West Pship - Regional Improvement Collaborative Eval Report 2021-2022 & Improvement Plan 2022-2023 ECSPB

Renfrewshire Council · 27 October 2022
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 27 October 2022 and its agenda

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To:  Education and Children’s Services Policy Board
On: 27 October 2022
___________________________________________________________________ 
Report by:  Director of Children’s Services
___________________________________________________________________ 
Heading:  West Partnership Regional Improvement Collaborative:
Evaluation Report 2021-2022 and Improvement Plan 2022-
2023
___________________________________________________________________
1. Summary
1.1. The purpose of this report is to inform the Education and Children’s Service
Policy Board of the evaluation of work undertaken by the West Partnership
Regional Education Improvement Collaborative in 2021-2022 demonstrating
how Renfrewshire’s children, young people and practitioners are benefitting
from the activity.  
1.2. The report will also outline the main content and process followed to develop
the West Partnership Improvement Plan for 2022-2023.
___________________________________________________________________
2. Recommendations
2.1. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is asked to approve the
contents of the Evaluation Report (appendix 1) and Improvement Plan
(appendix 2).
___________________________________________________________________
3. Background
3.1. The West Partnership Regional Improvement Collaborative (RIC) is made up
of eight authorities which are East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire,
Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South
Lanarkshire, and West Dunbartonshire. 
3.2. The West Partnership has a clear vision; to embed the values of equity,
excellence and empowerment in everything we do, building a collaborative,
networked learning system to improve learning experiences and increase
attainment for every learner across the region.

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3.3. There are three main workstreams delivering a range of activity across the
region; Wellbeing for Learning (WFL), Leadership, Empowerment &
Improvement (LEI) and Curriculum, Learning, Teaching & Assessment
(CLTA). 
___________________________________________________________________
4. Progress
4.1. The evaluation report details progress over the previous academic year
providing an overview of West Partnership vision, context and scale of the
work. The report includes a range of internal and external data including: 
 an overview of West Partnership Broad General Education (BGE) and senior
phase attainment;
 critical indicators; 
 evaluation data from each of the workstreams; and 
 key messages from the independent evaluation from Robert Owen Centre
(ROC).
4.2. This session, the scale of the partnership work has grown with over 3100
colleagues having participated in a West Partnership event and over 40,000
learners accessing the West Online School resource to support their learning. 
4.3. Key attainment and senior phase data demonstrates that the partnership is
performing well when compared nationally.  For example, West Partnership
pupils in the BGE continue to be more likely to meet their expected level in
numeracy when compared with the national figure.  
4.4. Due to the change in assessment methodology and alternative certification
model, comparisons at the senior phase should be treated with some caution.
However, data from the 20/21 session shows that the West Partnership
outperforms National figures at National 5, Highers and Advance Higher level
whilst also continuing to have higher positive destinations figures.
4.5. This year, the evaluation framework was strengthened to further demonstrate
the added value and collective impact of the partnership activity. This was
based on workstream outcomes and evidence emerging from the projects. 
The framework is underpinned by three drivers of improvement which are
collaboration, increased knowledge and confidence and practice change. 
4.6. Illustrations and evidence from the three workstreams demonstrate how
practitioners, children and young people are benefitting from the activity. 
 The partnership is having a very positive impact on facilitating various forms
of collaboration which can be short-term or more sustained.  This means that
colleagues in Renfrewshire can benefit from knowledge and practice
exchange through this collaboration.  
 A vast amount of data has been collected demonstrating improvements in
knowledge and confidence at all levels. Over 80% of colleagues reported
improvements in their knowledge and confidence as a result of attending a
West Partnership event.  This will enhance the quality of our learning and
teaching in the classroom.    
 The partnership continues to grow a bank of evidence which demonstrates
practice change.  For example, as a result of engagement in partnership

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activity, practitioners are making changes to their pedagogy and this is
contributing to improvements in attainment as well as in health and wellbeing.  
4.7. Taking account of the evaluation gathered to compile the Evaluation Report
as well feedback from a series of engagement sessions with Directors, core
team members and partners (The Robert Owen Centre and Education
Scotland), the Improvement Plan for 2022-2023 was developed. 
4.8. There is clear consensus that existing programmes and activity are broadly
meeting the needs of officers and practitioners across the West Partnership.
Most programmes continue, following review, and in some cases,
augmentation. 
4.9. These reviews have allowed the partnership to plan for greater reach, more
collaborative opportunities and to include activity to support the needs of new
cohorts of colleagues e.g., Support Workers and teachers of Gaelic / Gaelic
medium teachers. 
4.10. Renfrewshire practitioners, children and young people will benefit from the
activity outlined in this year’s plan.  For example, a number of schools are
participating in the Improving our Classrooms (IOC) and Improving our
Schools programme.  The programme aims to improve attainment and
achievement through high quality self-evaluation across the school and in
individual classrooms; the use of data to inform targeted interventions
improving learning and teaching; and a relentless focus on equity and
excellence for all children and young people.  
4.11. Renfrewshire colleagues will also participate in a range of specialist networks
hosted by the partnership to drive forward collective and regional
improvement priorities in a range of areas such as senior phase, assessment
and moderation and health and wellbeing adding value to the work of the
schools and authority.  
4.12. The plan is ambitious and responsive to the needs of the region helping
Renfrewshire to build collective agency to improve outcomes for children and
young people and supporting individuals to work together to secure what they
cannot accomplish on their own.
__________________________________________________________________
Implications of this report 
1.  Financial 
No financial implications. 
2.  HR and Organisational Development 
None. 
3. Community/Council Planning 
Our Renfrewshire is fair -  The appendix details a range of
activities which reflect local
community planning themes 
Tackling inequality, ensuring
opportunities for all
-  The appendix details a range of
activities which reflect local

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community planning themes 
Working together to improve
outcomes 
-  The appendix details a range of
activities which reflect local
community planning themes 
4.  Legal 
None. 
5.  Property/Assets 
None. 
6.  Information Technology 
None. 
7.  Equality and Human Rights 
(a) 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 because it is for noting only. 
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 and Safety
None. 
9. Procurement 
None. 
10. Risk 
None. 
11. Privacy Impact
None. 
12.  Cosla Policy Position 
Not applicable. 
13. Climate Risk 
None.   
List of Background Papers 
(a) Background Paper 1: None. 
The foregoing background papers will be retained within Children’s Services for
inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the

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meeting.  The contact officer within the service is Lauren Johnston, Project Manager,
0141 618 4023, lauren.johnstone@renfrewshire.gov.uk.
___________________________________________________________________
Children’s Services
LJ
7/9/2021
Author:  Lauren Johnston, Project Manager, 0141 618 4023.

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The West Partnership
EVALUATION REPORT 2021–2022
Equity, Excellence
& Empowerment

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Contents.
Introduction
West Partnership Evaluation Report
\ Vision
\ Context
\ Reach & Impact
How does the West Partnership compare?
\ Broad General Education
\ Senior Phase
Evaluation Framework: Three Drivers of Improvement
West Partnership Drivers Model
Three Drivers of Improvement Illustrations
\ The Primary Curriculum Programme
\ Improving Our Schools
\ Wellbeing for Learning: Keeping Trauma in Mind Programme
Conclusion
\ Appendix 1: Critical Indicators
\ Appendix 2: Collective Knowledge & Confidence Improvements
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The West Partnership has a clear vision: we want to embed the values of equity, excellence and
empowerment in everything we do, building a culture of where we work collaboratively across our
eight local authority areas to continually improve learning experiences and outcomes for every learner
across the Glasgow City Region.
This report details progress over the academic year 2021-2022
towards achieving each of the associated outcomes and expected
impacts as detailed in the West Partnership Improvement Plan.
Increasingly, we are seeing the benefit of the West Partnership
Regional Improvement Collaborative and the impact it makes to our
teachers, practitioners and support staff, local authority officers and
our communities. While this report highlights areas of success, the
work of the West Partnership has also been recognised by external
evaluations carried out by the Robert Owen Centre for Educational
Change as well as our work highlighted in Research Scotland’s
national evaluation of Regional Improvement Collaboratives.
Our three workstreams of Wellbeing for Learning; Leadership,
Empowerment and Improvement; and Curriculum, Learning,
Teaching and Assessment are designed to focus on what matters
most, and this report captures the very good progress made
across each area.  Once again, this work reflects the outstanding
commitment of all education staff who were tasked with navigating
ongoing public health measures while ensuring a ‘normal’ education experience for children, young
people and their families.
We continue to benefit from the move towards more flexible ways of working across the West Partnership
through the use of digital technology. This has allowed us to provide an expanded offer across the West
Partnership area and this is reflected in the increased numbers of practitioners participating in the work
of the partnership. However, while this will continue, we also recognise that face to face professional
learning opportunities remain a crucial part of our delivery model.
We continue to strengthen our networked learning system; a system that enables collaboration,
encourages connectedness and helps practitioners at all levels. Please take time to read about the many
examples of work where we have been able to see the increasing influence of the West Partnership and
its impact. 
Tony McDaid, Regional Lead Officer West Partnership
Introduction

