Agenda Document Pack - Education and Children's Services Policy Board - 27/10/2022
Renfrewshire Council · 27 October 2022
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 27 October 2022 and its agenda
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Notice of Meeting and Agenda Education and Children's Services Policy Board Date Time Venue Thursday, 27 October 2022 13:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN MARK CONAGHAN Head of Corporate Governance Membership Councillor Emma Rodden (Convener): Councillor Jim Paterson (Depute Convener): Ms Mary Jane Bird: Mr Jack Nellaney: Mr Ravinder Singh: Councillor Jennifer Adam: Councillor Fiona Airlie-Nicolson: Provost Lorraine Cameron: Councillor Carolann Davidson: Councillor Audrey Doig: Councillor Edward Grady: Councillor Gillian Graham: Councillor John Gray: Councillor Anne Hannigan: Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes: Councillor Robert Innes: Councillor David McGonigle: Councillor Iain McMillan: Councillor Will Mylet: Councillor Ben Smith: Webcasting of Meeting This meeting will be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site – at the start of the meeting the Convener will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed. To find the webcast please navigate to https://renfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home Hybrid Meeting Please note that this meeting is scheduled to be held in the Council Chambers. However, it is a hybrid meeting and arrangements have been made for members to join the meeting remotely should they wish. Members of the Press and Public Members of the press and public wishing to attend the meeting should report to the customer service centre where they will be met and directed to the meeting. Page 1 of 184
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Apologies Apologies from members. Declarations of Interest Members are asked to declare an interest in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest. 1 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring as at 16 September 2022 Joint report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Children's Services. 4 - 10 2 Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan 2021/22 Mid-Year Monitoring Report Report by the Director of Children's Services. 11 - 41 3 Education Standards & Quality Report September 2022 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Report by the Director of Children's Services. 42 - 96 4 National Qualifications Results 2022 Report by the Director of Children's Services. 97 - 111 5 West Partnership Regional Improvement Collaborative: Evaluation Report 2021-2022 and Improvement Plan 2022- 2023 Report by the Director of Children's Services. 112 - 161 6 Standard Circular 3a - Early Learning and Childcare Admission Policy Report by the Director of Children's Services. 162 - 168 7 Looked After Children and Child Protection Update Report by the Director of Children's Services. 169 - 173 Page 2 of 184
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8 Keeping Brothers and Sisters Together – Progress Report Report by the Director of Children's Services. 174 - 178 9 Early Learning and Childcare – Sustainable Rates to Approved Funded Providers Report by the Director of Children's Services. 179 - 184 Page 3 of 184
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Page 1 of 4 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 27 October 2022 Report by: Director of Finance and Resources and Director of Children’s Services Heading: Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring as at 16 September 2022 1. Summary of Financial Position 1.1. The projected Revenue outturn at 31 March 2023 for Children’s Services is an overspend of £5.434m (2.4%) against the revised budget for the year. 1.2. The projected Capital outturn at 31 March 2023 for Children’s Services is an underspend of £0.100m (0.6%). 1.3. This is summarised over the relevant service in the table below and further analysis is provided in the Appendices. Table 1: Revenue Division Revised Annual Budget £m Projected Outturn £m Budget Variance £m Budget Variance % Children’s Services £225.967 £231.401 (£5.434) (2.4%) Table 2: Capital Division Revised Annual Budget £m Projected Outturn £m Budget Variance £m Budget Variance % Children’s Services £15.488 £15.388 £0.100 0.6% 2. Recommendations Members are requested to: 2.1. Note the projected Revenue outturn position for Children’s Services detailed in Table 1 above, and further note that the forecast position is based on best Item 1 Page 4 of 184
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Page 2 of 4 estimates and confirmed government support at this point in time; forecasts are likely to be subject to fluctuation as the year progresses; 2.2. Note projected Capital outturn position for Children’s Services detailed in Table 2 above; and 2.3. Note the budget adjustments detailed in sections 4 and 6. 3. Children’s Services Revenue 3.1. The Revenue Budget Monitoring report at Appendix 1 identifies a projected annual overspend of £5.434m (2.4% of total budget). Detailed service division reports can be found in Appendix 2, along with an explanation of each significant projected variance. 3.2. The projected outturn is based on available information and assumptions made by service budget holders in September 2022. These assumptions will be refined during the year as more information becomes available. 3.3. The main reasons for the projected outturn position are indicated below the table showing the objective analysis (which division is spending the budget). 3.4. A £4.454m overspend is anticipated within Children & Families related mainly to external residential accommodation placements. During the second year of the pandemic the service required to place a number of children and young people in external residential accommodation. These placements have resulted in overspend due to the cost of the specialised services required to meet the complex needs of the children and young people who have been accommodated. 3.5. The service is currently reviewing the detail and purpose of all external placements in order to explore options to mitigate the ongoing cost pressure going forward. 3.6. The impact of rising energy costs across the various divisions of service is contributing a further £1.502m to the full-year projected overspend. This service is responsible for around 75% of the Council’s annual electricity and gas costs. 4. Revenue Budget Adjustments 4.1. Members are requested to note from Appendix 1 that budget adjustments totalling £0.971m have been processed since the last report. These relate mainly to an adjustment reflecting the impact on employer National Insurance costs of the Health and Social Care Levy (£0.655m) and funding for additional support for learning services (£0.190m) in relation to a Getting it Right for Every Child lead officer post and summer activity camps. 5. Children’s Services Capital 5.1. The Capital Investment Programme 2022/23 to 2026/27 was approved by the Council on 3 March 2022. Page 5 of 184
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Page 3 of 4 5.2. The Capital Monitoring report at Appendix 3 indicates changes totalling £2.129m in the approved capital programme for Education and Children’s Services. This largely relates to budget carried forward from 2021/22 into 2022/23 and new budget awarded by Council on 3 March 2022 from the Strategic Asset Management Fund. 5.3. Further detail, including reasons for significant variances, can be found at Appendix 3. 6. Capital Budget Adjustments 6.1. There have been no Capital budget adjustments since the last report. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial The projected budget outturn position for Children’s Services’ Revenue budget is an overspend of £5.434m. Income and expenditure will continue to be monitored closely for the rest of the financial year and, where necessary, steps will be taken to mitigate any overspend including applying flexibility within specific grant funding as permitted by the Scottish Government. The projected outturn position for Children’s Services’ Capital budget is an underspend of £0.100m. The Capital programme will continue to be monitored closely for the rest of the financial year. Any changes to current projections in either Revenue or Capital budgets will be reported to the board as early as possible, along with an explanation for the movement. 2. HR and Organisational Development None directly arising from this report. 3. Community/Council Planning None directly arising from this report. 4. Legal None directly arising from this report. 5. Property/Assets None directly arising from this report. 6. Information Technology None directly arising from this report. Page 6 of 184
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Page 4 of 4 7. Equality and 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 because for example 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 directly arising from this report. 9. Procurement None directly arising from this report. 10. Risk The potential risk that the Council will overspend its approved budgets for the year will be managed at a Council-wide level by the Chief Executive and Directors. 11. Privacy Impact None directly arising from this report. 12. 13. CoSLA Policy Position n/a Climate Risk None directly arising from this report. __________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers: None __________________________________________________________________ Authors: Richard Conway, Extension 7377 Kevin Festorazzi, Extension 4885 Page 7 of 184
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Appendix 1 Page 1 of 1 Subjective Summary Annual Budget at Period 3 Budget Adjustments Revised Annual Budget at Period 6 Projected Outturn Previous Projected Outturn Variance Movement £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 % £000 £000 Employees 154,999 933 155,932 155,197 735 0.5% 937 (202) Premises Related 9,242 (21) 9,221 10,863 (1,642) (17.8%) (13) (1,629) Transport Related 4,601 (3) 4,598 5,496 (898) (19.5%) (707) (191) Supplies and Services 35,242 (211) 35,031 34,252 779 2.2% 1 778 Third Party Payments 13,151 48 13,199 17,875 (4,676) (35.4%) (4,701) 25 Transfer Payments 14,173 221 14,394 14,650 (256) (1.8%) 21 (277) Support Services 42 4 46 38 8 17.6% (48) 56 Depreciation and Impairment Losses 0 0 0 0 0 0.0% 0 0 GROSS EXPENDITURE 231,450 971 232,421 238,372 (5,950) (2.6%) (4,511) (1,439) Income (6,454) 0 (6,454) (6,971) 517 8.0% 121 396 NET EXPENDITURE 224,996 971 225,967 231,400 (5,434) (2.4%) (4,390) (1,043) Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT 2022/23 1 April 2022 to 16 September 2022 POLICY BOARD : EDUCATION & CHILDREN'S SERVICES Page 8 of 184
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Appendix 2 Page 1 of 1 Objective Summary Annual Budget at Period 3 Budget Adjustments Revised Annual Budget at Period 6 Projected Outturn Previous Projected Outturn Variance Movement £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 % £000 £000 Directorate 485 1 486 486 0 0.0% 0 0 Early learning and childcare 34,013 43 34,056 32,374 1,682 4.9% 1,235 447 Primary 56,474 305 56,779 57,892 (1,113) (2.0%) (134) (979) Secondary 78,189 312 78,501 79,236 (735) (0.9%) (142) (593) ASN (Special) Schools 6,361 36 6,397 6,484 (87) (1.4%) 95 (182) Additional support for learning (ASL) 15,295 146 15,441 16,129 (688) (4.5%) (416) (272) Psychological services 741 3 744 783 (39) (5.2%) (45) 6 Education development 1,845 (55) 1,790 1,790 0 0.0% (17) 17 Attainment Challenge 655 (20) 635 635 0 0.0% 17 (17) Facilities management 598 0 598 598 0 0.0% (99) 99 Child care 30,340 200 30,540 34,994 (4,454) (14.6%) (4,884) 430 NET EXPENDITURE 224,996 971 225,967 231,401 (5,434) (2.4%) (4,390) (1,044) Objective Heading Directorate Early Learning and Childcare Primary Schools Secondary Schools ASN Schools Additional Support for Learning Psychological Services Education Development Facilities Management Children & Families Key Reasons for Projected Variance No significant projected year end variances to report. A projected underspend in Employee Costs is due to vacancies within Early Learning & Childcare Centres, and is partly offset by a projected overspend in Premises Costs, resulting from an expected increase in energy costs. Overspends in Premises Costs and Transport Costs are projected. The overspend in Premises Costs is due an expected increase in energy and refuse collection costs. The overspend in Transport is due to an expected increase in the cost of the mainstream school transport contract. Overspends in Premises Costs and Transport Costs are projected. The overspend in Premises Costs is due an expected increase in energy and refuse collection costs. The overspend in Transport is due to an expected increase in the cost of the mainstream school transport contract. An overspend in Premises Costs is projected. This is due to an expected increase in energy costs. An overspend in Transport Costs is projected. This is due to increases in the cost of transport contracts for pupils with additional support needs. An overspend in Employee Costs is projected. No significant projected year end variances to report. No significant projected year end variances to report. An overspend in Transfer Payments is projected, mainly in relation to Residential Accommodation placements, where the number of complex, expensive packages has increased significantly. The service is currently reviewing all external placements in order to identify their purpose and to explore options for mitigation of cost pressure. RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT 2022/23 1 April 2022 to 16 September 2022 Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable POLICY BOARD : EDUCATION & CHILDREN'S SERVICES Page 9 of 184
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Appendix 3 Page 1 of 1 Prior Years Approved Budget Revised Projected Expenditure Budget Adjustments Budget Outturn Total Approved Projected to 31/03/2022 2022-23 in 2022-23 2022-23 2022-23 Budget Outurn Project Title to 31-Mar-27 to 31-Mar-27 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 EDUCATION & CHILDREN SERVICES Primary Schools Estate Programme(SEMP) 42,665 0 233 233 133 100 43% 42,898 42,798 100 0% Paisley Grammar New Campus 1,110 10,950 (215) 10,735 10,735 0 0% 41,250 41,250 0 0% Primary Schools Estate Programme(SEMP 2020) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% 10,000 10,000 0 0% Other Schools Investment Programmes 22,057 2,009 2,111 4,120 4,120 0 0% 26,231 26,231 0 0% Technology Replacement Strategy ICT 0 400 0 400 400 0 0% 2,000 2,000 0 0% TOTAL EDUCATION & CHILDREN'S SERVICES BOARD 81,011 13,359 2,129 15,488 15,388 100 1% 137,558 137,458 100 0% *Rolling programmes have a prior year year expenditure of £0 as the expenditure is not directly linked from one year to the next as a singular project. Objective Heading Primary Schools Estate Programme(SEMP) Paisley Grammar New Campus Primary Schools Estate Programme(SEMP 2020) Other Schools Investment Programmes Technology Replacement Strategy ICT RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL 1st April to 16th September 2022 POLICY BOARD: EDUCATION & CHILDEN'S SERVICES CAPITAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY - NON-HOUSING SERVICES Key Reasons for Projected Variance Minor underspends relate to St Fergus new build and St Anthony refurbishment. Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable Current Year 2022-23 Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable Full Programme - All years Page 10 of 184
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1 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Education and Children’s Service Policy Board On: 27 October 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan 2022/23 Mid-Year Monitoring Report ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This Service Improvement Plan for Children’s Services covers the period from April 2022 to March 2025. The Plan identifies the priorities being addressed, the key tasks to be implemented, the implementation timetable and our measures of success. The Service Improvement Plan sits beneath the Council Plan, Community Plan, Risk Management Plan, and the Workforce Plan to form a suite of documents which provide the strategic direction for the service. The service also makes a major contribution to the delivery of both the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan and the Community Justice Renfrewshire Plan. Since the Service Improvement Plan was developed, Council has approved a new five-year Council Plan and refreshed Community Plan. 1.2 The action plan is the core of the Service Improvement Plan. It sets out the priorities being addressed, the key tasks to be implemented, the implementation timetable and the measures of success. The service scorecard sets out a range of key indicators against which performance of the service are measured. Both the action plan and the service scorecards are included as appendices to this report. 1.3 Despite the challenges of maintaining services throughout different stages of restrictions, Children’s Services continued to deliver on its priorities. Achievements over the last six months include: Item 2 Page 11 of 184
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2 further implementation of Ren10, a multi-agency community-based family support service providing mental health and wellbeing support for children, young people and their families; continued delivery of targeted interventions to support improvement in literacy and numeracy, underpinned by new and innovative approaches to enhance the quality of learning and teaching; successful return of pupil examinations for the 2021/22 academic session; the continuing progress of The Promise Workstream in developing local response to national aims and priorities; early development around Renfrewshire’s approach to whole family support measures which promote early and preventative intervention; design and delivery of a comprehensive programme of staff training and development, including activity to address the specific challenges relating to social work; families and children from the Ukraine received support to ensure access to education and appropriate services; playing a critical part in our local response to poverty, sharing data and insight to direct resources to areas of greatest impact; and continuing to embed the co-produced innovative and interactive alcohol and drug education training programme to develop self-confidence and support the healthy and informed choices of children and young people (CYP). ___________________________________________________________ 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 the first six months of 2022/23 which fall within the remit of this board. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Children’s Services is responsible for the delivery of social work services to children and families, criminal justice social work, and early years, primary and secondary education. Much of what the service does is statutory; that is, there is a legal requirement for the Council to provide that service. Service delivery is 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, criminal justice social work court services). 3.2 Children’s Services has an approach which is strongly focused on prevention, early intervention and providing additional support for the most vulnerable. Whilst children’s health services sit within the Health Page 12 of 184
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3 and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), a key priority of both organisations will be the continuation of effective integrated working. 3.3 The Service Improvement Plan (SIP) is a comprehensive statement of the outcomes the service aims to achieve, and the actions it will take to achieve these. It fits within the wider planning framework of the Council by taking account of Community Planning themes and Council priorities. It enables elected members to have oversight of developments within the service and to consider and develop policy options which reflect customer need and resource availability. 3.4 The priority actions set out in Appendix A of the attached Mid-Year Service Improvement update details the specific actions the service has achieved and will continue to progress to support the Council’s priorities and help deliver improved outcomes for Renfrewshire children, young people, and families. 3.5 Actions are now embedded within the portfolio action plans and will continue to be reported to board to ensure continuity for scrutiny purposes. Progress towards those actions will be reported on through the annual outturn report in May 2023. 4. New Council Plan 5. 4.1 Since approval of the Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan by this Board on 9 June 2022, Council has approved a new Council Plan, which sets out our strategic priorities under five themes – Place, Economy, Fair, Green and Living our Values. It also has a cross- cutting theme reflecting the importance of delivering the best possible start for children in Renfrewshire. 4.2 The new Council Plan recognises the financial challenge that Renfrewshire, like all local authorities, currently faces. Despite the scale of the challenge, Council remains committed to building on the many strengths of our communities and our resources and delivering strong universal services that support everyone to live well and embrace opportunities. 4.3 The direction of the Council over the next five years will be driven by our five key themes: We will encourage kind and connected communities where citizens take pride in the place they live We will support a strong and flexible local economy We want Renfrewshire to be a fair place, where people feel safe, supported and empowered We will work towards a greener future As an organisation, we will be driven by our values, to be fair, helpful, collaborative and value learning. Page 13 of 184
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4 4.4 Cutting across all of this is our wish for all of Renfrewshire’s children to have loving, happy lives where everyone can enjoy the same opportunities and where wellbeing is nurtured. 4.5 In order to keep Service Improvement Plans aligned with the Council Plan, some actions and performance indicators have been re-allocated to new themes. 4.6 The new Council Plan recognises the financial challenge that Renfrewshire, like all local authorities, currently faces. The scale of the challenge has been outlined for elected members and the public through a series of reports to Council, and officers will continue to provide regular updates in this way. In order to address this, Council agreed in June 2022 to a portfolio of financial sustainability work to be delivered alongside the main transformation programme and reviews undertaken by individual services. 4.7 Despite the scale of the challenge, Council remains committed to building on the many strengths of our communities and our resources, delivering strong universal services that support everyone to live well and embrace opportunities. 5. Service Update and Key Achievements April-September 2022 5.1 Children’s Services has developed a portfolio management approach to service improvement planning to support with balancing new priorities, core business and moving beyond recovery. A portfolio is a collection of thematic projects and programmes which are defined by an organisation or service. From a process perspective, this approach will support prioritisation, integration and joint planning, reducing duplication and over-reporting. The intended impact is to strengthen our service planning processes enabling children and young people to thrive, learn and achieve. The three portfolios aligned to the Council and service priorities are Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment; Inclusion; and Families and Communities. 5.2 Good progress has been made in developing the Ren10 mental health and wellbeing family support service. Key activity has included the development of Non-violence Resistance Approaches, Child Psychology Parent Drop Ins, inter-agency training and the establishment of extensive digital resources. Interventions are framed within a context of open access to ensure families who believe they will benefit, can seek support timeously. The added value of the partner collaboration between Children’s Services, Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership and the Third Sector has been critical to Ren10’s success. Previously distinct services and teams are more integrated and benefit from enhanced communication, and links are being made to effectively track service-user journeys and measures of success. Page 14 of 184
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5 5.3 During the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic sessions, senior pupils across Renfrewshire and other Scottish local authorities attained Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) Awards via an alternative certification model. This model was predicated on professional teacher judgements to grade performance across National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses. The 2021/22 academic session saw the return of the SQA’s exam diet as a means of grading pupil performance. Over this period, staff across Children’s Services worked incredibly hard to ensure Renfrewshire’s young people had the skills, knowledge and wellbeing supports in place to complete their exams to the best of their ability. Although attainment information from the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic sessions are not directly comparable with those from 2021/22, early analysis on pupil attainment reflects the considerable effort on the part of young people, their families and school staff. Further analysis will help guide the application of attainment support for the 2022/23 session. 5.4 Good progress is being made in our local response to Scotland’s Independent Care Review, progressed through our Promise Oversight Group. Opportunities to incorporate The Promise in service planning and delivery is being facilitated though the recruitment of Promise Keepers across Council services. The pilot project – which so far has 20 volunteer champions – will prompt critical discussions at the early stages of service development to ensure cognisance is given to the needs and voices with those with care experience. This work will be complemented by the development of a Promise Self-Evaluation Tool, which will help services review progress in key areas such as training and development, trauma-informed practice and risk management. The self-evaluation tool will soon be circulated across all Council services and partners to gather a wide breadth of information about the work currently ongoing around The Promise. Across the Council, work is also progressing to develop a Language Policy to ensure words and phrases used to describe care experience are positive and do not further exacerbate stigma. Alternative terms and phrases will be identified through consultation with staff and key partners. 5.5 Early work has progressed to review the opportunities for developing Renfrewshire’s approach to early and effective whole family support measures. Local insight has presented a strong case that children and young people’s needs are best understood and met within the context of their families. A significant proportion of social work referrals reveal families face challenges relating to parenting and relationships, often compounded by issues such as substance use and deprivation. The support required by these families can often be met – at least in part- by our Third Sector and community partners who have the skills, knowledge, and trust to establish strong supportive relationships at these times of need. Statutory services such as social work can form a component part of this holistic support offer to families, ensuring the resources are deployed in a manner that is relevant, proportionate, and accessible to the families involved. Driven by the funding opportunity Page 15 of 184
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6 through the Scottish Government’s Whole Family Wellbeing Fund, Children’s Services is engaging with partners to develop collaborative proposals to address the needs of Renfrewshire’s families in a way that is, non-stigmatising, community-based and underpinned by children’s rights. 5.6 The challenges stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic have continued to impact the delivery of social work throughout 2021/22. Whilst operational solutions have been identified to meet the needs of our communities, cognisance has also been given to the associated impact on social work staff and the measures required to ensure their wellbeing and development needs are satisfied. A significant programme of work is being delivered through staff training and development programme to ensure the Council’s social work staff have the tools and opportunities for growth that allow them to apply their skills and knowledge to the maximum extent for the benefit of our communities. 5.7 Children’s Service continue to support the work of the new Fairer Renfrewshire Programme to support families with a local response to the cost-of-living crisis, recognising significant challenges being experienced in relation to poverty and financial insecurity in households across Renfrewshire. Focusing our services and development programmes to support and guide families facing inequalities, challenges and additional pressures on household finances, both in terms of household income and expenditure. 6 Areas where actions have been delayed or cancelled 6.1 Action CHS.SIP.22.04.09: ‘Deliver an independent evaluation of Women and Children First Reconnections’ has been delayed and due date extended from 31st October 2022 to 30th June 2023. This increased period will allow for more comprehensive planning discussions to take place with independent consultants, ensuring a more robust output. 6.2 Actions CHS.SIP.22.02.07: Plan for the expansion of early learning and childcare for one-year olds and CHS.SIP.22.02.08: Support with the development of a rights based, dynamic out of school care offer have not been progressed owing to a delay in receiving policy guidance and funding from the Scottish Government. 7 Progress against Performance Measure 7.1 Appendix B identifies the 34 Children’s Service’s performance measures which fall under the remit of this policy board. Of these, 14 are collected quarterly over a financial year (1 April to 31 March) and 20 are annual indicators measured over an academic year (1 August to 31 July). Almost all the annual indicators measure academic attainment Page 16 of 184
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7 and due to the time lag before figures are published, these are reported one year behind. 7.2 The most up to date Curriculum for Excellence attainment data shows Renfrewshire remains above the national average across all stages and curricular areas. The service has already made good progress in responding with targeted and evidence-based interventions to support schools in literacy and numeracy. Work to develop the Senior Phase offer and strengthen the curriculum and learner pathways has resulted in a record number of young people entering a positive destination after leaving school, surpassing the national average for the last two years. The achievements of Renfrewshire’s young people will be compared with 2021/22 examination data when it becomes available in early 2023 and subsequently reported to board in the CS Service Improvement Plan annual outturn report. 7.3 The service has continued to exceed its target for ensuring looked after children are cared for in a community setting, with 91% of all children cared for in this way. Although this number represents a small drop in performance in comparison to the previous quarter, this can be accounted for by the needs of a small number of young people who require to be placed in other settings better aligned to their current needs. 7.4 The percentage of new unpaid work orders completed by the required date has shown strong performance between April and June 2022, with 89% of orders complete, against a target of 75%. Performance has been sustained despite increases in the number of orders stemming from further court activity, highlighting the service’s efforts to focus resource on areas of greatest priority. 7.5 The percentage of Stage 1 and 2 complaints responded to within timescales agreed with customers is 100% and 96% respectively. These figures highlight the efforts of the service to improve performance in this area. The number of complaints received over the period increased compared to the previous quarter but remains relatively low. 28 Stage 1 complaints were completed within target, as were 16 out of 17 Stage 2 complaints. In all cases, the service will always focus on responding to the complaint 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. 8. Areas requiring improvement and/or review 8.1 Several justice performance measures have performed below target for the quarter. This is due in part to the ongoing changes in some court activity which has disrupted justice service processes, challenging tight timescales for initial activity on orders. Justice activity continued to be Page 17 of 184
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8 impacted by challenges in securing suitable accommodation during the reporting period, which has had a negative impact on capacity and contact opportunities. The service continues to adapt to progress high priority work for those individuals most in need, and in the coming months will focus on maximising available capacity though the effective utilisation of accommodation and deployment of staff resource. 8.2 The percentage of care leavers participating in employment, training and education in Q1 has fallen 5 percentage points to 50% against a target of 59%. Children Services will work closely with partners involved in providing this support to establish if this is a sustained trend, and to establish the circumstances attributed to this recent reduction in performance. 8.3 The percentage of care leavers who have had a period of homelessness in the last six months is 1%, representing fewer than 5 individuals. We continue to measure performance against an ambitious target that no care leaver experiences homelessness, and work progresses to prevent this as far as practically possible. 9. Key priorities over the next six months 9.1 The priorities outlined in the Service Improvement Plan reflect our integrated approach to Children’s Services. Provision for early years, primary and secondary education sits alongside support, protection and care functions, encompassed within one Council service. This approach allows us to respond to the individual needs of children, young people, and families appropriately and proportionately. 9.2 The service has a number of priorities for the next six months and beyond. Significant detail is described within a range of planning documents including the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan and the Education Improvement Plan. These include: developing the whole family wellbeing model through strong partnership working and community engagement; supporting children and young people, and their families to prepare for the move into adult services and greater independence; further improving engagement to ensure voices of children and young people are heard and included in decisions which affect them, and their rights are respected; continuing to support vulnerable young people to achieve and sustain positive pathways after leaving school; and further embedding the portfolio management approach to service improvement planning balancing new priorities, core business and moving beyond recovery. Strengthening our service planning processes enabling children and young people to thrive, learn and achieve. Page 18 of 184
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9 10 Monitoring progress 10.1 We will apply our robust approach to quality improvement across our developing 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. 10.2 Progress on the implementation of the Service Improvement Plan is regularly monitored by the Extended Senior Leadership Team every quarter and will be reported to the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on a six-monthly basis. An outturn report will present a review of progress to this Board in the Spring of 2023. ___________________________________________________________________ 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 – Service Improvement Plans reflect the service activity for each Council service, rather than the themes of the Council’s Policy Boards. While some limited aspects of service delivery may fall within the remit of other Policy Boards, the majority of the plans for this service fall within the remit of this board and the Service Improvement Plan is reported in its entirety here. The report details a range of activities which reflect local council and community planning themes. 4. Legal - None. 5. Property/Assets – None 6. Information Technology - Service developments relating to information technology are key enablers of service improvement and 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. Page 19 of 184
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10 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 – None _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers (a) Service Improvement Plan 2021 - 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Contact Officer within the service is Linda Butler, Service Planning & Policy Development Manager. linda.butler@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 20 of 184
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1 Children's Services SIP 2022-25 Action Plan Action Status Cancelled Overdue; Neglected Unassigned; Check Progress Not Started; In Progress; Assigned Completed Priority Strategic Priority 1: Place: Cross cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By CHS.SIP.22.01.0 1 Progress development work in relation to the priority schools identified in the School Estate Management Plan. Pupils and staff enjoy a modern, fit for purpose, school estate which supports learning and achievement. 31-Mar- 2025 Paisley Grammar School Community Campus (PGSCC): A Strategic Brief and Outline Business Case have been developed and submitted to the Education and Children’s Services Policy board for the new Paisley Grammar School Community Campus. A Multi- Disciplinary Design Team (MDDT) was appointed in May 2022. Ryder Architecture lead the MDDT and they have provided a stage 1 RIBA report which provides analysis of site capacity, site arrangement and strategy options, building forms and massing studies. Galliford Try, trading as Morrison Construction, has been appointed as the Principal Contractor for delivery of the project. However, Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Page 21 of 184
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2 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By at this stage, the appointment is in respect of Pre-Construction Services only. Thorn Primary School: In February 2022 a £10m capital investment for the replacement of Thorn Primary School was identified by the Council and the proposal to replace the school is now being developed. A site options appraisal has been undertaken and the existing site offers the best solution for the new build. Site visits and preparatory investigations have now commenced and a funding bid for phase 3 LEIP funding has been developed for submission by the end of October 2022 in line with Scottish Futures Trust funding criteria. CHS.SIP.22.01.0 2 Progress plans for the roll out of full Wi-Fi across the school estate, understanding the benefits that can be baselined and measured Funding in place and programme developed and underway. 31-Mar- 2023 Funding has been agreed and next steps being identified. Education Manager and Head of Service Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.02.1 3 Progress office accommodation solutions to facilitate an improved contact for all service users, including groupwork provision. A range of interventions support individuals to address the reasons for offending and promote desistance. 31-Mar- 2023 Risk assessment justice social work services returned full time to court building as of 4th July. Groupwork provision remains limited due to 1m social distancing, and group-work room sizes. Consideration of how best to accommodate future service provision - such as the Caledonian System, which is part of the national Justice Strategy to address gender- based violence - is taking place as part of winder accommodation and capacity discussion . Criminal Justice Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities Page 22 of 184
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3 Priority Strategic Priority 2: Economy and Cross cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By CHS.SIP.22.02.0 1 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 This will provide a coordinated approach to ensuring that all young people, particularly the most vulnerable, are given the best opportunities and supports to move into positive future pathways. 31-Mar- 2025 An economic recovery group has been established, led by Children's Services, with all partners represented. This group meets every 8 weeks and has agreed actions, outcomes and timescales. There are also monthly meetings with Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and Invest in Renfrewshire to ensure a coordinated approach to supporting the most vulnerable young people. Earlier identification of young people most at risk of not moving into a positive destination post school now takes place, with supports agreed with school/SDS/Engaging Learners Development Officer. The input of data to SEEMIS and the SDS data hub in terms of intended pathways for young people and supports in place, has been refined and reporting on this is now more robust. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Priority Strategic Priority 3: Fair and Cross cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By CHS.SIP.22.02.0 2 Develop and extend bespoke pathways and programmes on literacy and numeracy to support all establishments through a differentiated approach Attainment data will demonstrate improvements in literacy and numeracy attainment. 30-Jun- 2023 Case studies demonstrating the impact of the bespoke and targeted support offered to schools have been completed. Evidence suggests that the interventions have had a positive impact demonstrating improvements in literacy and numeracy attainment. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Page 23 of 184
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4 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By This is also demonstrated in school attainment data. CHS.SIP.22.02.0 3 Strengthen learning, teaching and assessment in all schools, supported by high quality professional learning. Learners’ experiences are enriched with the use of new and innovative approaches to learning and teaching and are equipped with the skills to support them in their learning in a digital works 30-Jun- 2023 Excellent progress has been made in the development and delivery of a comprehensive programme of professional learning and targeted interventions across all sectors linked to professional standards and informed by local/national priorities. Through the work of the Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment portfolio, a professional learning resource has been designed including a robust evaluation framework to better understand the impact of professional learning on learning, teaching and assessment in schools. The next steps is to consult with head teachers on the resource ensuring it strengthens professional learning in Renfrewshire. Core professional learning will continue this session. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.02.0 4 Implement the recommendations of the ASN review Children and young people are supported to remain in mainstream education with their peers 30-Jun- 2023 Excellent progress has been made with the development of an Inclusion portfolio plan which incorporates the main recommendations of the ASN review. The plan has 9 clear actions to drive forward the inclusion agenda in Renfrewshire. Almost all actions in the plan have commenced. Education Manager and Head of Service Portfolio link Inclusion CHS.SIP.22.02.0 5 In collaboration with Health partners, the West Partnership and the voluntary sector, continue to develop consistent, effective & preventative approaches to support recovery and improve the mental, social Through delivery of high-quality professional learning, almost all practitioners have an enhanced knowledge and understanding of programmes, resources and strategies available to support their own wellbeing and that of CYP. All practitioners have the 30-Jun- 2023 A programme for professional learning is in place and will evolve and be responsive to the needs of practitioners and CYP. This includes delivery of professional learning through the West Partnership. In October 2022, we plan to host our first PSE Conference for secondary Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Page 24 of 184
