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CS Service Improvement Plan 202528 Outturn Report ECSPB

Renfrewshire Council · 21 May 2026
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 21 May 2026 and its agenda

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___________________________________________________________________
To:  Education and Children’s Services Policy Board 
On:  21 May 2026
___________________________________________________________________
Report by: Director of Children’s Services
___________________________________________________________________
Heading: Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan 2025/26 Outturn
Report
___________________________________________________________________
1. Summary
1.1. The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the performance of
Children’s Services for the twelve-month period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March
2026, in relation to the Service Improvement Plan approved by this Board on
15 May 2025.
1.2. The plan aligns with the Council Plan and the Community Plan and sets the
strategic direction for the service. Children’s Services is an active partner in
developing and delivering the outcomes set out in both the Renfrewshire
Children’s Services Partnership Plan and the Renfrewshire Community
Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan.
1.3. Children’s Services has delivered on its priorities over the last twelve months,
with service updates and key achievements highlighted in Section 4 of this
report.  
__________________________________________________________________
2. Recommendations
2.1. It is recommended that the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board
note: 
a) the contents of this report; and
b) the achievements of Children’s Services during 2025/26.
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3. Background
3.1. Children’s Services is responsible for the delivery of social work services to
children and families, justice social work services, and early years, primary,
and secondary education. Much of the service’s work is statutory, meaning
the Council has a legal duty to provide it. Service delivery comprises a mix of
universal provision (such as education), targeted provision (such as children’s
houses for accommodated children and young people), and specialist support
(for example, justice social work court services). 
3.2. Our approach is strongly focused on prevention, early intervention, and
providing additional support for the most vulnerable. While children’s health
services sit within Renfrewshire’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP),
a shared priority for both organisations is the continuation of effective
integrated working to improve outcomes for children and young people.
3.3. The Service Improvement Plan sets out the outcomes the service aims to
achieve, and the actions required to deliver them. It sits within the wider
planning framework of the Council, taking account of Community Planning
themes and Council priorities. The plan enables elected members to maintain
oversight of developments within the service and to consider and shape policy
options that reflect customer need and available resources.
3.4. Appendix 1 sets out the service’s achievements over the past twelve months,
demonstrating our continued contribution to the Council’s priorities and our
commitment to improving outcomes for Renfrewshire’s children, young
people, and families.
___________________________________________________________________
4. Service Update and Key Achievements 
4.1. We continue to review the impact of the re-design of social work services in
Renfrewshire. The re-design, which streamlined Families First, Home Link
and Care Experienced Home Link services into the new Renfrewshire Family
Wellbeing Service, aimed to improve the capability and capacity within the
service. This Whole Family Wellbeing approach has a focus on early
intervention, and providing opportunities for children, young people, parents,
and carers to shape the services that impact them. Early indications are that
the changes implemented continue to have a positive impact on service
delivery. 
4.2. The Promise continues to be embedded within service planning and delivery
through our active and expanding Promise Keeper network. There are
currently 407 Promise Keepers working across the local authority—
comprising staff, elected members, the HSCP, and partner agencies. The

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Keep The Promise in Renfrewshire Action Plan 2026–29 will provide the route
map for the next phase of implementing The Promise. 
4.3. Children’s Services is committed to embed trauma-informed practice
throughout the service. Currently 94 colleagues have completed the trauma-
informed ilearn module, with trauma-skilled facilitators also working within the
service to create a baseline of trauma awareness. We will continue to progress
the rollout of trauma informed training and contribute to the development of
council wide trauma-informed policy.
4.4. The percentage of school leavers entering a positive destination has
continued to improve, increasing to 97.9% in 2025/26 from 97.1% in 2024/25.
This is the highest level since this indicator has been measured. This increase
in the proportion of school leavers participating in employment, training or
education means that Renfrewshire now has the 2nd highest positive leaver
destination figure in Scotland. 
4.5. Renfrewshire continues to invest in our learning estate. Construction of the
new Paisley Grammar School Community Campus is on schedule for
completion by the summer of 2026, with many areas of the building now fully
completed. The implementation of the digital infrastructure has now
commenced, and work is ongoing on the road infrastructure surrounding the
school. 
___________________________________________________________________
5. Progress against Performance Measures
5.1. Children’s Service’s performance indicators which fall under the remit of this
policy board are detailed in Appendix 1 of this report. Of these, 17 are collected
quarterly over a fiscal year (1 April to 31 March) and 20 are annual indicators
measured over an academic year (1 August to 31 July). 
5.2. The gaps in the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level for their
stage in literacy and numeracy have narrowed in the last year when
comparing pupils living in the 30% most deprived areas and those living in
70% least deprived areas (SIMD). The percentage point gaps in literacy and
numeracy are both now at the lowest point in the last 7 years. This indicates
that positive progress has been made to rectify the impact of the pandemic
which saw an increase in the attainment gap.
5.3. The percentage of school leavers attaining literacy at SCQF Level 4 has
increased from 94% in 2023/24 to 96% in 2024/25, with the percentage
attaining literacy at SCQF Level 5 also increasing from 83% to 86% over the
same period. The proportion of leavers attaining SCQF Level 4 in numeracy
has remained at 93% over the last three years, while the proportion attaining
SCQF Level 5 in numeracy has increased to 77% in 2024/25 and is now on

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target. Renfrewshire’s attainment indicators have been consistently above the
national average over the last few years. 
5.4. The majority of looked after children continue to be cared for within the
community, either with their families or with alternative carers such as
extended family or friends. With 92.7% of children cared for in this way at the
end of the reporting period, exceeding the target of 89.9%. On occasion, the
needs of children and young people might require them to be placed in other
settings better aligned to their current needs.
5.5. The percentage of Stage 1 complaints responded to within timescales agreed
with customers has exceeded the target of 95%.  This highlights the efforts of
the service to improve performance in this area. 
5.6. Despite a significant increase in the number of Stage 2 complaints received
the percentage responded to within timescales agreed with customers has
been consistent with the 2024/25. The Q4 2025/26 figure shows 95% of
complaints were responded to within timescale meeting the quarterly target.
5.7. In all cases, the service will always focus on responding to complaints
comprehensively. On occasion this may require staff to liaise closely with the
complainant to fully understand the scope of the issue and thereafter identify
all pertinent information. Complainants are always kept fully informed of
timescales and anything that might impact them, for example managing
responses that will be impacted by school holidays.
___________________________________________________________________
6. Areas requiring improvement and/or review.
6.1. Some of our Justice Social Work indicators remain below the target, such as
the percentage of new clients subject to a new supervision order being seen
by a supervising officer with 1 week and the percentage of new unpaid work
clients beginning work placements within 7 working days of the order.
However, this may be as a result of external factors such as delays with
notifications from the Courts, illness and employment.
6.2. We strive to ensure that no care leaver finds themselves with any periods of
homelessness in the last 6 months; while the number experiencing
homelessness has remained low, we have not yet met our ambitious target.
6.3. The number of Foundation Apprenticeships accessed by Renfrewshire school
pupils has decreased since 2024/25 and is currently below the target for the
year. This reflects a range of factors, including schools offering a broader
range of alternative curricular pathways and National Progression Awards in
vocational areas to better meet the needs of learners.
6.4. We will continue to work closely with West College Scotland to ensure that
Foundation Apprenticeship options remain relevant and accessible. Alongside
this, there is an increased focus on developing pre apprenticeship