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West Partnership Evaluation Report
Our annual evaluation report provides an overview
of the collective impact and added value of the West
Partnership activity which is delivered through three core
workstreams.  These are:
¬ Wellbeing for Learning (WFL)
¬ Leadership, Empowerment & Improvement (LEI)
¬ Curriculum, Learning, Teaching & Assessment (CLTA)
The West Partnership has a clear vision:  to embed
the values of equity, excellence and empowerment in
everything we do, building a collaborative, networked learning system to improve learning
experiences and increase attainment for every learner across the region.   
PoPulation 246,284
Early years = 32,001
Primary = 135,194
Secondary 106,923
ASL = 4167
free school meals
WP avergae = 17.5%
(range 4.3%–29.3%)
40% of Scotland’s 
Care Experienced 
children & young people
simd quintile 1
WP average = 33.4%
(range 5.4%–55.9%)
41% of Scotland’s learners
who speak English as an
additional language
rurality
Glasgow City = 0.5%
S. Lanarkshire = 20.8%
VISION
CONTEXT & CONTRAST

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West Partnership Evaluation Report
West OS used by just over
40,000 learners nationally
and just under 15,000 from
within the West Partnership region.
Every secondary school in the 
West Partnership used West OS 
and 66% of primary schools
also used the tools.
5600 
twitter
fOLLOwERS
14,985 
website
USERS
1000
newsletter
SigN-UPS
OVER 3100 COLLEAgUES
PARTiCiPATEd iN A wEST PARTNERShiP ACTiViTy ThiS yEAR.
SIGN-IN-ALT
USERS
🌐
85% of respondents
reported an increase
in knowledge
82% of respondents
reported an increase
in confidence
REACh & IMPACT

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How does the West Partnership compare?
BROAd gENERAL EdUCATION
Percentage of pupils m
eeting the expected level for Literacy
Percentage of pupils in P1, P4, P7 combined meeting the expected level for Literacy
∞ West Partnership    ∞ National
Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence data was not collected in the 2019/20 academic year as a result of the
pandemic. Data from 20/21 shows a decrease in the number of primary pupils meeting their expected levels at P1, P4
and P7 in Literacy (a combined measure which requires meeting the expected level at Listening and Talking, Reading,
and Writing). Data from 20/21 shows a decrease of just over 3% percentage points (3.3%) when compared with their
pre-pandemic 18/19 cohort. West Partnership primary pupils continue to be more likely to meet their expected levels
compared to their national peers.
As in the Literacy figures presented above, the latest data on Primary pupils meeting the expected levels in Numeracy has
fallen compared to pre-pandemic cohorts. A decrease of 3 percentage points was experienced in this measure with 77.3%
of pupils meeting their expected level in Numeracy compared to 80.3% in 18/19. Primary pupils in the West Partnership
continue to be more likely to meet their expected level in Numeracy when compared with the national figure.
2016/17 2017/18
Year
2018/19 2020/21
75
70
65
60
55
50
71.3
65.8
70.1 71.0
66.4
72.4 73.0
69.7
Percentage of pupils m
eeting the expected level for Num
eracy
Percentage of pupils in P1, P4, P7 combined meeting the expected level for Numeracy
∞ West Partnership    ∞ National
2016/17 2017/18
Year
2018/19 2020/21
85
80
75
70
65
60
78.1
76.4
78.4 79.1
74.7
79.5 80.3
77.3

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How does the West Partnership compare?
SENIOR PhASE
Percentage of leavers achieving 1 or m
ore passes at SCQF Level 5
Percentage of leavers achieving 1 or m
ore passes at SCQF Level 6
Percentage of leavers achieving 1 or more passes at SCQF Level 5
∞ West Partnership    ∞ National
Percentage of leavers achieving 1 or more passes at SCQF Level 6
∞ West Partnership    ∞ National
The percentage of leavers achieving 1 or more passes at SCQF Level 5 continues to increase. Just over 90% of West
Partnership leavers in 2021 achieved at least 1 Level 5 award, an increase of 3.3 percentage points on the 2017 figure. The
West Partnership continues to have a higher percentage of leavers achieving 1 or more awards at this level compared to
Scotland as a whole.
The percentage of leavers achieving 1 or more passes at SCQF Level 6 continues to increase, with just under three-
quarters (72.8%) of leavers achieving at least 1 award at Level 6. This continues a positive trend from 2017 when 67.3%
of leavers achieved the same feat. As at SCQF Level 5, West Partnership leavers continue to outperform their national
counterparts.
Due to the change in assessment methodology, primarily the implementation of the alternative certification model,
comparisons at the senior phase should be treated with some caution.
2016/17
2016/17
2017/18
2017/18
Year
Year
2018/19
2018/19
2020/21
2020/21
2020/21
2020/21
90
80
70
60
50
40
70
60
50
40
87.3
67.3
86.1
61.2
86.0
62.2
85.1
60.5
88.0
68.2
89.5
70.2
87.0
68.7
86.5
69.3
88.8
70.4
90.6
72.8

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How does the West Partnership compare?
Percentage of leavers achieving 5 or m
ore passes at SCQF Level 6
Percentage of school leavers in an initial positive destination
Percentage of leavers achieving 5 or more passes at SCQF Level 6
∞ West Partnership    ∞ National
Percentage of school leavers in an initial positive destination (2009–2021)
∞ West Partnership    ∞ National
Continued improvement can also be seen in the percentage of West Partnership leavers achieving 5 or more passes at
SCQF Level 6. Since 2017 the percentage of West Partnership leavers achieving this standard has increased from 36.2% to
44.3%, an increase of 8.1 percentage points. As in other senior phase attainment measures, a higher percentage of West
Partnership leavers achieving this standard than their national peers.
The percentage of West Partnership leavers entering initial positive destinations is at the highest it has been since
records began, making up all of the losses experienced in the 19/20 academic year which was impacted by the pandemic.
The figure of just under 96% (95.8%) continues the progression from 88.3% in 2010. For the third year in a row, West
Partnership leavers were more likely than their national peers to be in an initial positive destination.
2016/17
2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21
2017/18
Year
Year
2018/19 2020/21 2020/21
50
40
30
20
10
100
95
90
85
80
36.2
88.3 88.5
89.9
91.2
92.1 92.6 92.9
93.7
94.4
95.2
93.6
95.8
29.9
87.7
89.3
90.3
91.9
92.6
93.2 93.5 93.7
94.6 95.0
93.4
95.5
30.4
28.7
40.1
42.1
37.6 38.3
42.1
44.3
SENIOR PHASE