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5 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By and emotional wellbeing of children, young people skills to effectively support CYP. Almost all practitioners across all sectors use evidence-based programmes and preventative approaches in the learning and teaching of mental, emotional and social wellbeing. All CYP requiring specialist HWB services e.g. Counselling, receive timeous support to cope with emotional distress and to build resilience. All CYP are supported to have positive, healthy and mutually respectful relationships teachers within Pupil Support. The programme will centre around the recommendations made by Scottish Government to improve the delivery of PSE within our schools. All year 1 and 2 PATHs establishments will be supported this session through coaching from Barnardo's. Educational Psychology Service to work with secondary and special schools to evaluate the impact of Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) and decide whether to continue to adopt or abandon. Potential alternatives will be explored in collaboration with teachers and partners, for example the promotion of national e-sgoil materials and collaboration with Headstrong. Counselling services are in place to support all children and young people (CYP) from P1 - S6 and parents where appropriate. We aim to have all CYP assessed within 5 days of being referred for counselling. Qualitative feedback from sample group of young people (S3 cohort) will be gathered via Forms and focus groups to evaluate effectiveness of MHWB programmes and supports. CHS.SIP.22.02.0 6 Ensure Renfrewshire is a "child friendly" place where children's rights are at the centre of policy decision making. All children in Renfrewshire rights should be protected and promoted in all areas of their life 30-Jun- 2023 The new Inclusion Portfolio has at its centre the UNCRC and all policies and procedures within Education are being reviewed in order to ensure that the voice of the young person is heard. The impact of this work will be seen through the work that schools are doing to ensure that children’s voices are heard through such activities as Pupil Parliament, Student Council and Participatory Budgets etc. This will be delivered in partnership through the Head of Service Portfolio link Inclusion Page 25 of 184
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6 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By Children’s Services Partnership. It also aligns with the Promise and the refresh locally and nationally of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC). CHS.SIP.22.02.0 7 Plan for the expansion of early learning and childcare for one- year olds Improved outcomes for targeted children. The attainment gap is reduced. Increased family resilience through improved health and wellbeing of children and parents. Parents are supported into work, study or training 30-Jun- 2023 There has been no progress in relation to this area of priority as the Council is still awaiting policy guidance and funding from the Scottish Government to support this area of development. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.02.0 8 Support with the development of a rights based, dynamic out of school care offer Improved outcomes for targeted children. The attainment gap is reduced. Increased family resilience through improved health and wellbeing of children and parents. Parents are supported into work, study or training 30-Jun- 2023 There has been no progress in relation to this area of priority area as the Council is still awaiting policy guidance and funding from the Scottish Government to support this area of development. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.02.0 9 Ensure that the Renfrewshire child protection processes and guidance are compliant with the new national guidance on child protection. Child protection practice is further enhanced and strengthened in line with recommendations. Child protection practice is further enhanced and strengthened in line with recommendations. 31-Oct- 2023 The work on reviewing the Renfrewshire policies and procedures to ensure they are compliant with the new national guidance is being progressed by the RCPC Policies and Procedures Group. Immediate action has been taken in relation to update local procedures in terms of language and timescales and ethos. An improvement plan is in place to ensure our policies and procedures are updated in advance of the expected date of October 2023. Head of Service Portfolio link Families and Communities CHS.SIP.22.02.1 0 Roll out the Safe and Together model across Children’s Services Social Work and embed the Safe and Together principles in practice Reduce risk of significant harm to children affected by domestic abuse. Children and adult survivors of domestic abuse will feel safer. Children and adult survivors of domestic abuse will 31-Dec- 2022 Training was delivered to 20 staff in February and further training of 25 staff due to take place on 30/31st August and 6/7th September so target will be met by end of the year. Social Work Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities Page 26 of 184
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7 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By recover from the impact of domestic abuse One day briefing has continued to be delivered and 50 staff will have attended by year end. Ilearn course continues to be promoted for completion by all Children’s Services Social Work staff by end of December 2022. CHS.SIP.22.02.1 1 Further develop proposals for a bail supervision service within existing resources i.e. funding, staffing, office accommodation, and the capacity of partners to take forward their requirements The negative impact of remand is reduced, and individuals are supported in the community to achieve good life goals. 31-Dec- 2022 Funding options are being explored with the aim of securing a safe, sustainable bail supervision service. Recruitment considerations remain a key focus, with work underway with Human Resources to develop proposals that cater for priority posts. Criminal Justice Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities CHS.SIP.22.02.1 2 Extend diversionary opportunities, implement Structured Deferred Sentences and electronic monitoring to support bail as part of our range of services to minimise involvement with the justice system Vulnerable individuals are supported to address their behaviour and avoid involvement with the justice system. People are supported to remain in their community and the stigma associated with involvement in the justice system can be reduced. 31-Mar- 2023 Work is ongoing to progress Electronic Monitoring (EM) Assessments. This is dependent staff capacity within Paisley Sheriff Court, sign ups to the Police and Local Authority Information Sharing Agreement (to gain information about those in police custody) and access to the Scottish Court Service database. It is hoped that EM Bail Assessments will commence in September 2022. Discussions continue in relation to Structured deferred Sentences and Extended Diversion, with a focus on budget availability to create a sustainable service, allowing for recruitment of longer-term posts at a time of recruitment challenges nationally. Criminal Justice Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities CHS.SIP.22.04.0 8 Further embed the recommendations of The Promise in service delivery Care experienced young people have better outcomes and a more positive experience of care; feel listened to and valued; can build and maintain good relationships. 31-Mar- 2025 Significant progress continues to be made. A Promise Lead Officer has been recruited to and will take up post in October. Promise Keepers have been recruited to and the first round of training has taken place. A Promise Self-evaluation Social Work Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities and Inclusion Page 27 of 184
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8 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By tool kit has been developed and will be rolled out in the coming months. A development session took place on 31st of August. CHS.SIP.22.04.0 9 Deliver an independent evaluation of Women and Children First Reconnections Service user voices and experiences of service will inform and improve practice and future service delivery 30-Jun- 2023 Evaluation delayed. Discussion due to take place with independent consultants to resume planning for evaluation. Amended timescale of June 2023 for completion. Social Work Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities Priority Strategic Priority 4: Green and Cross cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families CHS.SIP.22.03.0 1 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. Following the Council’s declaration of a climate emergency in June 2019, the delivery of this action will make a critical contribution towards Renfrewshire being carbon neutral by 2030. 31-Mar- 2025 A programme of lighting replacement works has been ongoing at all PPP schools since April 2022. To date £868k of a £1,803,000 Council investment has been spent. CO2 and temperature monitoring has also been rolling out at Paisley Grammar School, Castlehead, Trinity, Renfrew, Gryffe and Park Mains High Schools and Riverbrae School. Building Management System Servers are being replaced at 15 schools and Building Services have been commissioned to resolve several water leaks, identified through improved consumption monitoring. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Priority Strategic Priority 5: Living our Values and Cross cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By CHS.SIP.22.04.0 1 Continue to participate in school, cluster, and regional moderation and pilot engagement with the Staff will be skilled and confident in using a differentiated 30-Jun- 2023 All establishments have been provided with a package of support materials to facilitate the use of a differentiated Education Manager Page 28 of 184
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9 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By West Partnership moderation portal. approach to meet learning needs of children and young people. approach. The leaders of the establishment have used the materials in a bespoke way to meet the needs of staff at all levels. Establishment heads have been consulted about cluster level and bespoke support going forward. This will ensure that the offer this session is reflective of the needs of our schools. Staff will receive support to ensure they are skilled and confident in using differentiated approaches to meet learning needs of children and young people. Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.04.0 2 Continue to support and strengthen leadership capacity of staff at all levels to support delivery of establishment programmes to promote recovery and accelerated progress Leadership capacity is enhanced enabling fulfilment of establishment recovery programmes. Distributive leadership is increasingly evident across all establishments. Senior school leaders feel valued and supported to carry out their role with confidence and competence. 30-Jun- 2023 In April 2022 the Aspiring Principal Teacher (primary) programme concluded. Participants shared their Professional Enquiry and next steps with their peers. In July, four Masters Level Learning funding applications were approved for courses starting September 2022. June 2022- A positive response was achieved recruiting for the Improving our Classrooms Programme, which closed with 17 applications. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.04.0 3 Progress work to increase the use of digital technology within learning and teaching and to deliver professional development opportunities to support this. Children and young people have the appropriate digital skills required by employers and staff are equipped to keep up to date with the pace of change. 30-Jun- 2023 A high-quality comprehensive programme of professional learning is in place and is demonstrating positive impact on increasing the use of digital technologies. Education Scotland delivered a session with head teachers to support with the development of their plans and leadership goals in relation to digital technologies in their schools. Education Manager and Head of Service Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.04.0 4 Launch revised Leadership Strategy which promotes distributed leadership at all levels, whilst committing to the All staff within our establishments feel confident and supported to take on 30-Jun- 2023 The strategy has been developed and approved by relevant stakeholders. The next steps will be to cascade and embed the strategy in all Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Page 29 of 184
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10 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By ongoing support of those in senior leadership positions. leadership responsibility at their own level establishments while monitoring the impact of the strategy in line with the leadership professional development offer. Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.04.0 5 Continue to work on making all aspiring leadership courses deliverable internally using the experience and expertise of our own staff. Delivery of our aspiring leadership programmes becomes fully sustainable 30-Jun- 2024 Secondary Aspiring Middle Leaders course developed and staffing identified to deliver. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.04.0 6 Develop a 3-year Quality Improvement Framework to promote recovery and accelerated progress across education Establishments are supported and challenged to recover and improve through continued implementation of our robust QIF. Senior leaders are empowered to look outwards and collaborate with peers to inform improvement. Self- evaluation gradings across key quality indicators demonstrate maintenance of ambitious standards or improvement across almost all education establishments. 30-Jun- 2023 A Quality Improvement Framework (QIF) has been drawn up for session 22/23 in consultation with Head Teachers. This includes a variety of activities including establishment visits in Terms 1 and 2 with a focus on learning and teaching. A 3-year QIF will be drawn up by a short-life working group including Heads of Service, Education Managers, Attainment Adviser and Children's Services Improvement Manager. Opportunities for Heads to work in trios to focus on specific Quality Indicators have been built into the QIF. Senior leaders will be involved in establishment reviews and class visits along with Education Managers enabling them to look outwards and learn from others. Baseline data for key quality indicators has been established in June 2022. Stretch aims have been identified to be achieved by June 2023. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment CHS.SIP.22.04.0 7 Develop a strategy for CLPL for support staff within Children's Service The council has a workforce confident and capable of delivering its role. 31-Mar- 2023 Audit is currently being undertaken to benchmark training needs. Once completed a programme of CLPL will be developed and implemented. Education Manager Portfolio link Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Page 30 of 184
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11 Status Code Title Description Due Date Status Progress Bar Latest status update Managed By CHS.SIP.22.04.1 0 Review the management and leadership of social work and identify options for a new service model. The service can efficiently meet current and future demands. 31-Mar- 2023 Work has commenced on this programme. Initial scoping has been completed and arrangements are being set up to put in place additional resource for a Lead Officer to work on this reporting direct to the Director and Head of Service. Head of Service and Social Work Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities CHS.SIP.22.04.1 1 Develop tools to improve social work staff's access to key data and insight, providing training and support where required. Social work staff are confident in their ability to use data to direct resources and support the most vulnerable within our communities. 31-Mar- 2023 Social work data dashboard in progress. Data requirements specified. Request made to Eclipse support team to make necessary modifications. Interim data will be reported to Social work managers at regular intervals. Quality Improvement Officer starts 29th Aug. Supporting use of data is key task. Social Work Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities CHS.SIP.22.04.1 2 Implement a new Quality Improvement Framework for Children's Services social work Social work services are child- centred and focussed on the experiences, progress and outcomes in individual children and young people. Policies, procedures and processes are effective and high quality, and protect children at risk and improve their care experiences. 31-Dec- 2022 Quality Improvement Officer will support implementation commencing 29th August. Work to revise staff Social Work Manual complete and it will soon be published by the Council's Digital Experience Team. This will replace older and out of date content. Support will be sought from the internal communications team to coordinate a launch of this material. A complementary programme of training is being developed through a planned approach. Social Work Manager Portfolio link Families and Communities Page 31 of 184
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1 Appendix B Children's Services SIP 2022-25 Academic Year PI Status Alert Warning OK Unknown Data Only Long Term Trends Improving No Change Getting Worse Short Term Trends Improving No Change Getting Worse Priority Strategic Priority 3: Fair and Cross cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend 2020/21 2021/22 Latest Note Value Target Value Target CHS/ATT/01a % of Leavers attaining literacy SCQF Level 4 97% 98% Not available 98% The percentage of leavers in Renfrewshire achieving literacy and SCQF level 4 or above has continued to increase over the past 5 years to 97% and has almost reached the very ambitious target set. This figure is ahead of our virtual comparator, at 96%, and the national figure of 95%. The 2021/22 data will become available in early-2023 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/ATT/01b % of Leavers attaining numeracy SCQF Level 4 94% 94% Not available 94% The performance of Renfrewshire school leavers in numeracy at SCQF level 4 or above has decreased to 94% from the previous year. This is level with the virtual comparator which is 94%, and ahead of the national figure of 92%. The 2021/22 data will become available in early-2023 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/ATT/01c % of Leavers attaining literacy SCQF Level 5 90% 86% Not available 88% Attainment of school leavers in literacy at SCQF level 5 or above has increased to 90% from 88% in 2019/20. Renfrewshire has consistently been Page 32 of 184
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2 Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend 2020/21 2021/22 Latest Note Value Target Value Target ahead of both the national average (83%) and its virtual comparator (88%) for the previous 3 years. The 2021/22 data will become available in early- 2023 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/ATT/01d % of Leavers attaining numeracy SCQF Level 5 80% 75% Not available 77% The percentage of school leavers achieving SCQF level 5 or above in numeracy has increased to 80% from 78% in 2019/20. Renfrewshire remains above the virtual comparator, which rose to 78%, and the national figure of 72%. Over 5 years, the percentage achieving level 5 numeracy or above has increased by 4 percentage points. The 2021/22 data will become available in early-2023 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/ATT/08 Average Total Tariff Score of Looked After Children (school leavers) 471 320 Not available 330 The average total tariff of care-experienced school leavers increased in 2020/21 to 471. However, due to the small number of looked after pupils in each leavers cohort there can be considerable variation in the average tariff from year to year. The 2021/22 data will become available in early-2023 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/ATT/09 Gap between the Average Total Tariff Score of Looked After Children (school leavers) and that of the total Renfrewshire leavers cohort 58% 64% Not available 63% The percentage gap between the average total tariff between looked after school leavers and the general cohort decreased considerably in 2020/21 to 58%. The number of looked after pupils in each leaver’s cohort is small therefore a high degree of variation is expected in these figures year on year. The 2021/22 data will become available in early- 2023 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/ATT/12 Average Complementary Tariff (S4) 320 316 Not available 320 The average complementary tariff score of S4 pupils in Renfrewshire has continued to increase over the previous 3 years. Renfrewshire's score is greater than that of the national average and its virtual comparator, for the fifth year in a row. The 2021/22 data will become available later in 2022 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/ATT/13 Average Complementary Tariff (S5) 628 565 Not available 570 The average complementary tariff score of S5 pupils in Renfrewshire has continued to increase Page 33 of 184
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3 Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend 2020/21 2021/22 Latest Note Value Target Value Target over the previous 5 years, with the latest figure showing further improvement compared to 2019/20. Renfrewshire's score is above the national average and its virtual comparator for the fifth year in a row. The 2021/22 data will become available later in 2022 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/ATT/14 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) 12 8 Not available 7 The percentage point gap between the attainment in literacy of pupils living in the most and least deprived areas was 12 percentage points, last reported in 2018/19. The 2021 data collection did not include achievement of a level at S3; therefore, a comparable figure is not available. CHS/ATT/15 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) 10 7 Not available 6 The percentage point gap between the attainment in numeracy of pupils living in the most and least deprived areas was 10 percentage points, last reported in 2018/19. The 2021 data collection did not include achievement of a level at S3; therefore, a comparable figure is not available. CHS/ATT/16 Percentage Point Gap in % Pupils Achieving Expected Level for their stage in Literacy between pupils entitled to Free School Meals and pupils not entitled 18 15 Not available 14 The percentage point gap between the attainment in literacy of pupils based on their entitlement to free school meals was 18 percentage points, last reported in 2018/19. The 2021 data collection did not include achievement of a level at S3; therefore, a comparable figure is not available. CHS/ATT/17 Percentage Point Gap in % Pupils Achieving Expected Level for their stage in Numeracy between pupils entitled to Free School Meals and pupils not entitled 14 15 Not available 14 The percentage point gap between the attainment in numeracy of pupils based on their entitlement to free school meals was 14 percentage points, last reported in 2018/19. The 2021 data collection did not include achievement of a level at S3; therefore, a comparable figure is not available. CHS/PD/01 % of School leavers in a positive destination 97% 95% Not available 95% The percentage of 2020/21 leavers entering a positive destination has increased from previous years to 96.52%. Renfrewshire is ahead of both the national figure and the virtual comparator in this measure - both comparators have also increased since the previous year. The majority of our school Page 34 of 184
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4 Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend 2020/21 2021/22 Latest Note Value Target Value Target leavers went into higher education. The figure this year was 49%, above the national average of 44%. A further 23% of leavers went to further education, with 22% entering employment after a drop to 17% in the previous year. The 2021/22 data will become available in early-2023 through the SQA Insight website. CHS/PD/02. No of foundation apprenticeships accessed by Renfrewshire school pupils Insufficient data 44 No target Not available 45 This indicator was introduced in 2020/21 and target will be set following the establishment of baseline data. During 2020/21, 44 young people from Renfrewshire schools began foundation apprenticeships. It is intended to grow this number year on year as part of our wider goal of positive post-school destinations for all our young people CHS/SCH/07 % of children attending school (Primary) 94.6% 95.5% 92.55% 95.5% Renfrewshire primary schools have worked hard to maintain a strong level of attendance despite the impact of Covid-19. National comparator data for attendance is compiled biennially and will next be published in December 2023 CHS/SCH/08 % of children attending school (Secondary) 87.9% 91% 87.05% 91% Renfrewshire secondary schools have worked hard to maintain attendance. However, the impact of Covid-19 continues to present significant challenges for some families resulting in pockets of attendance falling. This is a picture which is being replicated across the country. Full National comparator data for attendance is compiled biennially and will next be published in December 2023. CHS/SCH/09 % of young people choosing to stay onto S5 after January (as % of S4 roll at September previous year) 88.7% 92% 87% 92% The percentage of pupils staying on to 5th year dropped for the second consecutive year. This value will be refreshed in early 2023 when latest school census information is available. CHS/SCH/10 % of young people choosing to stay onto S6 (as % of S4 roll at September two years before) 69% 69% 70% 70% The percentage of pupils staying on to 6th year increased slightly compared to the previous year. This value will be refreshed in early 2023 when latest school census information is available. Page 35 of 184
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5 Priority Strategic Priority 4: Living our Values Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend 2020/21 2021/22 Latest Note Value Target Value Target CHS/SCH/05 Percentage of pupils satisfied with establishments Education Scotland Survey Data limited owing to the recent suspension of school inspections No data available 100% Figures for this indicator are taken from pupil responses to surveys sent out by inspectors. As no inspections have taken place in Renfrewshire since 2020, due to the suspension of inspections during the Covid-19 pandemic, there is no evidence on which to base this indicator. Page 36 of 184
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1 Appendix C: Children's Services SIP 2022-25 Financial Year PI Status Alert Warning OK Unknown Data Only Long Term Trends Improving No Change Getting Worse Short Term Trends Improving No Change Getting Worse Priority Strategic Priority 3: Fair and cross cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend Q4 2021/22 Q1 2022/23 Current Value Current Target Latest Note Value Target Value Target CHS/LGB F/01 Percentage of Looked After Children cared for in the community 92% 89.9% 91% 89.9% 91% 89.9% Performance in Q1 has dropped slightly from 92% in Q4 of 2021/23 and from 93% in Q1 of 2021/22. However, the majority of all looked after children continue to be cared for in a community setting. Residential settings can be more suitable for a small number of children and young people based on their particular needs, but the service will always seek to place a child in a family setting where appropriate. Please note, this indicator is also reported annually, and the figure is derived from the Local Government Benchmarking Page 37 of 184
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2 Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend Q4 2021/22 Q1 2022/23 Current Value Current Target Latest Note Value Target Value Target Framework indicator CHN9 'Balance of care for 'looked after children': % of children being looked after in the community'. The last data published for this indicator is for 2020/21. The percentage of looked after children cared for in the community in Renfrewshire in 20/21 was 92.5% and was above the Scotland average of 90%. CHS/CJ/ CPO/02 % of NEW unpaid work orders/requirement complete by the required date 89% 75% 89% 75% 89% 75% Court services are continuing to recover and work through previous backlogs. The number of new orders imposed has continued to increase over recent months and the service continues to prioritise workloads and deliver unpaid work activity in accordance with safe working guidelines. Continued limitations on the ability to transport service users given the retention of 2m social distancing during this period, impacted significantly on the service. CHS/CJ/ CPO/01 The percentage of NEW clients subject to a new supervision order seen by a supervising officer within 1 week 56% 85% 67% 85% 67% 85% Performance has improved compared to the previous quarter. Contacts are scheduled within this period where possible based on staff access to accommodation, with dependence on service user compliance. Work continues to increase accommodation access which will increase capacity for contact within required timescales. CHS/CJ/ CPO/04 Percentage of NEW unpaid work clients seen within 1 working day of the order 12% 70% 10% 70% 10% 70% Performance remains low owing to the challenges presented by Covid- related operating procedures. Page 38 of 184
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3 Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend Q4 2021/22 Q1 2022/23 Current Value Current Target Latest Note Value Target Value Target There are fewer opportunities for court contact, with systems, staffing levels and access to accommodation providing impacting this measure. Work is progressing to increase accommodation access based on 1m which will increase capacity for contact within required timescales, with the ability to schedule all possible contacts. CHS/CJ/ CPO/05 Percentage of NEW unpaid work clients receiving an induction within 5 working days of the order 17% 75% 46% 75% 46% 75% Performance has improved on the previous quarter, reflecting a focussed effort to meet this requirement. Prior to Covid inductions were delivered as a group activity however this changed to individual sessions due accommodation constraints and social distancing. Work is progressing to increase accommodation access based on 1m which will increase capacity for contact within required timescales. CHS/CJ/ CPO/06 Percentage of NEW unpaid work clients beginning work placement within 7 working days of the order 33% 65% 42% 65% 42% 65% Performance has improved compared to the previous quarter. The demand for weekend work placements remains high, and the service continues to adapt in response to this shift. 2m social distancing during this period and resulting transport restrictions continue to limit capacity. Innovative solutions such as working from home projects have been continued to maximise Page 39 of 184
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4 Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend Q4 2021/22 Q1 2022/23 Current Value Current Target Latest Note Value Target Value Target capacity where suitable. Recruitment efforts to increase capacity has so far been unsuccessful and remains a focus going forward. CHS/LAC /02 Percentage of accommodated Looked After Children placed with families 89% 83% 88.5% 83% 88.5% 83% The majority of accommodated children are placed in a family setting, and this will continue to be the preferred option. There are cases where it is more appropriate to support a looked after child in a residential placement, or where a hearing considers this necessary. CHS/LAC /CL/01 Percentage of care leavers participating in employment, training or education 59% 55% 50% 55% 50% 55% Performance in Q1 has dropped and is below the target of 55%. The figure of 50% reflects that 79 out of 157 care leavers are in employment, education or training. CHS/LAC /CL/02 Percentage of care leavers who have had a period of homelessness in the last 6 months 2% 0% 1% 0% 1% 0% The figure of 1% equates to fewer than 5 young people. Individuals were either living with family members or provided with temporary homeless accommodation either in Renfrewshire or in other local authority areas. Throughcare and Housing continue to work together to prevent homelessness and to support young people in sustaining tenancies. Priority Strategic Priority 4: Living our Values Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend Q4 2021/22 Q1 2022/23 Current Value Current Target Latest Note Value Target Value Target Page 40 of 184
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5 Code Short Name Status Short Term Trend Long Term Trend Q4 2021/22 Q1 2022/23 Current Value Current Target Latest Note Value Target Value Target CHS/CO RP/01a % of Stage 1 complaints responded to within timescales agreed with customers 75% 95% 100% 95% 100% 95% Children's Services received 28 complaints; all were addressed within the timescales agreed with customers CHS/CO RP/01b % of Stage 2 complaints responded to within timescales agreed with customers 60% 95% 96% 95% 96% 95% Children's Services received 17 complaints, 16 were addressed within timescales agreed with customers. 1 remains open due to the nature and complexity of the complaint (ASN). The Head of Service is working with the customer and relevant Service Manager to resolve. CHS/CO RP/03 % of FOI requests completed within timescale by Children's Services 100% 100% 96% 100% 96% 100% Children's Services had 45 FOI responses due in this quarter and 43 were completed within the required timescale. The indicators in the table below are for information only and are not presented as a measure of performance CHS/CPR /01 Percentage of children registered in this period who have previously been on the Child Protection Register 30% 20% 20% There were 25 new CP registrations between April and June 2022; A small number of children from families had previously been registered within the last 2 years. 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. Please note previously all re-registrations were reported on regardless of time frame, however from Q1 of 2021/22 this indicator has been changed to report on re-registrations within the last 2 years only. This is in line with the reporting of re-registrations in the RCPC minimum dataset. RCPC/01 Number of children on the Child Protection Register at quarter end date 61 66 66 There were 66 children on the Child Protection Register as at the reporting period end date in Q1 of 2022/23, compared to 61 children as at the reporting period end date in Q4. During Q1, there were 25 children newly registered and 20 children de-registered. Trends in child protection activity are monitored by the Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee which receives report on a range of performance measures. Page 41 of 184
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 27 October 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Education Standards & Quality Report September 2022 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Renfrewshire’s annual Education Standards & Quality Report (September 2022) and Education Improvement Plan (2022/23) have been developed through consultation with a variety of stakeholders. 1.2 Both the report and plan align to the National Improvement Framework (NIF) for Scottish education. Self-evaluation information, a wide range of data and feedback from external partners was used to report on the progress and impact of our improvement priorities during session 2021/22 and to identify our priorities for recovery and improvement for the period 2022/23. 1.3 Due to the pandemic, schools faced significant disruption again during session 2021/22 mainly due to Covid-related pupil and staff absences. This resulted in progress being hindered in some priority areas. Despite the challenges, significant progress was made as outlined in the Standards and Quality Report. The report sets out the progress made in achieving our improvement priorities for 2021/22 and focuses on the impact we have had. 1.4 Our Education Improvement Plan sets out where we want to improve further and how we want to do that, based on the evidence we have gathered on our current performance. Our plan focuses on five main priority areas: • Protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities • Family supports and early intervention • Mental health and wellbeing • Learning and teaching • Inclusion As well as the five main priorities, there are overarching features of highly effective practice which will continue and evolve to support achievement of the priorities. These include our leadership programme, data analysis, quality improvement, professional learning, partnership working and the school estate management plan. Item 3 Page 42 of 184
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1.5 Delivery of the improvement plan priorities will be through a portfolio planning approach. Three portfolio plans have been developed by teams, each led by a Head of Service, and are detailed within the Education Improvement Plan. Curriculum, learning, teaching and assessment Inclusion Families and Communities 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to note the content of the Education Standards & Quality Report (September 2022) Appendix 1 and Education Improvement Plan (2022/23) Appendix 2. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1. The ‘Statutory Guidance: Standards in Scotland etc. Act 2000’ covers a series of local authority planning and reporting duties which took effect from 1 August 2017. 3.2. This places a duty on education authorities to prepare and publish annual plans outlining the steps they intend to take during the planning period. In addition, education authorities are required to prepare and publish an annual report evaluating the progress and impact of the steps taken. 3.3. The guidance states that both the plan and the report must seek to reduce inequalities of outcome experienced by pupils as a result of socio-economic disadvantage, in pursuance of the National Improvement Framework (NIF) for Scottish education. 3.4. Copies of the plan and report are required to be submitted to Scottish Government. _________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial Implications None. 2. HR and Organisational Development Implications None. 3. Community Plan/Council Plan Implications The priorities within the Education Improvement Plan support delivery of the priorities contained within Renfrewshire’s Community Plan, Council Plan and the Children’s Services Improvement Plan. 4. Legal Implications None. 5. Property/Assets Implications None. 6. Information Technology Implications None. Page 43 of 184
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7. Equality and Human Rights Implications 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 for example 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 Implications None. 9. Procurement Implications None. 10. Risk Implications None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Cosla Policy Position None. 13. Climate Risk None. List of Background Papers None ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services SQ/MT/KO 21 September 2022 Author: Mairi Thomas, Education Manager, 0141 618 3994, mairi.thomas@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 44 of 184
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Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Achieving Equity and Excellence in Renfrewshire Appendix 1 Page 45 of 184
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3 Contents Introduction ..........................................................................4 About this report ..................................................................5 Our priorities ........................................................................7 Local Context ........................................................................8 Successes and Achievements ............................................10 Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) ................................................14 How well did we do?...........................................................16 NIF Key Drivers for Improvement School Leadership ..............................................................18 Teacher Professionalism ....................................................24 Parental Engagement .........................................................36 Assessment of Children’s Progress ....................................40 School Improvement .........................................................54 Performance Information ..................................................64 Our Values We are fair, we treat each other and everyone we deal with respectfully and work hard to build trust in Renfrewshire Council. We are helpful, we care about getting things right and are always approachable. We are great collaborators; we work as one team and with people who care about this place. We value learning to help us innovate, improve and deliver better services. Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Page 46 of 184