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opportunities in key employment sectors, strengthening progression routes
and supporting the wider strategic aim of positive post school destinations for
all young people. 
6.5. The service continues to receive a large number of complex FOI requests
each quarter, which has meant that the percentage of FOI requests completed
within timescale has failed to meet the target of 100%.  
6.6. The percentage of young people choosing to stay on to S5 has seen a slight
decline from 91.4% in 2024/25 to 90.7% in 2025/26. This may be the result of
a greater access to alternative pathways for pupils out with school. However,
the proportion of school children staying on to S6 in the 2025/26 school term
is 65.8% which is an increase of 3 percentage points since 2024/25. 
6.7. The percentages of colleagues completing mandatory training courses and
completing the corporate induction within 30 days of starting employment are
new indicators which remain low. Work is ongoing within the service to
improve completion rates.
___________________________________________________________________
7. Monitoring progress 
7.1 We will apply our robust approach to quality improvement across our portfolios
to ensure our practice and provision is driven by the experience of our service
users. Established processes are in place to ensure our service priorities are
underpinned by appropriate and accessible policy guidance, practice
standards, and training/development opportunities. Data and insight aligned
to our outcomes will undergo thorough analysis and evaluation, with outputs
shaping how we adapt, respond and best effect improvement over time. 
7.2 The Extended Senior Leadership Team monitors progress on the
implementation of the Service Improvement Plan every quarter and will be
reported to the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on a six-
monthly basis. 
___________________________________________________________________
Implications of the Report
1. Financial – The Service Improvement Plan highlights resourcing pressures
arising from increasing demand for services and the current financial
environment.
2. HR & Organisational Development – None.
3. Community/Council Planning – The report details a range of activities which
reflect local council and community planning themes.
4. Legal – None.

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5. Property/Assets – None.
6. Information Technology – Service developments relating to information
technology are key enablers of service improvement, modernisation, and
support service-level and corporate objectives.
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 – None.
9. Procurement – None.
10. Risk – Risks related to the delivery and management of services are regularly
monitored and included in Renfrewshire Council’s Corporate and Strategic
Risk Registers. 
11. Privacy Impact – None.
12. COSLA Policy Position – None.
13. Climate change – Actions and performance indicators aligned to Strategic
Priority 4: Green, of Renfrewshire’s Council Plan, highlights activities across
the Council to tackle climate change.
__________________________________________________________________
List of Background Papers: (a) Service Improvement Plan 2025 - 2028
___________________________________________________________________
Author:      Andrew Voysey, Policy Officer
Contact:      Yvonne Farquhar, Policy Manager (People)
Appendix 1: Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan 2025/28 Outturn Report
___________________________________________________________________

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Children’s Services
Service Improvement Plan 2025 –28
Outturn Report

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Welcome to our end of year report
• This update reflects the performance of Children’s Services across the 2025/26 period, highlighting
areas where we have made progress and some areas we want to focus on more in future, perhaps
because performance isn’t moving in the direction we anticipated or because of other pressures or
factors that makes this even more of a priority for us.
• The following pages shine a spotlight on some great projects or practice and highlight areas where
we want to improve or develop further.  At a service level, there is a stronger focus on the Strategic
Outcomes of the Council Plan that are closely aligned with Children’s Services.  Towards the end of
this document, you will find a full update against all the actions and performance indicators we use
to measure progress.
• Through our Service Improvement Plan, we report on 34 performance indicators, 20 which are
reported annually and 14 reported quarterly.  Some annual indicators are based on data that is one-
year behind, owing to having no more recent comparable information.  This will be updated as
comprehensive data becomes available through subsequent data collections.

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Delivering the Council Plan
Economy:
We continue to work with partners to develop the young workforce in
Renfrewshire. Young people have access to a variety of employability
programmes to better aid them into positive destinations following school.
The Career Ready coaching programme supports young people in four
secondary schools. A significant proportion of participants are care-
experienced or are from SIMD Quintile 1 areas.
Creative Paisley launched in March, providing all S3 pupils with access to the
region’s cultural, creative and visitor economy sectors along with related
educational and career pathways.
Green:
Ongoing collaboration with other local
authorities to consider efficient school design and
agree best practice for the sustainable operation
of schools.
Living our Values:
Children’s Services colleagues have
undertaken Trauma informed training to
raise awareness of the impacts of trauma
and foster a safe environment for
colleagues, families, and young people.

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Place: Working together to enhance wellbeing across communities
The Learning Estate has been a key
focus for Renfrewshire, with
construction of the new Paisley
Grammar School Community
Campus on schedule for completion
in Summer 2026.
Work on a new digital strategy is
progressing, with a budget
proposal being created in March
2026. Updates are shared with
colleagues at the end of each
term.
Work has continued with partners to
implement the ‘Equally Safe Delivery Plan’
in Renfrewshire. Renfrewshire is also
working with national groups to
contribute to discussions around
associated challenges.
We have continued to make progress on
delivering the priority actions from the
National Strategy with our Community
Justice partners. Including work to
identify how community benefits can
strengthen the learning offer and delivery
of unpaid work.

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Fair: Nurturing bright, happy and healthy futures for all
Achievements
• We have continued to grow our Promise Keeper Network, which now has more than
400 members. Ensuring that The Promise remains at the heart of our services.
• Renfrewshire hosted our third annual Promise Keeper Conference with a focus on
employability.
• The percentage of school leavers entering positive destinations has continued to
improve, with 97.9% of leavers participating in employment, training, or education.
• We have established a new Front Door service to ensure that children and families
receive the correct support at the right time. This allows challenges to be resolved as
quickly as possible.
Areas for improvement and development
• Gap between the Average Total Tariff Score of Looked After school leavers and that of
the total Renfrewshire leavers cohort have increased.
• Attendance  has improved in both primary and secondary levels but remains below
target.
• The percentage point gap between the attainment in both literacy and numeracy of
pupils entitled to Free School Meals and pupils not entitled has increased in the last
year.
Attainment gap between
the least and most
deprived areas have
decreased in both literacy
and numeracy
The majority of our Looked
After Children are cared for
in the community

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Service Improvement Plan:
Action Plan

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Performance Key
ACTION STATUS
OVERDUE
CHECK PROGRESS
IN PROGRESS
COMPLETED