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How does the West Partnership compare?
SENIOR PHASE
Percentage gap between Q5 and Q1
Percentage gap between Q1 and Q5 leavers entering a positive destination
The percentage gap between SIMD Q1 and Q5 leavers entering a positive destination has decreased in comparison to
19/20 but is still slightly larger than the gap experienced by 18/19 leavers. Leavers in the 19/20 cohort were impacted by a
lower number of leavers entering employment, a trend reversed in 2021 with 5.5 percentage point more leavers entering
employment than in 2020.
2017/18 2018/19
Year
2019/20 2020/21
8
6
4
2
0
7.9
4.8
6.6
5.1

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Evaluation Framework: Three Drivers of Improvement
This year, the evaluation framework was
strengthened to further demonstrate
the added value and collective impact
of the partnership activity. Through
the development of clear workstream
outcomes and measures, three common
themes emerged from the evidence
leading to the creation of the Three
Drivers of Improvement Evaluation
Framework.
The three drivers of improvement are
defined below and summarised in
diagram 1. To bring the drivers to life,
impact statements from a range of
projects and programmes are included.
We recognise that collaboration is desirable in our system but also that it is necessarily varied with
regards to its form. Some collaboration may involve short-term interactions whilst others demand
sustained collaborative working around areas of interest.
dRIVER 1: fACILITATINg VARIOUS fORMS Of COLLABORATION
“I feel that the discussions I have had with other practitioners in the breakout rooms
have been valuable. They have given me ideas on how I can develop my enquiry and
reassurance that I am on the right track.”
— (PRiMARy CURRiCULUM PARTiCiPANT)
“It was most beneficial to be part of in-person discussions and share experiences and ideas
with colleagues. They were informal way to share ideas and engage in professional dialogue.”
— (LEI wORkSTREAM)
“The opportunity for young people to work collaboratively and engage with other young
people from different teaching and learning environments. Also, the opportunity for young
people to impact change and contribute to school improvement planning.”
— (wfL wORkSTREAM)

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Evaluation Framework: Three Drivers of Improvement
Our regional improvement collaborative
contains just over 19,000 practitioners, some
36% of all practitioners in Scotland. We see our
work as enhancing practitioner knowledge,
understanding and confidence at all levels,
from those newly qualified to those at the most
senior level. The enhancement of practitioner
knowledge, understanding and confidence is
inherently linked to our collaborative working. 
There is a great amount of expertise and
experience across our eight authorities and the
exchange of knowledge and sharing of practice
is a key way in which the partnership adds value.
Data demonstrating the changes and
improvement in practitioner knowledge and
confidence is presented in appendix 2.
dRIVER 2: ENhANCINg PRACTITIONER kNOwLEdgE,
UNdERSTANdINg ANd CONfIdENCE
“My knowledge and practice surrounding metacognition was very limited. This webinar
broadened my understanding and gave me some practical tips about things that could be
carried out in class.”
— (LEI wORkSTREAM)
“It will give me a better understanding of The Promise and allow me to have discussions with
staff in school about how this will influence us as teachers and help our young people.”
— (VLN PARTiCiPANT)
“I feel this was highly valuable to me being a probationer. I feel I have to expand my
knowledge at every opportunity and this type of conference will provide me with great
experience and access to resources. Each workshop I attended has opened my eyes to
strategies I will definitely be able to pass on to others while 
embedding within my own classroom.”
— (CLTA wORkSTREAM)

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Evaluation Framework: Three Drivers of Improvement
Our collaborative work and our aim to affect practice change is supported through partnership activity.
Practice change at all levels of the system is a key aspiration for the West Partnership. This extends from
the way in which our teachers and practitioners deliver in the classroom and playrooms to the ways in
which local authority central teams interact across our region. As such, we envisage partnership activity
as facilitating practice change as a consequence of a dynamic offering which targets all practitioners
irrespective of their role.
dRIVER 3: SUPPORTINg PRACTICE ChANgE AT VARIOUS LEVELS
“I am making more use of the data I have gathered for my class, and I am now looking at
differentiation differently within the class. Differentiation now has many forms of support
through different resources, teacher support and varying timescales. I am now also
incorporating key questioning within my daily planning to ensure that I am making the most
of feedback and hinge point questions.”
— (LEI wORkSTREAM)
“A lot of today’s session helped me reflect and move on from today. I think the Slow-low-
low is something that works because I have used before but it was a good reminder. The
universal approach makes so much sense and I can see elements of that being put in place
in our school as we are also in the process of adapting our school behaviour policy and
procedures.”
— (wfL wORkSTREAM)
“Allowed deep evaluation of current practice and enhanced staff knowledge. Changes have
positively impacted pupil progression”
— (CLTA wORkSTREAM)

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West Partnership Drivers Model
Drivers of Improvement
Practitioner DevelopmentCollaboration
Association
and
networking
Access to
expertise and
knowledge
Practitioner
level
Enhanced
classrooms
and playrooms
Knowledge
exchange
Space to
share and
learn
Senior
Leadership
Team level
Enhanced
school
communities
Collaborative
Working
Contribution
to work
cross sector/
authority
Local
Authority
level
Enhanced
Partnership
working
Confidence to
implement/change
Knowledge and
understanding
Change to Practice

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Three Drivers of Improvement Illustrations
Each illustration showcases elements of the
three drivers through projects and programmes
delivered by the workstreams. The purpose is
to demonstrate the added value of participating
in partnership activity and the clear impact that
this can have on collaboration, knowledge and
confidence development and practice change.
Regular monitoring of progress
and impact relating to workstream
outcomes and the three drivers
of improvement allow The West
Partnership to produce Highlight
Reports as part of our governance
procedures. The most recent can be
accessed on the West Partnership
website, or by following these links.
The Primary Curriculum Programme was an opportunity for colleagues from across 40 schools to
collaborate by focusing on curriculum development in their own contexts. The programme centred
around the main themes of ‘How Do We Do It?’ and included participants from all authorities within the
West Partnership.
Participants worked with Education Scotland (ES) and researchers from The University of Glasgow’s
Robert Owen Centre to consider their curriculum in relation to the Refreshed Curriculum Narrative and
undertook a related Collaborative Action Research (CAR) project, supported by the Robert Owen Centre
team. A senior leader and a class teacher from each school participated in the programme to allow them
to share ideas and support each other as they took forward their CAR project.
In the programmes’ evaluation, 95% of participants reported that the themes of the sessions met their
needs and 86% stated that the structure of the sessions met their needs. Qualitative feedback from
participants suggested that the programme had stimulated self-evaluation and change implementation:
ThE PRiMARy CURRiCULUM PROgRAMME
“It has encouraged me to reflect on my own practice, and have time set 
aside to build on and improve learners’ experiences.”
— (TEAChER, gLASgOw CiTy)
“I would not have approached an adaptation to the school in such an in-depth manner,
despite being data rich it’s not always data applied but this really focused on applying
that data that was collected.”
— (TEAChER, gLASgOw CiTy)

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Three Drivers of Improvement Illustrations
After completion of their CAR project, senior leaders and classroom
teachers presented the impact and learning with schools from
across the West Partnership. From evidence highlighted within
presentations, it was clear that changes to practice had resulted
in an enhanced learning experience for children. This occurred
in a number of ways, with practitioners noting the importance
of including children in their learning and completing deep self-
evaluation which enhances staff knowledge:
The West Partnership Primary Curriculum Programme facilitated the completion of 30 CAR Projects. Each
of these projects involved a process of self-evaluation, practice change and an evaluation of the impact of
each intervention on children’s experiences and progress. One example of this process was evident when
practitioners from one Glasgow primary used their attainment data to identify writing as a priority for their
school improvement plan.
Having assessed various potential interventions, the practitioners developed the inquiry question how does
the explicit teaching of before, during and after writing strategies increase attainment for targeted learners?
The practitioners developed a logical model of improvement proposing that the development of practitioner
knowledge, skills and confidence would lead to higher quality learning experiences for pupils and raising
attainment.
Practitioners at the school engaged in ‘before, during and after writing strategy’ training. They self-evaluated
their knowledge, skills and confidence in teaching writing before and after the training. Practitioners noted
how each of these indicators had increased following the training but also how the engagement of learners
had improved in the classroom.
Throughout the project, children were asked to give feedback on their experience of developing their writing.
Data demonstrated that pupils developed a better awareness of themselves as writers, were more likely to
respond appropriately to feedback, were more resilient when making mistakes and were more likely to have
positive feelings towards writing as an activity. From teacher judgements it was clear that attainment results
had improved for many learners through the use of intervention groups and class strategies.
Due to the success of this programme, it will be offered to participants across the West Partnership next
session. Participants that have completed the programme will share their CAR project with schools next
session. It is hoped that participants will be able to use CAR to support improvement in other areas in
the future.
ThE PRiMARy CURRiCULUM PROgRAMME
“I have had the opportunity to stop
and listen to pupil feedback and build
a project from their ideas and not just
my own.”
— (TEAChER, gLASgOw CiTy)
“Allowed deep evaluation of current practice and enhanced staff knowledge. Changes
have positively impacted (on) pupil progression.”
— (TEAChER, SOUTh LANARkShiRE)
“Involving children in their learning.
Making learning more practical and
fun. Understanding that children can
gain so much from outdoor learning.”
— (TEAChER, RENfREwShiRE)