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4 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 5 We are delighted to present to you our annual Standards and Quality report which summarises the progress, successes and achievements of all our staff, children and young people in the last academic session. Once again it has been a year of challenge, managing the effects of the pandemic and being able to flex and respond to the impact of unprecedented levels of absence of both staff and our children and young people, while maintaining care and support to those who rely on us for their learning, wellbeing and safety. We do not underestimate the impact this has had on our workforce and would like to thank all of our parents/carers and partners for your patience and support. This enabled us, as a service, to maintain our determination and resilience to continue to provide the best possible service for our children, young people and families. Clearly, some of our plans were adjusted to take account of the very real ongoing impacts of the pandemic, however all who work to support the education of our children and young people are incredibly proud of what has Standards and Quality report This report sets out the progress made towards outcomes set out in our Education Improvement Plan for 2021/22 and focuses on the impact we have had. How have we gathered evidence for the Standards and Quality report? A range of evidence, and consultation with stakeholders including external partners, was used to measure our progress. This included: • Analysis of Attainment and Achievement Data • Establishment Standards and Quality reports and annual improvement plans been achieved despite this. Part of our strength is our collaboration and teamwork. The collective efforts across schools, early years settings and the wider Children’s Services has enabled us to deliver quality learning experiences for our children and young people and has ensured the continued safety and welfare of our most vulnerable children and families. Through this teamwork, very good progress has been made. Our continued focus on high quality learning and teaching, leadership development, health and wellbeing and digital technologies is ensuring that our young people have the best possible chance of leaving school and progressing to positive and sustained destinations. We are confident that we can continue to progress and improve to ensure that we get it right for our children, young people and families. • Establishment self-evaluation returns on How Good Is Our School (HGIOS)/How Good Is Our Early Learning and Childcare (HGIOELC) Quality Indicators 1.3, 2.3, 3.1 and 3.2 • Quality Improvement Visits to establishments and Education Manager reports • Local authority thematic review— digital learning • Development Officers’ project impact reports • Scottish Attainment Challenge impact reports • Academic partner impact reports • Survey information including Parental Involvement and Engagement and Health and Wellbeing • Care Inspectorate reports and feedback from Education Scotland on recovery visits • Professional learning evaluations • Consultation on a variety of topics with Heads of establishment, staff, children and young people and partners • Numbers of aspiring leaders at all levels of the programme and analysis of their career progression • Accredited and internal award statistics Through our rigorous self-evaluation, we identify where we are performing well and areas that require further improvement. In this way we can target our priorities for improvement over the coming year. Councillor Emma Rodden Convener Education and Children’s Services Steven Quinn Director Children’s Services Introduction About this report Page 47 of 184
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Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 76 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2019 Our priorities Our priorities align to those outlined in the National Improvement Framework (NIF). The evaluative statements, contained within this report, are organised under the NIF Key Drivers for Improvement. This report describes the progress made in taking forward our 4 strategic priorities below and the positive impact of this work on our children and young people. Develop high quality learning and teaching that leads to improved levels of attainment and achievement in all of our establishments Reduce inequalities and deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people Develop high quality leadership to promote empowerment at all levels Improve employability skills and support all of our young people to enter positive and sustained destinations NIF Key Drivers for ImprovementNIF Priorities Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy Place the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people Improvement in employability skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people School Leadership Teacher Professionalism Parental Engagement Assessment of Children’s Progress School Improvement Performance Information Working together to get it right for children, families and communities—protecting, learning, achieving and nurturing. Renfrewshire Children’s Services Vision 6 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Improvement Priorities Page 48 of 184
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8 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 9 Local Context 26,803 47 primary schools schools for children and young people with additional support needs children’s houses and supported accommodation for young people leaving care. secondary schools early learning and childcare classes 9 of which are extended day and year provision and 1 class for children with additional support needs early learning and childcare centres 11 2 4 23 15 children and young people in early years, primary, secondary and additional support needs schools and centres early learning and childcare funded providers; 37 nurseries and 10 childminders 50 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) Across Renfrewshire, of the 225 data zones, just under one quarter are in the 20% most deprived areas. 28 datazones are within the 20% most deprived areas in the health domain; 53 datazones are within the 20% most deprived areas in the income domain 50 datazones are within the 20% most deprived areas in the employment domain. Page 49 of 184
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10 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 11 Despite the ongoing pandemic challenges that all of our schools and early learning and childcare centres faced this year, there were many successes and achievements to celebrate across Renfrewshire of which we are very proud. Successes and Achievements Successes and Achievements Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Awards 2022 Finalists and highly commended for their work in supporting the social and emotional needs of children. • St. Paul’s Primary School • Glenburn Early Learning and Childcare Centre Scottish Book Trust ‘Reading Schools’ This accreditation programme was made available to all schools in Renfrewshire for the first time in session 21/22 and 24 schools were successful in achieving accreditation. • Core Level— 12 Primary and 2 Secondary Schools • Silver Level— 7 Primary and 1 Secondary School • Gold Level— St. Anthony’s Primary School and Bridge of Weir Primary School Renfrewshire’s Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA) Schools’ Accreditation Awards • Jade (level 1) 42 • Ruby (level 2) 20 • Amethyst (level 3) 10 • Gold (level 4) 3 RNRA was used as an exemplar of good practice of an education community for Barnardo’s. Staff led a workshop at national conference ‘Poverty to Flourishing’ National Improvement Hub—publication of practitioner wellbeing research piece Scottish Education Awards 2022 Winner in the Making a Difference (ELCC) Award Glenburn Early Learning and Childcare Centre for demonstrating effectiveness in transforming the life chances of children Finalist in the Parent and Family Engagement Award Spateston Early Learning and Childcare Centre Successful Approaches to Learning Outdoors Rashielea Primary school were visited by HM Inspectors and as a result a Case Study highlighting their effective practice in outdoor learning featured in the Education Scotland publication ‘Successful Approaches to Learning Outdoors’ February 2022. Eco Schools Scotland Green Flag Award • 9 Early Learning and Childcare Centres/providers • 15 Primary Schools • 1 Secondary School SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework) School Ambassadors Programme Recognising wider achievement, developing Senior Phase learning pathways in line with the Developing the Young Workforce strategy and giving equality between vocational and academic qualifications. • Silver Award—Gleniffer High School • Bronze Award—Johnstone High School General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) Excellence in Professional Learning Award • Renfrewshire Attainment Team • Gleniffer High School LGBT Charter Mark Award • Bridge of Weir Primary School (Silver) • Johnstone High School (Silver) • Gryffe High School (Silver) • Glencoats Primary School (Bronze) • Castlehead High School (Bronze) • Renfrew High School (Bronze) • Paisley Grammar School (Bronze) • Kilbarchan PS, Gleniffer High & Linwood High (working towards Bronze) St Benedict’s High School The school’s effective approaches to supporting pupils on return from lockdown featured in a segment for the BBC news. This involved a number of staff and young people and over 5 million viewers tuned in! Euroquiz Regional Heat Winners Kilbarchan Primary School represented Renfrewshire at the Scottish final at the Scottish Parliament in June. UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Awards Gold • Arkleston Primary School • Bargarran Primary School • Gryffe High School Silver • Thorn Primary School Page 50 of 184
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12 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 13 Successes and Achievements STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) Numeracy and Maths In June 2022, we were visited by Professor Jo Boaler from Stanford University and her Youcubed co-founder Cathy Williams to help us evaluate our progress in learning and teaching in numeracy since our visit to Stanford in 2019. They spent time observing lessons and meeting with groups of teachers, school leaders and learners. Jo and Cathy were highly positive about what they saw and heard, giving the following feedback. “ It’s absolutely brilliant to see teachers challenging their own beliefs about maths and sharing those messages with children. The quality of lessons we saw were excellent and the children were so eager to share their thinking.” Science and Engineering 5 Renfrewshire Primary schools participated in the First Lego League Explore STEM programme where they developed their teamwork, design, coding and communication skills. Children from Rashielea PS and Todholm PS were winners in their categories in the nationwide Primary Leaders Award “If You were an Engineer What Would You Do?”. Children were challenged to find an engineered design solution to everyday problems. Children from 6 Renfrewshire primary schools took part in a project with Glasgow Caledonian University to design a luge ramp for the Royal Navy luge team. Youth Assembly In June 2022, Children’s Services in partnership with Youth Services held our first Young and Equally Safe in Renfrewshire Youth Assembly as part of the Equally Safe funding. 80 MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention) mentors from across 10 of our secondary schools participated in the event which focused on leadership, skills development, community awareness and campaigning. SEL Worldwide Model School Status (PATHS awards) Six schools and one early learning and childcare class have now achieved this status in recognition of their outstanding commitment to social and emotional learning in their school. Digital Schools Award 20 primary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 ASN (ELC) Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety Award 3 primary schools and 1 secondary school Page 51 of 184
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14 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 15 Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) is allocated directly to schools and targeted at closing the poverty related attainment gap, helping to achieve equity. In line with national guidance and in response to the pandemic, there was enhanced flexibility in the use of PEF and schools continued to plan based on the needs of children and young people. As part of a national review conducted by Education Scotland, effective practice from within the authority was collected. This included case studies from primary and secondary schools. Common themes of effective practice included: • the use of effective toolkits to support planning such as the Scanning and Scoping Cycle and Engaging Families toolkit from the National Improvement Hub and the Education Endowment Fund (EEF) Equity for Interventions; • ongoing consultation with school communities and participatory budgeting approaches; • school self-evaluation processes and engagement with the Attainment Advisor to strengthen PEF planning and evaluation; and • use of central support resources such as the PEF coordinator and PEF principles checklist. Schools can demonstrate the impact of Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) and their contribution to closing the poverty related attainment gap. PEF interventions have supported an increase in attainment and achievement and this is demonstrated through the interrogation of attainment data in literacy and numeracy. Data also demonstrates improvements in health and wellbeing. Schools have used PEF to support and embed approaches initially developed through the Scottish Attainment Challenge such as the Renfrewshire Nurturing Relationships Approach. In one secondary school, this work has had a particular focus on young people at risk of disengaging from education. Young people are identified via the cluster transition programme with the nurture intervention beginning in S1 and continuing through to S3. The young people who have participated in this programme have all gone on to positive and sustained destinations. There are many examples of interventions and projects which have had a positive impact. For example, PEF has been used to fund reading cafes for parents which have strengthened parental engagement and family learning. Consultation with parents about the impact of this project has led to further development and fresh focus on different reading genres including reading for information in the school. Partnership working through PEF is also having a positive impact on our learners. For example, some schools have partnered with Active Schools to deliver a range of after school or lunch time clubs. This has led to almost all children participating in a club and schools reporting increased confidence in children and further opportunities for wider achievement in the local community. The school can also demonstrate impact resulting from its focus on developing cultural capital via provision of life experiences for its young people. These experiences have led to a change of mindset in targeted young people which in turn has led to these young people staying on in school for fifth and sixth year. Following the national refreshed Scottish Equity Fund (SEF) guidance, multi-year funding has been announced allowing schools to plan longer- term in relation to PEF. At local authority level, stretch aims have also been set to demonstrate the impact of SEF. There is an opportunity to link these stretch aims to school improvement plans and, in particular, PEF plans. Going forward, PEF will be directed at achieving targets at school level with strengthened approaches to reporting and evaluation, outlined below. Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) LA sets stretch aims. Schools set targets (multi-year) linked to LA aims with annual increments towards stretch aim. PEF targeted at achieving stretch aims. This to be clearly articulated in School Improvement Plans. Progress towards stretch aims built into Quality Improvement Framework with supporting LA reporting processes. Page 52 of 184
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16 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 17 How well did we do? How well did we do? The national key drivers of improvement continue to provide a focus and structure for gathering evidence to identify where further improvements can be made. They all remain equally important and the links and connections across these key areas are essential to enable continuous improvement. The following sections summarise how well we are doing under each of these drivers as well as outlining our next steps. NIF Key Drivers for Improvement School Leadership Our priorities Teacher Professionalism Parental Engagement Assessment of Children’s Progress School Improvement Performance Information Page 53 of 184
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Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 19 School Leadership 18 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 School Leadership Strong strategic leadership in Renfrewshire Council ensures that all decision-making and improvement planning is underpinned by the principles of empowerment and the very good use of research and data. Our highly effective leadership programme continues to build resilience and supports succession planning. Renfrewshire’s current leaders, and those aspiring to be leaders of the future, are very well supported through high quality professional learning programmes. Qualitative research was carried out to evaluate the short and long-term impact of Renfrewshire Leadership Programmes. The short-term immediate benefits were identified as: development of networks; dedicated time to reflect and self-evaluate; learning from others in similar situations; and better understanding of the demands of the role. Considering the longer term impact, the following themes were identified: distributed leadership – cascading skills to the team; embedding a culture of collaboration through networks; sustainable professional development; and enhanced decision making and positive impact on school communities. All new Head Teachers (HTs) to Renfrewshire felt welcomed and supported through the HT induction programme. Furthermore, participation in 9 learning sessions resulted in almost all having enhanced knowledge and understanding of how other council departments can support them in their role. Supporting the wellbeing and professional development of our senior leaders has been a priority. All senior leaders attending the ‘Step Back…From Recovery to Ambition’ workshops valued the time, space and reconnection with colleagues during one of the most challenging periods of their career. Almost all left feeling hopeful and re-energised to be able to re- embrace other aspects of the job beyond the daily operational demands of Covid. Ten senior leaders participated in the revised 3-day Aspiring Heads programme. All participants reported feeling much better equipped for the next phase of their careers following the course. Two primary participants are now in substantive HT positions and one in an acting post. One secondary participant has secured a post as Inspector with Education Scotland. Twenty two participants took part in the Aspiring Primary Principal Teacher (PT) programme with 100% of respondents either agreeing or strongly agreeing that the course increased their knowledge of aspects of effective leadership and the requirements of the role. 80% either agreed or strongly agreed that the course had encouraged them to apply for future posts and that they felt ready to take on the role. A group of secondary Deputes revised the content of the Aspiring Principal Teacher course resulting in a new Aspiring to Middle Leadership course for secondary staff for session 2022-23. Learning Sets continue to be a very effective model to promote learning and collaboration. 18 senior leaders participated in 3 learning sets which were delivered either online or face to face when this was possible. 100% of respondents strongly agreed that participation had supported their professional development and allowed them to learn collectively with their peers. 85% strongly agreed that they were able to apply their learning back in their own school and focus more on their strategic leadership. To build capacity, training was provided for senior leaders on learning set facilitation. 18 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2021 This has led to the establishment of 5 learning sets for PTs from across sectors facilitated by our own senior leaders; these will run into session 2022-23. We also have a bank of trained staff who are able to take this approach forward in their own context. One to one coaching was also provided for 4 newly appointed HTs throughout the session. All participants were extremely positive about the experience in terms of the approach taken, the contribution of the facilitator, and the value of the professional reflection and learning. All would recommend the experience to HT colleagues. A working group revised the local authority Leadership Strategy ‘Learning & Leading Together’ which will be launched early in session 2022- 23. The strategy will be far more supportive for staff planning and preparing for the Professional Review and Development (PRD) process. Children and Young People’s Leadership and Voice 5 secondary schools participated in the CANI Coaching residential pupil leadership programme. On average 79% of pupils reported an increase in confidence, 66% an improvement in their relationships, 83% improved their communication with others, 73% reported an increase in aspiration and 70% improved their understanding of how to deal with conflict following participation. In all schools, plans are in place for these pupils to lead an aspect of school improvement next session. The voice of children and young people is shaping improvement across Renfrewshire through, for example, the Youth Symposium, Champions Board, and the Youth Commission. Young people are empowered and are given opportunities to influence decision-making on issues affecting their lives. Participatory Budgeting (PB) has also provided another opportunity for children and young people to be involved in deciding how to spend part of the school budget. In Renfrewshire, schools interested in PB were invited to apply for funding. Nine schools applied covering a range of topics such as outdoor learning, tackling food poverty through sustainable food growing, peer leadership, family learning and improving pupil wellbeing. There were some very good examples of community projects where 2 schools worked in partnership to address a community need. ‘ It will help me massively as I have not left school yet and I have already had real world working experience.’ Young person ‘ Confidence at the start was challenging as it’s a bit nerve wracking standing up in front of a group people we’ve never met however, over time our relationship grew and so did our confidence.’ Young Person Page 54 of 184
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20 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 21 School LeadershipSchool Leadership Supported by Youth Services, young people from 6 schools are engaged in the Duke of Edinburgh Award to equip them with the skills, experience and confidence to navigate adult life. Progress through the award is at different stages depending on when the school engagement started and formal evaluation of impact has yet to take place. Groups are successfully working on skills sections and achieving additional awards such as John Muir, Go Mountain Biking and Bikeability. Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) 165 newly qualified teachers participated in the Teacher Induction Scheme in Renfrewshire during 2021-22. Our enhanced support programme included the opportunity for NQTs and their mentors to take part in action learning sets, greater opportunity for in-class support and enhanced input on behaviour management and differentiation. As a result of the excellent support package provided, 96% of NQTs had a satisfactory recommendation made upon final profile submission. West Partnership Collaboration We have continued to participate in West Partnership leadership programmes this session, including Hexagon coaching and Executive coaching. Anecdotally, participants have hugely valued these opportunities and have made connections across the West, however we have still to receive the partnership’s formal evaluation of all programmes. Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Our ‘Grow Your Own’ workforce development plan was updated to ensure the continuation of a broad range of professional learning and training opportunities for early years practitioners and leaders. The professional learning programme continues to build a solid knowledge base for practitioners and leaders to gain new knowledge and skills and apply their learning to improve outcomes for children. Funded support also continues to be provided for staff to access certificated training to meet Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) registration requirements. The leadership programme continued for ELC Heads, Deputes and middle leaders, offering a range of professional learning and qualification opportunities, enhancing the skills and knowledge of our leaders. Twenty two Deputes attended the learning sets which has had a positive impact on their confidence levels in leading and developing others. There was very positive feedback from all of the participants involved. ‘ The learning set supported me through some challenging times within my new role and gave me confidence to tackle challenges more effectively. It gave me the opportunity to discuss real issues and consider solutions.’ ELC Depute A further cohort of just under 60 participants successfully completed the Froebel training, which is delivered in partnership with Edinburgh University, with a new cohort of 60 practitioners underway. The confidence of practitioners in linking theory to practice continues to grow and benefit the quality of learning and teaching for children in almost all settings. The Early Years teachers and graduates have effectively supported establishments to implement central priorities; this is having a positive impact on children’s development across core areas of the curriculum. Page 55 of 184
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22 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 23 School Leadership Next Steps • Continue to provide Aspiring Leadership courses to middle and senior leaders using an external provider • Establish a working group of senior leaders to develop and deliver our own Aspiring Heads and Deputes courses • Provide the opportunity to participate in 1:1 bespoke coaching programme to a group of newly appointed Head Teachers • Continue with our established PT learning sets and provide this opportunity to a further group of PTs from across primary & secondary sectors • Continue to support schools to develop leadership skills in children and young people and ensure that their voice is at the heart of improvement planning Students, newly qualified teachers and early career teachers • Provide termly welcome and information sessions to new students and those new to mentoring them • Develop a network of Early Career Teachers (those in the first 4 years of teaching) and design a programme of professional learning based on need • Continue to provide a package of high-quality professional learning and support for our NQTs • Provide enhanced support to those mentoring our NQTs including provision of their own professional learning programme Early Learning and Childcare • Provide Learning Sets for Early Years Heads to continue to empower them to work in more collegiate and collaborative ways • Continue to develop and implement the ‘Grow Your Own’ professional learning and training programme for early years practitioners and leaders • Continue to roll out the leadership programme for ELC Heads, Deputes and middle leaders, including professional learning and qualification opportunities, to meet the staffing requirements • Continue to provide high quality professional learning to staff at all levels to raise attainment in literacy and close identified gaps in attainment Page 56 of 184
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Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 25 Teacher ProfessionalismSchool Leadership We have created a collaborative culture where all staff are empowered to fully participate in career long professional learning (CLPL). Approaches to improving literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing are effective in providing universal, targeted and individual interventions. Our Development Officer team continue to provide very effective professional learning and bespoke support to establishments in their areas of expertise. Literacy Evidence-based approaches to the teaching of reading and writing continue to be successfully embedded and extended. Our partnership with the University of Strathclyde and use of their 3 Domain Model has led to extensive professional learning for staff and the delivery of a consistent and high-quality literacy curriculum for all children. The 3 Domain Model, a tool for thinking about literacy and learning, supports staff to navigate a broader range of evidence under the 3 domains of cognitive skills and abilities; cultural and social capital; and identity and agency. Twenty two Classroom Assistants completed a comprehensive programme of CLPL, delivered in partnership with the University of Strathclyde, incorporating aspects of literacy and numeracy. Evaluations demonstrated that all participants would recommend this programme of professional learning to colleagues and almost all agreed that this CLPL opportunity has increased their knowledge of classroom practice and confidence in supporting learning within the classroom. We continue to be the first and only local authority in Scotland to offer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) as part of a universal programme for all children aged 2-5. Some highlights of our progress this session: • Over the past 16 months, nearly 4000 children aged 2-5 have benefitted from our universal programme alongside care experienced children who continue to receive books from Imagination Library from birth. • At present, 2801 children across Renfrewshire receive books from Imagination Library on a monthly basis. High quality bespoke support has been provided to 35 schools and early years centres/classes across all 4 socio-economic quartiles. This has spanned a wide range of areas including: • in-service and collegiate training; • guidance on the purchase of new reading schemes, novels and literacy resources; • advice on school improvement planning and PEF spending; and • individual school evaluation of implementation of the Renfrewshire Literacy Approach. A targeted approach identified 17 schools who had experienced the biggest decreases in pupil attainment in reading and/or writing. Effective support was provided to these schools and was tailored to the needs and attainment of each school. This included: • in-service, collegiate training and support staff training; • guidance on the purchase of new literacy resources and resource organisation; • advice on whole school approaches and evidence-based literacy pedagogies; and • We hosted our first ‘Dolly-bration’ in May 2020 —a celebration of the first year of Imagination Library in Renfrewshire, our achievements to date and an opportunity for establishments to share good practice. • Early years centres and classes from across Renfrewshire have organised a range of events to promote Imagination Library, encourage registration and engage children in books and a love of reading. Some examples include the ‘Houston Hoedown’ at Houston ELCC and Imagination Library playing a key role in World Book Day at St Charles’ ELCC. • A number of early years classes and centres have achieved 100% registration of their children to Imagination Library in session 21/22 including Spateston, Douglas Street, Glenfield, Heriot, Houston, West and Ferguslie. • We were invited to share our work in developing DPIL in Renfrewshire to a full workshop at The Gathering at the SECC and showcased the work of Heriot, St Catherine’s and the Early Years teacher team. Our school library service continue to provide very good universal and targeted support to schools. All new S1 pupils were issued with a library card • individual school support with implementation of the Renfrewshire Literacy Approach. Over 400 teachers and school leaders from 21 primary schools and peripatetic services across Renfrewshire attended CLPL on the Talk for Writing approach focussing on fiction writing. Participating schools represented 10 cluster groups and all 4 socio-economic quartiles. 57 Project Leads - school leaders or Literacy Champions - were also identified and undertook bespoke training on the leadership of the Talk for Writing approach. While most participating schools plan to implement the approach fully in session 22/23, evaluations have shown that almost all respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the training gave them practical ideas and strategies to use in their classroom and that when fully implemented the approach has the potential to raise attainment in writing. Most respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the training had increased their knowledge of effective writing pedagogy and would recommend the training to a colleague. providing access to school library and public library services, including free online books and study support. A pilot, undertaken in June 2022 with 7 primary schools, provided automated library membership in order to increase participation in the Summer Reading Challenge. This pilot negated the need for paper forms to be returned by parents/carers and increases the number of pupils able to take part in library initiatives. In Secondary school libraries, Covid recovery continued through building up physical library usage again as restrictions were eased whilst also continuing digital support. There were 157,470 visits to school libraries over the 21-22 academic year with 32,016 physical books issued and 5452 e-books issued. School librarians successfully supported and organised author events including: the Paisley Book Festival schools programme; ran events to promote literacy and promote reading for pleasure; supported information literacy sessions; as well as looking at new and emerging ways to engage pupils and teachers with library services including the very popular Football Shorts videos with footballer author Matt Oldfield. Teacher Professionalism 24 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Page 57 of 184
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26 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 27 Teacher ProfessionalismTeacher Professionalism Transition activities took place across a number of schools with pupils welcomed into the school libraries to visit. More intensive transition work took place in Renfrew High with the continuation of the Diary of a School Year comic book workshops which create a comic guide to school for new P7 pupils written by 40 S1-3 pupils and then distributed to all P7 pupils in the Renfrew cluster. Paisley Grammar also undertook summer transition activities including a successful visit by a graphic novelist to support enhanced transition activities. The Scottish Book Trust Reading Schools Silver award was awarded to Castlehead High School. Reading schools Core awards were given to Gryffe and St Andrew’s Academy due in large part to the work of the librarians in promoting reading and gathering significant amounts of evidence to support work being undertaken. The Primary outreach librarian effectively supported 24 primary schools in developing and managing their school libraries, including working with pupil volunteers in the PALS programme (Pupil Ambassador Library Services). The Librarian led various projects to increase literacy and increase reading cultures as well as providing overall support to all primary schools with Our successful partnership with Winning Scotland continued with the delivery of Limitless Learning for our second cohort. 75 teachers from 13 establishments completed the course, which aimed to equip them with the knowledge, skills and resources to deliver mathematics in an open, rich and collaborative way. The course also aimed to support teachers with differentiation, encouraging them to scrutinise traditional beliefs about ability labels. Almost all participants reported that the course strengthened their professional knowledge and that it was having a positive impact on children and young people. This was supported by our teacher and learner focus groups: “ It’s made me question my own beliefs about maths. I used to think I wasn’t a maths person and felt more comfortable teaching literacy. I now see the creative side of the subject and that really affects how I talk about it and teach it to my classes.” P4 Class Teacher monthly newsletters, social media feeds, CLPL sessions and enquiries. Projects included RIOT (Read It Out Teacher) to share books aloud and FAB lollies (Find a book) project in collaboration with the Pizza Reading programme to increase parental engagement with libraries and digital promotion of library resources. An authority wide read of ‘The Highland Falcon Thief’ by M.G. Leonard, available as an e-book and audio book on the Borrowbox platform, was supported especially by St. Fergus Primary which made the front page of the Paisley Daily Express. A successful transition project called COP Conversations took place in the St Andrew’s Academy cluster primary schools during COP26 which led to pupils visiting the school library in St Andrew’s, taking part in an online session with author Lindsay Littleson, and creating posters to highlight the climate crisis. Numeracy and Mathematics Building on our successful pilot with Education Scotland in 21/22, we developed the Renfrewshire Numeracy Intervention Programme and delivered it to over 70 teachers from 17 establishments across all sectors. This course was designed to help teachers identify and close gaps in attainment in numeracy using the Maths Recovery “ I was always in the bottom group and I really didn’t enjoy maths. My teacher didn’t put us in groups this year. She started giving us open middle problems and telling us that mistakes and being stuck were important and nothing to be scared of. By the end of P7 I liked maths and did really well on my assessment.” P7 learner Four Modelling and Coaching Officers (MCOs) supported 12 target schools. A bespoke plan was created in collaboration with the senior leadership team in each school to ensure that support was allocated in a way that would maximise impact; identifying the key stages and type of training required to increase staff’s professional knowledge and skills, with the ultimate goal of raising attainment in numeracy and mathematics. All respondents strongly agreed that engaging with an MCO increased staff’s knowledge of effective pedagogy in numeracy and mathematics. All respondents agreed or strongly agreed that staff framework. Most teachers who took part reported that the training increased their professional knowledge and that it would have a positive impact on learners in their classes. Baseline and follow-up assessment scores were analysed to help evaluate the impact of the programme on children and young people. This showed that all participating children and young people made measurable progress, with an average increase of 28 percentage points from baseline to follow-up. “ I found that the assessments gave such a depth of understanding of where specific gaps were in pupils’ learning. The advice on teaching strategies helped me to understand how to support learners in plugging these gaps.” P4/5 Class Teacher “ I am already seeing the benefits of this in the discussions and number talks with my class.” P3 Class Teacher are regularly implementing their professional learning beyond the cooperative sessions with MCOs. The majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that engaging with an MCO has had a positive impact on children’s attainment in numeracy and mathematics. ‘ Teachers are already seeing a positive impact on the children’s confidence in Numeracy. They have developed a better understanding of number processes and also how to use resources to help them. This can be seen through our attainment data and also teacher observations.’ Primary Head Teacher In June 2022, we were visited by Professor Jo Boaler from Stanford University and her ‘Youcubed’ co-founder Cathy Williams to help us evaluate our progress since our visit to Stanford in 2019. They spent time observing lessons and meeting with groups of teachers, school leaders and learners. Jo and Cathy were highly positive about what they saw and heard, giving the following feedback. Page 58 of 184
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28 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 29 Teacher ProfessionalismTeacher Professionalism ‘ It’s absolutely brilliant to see teachers challenging their own beliefs about maths and sharing those messages with children. The quality of lessons we saw were excellent and the children were so eager to share their thinking.’ Professor Jo Boaler Health and Wellbeing (HWB) Supporting mental and emotional wellbeing has been a key feature of our recovery support for schools and settings. Led by Renfrewshire’s Educational Psychology Service (REPS), Renfrewshire’s Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA) continues to make excellent progress impacting positively on staff’s practice and having a positive effect on the social, emotional and behavioural development of children and young people across all sectors. Almost all Renfrewshire establishments have now participated in RNRA leadership training. We have continued to embed RNRA and build sustainability across all engaged establishments through development of leadership training, training for trainers and ilearn modules. Individual establishments are able to provide evidence of impact through their RNRA Action Plans and accreditation submissions. 85 representatives from all sectors (including funded provider nurseries) attended RNRA leadership training in June 2021 and September 2021. Nine new establishments and the Active Schools coordinator team have participated in core RNRA training. 24 establishments have successfully participated in nurture principle training. Feedback from training evaluations has been very positive. ‘ I aim to be more open in conversations with my students and by using language patterns, aim to defuse situations quicker to allow attention to be back on targets quicker and with less whole class disruption.’ Primary Teacher ‘ Remember that resilience can be built at any age/stage. Look out for colleagues more as staff wellbeing directly impacts the pupils.’ Secondary Teacher ‘ As a key worker who works on the floor, this training has helped me be able to improve nurturing approaches on the floor and when developing my self-regulation area of the nursery.’ ELC Key Worker 23 establishments submitted for RNRA accreditation in June 2022; this is an increase of 48% compared with the number of submissions in 2021. The total number of Renfrewshire establishments that have submitted for, and been awarded, RNRA accreditation between the start of the award scheme in June 2020 and June 2022 is 42. The table below shows the total numbers of establishments at each accreditation level as of June 2022 (note establishments are counted at each level so where a higher award is made, the establishment is still counted at the lower award level) Accreditation year Jade Ruby Amethyst Gold 2020 25 12 4 2 2021 31 14 6 3 2022 42 20 10 3 Information from accreditation submissions evidenced that in terms of our RNRA priority areas: the majority of establishments have included staff wellbeing approaches within their action plans; most have included parental engagement; and most have included information about pupil voice. There is a wide variety of very good examples of practice particularly in relation to pupil voice. Let’s Introduce Anxiety Management (LIAM) is a training and intervention package based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). LIAM is designed to help children and young people who are experiencing milder difficulties with anxiety. In Renfrewshire, there are currently 21 trainers to deliver LIAM and 28 children and young people are benefitting from engagement in the sessions. This intervention is supporting them to learn more about anxiety, including how anxiety is linked with thoughts, physical sensations and actions. It also helps children and young people find ways to cope with feelings of anxiety. This is of particular relevance as anxiety is the top referral theme for school counselling in Renfrewshire. As such, we plan to pilot a whole-school LIAM model in 2 secondary schools next session. In partnership with Barnardo’s, the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS®) programme continued to be successfully implemented in 36 primary schools and early years settings. Despite the challenges of staff absences due to Covid, evaluation data, including case studies, provides evidence that the programme is impacting positively on children’s self-regulation, emotional awareness and interpersonal problem-solving skills. Highly skilled coaches provided professional learning for teachers, support staff and parents. This whole-school approach is helping to ensure that the programme is sustainable. Six schools and one early learning and childcare class have now achieved Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Worldwide Model School status in recognition of their outstanding commitment to social and emotional learning in their school. Our Health and Wellbeing Development Officer chairs the West Partnership Strategic Personal and Social Education (PSE) group and ensures there is effective planning and collaboration across local authorities in meeting the recommendation of the Scottish Government’s PSE Review. A variety of targeted training and information sharing sessions were provided to improve staff knowledge, understanding and confidence. Our data shows, using pre and post session skills and confidence scales, that almost all staff have found the online information sessions useful in their delivery of PSE. Sessions were delivered in response to staff feedback and included topics such as consent and the law, approaches to bullying, gambling, self- harm and mindfulness. Evaluations have been used to develop a training programme for session 2022/23. Page 59 of 184
