Education Scotland Inspection of Renfrewshire Schools ECSPB
Renfrewshire Council · 23 May 2024
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 23 May 2024 and its agenda
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1 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 23 May 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Education Scotland Inspections of Renfrewshire Schools ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 In academic session 2022/23, 5 primary schools and 2 secondary schools were inspected by HM Inspectors, Education Scotland as part of a national sample of education. In the current academic session 2023/24, to date, 4 primaries and 1 secondary have been inspected. 1.2 HM Inspectors of Education inspect quality and improvement of education across Scotland’s schools using specific quality indicators (QIs) and the six- point scale as set out in How good is our school? (4th edition) (HGIOS4) quality improvement framework. 1.3 There are two models for school inspections of this kind; a full model where 4 quality indicators are evaluated (see below) and a short model where only 2 of the 4 quality indicators are evaluated (QIs 2.3 and 3.2). Quality Indicator 1.3 Leadership of Change Quality Indicator 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment. Quality Indicator 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equity and inclusion. Quality Indicator 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement. 1.4 Six Renfrewshire schools had a full model inspection and six had the short model. Where a school receives gradings of ‘Satisfactory’ or better, it is considered to be a positive inspection. All Renfrewshire schools inspected have received a positive inspection report. For the 12 schools inspected, the gradings were as follows:
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2 Quality Indicator Very Good Good Satisfactory QI 1.3 Leadership of Change 83% 17% QI 2.3 Learning, teaching & assessment 33% 67% QI 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equity and inclusion 67% 33% QI 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement 25% 67% 8% 1.5 Comparing the Renfrewshire gradings to the national picture for session 2022/23, shows that the percentage of our schools achieving ‘Very Good’ and ‘Good’ gradings are greater than the national figures. This is particularly significant for QIs1.3 and 3.1 where the percentage of Renfrewshire schools achieving ‘Very Goods’ are more than double that of the national figure for QI 1.3 and almost double for QI 3.1. 1.6 Common strengths emerging from Renfrewshire inspection reports: • Senior leaders are effective in guiding the strategic direction and pace of change to improve outcomes for children and young people. • Staff teams know children and families well and have a good understanding of the social, economic and cultural context of the school community. • Staff teams work well together to create nurturing and inclusive learning environments where children and young people can thrive and achieve. • Children and young people are very proud of their schools and are confident and happy in school. • Staff across schools are committed to engaging in professional learning to improve learning and teaching. • Supporting and improving children’s and young people’s wellbeing continues to be a high priority. Developing emotional wellbeing and resilience is a strong focus. • Working effectively with parents and partners, staff teams provide a range of effective supports to reduce barriers to the learning of children and young people. 1.7 During inspections, HM Inspectors seek to identify highly effective practice to be shared more widely to promote improvement. In Barsail primary school, inspectors identified the following: ‘The highly effective approaches to developing staff, children’s and parents’ knowledge and understanding of the language of wellbeing and nurturing values is worth sharing more widely. The principal teacher, supported by psychological services, leads very well the high quality work promoting a consistent approach to developing very positive relationships. This translates the vision, values and aims into reality. This consistent approach to developing and promoting positive relationships is highly-effective in supporting improvement and recovery from the impact of COVID-19.
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3 All staff have developed appropriate skills successfully to support children’s social and emotional wellbeing. Staff have created an inclusive approach to teaching and learning as a result. All staff reinforce this inclusive approach in the respectful and encouraging interactions they have with children at all times. They use and model appropriate language to support children to speak openly about their feelings and resolve any disagreements when they occur.’ In St. Mary’s Primary School, inspectors identified the following: ‘Across the school, children engage very well in their learning. Lessons are motivating and challenging. Teachers plan interesting contexts for learning and throughout lessons, provide opportunities for children to learn in a variety of ways. Teachers support children very well to understand what they are learning and how they will know if they have been successful.’ 1.8 Individual inspection reports provide the detail of a variety of different next steps identified for our schools. These are being taken forward through the improvement planning process and monitored by link Education Managers through the quality improvement framework. 2. Recommendations 2.1. Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to note the very positive outcomes in relation to inspections of Renfrewshire primary and secondary schools by HM Inspectors, Education Scotland, over the last 2 academic sessions. 3. Background 3.1. In Scotland, scrutiny activity is a crucial tool which supports improvement, as well as providing assurance and public accountability. The scope of Education Scotland inspection activities at a local level provides a unique evidence base drawn from observing practice at first hand across the country. 3.2. HM Inspectors of Education inspect quality and improvement of education across Scotland’s schools using the quality indicators (QIs) and the six-point scale as set out in How good is our school? (4th edition) (HGIOS4) quality improvement framework. 6-point scale Excellent - outstanding and sector-leading Very Good - major strengths and very few areas for improvement Good - important strengths within the school’s work yet there remains some aspects which require improvement . Satisfactory - strengths within this aspect of the school’s work just outweigh the weaknesses Weak - important weaknesses Unsatisfactory - major weaknesses which require immediate remedial action
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4 3.3. Following a pause to inspections due to the pandemic, Education Scotland’s routine programme of inspection of schools and early years settings resumed in September 2022. Children’s Services welcomes the process of audit undertaken by Education Scotland as supportive to continuous improvement in Renfrewshire’s education establishments. Renfrewshire schools inspected since September 2022: • Barsail PS • Cochrane Castle PS • Auchenlodment PS and ELCC • West PS and ELCC • St. Mary’s PS and ELCC • Park Mains High School • St. Benedict’s High School • Bishopton PS • St. Margaret’s PS and ELCC • Brediland PS • Williamsburgh PS and ELCC • Trinity High School ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – None. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – engaging with, and learning from external inspection, ensures that our 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. It also ensures our Renfrewshire is well – by providing an environment which encourages care, welfare and development, establishments play a crucial role in developing children and young people so that they become responsible citizens. The inspection process also supports delivery of the Council Plan cross- cutting theme of improving outcomes for children and families as well as other Council Plan key strategic outcomes, for example: 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 4. Legal – The full model inspection includes a focus on QI 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equity and inclusion. In evaluating this QI, one of the themes that
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5 HM Inspectors evaluate is the school’s 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 - None 6. Information Technology – No implication on Information Technology. 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 – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. Cosla Policy Position – N/A 13. Climate Risk – None. _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers - Inspection reports for all the schools in Renfrewshire who have been inspected are available on the Education Scotland website Inspection and review | Education Scotland __________________________________________________________ EH/LG 19 April 2024 Author: Emma Henry, Interim Head of Education, emma.henry@renfrewshire.gov.uk