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Improving our Schools (IOS) focuses on
improving attainment and achievement
through:
¬ high quality self-evaluation across the
school and in individual classrooms
¬ the use of data to inform targeted
interventions
¬ improving learning and teaching; and 
¬ a relentless focus on equity and excellence
for all children and young people.
IOS was piloted in session 2021–22 with ten
primary schools in five local authorities across
the West Partnership. Nine out of the ten
schools completed the programme.
Improving Our Schools
iMPACT
All nine schools saw positive changes in
knowledge, confidence and understanding.
The three groups that described positive
changes were senior leaders, teachers and
children.
Leaders in all nine schools described examples
where working together using the IOS model
had improved classroom practice. Teachers
shared their expertise through collaborative
professional learning activities, peer to peer
classroom visits and discussion.
All nine schools improved attainment for
the children who were part of the targeted
interventions.

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Improving Our Schools
SChOOL 1:
SChOOL 2:
Learning & teaching focus Differentiation
Impact on learning and teaching Teachers are differentiating learning and teaching
more effectively overall and taking more account
of children’s interests as they do so.
Curriculum focus Literacy – listening and talking – group talk and
discursive talk
Impact of interventions on children At early level the percentage of children using five
or more related skills increased from 29% to 35%.
“Fact Story Action has made a big difference to our school. It has really improved tracking conversations
for the better.”
— Deputy HeaD
“I now explicitly teach listening and talking each week … I make better use of differentiation to ensure my
neurodivergent learners are included.”
— Class teaCHer
Learning & teaching focus Metacognition and retrieval
Impact on learning and teaching Metacognitive strategies are being used across
the school and children can talk about what they
are, how they use them and how this helps their
learning.
Curriculum focus Numeracy – fractions and money
Impact of interventions on children Average scores for the pre and post intervention
assessments were as follows:
— Children focussing on fractions saw scores
increase from 33% to 70%
— Children focussing on money saw their scores
increase from 34% to 83%
“What’s really stood out for me is the platform it has created for this rich dialogue to take place across the
whole school … This year I’ve come to appreciate just how important the data of our school is as it leads
you to your next steps.”
— Class teaCHer
“Using metacognition, we’ve really become more independent with planning our work. You can use it in
many subjects, you can even use it when you’re not in school.”
— primary 7 CHilD

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Wellbeing for Learning: Keeping Trauma in Mind Programme
The Keeping Trauma in Mind Programme was
an opportunity for colleagues from across the
West Partnership to engage in professional
learning relating to trauma. The sessions
provided participants working in different
sectors with an opportunity to understand
the impact of trauma and to know how to
adapt the way they work to make a positive
difference to the lives of children and young
people affected by trauma.
The response to the programme offer was
high, with 400 attending the sessions. After
analysis of the sign-up information, we could see that, across all eight local authorities, 271 different
establishments had registered. There were participants from Early Years, Primary, Secondary, ASN, CLD
and Social work. Two key aims of the series were to increase the knowledge of participants; and to
develop confidence to apply new knowledge.
We were particularly interested in
evaluating the impact of the series
on practitioner knowledge. We asked
evaluation respondents to rate their
knowledge level along a 5-point scale,
with 1 being the least knowledgeable
and 5 being the most knowledgeable.
The chart to the right shows that 87%
of respondents reported an increase
in knowledge across all sessions. This
means that of 646 completed evaluations,
knowledge increases had been reported
in 560 of them. The largest increases to
knowledge were reported by Early Years
practitioners, followed closely by Pupil
Support Assistants.
IMPACT ON PRACTiTiONER kNOwLEdgE
“My role is nurture based and all of this
will really impact my work. So many good
ideas and this has really helped to deepen
my understanding and what I can do
to support.”
— (TEAChER, SOUTh LANARkShiRE)
“I liked learning more about how
self-regulation works. Also coming
up with practical strategies that
can be implemented in my setting.”
— (TEAChER, EAST
dUNBARTONShiRE)

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Wellbeing for Learning: Keeping Trauma in Mind Programme
We were also interested in evaluating the impact of the
series on practitioner confidence in applying the new
knowledge. We asked evaluation respondents to rate
their confidence level along a 5-point scale, with 1 being
the least confident and 5 being the most confident.
The pie chart shows that 82% of respondents reported
an increase in confidence across all sessions. This
means that of 646 completed evaluations, confidence
increases had been reported in 530 of them.
Moving forward, a recall process with selected participants
who indicated an interest in a practitioner enquiry will
take place. A collaborative action research project will
allow practitioners to document the implementation of
their learning into practice.
IMPACT ON PRACTiTiONER CONfidENCE

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Conclusion
This year, the Partnership has made very good progress in driving
forward equity, excellence and empowerment across the West
and this has been demonstrated throughout the report.  Our
progress has been further recognised externally through research
carried out by the Robert Owen Centre (ROC) for Educational
Change. In their Phase III Reflections on the Partnership Recovery
to Renewal: Reimaging the Future (2022) report, the ROC findings
compliment that of the internal evaluation providing a strong
triangulated approach to evaluation. 
The key findings included: 
¬ a strong culture and ethos of collaboration;
¬ demonstrable transformative system
change;
¬ networks building collective agency and
capacity at all levels; and
¬ added value to local authorities — which
translated to significant leadership and
learning and teaching developments. 
Moving forward, we will continue to add
value to our local authorities, be accessible to
those who will benefit most from it and focus
on activities that have the greatest impact on
learner experiences and outcomes.

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indicators 2016-17
baseline
2017-18
Value
2018-19
Value
2019-20
Value
2020-21
Value
% of primary pupils (P1, P4 and P7 combined) achieving expected
levels or better in literacy (based on reading, writing and talking and
listening)
71.3 72.4 73.0 ** 69.7
% of primary pupils (p1, p4 and p7 combined) achieving
expected levels or better in numeracy 78.1 79.5 80.3 ** 77.3
% of  S3 pupils achieving third level or better in literacy (based on
reading, writing and talking and listening) 89.7 90.1 89.6 ** **
% of  S3 pupils achieving third level or better in numeracy 90.1 89.7 90.0 ** **
% of  S3 pupils achieving fourth level or better in literacy (based on
reading, writing and talking and listening) 46.7 48.8 49.7 ** **
% of  S3 pupils achieving fourth level or better in numeracy 56.7 57.7 56.5 ** **
% of leavers achieving 1 or more awards at SCQF Level 6 or better 67.3 68.7 69.3 70.4 72.8
% of leavers achieving 5 or more awards at SCQF Level 6 or better 36.2 37.6 38.3 42.1 44.3
% of leavers achieving SCQF Level 5 or better in literacy 81.9 82.8 82.6 83.1 84.6
% of leavers achieving SCQF Level 5 or better in numeracy 69.1 70.2 69.2 70.8 72.8
Number of Practitioners accessing professional learning opportunities
provided by the West Partnership TBC TBC TBC 3185 3137
Percentage of practitioners reporting an increase in their knowledge
following participation in West Partnership activities N/A N/A N/A N/A 85.1
% of establishments evaluated as good or better for leadership of
change 59 63 73 * *
Primary Exclusion Rates (Rate per 1000 pupils) 9.9 N/A 3.7 N/A 2.6
Secondary Exclusion Rates (Rate per 1000 pupils) 46.8 N/A 23.7 N/A 21.2
Primary Attendance Rates 94.6 N/A 94.2 N/A 93.4
Secondary Attendance Rates 90.7 N/A 90.3 N/A 88.4
Initial School Leaver Destinations (Positive) 93.6 94.4 95.2 93.6 95.8
% of establishments evaluated as good or better for learning, teaching
and assessment 57 66 71 * *
* Impacted by Covid
** BGE data not collected.
Conclusion
APPENdiX 1: CRiTiCAL iNdiCATORS