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Delivering the Council Plan – Place
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Progress development work in
relation to the priority schools
identified in the School Estate
Management Plan - Paisley
Grammar School Community
Campus
31-Aug-2026
The project remains on schedule, with construction works on track for completion by 12 June 2026. Fit out
activities are progressing well, with internal spaces continuing to take shape. As the project enters its final phases,
on site activity is expected to increase to support transition planning for the school’s move into the new building.
Soft Landings familiarisation sessions are currently being developed in collaboration with the Architects to
support a smooth and well managed transition for staff, pupils, and visitors.
In parallel, construction of the East/West Link Road, to be delivered by AMIDS, is being accelerated to ensure full
site access is available by 13 July 2026.
Progress development work in
relation to the priority schools
identified in the School Estate
Management Plan - Thorn Primary
School
31-Mar-2026
The Outline Business Case (OBC) for the Johnstone Primary Schools programme, incorporating Thorn Primary,
was approved by the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board in March 2026, enabling progression to the
next stage of the programme in line with agreed governance arrangements.
The Full Business Case (FBC), which will provide a comprehensive options appraisal supported by detailed
financial and cost modelling, is scheduled for consideration by the Board in August 2027.
Undertake an evaluation of the roll
out of full Wi-Fi across the school
estate
31-Mar-2027 As part of the ongoing digital refresh in establishments, devices continue to be refreshed to make full use of the
completed and installed Wi-Fi and switch upgrade.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Place
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Progress development work in
relation to the priority school
identified in the Learning Estate
Management Plan - Extension and
Adaptations to Park Mains High
School
31-Aug-2027
Advanced works are in progress, and preparation of the main works contracts is ongoing in advance of submission to
the Finance Board in April 2026, followed by contract award in May 2026
Project remains on track for August 2027 completion.
Progress development work in
relation to the priority schools
identified in the Learning Estate
Management Plan - A New Dargavel
Primary School
31-Aug-2027
The Main Works construction for Thistle Primary continues to progress in line with the approved programme, with
delivery remaining on track and visible progress providing assurance against key milestones.
The appointment of the new Head Teacher, due to take up post on 20 April 2026, represents an important step in
strengthening leadership ahead of occupation. Early planning activity is underway to establish future priorities and
operational readiness, supporting a well-managed transition to the new school and the effective commencement of
operations.
Implement the priority actions from
the National Strategy for Community
Justice with our Community Justice
partners.
31-Mar-2027
Steady progress continued throughout Q4 as the partnership further embedded improvements across transition,
early intervention and commissioning activity. 
Pre release planning was strengthened this quarter through the involvement of prison healthcare, enhancing our
ability to plan around continuity of care and identify unmet health needs ahead of liberation.  We also held the first in
a series of thematic discussions in HMP Barlinnie (focusing on housing) helping us better understand the challenges
people face before release and how well local housing pathways align to those needs.
Through community justice participation in our Local Employability Partnership, we have moved into commissioning
two specialist third sector justice providers to support priority groups: one focused on young people subject to
Diversion from Prosecution, and another supporting women open to justice social work.  This builds directly on the
employability needs analysis completed earlier in the year and ensures future provision is better targeted.
These developments reflect sustained partnership commitment to improving outcomes and aligning local practice
with the national strategic priorities for community justice.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Place
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Continue to implement ‘Equally Safe
at School’ in line with Scottish
Government’s Equally Safe Delivery
Plan 2024-26
31-Mar-2027
All secondary schools and Mary Russell ASN school are registered for the programme and schools have been supported in
ESAS improvement planning for school session 2025/26 in line with local authority expectations.  Riverbrae School will join
this this session with a focus on staff awareness of ESAS.  This will be led by a member of the Senior Leadership Team who
was brought on board last term as an authority trainer.  To support schools with ESAS and how to use its questionnaire data
to inform improvement, the HWB Development Officer in partnership with the Young and Equally Safe in Renfrewshire
project lead and support workers from Women and Children First are working with a small group of schools.  Support will be
rolled out further in the new session.
All schools are required to record incidences of gender-based violence on SEEMiS (Bullying and Equalities module) to
enable monitoring and reporting of incidents over time. At present, very few schools are selecting GBV when describing the
nature of an incident. Plans are in place to provide guidance for schools to support more accurate recording and reporting
of GBV incidents.
The MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention) Programme continues to grow across Renfrewshire Council with a strong focus
on school delivery of the programme and working creatively with partners across the authority.  The secondary programme
is being delivered across all 11 mainstream schools.  Where needed, mentor training has been supported by the authority
training team which included the HWB Development Officer and colleagues from Youth Services who lead on our Scottish
Government funded project, Youth and Equally Safe in Renfrewshire.  As previously mentioned, we are continuing to
develop our partnership with Women and Children First following their involvement in school training.  This work will focus
on secondary school Personal and Social Education inputs around GBV.
Education Scotland’s National MVP Train the Trainer event was again co-delivered with the HWB Development Officer and
trainer from Renfrewshire’s Family Wellbeing Team.  For the first time, we will be running a Train the Trainer event for
Renfrewshire and neighbouring authorities in June 2026.  This will allow us to expand our secondary trainer, Women and
Children First colleagues and primary colleagues to expand the work we have been doing across this sector.
Young and Equally Safe in Renfrewshire continues to work across schools and community offering bespoke small group
work where needed, mentor support and campaign involvement, specifically Renfrewshire’s “Reclaim the Night” walk as
part of 16 Days of Action.  The project has received an additional two years funding which will allow us to further embed
gender-based violence prevention approaches across the Renfrewshire community.  The project has been shortlisted as a
finalist in the YouthLink Scotland National Youth Work Awards 2026 with the results to be announced in June.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Place
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
A digital strategy will be developed,
implemented and evaluated for
children, young people and families
which will focus on Transformation,
Capacity Building and Innovation
31-Mar-2027
Work has continued with the Working Party on the identified areas, with progress being shared each term with all staff
to ensure openness and transparency. The update can be found here:
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/re/digilearnren/2025/12/17/term-2-update/
The Director meeting to discuss the budget and creation of a business case took place in November. An outline
budget proposal was shared with Headteachers in December to gather their views and amended to reflect this. Work
on this proposal is ongoing.
Ensure that evidence-based data
driven decision making improves
outcomes for children, families and
communities
31-Mar-2026 This action is now complete – the service has a robust data strategy in place which continues to be strengthened. 
Implement Renfrewshire's Equally
Safe Strategy 31-Mar-2028
Work continues with partner agencies to implement the national Equally Safe Delivery Plan at a local level, with an
additional workstream in around Authentic Voice.  Key actions are underway including the ongoing roll out of the Safe
and Together model and the introduction of the Equally Safe in Practice Framework across the partnership. The
group is now linked into the AP/CP Comms Subgroup and stronger links have been established with the ADP in
recognition of the connections and interface across these strategic areas.  Renfrewshire is well represented in
national forums such as the VAWG Chairs Meeting and the VAWG National Network and contributes actively to the
ongoing discussions around the Independent Review of Funding and associated challenges.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Economy
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Working in partnership with Skills
Development Scotland, West College
Scotland, Invest in Renfrewshire and
Developing the Young Workforce
West, we will ensure planned robust
approaches to supporting our most
vulnerable learners into positive
destinations
31-Mar-
2028
Very good progress continues towards achieving the 2028 target of 100% positive post-school destinations. The latest
figure, published on 25 February, shows Renfrewshire at 97.9%, placing the authority second nationally.
• The Career Ready coaching programme supports 23 young people across four secondary schools during session
2025/26. Thirteen percent of participants are care-experienced, and 82% are from Quintile 1. In addition, 40% of
mentees will be paired with a Career Ready coach from Renfrewshire Council, contributing to workforce planning
across the authority.
• The Pathfinders employability programme, established in August 2024 and now delivered by Invest in
Renfrewshire, has expanded to two weekly groups. Since its launch, 48 young people have taken part, and an
additional programme has been developed to support Christmas leavers.
• Six school leavers have been successfully recruited into Soft FM positions within the authority, and the
