Agenda Document Pack - Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee - 19/04/2023
Moray Council · 19 April 2023
Back to Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee — 19 April 2023 and its agenda
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Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee Wednesday, 19 April 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee is to be held at Council Chambers, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX on Wednesday, 19 April 2023 at 09:30. BUSINESS 1 Sederunt 2 Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests * 3 Resolution Consider, and if so decide, adopt the following resolution: "That under Section 50A (4) and (5) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, as amended, the public and media representatives be excluded from the meeting for Item 20-22 of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information of the class described in the relevant Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.” 4 Minute of Meeting dated 25 January 2023 7 - 14 5 Written Questions ** 6* Notice of Motion - Scottish Parliament Motion PE1979 15 - 16 7 Update Report - Inspection of Fostering, Adoption and Adult Placements March 2022 Report by Chief Officer (Health and Social Care Moray) 17 - 56 8 Children and Families Social Work Services Revenue Budget Monitoring to 31 December 2022 Report by Chief Officer (Health and Social Care Moray) 57 - 62 Page 1
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9* Education Resources and Communities Revenue Budget Monitoring to 31 December 2022 Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 63 - 68 10* Education Revenue Budget Monitoring to 31 December 2022 Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 69 - 74 11* Analysis of Secondary School Leaver Attainment 2021- 2022 Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 75 - 88 12* Education Scotland Inspection of St Peters RC Primary School Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 89 - 98 13* Education Scotland Inspection of St Peters Nursery, Buckie Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 99 - 102 14* Education Resources, Communities and Education Capital Budget Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 103 - 116 15* Review of Additional Support Needs Service (Action Plan 2023-24) Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 117 - 124 16* Learning Estate - Closure of Inveravon Primary School Statutory Consultation Report Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 125 - 270 Page 2
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17* Moray's Dandelion Project Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 271 - 276 18* Partnership Community Learning and Development Plan Update Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 277 - 296 19 Question Time *** Consider any oral question on matters delegated to the Committee in terms of the Council's Scheme of Administration. Item(s) which the Committee may wish to consider with the Press and Public excluded 20* Early Learning and Childcare - External Consultation Update • Information relating to staffing matters; 21* Youth Music Initiative Programme • Information relating to staffing matters; 22 Scottish Child Interview Model - Social Work Staff • Information relating to staffing matters; Information Reports - Not for Discussion at this Meeting Any member wishing to call in a noting or information report from one meeting shall give notice to Committee Services at least 48 hours before the meeting for which the report is published. The Notice shall be countersigned by one other elected member and shall explain the reason for call in including any action sought. Information Report - Primary 1 Deferral and Early Learning and Childcare Eligibility Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 297 - 300 Page 3
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Information Report - Singleton Inspections of Early Learning and Childcare Centres - Published Reports June 22-March 23 Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) 301 - 312 ECLS Committee Action Table 313 - 314 Only items marked * can be considered and determined by all members of the Committee Summary of Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee To exercise all the functions of the Council as Education Authority within the terms of relevant legislation with regard to school education, nurseries and child care, Gaelic, children’s services, leisure, libraries and museums, sport and the arts, CLD, life long learning, youth justice and child protection. Page 4
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GUIDANCE NOTES * Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests - The Chair of the meeting shall seek declarations from any individual or political group at the beginning of a meeting whether any prior decision has been reached on how the individual or members of the group will vote on any item(s) of business on the Agenda, and if so on which item(s). A prior decision shall be one that the individual or the group deems to be mandatory on the individual or the group members such that the individual or the group members will be subject to sanctions should they not vote in accordance with the prior decision. Any such prior decisions will be recorded in the Minute of the meeting. ** Written Questions - Any Member can put one written question about any relevant and competent business within the specified remits not already on the agenda, to the Chair provided it is received by the Proper Officer or Committee Services by 12 noon two working days prior to the day of the meeting. A copy of any written answer provided by the Chair will be tabled at the start of the relevant section of the meeting. The Member who has put the question may, after the answer has been given, ask one supplementary question directly related to the subject matter, but no discussion will be allowed. No supplementary question