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eVent number of 
resPondents
% of ParticiPants
rePorting an
increase in
knowledge
cohort
Pre (1–5)
cohort
Post
(1–5)
change
number of
ParticiPants
increased
ASN Rights Based Training 12 75.0 3.3 4.3 1.0 9
Gambling & Gaming 14 100.0 2.6 4.6 2.0 14
Maths Conference 189 87.0 2.9 4.0 1.1 164
Pedagogy Series 152 88.8 0.0 135
Primary Curriculum 12 100.0 1.8 3.6 1.8 12
PSE Mindfullness 11 72.7 3.4 4.3 0.9 8
PSE Respect Me Anti-bullying 8 100.0 2.5 4.6 2.1 8
PSE Self Harm 9 77.7 3.0 4.1 1.1 7
PSE Self Harm Awareness
Training 9 77.7 3.0 4.1 1.1 7
PSE Sexual Content 14 85.7 3.2 4.4 1.2 12
Trauma Series 646 87.0 3.1 4.3 1.2 562
UNCRC ASN 12 75.0 3.3 4.3 1.0 9
UNCRC CLD 10 90.0 2.7 3.8 1.1 9
UNCRC ELC 15 86.6 3.4 4.5 1.1 13
UNCRC Rights Based Training 15 86.6 3.4 4.5 1.1 13
UNCRC Train the Trainer 15 66.6 3.1 4.1 1.0 10
VLN: Autism 21 42.8 3.6 4.0 0.4 9
VLN 1 63 84.1 2.6 3.7 1.1 53
VLN 2 41 85.4 2.3 3.7 1.4 35
VLN 3 25 100.0 2.2 4.0 1.8 25
VLN Parental Engagement 8 75.0 3.8 4.5 0.7 6
VLN Parental Involvement 36 47.2 3.5 4.1 0.6 17
¬ 1337 evaluation responses
¬ 1137 responses note an increase in knowledge
¬ 85% of respondents report an increase in knowledge
¬ Average pre-event figure was 2.6
¬ Average post-event figure was 3.7
¬ Average change on the 5-point scale was 1.1
Conclusion
APPENdiX 2: COLLECTiVE kNOwLEdgE ANd CONfidENCE iMPROVEMENTS

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west PartnershiP eVent number of 
resPondents
% of resPondents
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increase in
confidence
cohort
Pre (1–5)
cohort
Post
(1–5)
aVerage
change
number of
ParticiPants
increased
Maths Conference 189 85.7 2.9 4.0 1.1 162
Moderation Event 46 58.7 3.6 4.2 0.6 27
PSE Mindfullness 11 81.8 2.9 4.2 1.3 9
PSE Respect Me Anti-bullying 8 87.5 2.5 4.1 1.6 7
PSE Self Harm 9 77.7 2.9 3.8 0.9 7
PSE Sexual Content 14 78.6 3.1 4.2 1.1 11
Trauma Series 646 82.0 3.0 4.2 1.2 530
UNCRC ELC 15 93.3 3.0 4.3 1.3 14
¬ 938 evaluation responses
¬ 767 responses note an increase in confidence
¬ 82% of respondents report an increase in confidence
¬ Average pre-event figure was 3.0
¬ Average post-event figure was 4.2
¬ Average change on the 5-point scale was 1
Conclusion

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How to connect with us
T  / wP_EdUCATiONwww.wESTPARTNERShiP.CO.Uk

Page 30

T h e W e s T P a r T n e r s h i P • e v a l u a T i o n
r e P o r T 2 0 2 1 – 2 2

Page 31

The West Partnership
IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2022–23
Equity, Excellence
& Empowerment

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Contents.
Introduction
West Partnership Vision
Governance & Operational Structure:
\ Overview
\ Regional Education Committee
\ West Partnership Board
\ West Partnership Implementation Group
\ Finance Sub Group
West Partnership Delivery Model:
\ The West Partnership Approach
\ The Role of West Partnership Core Team
\ The Role of Central Officers, Teachers and Practitioners
\ The Role of Education Scotland’s Regional Improvement Team
\ Specialist Networks
Developing Through Consultation
Evaluating the Impact of the Improvement Plan
Critical Indicators 2020–21
The West Partnership  |  Plan on a Page 2022–23
The West Partnership Delivery Model
\ Key Activities & Programmes 2022–23
Outcomes & Drivers Map 2022-23
3
4
5
6
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8
9
10
11
12
15
16
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18

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The purpose of the West Partnership Regional Improvement Collaborative is to add value to the work of our
local authorities, be accessible to those who will benefit most from it and focus on activities that have the
greatest impact on learner experiences and outcomes.
The West Partnership relies on teachers and practitioners, local authority officers and our communities
working together collectively through planned and targeted activities.
By doing so, we continue to see the influence of the West Partnership
extend and reach across all of our local authorities with increasing
numbers of staff and pupils benefiting from our collective endeavours.
For example, West Online Schools (West OS) has become a vital tool
used extensively by staff and thousands of children and young people
across the West Partnership and throughout Scotland. Our efforts to
support high quality learning and teaching through the Improving Our
Classrooms (IOC) programme have been influential in helping many
teachers and schools as they strive for the best for their children and
young people. Last session, we also introduced a new workstream
on Wellbeing for Learning. A number of specialist networks were
facilitated through this work as well as a range of professional learning
events in areas such as family learning, student voice and Keeping
Trauma in Mind.
The West Partnership Improvement Plan 2022-23 aims to build on our
successes to date and concentrate on the areas highlighted by key
stakeholders as most important to them.
Our three main workstreams of Wellbeing for Learning; Leadership, Empowerment and Improvement;
and Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment are designed to focus on what matters, and we will
continue to build on these areas.
Our challenge is to ensure as many practitioners as possible interact, learn and contribute across the West
Partnership. This means we need to be able to evaluate the impact of the work of the West Partnership and
the difference it makes.
This Improvement Plan outlines how we will do this through focussing on the collective impact of the
West Partnership through three strategic drivers of improvement and by examining how the partnership:
1. fosters collaboration on a variety of levels;
2. provides professional learning and specialist network opportunities enabling practitioners to increase
their knowledge and gain confidence in decision making and delivering improvement; and
3. stimulates changes to practice, impacting on children, young people and their families.
We recognise that it is crucial to collaborate beyond our own boundaries and this session we will continue
to work closely across local authorities, as well as with colleagues from Education Scotland, other Regional
Improvement Collaboratives and the Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change to achieve our key
objectives and strengthen on our existing work.
Tony McDaid, Regional Lead Officer, West Partnership
Introduction