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30 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 31 Teacher ProfessionalismTeacher Professionalism ‘ CEOP training has provided staff with a wealth of knowledge and increased awareness of the risk factors affecting children’s capacity to stay safe whilst online. We recognise that whilst the internet opens up a world of opportunity and new learning, it also means that we need to equip our children with the information that they need to ensure that they maintain a safe and healthy online presence.’ Primary Teacher This has been an exciting year for our Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme in Renfrewshire which goes from strength to strength. To build capacity and a shared language around relationships within our secondary schools, we have adopted a whole school training model. 170 school staff were trained across the session. Almost all of our secondary schools are now implementing the programme with another secondary and 2 ASN schools coming on board next session. Our successful bid for funding The Mental Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) Action Group have focussed on promoting the use of our digital policy and signposting resources across education establishments. The purpose of the resources is to ensure that all staff working across our education establishments can direct any member of the school community to local, national and online supports via a web link or QR code. We have been piloting a whole-school approach whereby the resources can be readily shared via a QR code on the back of staff ID badges. ‘ The MHWB policy has helped us set out our aims as a school around our approaches and to communicate our strategy clearly to our school community. It has helped us identify our training needs and signpost effectively to improve outcomes for children and young people.’ Secondary Depute Head through the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe Fund is allowing us to see the work we do in schools move into our youth work settings in the community. Partners who have been trained include St Mirren FC, Active Schools, Education Scotland staff, Sports Scotland and West of Scotland Scouts. It is vital that our young people are at the heart of decision-making and planning. As such, a pupil steering group comprising 2 young people from each participating secondary school met with the MVP training team to plan future developments. This will include our young people leading a campaign to raise awareness of healthy/ unhealthy relationships. This work began at our very successful Young and Equally Safe in Renfrewshire Youth Assembly in June 2022. 80 MVP mentors from across 10 of our secondary schools participated in the event which focused on leadership, skills, community awareness and campaigning. In addition, a group of past and present MVP mentors met with Stand Agency to discuss male attitudes for the new Police Scotland campaign ‘Don’t Be That Guy’. Very rich discussion took place with the young people who were very keen participants. High quality professional learning was provided to ensure that staff with a pastoral role have the skills and knowledge required to support young people at difficult times. In total, eighty secondary school staff took part in ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and What’s the Harm (Self-Harm) training during May and June 2022. Feedback showed that all staff who completed the evaluation felt they had improved knowledge in both areas and that they felt better equipped to support young people in distress. ‘ The trainers were very clear and knowledgeable. It was good to have discussions with others who have different roles in education. The training gave me an understanding that self-harm can be expressed in many ways.’ Secondary Teacher In line with Scottish Government’s commitment to LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) Inclusive Education, schools have been supported to build on existing practice through provision of professional learning from LGBT Scotland on tackling homophobic, bi-phobic and transphobic bullying. Currently 10 schools are working towards the LGBT Scotland Charter award. To date, 3 of our schools have achieved the Silver Award and 4 schools have achieved Bronze. ‘ Reaching this milestone (Bronze Award) has had a significant impact on our school’s ethos, in particular the health and wellbeing of our LGBT+ pupils.’ Secondary Teacher Establishment staff have been kept abreast of a wide range of local and national HWB resources and services through the informative HWB blog, high quality monthly Sway newsletters and our Twitter page (@RenEdHWB). Pupil voice has been at the heart of the development of our exciting new interactive and progressive Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drug Education Resource which will be launched in September 2022. Children and young people from six primary schools and two secondary schools contributed to planning and reviewing of materials and provided voiceovers for animations and video biteables. This ensured that our resources are relevant, age appropriate and that they focus on the issues that are relevant to children and young people. The resource has been developed in response to the findings of Renfrewshire’s Alcohol and Drug Commission. It is being produced in partnership with the charity ‘I am me Scotland’ and has involved partners from Police Scotland, Health and those with lived experience. Using data such as counselling referral themes, we have identified and delivered a range of high quality professional learning across a wide range of topics for teachers and support staff. These have included anxiety, self-harm, suicide, relationships, sexual health and parenthood and child exploitation online prevention (CEOP). Page 60 of 184
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32 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 33 Teacher ProfessionalismTeacher Professionalism Exploring Pedagogy 25 teachers from across 18 primary schools participated in the online ‘Inquiry Based Learning in Primary 3’ programme delivered by Deirdre Grogan, Principal Knowledge Exchange Fellow from Strathclyde University. Participants were encouraged to reflect in depth on the organisation for learning, implementation of the inquiry cycle and the design of the learning environment and make small changes in line with pandemic guidance at that time. Small scale change occurred in most participating schools, with almost all stating that further relaxation of Covid mitigations would allow them to make substantial change to practice and the environment. Language Learning in Scotland: A 1+2 Approach Schools across Renfrewshire benefitted from funding to support the implementation of the 1+2 languages policy in a variety of ways including the purchase of resources, cluster languages activities and opportunities to support languages across transitions. An audit of Modern Foreign Language (MFL) provision and the implementation of the Scottish Government’s 1+2 policy was undertaken in November 2021. This provided an overview of MFL across the authority and the information will be used to inform future planning and enable us to direct funding to the areas in which it is required most including staff training. Eleven MFL cluster leads have been appointed representing each cluster in Renfrewshire. These cluster leads have worked with key contacts across their schools to re-establish relationships and develop plans for greater cluster working in session 22/23 to take forward the 1+2 agenda. Next Steps • Continue to provide high quality professional learning to staff at all levels using evidence- based approaches to raise attainment in reading and writing and closing identified gaps in pupil attainment • Introduce programmes of CLPL in relation to high quality teaching of phonics linked to the Renfrewshire Literacy Approach and development of early reading skills • Develop an in-house programme of professional learning in Literacy for classroom assistants based on local and national priorities and areas identified via staff consultation • Continue to provide bespoke support to establishments, teams within Children’s Services, and our partners to ensure all relevant staff have a clear understanding of the Renfrewshire Literacy Approach • Continue to work with colleagues across the West Partnership and through the National Literacy Network to provide a wide variety of professional learning and networking opportunities for teachers and school leaders • Support targeted groups of children and young people to improve digital literacy and information literacy skills via the school libraries attainment team • Using attainment data, identify schools who would most benefit from MCO support, focusing particularly on schools in SIMD quartiles 1 & 2 • Review Numeracy Progression Pathways and Assessments to provide guidance for teachers about how they can embed their professional learning in daily classroom practice • Deliver an extended training programme on using the Maths Recovery framework, which upskills practitioners in identifying and addressing gaps in numeracy and mathematics • Deliver an in-house programme of professional learning in effective numeracy and maths pedagogy for Early, First and Second level • Deliver a programme of secondary-specific numeracy and mathematics CLPL; Promoting Deeper Understanding Page 61 of 184
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34 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 35 Teacher ProfessionalismTeacher Professionalism Next Steps (contd.) • Deliver a programme of Numeracy CLPL to NQTs to ensure consistency of message about the Renfrewshire approach to numeracy and mathematics • Publish our case study alongside the Winning Scotland Impact Report to showcase the actions of teachers in previous cohorts that had a direct positive impact on children and young people. Recruit up to 100 practitioners from primary and secondary sectors to take part in cohort 3 • Work in partnership with Early Years Scotland and Winning Scotland to deliver a programme of CLPL on ‘Mindset in Early Years’, to build staff confidence in the use of growth mindset principles to support the health and wellbeing of children • Establish an RNRA Steering Group and gather information about how RNRA is embedded in establishments. Capture practitioner good practice, specifically on parental engagement and pupil voice and hold a conference to disseminate this good practice • Pilot a school-based LIAM model in 2 secondary schools to provide another layer of support to young people experiencing anxiety • Continue to lead the West Partnership Strategic PSE group, our MHWB Action Group and involve young people, regarding ongoing development of PSE/HWB resources and self- evaluation materials • Launch Alcohol and Drugs progressive digital resource, support implementation and evaluate impact • In collaboration with the West Partnership, partners in health and the voluntary sector, develop and deliver a wide range of high quality professional learning and resources to support effective implementation of the mental, social and emotional strands of HWB • Host our first PSE Conference for secondary teachers within Pupil Support to focus on skills and confidence of staff developing and delivering programmes within the HWB curricular areas, self-evaluation and pupil voice • Develop supervision structures as wellbeing interventions to support staff (Pupil Support Coordinators) in pilot establishments • Provide the training and resources to extend MVP programme across the remaining secondary schools and ASN schools. Pilot the Education Scotland partnership programme between Mental Health Foundation Ambassador Training and MVP • Support the development of languages learning, teaching and assessment through provision of high quality professional learning for staff at all levels • In partnership with University of Strathclyde, and building on previous work, deliver ‘Inquiry Based Learning in Primary 3’ training to a further cohort of teachers and provide establishment follow up visits to support the implementation • Deliver the ‘Exploring Pedagogy in Primary 1’ training course to a further cohort • Introduce the ‘Being Me’ course to early years practitioners which aims to smooth transition from early years to school and build on prior learning to support raising of attainment in Primary 1 Page 62 of 184
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Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 37 Parental Engagement Education Standards and Quality Report September 2019 36 Building on the creative and innovative ways that establishments engaged with parents during lockdown and in periods of remote learning, almost all of our establishments have retained the most efficient and effective aspects of this practice particularly in relation to the use of digital platforms. We recognise that research shows that when parents/carers are involved in and engage with their children’s learning, and when children and young people live in a supportive home learning environment, it improves children and young people’s attainment and achievement. It is important that we gather the opinions and feedback of parents to evaluate the progress we are making and to identify areas for improvement. We also aim to increase the voice of parents/carers in leading improvement within schools and early years settings. One way of achieving this is through encouraging parents/ carers to participate in the national Parental Involvement and Engagement (PIE) Census which has generated a rich data set at school and local authority level. Over 3000 Renfrewshire parents/carers provided responses in the 2022 PIE census. The majority were satisfied with how the school engaged with them and were satisfied with the number of communications on general information about the school. However, approximately half of primary and ASN and a majority of secondary parents/carers did not think communication about their child’s learning was frequent enough. The majority reported that they are able to contact schools and find them approachable, but a lower proportion felt that the school sought their views and opinions. The majority of parents/carers that are on a Parent Council reported that the senior management teams take on board their views and they identified fundraising and representing the views of parents as their main activities. Due to the Covid restrictions, it was to be expected that parents/carers had fewer opportunities to engage in family learning and this is reflected in the survey responses. Across all sectors, over half would like to be more involved in the life of the school. At local authority and school/centre level, we will use these results to identify areas for improvement and to inform planning. Throughout the past year we have continued to develop ‘Non-Violent Resistance’ (NVR) approaches to support children, young people and families. Engagement in the programme has been high with 48 families supported through 10 NVR Parent Groups. The streamlining of data collection methods and analysis of parent group data to assess the longer-term impact and outcomes, is ongoing. However, anecdotally, parents highlighted: the positive impact of de-escalation strategies; their increased understanding of the importance of self-care in helping them to build positive relationships with their child; and the supportive nature of the group. As part of our implementation plan to support whole-school NVR, 6 schools have started on the exploration of NVR through their RNRA implementation pathway with more planning to develop this in the next academic year. Almost all respondents reported improvements in confidence in managing and de-escalating distressed and distressing behaviour. 116 staff from across all sectors were successfully trained at NVR Level One. Following training, almost all respondents reported increased knowledge and understanding of anxiety/trauma responses, Parental Engagement practical strategies for de-escalation and practical strategies for rebuilding/repairing relationships. In collaboration with Professor Janet Goodall from Swansea University, Phase 1 of our parental engagement research project was completed. This project is helping us meet the priorities and goals of ‘Learning Together’ (Scottish Government 2018), and our own strategic goals, by providing targeted training and support for senior leaders and school staff, bringing senior leaders and practitioners together to share good practice, led by an acknowledged expert in the field. It will provide evidence of current good practice within Renfrewshire, as a basis from which to build future plans in phase two of the project. The research project combined qualitative and quantitative research methods and methodologies and included case studies of good practice around parental engagement in learning. These methods allowed the project to capture not only a wide range of views from school practitioners (in open questions in surveys and case studies) but also provided a firm grounding for recommendations moving forward, based on data derived from the surveys. Of the 12 schools who participated, 3 were identified as Case Study schools who shared their good practice with others. This, in addition to the interim report findings from Professor Goodall, supported all participating schools to develop their plans for engaging and involving parents in their child’s learning for school session 2022-23. The Pizza Learning programme delivered an innovative combination of online and outdoor sessions before finally returning to face-to-face groups in April 2022 in targeted schools. Of the 188 participating families, almost all identified the major benefits as being an increase in their child’s motivation to read and engage with books; a growth in children’s self-confidence though taking part in the activities; and the whole family having an opportunity to learn together and make connections within the school community. ‘ Pizza reading has been great for us as a family to have time to interact, have fun and be creative. J’s reading skills have come on since attending and his confidence has grown.’ Parent ‘ My kids are a testament to the effectiveness of this programme. Teaching a child to read is a part of the foundation for a good education, however helping a child develop the love for books can unlock great potential in that child.’ Parent This year the family learning team worked in partnership with Renfrewshire Libraries in piloting the FAB (Find A Book) project. The main outcomes are promoting reading for pleasure, improving access to learning opportunities and materials, and closing the attainment gap. Families signed up for library tickets, were encouraged to explore local library resources, and local authors visited their Pizza Reading sessions. Inclusion Support Assistants (ISAs) have worked collaboratively with pupil support teams and external partners to provide very good support to 97 vulnerable learners in school and at home. ISAs work with pupils and their wider families to develop strategies to overcome a range of difficulties. One element of this work is in developing positive communication channels 36 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Page 63 of 184
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38 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 39 Parental EngagementParental Engagement between home and school. The home-school relationship has improved in just under three- quarters of our pupils with 68% of families being engaged or very engaged with the school. ISAs use the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators to identify areas for improvement which can be targeted with specific interventions. ‘ [Pupil] is becoming better at regulating his emotions and is able to identify when he needs a sensory break. This has made a huge difference to his learning, allowing him to achieve within the school setting.’ Inclusion Support Assistant Since August 2021, the Language Bank has been used to effectively to support families through 50 face to face/telephone interpreting tasks and 30 written translation tasks. As a result of the support provided by the interpreters, families and schools have been able to: ensure letters from school were sent to families in their own language; ensure families welfare and education needs were supported through the ongoing effects of Covid; communicate on the progress of their children ‘Wakes me up, talking to my friends, activities, healthy breakfast, gets me ready for the day.’ Child Next Steps • Audit, update and unify NVR materials for parent groups, Level 1 delivery and whole- school training. Review and audit existing NVR evaluative measures and data collection methods. Build capacity and the experience of NVR trained staff to increase number of groups • Continue collaboration with Janet Goodall Swansea University to deliver Phase 2 of the Parental Engagement Research Project • Working in partnership, the HWB Development Officer and the Educational Psychology and receive support where required; apply for vital benefits with support; and progress their own English language and communication skills. In addition, children and families were supported in meetings involving their children including ‘Team around the Child’ and home link meetings. Parent Council Chairs from across Renfrewshire are regularly briefed and consulted on progress in taking forward improvement priorities by Children’s Services’ Directorate. During school closures, the Director of Children’s Services continued to meet virtually with Parent Council Chairs and this approach has continued throughout the last academic session. Parent Council Chairs from secondary schools were invited to be part of the consultation exercise to gather views on the national Health and Wellbeing Census. Their views helped to shape the final questionnaire. Breakfast clubs were set up as part of the Tackling Poverty action plan with the aim of providing children and young people with a nutritional breakfast to support learning in targeted schools. To understand the impact in a holistic way, data was collected from children, parents/carers and a range of practitioners involved in the delivery of the clubs. Service will deliver online information sessions on resilience, coping strategies, self-harm and suicide to support the knowledge and confidence of parents/carers regarding the wellbeing of their children and young people • Work with Community Learning and Development colleagues and Education Scotland to deliver training for school leaders and class teachers to develop an enhanced understanding of parents and families and cultivate a whole school ethos towards parental engagement • Further develop methods to support families with English as an Additional Language particularly families from Ukraine and surrounding areas • Provide bespoke support to schools around co-evaluation, co-creation and improvement planning in the area of parental engagement, making use of the West Partnership Self- Evaluation Toolkit • Use the Parental Involvement and Engagement census data set to inform improvement priorities at local authority and school/centre level Almost all respondents agreed that attendance at the club had improved the child’s readiness to learn. Almost all parents responded that they felt comfortable leaving their child at the club. Almost all children stated that attendance at the breakfast club improved their concentration throughout the day. ‘ Children are more awake and ready to learn as they have had a positive start to the day. They focus much better from when the bell rings at 9’ Practitioner ‘ Breakfast club has helped my family massively. It helps with my starting time at work and ensures my child has a safe place to be which she enjoys thoroughly. Especially all of the sporty activities!’ Parent Page 64 of 184
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Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 41 Assessment of Children’s Progress 40 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2020 Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment and Moderation A range of effective formative and summative assessment approaches have been used across early years establishments and primary schools to assess children’s progress in literacy and numeracy. This has been particularly important as we recover from the effects of the pandemic. Our focus has been on identifying any gaps in learning and attainment and planning effective interventions to close those gaps. All teachers continue to develop confidence in making effective judgements about children’s progress. Despite moderation activity across schools being hindered due to Covid restrictions, creative online solutions were found to enable teachers and practitioners to work together and share standards. Schools and local authority Subject Networks have continued to build on the effective practice developed during the Alternative Certification Model to ensure that assessments and teacher judgments are robust and meet the National Standard. Assessing the wellbeing needs of children and young people has also been a priority in all establishments. A variety of different approaches have been used across centres cohort. The percentage of Renfrewshire leavers entering Higher Education is above the national figure but slightly behind the virtual comparator. Within further education, Renfrewshire is slightly above the virtual comparator but below the national figure. Attainment in literacy and numeracy continues to be strong. Over the last 5 years, Literacy has increased by 5pp and Numeracy has increased by 4pp with both being ahead of the virtual comparator. The percentage of young people achieving SCQF Level 4 and SCQF Level 5 is ahead of both virtual comparator and national figures. Average total tariff points continue to increase year on year. The average total tariff points of SIMD 20% most deprived leavers has increased by 106 points in the last 3 years. The positive destinations figure for leavers from SIMD Quintile 1 has returned to the 2019 figure after a small dip in 2020. Average total tariff points have increased across all attainment cohorts since 2018/19 but Renfrewshire remains slightly behind the virtual comparator in the middle attainment cohort. The gap between SIMD 30% most and 70% least deprived pupils has narrowed slightly in 2019/20 but there is a flat trend over the previous 4 years. and schools including use of the ‘Glasgow Motivation and Profiling Wellbeing’ tool, Pupil Attitude to Self and School (PASS) and the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators to measure a child and young person’s motivation and sense of wellbeing. All Renfrewshire pupils in P5 – S6 were invited to participate in the Scottish Government Health and Wellbeing Census 2022. Over 10,600 children and young people responded to questions covering 28 thematic areas including mental health, general activities, relationships, sexual health, substance use and school attitudes and experiences. The data has been collated and analysed at individual school level and local authority level. Results will be used to inform planning for improvement to ensure universal and targeted interventions are in place to support children and young people. Through our ‘Children and Young People Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021/2022’, we ensure that children and young people and their families get the right help at the right time to prevent small issues that affect wellbeing escalating into bigger problems. We strive to deliver a system-wide provision of mental health and wellbeing supports for all, at the level of early Achievement of a Level Data— P1,4,7 and S3 (Provisional) Prior to the pandemic, very good progress had been made in improving levels of attainment in literacy and numeracy and in closing the poverty related attainment gap. Data from the Achievement of a CfE Level (ACEL) returns indicated that increases in attainment in literacy and numeracy had been maintained or surpassed. The attainment gap between children living in the most deprived areas and those living in the least deprived areas had continued to decrease across most measures since 2016/17. Lockdown, school closures and increased absence rates have significantly impacted on the attainment and achievement of our children living in the most deprived areas; this caused the attainment gaps to widen. We have been very proactive from the outset in supporting establishments to recover and improve. Visiting every establishment with a focus on attainment and achievement, allowed us to provide targeted support where it was needed most. Local authority and school level interventions are already proving to be successful. In June 2022, ACEL data in P1,4 and 7 combined intervention. A coordinated approach to delivering supports, training and programmes through ‘Ren10’ is ensuring that we are working towards the strategy aims: to ensure children and young people get help when they need it; hear their voice about what is needed; provide help from a skilled network with appropriate training and supervision; and their relationships to make them stronger, protect their wellbeing, and build ‘belonging’. School Leavers The percentage of 2020/21 Renfrewshire school leavers in a positive destination is 96.5%. This represents an increase of 2.5 percentage points (pp) since 2019/20 and the highest figure achieved in the last 5 years. Renfrewshire is slightly ahead of the virtual comparator and national positive destinations figures. The percentage of leavers going into employment has rebounded to 22.2% after a dip to 16.8% in 2020. The percentage of Renfrewshire leavers entering employment is above the virtual comparator but slightly behind the national figure. The percentage of leavers entering Higher Education continues to grow with a record 48.9% entering university from this shows that the attainment gap between Quintile 1 (20% most deprived) and Q5 (20% least deprived) has decreased for both literacy and numeracy in comparison to the last academic year. In S3, the percentage of pupils achieving third level for Literacy and Numeracy has fallen in comparison to pre-pandemic cohorts. At fourth level progress has been made in Numeracy whilst the percentage of pupils achieving fourth level Literacy has remained the same. We are confident that our planned improvement priorities will support us to achieve our stretch aims and return to pre pandemic attainment levels by June 2023. Due to the pandemic there was no national collection of ACEL data in 2020. In 2021, the data was collected nationally for P1, 4 and 7 only. 40 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Page 65 of 184
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42 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 43 Literacy (SIMD Quintiles) 60 50 70 90 80 100 2017 2018 2019 2020 2012 75 74 73 75 75 76 76 76 78 80 Assessment of Children’s Progress Renfrewshire attainment School Leavers S4–S6 Percentage of leavers achieving level 5 literacy Literacy up 5 percentage points over the last 5 years Percentage of leavers achieving level 5 numeracy Numeracy up 4 percentage points over the last 5 yearsr 96.5% of school leavers went on to positive destinations Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment of Children’s Progress Quintile 1 42 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 43 Virtual ComparatorRenfrewshie Renfrewshie Renfrewshie National National Quintile 5 2019 2020 2021 923 989 1114 1006950 889 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 655 720 761 721673632 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 92 90 92 99.897.296.9 Average Total Tariff— All Leavers Average Total Tariff— SIMD 20% Most Deprived Leavers Percentage of Leavers in Positive Destinations by Quintile SIMD Quintile 1 (20% Most Deprived) & SIMD Quintile 5 (20% Least Deprived) Average Total Tariff’s continue to increase year on year. The average total tariff points of SIMD 20% Most Deprived leavers has increased by 106 points in the last 3 years. The positive destinations figure for leavers from SIMD Quintile 1 has returned to the 2019 figure after a small dip in 2020. Literacy (SIMD Quintiles) 60 50 70 90 80 100 2017 2018 2019 2020 2012 86 85 86 86 86 88 87 87 88 90 Page 66 of 184
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44 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2020 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2020 45 Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment of Children’s Progress Attainment in most areas has rebounded after a decrease in the 2020/21 academic year 44 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 45 BGE Attainment Percentage Achieving Expected Level S3 Attainment Percentage of pupils achieving expected levels for literacy and numeracy (S3) The percentage of pupils achieving the third level for Literacy and Numeracy has fallen in comparison to pre-pandemic cohorts. At the fourth level progress has been made in Numeracy whilst the percentage of pupils achieving fourth level Literacy has remained the same. 2017 2018 2019 2020 Listening & Talking % 91909293 88868988 90879089 25 50 75 P1 100 P4 P7 25 50 75 Reading % P1 100 P4 P7 8380 8686 77788182 83808382 25 50 75 Writing % P1 100 P4 P7 81788383 6970 7677 7370 7676 Numeracy % 88879090 74768081 79798177 25 50 75 P1 100 P4 P7 Literacy % 92 48 94 54 95 60 85 60 25 50 75 100 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2021/22 Numeracy % 93 56 93 67 95 68 91 73 25 50 75 100 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2021/22 Literacy 3rd Level Literacy 4th Level Page 67 of 184
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46 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 47 Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment of Children’s Progress 46 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 The percentage of pupils achieving expected levels for literacy and numeracy has increased slightly from the 20/21 academic year but remains behind pre-pandemic levels across all quintiles. Attainment Gaps Percentage achieving expected levels for literacy and numeracy (P1/P4/P7 combined) The attainment gap between Q1 and Q5 has decreased for both literacy and numeracy in comparison to the last academic year. Quintile 1 (20% Most Deprived) Quintile 2 Quintile 3 Quintile 4 Quintile 5 (20% least Deprived) Literacy (SIMD Quintiles) 60 50 70 90 80 100 17/18 18/19 20/21 21/22 Numeracy (SIMD Quintiles) 60 50 70 90 80 100 17/18 18/19 20/21 21/22 Since August 2021, Place2Be have supported nearly 600 children and young people in targeted schools; 90 children and young people participated in 1-1 therapeutic counselling and a further 509 children and young people were supported through Place2Talk drop-in sessions. In addition, 62 parents benefitted from parent partnership support and over 200 school staff were supported in Place2Think sessions. In the last academic session, The Exchange have supported over 1770 children and young people through 1-1 therapeutic counselling. This represents an increase in referrals of more than 55% since the same time period last year. The service was expanded to include children under 10 years of age as well as the facility to provide counselling for parents where appropriate. In addition to 1-1 counselling, 4 online groups were successful in supporting targeted P7 children with transition through the Adventure Programme. Participation was high and feedback from children and staff very positive. The new resilience programme for children under 7, Caterpillar Butterfly, has been successfully delivered to individuals and small groups in some Renfrewshire schools. Transition Support We continue to support establishments to narrow the gap for disadvantaged groups and give support to targeted children, young people and families at key transitions. Transition teachers continued to work successfully across primary and secondary schools to support curricular transitions for targeted children and young people. Both P7 and S1 young people have been supported with literacy and numeracy learning universally through team teaching and in a targeted way to meet individual needs. 90 young people in S1 from 7 Renfrewshire secondary schools completed an evaluation survey on the experience of working with Transition teachers. Most respondents strongly agreed or agreed that Transition teachers had helped them settle into high school learning, provided help when needed and supported them to identify skills they needed to work on. Pedagogical differences between primary and secondary sectors can pose difficulties for pupils. Overcoming these differences by making links between previous learning experiences is another key element in positive transitions. 72% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that transition teachers had helped them make links between primary and secondary learning and improve their confidence in literacy and numeracy skill. Counselling services Both The Exchange and Place2Be continue to provide very good school-based counselling services to support children and young people across our primary, secondary and ASN schools. Quarterly reports provide information on referral numbers and themes, impact data, case studies and analysis by gender and year groups. This evidence shows that the counselling services are supporting improvements in the emotional wellbeing of children, young people, staff and families. In addition, the services have been flexible and responsive in providing emotional support to groups of children, young people and staff to cope with critical incidents in school communities. The top referral theme each quarter continues to be ‘anxiety’. Professional learning, information sessions and video support has been provided for school staff and children and young people in coping with anxiety. Page 68 of 184
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48 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 49 Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment of Children’s Progress • Staff from an early years assessment and development base were successful in working on an outreach basis with early years establishments which meant that children could be supported within their own communities. • A PT was seconded to work with secondary schools to build on good practice in support for learning, working on an outreach basis from Mary Russell ASN school to share specialist knowledge and experience, resulting in a more skilled and supported Support for Learning workforce in mainstream. • A programme of ASN professional learning was put in place for identified staff. This included: a series of 3 session inputs on autism awareness to support P1/S1 where there was identified need; all Education Psychologists trained in Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support (SCERTS) with a view to rolling out to address need; staff trained in Renfrewshire Inclusive Communication Environment (RICE) and Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) to support schools with P1 entrants with ASN; and The CIRCLE framework training to improve inclusive classroom practice was rolled out to all secondary schools. ‘ My daughter built a trusting relationship with [the counsellor] which helped her open up and learn how to talk about her feelings’ Parent Supporting Inclusion of vulnerable Children and Young People Since the inception of the Additional Support Needs (ASN) review in Renfrewshire, important work has taken place across our specialist provision to ensure that more children can be supported within their own communities. This has included re-aligning of staff resources where appropriate and staff professional development. This work will be built on during session 2022-23. One of the key messages from the national review of additional support for learning, “Support for learning: all our children and all their potential” was that children and young people want to be included in their schools and communities. This view was echoed within our ASN review engagement with children and young people which took place at the beginning of the review and again more recently in June 2022. The lessons learned from our ASN Review have paved the way forward for inclusion in Renfrewshire and will ensure that our resources are aligned in the best way possible to meet the needs of all children and young people. We will also build on our excellent leadership and professional learning commitments to ensure that we build capacity across our workforce. There are very good examples in Renfrewshire where schools are adapting their culture and environments to the benefit of all children and young people as well as providing responsive personalised adjustments for individual children and young people. A number of small tests of change took place to operationalise aspects of the Additional Support Needs (ASN) locality inclusion model prior to full implementation. • A locality manager was engaged in the primary sector Johnstone/Linwood locality and progressed inclusive approaches to supporting children within their own locality. This involved working with staff in mainstream schools, engaging with parents and children and providing training and support. Ultimately several children were maintained in their mainstream schools who previously would have been placed in specialist provision. All involved felt supported by the process and engagement. • A specialist Principal Teacher (PT) was placed part time within a mainstream secondary school to support the secondary schools within the Paisley locality. This resulted in successful P7-S1 transition to mainstream school for several children. The PT worked with staff in mainstream secondaries to mentor and support staff in Social Emotional and Behavioural Needs (SEBN) interventions and approaches and this resulted in increased confidence of staff in dealing with distressed behaviour. • A specialist PT was placed within a mainstream secondary school to create a secondary locality support team and this initiative was successful in supporting children with a range of needs within the Johnstone/Linwood locality on both an inreach and an outreach basis. ‘ I was able to talk to my teacher and tell her that I was feeling sad, you helped me understand that when I talk about my feelings, I can get help.’ Primary Pupil ‘ Having someone to talk with and not feel what I’m thinking is stupid has helped me understand me.’ Secondary Pupil ‘ The communication from the Counsellor is outstanding and we love her. We are 100% confident when referring a YP because we know what a difference that support is making.’ Secondary Pupil Support Teacher Page 69 of 184