programme’s strong uptake is expected to support continued delivery in future years.
• Forty-two young people have benefitted from enhanced transition support between school and college.
• Nine of Renfrewshire’s eleven secondary schools are now confirmed to participate in the Top Up programme in
partnership with the University of Glasgow.
• The Developing the Young Workforce Engagement Officer is currently supporting 20 young people through the My
Future Pathways curriculum.
• Two Renfrewshire schools began their GROW journey with JPMorgan Chase in January 2026
• PT Pathways has supported West College Scotland with the launch of the Transition Link course and the revised
Transitions 2 College course.
• Two Renfrewshire schools began their GROW journey with JPMorgan Chase in January 2026.
• Community Benefits programmes continue to provide valuable industry experiences for pupils across all 13
secondary schools, including site visits, work placements, and industry-awareness activities.
• Creative Paisley launches on Monday 2 March, providing all S3 pupils across the 13 secondary schools with access
to the region’s cultural, creative and visitor economy sectors along with related educational and career pathways.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Economy
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Contribute to the Council’s Workforce
Plan and Strategic Recruitment and
Talent Management Plan to enable us to
meet workforce demands particularly in
relation to Teaching and Social Work.
31-Mar-2027
Ongoing PRT and Early Career Teacher professional learning programmes. This included the opportunity
for mock interviews for all in March.
Evaluation of all aspiring leaders courses sent out in March – to be collated in April.
One to one interview support for senior school leaders.
Recruitment programme for the Into Headship qualification resulted in 7 primary applicants, 3 secondary
and 2 ASN. All interviewed and being progressed to the course for session 2026-27.
12 Into Headship participants from Cohort 10 (session 2024-25) graduated in February 2026, over half
with distinctions. 5 of the primary graduates are now in acting Headteacher posts and 2 in substantive
Headteacher positions.
In January 2 class teachers (1 primary & 1 secondary) appointed to join the Learning Estate Team. This is
a new and exciting role which will utilise their expertise and knowledge of how schools operate to
support future Learning Estate developments.
Children’s Services Social Work are participating in a Graduate Apprenticeship Social Work Qualification
course with UWS.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Implementation of the Learning,
Teaching and Assessment Strategy
that clearly articulates the vision for
planning and delivering high quality
learning, teaching and assessment
31-Mar-2027
Attendance at the above training was low and Designing for Everyone had to be cancelled due to no uptake. Initial
discussion had with secondary L&T group to discuss best way forward for CLPL in future – considering
podcasts/videos.
Foundations Papers – one page summaries of L&T approaches beginning to be added to the Renfrewshire Way
site.
Assessment & Moderation Working Group collating best practice for inclusion on the site in the new year.
Individual school and increased Literacy materials added to the Renfrewshire Way site.
Raise attainment and skills for
learning, life, and work to enhance
opportunities and choices for all our
children and young people
31-Mar-2027
Target schools continue to support identified groups of learners. Baseline assessments have been completed and
all interventions are now in place. Evaluations are being gathered to evaluate the impact of this work.
We have introduced and implemented Phase 3 of the Targeted School Programme to raise attainment and close
the poverty-related attainment gap across all literacy and numeracy measures for children living in SIMD 1 and 2
areas.
Key actions include:
• Identification of 17 target primary schools through detailed data analysis.
• Deployment of additional staffing in these schools, funded through the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC).
• Provision of bespoke support and CLPL for staff, delivered by Development Officers and colleagues with
specialist expertise.
• Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of baseline assessments and intervention strategies, supported by
Development Officers.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
We will embed the whole family
wellbeing service and request for
assistance process to ensure that
families get the right support at the
right time, based on need.
31-Mar-2028
Work is ongoing to embed whole family wellbeing with several events and groups being created. Case studies will
be shared nationally through the Improvement Service. There is a video about the service which is to be launched
in May and shared nationaly.
The community team have completed their pilot of the FORT system as the request for assistance model, and it is
currently being extended to incorporate the schools team and the interrupted learners team which should be
launched by June 2026.
The key development actions for the Family Wellbeing Service during 2025-26 will be included in the Education
Improvement Plan.
Work collaboratively with our key
partners to ensure our children and
young people enjoy good physical and
mental health.
31-Mar-2028
A comprehensive audit of Physical Education (PE) curriculum planners and current practice was undertaken
across Renfrewshire schools. The audit involved engagement with children and young people, teaching staff, and
key strategic partners, including OneRen and Education Scotland. The findings highlighted gaps in the explicit
teaching of PE skills and in the progression of these skills from Early to Third Level. In response, specialist PE
teachers are leading the development of a structured skills framework, a targeted training programme and the
identification of key resources to support consistent and progressive delivery of PE across all stages. Early and
First level frameworks have been completed and trialled in schools as well as feedback being sought from the
Education Scotland HWB Officer. Work is underway to develop the Second Level framework and explore
appropriate platforms for delivery of the framework.  The skills framework will now be shared more widely with
interested schools to be part of a pilot approach.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Ensure robust action plans are in
place to develop and align with the
work of the Curricular Improvement
Cycle.
31-Mar-2028
The central team have met with representatives from Education Scotland to raise awareness of the CIC. A
presentation was shared with all head teachers to raise awareness of the ongoing work in this area and the timeframe
for implementation. A number of head teachers are involved in national working groups representing Renfrewshire
Council.
This work is ongoing and headteacher involvement will be shared at upcoming Joint Head teacher Meetings.
Focus on securing permanency
arrangements for children where this
is the best outcome.
30-Jun-2027
More can be achieved however, and consideration is being given to a whole system approach involving Social Work /
Legal Services / SCRA and CHS. This approach would be similar to the Permanence and Care Excellence work that
Renfrewshire was a pathfinder for more than a decade ago. The new project would be on a smaller scale but with the
same ambitions. Discussions have been initiated with colleagues in legal services..
Implement the recommendations
from the children at risk of harm
inspection.
31-Mar-2027
RCPC’s updated Improvement Plan was approved in March 2025. It includes the improvement actions from the
joint inspection of services for children at risk of harm in Renfrewshire and improvement actions from recent
learning reviews.
The priorities in the RCPC Improvement Plan are:
• Voice of infants, children, young people and families (Inspection action)
• Chronologies (Inspection action)
• Data (Inspection action)
• Mental Health Support (Inspection action) The Improvement plan is overseen by the Continuous Improvement
Subgroup. The voice strategy has been approved and leads identified to take forward each of the priority areas. 
Work has progressed on all the priority areas.
The data is being progressed by the new data team and will be fully embedded for next year.
The end date has been amended to 31 March 2027.
Review the impact of the social work
re-design. 30-Nov-2026
The impact of the social work service redesign is monitored on an ongoing basis by capturing and analysing a range of
relevant data. Indications are that the changes implemented as part of the service redesign are having a positive
impact on service delivery.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Provide support and intervention at the
right level and the right time to allow
children and families to move out of the
system quickly when challenges are
addressed and resolved.
30-Jun-2026 The new Front Door service is fully established and implemented.
Continue to work with establishment
leaders to support our children and
young people with Additional Support
Needs.
31-Mar-2028
Engagement with senior leaders took place through an Inclusion workshop at the Joint Head Teacher meeting, with
further consultation with parents through the Parent Ambassador Group. Feedback identified a clear need for
ongoing professional learning to build staff confidence and skills in supporting learners with additional support
needs, alongside a stronger focus on timely and targeted intervention. This has led to the expansion of the FLR
resource, the establishment of a working group to clarify and strengthen the role of the FLR resource, and the
development of a coaching and modelling team within primary schools.
A model of targeted in reach and outreach support has been implemented within Early Years, supporting
practitioners to strengthen inclusive practice and adapt learning environments to meet a wide range of needs. This
has improved children’s access to their educational entitlement at the earliest stage. Evaluation of the pilot has
highlighted the need to review and clarify the criteria for the range of enhanced Early Years resources, to ensure that
the most appropriate provision is allocated to meet individual needs.
The Virtual Head role was piloted during this session and has supported the development of a quality improvement
framework across secondary Flexible Learning Resources (FLR), promoting greater consistency and a shared vision.
This has been informed by examples of effective practice identified through quality improvement visits. In parallel, a
needs assessment is currently underway to inform the development of a Skills Academy, which will enhance