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West Partnership Vision
The West Partnership has a clear vision:  to embed the values of equity, excellence
and empowerment in everything we do, building a collaborative, networked learning
system to improve learning experiences and increase attainment for every learner
across the region.
The plan for 2022-23 also includes our response for recovery and renewal as we meet
the challenges of supporting improvement as part of the on-going Covid recovery
process.  We will continue to work collaboratively within and across the system to
ensure that we can respond with agility to the changed circumstances in which
we now live, providing support and developing flexible approaches to learning and
teaching across the region.
The West Partnership sets an ambitious and aspirational agenda to close the poverty-
related attainment gap (equity) and improve attainment and achievement for all
(excellence). By creating the conditions for authentic empowerment, the ownership
of change can be shifted and enable all staff to take collective action to deliver this
ambitious vision. 
As the largest of Scotland’s Regional Improvement Collaboratives, with approximately
one third of Scotland’s school population, to truly deliver sustainable improvement,
change needs to be driven collectively.  This means ensuring that every stakeholder
is empowered to address the needs of each individual learner, design experiences
which will enthuse and engage them and support them to lead their own learning. 
This will in turn, lead to improvements in learners’ achievements and attainment. 
In the longer term, there is a commitment to ensure each educator in the West
Partnership has the opportunity to engage and collaborate with colleagues and
partners to bring about improvement in their class and playrooms.
In the West Partnership, building collective agency to improve results and supporting
individuals to work together to secure what they cannot accomplish on their own
is a key focus.  Our purpose, therefore, is to establish and facilitate networks of
professionals to work collaboratively to achieve our vision of equity, excellence and
empowerment.

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OVERVIEW
As part of evaluation and review procedures, the West Partnership continues to reflect on the effectiveness
of the existing governance and operational structures, ensuring the Partnership continues to operate
efficiently, while adding value to the provision of the eight partner local authorities.
Through a wide ranging review process last session, a revised governance and operational structure
evolved, was agreed by the West Partnership Board and endorsed by the Regional Education Committee
to ensure that we can proceed with the delivery of this ambitious plan over the coming years.  The
revised structure builds on the previous governance framework, which had been recognised as a key
strength of the West Partnership in our formative years, whilst seeking to strengthen the strategic role
of the senior leaders to maintain our ongoing successes.
West PartnershiP Board
GlasGoW City reGion eduCation Committee
West PartnershiP ImPlementation GrouP
equity
exCellenCe
emPoWerment
evaluatinG
& rePortinG
CuRRiCuLuM,
LEARNiNg, TEAChiNg,
AssEssMENT
FInanCe suB GrouP
WELLbEiNg fOR LEARNiNg
data,
inFormation 
& researCh
LEAdERshiP,
EMPOWERMENT, 
IMPROVEMENT
Governance & Operational Structures

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The West Partnership is overseen by the Glasgow City Region Education Committee (the Committee),
made up of the Education Conveners (or similar) from each of the eight partner authorities, as follows:
The Committee is responsible for scrutinising and endorsing the West Partnership Improvement
Plan, receiving regular reports on the progress of the plan and its impact on stakeholders.  Chaired by
the Convener elected by the membership, the Committee is also attended by the eight Directors of
Education/Chief Education Officers and the Senior Partnership Officer, with other attendees invited as
appropriate.
Additionally, the governance framework in which the Committee operates, provides the opportunity
for regular engagement with the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, allowing a further level of oversight and
scrutiny, and enabling strategic links to be established with the wider Glasgow City Regional Economic
Strategy.
GlasGoW City
reGion eduCation
Committee
West
Dunbartonshire
Council
Renfrewshire
Council
East Renfrewshire
Council
Glasgow City
Council
Inverclyde
Council
North Lanarkshire
Council
South Lanarkshire
Council
East
Dunbartonshire
Council
REgIONAL EduCATION COMMITTEE
Governance & Operational Structures

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Governance & Operational Structures
The West Partnership Board (the Board), has responsibility for
the strategic overview of the work of the West Partnership,
with overall responsibility for the development and delivery
of the West Partnership Improvement Plan, including overall
responsibility for the finance and resources for the Partnership.
The Board is made up of the Director of Education/Chief
Education Officer of each of the eight partner authorities which
make up the West Partnership.  In addition, the Board is advised
by the West Partnership’s Senior Partnership Officer, the Senior Regional Advisor appointed by Education
Scotland, and has professorial representation from the University of Glasgow.  Staff supporting the work
of the West Partnership also attend by invitation.
Specific, identified Board members link with each workstream as sponsors, and have responsibility for
the strategic direction of that workstream and for reporting to the Board on its progress.  Workstream
Lead Officers support Board members with this work and provide leadership for all aspects of the
operational activity of the workstream including: planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting.
Following feedback from the West Partnership core team and
partners, a review took place during 2020-21, of the purpose and
efficacy of the previous Operational Delivery Group. In order to
ensure efficiency and pace of progress, the Operational Delivery
Group was replaced by the West Partnership Implementation
Group. This is chaired by the Regional Improvement Collaborative
Lead (RIC Lead) and attended by the Senior Partnership Officer,
Senior Regional Advisor from Education Scotland and professorial representation from the Robert
Owen Centre for Educational Change at the University of Glasgow. Meeting quarterly, this provides an
opportunity for rich professional discussion on the progress of the West Partnership Improvement Plan
and the contributions of the core team and partners.
The West Partnership Board continues to be supported very
well by the Finance Sub-Group. The Finance Sub-group meets
quarterly and includes senior representatives from all eight local
authorities, providing additional rigour and accountability as
well as streamlining financial procedures across the Partnership.
They have a particular responsibility for the management of the
grant award from the Scottish Government, as well as advising
on staffing and other resource issues, as required.
WEsT PARTNERshIP bOARd
WEsT PARTNERshIP 
IMPLEMENTATION gROuP
fINANCE subgROuP

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The West Partnership Delivery Model
ThE ROLE Of CENTRAL
OffICERs, TEAChERs 
ANd PRACTITIONERs
Our approach within the West Partnership is underpinned by
the development of a networked learning system; a system
that enables collaboration, encourages ‘connectedness’ and
supports practitioners at all levels. Our work is built around
collaborative learning and practitioners are supported to
develop ways of working together that are effective and build
upon well-established research based models of delivery.
We continue to work in partnership with the Robert Owen
Centre for Educational Change and the Education Scotland
Regional Improvement Team to ensure these approaches to
collaborative learning make the greatest difference for our
practitioners and learners.
The work of the West Partnership is predominantly delivered
through the structure of three key workstreams, each led by
a Workstream Lead Officer (WLO), seconded to work with
The West Partnership core team.
For 2022-23, the three workstreams are:
¬ Wellbeing for Learning;
¬ Leadership, Empowerment and Improvement; and
¬ Curriculum and Learning, Teaching & Assessment
These workstreams provide ‘umbrella themes’ for the programmes and activity of the West Partnership.
Regular opportunities are provided to link the work of the workstreams and ensure connectivity 
and cohesion.
ThE WEsT PARTNERshIP APPROACh
ThE ROLE Of ThE WEsT PARTNERshIP CORE TEAM
A small core team, led by the Senior Partnership Officer, has been appointed to lead and facilitate the
operational aspects of the West Partnership Improvement Plan. They work collaboratively to ensure
that the Improvement Plan is based on strong self-evaluation, implemented timeously, rigorously
evaluated and reported upon to the Board and the Committee. They ensure that all activities and
opportunities for colleagues across the Collaborative, provide added value to what is on offer both
locally and nationally.