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50 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 51 Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment of Children’s Progress Care Experienced Children and Young People—The Promise A wide range of effective supports have been established and implemented for care experienced children and young people across Renfrewshire. Excellent progress has been made in supporting the implementation of The Promise in Renfrewshire and raising its profile throughout the Children’s Services Partnership. Learning and development sessions have been delivered to staff to help them understand the relevance of the Promise to their work and the wider service. A Promise self-evaluation tool has been created to help professionals self- evaluate against aspects of The Promise, focusing on learning and development and values. A Promise Ambassador was recruited in July 2021 to support the implementation of the Promise across the local authority and drive forward the key recommendations of The Independent Care Review. A large component of this role has been to raise the profile of the Promise through engaging with a wide range of staff teams and partners. Through awareness raising sessions, points of interest and relevance are highlighted to ensure all partners understand what role they play in ensuring that care experienced children and young people are appropriately supported. To support this work further, a set of values have been developed for professionals who wish to #KeepthePromise. These individuals are our Promise Keepers in Renfrewshire and are from a range of services and organisations. Promise Keepers are formally recruited and are responsible for acting as a champion for The Promise, ensuring that the recommendations and priorities remain at the forefront of discussions around service delivery and design. SPACE The Supporting Attendance and Attainment of Care Experienced children and young people (SPACE) team are effectively supporting over 50 care experienced children and young people. Staff are supporting learning, particularly around the transitions between primary school to secondary and working jointly with Home School links on “Circle of friends”, a support programme within the school. Work takes place in smaller groups to look at “facing my fear” to help address anxiety and build confidence. Building relationships with children and their families and being able to gain their trust has been a strength of the SPACE team. Staff have been working on increasing confidence and supporting parents/carers to value the educational experience of their children. Some of the families have taken part in Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) interventions where staff work with the whole family on how they interact with each other as well as offering behavioural strategies. The SPACE team also support parents/carers by offering a wide range of practical support including housing support, school grants, accessing free bus travel, attendance at children’s hearings and advocating on families’ behalf with agencies. In October 2021, following discussions with the climbing charity ‘Urban Uprising’, 10 young people from the SPACE Project took part in climbing sessions for ten weeks. The children and young people came from schools across Renfrewshire and were aged between 7 -15 yrs. Over the ten sessions the children participated in various team building activities, developing their confidence and self-esteem as well as focussing on other transferable skills such as communication, trust and empathy. Aberlour Attain Our Aberlour Attain mentoring service is providing bespoke mentoring support to help raise attainment and improve the life chances of 58 care experienced young people. Aberlour staff and volunteers continued their contact with young people throughout the pandemic. This occurred at a time when some other services withdrew and when families were experiencing particular vulnerability. Aberlour diverted activities’ budgets to the provision of food parcels, electricity cards and educational and leisure resources to families in need during the pandemic. The consistency of relationships between staff and volunteers and young people has allowed the development of strong relationships with the family as a group, and enabled a better understanding of the individual young person’s needs. Aberlour are now delivering weekly youth groups engaging with our young people to participate within their local community to help reduce their social isolation. Children and young people in supported accommodation were given the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities to support their interests, build relationships and develop confidence in areas such as Art and Drumming. The feedback from those who participated was positive. ‘ I can’t believe how much more confident I feel now about asking the teacher for help when I’m struggling in class, this is because my mentor has helped me believe in myself.’ Young person ‘ When I first met with Aberlour I didn’t think I would be able to meet a mentor as I had no confidence and felt socially awkward/isolated, I am now at college and have a part-time job on the local radio station.’ Young person ‘ I don’t know what I would do without you, you are always on the other end of the phone or available to come to school meeting with me for the boys. I don’t have anyone else to help me and you have never let me down.’ Parent United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Awareness raising of UNCRC legislation was undertaken with all Heads of establishments in January 2022. Following this an audit was carried out to establish current position in relation to compliance in order to agree priority areas. The audit established that almost all Renfrewshire schools and early years centres were either already on the UNCRC journey or would focus on it as part of their improvement plan for the coming session. Renfrewshire youth services engaged young people in strategic planning at West Partnership level and with Scottish Government on an animation project to raise awareness of children’s rights. Page 70 of 184
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52 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 53 Assessment of Children’s Progress Assessment of Children’s Progress Next Steps • Using Achievement of a Level data collected in June 2022, provide targeted bespoke support in literacy, numeracy, health & wellbeing and digital learning • Improve employability skills and support all of our young people to enter positive and sustained post-school destinations • Increase knowledge, and consistency of planning and delivering high quality learning, teaching, assessment and moderation across all sectors. Establish a Renfrewshire Assessment and Moderation Strategy Group (RAMG) to carry out a needs analysis and lead on authority-wide activities • Support establishments to utilise the West Partnership Portal to self-evaluate schools’ and ELCC approaches to moderation • Provide opportunities for establishments to participate in relevant professional learning in assessment and moderation • In partnership with Educational Psychology colleagues, revise our current procedures for the identification of young people with specific literacy difficulties and provide a range of CLPL and resources to support practitioners • Support schools to use the HWB Census data to identify HWB priorities and inform improvement planning. Work with partners in health and beyond to identify, and develop plans to address, local authority areas for improvement • Support schools to plan collaboratively with Transition teachers, parents and partners to support seamless literacy and numeracy learning transition for targeted young people from P7-S1 • Continue to provide counselling services available to all children P1 – S6. Expand the service to provide supervision support for Pupil Support staff • Implement our Inclusion Strategy which is grounded in Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), the UNCRC, the Promise Plan 21-24 and the ASL Review (2020) • Update and refresh the staged intervention framework through a shared vision and improved integrated working across all services • Supported by the Education Psychology Service (EPS), implement an Assessment Framework that will enable practitioners to better identify barriers to learning and strengthen decision making around staged intervention • Create a suite of interventions to ensure children and families are supported appropriately and equitably through a Request for Assistance mechanism • Working with all stakeholders, including professional associations, design a locality model to provide a framework for inclusion • Map workforce roles and responsibilities across locality including specialist resources • Led through the EPS, support establishments to better understand the rights and policies that underpin inclusion • In partnership with EPS, identify professional learning needs in each locality to inform service delivery, targeted training and enhance collaborative working practices across establishments • Further develop the Locality Inclusion Support Network (LISN) • Use lessons learned from our ASN Review to ensure that our resources are aligned in the best way possible to meet the needs of all children and young people • Review practice and procedures within ASN schools to ensure quality of service and to provide aspects of learning for mainstream schools • Deliver on ‘The Promise’, supporting care experienced children and young people, through a range of programmes and approaches • Identify and share areas of best practice using data from The Promise Self-Evaluation tool • Establish a support network of Promise Keepers and provide appropriate training and development opportunities to further encourage joint working and collaboration • Ensure the rights laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) are embedded in policy in line with legislation Page 71 of 184
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Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 55 School Improvement 54 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Assessment of Children’s ProgressSchool Improvement We continue to maintain and build upon key strengths that were identified in our Scottish Attainment Challenge Summary of Progress 2015-20. Current key strengths include: • A sector-leading approach to professional learning including a highly effective leadership programme. • A skilled Development Officer team who provide bespoke, targeted and universal support to establishments. • Well-structured programme management ensuring clearly defined approaches. • Evidence-based approaches to the teaching of literacy and numeracy leading to delivery of a high-quality literacy curriculum. • Evidence-based approaches to the teaching of numeracy and mathematics and impact of the Modelling and Coaching Officers leading to improved pedagogy. • A clear 5 year Digital plan that is bringing about improvements in infrastructure, resources and digital pedagogy. • Staff that are skilled at recognising and addressing the impact of poverty on families. The poverty related attainment gap is narrowing as schools recover. • Support for schools to deliver a Senior Phase which ensures appropriate pathways for young people and provides them with the opportunity to achieve a range of qualifications. • An increase in positive destinations for leavers from areas of highest deprivation. • The views and voices of children and young people are shaping improvements across the authority. • The roles of Inclusion Support Assistants and Transition teachers have supported improved attendance, reduction in exclusions and transitions among targeted groups. • A wide range of high-quality services, supports and resources are available to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of all children, young people and families. • Almost all establishments are fully engaged in Renfrewshire’s Nurturing Relationships Approach and there is a wide range of high- quality services and resources available to support the health and wellbeing of all children, young people and families. • The authority’s approach to the use of data to inform all aspects of its work leading to the development of a positive data culture. • Partnerships with a range of academic partners to ensure programmes and approaches are evidence-based and that impact evaluation is rigorous. During the last academic session, our planned Quality Improvement programme adapted and evolved to meet the needs of school and early years communities and to assist the recovery process in our aim to achieve equity and excellence across all establishments. Education Managers/ELC Officers and Heads of Service visited all establishments twice during the session to provide support and challenge in relation to improvement planning and attainment. To promote empowerment, collaboration and sharing of effective practice, Heads were organised into trios of mixed experience and met on 2 occasions to focus 54 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 on Quality Indicator (QI) 3.1 and to discuss improvement planning. Feedback gathered from the first round of trios was overwhelmingly positive with almost all Heads agreeing that the opportunity to collaborate with peers in this way was helpful in supporting improvement. Almost all establishment reviews and digital thematic reviews were postponed due to widespread school staff absences throughout the session. These will be incorporated into our Quality Improvement Framework next session. In line with Scottish Government advice, establishments have been issued with clear guidance and advice on improvement planning and reporting on standards and quality. In addition, Education Managers visited all schools to discuss the rationale for improvement plan priorities and the impact/outcomes and measures. Our Attainment Advisor provided valuable bespoke support for schools in relation to PEF planning. To ensure leaders felt supported, Education Managers/ELC Officers chaired regular online small group meetings with their link Heads of establishment to provide information updates, share practice on what was working particularly well, and provide time for open discussion on issues arising. Feedback from Heads indicated that they very much valued these opportunities to collaborate in small groups with colleagues who were experiencing similar challenges. Facilitated by the Head of Scrutiny at Education Scotland, and to build capacity across the central team and schools, Education Managers and Senior leaders from one high school participated in professional learning sessions to explore QI 2.3 Learning, Teaching and Assessment. A mix of professional discussion and class visits enabled participants to challenge their thinking, agree standards and expectations, and support the establishment’s own self-evaluation. The enhanced skills of participants will be used to support others as part of establishment review teams next session. High quality professional learning on ‘Self- evaluation for Continuous Improvement’ was provided by our Attainment Adviser and colleagues from Education Scotland to Heads and Deputes across all sectors. All Early Years and Primary Deputes and almost all Secondary Deputes agreed/strongly agreed that the professional learning increased their knowledge and understanding and confidence in applying their learning in practice. ‘ This has been extremely useful training and I feel this will increase my knowledge and skill in collecting data and evaluative writing. Sessions were highly engaging and a great opportunity to network.’ Early Years Depute ‘ Excellent relatable examples of how aspects of the training can positively impact on practice within establishment. I particularly found the up levelling task for evaluative writing very useful. This training was presented very effectively and was very pertinent.’ Primary Depute Page 72 of 184
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56 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 57 School ImprovementSchool Improvement Renfrewshire schools’ self-evaluation gradings of the 4 core Quality Indicators as of June 2022 Quality Indicator % schools’ self-evaluation grading ‘Good’ or better QI 1.3 Leadership of Change 93% QI 2.3 Learning, Teaching & Assessment 96% QI 3.1 Improving wellbeing, equality and inclusion 95% QI 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement 89% Digital Learning Very good progress has been made in implementing Year 2 of our 5-year Digital Plan – Assess, Build, Innovate. Our strategy is underpinned by the aim to develop high quality learning and teaching that leads to improved levels of attainment and achievement in all of our establishments. Infrastructure To improve our infrastructure and ensure that all children, young people and schools have access to hardware, wifi and well-researched digital platforms/software to ensure equity and improve outcomes: • Comms World connections have been made to almost all establishments, with the remainder hoping to be complete by August 2022. • a business case for wi-fi completed and ready for Digital Board. Following approval of this, surveys will be carried out across all establishments. Resources—Capacity and Capability To ensure all practitioners have improved skills and increased confidence in using digital tools to enhance learning, teaching and parental engagement: • a pilot Digital Learning Thematic Visit was carried out. This allowed the model to be tested and approved and will be used to inform the Thematic Visits and school reviews moving forward. • a Digital Needs survey was carried out across Secondary Departments, Primary Schools and Early Learning and Childcare Centres (ELCC). The results allowed us to pinpoint what existing support was available, including pre-recorded videos and collections of curated materials, and sign-post schools to this. In addition, further professional learning was identified for next session. • our rolling refresh programme for digital devices and peripherals is underway. An additional £800K has been invested in replacements and repairs, including Windows 10 laptops for teaching staff and projectors being replaced with Promethean Panels. • the Digital Manager and Digital Schools Award team worked with schools to develop their understanding of the DSAS and to progress their Digital Schools Award journey. A further 5 schools gained their Digital Schools Award Scotland (DSAS) this session meaning that just over 37% of schools in Renfrewshire have achieved this nationally recognised award, with another 25% now registered for the award. Schools who gained their award this session have agreed to support other schools on this journey throughout next session. Engagement, Coordination and Communication Creative use of various digital platforms has strengthened family learning in almost all establishments. • During Cyber Scotland Week we held 2 Get Safe Online sessions – one for staff in schools and one for parents to provide an overview of what children and young people may experience online. All staff attendees felt their confidence, knowledge and skills had increased and said they would implement what they have learned and share with colleagues. Parents rated the session 4.81 out of 5. Nine schools successfully participated in Get Safe Online Ambassador Training to schools. ‘It was very informative. There’s so much to learn. It was honestly mind blowing….”“Very helpful - actually watched it with my child and it generated good conversations around internet safety.’ Parent ‘ I felt the session was very informative and covered lots of areas regarding online safety. It was well delivered!’ Teacher • In order to support the Scottish Government’s promise of 1-2-1 devices for all learners from P1 – S6, the National Digital Discovery Survey was completed at the end of February. Within this, we considered our existing infrastructure plans (including our current Wi-Fi provision), how devices are shared across learners and the support we are currently offering to schools. Learning, Teaching and Assessment • We provided professional learning on digital learning pedagogy to promote a shared understanding and provision of high quality learning online. Almost all establishments have engaged with either bespoke or tailored support and/or CLPL There were 34 CLPL sessions with over 880 staff taking part and 47 establishments accessing bespoke or tailored support. Each CLPL session was rated 4 or more out of 5 and almost all staff reported that confidence, knowledge and skills had increased as a result of the session, with 80% of attendees intending to implement or share what they learned with colleagues. ‘ I found it really helpful to see a variety of ways Sway can be used especially as I am a beginner. The variations included from the presenters was brilliant!’ Teacher • For our Teach Meet in June, we had 9 staff from Early Years, Primary and Secondary volunteering to share their practice. Participants rated the session 5 out of 5 and all said they would share what they had learned with colleagues. • 10 establishments were provided with bespoke Glow blogs support, ranging from the creation of new sites to updating and redesigning existing sites. This included support time for planning and access to our Glow Blogs Wakelet. Page 73 of 184
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58 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 59 School ImprovementSchool Improvement • Our DigiLearnRen blog provides updates on all things digital with new posts being shared at least 3 times a week. It is a one-stop shop for all that is happening! This year our number of unique visitors has increased from 50 to over 300.The content includes resources such as Acceptable Use Policy, Video Conferencing Guidance, PL Calendar and useful links. The CLPL Wakelets have been viewed more than 200 times. Linked to the blog is the DigiLearnRen YouTube Channel where over 75 new videos have been published this session with over 1560 views in total. • Support on where to access all of this information was collated and shared in the Digital Needs Survey response in April 2022. • Throughout this session, groups of interested staff have been supported on their digital journeys via a Team and regular meetings with the Digital Manager. Following these meetings, 2 teachers have earned their Apple Teacher award, most have gained their Microsoft Innovative Educator badge and most of the teachers are undertaking their Google Certified Trainer, Level 1 exam. The Computing Science (CS) group evaluated the Primary resources available from Barefoot Computing and will be creating a Primary CS Pathway in the new session. Five Primary School teachers volunteered to create a Renfrewshire Progression Pathway for Primary Schools which provides suggested activities and resources to ensure progression from P1 to P7 alongside professional learning for staff. Regional Improvement Collaborative— West Partnership (WP) Renfrewshire Council education staff continue to be active leaders and participants in taking forward the actions for improvement within the 3 workstreams of the West Partnership Plan 2020-23. 18 primary teachers completed the Improving our Classrooms project in June 2022. Through attendance at a number of webinars, check-in days and participation in trio visits, all staff have further developed their knowledge and understanding of what makes highly effective classroom practice. All participants have submitted their 5000 word case study of improvement and are awaiting their results. We are confident that 100% of Renfrewshire participants will be awarded the 30 Masters Level credits for all their hard work. were supported to make appropriate curricular choices and pathways. Consortium arrangements continued to support the delivery of Advanced Highers for all young people who wished to undertake them. A bespoke work experience model was rolled out across schools, with an additional 100 work placements being available across a range of sectors. Almost all placements were filled. CLPL sessions were successfully delivered to staff across schools by Skills Development Scotland on the Career Education Standard 3-18. Evaluations evidenced that staff were becoming more confident in equipping young people with the skills required for the world of work. The target for young people moving into positive and sustained destinations was successfully overtaken and was 96.5%. The appointment of Developing the Young Workforce schools coordinators across all secondaries and ASN schools has positively impacted on earlier identification and interventions for young people at risk of not moving into a positive destination. The Renfrewshire Community Benefits Forum continues to provide an extensive range of potential employers and work placements across industry areas such as construction, hospitality and engineering, amongst others. The Development Officer for Engaging Learners continues to work closely with all secondary schools, providing support for young people identified as being at risk of not moving onto a positive destination. Earlier identification and intervention than was previously in place, including home visits where necessary, has brought about an increase in the number of young people moving into a positive destination post school. Regular meetings with key partners, including Skills Development Scotland, Invest in Renfrewshire, Developing the Young Workforce West and West College Scotland, ensure that the best possible supports and opportunities are provided for all young people, particularly the most vulnerable. During session 2021/22, there was an increase in the number of work placements available which allowed an additional 80 young people to access bespoke placements linked to future pathways. Renfrewshire’s expansion of early learning and childcare from 600 hours to 1140 All eligible children continue to access 1140 hours of high quality early learning and childcare. Highly skilled staff and high quality and stimulating learning environments are effectively supporting children to experience deeper and extended learning opportunities. Just over 95% of early years establishments in Renfrewshire have had a good or very good evaluation in their most recent Care Inspectorate Inspection report. All establishments continue to be flexible in their models of delivery to respond to the needs of children and families. Improve employability skills and support all of our young people to enter positive and sustained post- school destinations A Renfrewshire refreshed senior phase curriculum offer was launched and shared with all key stakeholders, providing information via a SWAY on all senior phase pathways and opportunities available. All young people in the senior phase Page 74 of 184
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60 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 61 School ImprovementSchool Improvement The My Future Pathway online employability resource has been updated and continues to provide helpful information and support to young people. Employability workshops were again successful, providing support to young people preparing for the world of work. The My Future Pathway construction programme was able to be delivered in person and saw 12 young people complete the course and gain industry based qualifications. Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths (STEM) In 2021/22 Renfrewshire Council became established as a partnership local authority with the RAiSE (Raising Attainment in Science Education) programme, a partnership of Education Scotland, The Wood Foundation, Scottish Government and participating local authorities which aims to enhance the confidence and skills of primary school practitioners to improve learning and teaching in STEM education. Renfrewshire Council appointed a Primary Science Development Officer to support teachers with the development of learning, teaching The primary schools that participated in the First Lego League projects provided opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively to problem solve whilst developing STEM skills including engineering and coding. The Young STEM Leader award has been successfully introduced to Renfrewshire Primaries. Following teacher professional learning which allows their school to be awarding centres, some Renfrewshire primaries are now able to offer Young STEM Leader Programme in their settings. Children and young people taking part in Young STEM Leader Programme have the chance to inspire, lead and mentor their peers by creating and leading STEM activities and events within their schools. and assessment in science and STEM across the authority. This year has seen a focus on supporting our primary schools in meeting the aspirations of the National Improvement Framework, developing and promoting opportunities for learners to increase their experiences, engagement, enthusiasm and achievement in STEM and supporting the development of skills progression in STEM through real-life, contextualised learning opportunities linked to STEM careers. Almost all Renfrewshire primary schools have engaged with at least one science and STEM CLPL event or learning programme in the 2021/22 session. Opportunities with external partners for schools and learners to engage in science and STEM learning have included Primary Engineer Leaders Award, YESC Climate Smarter project, SSERC, STEM Ambassadors, Royal Navy, Rolls-Royce, First Lego League, Global Underwater Hub, The Rail Project with Network Rail, Royal Society of Chemistry and The Luge Project with Glasgow Caledonia University. Through Renfrewshire Council’s partnership with Glasgow Science Centre (GSC), almost all primary schools across the authority (over 4000 teachers and pupils) have taken part in at least one GSC Learning Lab during 2021/22. The Learning Lab programmes aim to support teachers to inspire and empower learners through relevant and varied learning experiences that take place online and in the classroom over several weeks, and include Professional Learning for teachers, chances for children to interact with scientists and opportunities for family learning. A STEM Champions network has been established to facilitate the sharing of excellent and innovative practice in science teaching and learning. The majority of Renfrewshire primary schools now have a teacher as a named STEM champion or point of contact. Almost all 2021/22 Primary NQTs took part in high quality, relevant CLPL to support them in planning and delivering high quality science and STEM learning and teaching. School Estate Management Plan The school estate management plan (SEMP) identifies the actions required to improve the condition, sufficiency and suitability of the school and early years learning estate. During 2021/22 significant works have been undertaken to deliver on the Council’s aspiration to provide a learning estate which is fit for purpose and conducive to high quality learning and teaching. • Early Years expansion programme. This infrastructure expansion programme supported the delivery of 1140 hours for all entitled children. The programme delivered 4 new build early learning and childcare centres which are now complete and operational; 6 extensions to existing facilities; and 16 refurbishments. • Paisley Grammar School Community Campus (PGSCC). Work has commenced to design a new “re-imagined” learning environment for the school and its wider community, at an estimated cost of £72m. The new community campus will provide facilities for the full breadth of the curriculum, accommodating approximately 1200 pupils. It will incorporate a flexible learning resource for young people with additional support needs and a variety of facilities to support community learning and enterprise activity for the wider community. A multi-disciplinary design team (MDDT) and a principal construction partner have been appointed and a wide range of consultation has been undertaken to support and inform the design process. • Thorn Primary School. Provisional development work (feasibility stage) has been undertaken and a bid for Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) funding is being developed to supplement the Council investment already identified. Page 75 of 184
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62 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 63 School ImprovementSchool Improvement Next Steps • Implement our refreshed QIF, to promote empowerment and greater collaboration between establishments • Implement Year 3 of our 5-year Digital Plan – Assess, Build, Innovate to promote a flexible, layered and empowered approach to digital learning • Deliver the Improving our Classrooms project to a second group of primary staff • Implement pilot work placement model in 4 secondary schools to allow all young people to engage in relevant work experience • Ensure early engagement between schools and University of the West of Scotland to identify and support more young people into further and higher education • Strengthen the framework of support between Children’s Services, SDS and Invest in Renfrewshire to ensure all young people who may be at risk are identified and supported thus increasing the numbers of young people moving onto positive and sustained destinations • Further roll out of the Career Education Scotland 3-18 in partnership with SDS. Undertake focus groups of staff and young people to gauge progress and impact • Review and update senior phase offer. Work with West College Scotland on in-school Foundation Apprenticeship delivery model • Implement a programme of high quality CLPL in STEM content and effective pedagogy, reflecting practitioner needs identified in the RAiSE baseline survey. Harness resources and local support which will help develop real-life context for STEM across schools and the wider school community • Implement a quality in-house leadership development programme for primary STEM Leads/Science co-ordinators • Extend partnership working with Glasgow Science Centre to include primary children and teachers working at Early Level in addition to First and Second level • Develop opportunities for family engagement with STEM within schools and work with schools to support and implement this • Extend the Young STEM Leader Programme (YSLP) through practitioner training, increasing the number of schools delivering YSLP and celebrating achievements and successes • Implement the SEMP and, through continual assessment, consider all emerging issues impacting the efficiency and operation of the learning estate Page 76 of 184
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Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 65 Performance Information 64 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 School Improvement Across the service, a wide range of accurate data is used very well, centrally and within establishments, to monitor and track the impact on learning, raising attainment and closing the poverty related attainment gap. The Data team are highly effective in providing a range of analysis and support to the central team and schools and Early Years settings. The availability of analysis has improved through the use of interactive data dashboards, created using PowerBI data visualisation software. These dashboards include school and local authority level analysis of attainment, attendance, exclusions and demographics as well as additional data sets such as the Parental Involvement and Engagement Census and Health and Wellbeing Census. Staff are now able to produce their own analysis using report filters, can visualise key trends, and have easy access to all information provided by the team. It also improves the turnaround speed from the team receiving data and being able to share it with schools. In addition to the activities above, data team support was also provided to a range of projects including early years transitions, community health and wellbeing, active schools, and the national parental and health and wellbeing censuses. Head Teachers and teachers are becoming more skilled at understanding what the ‘gap’ means in their context. High quality support is provided through the data team as well as through the Quality Improvement Framework visits. Heads of Service and link Education Managers/ELC Officers continue to make focussed quality improvement visits to establishments with a specific focus on Quality Indicator 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement. This involves in-depth professional dialogue on key data sets and performance information used by the establishment to support improvement. Information from visits is used to: identify authority priorities for improvement; share effective practice; and provide individual support to establishments where required. School improvement plans are responsive to the data and needs of the school. Through this interrogation of data, bespoke and targeted support is provided by the team of Development Officers where appropriate. High quality online training sessions were delivered covering a variety of topics including excel skills, data management, analysis and evaluation. Feedback from these sessions was positive with almost all respondents reporting an increase in knowledge and confidence as well as ability to apply what they had learned within their roles. Additional comments within the feedback survey indicated that staff valued the interactive nature of the sessions and found the associated resources beneficial for follow up support and sharing with others. Respondents were also asked to provide information on additional training needs which will be used to inform future sessions and resources. ‘ Really high quality as always and great resources provided to use with my team’ Primary Head Teacher ‘ The practical element was very effective and relevant to what I will be using my skills for in my daily practice.’ Secondary Depute Head In December 2021, the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) team were invited to showcase our Effective Use of Data and Programme Management approaches at the SAC national event. Following the event, many new local authorities to the programme have requested support from the Renfrewshire central team in relation to data analysis and the overall management of the Attainment Challenge. A consistent and robust tracking system for Early Years settings has been developed to provide information on key developmental milestones for pre-school children. All local authority early learning and childcare establishments and funded provider nurseries have tracked and gathered the data during the current session. This has highlighted strengths and gaps in children’s development and learning and supported with the planning of next steps. Furthermore the data has been used to support children’s transition and continuity in their learning in their move to primary school. The data has been gathered centrally at the end of the school term and will be analysed to develop attainment trends and identification of training needs across the service. In addition to training, one-to-one bespoke support was provided to schools on request. This predominately focused on managing data within schools. 96% of primary schools received support to update their tracking files to improve the availability of summary figures. These changes allow schools to monitor attainment throughout the school year and provide improved presentation of cohort tracking figures. ASN schools also received support in this period to improve the availability of data. This involved analysis of SQA data, collation of leavers cohorts and creating tracking systems for school analysis. A data snapshot was gathered from all primary schools in December 2021 to assess attainment levels at that time. The data was collated and quality assured, before being analysed and shared with the central team and schools. This analysis was used to assess the continued impact of the pandemic and allowed for comparison to the Achievement of a CfE Level Return in June 2021. The findings from this analysis were shared to support planning and to identify target schools that required additional support in literacy and numeracy. Our Education Scotland Attainment Advisor makes effective use of performance information to identify schools that require support with improvement planning particularly in relation to use of PEF. He has provided very good bespoke support to 24 schools in developing a clear rationale for improvement priorities and specific outcomes to ensure that impact can be clearly measured. The use and application of local, national, and international educational research and evidence continues to be a strength in Renfrewshire and underpins authority strategies for improving learning and teaching. We work very effectively with academic partners, including the University of Strathclyde, Stanford University, University of Glasgow and Swansea University. Together we deliver and evaluate evidence-based targeted programmes and interventions to close the poverty-related attainment gap. All approaches have a strong evidence base and demonstrable impact across our schools and are available via our Strategic Equity Fund offer next session. Performance Information 6564 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Page 77 of 184
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66 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 Education Standards and Quality Report September 2022 67 Performance Information Performance Information A core component of Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership (RCSP) work has been engaging with service users and stakeholders in co-design. In partnership with Barnardo’s, an analysis identified important gaps in the system- wide provision of mental health and wellbeing supports at the level of early intervention (tiers 2 and 3). In response, a ‘partnership hub’ model was developed called ‘Ren10’ which is being led by the Depute Principal Psychologist. Through our ‘Children and Young People Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2021/2022’, we ensure that children and young people and their families get the right help at the right time to prevent small issues that affect wellbeing escalating into bigger problems. We strive to deliver a system-wide provision of mental health and wellbeing supports for all, at the level of early intervention. ‘Ren 10’ brings together a selection of psychologically led and peer-led approaches, implementation support and monitoring to support capacity- building. This coordinated approach to delivering supports, training and programmes through ‘Ren10’ is ensuring that we are working towards the strategy aims. Next Steps • Support schools to use the HWB Census data to inform improvement planning priorities. Use the national and LA-wide census data to identify strategic priorities and develop ambitious but achievable stretch aims • Data team and Attainment Advisor to provide support to schools in setting ACEL school targets in the context of Renfrewshire’s stretch aims • Work with practitioners and leaders across early learning and childcare establishments to moderate and develop a shared and consistent understanding of the milestones and their assessments and judgements of children’s developments • Analyse the ELCC milestones data at a local authority level to begin to identify attainment trends and identify training needs • Support senior leaders to embed a data literacy culture to inform improvement planning • Implement the Children and Young People Community Health and Wellbeing Strategy through the Ren10 model • Collaborate with the West Partnership to analyse and extract relevant data from the national HWB and PIE census to identify improvement priorities Page 78 of 184
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For further information, please contact Steven Quinn Director Children’s Services Children’s Services Renfrewshire Council Tel: 0141 618 6839 Email: steven.quinn@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 79 of 184
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Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Appendix 2 Page 80 of 184