provision for learners in the senior phase within the Flexible Learning Resource.
Attendance remains strong overall across Renfrewshire, with high primary attendance and a smaller ASN attendance
gap evidencing the positive impact of early intervention and inclusive practice. While secondary attendance is lower
and the ASN gap wider, reflecting increasing complexity of need in line with national trends, targeted support
continues to be a key focus. Attendance in ASN schools is a clear strength, with Renfrewshire performing above the
national average (89.8% compared to 87.8%), highlighting effective support arrangements for pupils with complex
needs. Overall patterns reinforce the importance of sustained, targeted approaches, particularly at key transition
points into the senior phase.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Managing and Reporting Violence and
Aggression Incidents in Establishments
Policy will continue to be embedded,
ensuring that local processes are
followed to track and monitor incidents
resulting in appropriate interventions
and supports being actioned.
31-Mar-2028
Training courses on the implementation of the refreshed Managing and Reporting Violence and Aggression Incidents
in Educational Establishments policy is available both online and in person.
To support the implementation of the refreshed policy, Managing and Reporting Violence and Aggression Incidents in
Educational Establishments there continues to be a suite of training opportunities available to staff.
Training includes:
• The key points from the policy refresh;
• Support with planning for distressed behaviour pre and post incident;
• Suite of supports available.
Support staff: A Teams session was delivered during the February in-service day session 24/25. A repeat of this will be
available to new Support Staff and will be delivered on 18/02/26 9.30am - 11am
Support staff will be able to sign up via a link which will be issued alongside a catalogue of support staff training being
offered on the October and February in-service days.
Training will continue to be delivered during session 2026–27.
Education Managers and Heads of Service will continue to review VA data to monitor trends and inform targeted
support.
A revised, pupil centred approach to risk assessment will be piloted in a small number of schools, with learning from
the pilot used to refine the approach prior to implementation across all establishments.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Oversight Board and workstreams
will progress and ensure
Renfrewshire ‘Keeps the  Promise’
and delivers improved outcomes
for individuals who are care
experienced, wherever possible
keeping  children within their
families (CF)
31-Mar 2028
The 2026 Annual Report on Keeping The Promise in Renfrewshire was presented to the Education and Children’s
Services Policy Board on the 12 March 2026 and is now published.
Members of Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group on the 13 March 2026 meeting were asked to share
the report widely across their networks, ensuring strong visibility and awareness across services and partners.
The report was also presented to the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board Meeting on Monday 16 March 2026 for the
board’s note.
The report highlights strong local progress, emphasising the inclusion of infants and recognising the need for
sustained national alignment and investment.
The report will continue to be shared locally and nationally through the Stories of Progress route.
Following discussion at Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group on 13 March 2026, the 2026–2029 Action
Plan is now at final sign off. The plan has been developed through workshops in November, follow up sessions in
December and January, and final refinements in February and March.
All members of Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group have had the opportunity to review and shape
the plan. It will be published in both the Main Report and Pinky Promise (Easy Read) formats. Once approved, both
versions will be issued and will form the basis for reporting on Promise related activity.
In line with the pre election period, the plan will be appropriately launched and shared initially with Renfrewshire’s
Promise Strategic Oversight Group.
This three year plan includes built in flexibility to respond to changing needs and priorities and remains on schedule
for senior leadership sign off for Spring 2026.
Reporting will include annual progress reports, dashboard monitoring, and alignment with the Promise Progress
Framework.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Green
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Continue to work with other
council services to deliver
improvements to the school estate
which offer a high degree of
environmental sustainability and
energy efficiency.
31-Mar-2026
Renfrewshire Council continue to work in partnership with 4 other local authorities as part of the Hub West
Collaboration Group to consider and identify consistent and efficient measures to improve and maximise the
sustainability of buildings, with a particular focus on the school estate. The group has supported the development
of route maps to decarbonise each Council’s non-domestic estate, supporting a long-term strategic way forward.
Key Council officers across Sustainability, Energy, Technical Services and Facilities Management are represented
on the Learning Estate Project Board, ensuring environmental, sustainability and energy aspects are considered
alongside the learning environment as part of all future planning and design.
Delivering the Council Plan – Living our Values
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Engage and participate in Trauma
Informed and Responsive
Renfrewshire programme
31-Mar-2026
Progress continues to embed trauma-informed practice across Children’s Services. To date, over 423 colleagues
have completed the trauma-informed iLearn module, with a significant proportion (94 colleagues, around 22%)
from Children’s Services, supporting baseline awareness. This is complemented by the development of internal
capacity, with a trained trauma-skilled facilitator based within the service, contributing to the delivery of trauma-
skilled training locally.
Children’s Services is represented on the TiRR Steering Group and has supported the development of key tools,
including wellbeing walkthroughs, trauma-informed self-assessments and the trauma-informed policy framework
and language guide. Colleagues will now support the rollout of these approaches across the service, alongside
participation in self-assessment and walkthrough activity to reflect on current practice and identify any areas for
improvement.
Looking ahead, Children’s Services will contribute to the refresh of the TiRR Roadmap and colleagues will be able
to take part in a trauma informed Community of Practice to support ongoing learning and improvement.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Living our Values
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Actively promote health and
wellbeing support for staff 31-Mar-2027 Operational update in February 2025 for all senior leaders there will be a Health and Safety Team update from and
an update on supports available for staff wellbeing from Organisational Development.
Place the human rights and needs
of every child and young person at
the heart of service planning and
delivery (UNCRC)
31-Mar-2027
We continue to promote and ensure the following aims are embedded in the service, 
• To ensure children’s rights are respected and protected in law in Scotland
• Public authorities legally required to respect and protect children’s rights in their work
• Public authorities required to proactively promote children’s rights
• Unlawful for public authorities to act incompatibly with UNCRC 
Through engagement and
participation, we will ensure the
collective views, needs and
aspirations of children, young
people and families are met.
31-Mar-2027
The young leaders of learners programme has been developed further with 35 establishments now engaging in
work relating to promoting pupil voice.
YLL Celebration Events allowed Young Leaders to share their experiences and improvement actions and provide
feedback on the programme. YLL staff training included 6 new schools who will join the programme in August
2025 – 4 primary schools, 1 ASN and 1 secondary.
The Voice work treams are working on gaining the views of young people and families.
YLL reciprocal school visits continued.
Planning for sharing events has taken place with YLLs – Primary 8 June in Johnstone Town Hall and Secondary 10
June in Tweedie Hall. YLLs to present their journey to their peers.
Quality assurance of the YLL programme carried out at 4 school visits.
In partnership with the HSCP,
closely collaborate with young
people and their families to ensure
a smooth transition to adult
services.
31-Mar-2027
Multi-agency development sessions have taken place in 2024 & 2025.  Consultation with senior leadership team in
children’s services social work and adult service social work under HSCP.  Work is ongoing to further develop
practice, policy and procedures.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Living our Values
What we will do Due Date Status Progress update
Take forward findings from Employee
Survey and develop actions across the
following three priority areas.
31-Mar-2028 A service action plan has been developed which will be shared with Departmental Management Team for approval..
Play a key role in the Reshaping
Renfrewshire – Transformation
Programme and associated
workstreams.
31-Mar-2028 The Service is actively engaging with the transformation programme.  The social work redesign has been in place for
just over 9 months and is showing positive impact on outcomes.
Engage with the Data Advisory Group
to ensure data activities align with the
Data Strategy Framework, cross-
service data sharing opportunities are
identified, and data improvement
activities are carried out in a
consistent manner across the
organisation.
31-Mar-2026 The Service have continued representation on the Data Advisory Group, and a data plan has been included in the SIP. 
Data is embedded throughout all aspects of improvement.
Undertake the duty under the
Education (Scotland) Act 2016 to
promote and support, as appropriate,
the potential for Gaelic medium and
Gaelic learner education to
Renfrewshire Council residents.
31-Mar-2026
Right to GME continues to be highlighted in P1 registration forms (November annually) and registrations have shown
year on year increase, including registrations for August 26.
These events have been highlighted by our Communications team via the Council’s social media channels and
feedback from parents regarding promotional events has been positive.