can be put or answered more than 10 minutes after the Council has started on the relevant item of business, except with the consent of the Chair. If a Member does not have the opportunity to put a supplementary question because no time remains, then he or she can submit it in writing to the Proper Officer who will arrange for a written answer to be provided within 7 working days. *** Question Time - At each ordinary meeting of the Committee ten minutes will be allowed for Members questions when any Member of the Committee can put a question to the Chair on any business within the remit of that Section of the Committee. The Member who has put the question may, after the answer has been given, ask one supplementary question directly related to the subject matter, but no discussion will be allowed. No supplementary question can be put or answered more than ten minutes after the Committee has started on the relevant item of business, except with the consent of the Chair. If a Member does not have the opportunity to put a supplementary question because no time remains, then he/she can submit it in writing to the proper officer who will arrange for a written answer to be provided within seven working days. Page 5
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THE MORAY COUNCIL Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee SEDERUNT Councillor Kathleen Robertson (Chair) Councillor Bridget Mustard (Depute Chair) Councillor James Allan (Member) Councillor Neil Cameron (Member) Councillor Tracy Colyer (Member) Councillor John Cowe (Member) Councillor Juli Harris (Member) Councillor Sandy Keith (Member) Councillor Scott Lawrence (Member) Councillor Marc Macrae (Member) Councillor Paul McBain (Member) Councillor Shona Morrison (Member) Councillor Derek Ross (Member) Councillor Sonya Warren (Member) Councillor Ben Williams (Member) Mrs Sheila Brumby (Non-Voting Member) Mrs Anne Currie (Non-Voting Member) Mr Alfie Harper (Non-Voting Member) Reverend Tembu Rongong (Non-Voting Member) Mrs Susan Slater (Non-Voting Member) Ms Angela Stuart (Non-Voting Member) Mrs Emma Tunnard (Non-Voting Member) Clerk Name: Tracey Sutherland Clerk Telephone: 07971 879268 Clerk Email: committee.services@moray.gov.uk Page 6
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MORAY COUNCIL Minute of Meeting of the Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee Wednesday, 25 January 2023 Council Chambers, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX PRESENT Councillor James Allan, Mrs Sheila Brumby, Councillor Neil Cameron, Councillor Tracy Colyer, Councillor John Cowe, Mrs Anne Currie, Councillor Juli Harris, Councillor Sandy Keith, Councillor Scott Lawrence, Councillor Marc Macrae, Councillor Paul McBain, Councillor Bridget Mustard, Councillor Kathleen Robertson, Reverend Tembu Rongong, Councillor Derek Ross, Mrs Susan Slater, Ms Angela Stuart, Mrs Emma Tunnard, Councillor Sonya Warren, Councillor Ben Williams APOLOGIES Mr Alfie Harper IN ATTENDANCE Also in attendance at the above meeting were the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development), Head of Education, Head of Education Resources and Communities, Head of Governance, Head of Environmental and Commercial Services, Strategy and Performance, Quality Improvement Managers, Early Learning and Childcare Manager, Senior Project Manager (Learning Estate), Catering Officer and Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer. 1. Chair The meeting was chaired by Councillor Kathleen Robertson. 2. Tribute The Committee joined the Chair in paying tribute to Robbie Burns as the Committee was being held on the Bard's birthday. 3. Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests In terms of Standing Order 21 and the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, Councillors Robertson and Mustard declared an interest in the Music Tuition Information Report and confirmed that they would remain in the meeting and would review their decision depending on how the discussion of the item progressed. Item 4 Page 7
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There were no other declarations from Group Leaders or Spokespersons in regard to any prior decisions taken on how Members will vote on any item on the agenda or any declarations of Member’s interests in respect of any item on the agenda. 4. Resolution The meeting resolved that in terms of Section 50A (4) and (5) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, as amended, the public and media representatives be excluded from the meeting for Items 17-19 of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information of the class described in the relevant Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act. Para Number of the minute Para Number of Schedule 7a 17 Para 4 Information relating to any applicant or recipient of any financial assistance provided by the Council 18 Para 8 and 9 Information on proposed terms and/or expenditure to be incurred by the Authority 19 Para 9 Information on proposed terms to be proposed by or to the Authority 5. Minutes of meeting of 2 November 2022 The minute of the meeting of the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee dated 2 November 2022 was submitted and approved. 6. Minutes of special meeting of 7 November 2022 The minute of the Special meeting of the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee dated 7 November 2022 was submitted and approved. 7. Minutes of special meeting of 14 December 2022 The minute of the Special meeting of the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee dated 14 December 2022 was submitted and approved. 8. Written Questions The Committee noted that no written questions had been submitted. 9. Free School Meals Allowance Secondary Pupils A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and Finance) informed the Committee of the current process of when the free school meal allocation is added to pupil's accounts and approve the plan to alter the timing of the allocation. Page 8