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The West Partnership Delivery Model
ThE ROLE Of EduCATION
sCOTLANd’s REgIONAL
IMPROVEMENT TEAM
There is clarity that all colleagues who support learning
across the eight connected local authorities are defined
as The West Partnership, and not simply the core team.
As such, all central officers, teachers and practitioners
networking & sharing, collaborating and changing
practice together are working towards the values and
purpose of The West Partnership. A primary function
of the core team is to provide systematic and supported opportunities to work collaboratively with
these colleagues. The West Partnership Improvement Plan provides opportunities for colleagues to
co-create programmes and activities, such as the forthcoming Secondary BGE Curriculum Programme,
as well as participate in those planned and delivered by the core team. This provides a unique setting
for collaboration, builds capacity and grows connection, all leading to our vision of a networked
learning system.
The West Partnership values and benefits from,
collaborative work with colleagues from Education
Scotland’s Regional Improvement Team (RIT).
This team adds to the West Partnership’s existing
capacity for improvement and provides a helpful
external perspective which draws on good
practice from across the country. Education
Scotland Workstream Links (WLs) meet regularly
with West Partnership WLOs to discuss planning,
evaluations and impact of various activities
and programmes. They regularly contribute to
the delivery of these programmes, providing
expertise from a national perspective. They
also attend workstream meetings, providing a
further opportunity to contribute to the strategic
direction of the Improvement Plan. This year, a
series of consensus-building conversations with
WLs, provided a place to discuss both the ‘what’
and ‘how’ of Improvement Plan activities for the
coming session. In addition, other colleagues
from the RIT have formed ‘bubbles’ for each workstream, providing a stronger identity across both
teams and enhancing the input of other Education Scotland officers to the Improvement Plan.
ThE ROLE Of CENTRAL OffICERs,
TEAChERs ANd PRACTITIONERs

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PSHE EY/Primary
/ Secondary
Representatives
Senior
Inclusion
Officers
Health &
Wellbeing
Officers
Literacy
Officers
As part of the extensive Stakeholder Consultation Exercise last
session, a renewed format was introduced for the work of some
of the networked groups, supported by the West Partnership.
These Specialist Networks, comprised of representatives from
across the eight local authorities, meet with a common purpose
and remit.
Each Specialist Network creates its own short action plan
containing 2-3 priorities which have been self-generated from
existing local authority focus areas. This allows the work of the
West Partnership to support ongoing local authority priorities,
rather than add to the burden of central officers. The West
Partnership core team support this collaborative approach to
overtaking the action plan. The WLOs are also responsible for
supporting evaluation and reporting on progress and impact as
part of governance procedures.
Specialist Networks have been reviewed and again been planned across all three workstreams with
special consideration given to contribution made by Community Learning & Development colleagues,
third sector staff and partners in each. Some additional networks have been requested from central
officers which are already producing fruitful discussion and change.
The groups planned for 2022-23 include networks for:
The West Partnership core team recognises the high quality work undertaken by a small number of West
Partnership Networks which pre-date the establishment of the Regional Improvement Collaborative.
Most notable are the Early Years and the Senior Educational Psychologists Networks. WLOs liaise and
work alongside these networks to support cohesion and added value.
Home
Education
Officers
Digital
Officers
Assessment
Co-ordinators
English as an
Additional Language
Co-ordinators
Senior Phase
Assessment officers
Maths
Officers
Family &
Community
Officers
Stand-alone
ASN HT
/Officers
Community
Learning &
Development
Officers
The West Partnership Delivery Model
sPECIALIsT NETWORKs

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The three Workstream Lead Officers, spoke with a wide range of stakeholders including: director
sponsors, workstream members, Education Scotland WLs, programme and network participants.
The conversations covered topics which included:
¬ Purpose of West Partnership;Purpose of West Partnership
¬ Motivation for engagement;
¬ Strengths of programme or network;
¬ Impact of provision (using the lexicon of the three newly-established drivers);
¬ Developments for improvement; and
¬ Communications.
Feedback has been synthesised and discussed at two whole day sessions with the core team and
shared with the Board. It informs the plan for session 2022-23 and was intended to produce a more
co-created approach to the improvement planning process.
Developing Through Consultation
The West Partnership remains committed to
ensuring that it reflects the views and ambitions of
the workforce, parents and learners across the eight
partner authorities to achieve our vision of equity,
excellence and empowerment.
As the largest of the Regional Improvement
Collaboratives, the West Partnership is home to over
one third of Scotland’s school population, with more
than 25,000 headteachers, teachers and support staff
working in around 1000 schools and early learning
centres, in some of Scotland’s most diverse and
challenged communities.
Taking account of the on-going pressures on
stakeholders, the West Partnership has had to be flexible
and agile in its approach to stakeholder engagement as
part of the improvement planning process. While regular
evaluations are undertaken at the end of professional
learning sessions or programmes, it was agreed that a
set of ‘consensus-building conversations’ would be undertaken this session to provide a more holistic
review and reflection of the West Partnership’s activity during the last session, and allow this feedback
to inform the plan for session 2022-23.

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The Evaluating and Reporting Lead Officer retains overall
responsibility for evaluating and reporting on the progress and
impact of the West Partnership’s Improvement Plan.
This work, supported by the data analyst, is crucial in supporting
the West Partnership to evaluate its activities and programmes,
as well as using the quantitative and qualitative evidence to
identify future priorities. Regular highlight and evaluation reports
include updates on the progress and impact of each workstream,
as well as more holistic evaluations. Tools to systematically
evaluate the quality of West Partnership professional learning
events / programmes, and the important longer term impact
on participants and learners allow us to gather evidence to
demonstrate the added value of collaboration.
To assist in this process, workstream planning processes focus
more acutely on outcome-based planning and reporting, not
only on progress, but on impact in the classroom or playroom
too. Evaluation strategies and approaches planned by the
Workstream Lead Officers at the start of each professional learning
session / programme, ensure appropriate and robust evidence is
gathered systematically and evaluated. This serves to strengthen
the work done in this area by the Evaluating and Reporting
Lead Officer.
From exploring qualitative feedback data from our professional learning, collaborative enquiry, and
specialist networks this session, the Partnership’s work is now conceptualised as being driven by three
holistic drivers.
Please see diagram on next page.
Evaluating The Impact of
The Improvement Plan

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Evaluating The Impact of
The Improvement Plan
Drivers of Improvement
Practitioner DevelopmentCollaboration
Association
and
networking
Access to
expertise and
knowledge
Practitioner
level
Enhanced
classrooms
and playrooms
Knowledge
exchange
Space to
share and
learn
Senior
Leadership
Team level
Enhanced
school
communities
Collaborative
Working
Contribution
to work
cross sector/
authority
Local
Authority
level
Enhanced
Partnership
working
Confidence to
implement/change
Knowledge and
understanding
Change to Practice

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This year, the evaluation framework was strengthened to
further demonstrate the added value and collective impact
of the partnership activity. Through the development of
clear workstream outcomes and measures, three common
themes emerged from the evidence leading to the creation
of the Three Drivers of Improvement Evaluation Framework.
The three drivers of improvement are defined below.
Evaluating The Impact of
The Improvement Plan
We recognise that collaboration is desirable in our system but also that it is necessarily varied with
regards to its form. Some collaboration may involve short-term interactions whilst others demand
sustained collaborative working around areas of interest.
dRIVER 1: fACILITATINg VARIOus fORMs Of COLLAbORATION
Our regional improvement collaborative contains just over 19,000 practitioners, some 36% of all
practitioners in Scotland. We see our work as enhancing practitioner knowledge, understanding and
confidence at all levels, from those newly qualified to those at the most senior level. The enhancement
of practitioner knowledge, understanding and confidence is inherently linked to our collaborative
working. There is a great amount of expertise and experience across our eight authorities and the
exchange of knowledge and sharing of practice is a key way in which the partnership adds value.
dRIVER 2: ENhANCINg PRACTITIONER KNOWLEdgE,
uNdERsTANdINg ANd CONfIdENCE
Our collaborative work and our aim to affect practice change is supported through partnership activity.
Practice change at all levels of the system is a key aspiration for the West Partnership. This extends from
the way in which our teachers and practitioners deliver in the classroom and playrooms to the ways in
which local authority central teams interact across our region. As such, we envisage partnership activity
as facilitating practice change as a consequence of a dynamic offering which targets all practitioners
irrespective of their role.
dRIVER 3: suPPORTINg PRACTICE ChANgE AT VARIOus LEVELs