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2 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 3 Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Renfrewshire’s Education Improvement Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Our Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Children’s Services Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Portfolio Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Strategic Portfolio Plan: Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Strategic Portfolio Plan: Inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Strategic Portfolio Plan: Families and Communities . . . . . . .23 Renfrewshire’s annual Education Improvement Plan for session 2022/23 is underpinned by the Council’s values; Fair, Helpful, Collaborative, Learning and reflects our own vision within Children’s Services; Working together to get it right for children, families and communities— protecting, learning, achieving, nurturing. It ensures the delivery of the locally agreed priorities of the Council Plan and the nationally agreed priorities of the National Improvement Framework. Our Education Improvement Plan sets out where we want to improve and how we want to do that, based on the evidence we have gathered on our current performance . This range of evidence includes our Standards and Quality report on the improvements we set out to achieve in our previous plan, a wealth of self-evaluation activity across the service, attainment and achievement data, our Quality Improvement visits and feedback from stakeholders and external agencies including academic partners and Education Scotland . This process has ensured that our plan reflects where our schools and stakeholders wish to see improvement, is based on evaluation of current performance, and is focussed on building on our culture of empowerment and collaboration . Our plan focuses on five main priority areas: • Protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities • Family supports and early intervention • Mental health and wellbeing • Learning and teaching • Inclusion As well as the five main priorities, there are overarching features of highly effective practice which will continue and evolve to support achievement of the priorities . These include our leadership programme, data analysis, quality improvement, professional learning, partnership working and the school estate management plan . We will continue to put children, families and communities at the centre of our plans, activities and improvements, and have a relentless focus on inclusion . Implementation of our Inclusion Strategy, which is grounded in Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Promise Plan 21-24 which was produced nationally in response to the findings of the Independent Care Review and the Additional Support for Learning Review (2020), will ensure that we can meet the needs of children in their own communities . Universal approaches will be used to raise attainment for all, alongside targeted interventions with a continued focus on narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap and addressing any widening of inequalities of outcome for children and young people . High numbers of young people in Renfrewshire move on to post-school positive and sustained destinations but we will continue to strive to do better . We are confident that the strategic priorities and interventions outlined in our plan will enable us to progress and improve to ensure that we get it right for our children, young people and families . Introduction Councillor Emma Rodden Convener Education and Children’s Services Steven Quinn Director Children’s Services Page 81 of 184
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4 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 5 Renfrewshire’s Education Improvement Plan This Education Improvement Plan supports delivery of the priorities contained within key plans such as Renfrewshire’s Council Plan, Children’s Services Partnership Plan and the Children’s Services Improvement Plan. It also allows us to deliver on the National Improvement Priorities for education as well as other relevant strategic and policy drivers such as: • ‘Delivering Excellence and Equity in Scottish Education: A Delivery Plan for Scotland’ • Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) • The Promise Scotland—findings of the Independent Care Review • Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education—Professor Ken Muir • Additional Support for Learning Review— ‘Support for learning: all our children and all their potential’ • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill • General Teaching Council for Scotland Professional Standards 2021 • Developing the Young Workforce • The Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland • OECD report on ‘Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence’ • Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan Vision Excellence through raising attainment: ensuring that every child achieves the highest standards in literacy and numeracy, set out within Curriculum for Excellence levels, and the right range of skills, qualifications and achievements to allow them to succeed; and Achieving equity: ensuring every child has the same opportunity to succeed, with a particular focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap . Five Priorities • Place the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education • Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy • Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people • Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing • I mprovement in employability skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people Six Drivers of Improvement • School Leadership • Teacher Professionalism • Parental Engagement • Assessment of children’s progress • School Improvement • Performance Information Page 82 of 184
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Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 7 Place Economy Fair Green Living our values Renfrewshire Council Plan Strategic Outcomes Cross cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families We will encourage kind and connected communities— where our citizens take pride in their place, attracting others to move here and share in the opportunities Renfrewshire has to offer. Children’s Services Vision Working together to get it right for children, families and communities—protecting, learning, achieving and nurturing We will support a strong and flexible local economy—with Renfrewshire able to adapt after the pandemic, building up resilience to support good green jobs and skills for all local people to enjoy the benefits of both living and working here. We want Renfrewshire to be a fair place—where all our people have the best chances to live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives, to feel safe, supported and empowered to unlock the strength of our collective potential. We are working towards a greener future—taking responsibility for our impact on the planet and taking brave, bold steps to protect the natural environment that supports and benefits us all. We want our employees to feel proud to work for Renfrewshire Council becasue we are a values driven organisation, where we all understand and value our contributions, and we are passionate about making a difference for Renfrewshire. Protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities including children and young people who are at risk. Work will progress to ensure Renfrewshire keeps the Promise and delivers improved outcomes for individuals who are care experienced. Where possible children will be kept within their families and priority given to securing provision for kinship care. Family supports and focussing on early intervention, by equipping parents and carers with the information, skills and support they need to ensure positive outcomes for children and young people in their care, whilst providing opportunities for parents and carers to shape the services that impact them. Enhancing supports around mental health and wellbeing, including the school-based mental health and wellbeing programme and the Ren10 network of staff and volunteers who provide early help services to those in need. Enhance learning and teaching, delivering a meaningful, relevant and progressive curriculum that supports a wide range of learner pathways by placing the rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education. Efforts will focus on raising attainment while ensuring equity for all. There will be a sustained focus on delivering a curriculum that equips all children and young people to achieve success in life. Through a shared vision and understanding of inclusion, children and young people will experience inclusive learning experiences and supportive relationships which lead to positive life outcomes. Our Values 6 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 We are fair, we treat each other and everyone we deal with respectfully and work hard to build trust in Renfrewshire Council . We are helpful, we care about getting things right and are always approachable . We are great collaborators; we work as one team and with people who care about this place . We value learning to help us innovate, improve and deliver better services . Children’s Services Improvement Priorities Page 83 of 184
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8 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 9 Portfolio Planning Children’s Services is developing a portfolio management approach to service improvement planning to support with balancing new priorities, core business and moving beyond recovery. A portfolio is a collection of thematic projects and programmes which are defined by an organisation or service. From a process perspective, this approach will support prioritisation, integration and joint planning, reducing duplication and over-reporting. The intended impact is to strengthen our service planning processes enabling children and young people to thrive, learn and achieve. We have identified three portfolios in Children’s Services, each led by a Head of Service . These are: Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Inclusion Families and Communities Julie Calder Tracy McGillivray John Trainer Features of highly effective practice that underpin all portfolios include: • Leadership Strong strategic leadership in Renfrewshire Council ensures that all decision- making and improvement planning is underpinned by the principles of empowerment . Current leaders and aspiring leaders are very well supported through high quality professional learning programmes • Data Analysis Decision making and planning is centred around high-quality data and evidence . A data for improvement culture is embedded at all levels • Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) Creating a collaborative culture where all staff are empowered to fully participate in career long professional learning • Quality Improvement Framework (QIF) Supporting and challenging establishments to improve standards and quality; collaborate, empower, improve • Workforce Planning Maximising the potential of new and existing staff to build capacity and improve outcomes for children and young people • School Estate Management Planning Providing innovative and creative learning environments which are welcoming to all; learner focused; supportive and inclusive; sustainable; and agile enough to support the needs and aspirations of all users • Partnership working Capitalising on partnership working to achieve collective impact and added value Directorate Management Team: Director and 3 Heads of Service Senior Leadership Team: Education and Social Work Managers CLPL: Career-long professional learning QIF: Quality Improvement Framework Directorate Management Team Development Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment Delivery Families and Communities Senior Leadership Team Inclusion Evaluation Portfolio governance Data Analysis Supporting functions Porfolios Leadership Data CLPL EstateQIF Workforce planning Partnerships Each portfolio is tasked with developing their own portfolio plan to deliver on our agreed service priorities . Portfolios are unique, delivering on clear actions related to their context however they are also linked by cross-cutting actions and this is evident in each plan . Portfolio planning teams have been established to support with the development and delivery of the portfolio plan . Teams are also responsible for evaluating and reporting at regular intervals throughout the year . Page 84 of 184
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10 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 11 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Deliver a comprehensive core programme of professional learning and targeted interventions across all sectors linked to professional standards and informed by local/national priorities: • Talk for writing • Phonics • Maths Recovery • Growth Mindset • Play Pedagogy • Digital Pedagogies • Modern Foreign Languages To maximise the impact of professional learning, develop a framework which will clearly outline: • deliverables from the central team • expectations of participation in professional learning; • a criteria for successful implementation of approach/intervention; and • an evaluation framework and process that enables practitioners to measure the impact of approach to learner progress By June 2023: Our strengthened approach to professional learning better equips leaders and practitioners with the knowledge, skills and confidence to effect positive change for all learners. Almost all leaders and participants in professional learning have a greater understanding of conditions required for successful implementation of learning and teaching approaches/interventions. A strengthened approach to implementing approaches /targeted interventions in literacy and numeracy contributes to improvements in almost all learners’ experiences and progress. Stronger evaluation of the impact of professional learning on pupil progress supports practitioners in planning next steps for learners. Professional learning and targeted interventions contribute to restoring attainment in literacy and numeracy to pre pandemic levels. Professional learning in digital pedagogy contributes to a 3% increase in number of schools achieving digital schools award. Evaluations post training and at 3 monthly intervals with a target group will demonstrate that for almost all participants the training has: • Increased confidence in how to successfully apply their new skills, knowledge and understanding in their teaching. • Increased confidence in evaluating the impact of this teaching on pupil progress and using this to inform next steps in learning. Attainment and tracking data shows that almost all targeted children and young people (CYP) are making progress in literacy and numeracy with a trend towards closing identified attainment gaps. Stretch aim: 76% of children and young people will achieve expected CfE level in Literacy. Stretch aim: 84% of children and young people will achieve expected CfE level in Numeracy. Strategic Portfolio Plan Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment National Improvement Priorities • Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people • Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy Council Plan Cross-Cutting Theme: Improving Outcomes for Children and Families Children’s Service Improvement Priority Enhance learning and teaching delivering a meaningful, relevant, progressive curriculum that supports a wide range of learner pathways by placing the rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education. Efforts will focus on raising attainment while ensuring equity for all. There will be a sustained focus on delivering a curriculum that equips all children and young peopleto achieve success in life. Page 85 of 184
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12 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 13 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Work with school leaders to develop a learning, teaching and assessment strategy that clearly articulates the vision for planning and delivering high quality learning, teaching and assessment. Plan and deliver Renfrewshire’s first learning festival. Develop a teach/meet model to enable teachers to come together to share effective practice and innovation. Increase knowledge and improve the consistency of planning to support the delivery of high quality learning, teaching, assessment and moderation across all sectors. By February 2023 - All staff are aware of the Renfrewshire Vision for learning, teaching and assessment and features of highly effective practice and begin to use them in their practice. All practitioners are provided with the opportunity to learn from and share highly effective practice. By June 2023 - All staff are empowered and supported to strengthen their practice through collaboration and professional learning. Learners’ experiences improve as the vision for highly effective practice is realised in each establishment. By Sep 2024—Features of highly effective learning, teaching and assessment are evident in almost all classes visited as part of the Quality Improvement Framework. By June 2023—All schools evaluate themselves as Good or better for Quality indicator 2.3: learning teaching and assessment . By June 2023—Most schools evaluate themselves as very good or better. By June 2023—ACEL data accurately reflects pupil progress in all schools demonstrating confidence in teacher judgements. By June 2023—The Early Years progression tool provides accurate judgements of children’s progress as they transition to P1. Evaluation of learning festival will highlight awareness and understanding of vision for Learning, teaching and assessment and how they will take this forward in their playroom/classroom. School standard and quality reports highlight that professional learning has led to sustained change and positive impact in the classroom. Learning visits as part of the QIF. Establishment self-evaluation statements ( QI 2.3). The vision and features of effective practice will be tested with a focus group of learners from across schools and a cross-sector group of senior leaders. What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Provide opportunities for senior leaders to work collaboratively to explore the implications of the national review and strengthen their curriculum. By November 2022 - Improved awareness in all secondary schools of renewed national expectations for the curriculum. Senior leaders are in a stronger position to develop and implement the recommendations of the national curriculum review. School curriculum rationales are ambitious and reflect emerging national expectations. Secondary curriculum & rationale deep dive. Implement refreshed work placement model in pilot schools. Work with University of the West of Scotland (UWS) to increase the number of opportunities available to young people. Develop a strengthened framework of support with Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and Invest Renfrewshire to ensure pupils are supported to enter and sustain positive destinations. Work with school leaders and SDS to support schools in embedding the Career Education Standard. Strengthen Senior Phase offer, to widen the range of opportunities available to young people. By February 2023 - A strengthened senior phase curriculum, developed with key partners, equips all young people with the confidence, knowledge, skills and experience to secure and sustain a positive destination. By June 2023: • 8% increase in the number of young people from quintile 1 entering in to a positive destination. • 14% increase of the number of care experienced young people entering in to a positive destination. • All young people in schools involved in work placement pilot experience a work placement linked to chosen pathway. 98% of young people will enter a positive destination. 98% of young people from quintile 1 will achieve a positive destination. 100% of care experienced young people will achieve a positive destination. 16–19 participation measure—96% of young people will sustain positive destination. Focus groups of learners across all secondary schools. Analysis of school curricula as part of the curriculum deep dive will evidence an increase in the range and number of qualifications which young people are achieving. Improved levels of scrutiny and support is demonstrated in the quality of tracking and monitoring data related to school leavers. Monthly SDS data checks and use of the SDS 16+ Data Hub evidence the supports/interventions in place for senior phase young people and their intended post school pathway. Work placement data will evidence the range of relevant opportunities provided for young people. Page 86 of 184
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14 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 15 Strategic Portfolio Plan Inclusion National Improvement Priorities • Place the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education • Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy • Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people • Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing • Improvement in employability skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people Council Plan Cross-Cutting Theme: Improving Outcomes for Children and Families Children’s Services Improvement Priority: Through promotion of a shared vision and refreshed understanding of inclusion, our children and young people will experience inclusive learning environments and supportive relationships which lead to improved positive and sustained outcomes. Page 87 of 184
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16 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 17 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Update and refresh the staged intervention framework through a shared vision & improved integrated working across all services including education, health, social work, voluntary sector & employment, and training. By Dec 2022, a refreshed clear agreed policy is in place which is mirrored across all agencies. The policy is robust, simplified, and has connecting processes in place across all services. (Education, Health and Social Work and other partners e.g., Police Scotland) The language of the policy is grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and The Promise. Agreed policy and procedures will be in place and used by all agencies. This will be demonstrated through adoption of policy and procedures by Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) Steering Group and the Children’s Service Partnership. By Sep 2022, the school tracking system is used consistently alongside SEEMIS to provide a local authority overview. This allows for improved monitoring of the stages of intervention and Additional Support Needs (ASN) for all children and young people (CYP). Baseline user data will be gathered and reviewed throughout the year starting with early adopters. Supported by the Education Psychologist Service (EPS) we will implement an Assessment Framework that will enable practitioners to better identify barriers to learning and to strengthen decision making around staged intervention. EPs are included at the right time and place to influence discussions, decisions and planning. There is greater clarity in the role of the Team Around the Child which will ensure that practitioner involvement is appropriate, timely and leads to improved outcomes for CYP. All practice is more consistent across establishments. All staff involved in the use of the assessment framework have increased skill and confidence in collaborative assessment, analysis & planning to remove barriers to learning. Stakeholder reference group feedback on clarity of roles, impact on outcomes for young people and consistency of EP practice, will provide baseline for improvement. Survey feedback on confidence in roles and implementation of the assessment framework will be baselined and then reviewed for improvement termly. All assessment framework paperwork will demonstrate clarity around: roles in the case, identification of barriers to learning, analysis of information and actions for all involved. These will be sampled from early adopter schools initially. All assessment framework paperwork will include impact statements. What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? The creation of a suite of interventions to ensure children and families are supported appropriately and equitably through a Request for Assistance mechanism. From Sep 22 onwards, Team Around the Child process is used to support CYP where appropriate. CYP benefit from access to appropriate needs-based supports and are more involved in decisions that affect them. Parents/carers are more involved in clear and transparent decision making. Early and effective interventions are planned and supported by the staged intervention framework and professional learning. Initial offer of interventions will be in place for schools to utilise for Stage 1 and Stage 2 intervention levels. Tracking of self-referrals and outcomes will be introduced to create usage baseline. Focus on improving early and effective interventions and targeted transitions at all levels. Planning to meet the needs of CYP, is influenced by regular analysis of robust data and knowledge of CYP. Schools are responsible for robust data tracking and monitoring around the number of children and young people on part-time timetables and those accessing alternative education placements. By Dec 2022, transition at all levels, including key stages and between establishments, is informed by the staged intervention framework. Plans are in place to support and ensure care experienced young people go on to genuinely positive destinations, such as further education or employment. Engagement with boards including Child Protection/ Promise Board/Alcohol and Drugs is aligned and there are clear feedback loops in place to ensure sharing of knowledge and development. Data will be collected from local authority tracking systems and the local authority data dashboard for CYP with ASN including those CYP that are in and around the edges of care: • Attendance levels • Attainment at staged intervention levels • Transition supports at key stages • Participation/achievement Auditing systems will be improved to track allocation and effectiveness of resources. By Sep 22, baseline information around transition and current resource allocation process will be created, and confidence surveys will be carried out with all stakeholders. Formal and informal exclusion of care experienced young people will be reduced significantly. Page 88 of 184
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18 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 19 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Work with all stakeholders including professional associations to design a locality model to provide a framework for inclusion. By Aug 2023 onwards, governance systems are clear, open, and transparent and ensure equity of approach, effective, efficient, and sustainable use of resources including the workforce, maximising funding across all localities. Inclusion offer through schools and specialist resources provides bespoke interventions to support CYP from Early Years to Senior Phase. Consultation responses. “You said, we did” reports/Impact reports. Clear governance and 100% understanding from HTs/ Pupil Support coordinator and other stakeholders of the process for accessing resources. Clear and transparent policy on deployment of staff to support CYP with ASN. Map workforce roles and responsibilities across locality including specialist resources. By Aug 2023, roles and responsibilities of support staff to support the delivery of staged interventions are clear. Support staff are devolved to locality and are deployed equitably to support CYP. Audit of permanency of support staff. Audit of roles and responsibilities of support staff. Staff confidence survey. Feedback from stakeholder groups. We will better support establishments in understanding the rights and policies that underpin inclusion with relevant supports e.g. capturing the young person’s voice, transition planning and parental engagement. On an ongoing basis with annual review, in partnership with EPS, all establishments deliver on the Renfrewshire inclusion vision and agenda, so children and young people have equity of provision. Almost all staff working in educational establishments feel confident in implementing policies and processes that support inclusion. All staff working in educational establishments know how to access professional learning to support their understanding and confidence in this area. We link ‘trauma-informed approaches’ with key relationships and invest in the confidence of adults working with affected young people. The evidence-based approach ‘Non-violence Resistance Approaches’ (NVR) shows a decrease in exclusion and placement moves where CYP exhibit distressed behaviour in the form of violence or aggression. Joint working plan includes all staff confidence rating in specific areas relating to inclusion (i.e. capturing the young person’s voice, transition planning and parental engagement). Staff training evaluations (including pre and post confidence rating). Staff focus group themes. Local authority data on exclusions and use of part time timetables will be reviewed termly. Numbers of young people accessing support to meet their learning needs from within their locality area. What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Through the implementation of a locality and staged intervention model, EPS along with the GIRFEC team will gather data and local information to develop a greater understanding of the professional learning needs in each locality which will inform service delivery, targeted professional learning and enhance collaborative working practices across establishments. By Aug 2023, all staff working in educational establishments know how to access professional learning to support their understanding and confidence in this area. Professional learning is more responsive to the needs of each locality. Our strengthened approach to professional learning equips leaders and practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to effect positive change for all learners. Delivery of a robust, accessible professional learning offer for all teaching staff, support staff, partners and families ensures a shared understanding and clarity of approach to supporting CYP. EPS along with the central team have a greater understanding of the needs in each locality which leads to improved joined up working and an efficient and informed delivery of service. There is a clear overview of all ASN training and whole school training from each establishment across the local authority. Networking opportunities across all services are built into professional learning calendar. Impact of professional learning is evident across all services. There is an improvement in the quality and consistency of assessing, planning, recording, reporting, and reviewing processes. Audit of all staff will provide us with information to inform future professional learning designs. Monitoring of key staff attending professional learning across all services. Pre/post survey will show an improved confidence scale following professional learning . Locality Senior EPs will gather locality specific information in relation to needs and data and record numbers of joint professional learning sessions delivered. Stakeholder reference group will feedback on service delivery. Evaluations from networking opportunities. Improved links with West Partnership. Streamline attendance at groups. More opportunities will emerge for establishments to work together within localities. There will be an increase in joint working of EPs within each locality, which will give establishments increased access to the range of skills and experiences within EPS. The local authority quality assurance framework will be aligned to allow Education Managers to sample pupil support processes and procedures. Case studies will showcase and celebrate good practice across the local authority. Monitoring of key staff attending professional learning across all services. 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20 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 21 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Review practice and procedures within Mary Russell and Riverbrae to ensure quality of service and to provide aspects of learning for mainstream schools. By Aug 2023, the expertise of the ASN workforce is utilised to model and coach in schools to upskill staff, improve the confidence of staff and support delivery of effective interventions. Decision making to support interventions will be improved. Utilisation of staff within Mary Russell and Riverbrae has improved and there is reduction in staff turnover and absence in both schools. Where mainstream resources need augmentation, explore and develop responses to the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people with disabilities, engaging with local and national staff who have knowledge and expertise in this area. Number of staff members trained in the CIRCLE framework. Quality Indicator 3.1 good to very good with a focus on the environment. Increase in the numbers of schools gaining gold for Renfrewshire Nurturing Approaches ‘inclusion environments’ in mainstream schools that build on the knowledge and ‘belonging’ of children in their local community. Secondary schools awarded SCQF Ambassador status Bronze and above. Improved application of curriculum in Secondary school at SCQF Level 2 and above. Staff confidence over the course of an intervention and HTs comments about being able to meet needs. Evidence of multi-agency working where appropriate. Family feedback that measures feelings of ‘belonging’. Page 90 of 184
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22 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 23 Strategic Portfolio Plan Families and Communities National Improvement Priorities • Place the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education • Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy • Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people • Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing • Improvement in employability skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people Council Plan Cross-Cutting Theme: Improving Outcomes for Children and Families Children’s Services Improvement Priorities • Protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities including children and young people who are at risk. Work will progress to ensure Renfrewshire keeps the Promise and delivers improved outcomes for individuals who are care experienced. Where possible children will be kept within their families and priority given to securing provision for kinship care. • Family supports and focussing on early intervention, by equipping parents and carers with the information, skills and support they need to ensure positive outcomes for children and young people in their care, whilst providing opportunities for parents and carers to shape the services that impact them. • Enhancing supports around mental health and wellbeing, including the school-based mental health and wellbeing programme and the Ren10 network of staff and volunteers who provide early help services to those in need. Page 91 of 184
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24 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 25 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Support Early Years’ (EY) establishments to identify and implement evidence-based emotional literacy programmes. Support primary and EY establishments to ensure that delivery of PATHs (Promoting Alternative Thinking Skills) programme is sustainable when coaching support is withdrawn. Work with secondary and ASN schools to evaluate the impact of emotional literacy programme Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) and decide on next steps. Explore alternatives to LLTTF in collaboration with teachers and partners e.g. promotion of national Esgoil materials and collaboration with Headstrong. By June 2024, evidence-based programmes/resources are in place to support the teaching of emotional literacy across all establishments EY—Senior Phase. Audit of emotional literacy programmes across all establishments. Review mental health policies of all establishments and identify those that require support from link EP with policy development and/or implementation. By June 2023, all education establishments are implementing and using an effective Mental Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) policy. Audit of MHWB policies across all establishments. Sway engagement statistics. What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Develop and deliver a comprehensive programme of professional learning and targeted interventions across all sectors informed by local and national priorities to support effective implementation of the mental, social and emotional strands of Health and Wellbeing • Understanding self-harm and suicide. • Relationships and sexual health including LGBTI education. • Substance misuse. • Online safety. • National framework Children & Young People’s Mental Health—Professional Learning Resource and NHS GCC 6 box as a model for self-evaluation. • Themes emerging from counselling and feedback from schools/centres. By June 2023, almost all CYP in sample group (S3 cohort) have increased knowledge and understanding of the mental and emotional wellbeing supports available to them and access these as required to improve mental health and wellbeing. Almost all participants have improved knowledge, confidence and practice. Almost all participants understand and are clear about how to respond to the distressed behaviour of CYP. By June 2023, almost all practitioners access resources and up to date and relevant information around policy, training and developments in the area of wellbeing as required. Qualitative feedback from sample group of young people (S3 cohort) will be gathered via Forms and focus groups to evaluate effectiveness of MHWB programmes and supports. Views of practitioners will be gathered through focus groups and professional learning pre and post evaluations at 3 monthly intervals with a target group. A target group of practitioners will provide feedback on longer-term impact of their professional learning on CYP and case studies will be developed to evidence this. Professional learning attendance statistics. Case Studies evidence the longer-term impact of professional learning on the wellbeing of CYP. Page 92 of 184
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26 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 27 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Develop progressive Personal and Social Education (PSE) courses. In October 2022 host our first PSE Conference for secondary teachers within Pupil Support. By Oct 2022, all participants in the PSE Conference have improved knowledge and understanding of what is required to meet the Scottish Government recommendations. They have increased confidence in supporting their schools to develop relevant and progressive PSE programmes. By Dec 2023, all schools’ PSE programmes are progressive and contain relevant content which responds to local and national data around mental health and wellbeing. Almost all practitioners involved in focus groups report that they are confident in delivering an effective PSE programme and have the resources required to do so. Almost all CYP participating in focus groups tell us that the school PSE programme is relevant and meets their needs. An audit of secondary/ASN school PSE programmes evidences progressive and relevant content. Focus groups of practitioners and CYP across primary, secondary and ASN schools to capture their views. LGBT Charter award quantitative and qualitative information demonstrates the inclusivity of participating establishments. Increase in number of establishments achieving an LGBT Charter award. (Target - 3 Gold, 4 Silver and 3 Bronze). PSE Conference evaluations and Pupil Support Teachers focus groups. Create and deliver online information sessions for parents/carers on resilience, coping strategies, self-harm and suicide. By June 2023, targeted parents/carers are more confident in supporting their child’s wellbeing. Pre and post evaluation data from parent/ carers demonstrates improvement in knowledge, understanding and confidence. What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Support schools to use the HWB Census data to inform improvement planning priorities. Use the national & LA-wide census data to identify strategic priorities and develop ambitious but achievable stretch aims. By June 2023, most schools have engaged with the school HWB census data and used this to inform improvement planning. By June 2023, 100% schools evaluate QI 3.1 as ‘Good’ or better (an increase of 5% from the June 2022 baseline). An increase in the number of schools evaluating QI 3.1 as VG or better from the June 2022 baseline. HWB stretch aims using HWB census data. Schools’ self-evaluation gradings for QI 3.1 at June 2023 compared to the baseline at June 22. June 2022 Baseline: • 1 school Excellent • 49% (31 schools) VG • 46% (29 schools) Good • 2 schools Satisfactory HWB blog and engagement statistics related to Sway resources. Quality Improvement Visits and School Improvement Plans. Coordinate implementation of The Exchange counselling service available to all establishments and Place2Be counselling service in targeted schools. Scrutinise termly reports from The Exchange and Place2Be and liaise with Area Managers and individual schools to ensure best value is achieved. Identify common referral themes across schools and plan ways to address these through staff professional learning. Develop supervision structures as wellbeing interventions to support staff (Pupil Support Coordinators) in pilot establishments. By June 2023, all CYP requiring specialist Counselling, receive timeous support to cope with issues and build resilience. 100% CYP access counselling screening appointment within 5 days of referral. 85% CYP show improvement post counselling Staff benefit from consultancy support in relation to targeted CYP as required. Pupil Support Coordinators in pilot schools are supported through clinical supervision to focus on self- care and avoid burnout. Counselling service termly reports provide referral data and qualitative information (including CYP views, case studies and referral themes) to highlight the positive impact of the service on CYP’s mental health and wellbeing. Focus groups of Pupil Support Coordinators will evaluate the effectiveness of the supervision structures. Page 93 of 184