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In welcoming the report Councillor Warren, sought confirmation that when the contract is renewed Officers to take into consideration the flexibility of any new system purchased. The Head of Environmental and Commercial Services confirmed that this would be taken into consideration when looking at new systems. Following consideration the Committee agreed to: i) note the contents of the report; ii) approve the change to the timing of the allowance as set out in paragraph 7.3 Option 2; and iii) consider a more flexible system when the contract is being renewed. 10. Kings Coronation Bank Holiday May 2023 A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) asked the Committee to give authorisation to submit a request to the Scottish Government for permission for all schools across Moray to reduce teaching days by one from the requirement to provide 190 days schooling to 189 in order to recognise the additional bank holiday on Monday 8 May 2023 to the mark the celebration of His Majesty’s Coronation. Following consideration the Committee agreed to: i) seek an exemption from the Scottish Government for the requirement to provide 190 days schooling and seek consent for the exceptional closure of all Moray schools on Monday 8 May 2023, under the terms of section 133 (4) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 in order to recognise the additional Bank Holiday on Monday 8 May 2023 to the mark the celebration of His Majesty’s Coronation; and ii) note that this request will be triggered only if the Corporate Committee on 31 January 2023 determines that an additional day of service closure and annual leave be granted across the Council. 11. Initial Analysis of Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels 2022 A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) provided Committee with a summary of the Moray data collected in June 2022 and provided to the Scottish Government at the end of October 2022 regarding Teacher Professional Judgements (TPJ) on children Achieving Curriculum for Excellence levels (ACEL) at P1, P4, P7 and S3. This data appears in the Scottish Government report published in December 2022. In introducing the report, Stewart McLauchlan, Quality Improvement Manager advised the Committee that recommendation (iv) should read 'a further paper to be presented to the next meeting of this Committee with further information on how Page 9
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the direct allocation of additional Scottish Government funding for additional teachers, for the priority of raising attainment, could be allocated.' Councillor Ross asked whether there was any evidence that would support the reduction in class sizes and improvements in attainment. In response the Head of Education confirmed that this was not information that the Council held and that although maximum class sizes are set nationally there is no specific data. The Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) further added that any information on class sizes currently published is more general and the validity of the information available would need to be determined. Councillor Macrae proposed adding a further recommendation in which the Chair of the Committee could write to the Secretary for Education to request information on the effects of class sizes on attainment that the Scottish Parliament Information Centre may hold. The Chair confirmed that she was happy to write the letter. Following further lengthy discussion and consideration the Committee agreed: i) scrutinises and notes the content of this report and acknowledges the lasting impact of Covid-19 and wider influencing factors on work of Moray schools to close the poverty related and wider attainment gaps ii) acknowledges work underway by Education using resources available to support in addressing identified areas of underperformance and improve outcomes for all children and young people iii) notes revised ACEL and wider Stretch Aims set using available data intelligence as part of the Scottish Government and Education Scotland Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress requirements; iv) a further paper would be presented to the next meeting of this Committee with further information on how the direct allocation of additional Scottish Government funding for additional teachers, for the priority of raising attainment, could be allocated; and v) the Chair to write to the Secretary for Education to request information on the effects of class sizes on attainment that the Scottish Parliament Information Centre may hold 12. Education Professional Leadership and Learning Strategy A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) asked the Committee to agree the updated Professional Leadership and Learning Strategy. Following consideration the Committee agreed the Professional Leadership and Learning Strategy. Page 10
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13. Parental Invovlement and Engagment A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) invited the Committee to note the statutory requirement for local authorities to have a Parental Involvement and Engagement Strategy and to request approval of the draft Moray Parental Involvement and Engagement Strategy 2023-2025. Following consideration the Committee agreed to approve the Moray Parental Involvement and Engagement Strategy 2023-2025. 14. Information Report - Primary and Secondary School Functional Capacity 2022-23 Under reference to Standing Order 38 Councillor Lawrence seconded by Councillor Warren called the report in to ensure the Committee have evidence to make decisions around budget and are able to consider learning estate issues with full information. Following consideration, the Committee noted the report. 