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Critical Indicators 2020–21
indiCators 2016-17
Baseline
2017-18
value
2018-19
value
2019-20
value
2020-21
value
% of primary pupils (P1, P4 and P7 combined) achieving
expected levels or better in literacy (based on reading,
writing and talking and listening)
71.3 72.4 73.0 ** 69.7
% of primary pupils (p1, p4 and p7 combined) achieving
expected levels or better in numeracy 78.1 79.5 80.3 ** 77.3
% of  S3 pupils achieving third level or better in literacy
(based on reading, writing and talking and listening) 89.7 90.1 89.6 ** **
% of  S3 pupils achieving third level or better in numeracy 90.1 89.7 90.0 ** **
% of  S3 pupils achieving fourth level or better in literacy
(based on reading, writing and talking and listening) 46.7 48.8 49.7 ** **
% of  S3 pupils achieving fourth level or better in numeracy 56.7 57.7 56.5 ** **
% of leavers achieving 1 or more awards at SCQF Level 6
or better 67.3 68.7 69.3 70.4 72.8
% of leavers achieving 5 or more awards at SCQF Level 6
or better 36.2 37.6 38.3 42.1 44.3
% of leavers achieving SCQF Level 5 or better in literacy 81.9 82.8 82.6 83.1 84.6
% of leavers achieving SCQF Level 5 or better in numeracy 69.1 70.2 69.2 70.8 72.8
Number of Practitioners accessing professional learning
opportunities provided by the West Partnership TBC TBC TBC 3185 3137
Percentage of practitioners reporting an increase in their
knowledge following participation in West Partnership
activities
N/A N/A N/A N/A 85.1
% of establishments evaluated as good or better for
leadership of change 59 63 73 * *
Primary Exclusion Rates (Rate per 1000 pupils) 9.9 N/A 3.7 N/A 2.6
Secondary Exclusion Rates (Rate per 1000 pupils) 46.8 N/A 23.7 N/A 21.2
Primary Attendance Rates 94.6 N/A 94.2 N/A 93.4
Secondary Attendance Rates 90.7 N/A 90.3 N/A 88.4
Initial School Leaver Destinations (Positive) 93.6 94.4 95.2 93.6 95.8
% of establishments evaluated as good or better for
learning, teaching and assessment 57 66 71 * *
* Impacted by Covid
** BGE data not collected.

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Knowledge &
Understanding
Confidence
To achieve our priorities, we will:
OUR DRIVERS:
emPoWerCollaBorateConneCtFaCIlItate
Practitioner
SLT
Local Authority
System
The West Partnership
Plan on a Page 2022-23
By building a networked learning system,
improve learner experience, attainment and
achievement across the West Partnership.
E Q u I T Y • E X C E L L E N C E • E M P O W E R M E N T
Our Purpose Our Priorities
Provide
support to
practitioners
Facilitate
collaborative
working
Learn from
each other
To develop readiness 
for learning with learners 
and families
To build
networks
To build capacity
in leaders at 
all levels
To support innovation in
curriculum design and 
promote high quality
approaches to pedagogy
To promote practice-based
research and innovation
develoP
Association & Networking
Knowledge Exchange
Collaborative Working
suPPort
o
ur
visio
n
our values
PRACTiTiONER
dEVELOPMENT
COLLAbORATiON
PRACTiCE
ChANgE

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West Partnership Delivery Model
Key activities & programmes 2022-23
WELLbEINg fOR LEARNINg
LEAdERshIP, EMPOWERMENT & IMPROVEMENT
CuRRICuLuM & LEARNINg, TEAChINg & AssEssMENT
¬ Youth Ambassadors: PSE & Transition
¬ Supporting Learners including CLPL for:
• Support Assistants
• Inclusion in Mainstream
• GIRFEC
• PSE (EY, Primary & Secondary)
¬ Family Learning Collaborative Enquiry
¬ Families & Communities:
• Youthlink Scotland Collaborative Enquiry
• CLPL for youth workers
¬ Keeping Trauma in Mind Collaborative Enquiry
¬ UNCRC, including Young Leaders of Learning
¬ Family & Community Officers*
¬ Stand-alone ASN Headteachers*
¬ CLD Lead Officers*
¬ Senior Inclusion Lead Officers*
¬ HWB (previous workstream group)*
¬ PSHE EY/Primary/Secondary Officers*
¬ Home Education Officers*
¬ Senior Educational Psychologists*
¬ Executive Coaching 
¬ Learning Sets 
¬ Hexagon Coaching 
¬ Thinking About Headship
¬ Improving Our Classrooms
¬ Improving Our Schools
¬ Improving Our Departments
¬ FOCUS
¬ Assessment & Moderation
¬ EY / Primary Curriculum
¬ Secondary BGE Curriculum 
¬ West OS
¬ Pedagogy
¬ Play Pedagogy
¬ School to School Partnership
¬ Upstream Battle on the Clyde
¬ Gaelic for practitioners
¬ Research on Impact of 1140 hours (lead by
Evaluation Lead Officer)
¬ Assessment & Moderation Co-ordinators*
¬ ASN Assessment & Moderation
¬ Maths Lead Officers*
¬ Literacy Lead Officers*
¬ Gaelic Lead officers*
¬ BGE Curriculum*
¬ English as an Additional Language*
¬ Early Years Senior Officers*
¬ Early Education Leads (Virtual Leadership
Network)*
* Items in italics are delivered through facilitated specialist networks as described on page 10.

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Outcomes & Drivers Map 2022-23
As the work of the partnership matures and programmes develop, there
will be an enhanced focus on gathering data and evidence across our three
drivers of improvement, with a particular focus on the impact that our work
has on children and young people in playrooms and classrooms. 
Using a colour code, the drivers for improvement have been mapped
against each outcome, demonstrating the weight of evidence which will
be gathered on each drive. The graphic aims to demonstrate the link
between the workstream outcome, driver for improvement and data which is likely to emerge as a result of
partnership activity.
From this graphic, it is evident that our outcomes this year have a clear focus on practitioner development
and practice change.  This should enable WLO to gather more evidence and data on these two drivers for
improvement demonstrating impact on children and young people. 
Further information relating to the self-evaluation, improvement planning and evaluation and reporting
activity of The West Partnership can be found on their website (click here).
CollaBoration
Through engaging in specialist
network, there is an increase
in the number of impactful
collaborative developments
and activities being undertaken
in the West Partnership which
improve the learning experience
for children and young people
by June 2023.
By June 2023, an improved
awareness of West OS will 
lead to increased breadth 
and depth of use.
Through engaging in
collaborative activities, all
participants are able to
demonstrate an improvement in
their practice which enhances
the learning experience for
children and young people by
June 2023.
Participants demonstrate changes to practice
which will enhance the learning experience for
children and young people through engaging in
individual and collaborative activities, by June 2023
Participants report increased confidence and
understanding in their leadership, use of data and 
effective learning and teaching practices through engaging
in individual and collaborative activities by June 2023.
PraCtitioner develoPment
Knowledge, Understanding, Confidence
Through engaging in collaborative
activities, all participants are able to
demonstrate an improvement in their
practice which enhances the learning
experience for children and young
people by June 2023.
By June 2023, a greater number of
practitioners report a positive impact 
on children and young people’s learning
as a result of using West OS in the
classroom and/or at home.
By June 2023, professional learning
participants will demonstrate an
increased understanding of wellbeing
topics and will have an increased level
of confidence to implement practice
change that will benefit children and
young people.
PraCtiCe ChanGe
Through participating in
West Partnership activities,
participants report greater
confidence in their practice
which enhances the learning
experience for children and
young people by June 2023.
By June 2023, a greater 
number of children and young
people report a positive impact
on their own learning as a
result of using West OS in the
classroom and/or at home.
Through engaging in specialist
networks, there is an increase
in the number of collaborative
developments and activities
being undertaken in the West
Partnership which have an
impact on wellbeing practice 
by June 2023.

Page 49

How to connect with us
T  / WP_EduCATiONWWW.WEsTPARTNERshiP.CO.uK

Page 50

T h e W e s T P a r T n e r s h i P • I m P r o v e m e n T P l a n
2 0 2 2 – 2 3