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28 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 29 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Provide the training and resources to extend Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme across the remaining secondary schools and ASN schools. Through capacity building training, schools already implementing the programme will be encouraged to adopt a whole school approach and become an ‘Equally Safe’ school. Pilot the Education Scotland partnership between the Mental Health Foundation Ambassador Training and MVP. An MVP ‘red flag’ campaign will be designed by pupils with a focus on identifying unhealthy behaviours and our responses to them. This will be funded through the Equally Safe fund. By June 2023, all participating practitioners have an enhanced knowledge and understanding of the MVP programme and are better prepared for conversations relating to gender-based violence. Staff confidently support young people in delivery of the programme. By June 2023, almost all participating young people have the skills to speak out against issues which affect relationships within our schools and communities by adopting an active ‘bystander’ approach. By June 2023, all secondary and ASN schools are implementing the MVP programme. By June 2024, all secondary and ASN schools are implementing ‘Equally Safe at Schools’ (ESAS) as an integral part of the MVP programme. Pre and post professional learning questionnaires will demonstrate that all staff have increased knowledge and confidence. Focus groups of mentors and mentees evidence that young people confidently deliver lessons to their peers. Observation of MVP in action in a sample of schools by Renfrewshire training team at agreed points in the academic year. A pupil steering day provides a forum for young people to provide feedback on the short and longer term impact of their MVP mentor role. A summary paper will be produced. Number of MVP schools. Number of ESAS schools. What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Finalise Children’s Services Parenting Strategy and identify key actions that can be delivered via the Families and Communities portfolio. Ensure there is integration of the Parenting Strategy and Parental Engagement strategy within Education. There is one consistent Renfrewshire multi-agency approach to parenting and parental engagement with clear support and approaches mapped out at each stage. Parents/carers have access to range of high-quality evidence-based approaches and interventions to support their parenting when required. Practitioners have increased awareness, knowledge and confidence of the range of supports available to support parents / carers and can signpost appropriately. Schools continue to develop and implement approaches to enhance parental engagement and family learning and be able to demonstrate the impact on attainment and achievement. Parenting strategy document and action plan. Clear parental engagement operational plan. Up to date landscape map of supports and approaches. Parental Involvement & Engagement (PIE) Survey data. Pre and post parental engagement survey. Evaluations from professional learning. Evaluations of parenting support approaches/ interventions. Establish a referral pathway in relation to parenting support and ensure this aligns to the wider inclusion agenda and in particular staged intervention. Parents/carers access appropriate support at the right time through an easily accessible referral process/ request for assistance. Parent/carers report improved access to parenting approaches. Parents/carers report improvements in their parenting knowledge, confidence and skills as a result of being able to access the range of supports available. Development of a referral / request for assistance process. Referral data. Evaluations and outcome data from parenting support approaches/interventions. Review and revise the coordinated and shared approach to Child Protection training and procedures. All Children’s Services staff are knowledgeable and confident in delivering a shared and consistent approach to child protection. Engagement with Council Boards, including Child Protection/ Promise Board/Alcohol and Drugs, is aligned and there are clear feedback loops in place to ensure sharing of knowledge and development. Survey feedback on confidence in roles and responsibilities relating to Child Protection will be baselined and then reviewed for improvement termly. Page 94 of 184
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30 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 Education Improvement Plan 2022/23 31 What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Explore existing gaps in relation to community mental health and wellbeing based on evidence and needs analysis data. Review and amend approaches within our partnership hub model ‘Ren10’ (a coordinated approach to delivering programmes, interventions and supports) to ensure impact is achieved. Ensure ‘Ren10’ interventions and approaches are included in the ‘Request for Assistance’ process developed as part of the Inclusion portfolio. Governance systems are clear, open, transparent and ensure there is equity of approach. Systems ensure effective, efficient, and sustainable use of resources including the workforce, maximising funding across all localities. Funding is allocated to embed existing approaches that are having a positive impact on children and families or will be used to respond to gaps. Targeted children and young people from Early Years to Senior Phase are supported through bespoke interventions and specialist resources and are more involved in the decisions that affect them. Parents/carers are more involved in clear and transparent decision making. Early and effective interventions are planned and supported by the staged intervention framework and professional learning. Interventions are in place for schools to utilise for Stage 1 and Stage 2 intervention levels. Baseline data will be re-established for each intervention and stretch aims and targets developed and reviewed every three months. Consultation responses. “You said, we did” reports/Impact reports. Feedback from Heads/Pupil Support coordinators and other stakeholders of the process for accessing resources. Joint working plan includes staff confidence rating in specific areas relating to inclusion (capturing the young person’s voice, transition planning and parental engagement). Staff training evaluations (including pre and post confidence rating) and focus group feedback. ‘Request for Assistance’ tracking of self-referrals and outcomes will be introduced to create usage baseline. What will we do collectively? What difference will we make? How will we measure success? Host a range of engagement opportunities for parents/carers, children and young people to better understand what is important to them in relation to tackling poverty. Children and Families are at the heart of decision making and planning when addressing poverty and inequalities ensuring that their needs are being met. Funding is targeted toward priorities identified by families and communities. Communities take a more active approach in budgeting and planning developing new skills as they participate. Numbers of Participatory Budgeting processes and projects being established in communities. Development of a scoreboard identifying priorities. Number of poverty-proofing school policies. Feedback from parents / carers. Feedback from children and young people. School Pupil Equity Fund plans and evaluations. Engage with the Children’s Services Partnership to develop a proposal under the Scottish Government whole family wellbeing fund ensuring it links with the development of wider community hubs across the council and the Promise. Support for families is maximised through the family wellbeing fund demonstrating positive outcomes. There is a partnership approach to the development of proposals ensuring that families receive preventative wrap-around support. Whole family wellbeing fund proposal. Service specification. Initial feedback and evaluations from service users demonstrating impact of service. Reduction in numbers of families requiring crisis intervention. Page 95 of 184
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For further information, please contact Steven Quinn Director Children’s Services Children’s Services Renfrewshire Council Tel: 0141 618 6839 Email: steven.quinn@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 96 of 184
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 27 October 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services Heading: National Qualifications Results 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report summarises attainment in the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) National Qualifications in 2022, based on the key measures contained within the Insight benchmarking tool. 1.2 The 2022 exam diet saw a return to the traditional model of assessment. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, alternative methods of assessment were put in place for the 2020 and 2021 exam diet. As such, we should be cautious in making direct comparisons between years that had different assessment approaches. 1.3 Skills Development Scotland are currently tracking school leavers’ destinations. Insight is normally updated in spring and a further report providing data on our school leavers’ attainment will be submitted to the Education and Children Service’s Policy Board when this data becomes available. This report will provide data on the attainment of all pupils in the senior phase by stage (S4, S5 and S6). __________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to: note the content of this report; note the efforts of pupils and the school communities in achieving these results; and Item 4 Page 97 of 184
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agree that a further report will be brought to the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board when leavers data becomes available. 3. Background 3.1 Insight is a performance evaluation tool provided by the Scottish Government to schools and education authorities as a way of benchmarking performance in four key measures: Attainment in literacy and numeracy; Improving attainment for all; Attainment versus deprivation; and Leavers’ destinations. 3.2 This report provides data and commentary on the performance of each of our senior phase cohorts (S4, S5 and S6) over the last three years and against our virtual comparator for three of the measures detailed above. Leavers’ destinations will become available in February/March 2023 and will form part of the report to this board in spring 2023 or as soon thereafter if the data release is delayed. 3.3 In addition to these local benchmarking measures, this report will provide data in relation to the number and quality of passes at each qualifications level. 3.4 The methodology for the Insight ‘virtual comparator’ (VC) is unchanged in 2022. The virtual comparator allows authorities and schools to make statistically valid comparisons between how young people have performed against young people nationally, who share four similar characteristics. These characteristics are gender, year group, percentage of time spent in mainstream classes, and live within an area with the same Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) decile. 4. Attainment in literacy and numeracy (S4, S5 and S6) 4.1 Raising attainment in literacy and numeracy remains a key priority of Renfrewshire Council children’s services and this is reflected in one of the key priorities of the National Improvement Framework. 4.2 Attainment in literacy and numeracy includes passes at National 4 and 5 in English and maths and passes in some other awards at Scottish Certificate and Qualification Framework (SCQF) levels 4 and 5 which contain certain core elements of literacy and numeracy. The tables which follow, provide data on our performance in literacy and numeracy, alongside our virtual comparator and national figures, for each of our senior phase cohorts. Page 98 of 184
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S4 4.3 Table 1 below provides data on attainment in literacy and numeracy in S4 at SCQF Level 4 and SCQF Level 5. Table 1 - % S4 Pupils Achieving Literacy & Numeracy Year % Achieved Level 4 Literacy % Achieved Level 4 Numeracy % Achieved Level 5 Literacy % Achieved Level 5 Numeracy Renfrewshire 2020 95% 92% 82% 66% Virtual Comparator 2020 93% 90% 76% 63% National 2020 92% 89% 74% 61% Renfrewshire 2021 96% 83% 82% 55% Virtual Comparator 2021 93% 88% 76% 59% National 2021 92% 87% 73% 56% Renfrewshire 2022 94% 91% 77% 67% Virtual Comparator 2022 93% 88% 76% 62% National 2022 92% 87% 74% 61% 4.4 The percentage of pupils achieving SCQF Level 4 and SCQF Level 5 in literacy and numeracy was above both the virtual comparator and the national figure in 2022. S5 (based on S4 roll) 4.5 Table 2 below provides data on attainment in literacy and numeracy in S5 at SCQF Level 4 and Level 5. Table 2 - % S5 Pupils Achieving Literacy and Numeracy Year % Achieved Level 4 Literacy % Achieved Level 4 Numeracy % Achieved Level 5 Literacy % Achieved Level 5 Numeracy Renfrewshire 2020 96% 94% 86% 76% Virtual Comparator 2020 94% 92% 82% 70% National 2020 93% 90% 80% 69% Renfrewshire 2021 96% 94% 88% 76% Virtual Comparator 2021 95% 93% 84% 72% National 2021 94% 91% 82% 70% Renfrewshire 2022 96% 92% 87% 74% Virtual Comparator 2022 95% 92% 83% 70% National 2022 93% 90% 81% 68% Page 99 of 184
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4.6 Renfrewshire remains ahead of the virtual comparator and national figures across SCQF Level 4 and SCQF Level 5 in S5. Attainment remains higher in literacy than in numeracy across both levels. This mirrors the trend within the virtual comparator and nationally. S6 (based on the S4 roll) 4.7 Table 3 below provides data on attainment in literacy and numeracy in S6 at SCQF Level 4 and Level 5. Table 3 -% S6 Pupils Achieving Literacy & Numeracy Year % Achieved Level 4 Literacy % Achieved Level 4 Numeracy % Achieved Level 5 Literacy % Achieved Level 5 Numeracy Renfrewshire 2020 95% 92% 85% 74% Virtual Comparator 2020 94% 91% 82% 69% National 2020 93% 90% 80% 68% Renfrewshire 2021 96% 94% 87% 78% Virtual Comparator 2021 94% 92% 83% 72% National 2021 93% 91% 81% 71% Renfrewshire 2022 96% 94% 89% 78% Virtual Comparator 2022 95% 93% 84% 74% National 2022 94% 91% 82% 72% 4.8 In S6, Renfrewshire remains above its virtual comparator and the national level across all measures. This is consistent with previous years. Attainment in both literacy and numeracy remains broadly in line with the previous year. 5. Improving attainment for all 5.1 Each qualification on the Scottish Certificate and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is attributed a number of tariff points. The higher level of qualification, the more tariff points are attributed. Each pupil gains a number of points that represents the number and level of qualifications they have gained. This report uses complementary tariff points, which measures a fixed volume of learning. Complementary tariff points allow for fair comparison across Scotland, regardless of differences in curricular models. 5.2 Within this measure, Insight breaks the data down into three groups: the average complementary tariff points for the lowest attaining 20%, the middle attaining 60% and the highest attaining 20% and compares these with the virtual comparator and the national figure. S4 5.3 Graph 1 below shows the average complementary tariff points of S4 pupils by attainment cohort in the 2022 exam diet. Page 100 of 184
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5.4 In S4, the average complementary tariff is above both the virtual comparator and national figure for the lowest 20% and middle 60% attainment cohorts. The lowest 20% attainment cohort figure was 134 which is considerably above its comparators, which were 112 for the virtual comparator and 104 for the national figure. The average complementary tariff for the highest 20% attainment cohort remained marginally behind both comparators. 5.5 Table 4 shows the average complementary tariff of Renfrewshire S4 pupils over time. Table 4- Renfrewshire S4 Complementary Tariff by Attainment Cohort 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Highest 20% Attainment Cohort 420 419 424 422 420 Middle 60% Attainment Cohort 325 331 341 343 332 Lowest 20% Attainment Cohort 126 145 139 146 134 5.6 The 2022 average complementary tariff is lower than previous years in all attainment cohorts. This is likely to do with the changing method of assessment. Comparisons to the last exam diet year (2019) show that the middle 60% and highest 20% attainment cohorts have improved slightly whilst the lowest 20% cohort has decreased. S5 5.7 The graph below shows the average complementary tariff points of S5 pupils by attainment cohort in the 2022 exam diet. Graph 1- Renfrewshire S4 Complementary Tariff by Attainment Cohort 2022 134 332 420 112 325 425 104 323 426 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 Lowest 20% Middle 60% Highest 20% Average complimentary tariff points Attainment Cohorts Improving Attainment for All Average Complementary Tariff Points Renfrewshire 2022 Virtual Comparator 2022 The National Establishment 2022 Page 101 of 184
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5.8 Graph 2 demonstrates that Renfrewshire is above the virtual comparator and national figures in the lowest 20%, the middle 60% and the highest 20% attainment cohorts. In all attainment cohorts, Renfrewshire is further ahead of the national figure than the virtual comparator. 5.9 Table 5 shows the average complementary tariff of Renfrewshire S5 pupils since 2017. Table 5- Renfrewshire S5 Complementary Tariff by Attainment Cohort 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Highest 20% Attainment Cohort 961 954 981 991 975 Middle 60% Attainment Cohort 562 546 597 606 580 Lowest 20% Attainment Cohort 170 146 167 164 171 5.10 Attainment is lower than previous years in the middle 60% and highest 20% attainment cohorts. The lowest 20% attainment cohort is the highest it has been in the last 5 years. S6 5.11 Graph 3 shows the average complementary tariff points of S6 pupils by attainment cohort in the 2022 exam diet. Graph 2- Renfrewshire S5 Complementary Tariff by Attainment Cohort 2022 171 580 975 143 567 974 124 543 971 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Lowest 20% Middle 60% Highest 20% Average Complimentary Tariff Attainment Cohorts Improving Attainment for All Average Complementary Tariff Points Renfrewshire 2022 Virtual Comparator 2022 The National Establishment 2022 Page 102 of 184
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5.12 In graph 3, we can see that the average complementary tariff for the lowest 20% attainment cohort is above both the virtual comparator and national, which were 154 and 135 respectively. Pupils in the middle 60% attainment cohort are also ahead of both comparators. The highest 20% attainment cohort is below both the virtual comparator and national figures. 5.13 Table 6 shows the average complementary tariff of Renfrewshire S6 pupils over 5 years. Table 6- Renfrewshire S6 Complementary Tariff by Attainment Cohort 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Highest 20% Attainment Cohort 1249 1258 1261 1321 1275 Middle 60% Attainment Cohort 657 653 660 718 700 Lowest 20% Attainment Cohort 152 175 152 173 167 5.14 The average complementary tariff is lower than in 2021 across all attainment cohorts. However, the highest 20% and middle 60% attainment cohorts have a higher average complementary tariff than all but one of the previous 4 years (2021). 6. Attainment versus deprivation 6.1 The attainment versus deprivation measure provides the average complementary tariff of pupils by SIMD decile. This allows us to identify the attainment gap in Renfrewshire and compare it to both our virtual comparator and national data. 6.2 The following charts show SIMD deciles 1 -10 (most deprived to least deprived) plotted along the horizontal axis with the average complementary tariff points plotted on the vertical axis. The size of the circles represents the Graph 3- Renfrewshire S6 Complementary Tariff by Attainment Cohort 2022 167 700 1275 154 684 1303 135 668 1309 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 Lowest 20% Middle 60% Highest 20% Average Compliemntayr Tariff Attainment Cohorts Improving Attainment for All Average Complementary Tariff Points Renfrewshire 2022 Virtual Comparator 2022 The National Establishment 2022 Page 103 of 184
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percentage of pupils who live in each decile. The trend line which runs through the circles represents the difference in attainment between pupils living in the most deprived and the least deprived areas. The steeper the angle, the more pronounced the disparity between the most and least deprived deciles. S4 6.3 Renfrewshire’s S4 average complementary tariff is above or in line with national figures in all deciles. The trendlines indicate that the size of the gap between most and least deprived pupils is larger nationally than in Renfrewshire due to lower attainment of pupils living in decile 1 and 2. Graph 4- S4 Complementary Tariff by SIMD Decile (Ren vs National) 2022 257 282 273 296 307 326 327 347 358 363 242 254 266 282 296 307 323 333 347 362 0 100 200 300 400 500 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Complimentary Tariff SIMD Decile Attainment vs Deprivation S4 Average Complimentary Tariff by SIMD Decile Renfrewshire National Linear (Renfrewshire) Linear (National) Page 104 of 184
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6.4 Renfrewshire’s S4 average complementary tariff is very closely aligned with the virtual comparator in 2022. Renfrewshire is behind the virtual comparator in SIMD deciles 7 and 10 but the differences are minimal. The trendlines in graph 5 indicate that Renfrewshire has slightly higher attainment in the lower deciles, but the gap narrows as the deciles increase. 6.5 Table 7 shows the S4 average complementary tariff of pupils living in SIMD 1- 3 (30% most deprived areas) and of pupils living in SIMD 4-10 (70% least deprived areas) over 5 years. It also shows the Tariff Point gap between these two figures. Table 7- Renfrewshire S4 Average Complementary Tariff by SIMD Groupings 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Pupils Living in 30% Most Deprived Areas 259 266 280 277 269 Pupils Living in 70% Least Deprived Areas 332 338 339 341 332 Tariff Point Gap 74 72 59 64 73 6.6 The average complementary tariff of pupils living in 30% most and 70% least deprived areas are not closely aligned with the figures of 2020 and 2021. There has been a decrease for both cohorts of pupils, with the size of the gap returning to levels experienced in 2018 and 2019. Graph 5- S4 Complementary Tariff by SIMD Decile (Ren vs Virtual Comparator) 2022 257 282 273 296 307 326 327 347 358 363 254 257 274 285 300 314 336 339 346 365 0 100 200 300 400 500 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Complimentary Tariff SIMD Decile Attainment vs Deprivation S4 Average Complimentary Tariff by SIMD Decile Renfrewshire Virtual Comparator Linear (Renfrewshire) Linear (Virtual Comparator) Page 105 of 184
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S5 6.7 The S5 average complementary tariff for Renfrewshire is above national in all SIMD deciles. Both Renfrewshire and National figures follow a similar trend. Graph 6- S5 Complementary Tariff by SIMD Decile (Ren vs National) 2022 Graph 7- S5 Complementary Tariff by SIMD Decile (Ren vs Virtual Comparator) 2022 437 459 514 527 601 640 653 693 741 815 412 435 479 514 558 579 617 659 708 764 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Complimentary Tariff SIMD Decile Attainment vs Deprivation S5 Average Complimentary Tariff by SIMD Decile Renfrewshire National Linear (Renfrewshire) Linear (National) 437 459 514 527 601 640 653 693 741 815 420 456 474 517 539 587 608 665 687 757 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Complimentary Tariff SIMD Decile Attainment vs Deprivation S5 Average Complimentary Tariff by SIMD Decile Renfrewshire Virtual Comparator Linear (Renfrewshire) Linear (Virtual Comparator) Page 106 of 184
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6.8 Graph 7 shows that Renfrewshire outperforms its Virtual Comparator at every decile. The trendlines suggest that performance at lower deciles is closer than at higher deciles. 6.9 Table 8 shows the S5 average complementary tariff of pupils living in SIMD 1- 3 (30% most deprived areas) and of pupils living in SIMD 4-10 (70% least deprived areas) over 5 years. It also shows the Tariff Point gap between these two figures. Table 8- Renfrewshire S5 Average Complementary Tariff by SIMD Groupings 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Pupils Living in 30% Most Deprived Areas 434 417 445 467 465 Pupils Living in 70% Least Deprived Areas 638 626 668 665 669 Tariff Point Gap 204 209 223 198 204 6.10 The average complementary tariff has decreased slightly for the 30% most deprived and marginally increased for the 70% least deprived groups in 2022. As a result, the size of the attainment gap has grown slightly but is smaller than 2018-2020. S6 6.11 The S6 average complementary tariff is higher than national in all SIMD deciles. Both Renfrewshire and National trendlines follow a similar pattern. Graph 8- S6 Complementary Tariff by SIMD Decile (Ren vs National) 2022 Graph 9- S6 Complementary Tariff by SIMD Decile (Ren vs Virtual Comparator) 2022 520 537 598 608 693 776 780 831 898 994 489 514 566 606 669 698 753 810 869 963 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Complimentary Tariff SIMD Decile Attainment vs Deprivation S6 Average Complimentary Tariff by SIMD Decile Renfrewshire National Linear (Renfrewshire) Linear (National) Page 107 of 184
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6.12 The S6 virtual comparator is very closely aligned with Renfrewshire’s figures as seen in the trend lines in graph 9. Renfrewshire is above the virtual comparator in all deciles except for deciles 2, 4, 7 and 8. Table 9 – Renfrewshire S6 Average Complementary Tariff by SIMD Groupings 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Pupils Living in 30% Most Deprived Areas 489 512 507 537 549 Pupils Living in 70% Least Deprived Areas 786 774 780 830 796 Tariff Point Gap 297 262 273 293 247 6.13 The average complementary tariff for pupils living in the 30% most deprived has increased since 2021 and are higher than all previous years. Performance in the 70% least deprive group has decreased against 2021 but remains higher than all over years in the last 5. As such, the tariff point gap has closed to the smallest it’s been in the last 5 sessions. 7. Breadth and depth 7.1 In addition to the key measures available in Insight, the service also looks at the percentage of the cohort who achieved any number of awards at various SCQF levels. These are known as ‘breadth and depth’ measures. We look at this data in conjunction with the Insight measures to allow us to gain a broader understanding of attainment across Renfrewshire and between schools. 7.2 The tables on the following pages show performance over time of some of the key breadth and depth measures and how we compare to the virtual comparator. SCQF 5 is National 4 or its equivalent, SCQF Level 5 is National 5 or its equivalent, SCQF Level 6 is Higher or its equivalent; and SCQF Level 7 is Advanced Higher or its equivalent. 520 537 598 608 693 776 780 831 898 994 520 564 591 614 692 738 798 838 886 982 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Complimentary Tariff SIMD Decile Attainment vs Deprivation S6 Average Complimentary Tariff by SIMD Decile Renfrewshire Virtual Comparator Linear (Renfrewshire) Linear (Virtual Comparator) Page 108 of 184
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S4 7.3 Table 10 includes data on the number of awards achieved for S4 pupils at SCQF Level 4 and Level 5 for Renfrewshire and the virtual comparator. Table 10- S4 Breadth & Depth S4 A-C 3 or more awards at SCQF level 4 or better 5 or more awards at SCQF level 4 or better 3 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better 5 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC 2020 93% 91% 86% 83% 69% 68% 53% 50% 2021 93% 91% 84% 81% 69% 67% 50% 48% 2022 93% 90% 83% 80% 64% 62% 46% 44% 7.4 In S4, Renfrewshire remains above the virtual comparator at SCQF Level 4. The proportion of pupils achieving 3 or more and 5 or more are in line with previous years. At SCQF Level 5, Renfrewshire is ahead of the virtual comparator at 3 or more and 5 or more awards. These patterns are like previous years although there has been some variability in the figures due to different assessment methods. S5 7.5 Table 11 includes data on the number of awards achieved for S5 pupils at SCQF levels 4, 5 and 6 for Renfrewshire and the virtual comparator. Table 11- S5 Breadth & Depth (% of S4 Roll) S5 A-C 1 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better 3 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better 5 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better 1 or more awards at SCQF level 6 or better 3 or more awards at SCQF level 6 or better 5 or more awards at SCQF level 6 or better Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC 2020 89% 86% 75% 72% 59% 56% 65% 62% 44% 42% 22% 20% 2021 89% 88% 77% 76% 61% 61% 65% 64% 45% 44% 23% 21% 2022 90% 88% 75% 74% 59% 58% 61% 59% 38% 39% 20% 18% 7.6 At SCQF Level 5, Renfrewshire is above or in line with the virtual comparator at 1 or more, 3 or more and 5 or more awards. At SCQF Level 6, Renfrewshire outperforms its Virtual Comparator at 1+ and 5+ awards but is slightly lower than the figure at 3+. S6 7.7 Table 12 includes data on the number of awards achieved for S6 pupils at SCQF levels 5, 6 and 7 for Renfrewshire and the virtual comparator. Table 12- S6 Breadth & Depth (% of S4 Roll) Page 109 of 184
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S6 A-C 3 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better 5 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better 1 or more awards at SCQF level 6 or better 3 or more awards at SCQF level 6 or better 5 or more awards at SCQF level 6 or better 1 or more awards at SCQF level 7 or better Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC Ren VC 2020 74% 71% 60% 57% 65% 62% 47% 45% 33% 32% 21% 22% 2021 77% 74% 63% 61% 69% 65% 54% 50% 39% 35% 24% 24% 2022 78% 77% 64% 64% 68% 65% 50% 49% 34% 33% 22% 22% 7.8 In S6, Renfrewshire has performed above the virtual comparator in most measures at SCQF Level 5 and Level 6. This is consistent with previous year’s trends. Attainment at SCQF Level 7 is in line with the virtual comparator, where in previous years Renfrewshire has been marginally behind. 8. Conclusion and next steps 8.1 The 2022 results need to be considered in the context of returning to a traditional exam diet after challenging circumstances and the never-before- used alternative certification model. Considered in this context, it would not be helpful to directly compare attainment to previous years. Better comparisons are to be made with 2019 performance which used an assessment programme that more closely resembles what was implemented in the 21/22 session. What is clear is that young people across Renfrewshire have performed exceptionally well, and they should be congratulated for all that they have achieved. 8.2 A further report on finalised leavers’ data and the attainment of our looked after children will be presented to this board in spring 2023 or as soon thereafter as the data becomes available. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial Implications None. 2. HR and Organisational Development Implications None. 3. Community Plan/Council Plan Implications Children and Young People - High levels of attainment and achievement provide our children and young people with the best start in life 4. Legal Implications None. 5. Property/Assets Implications Page 110 of 184
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None. 6. Information Technology Implications None. 7. Equality and Human Rights Implications 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 for example 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 Implications None. 9. Procurement Implications None. 10. Risk Implications None. 11. 12. 13. Privacy Impact None. COSLA Policy Position None. Climate Risk None. List of Background Papers (a) none ______________________________________________________________ Children’s Services 04/10/2022 Author: James Bowness, Data and Evaluation Officer Page 111 of 184
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Page 1 of 5 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. Item 5 Page 112 of 184
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Page 2 of 5 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 Page 113 of 184
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Page 3 of 5 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 Page 114 of 184
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Page 4 of 5 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 Page 115 of 184
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Page 5 of 5 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. Page 116 of 184
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The West Partnership EVALUATION REPORT 2021–2022 Equity, Excellence & Empowerment Page 117 of 184
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2 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 3 4 5 6 7 10 13 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 Page 118 of 184
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3 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 119 of 184
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4 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 120 of 184
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5 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 121 of 184
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6 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 122 of 184
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7 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 123 of 184
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8 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 124 of 184
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9 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 125 of 184
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10 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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) Page 126 of 184
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11 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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) Page 127 of 184
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12 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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) Page 128 of 184
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13 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 129 of 184
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14 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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) Page 130 of 184
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15 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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) Page 131 of 184
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16 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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. Page 132 of 184
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17 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 133 of 184
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18 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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) Page 134 of 184
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19 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 135 of 184
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20 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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. Page 136 of 184
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21 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 137 of 184
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22 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 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 Page 138 of 184
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23 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP E V A L U A T IO N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1– 2 2 west PartnershiP eVent number of resPondents % of resPondents rePorting an 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 Page 139 of 184
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How to connect with us T / wP_EdUCATiONwww.wESTPARTNERShiP.CO.Uk Page 140 of 184
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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 2Page 141 of 184
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The West Partnership IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2022–23 Equity, Excellence & Empowerment Page 142 of 184
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2 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 7 8 9 10 11 12 15 16 17 18 Page 143 of 184
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3 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 144 of 184
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4 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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. Page 145 of 184
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5 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 146 of 184
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6 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 147 of 184
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7 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 148 of 184
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8 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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. Page 149 of 184
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9 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 150 of 184
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10 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 151 of 184
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11 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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. Page 152 of 184
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12 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 153 of 184
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13 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 154 of 184
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14 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 155 of 184
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15 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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. Page 156 of 184
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16 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 Page 157 of 184
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17 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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. Page 158 of 184
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18 T H E W E S T P A R T N E R S H IP IM P R O V E M E N T P L A N 2 0 2 2 – 2 3 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 159 of 184
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How to connect with us T / WP_EduCATiONWWW.WEsTPARTNERshiP.CO.uK Page 160 of 184
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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 3Page 161 of 184
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 27 October 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Standard Circular 3a - Early Learning and Childcare Admission Policy ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. The existing Standard Circular 3a: Early Learning and Childcare Admission Policy and guidance for staff was approved by the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on 20 January 2020. Standard Circular 3a details the Early Year’s Admissions Policy and Guidance on the implementation of the policy. 1.2. This report advises of an amendment to the policy to reflect a change in the legislation on primary one deferral and early learning and childcare eligibility. _____________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is asked to approve the revised Standard Circular 3a: Early Learning and Childcare Admissions Policy which is attached as an appendix one to this report. _________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The current Early Learning and Childcare policy and guidance for staff was updated and approved by the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board in January 2022. A link to the previous policy board and standard circular is available in the background section of this report. 3.2 Further amendments to the policy and guidance are required to take account of legislative changes related to deferrals. 3.3 Currently, in terms of deferrals to primary, the school age is defined in sections 31 and 32 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. Parents of children Item 6 Page 162 of 184
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that are still 4 years old on the date they are eligible to start school can defer their child’s start at primary school for a year. 3.4 From the 1 August 2023, children who are still 4 years old on the date they are eligible to start school (with birth dates on or between the day after the school commencement date in August and the last day in February), whose parent have chosen to defer the child’s start at primary school for a year will automatically be provided with an additional year of funded early learning and childcare. Currently 8 local authorities are involved in a Scottish Government pilot to provide automatic entitlement to children who are still 4 years old at the start of the school term in August and end of February. Renfrewshire is not part of this pilot, therefore the discretionary powers provided to education authorities (under the 1980 Act) will continue to apply in Renfrewshire until August 2023. ___________________________________________________________________ 4 Revised Standard Circular 3(a) - Early Learning and Childcare Admission Policy and Guidance for Staff 4.1 The Scottish Government confirmed in a letter on 8 September 2022 that there will be a change in legislation from 1 August 2023 relating to funded early learning and childcare and Primary 1 deferral. 4.2 As outlined in paragraph 3.4, children who are still 4 years old on the date they are eligible to start school in August and the last day in February will automatically access an additional year of funded early learning and childcare if their parents choose to defer their entry to school. This change will align the funded early learning and childcare offer more closely with the existing right to defer for children with a January or February birthday. 4.3 This change will allow families to make decisions based on what they feel is in the best interests of their child, without the financial barrier of additional early learning and childcare costs. Guidance explaining the change is available online on the Scottish Government website https://www.gov.scot/publications/early-learning-childcare-statutory-guida 4.4 These funded early learning and childcare places will be available from August 2023 so can be applied to deferrals for the school year beginning August 2023. 4.5 Given the planned change to the legislation the amendment to the policy is as follows: Priority 3B(a) relates to children born in January and February with an entitlement to an additional year of early learning and childcare or where a deferred year has been approved for children born between August and December. This has been amended to ‘children born between August (if a child is still 4 years old on the date they are eligible to start school) and February with an entitlement to an additional year’. 4.7 The guidance for staff has been amended to reflect the policy changes as specified above and to provide further clarification and guidance on the implementation of the policy. 4.8 A copy of the full revised Standard Circular 3a, can be accessed via the attached link: I:\early education and childcare\Admissions\Admissions Policy\Oct 22 Policy Board Page 163 of 184
