. Community/Council Planning – engaging with, and learning from external inspection, ensures that Renfrewshire is thriving. High standards of education provision ensure that children and young people are given the best start in life so that they promote and contribute to a more prosperous, fairer society. The inspection process also supports delivery of the Council Plan crosscutting theme of improving outcomes for children and families as well as other Council Plan key strategic outcomes. Economy Equipping all children and young people to achieve success in life Fair Creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for children and young people. Embedding children’s rights in our decision-making processes
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4. Legal – Fulfilment of Statutory Duties related to attendance, exclusions, ASL Act and Associated Code of Practice, Bullying, Equality Act, Health and Nutrition, and Gaelic education. 5. Property/Assets – No risks to property/assets. 6. Information Technology – No information and technology risks. 7. Equality & Human Rights – The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – No negative impacts on health and safety. 9. Procurement – No procurement risks 10. Risk – No risks identified. 11. Privacy Impact – No impact on privacy. 12. Cosla Policy Position – N/A 13. Climate Risk – None. 14. Children’s Rights – This links to, Article 12 (respect for the views of the child) Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously. This right applies at all times, for example during immigration proceedings, housing decisions or the child’s day-to-day home life. Article 28 (right to education) Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child. Discipline in schools must respect children’s dignity and their rights. Richer countries must help poorer countries achieve this. Article 29 (goals of education) Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment. List of Background Papers - The inspection report and additional evidence is published on the Education Scotland website and the link below. hmie-local-authority-approaches-to-supporting-school-improvement_final-003.pdf __________________________________________________________ EH 14 April 2025 Author: Emma Henry, Head of Education, emma.henry@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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Appendix Good Practice Identified as part of Thematic Inspection (evidence taken from HMI report): • Renfrewshire Council sets out its embedded and highly effective approaches to school improvement in the Quality Improvement Framework (QIF). As part of the QIF, council officers provide comprehensive guidance that supports headteachers to improve the quality of education through robust school improvement planning (SIP) and standards and quality reporting (SQR). • The Education Scotland Attainment Advisor provides bespoke advice and support for individual schools on the quality of their annual Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) plans. This helps to ensure that the targets that school leaders set are specific and measurable. • Education Managers and Heads of Education moderate the quality of this feedback to ensure there is consistency in approach. As a result, school leaders feel that there is a sense of equity, as well as rigour, across the authority. • Local authority Development Officers for numeracy, literacy, health and wellbeing, and digital skills contribute to school improvement planning processes. This is building the confidence of school leaders and teachers and leading to better planning for improvement in these schools. • Local authority officers collate information from individual school improvement plans and standards and quality reports to identify common areas of good practice, priority and need. They use this information very effectively to direct strategic decisions about local authority priorities, requirements for professional learning, advice or more targeted support for schools. • Collaboration is a strong feature of the local authority’s approaches to self- evaluation for self-improvement. This is ensuring staff have confidence that they are playing a full part in the local authority’s aspirations and delivery of improved outcomes for all learners • The local authority’s advice and support for schools on approaches to self- evaluation and quality assurance is very clear and effective. • Senior leaders have developed a strong culture of data literacy at all levels of the education system. Education Managers, headteachers and, increasingly, class teachers are skilled in their understanding and use of data. • Education Managers and other central staff engage with schools positively. Headteachers report there is consistency in the approach taken by members of the central team. • In Renfrewshire, the professional learning offer is highly effective and is enhancing the quality of education in schools. Development officers play a key role in designing and delivering a broad range of learning opportunities, which contribute significantly to improved educational outcomes.
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• Headteachers feel that the quality of support for schools is strong. Local authority officers know their schools very well and provide well considered and responsive levels challenge and support. • Schools requiring targeted support are required to have an action plan with baseline measures which is monitored regularly. These targeted actions have led to specific improvements in areas such as attainment in literacy and numeracy and leadership capacity. Points for action from Thematic Inspection: • In the 2024/2025 education plan, the local authority outlines a clear commitment to continue to roll-out and embed the national ‘Young Leaders of Learning’ programme. This has the potential to increase the voice of learners in authority- wide improvements, such as in the creation of the new Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy. • Parents were much less aware of the local authority’s priorities for improvement. Authority-wide Parent Council forum meetings had taken place before COVID-19. These have recently been re-instated, and the Director plans to build on this approach. Parents appreciate workshops and information sessions that are organised by schools. They suggested that more sessions on topics such as mental health and wellbeing and coping with children’s anxiety would be beneficial. • Elected members who met with HM Inspectors felt that they had positive relationships with the Director and senior officers and had confidence in their leadership of education provision in Renfrewshire. They identified that education staff’s use of data to inform improvement, and the comprehensive professional learning offer as key strengths. They feel they are supported well by senior officers. They receive comprehensive briefings and reports in advance of committee meetings. These tend to focus on schools that have been recently inspected. A few elected members suggested that they would like more frequent updates on how well all individual schools were performing, in addition to 11 inspection information. They suggest this could be achieved by way of briefing papers or having a few schools as a ‘spotlight’ feature during committee meetings. This is worthy of consideration by senior education officers. Any key points taken from Thematic Inspection process: Effective practice worth sharing There are no other Scottish councils mentioned as a good practice example in the national thematic inspection report more frequently than Renfrewshire Council • The local authority has a clear and highly effective ‘Data Strategy’ that underpins the work of all. The strategy is successful in ensuring that robust data is accessible for practitioners, teachers, school leaders and education officers alike. A data ‘dashboard’ for each school provides a wealth of data that can be interrogated in different ways. The Data Strategy provides a comprehensive programme of skills development for practitioners, teachers, school leaders and education officers. As a result, the use of data is firmly embedded in the work of all. Decisions, refinement to practice and interventions at school and local
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authority levels are based on robust data evidence. This is leading to strong educational outcomes for children and young people. • As part of the local authority’s target to build on inclusive approaches, parents of children with additional support needs (ASN) are invited to volunteer as Parent Ambassadors. These parents play a key role in advising education officers on the creation or review of local authority policy and practices in relation to inclusion and ASN. They meet four times per year to discuss emerging issues and to consider local authority initiatives. A recent example of this consultation and collaboration is the development of the local authority’s policy for transitions. Parent Ambassadors feel that they have a genuine voice in representing the families of children with ASN, and the bespoke arrangements and approaches that are required. • Renfrewshire. They identified that education staff’s use of data to inform improvement, and the comprehensive professional learning offer as key strengths. They feel they are supported well by senior officers. They receive comprehensive briefings and reports in advance of committee meetings. These tend to focus on schools that have been recently inspected. A few elected members suggested that they would like more frequent updates on how well all individual schools were performing, in addition to 11 inspection information. They suggest this could be achieved by way of briefing papers or having a few schools as a ‘spotlight’ feature during committee meetings. This is worthy of consideration by senior education officers.