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Performance Indicators
April 2026

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Performance Key
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR STATUS
BELOW TARGET
WARNING (within 10% of Target)
ON TARGET
NOT COMPARABLE
DATA ONLY
PERFORMANCE IMPROVING
PERFORMANCE IN RANGE
PERFORMANCE GETTING WORSE

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Current
Status
Short
term
trend
Long
term
trend
Q1
2025/26
Q2
2024/25
Q3
2025/26 Q4 2025/26
Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value Target
Percentage of Looked After
Children cared for in the
community
91.8% 90.3% 91.8% 92.7% 89.9%
The proportion of looked after children residing in
community settings has increased by almost 1%, to 92.7%.
The majority of looked after children continue to be cared
for within the community, either with their families or with
alternative carers such as extended family or friends. This
reflects the service’s ongoing commitment to prioritising
family-based care wherever appropriate.
While residential placements may be necessary for a small
number of children and young people due to their
individual needs, such arrangements are considered only
when community-based care is not suitable. The
overarching aim remains to support children in
environments that promote stability, wellbeing, and
continuity of care.
This indicator is also reported annually through the Local
Government Benchmarking Framework (CHN9: ‘Balance
of care for looked after children’), which measures the
percentage of children being looked after in the
community.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Current
Status
Short
term
trend
Long
term
trend
Q1
2025/2
6
Q2
2024/25 Q3 2025/26 Q4 2025/26
Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value Targe
t
Percentage of
accommodated Looked
After Children placed
with families
90.6% 87.6% 90.1% 90.3% 83%
The majority of accommodated children continue to
reside in family-based settings, typically with friends or
relatives, which remains the preferred model of care.
As of the end of December 2025, over 90% of
accommodated children were placed in such settings
going up very slightly since last quarter. 
Nonetheless, there are circumstances in which
placement in a residential facility is deemed more
appropriate, either to meet the specific needs of the
child or as directed by a children’s hearing.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Current
Status
Short
term
trend
Long
term
trend
Q1
2025/26
Q2
2024/25
Q3
2025/26 Q4 2025/26
Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value Target
Percentage of care leavers
participating in
employment, training or
education
60% 74.5% 50.3% 46.7% 55%
The percentage of care leavers with an open involvement
of Throughcare team who were engaged in employment,
education, or training is lower than in previous quarters.
This is most likely due to a change in recording practice.
At the end of Q4 2025/26, 46.7% of the 207 care leavers
with an open relationship to the Throughcare team were
positively participating in employment, education or
training. The recording of this information is monitored
on a regular basis.
Percentage of care leavers
who have had a period of
homelessness in the last 6
months
3% 2.8% 7.4% 7.7% 0%
The proportion of care leavers with a relationship of the
Throughcare team who have experienced a period of
homelessness in the past six months has increased. There
were 16 individuals out of 207 care leavers. All individuals
were accommodated either with family members, friends
or provided with temporary homeless accommodation
within Renfrewshire or in other Local Authority areas.
Throughcare and Housing services continue to work
collaboratively to prevent homelessness an to support
care leavers in sustaining tenancies.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Current
Status
Short
term
trend
Long
term
trend
Q1
2025/26
Q2
2024/25
Q3
2025/26 Q4 2025/26
Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value Target
The percentage of NEW
clients subject to a new
supervision order seen by a
supervising officer within 1
week
71% 76% 80% 73% 85%
The targets set for this and following 4 indicators remains
exceptionally challenging due to uncontrollable
variables(detailed in explanations). These were recently
scrutinised and acknowledged by the Performance Board
on 21/1/26. It acknowledged the complex and inter-reliant
nature of the service user group /wider justice systems
which both directly impact these targets and most
significantly, are out with control of the JSW teams. 
Q4 Target was not met
47 out of 64 were seen on target
Of the 17 cases not meeting target:
• 8 failed to attend
• 4 cited illness
• 4 late notifications from external courts
• 1 in paid employment preventing making appointment in
timescale 
% of NEW unpaid work
orders/requirement
complete by the required
date
78% 90% 67% 80% 75%
40 orders that completed were all on time.
The remaining 10 were not completed because –
• 4 revoked for Breach of order (failed to comply)
• 6 revoked due to review (court decision)

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Current
Status
Short
term
trend
Long
term
trend
Q1
2025/26
Q2
2024/25
Q3
2025/26 Q4 2025/26
Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value Target
Percentage of NEW unpaid work
clients seen within 1 working
day of the order
66% 69% 71% 61% 70%
43 out of 71 were seen on target.
Of the 28 cases not meeting target :
• 1 already on Order or Supervision 
• 8 late notifications from other courts
• 11 failed to attend
• 2 subject undertaking paid employment
• 1 in custody
• 5 cited illness
Percentage of  NEW unpaid work
clients receiving an induction
within 5 working days of the
order
69% 69% 77% 66% 75%
47 out of 71 received an induction on target.
Of 24 cases not meeting target  -
• 5 Currently already on unpaid work order or Supervision (effectively
been seen)
• 11 failed to attend
• 4 cited illness
• 1 very late court notification
• 2 undertaking paid employment
• 1 in custody