15. Information Report - Music Instruction and Performance Update Under reference to Standing Order 38 Councillor Warren seconded by Councillor Lawrence called in the report to get more information about music based work and more information about how this works going forward and budget issues. Following consideration, the Committee noted the report. 16. Question Time Under reference to paragraph 4 of the minute of the meeting of 7 November 2022, Councillor Warren sought an update on the funding bids to the Scottish Government and the timeline for parental consultation. In response, the Head of Education Resources and Communities confirmed that a response from the Scottish Government is expected at the end of January 2023 and members will be notified in due course. With regards to the consultation, it will be carried out in line with the previously published timeline and it is anticipated to begin towards the end of the current quarter. Under reference to paragraph 18 of the minute of the meeting of 14 December 2022 sought an update on the Service Level Agreement between Moray Leisure Centre and the Council. In response, the Head of Education Resources and Communities stated that she did not have an update but would follow up on the issue following the meeting. Under reference to paragraph 21 of the minute of the meeting of 14 December 2022 Councillor Warren sought an update on whether the costs for the January and April intake were now available. Page 11
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In response the Early Learning and Childcare Manager confirmed that the information was included in a report going to Moray Council on 2 February 2023. Under reference to paragraph 23 of the minute of the meeting of 14 December 2022 sought an update on the Aberlour Infrastructure Project. In response the Early Learning and Childcare Manager confirmed that meetings had taken place with Ward members and parents had been written too. Other options are being investigated including, phasing the work and considering an alternative location for the outdoor nursery at Craigellachie Primary. She further added that the project is still working within the original £900k budget. Councillor Allan updated the meeting on a recent visit to Hersbruck in Germany. He had attended a Scottish evening at the weekend, where the young people from Hersbruck who had been involved in a visit to Lossiemouth celebrated their recent visit and thanked the pupils from Lossiemouth High School and Hythehill Primary for making them feel so welcome. He further added that the Mini Cooks initiative, he had previously informed the Committee of, started on Monday 23 January 2023. Councillor Warren requested an update on services provided for developmental nursery places particularly for children who progress to the basis at primary school and how is the Council supporting children and families with complex needs in the nurseries. In response, the Early Learning and Childcare Manager confirmed that the Council currently has contracts with 2 developmental nurseries in Lossiemouth and Forres and work is being carried out with Teddy Bear nursery in Cullen to become a partner nursery. She further added that a large number of the other nurseries do accommodate children with a high level of diverse need. Councillor Warren further sought clarification on whether the services were available to all children until they reach the age of 5. The Early Learning and Childcare Manager confirmed that if it is appropriate for the individual child to remain in the developmental nursery then the service is available. She further added that the developmental nurseries work closely with the universal nurseries and if they see that a child can transition to a mainstream nursery that would then feed into a Primary School, the move would be supported as this then helps to alleviate the pressures on the developmental nursery and allows them to take children from a younger age. 17. Moray and Nairn Educational Trust - Disbursement 2022/23 [Para 4] A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) provided information and sought approval for the Page 12
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payment plan to be used to assess applications to the Moray and Nairn Educational Trust and to consider applications to the trust. Following consideration the Committee agreed to approve the grants at the rates provided in the payment plan. 18. Learning Estate Strategy and Development Programme - Findrassie Primary School [Para 8 and 9] A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) provided an update on the Findrassie Primary School new build project and seeks a decision from Committee on how to proceed based on the change in circumstances. Councillor Mustard proposed deferring the report for 6 months and bring back a report to review the situation at that point. In response, the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development) confirmed that any decision to postpone or defer would result in the Council being unable to meet the timescale requirements of the LEIP2 funding and so unable to use that funding and confirmed that data will be reviewed on a 6 monthly basis and reported to Committee on an annual basis as part of an annual review of the learning estate plan that is being developed. Following the response from the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development), Councillor Mustard withdrew her amendment. Following consideration the Committee agreed to: i) note the change in circumstances relating to projected pupil numbers and the challenges impacting on the affordability and delivery of the Findrassie Primary School new build project; ii) note the range of possible options to mitigate the impact of the capital cost increases to the Findrassie Primary School new build project; iii) approve a deferment in the Findrassie Primary School new build project for a up to 5 years, accepting that the project would no longer meet the Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) Phase 2 qualifying criteria and so would not be eligible for Scottish Government future revenue funding; iv) instruct Council officers to take forward planning for the rezoning of Elgin Academy Associated School Group primary school catchment areas to utilise the existing and future school roll capacity; v) agree to seek the formal replacement of the Findrassie Primary School project with the Elgin High School project as a Learning Estate Investment Programme Phase 2 project and to continue negotiations with Scottish Futures Trust and the Scottish Government Learning Directorate to secure this; and Page 13