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4.9 We will provide an update to board on the impact of the changes to admissions policy next year. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial The financial implication of this will become clearer when we have an understanding of the level of deferment. 2. HR and Organisational Development None 3. Community/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving - Ensuring the best start in life for children and young people. Our Renfrewshire is well - Early intervention will lead to healthier outcomes for children and young people. Our Renfrewshire is safe - Local services will benefit children, young people and members of the community. Building strong, safe and resilient communities - The quality of community life is enhanced by supporting parents, children and young people. Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all - Effective governance arrangements ensure that the organisations receiving funding comply with legislative requirements. Creating a sustainable Renfrewshire for all to enjoy - Flexible childcare placements will support parents to access and sustain employment, training or education. 4. Legal None 5. Property/Assets None 6. Information Technology None 7. Equality 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 the service is being extended. If required, 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. Page 164 of 184
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8. Health and Safety It is integral to the Council’s aim of securing the health and wellbeing of employees and those affected by its undertakings and without this continued effective focus, there is a risk that will adversely impact on the Council both financially and in terms of service delivery. 9. Procurement None 10. Risk None 11. Privacy Impact Personal information will only be held as required to deliver the service. This will be done in accordance with data protection legislation. 12. 13. COSLA Policy Position None Climate Risk None List of Background Papers 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 meeting. Early Learn and Childcare Admissions Policy Standard Circular 3a ECSPB.pdf Education and Children’s Services Policy Board, 20.01.2022 (i) Primary 1 deferral and early learning and childcare eligibility letter, Scottish Government, September 2022 The contact officer within the service is Kathleen McDonagh, Education Manager, 07799034553, Kathleen.mcdonagh@renfrewshire.gov.uk KMcD 21/09/2022 Authors: Kathleen McDonagh, Education Manager, 07799034553 kathleen.mcdonagh@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 165 of 184
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Appendix One Early Learning and Childcare Admission Policy Priority One – Child protection and children in need (allocate in priority order) (A) Any child considered in need of protection Children on the child protection register or identified through child protection procedures. (B) Request for assistance from Social Work where a child is deemed to be in need Request for assistance from Social Work where either: - The placement would help the child remain within the family environment rather than be looked after by the Local Authority. - The child is currently or has been subject to a statutory order, looked after, under a kinship care order or with a parent appointed guardian. - The placement would support the child’s return to the family. - Children born to parents under 18 years of age who are in full- time education provided within a secondary school or to allow the parents to return to education. Priority Two – Referral for Children and families identified as requiring support (allocate in priority order) (A) Request for assistance from Social Work or health professionals for children with complex or multiple needs. Children who require substantial direct and continuing intervention from at least one other agency out with education and whose additional support needs are putting the child at an educational and social disadvantage, including children born pre-term below 32 weeks. (B) Request for assistance where it has been identified that substantial family support is required. Children and families who have been identified as requiring substantial support through an integrated assessment. (C) Request for assistance for children and families experiencing acute stress requiring high levels of support. Children and families experiencing acute stress due to the following: Asylum seekers; Refugees; Living in bed and breakfast, transient or who have a pattern of homelessness; Military families; Children of care experienced parents; and Other acute family circumstances. (D) Request for assistance from other professionals for children with less significant additional support needs or where there are concerns about the circumstances of the child, parents, or family. Children who require support because of circumstances which are placing the child, parent, or family at an educational, social or health disadvantage. This includes children who are adversely affected by the disability of any other person in the family or where there is a high level of support required for English as an additional language. The professionals who would request assistance within this priority includes education settings; health agencies; Social Work services; voluntary sector agencies. Page 166 of 184
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Priority Three: children entitled to early learning and childcare (allocate in priority order) (A) Early learning and childcare entitlement for eligible two-year olds. Eligible two-year olds - includes children: - who at any time since their 2nd birthday have been looked after by a local council, the subject of a kinship care order, the subject of a parent appointed guardian; - who have a care experienced parent; or - whose parents are in receipt of qualifying benefits, as specified within the Scottish Government website - https://www.mygov.scot/childcare-costs-help/funded-early- learning-and-childcare (B) Early learning and childcare entitlement for children aged 3 to starting school. (a) Children born between August (if a child is still 4 years old on the date they are eligible to start school) and February with an entitlement to an additional year. (b) Children transferring from English reception class. (c) Children in their pre-school year residing in Renfrewshire within the admission panel designated area. (d) Children in their ante pre-school year residing in Renfrewshire within the admission panel designated area. (e) Children in their pre-school year residing in Renfrewshire from out with the admission panel designated area. (f) Children in their ante pre-school year residing in Renfrewshire from out with the admission panel designated area. Priority Three – Further priority is given to children whose parents are: (NB allocate in priority order) in receipt of qualifying benefits in line with free school meals and or clothing grants- https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/3338/Free-school-meals-and-clothing-grants Both parents / lone parent is in employment, education, or training. One of two parents are in employment, education, or training. Priority Four – children from birth to 3 years (not entitled to funded early learning and childcare) Children from birth to 3 years residing in Renfrewshire. (wraparound care charges apply for places allocated within this priority) Priority is given to children whose parents are: (NB allocate in priority order) in receipt of qualifying benefits in line with free school meals and or clothing grants- https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/3338/Free-school- meals-and-clothing-grants Both parents / lone parent in employment, education, or training. One of two parents are in employment, education, or training. Page 167 of 184
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Priority Five : children from birth to starting school residing out with Renfrewshire (allocate in priority order) (A) Early learning and childcare entitlement for eligible two-year olds. Eligible two-year olds - includes children: - - who at any time since their 2nd birthday have been looked after by a local council, the subject of a kinship care order, the subject of a parent appointed guardian; - who have a care experienced parent; or - whose parents are in receipt of qualifying benefits, as specified within the Scottish Government website -https://www.mygov.scot/childcare- costs-help/funded-early-learning-and-childcare (B) Early learning and childcare entitlement for children aged 3 to starting school (NB allocate in priority order): Children born between August (if a child is still 4 years old on the date they are eligible to start school) and February with an entitlement to an additional year. Children transferring from English reception class Children in their pre-school year Children in their ante pre-school year. Further priority is given to children whose parents are: (NB allocate in priority order): in receipt of qualifying benefits in line with free school meals and or clothing grants- https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/3338/Free-school-meals- and-clothing-grants Both parents / lone parent in employment, education, or training. One of two parents are in employment, education, or training. (C) Children from birth to 3 years (wraparound care charges may apply for places allocated within this priority) Priority is given to (NB allocate in priority order): Child protection and children in need (in line with priority 1 Children and families identified as requiring support (in line with priority 2) Children from birth to 3 years who are not entitled to funded early learning and childcare (wraparound charges apply). Priority is given to children whose parents are: (NB allocate in priority order): in receipt of qualifying benefits in line with free school meals and or clothing grants- https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/3338/Free-school-meals- and-clothing-grants Both parents / lone parent in employment, education, or training. One of two parents are in employment, education, or training. Page 168 of 184
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Page 1 of 5 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 27 October 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Looked After Children and Child Protection Update ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 At the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on 9 June 2022, members considered a report on the annual census of looked after children and child protection. Members were advised that on 31 July each year, the Scottish Government carries out a census in relation to looked after children and children on the child protection register. The results of the census are published in the annual Children’s Social Work Statistics Report which provides information on the overall Scottish position and a breakdown of information by each of the 32 local authority areas. 1.2 Elected members agreed that information on Renfrewshire’s looked after children and child protection work would be brought to Board on a regular basis. This report provides information on the number of looked after children in Renfrewshire on 30 September 2022. The report also provides information on the number of children on the Renfrewshire Child Protection Register on 30 September 2022. 1.3 This report doesn’t allow comparison with other local authority areas as that information is only available when the annual Children’s Social Work Statistics Report is published. The annual report is normally published in the March following the census. 1.4 The report provides trend analysis over the last three census periods and offers comments on the long-term trends in relation to looked after children and child protection in Renfrewshire since 2012 when the council adopted the following strategic aims: to reduce the number of looked after children, reduce the number of children in external foster care and support kinship care where it is the best care option for children. The most up to date information for 30 September 2022 is provided to allow members to consider the current data. ___________________________________________________________________ Item 7 Page 169 of 184
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Page 2 of 5 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board: [a] notes the number of looked after children in Renfrewshire on 30 September 2022: [b] notes the number of children on the Renfrewshire child protection register on 30 September 2022: and [c] requests that the information relating to Renfrewshire’s looked after children and child protection is presented to the board after 31 March 2023. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 A child is looked after if: • they are provided with accommodation by a local authority under section 25 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995; • subject to a compulsory supervision order or an interim compulsory supervision order made by a children’s hearing; or • subject to a Permanence Order under Section 80 of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007. 3.2 Children who are looked after can be looked after at home with their parent(s) or looked after in kinship, foster or residential care. 3.3 Each year the Scottish Government conducts a census in relation to the number of children who are looked after by local authorities and children involved in child protection processes. The information for the census is gathered from individual local authorities and aggregated to a national level. The Scottish Government publishes a summary report and associated tables in respect of the data gathered. 3.4 The census is conducted on 31 July each year and the Scottish Government publishes its report around March the following year. The most recent annual census was conducted on 31 July 2022 and the annual report is expected to be published by the end of March 2023. The information in this report is on the number of looked after children on 30 September 2022 and therefore doesn’t allow any comparison with other local authorities. 3.5 Throughout this report the terms “child” and “children” are used to describe someone who has not yet attained the age of 16 or is over the age of 16 but under the age of 18 and is still subject to a statutory supervision order. Page 170 of 184
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Page 3 of 5 3.6 In 2012 Renfrewshire set a strategic objective to reduce the number of children who are looked after. In addition, Renfrewshire set a strategic objective to support children who couldn’t be cared for by their parents to remain with their extended family under kinship care arrangements as an alternative to foster care. The final strategic objective set in 2012 was to reduce the use of external foster care and increase the internal Renfrewshire foster care provision. 3.7 In this report the data in relation to Renfrewshire’s looked after children and child protection is presented as at 30 September 2022 and has information from the last three published annual census shown to demonstrate trend. Looked After Children Renfrewshire On 30 September 2022, 579 children in Renfrewshire were looked after. Table 1 contains details of the number and percentage of children looked after at 2012, the last three annual census dates and on 30 September 2022. Table 1 31/07/2012 31/07/2019 31/07/2020 31/07/2021 30/09/2022 786 (2.2%) 629 (1.9%) 642 (1.9%) 587 (1.7%) 579 (1.7%) 3.8 Table 2 shows where Renfrewshire’s looked after children were living at each of the census points over the last three years and at the census point in 2012 when the strategic aims referred to in paragraph 1.4 were agreed. Table 2 31/07/2012 31/07/2019 31/07/2020 31/07/2021 30/09/2022 At home with parents 269 190 197 160 145 Kinship care 193 190 212 218 227 Local authority foster care 140 127 125 110 110 Independent sector foster care 110 61 60 48 40 Internal residential children’s houses 46 29 16 17 17 Independent residential children’s houses 24 19 20 27 32 Other 4 13 12 7 8 Total 786 629 642 587 579 Page 171 of 184
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Page 4 of 5 3.9 During the period 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022, a total of 38 children and young people were accommodated by Renfrewshire. Table 3 shows the placements by number of children during this period. Table 3 Placement Number of children Internal residential children’s house 2 Local authority foster care 18 Kinship care 12 Independent foster care 1 Independent residential children’s house 1 Secure care 4 Child Protection - Renfrewshire 3.10 Each local authority maintains a child protection register. The child protection register is used to record the names of those children in each authority area who are deemed to be in need of protection. 3.11 On 31 July 2021 there were 71 children on the Renfrewshire child protection register. This equates to 2.4 per 1000 children, just slightly higher than the national rate at that time. 3.12 Table 4 provides information on the number of children on the child protection register at the census date on 31 July 2012, 2019, 2020 and 2021. The table also shows the rate per 1000 children for the same periods. The information for 30 September 2022 is also shown on the table. Table 4 31/07/2012 Number (rate per 1000) 31/07/2019 Number (rate per 1000) 31/07/2020 Number (rate per 1000) 31/07/2021 Number (rate per 1000) 30/09/2022 Number (rate per 1000) 86 (2.8) 83 (2.7) 98 (3.2) 71 (2.4) 78 (2.5) 3.16 During the period 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022, 40 children had their name placed on the Renfrewshire Child Protection Register. The main areas of concern in relation to new child protection registrations continue to be parental substance use; mental health and gender-based violence. _______________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial None. Page 172 of 184
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Page 5 of 5 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning None. 4. Legal None. 5. Property/Assets None. 6. Information Technology None. 7. Equality and 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 and 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 Risk None. List of Background Papers ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services JT/KO 21/09/22 Author: John Trainer, Head of Child Care and Criminal Justice 0141 618 6860, john.trainer@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 173 of 184
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 27 0ctober 2022 Report by: Director of Children’s Services Heading: Keeping Brothers and Sisters Together – Progress Report 1. Summary 1.1. The Independent Care Review highlighted the issue of children who are accommodated by local authorities being placed in separate placements from their brothers and sisters as an area which required to be addressed by local authorities. The Children’s Champions Board in Renfrewshire highlighted keeping brothers and sisters who are in the care of the local authority together as one of their priorities. 1.2. The Children’s Champions Board produced a report, “Keeping Brothers and Sisters Together”, which recommended practice improvements to keep more brothers and sisters together in care. This report was presented to the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on 20 May 2021. After considering the report, the Policy Board approved a policy on “Keeping brothers and sisters together policy”. 1.3. The approval of the policy meant that Renfrewshire was the first council in Scotland to introduce a formal policy in relation to keeping brothers and sisters in care together. The policy leads with the pledge: “When children come into care, Renfrewshire will place brothers and sisters together”. 1.4. The policy did however recognise that there will be times when brothers and sisters cannot be placed together and when this occurs, the policy requires a clear decision-making process to be evidenced, along with robust arrangements to maintain family time and regular care reviews. The policy states that all sibling separations in care are to be reported on an annual basis to the Champions Board. 1.5. This report provides an overview of the first year of the implementation of the Keeping brothers and sisters together policy. During the period June 2021 to May 2022 a total of 96 children and young people were accommodated. 47 either had no siblings or their siblings remained at home. Of the remaining 49 children, 18 siblings were placed together in care, and 31 were placed apart from their brothers and sisters. Item 8 Page 174 of 184
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1.6. Review of the circumstances of the siblings placed separately shows that separation was necessary and appropriate. The main reasons for separation related to the different needs and care plans of siblings, the significant support needs of individual children, the complexity of some family relationships and high numbers of half-sibling relationships, as well as the capacity of some kinship and foster carers to provide care to multiple children. 1.7. Where siblings were separated, robust family time contact plans are in place and brothers’ and sisters’ relationships are supported in line with the individual needs and aspirations of the children. 2. Recommendations 2.1. Members of the Board are asked to a) note the progress of the first year’s implementation of the brothers and Sisters policy. 3. Background 3.1 The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 became law in January 2021 and placed new duties on local authorities in relation to ensuring that brothers and sisters are supported to be together and where this is not possible, to have their relationship supported on an ongoing basis. Our Keeping brothers and sisters together policy is compliant with the requirements of the legislation. 3.2 The Renfrewshire policy pledges that when children are accommodated by the council, we will place brothers and sisters together. The policy recognises, however, that there are circumstances in which this will not be possible, or indeed in the best interests of the individual children and young people. Moreover, there are times when individual needs of the children are at odds and difficult decisions require to be made by the team of professionals responsible for their care. 3.3 In circumstances where the separate placement of siblings is due to the unavailability of kinship or foster carers, or residential service able to take a sibling group, or for significant safeguarding reasons, separation may occur with the requirement that a robust family time contact plan is in place and the possibility of the children being reunited in placement is regularly reviewed via the established Looked After Reviews process. 3.4 Where the team around the child agree a care plan which separates brothers and sisters in care for other reasons, the policy requires the explicit approval of the Head of Child Care and Criminal Justice. In this process, the reasons for the separation must be fully recorded and a family time contact plan developed. In addition, an annual report on delivering the pledge will be produced to hold the service to account for performance in this area. 3.5 A range or practice tools are in use to inform the assessment of brothers’ and sisters’ relationships and to support the development of these very important relationships, irrespective of their placement. Our Promise Ambassador has Page 175 of 184
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co-produced with care experienced children and young people child-friendly family time contact plans which detail children’s important relationships and their wishes about how, when and where they spend time with their siblings, wider families, and friends. These family time plans will be introduced in the coming months alongside wider training and practice development around family contact. 3.6 The policy has now been in operation since June 2021 and the first annual review of its operation has been carried out. During the period June 2021 to May 2022 a total of 96 children and young people were accommodated by Renfrewshire Council. 47 had no brothers or sisters in the care of the local authority. This group includes children whose siblings remained at home (with either or both parents), those whose siblings had been in care but are now aged over 18 years, and those whose siblings are resident in another local authority area, either in care or not. 3.7 49 children and young people were accommodated either as part of a sibling group or where their brothers or sisters were already in the care of the authority. The family relationships for this group of children are complex including children whose siblings who were brought into care at different times, such as when older children (single and sibling groups) are already in care and a new baby brother or sister is subsequently accommodated in a separate placement. The group also includes children whose siblings are half-siblings where parents have new partners (sometimes resulting in three or more siblings with different half relationships on the maternal and paternal side). These half-sibling relationships tend to be complex, and children have never lived together. 3.8 Of the 49 children accommodated who have siblings also in care, 18 were placed together. The review showed that small sibling groups of two or three who were brought into care at the same time were most likely to be kept together. There were a small number of cases where one child was already in a care placement and the carer was able to accommodate a newly arrived sibling. Younger sibling groups were more likely to be placed together than older children. 3.9 In attempting to meet the needs of the family groups the service placed two sisters in an external residential placement to prevent them being separated and approved a change in registration of a foster carer to allow three siblings to remain together. 3.10 Of the 31 brothers and sisters who were separated, there were a number of issues in common. Most frequent was the siblings being accommodated at different times. A typical scenario was one or more siblings placed together and then a sibling (usually a new baby) coming into care several months or years later. In these cases, either the care placement was unable to offer an additional placement, or the child(ren) already placed had a permanence decision agreed and were at various stages of progression to a permanent destination. 3.11 The physical capacity of foster and kinship carers’ homes was a barrier to some sibling groups being placed together. However, the carers’ ability to provide the level and nature of care required for individual children with differing care and support needs was a more prevalent reason for siblings not being placed together. Page 176 of 184
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3.12 Renfrewshire has made considerable progress in recent years towards shifting our balance of care away from foster care towards kinship care. This aligns with the recommendations of the Independent Review of Care and our statutory duty to keep children within their birth families wherever possible. Kinship carers are different to foster carers in that they are not ‘recruited’ and trained to care for children who have experienced trauma and who present challenging behaviours. Kinship carers often don’t have the accommodation to provide placements for multiple children. This review has highlighted that while many kinship carers are managing very well with one or two children, they are unable to take on new siblings as they come into care. 3.13 The use of kinship care placements also means that half-siblings cannot always be accommodated together. The review highlighted instances where the kinship carer was not related to one or more of the sibling group and they were unwilling to offer sibling group placements in these circumstances. There is a very high frequency of half-sibling relationships amongst our population of accommodated children. 3.14 In line with the requirements of the policy, all children accommodated separately from their siblings have a contact plan which specifically addresses their contact with siblings. This is reinforced by the statutory duties imposed by the children’s hearings system which requires that all reports submitted about children who have siblings includes a specific assessment of their relationship and each child’s individual views and wishes about sibling contact. Implications of this report 1. Financial Where children require external placements to remain together there are higher costs than if placed in internal provision. This year this required the purchase of two independent foster care placements. 2. HR and Organisational Development Ongoing training and development work will be required to assist staff in the consistent implementation of the policy. 3. Community/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving - Providing good quality care is central to ensuring that the most vulnerable children in Renfrewshire are provided with an opportunity to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment. Building strong, safe and resilient communities Providing children and young people with safe, supportive and nurturing placements, increases the likelihood of them becoming effective citizens who contribute productively to the communities in which they live. Page 177 of 184
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4. Legal The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 placed a new duty on local authorities in relation to how they support and promote contact between brothers and sisters. The current policy satisfies the authority’s duty in this area. 5. Property/Assets None. 6. Information Technology None. 7. Equality and 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. 8. Health and Safety None. 9. Procurement None. 10. Risk None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Cosla Policy Position None. 13. Climate Risk None. List of Background Papers Keeping Brother and Sisters Together: Report to Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on 20 May 2021 ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services JT/KO 21 September 2022 Author: John Trainer, Head of Child Care and Criminal Justice john.trainer@renfrewshire.go.uk 0141 628 6860 Page 178 of 184
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 27 October 2022 Report by: Director of Children’s Services Heading: Early Learning and Childcare – Payment of Sustainable Rates to Funded Providers 1. Summary 1.1 Renfrewshire Council has a statutory duty to provide early learning and childcare (ELC) places to all eligible children. The Council has continued to observe this duty through the provision of places in local authority and in private and voluntary sector nurseries and with childminders. The Flexible Framework Agreement for Renfrewshire Council Early Learning and Childcare Places Framework enables the Council to commission placements in private and voluntary sector nurseries and with childminders (Approved Funded Providers or AFP). 1.2 The purpose of this report is to propose an increase in the hourly rate paid by Renfrewshire Council to AFP on the Council’s Framework to deliver funded ELC. 2. Recommendations 2.1 The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is asked to: (i) Approve an increase to the hourly rate paid to AFP for the provision of funded ELC from £5.31 to £5.71 for children aged 3 to 5 years from 16 August 2022; (ii) Approve the continuation of the existing hourly rate of £8.50 paid for ELC to AFP for eligible children aged 2 to 3 years. 2.2 The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is also asked to note the external factors influencing the sustainability of the hourly rates paid to AFP, including inflationary increases and salary costs and agree to a further report being presented to the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board for proposed rates for future years to ensure that the Council commissioned rates remain sustainable. Item 9 Page 179 of 184
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3. Background 3.1 Section 1 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, as amended by the Standards in Schools etc. Act 2000 and The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (“2014 Act”), directs authorities on their duty to provide pre-school education. Renfrewshire Council has continued to observe this duty through the provision of places in local authority, private and voluntary sector nurseries and childminders. 3.2 The Council’s expansion of ELC to 1140 hours ensured that parents were offered a range of options for accessing their child’s free ELC entitlement across each geographical area. In each area parents are able to choose from a range of Providers, including council and AFP; and a range of options such as term time and 52 weeks per year, full day and part-time places. 3.3 Within Renfrewshire, approximately one third of children eligible for a funded ELC access their placement in an AFP setting. The Council is dependent on these AFP to fulfil its statutory duty to deliver ELC to all eligible children, therefore settings in this sector need to remain financially viable and meet the required standards in the provision of a quality service. 3.4 Scottish Government guidance is that Councils establish and pay a rate that ensures sustainability for AFP. Due to continuing concerns regarding financial sustainability of these AFP, the Scottish Government carried out work to review the sustainability of the sector and in August 2021 published the Financial Sustainability Health Check of the Childcare Sector in Scotland. The report highlighted that although Councils work closely with their AFP to agree rates in line with the principles of the Sustainable Rates Guidance (published April 2019), it also highlighted that in some areas rates have not matched expectations of sustainability and inflationary pressures. The report also confirmed that a national rate would not be set. Also noted in the report was that a number of local authorities continued to pay £5.31 per hour, commenting that no credence had been paid to an inflation uplift which was built into the quantum. 3.5 To support Councils in the process of setting a sustainable rate the Scottish Government and COSLA commissioned the independent body Ipsos MORI to conduct a national costs collection exercise in early 2022. A similar exercise was conducted in 2016 (and in 2019 by West Partnership Regional Improvement Collaborative), to support Councils in the rate setting exercise for the 1140 expansion. 3.6 The main aim of this most recent Ipsos MORI consultation exercise was to: - produce up to date estimates of the actual costs to AFP to deliver ELC; and - to inform planning, modelling and discussions at a local level to help with the setting of local sustainable rates for session 2022-23. 3.7 Data from the consultation exercise was provided to each Regional Improvement Collaborative area and individual local authority areas where the achieved sample size allowed, with 10 or more responses required for each authority area. There were 113 usable responses across the West Regional Improvement Collaborative, which included 17 usable responses from Renfrewshire. All 38 Funded Provider nurseries from Renfrewshire were invited to participate in the consultation. A link to the Ipsos MORI technical report and Renfrewshire cost collection results is available in the background section of this report. Page 180 of 184
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3.8 There is an expectation from the Scottish Government that the hourly rate paid to AFP for session 2022-23 is reflective of the cost to deliver and takes cognisance of inflationary increases, payment of the real Living Wage and to provide scope for reinvestment, which will reflect a measure of profit in a private sector setting. 3.9 If a sustainable rate is not paid, there is a risk of services in the independent sector closing. If services were to close in Renfrewshire this could reduce choice and local provision for parents and impact on the Council’s ability to fulfil its statutory duty in some local areas. 4. Renfrewshire Council - Sustainable Rate Position 4.1 Currently the hourly rate paid by the Council to AFP is £5.31 for children aged 3 to 5 years and £8.50 for eligible children aged 2 to 3 years. 4.2 In preparation for the expansion of ELC to 1140 hours the rates paid to AFP increased as follows: 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 to current period 2 to 3 year olds: £5.56 £6.50 £8.00 £8.50 3 to 5 year olds: £3.45 £4.00 £5.00 £5.31 NB. The increased rate for children aged 2 to 3 years reflects the higher staff ratio required for this age group. 4.3 The current (and previous) hourly rate paid to AFP does not represent the other additional services the Council provides as part of the Framework. The additional benefits to the AFP include: - A designated link Partnership Support Officer; - Professional advice and support on quality improvement; - Access to an Early Years Graduate (in line with SIMD status) and to an Early Years Teacher; - Free access to high quality continued professional learning; - Financial support towards external workforce training costs to assist in the compliance with SSSC requirements; and - Other support services such as Educational Psychology. 4.4 The Scottish Government’s Funding Follows the Child Policy tasks Councils with the responsibility of ensuring flexibility and choice, ensuring that there is a range of options for families in their area. In addition, Councils are required to be guarantors of quality in enabling Providers to meet the requirements of the National Standards. This includes the provision of a quality service to support children to develop, learn and attain. There are also requirements in the National Standard for Providers to pay staff the real Living Wage and to be able to recruit and retain staff, support professional learning and invest in their services. 4.5 The Council’s Framework provides a robust scrutiny and assessment process to ensure that quality ELC provision and AFP commitment to meeting the National Standards in relation to the real Living Wage, quality staffing and staff retention. Page 181 of 184
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4.6 To establish a revised hourly rate officers from the Council worked collaboratively with the West Regional Improvement Collaborative to streamline the approach and agree a methodology which takes cognisance of inflationary increases, payment of the real Living Wage, seasonality and reinvestment, whilst at the same time ensuring the rate is reflective of the cost to deliver ELC. 4.7 The proposed hourly rate to AFP for the provision of funded ELC is £5.71 for 3 to 5 year olds. There is no proposal to increase the rate paid for eligible children aged 2 to 3 year old rate as Renfrewshire’s rate for this age group is one of the highest in Scotland. It is proposed that the rate increase for children aged 3 to 5 years is backdated for the entirety of the current session, with all hours provided since 16 August 2022 uprated. These proposed rates reflect the cost to deliver ELC and takes cognisance of inflationary increases as outlined in paragraph 4.6 above. 4.8 In addition to the rates noted above, AFP will continue to receive £3 per meal for children eligible for ELC who are in attendance during the lunch time period and £0.58 per session as part of the Scottish Milk and Health Snack Scheme. 4.9 In considering any new rate, it is essential that the service remains mindful of the financial pressures facing the Council and ensures it remains affordable within the current financial year, and into future financial years. The proposed increase in the hourly rate for 3 to 5 year olds represents a significant cost pressure to the Council, estimated to be in the region of £657,000 per year, with approximately £430,000 of cost falling within the current financial year to 31 March 2023. In addition to this specific cost pressure, there remains uncertainty more widely regarding the funding available to the Council beyond the current year for the provision of ELC. The service continues to raise this nationally with the Scottish Government. Implications of this report 1. Financial The overall cost of the proposed increase to the hourly rate payable to AFP for ELC is expected to be in the region of £657,000 per year, with an estimated £430,000 of cost falling within the current financial year to 31 March 2023. This will require to be met within the Council’s existing budget available for ELC. 2. HR and Organisational Development None 3. Community/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving - Ensuring the best start in life for children and young people. Our Renfrewshire is well - Early intervention will lead to healthier outcomes for children and young people. Our Renfrewshire is safe - Local services will benefit children, young people and members of the community. Page 182 of 184
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Building strong, safe and resilient communities - The quality of community life is enhanced by supporting parents, children and young people. Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all - Effective governance arrangements ensure that the organisations receiving funding comply with legislative requirements. Creating a sustainable Renfrewshire for all to enjoy Support to families and flexible childcare placements will support parents into and sustain employment, training or enter education. 4. Legal Services from AFP will continue to be procured in accordance with the Framework and the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. 5. Property/Assets None 6. Information Technology None 7. Equality 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 the service is being extended. If required, 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 Services from AFP will continue to be procured in accordance with the Framework and the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. 10. Risk If the Council does not increase the hourly rate to a level that enables AFP to be sustainable, there is the risk that: i. There will be a reduction in the level of choice and local provision for parents and possibly impact on the Council’s ability to fulfil its statutory duty and compliance with the Funding Follows the Child Policy and National Standard of ensuring sufficient places, which could result in additional cost for the Council as it will need to expand existing services and/or open new services; ii. There may be reputational damage to the Council if services close due to not being sustainable, leading to disruption to children and families lives, loss of local provision, choice and flexibility for families, loss of employment and community based services; Page 183 of 184
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iii. Providers in the private and voluntary sector may not be able to recruit and retain staff or meet the National Standard, if they are not able to pay the real Living Wage; iv. Potential reduction in the quality of service provided if qualified and experienced staff cannot be recruited. 11. Privacy Impact None 12. COSLA Policy Position COSLA has been involved in discussions relating to ELC Funded Providers sustainable rates and along with the Scottish Government jointly agreed to the commissioning of Ipsos MORI cost collection exercise. 13. Climate Risk None List of Background Papers - Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard for ELC Providers - Updated Interim Guidance on Setting Sustainable Rates Annex A of the Interim Guidance provides updated guidance on setting sustainable rates for August 2022, Scottish Government, May 2022 - Financial sustainability health check of the childcare sector in Scotland, Scottish Government – August 2021. - Technical Report - Estimating the Costs of ELC Provision in Partner Provider Settings 2022 v3.pdf - ELC Cost Collection Results Renfrewshire - Renfrewshire data only.xlsx 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 meeting. The contact officer within the service is Kathleen McDonagh, Education Manager, 07799034553 - kathleen.mcdonagh@renfrewshire.gov.uk KMcD 17 October 2022 Author: Kathleen McDonagh, Education Manager, Telephone Number 07799034553 kathleen.mcdonagh@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 184 of 184