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Current
Status
Short
term
trend
Long
term
trend
Q1
2025/26
Q2
2024/25
Q3
2025/26 Q4 2025/26
Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value Target
Percentage of NEW unpaid
work clients beginning
work placement within 7
working days of the order
71% 60% 55% 55% 65%
39 out of 71 cases met target
Of the 32 cases not meeting target -
• 6 clients already undertaking other UW order
• 6 first direct contact occurred late - had knock on impact
• 8 failed to attend
• 1 in employment /vary start
• 4 cited illness
• 5 suitable work for needs /risks not available
• 2 in custody

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
% of Leavers attaining literacy SCQF
Level 4 96.1% 95.7% 94% 96% 98%
Renfrewshire remains ahead of the national
figures and in line with the virtual comparator
in this measure. In the 2024/25 leavers cohort,
96% of Renfrewshire pupils achieved literacy at
SCQF level 4, compared with 93% nationally
and 95% for the virtual comparator. The
percentage of leavers in Renfrewshire
achieving literacy at SCQF level 4 or above has
remained relatively constant over the past 5
years. Targets for this measure were set before
the pandemic.
% of Leavers attaining numeracy
SCQF Level 4 93.4% 93.0% 93% 93% 94%
Renfrewshire is consistently ahead of national
figures over 5 years and remains in line with the
virtual comparator. In the 2024/25 leavers
cohort 93% of Renfrewshire pupils achieved
SCQF level 4 numeracy, compared with 91%
nationally and 93% for the virtual comparator.
At SCQF level 4, numeracy attainment above
the national and virtual comparator has been a
consistent trend over the previous 5 years. .

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
% of Leavers attaining literacy SCQF
Level 5 87.1% 85.3% 83% 86% 88%
It is not possible to make a like for like
comparison to previous years within this
measure due to the cancellation of exam diets in
2020 and 2021. Renfrewshire is consistently in
line with the virtual comparator and ahead of
national figures in this measure. In the 2024/25
leavers cohort, 86% of Renfrewshire pupils
achieved this measure, compared with 82%
nationally and 85% for the virtual comparator.
Targets for this measure were set before the
pandemic.
% of Leavers attaining numeracy
SCQF Level 5 76.9% 75.3% 76% 77% 77%
It is not possible to make a like for like
comparison to previous years within this
measure due to the cancellation of exam diets in
2020 and 2021. Renfrewshire remains ahead of
the virtual comparator and national figures in
this measure. In the 2024/25 leavers cohort, 77%
of Renfrewshire pupils achieved this measure,
compared with 73% nationally and 77% for the
virtual comparator. Renfrewshire remains in line
with pre-pandemic levels, which is the most
credible like for like comparison. Targets for this
measure were set before the pandemic.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
Average total tariff score of all school
leavers in Renfrewshire 984 933 941 975 907
It is not possible to make a like for like
comparison to previous years within this
measure due to the cancellation of exam diets in
2020 and 2021. Renfrewshire’s data follows
national trends with an increase during this
period which is now returning to post-pandemic
levels. Renfrewshire is consistently ahead of the
national figure in this measure but remains
marginally below the virtual comparator. The
latest data is ahead of 2018/19 leavers cohort,
which was 923. Targets for this measure were set
before the pandemic.
Average total tariff score of leavers
living in SIMD 30% most deprived
areas
745 681 681 728 700
It is not possible to make a like for like
comparison to previous years within this
measure due to the cancellation of exam diets in
2020 and 2021. Renfrewshire’s data follows
national trends with an increase during this
period which is now returning to post-pandemic
levels. Renfrewshire is consistently ahead of the
national figure in this measure but remains
marginally below the virtual comparator. The
latest data is ahead of the 2018/19 leavers
cohort, which was 674. Targets for this measure
were set before the pandemic.

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Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
Percentage gap in average total
tariff score of school leavers
resident in SIMD 30% most deprived
and those from the 70% least SIMD
deprived Renfrewshire areas.
32% 36% 38% 54% 28%
The size of the gap between pupils living in
most and least deprived areas has increased
further in 2024/25. This is because the average
total tariff score of leavers from the 70% least
deprived SIMD areas increased more than those
from the 30% most deprived SIMD areas. Please
note - leavers in the 2020, 2021 and 2022
cohorts experienced alternative assessment
methods to pre-pandemic cohorts and
therefore data should be treated with caution
as it is not a direct comparator with previous
years.
Average Total Tariff Score of Looked
After Children (school leavers) 328 320 283 353 340
It is not possible to make a like for like
comparison to previous years within this
measure due to the cancellation of exam diets
in 2020 and 2021. There is a high degree of
variability in this data due to small cohorts. The
2024/25 data is ahead of pre-pandemic levels;
in 2018/19, this figure was 280. Targets for this
measure were set pre-pandemic.

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• Second level
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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
Gap between the Average Total
Tariff Score of Looked After Children
(school leavers) and that of the total
Renfrewshire leavers cohort
67% 66% 62% 64% 63%
It is not possible to make a like for like
comparison to previous years within this
measure due to the cancellation of exam diets
in 2020 and 2021. Attainment of both care
experience pupils and the general cohort have
followed similar patterns over this period. The
percentage gap between the average total tariff
score of care experienced school leavers and
the general leavers cohort has increased by 2
percentage points since 2023/24.
Percentage Point Gap in % Pupils
Achieving Expected Level for their
stage in Literacy between pupils
living in 30% Most Deprived areas
and those living in 70% Least
Deprived Areas (SIMD)
15.4 16 14 9 10
The size of the attainment gap has decreased
by 6 percentage points since 2023-24 as a result
of increased attainment of pupils living in SIMD
30% most deprived areas. The size of the gap is
the lowest in the previous 7 years at 9
percentage points. Pupils living in most
deprived areas were more significantly
impacted by the pandemic which caused these
gaps to widen. The data indicates that positive
progress has been made to rectify this, and the
size of the gap is now lower than in 2018-19.

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• Second level
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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
Percentage Point Gap in % Pupils
Achieving Expected Level for their
stage in Numeracy between pupils
living in 30% Most Deprived areas
and those living in 70% Least
Deprived Areas (SIMD) 
13.4 11 11 9 9
The size of the attainment gap has decreased
by 2 percentage points since 2023-24 as a result
of improved attainment of pupils living in SIMD
30% most deprived areas. The size of the gap is
the lowest in the previous 7 years. Pupils living
in most deprived areas were more significantly
impacted by the pandemic which caused these
gaps to widen. The data indicates that positive
progress has been made to rectify this, and the
size of the gap is now lower than in 2018-19.