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vi) note that update reports on the Learning Estate Strategy and delivery programme will be brought to Education, Childcare and Leisure Services Committee every 12 months. 19. Early Learning and Childcare - Lease Agreement and Shared Property Costs Update A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and Organisational Development informed the Committee of the outcome of consultation with private and third sector providers related to the proposed shared property costs methodology and updated the Committee on lease agreement progress for private and third sector Early Learngin and Childcare providers that currently operate from Moray Council premises. Following consideration the Committee agreed: i) to note the updated status of lease agreements as outlined in Appendix 3. ii) that any further partner nursery settings operating from council premises that are in contract with Moray Council to provide funded ELC hours only to children with Additional Support Needs (similar to Ladybird Development Group) be offered a lease at a nominal rent of £1 per annum and no share of property running costs; iii) to note the options highlighted in Appendix 1 for approaches to shared property costs and agrees that shared property costs be introduced through a gradual increase in these costs starting in Year 3 of the lease agreements (August 2023) and increasing by 25% increments throughout each remaining year of the lease agreements until 100% of the costs are reached based on benchmarking the costs against average commercial rates within Moray; and iv) to note the outcome following further consultation exercises with private and third sector Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) providers regarding shared property costs as outlined in Appendix 2. Page 14
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NOTICE OF MOTION TO EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 Scottish Parliament Motion PE1979 Committee notes and supports the proposals of Scottish Parliament motion PE1979 [Establish an independent inquiry and an independent national whistleblowing officer to investigate concerns about the alleged mishandling of child safeguarding enquiries by public bodies - Petitions (parliament.scot)] calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to launch an independent inquiry to examine: concerns that allegations about child protection, child abuse, safeguarding, and children’s rights have been mishandled by public bodies, including local authorities and the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS); gaps in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry; and establish an independent national whistleblowing officer for Education and Children’s Services in Scotland to handle these enquiries in the future. Committee notes that it has a statutory responsibility as a public body, in respect of the safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk. Committee is committed to ensuring an organisational culture which prioritises and promotes the importance of safeguarding the welfare of children and adults at risk. Committee is committed to protecting children, young people and adults at risk from abuse. Committee is committed to ensuring all Council policies and procedures pertinent to statutory safeguarding responsibilities are designed, implemented, monitored and audited in an open, transparent, democratically accountable way. Committee notes the remit and focus of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, established by the Scottish Government, has a remit to inquire into issues of historic abuse and specific to children in care. Committee notes the Children and Young People’s Commissioner annual report [CYPCS-AR-2022.pdf], and in particular work to improve child protection and safeguarding (page 29). Committee supports calls for strengthening of accountability, oversight and public scrutiny of systems for reporting disclosures to public bodies in Scotland, and how disclosures are handled, investigated, reported and recommendations from reports are implemented. Item 6* Page 15
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Committee welcomes the recent calls for the next phase of Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry to look into concerns not yet investigated. PROPOSED BY COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR WARREN Page 16
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: UPDATE REPORT - INSPECTION OF FOSTERING, ADOPTION AND ADULT PLACEMENTS MARCH 2022 BY: CHIEF OFFICER HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE MORAY 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 This report is submitted to the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee following an earlier report presented on 14 December 2022 regarding the inspection of Placement Services (fostering, adoption and adult placements) by the Care Inspectorate in March 2022. The Education, Children’s & Leisure Services Committee requested that an update report be provided, in advance of the move to the Integrated Joint Board, regarding the progress of the Service Improvement Plan. Members are asked to scrutinise and note the information contained within. 1.2 This report is submitted to the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee in terms of Section III (D) (2) of the Council’s Scheme of Administration with regard to exercising all the functions of the Council as Social Work Authority within the terms of relevant legislation with regard to child support and protection, looked after children, fostering, adoption and young people leaving care. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee scrutinise and note the outcome of the improvement work following the inspection of fostering, adoption and adult placements in March 2022. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 Fostering, adoption and adult placements are inspected on a regular basis by the Care Inspectorate with the previous inspection being undertaken in March 2019. The inspection in March 2022 was delayed as a result of Covid-19 pandemic. Item 7 Page 17