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• Second level
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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
Percentage Point Gap in % Pupils
Achieving Expected Level for their
stage in Literacy between pupils
entitled to Free School Meals and
pupils not entitled 
21 22 18 22.1 15
Please note that due to changes in free meal
entitlement these comparisons are not reliable.
Previous years data will include P4 attainment
which is now covered under universal
provision. In 2024/25, the size of the attainment
gap has increased to similar levels in 2021/22.
Attainment of pupils entitled to Free School
Meals is 3 percentage points higher than pre-
pandemic levels (2018/19), and 7 percentage
points higher than in 2021/22.
Percentage Point Gap in % Pupils
Achieving Expected Level for their
stage in Numeracy between pupils
entitled to Free School Meals and
pupils not entitled 
17 18 14 17 14
Please note that due to changes in free meal
entitlement these comparisons are not reliable.
Previous years data will include P4 and P5
attainment which is now covered under
universal provision. The size of the attainment
gap has decreased since 2022/23 and is now
lower than in 2021/22. Attainment of pupils
entitled to clothing grants is in line with pre-
pandemic levels at 17 percentage points. This is
an increase since 2023-24 but lower than the
previous 3 years.

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• Second level
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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
% of School leavers in a positive
destination 96.% 96.4% 97.1% 97.9% 98%
The percentage of leavers entering a positive
destination in Renfrewshire has remained
consistent at 97.9% - an increase of 0.77
percentage points since 2023/24. This will
continue to be monitored over the next year.

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• Second level
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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
No of foundation apprenticeships
accessed by Renfrewshire school
pupils
14 21 57 30 45
Currently there are 30 young people accessing a young
apprenticeship for the academic session 2025-26. A richer
curriculum is currently offered at school that includes a
wide range of new courses and creates additional
opportunities for young people. We will continue to work
with West College Scotland to provide attractive options
for young people and intend to grow this number year
after year as part of the wider goal of positive post-school
destinations for all young people.
Percentage of pupils satisfied with
establishments Education
Scotland Survey
77.3% 82.6% 75.8% N/A 100%
Figures for this indicator are taken from pupil responses
to surveys sent out by inspectors; in this case, it is the
proportion responding positively to the statement “I
enjoy learning at my school”. As such, they relate to a
proportion of pupils in a small number of schools.
Schools inspected in 2024/25 were Kirklandneuk Primary
School, Bargarran Primary School, Mossvale Primary
School & Nursery Class, Kilbarchan Primary School and
Gleniffer High School. This measure does not take into
account other statements which cover the broader
aspects of school life, such as pastoral care,
extracurricular activities, and the relationships between
pupils and staff.

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• Second level
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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Target Explanation of Performance
Value Value Value Value
% of children attending school
(Primary) 92.6% 92.8% 93.1% 93.8% 95.5%
Renfrewshire primary schools have worked
hard to maintain a strong level of attendance,
with a further increase from 2023/24. This is the
fourth consecutive increase following the
pandemic. National and virtual comparator
data for the 2024/25 school term will be
available in Spring 2026.
% of children attending school
(Secondary) 87.1% 86.9% 86.8% 87.6% 91%
Renfrewshire secondary schools have worked
hard to maintain attendance in challenging
circumstances since the pandemic. The latest
data shows an increase in attendance since
2023/24 which has previously been static over
the previous 3 years. National and virtual
comparator data for the 2024/25 school term
will be available in Spring 2026.

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• Second level
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Delivering the Council Plan – Fair
Indicator Status
Short
Term
Trend
Long
Term
Trend
2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26
Target Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value
% of young people choosing to
stay onto S5 (as % of S4 roll at
September previous year)
92.1% 89.5% 91.4% 90.7% 92%
The percentage of pupils staying on to 5th
year has decreased in comparison to
2024/25. There is no national comparator
data for this specific measure at present.
% of young people choosing to
stay onto S6 (as % of S4 roll at
September two years before)
66.4% 62.6% 62.8% 65.8% 71%
The percentage of pupils staying on to 6th
year has increased by 3 percentage points
since 2024/25. Education for the senior
phase has a strong focus on personal
development and employability skills as
well as on academic attainment, and
support is offered to ensure positive post-
school positive destinations for all. No
comparator data is available at present.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Living our Values
Indicator Current
Status
Short
term
trend
Long
term
trend
Q1 2025/26 Q2 2024/25 Q3 2025/26 Q4 2025/26
Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value Target
% of Stage 1 complaints
responded to within
timescales agreed with
customers
100% 88% 100% 100% 95%
Children Services have completed 12 Stage 1 complaints in Q4; 11
were to Education and 1 to Social Work. All were completed within
target timescales. This maintains the performance from Q3 of 2025-
26. An additional 2 complaints are still being worked on.
% of Stage 2 complaints
responded to within
timescales agreed with
customers
90% 91% 100% 95% 95%
Children Services have completed 94 investigation (stage 2)
complaints in Q4; 78 to Education and 16 Social Work. 77 Education
and 12 Social Work complaints were completed with targeted
timescales. This represents an 5 percentage point decrease on Q3. A
further 13 stage 2 complaints are still being processed.
% of FOI requests
completed within
timescale by Children's
Services
83% 79% 74% 83% 100%
83% of FOIs were completed within timescales for Q4 of 25/26.
For Q4, Children's Services received 54 FOIs; 41 Education and 11
Social Work.  All 9 that were completed outwith timescales were
from Education.
There were 2 FOIs allocated to both Social Work and Education,
both went out on time.

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Delivering the Council Plan – Living our Values
Indicator Current
Status
Short
term
trend
Long term
trend
Q1 2025/26 Q2
2025/26
Q3
2025/26
Q4
2025/26 Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value
Completion rate of
corporate induction
within 30 days of starting
employment with the
Council.
New Indicator 6% 9% 1.1% 5%
This covers the number of new starts within Children’s Services
who completed all nine induction modules on iLearn within the
first 30 days of employment.
There were 96 new starts in Children’s Services in Q4 2025-26*.
35 were teachers and 81 were local government (non-teachers).
5 new starts completed all 9 Induction Modules on iLearn within 30
days of their start date. All those who completed within timescales
were non-teachers.
Completion rates of
mandatory training
courses.
New Indicator 46% 61% 65% 74%
Mandatory course completion figures cover the completion
percentage at the end of Q4 for colleagues in Children’s Services
with the Terms Local Government, Chief Officer, Teacher and
Advisor/Psychologist.
Children Services had 74% of colleagues with completed
mandatory training in Q4.
This represents 67% of teachers and 85% of non-teaching
colleagues completing training.
Completion rates of
Personal Development
Plans.
New Indicator This is a new indicator. Data will be available in future updates.

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Management Information
Indicator
Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Q3 2025/26 Q4 2025/26
Explanation of performance
Value Value Value Value
Percentage of children registered in
this period who have previously
been on the Child Protection
Register
2.9% 18.7% 26% 14%
There were 42 new CP registrations between January and March 2026; Of
the CP registrations in this period, 6 children had previously been
registered.  Of those 3 were from the same family.  Re-registrations are
monitored as part of the Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee’s
performance management to ensure that there have been no
inappropriate de-registrations.
Number of children on the Child
Protection Register at quarter end
date
67 78 93 94
As of the end of Q4 in 2025/26, 94 children were listed on the Child
Protection Register (CPR). During this period, 43 children were newly
registered, while 42 were removed from the register. 2 were added and
removed from the Register during the quarter.  The Renfrewshire Child
Protection Committee monitors trends in child protection activity and
receives regular reports detailing a range of performance indicators.
Please note that there are no targets for these indicators

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Children’s Services
Service Improvement Plan 2025 – 28
Outturn Report