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3.2 For information, adult placements is a service where young people remain in the same placement when they turn eighteen. This provides continuity and stability for young people and supports better transitions from childhood to adulthood. 4. OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION 4.1 The Care Inspectorate provided initial verbal feedback on 18-March-2022. Placement Services were provided with the draft inspection reports with an opportunity to provide feedback to the Care Inspectorate prior to final publication. 4.2 The final reports are attached for the Fostering Service (Appendix 1) and the Adoption Service (Appendix 2). 4.3 The gradings provided by the Care Inspectorate were as follows: Quality Indicator Fostering Adoption Continuing Care 1.1 4 4 5 1.2 3 4 4 1.3 3 3 5 1.4 2 2 4 2.2 3 3 4 3.2 3 3 3 5.1 3 2 4 4.4 The Care Inspectorate use a Six-Point Scale for grading as follows: Grading Description 6 Outstanding or sector leading 5 Major strengths 4 Important strengths, with some areas for improvement 3 Strengths just outweigh weaknesses 2 Important weaknesses - priority action required 1 Major weaknesses - urgent remedial action required 4.5 The feedback from the Care Inspectorate was positive in relation to the staff team and their commitment towards vulnerable individuals and families. It highlighted that the voice of young people was heard and carers had a good relationship with social work staff. The Care Inspectorate also highlighted examples of particular good practice in adult placement services. Page 18
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4.6 The Care Inspectorate identified that there was a culture of change in the service and that it knew itself well and was clear about the areas that needed development and improvement. The Care Inspectorate acknowledged that Placement Services and, more widely, Children’s Services was going through a period of change and undertaking a programme of transformation. 4.7 However, there were a number of significant areas where the feedback was poor and where, overall, Placement Services did not improve on its previous inspection. 4.8 There was a focus on inconsistent compliance with processes and procedures which was resulting with delays in the permanence planning for children. In the fostering team there were delays in progressing fostering assessments and inadequate training for carers. It was identified that the team lacked depth of experience which was amplified by recent high staff turnover. In the adoption team the work with concurrency (fosters carers who then adopt) did not reflect the best practice model and post adoption support required significant development and improvement. 4.9 In addition to this, the Care Inspectorate highlighted that the recent changes in senior management and the amount of interim management posts had resulted in uncertainty and drift in service development. 4.10 The Care Inspectorate identified that it would be seeking an update on progress which is likely to be in early to mid-2023. 5. DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT 5.1 As outlined in the report for the Education, Children’s & Leisure Services Committee on 14 December 2022 the outcome of the inspection was not unexpected. Quality assurance work was already underway prior to the inspection in recognition of this. However, following the inspection a formal Service Improvement Plan process was commenced which has been supported by a fortnightly working group meeting. This is an ongoing project whose scope ranges beyond the ‘Requirements’ and ‘Areas for Improvement’ identified by the Care Inspectorate. 5.2 The working group reported to the Care Inspectorate in June 2022 on the ‘Requirements’ identified in the inspection reports. Following this, a review was undertaken of the ‘Requirements’ and ‘Areas for Improvement’ identified in the inspection reports in January and February 2023. This review was included in the Service Improvement Plan where a summarised version is attached to this report (Appendix 3). Page 19
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5.3 The Red Amber Green (RAG) rating definitions within the attached Service Improvement Plan are outlined below. The RAG rating has been necessarily cautious as there is a significant difference between an action being implemented and it being embedded. As such, actions have only been RAG rated as green if there is good evidence of it being embedded. RAG Rating Definition Red Area shows no or limited progress Amber Area shows progress but not fully embedded Green Area shows good progress and is embedded 5.4 The key areas of improvement activity are summarised as follows: Management stability 5.5 There are no longer interim roles within Children & Families and Justice Social Work. The previous interim Team Manager for Placement has returned to her substantive role as Senior Social Worker for adoption and kinship care. There is, therefore, currently a vacancy for a permanent Team Manager where there is an active recruitment process. The appointment of a Team Manager in Placement Services is central to the ongoing improvement work where swift recruitment is critical. This has had an impact on progress and previous recruitment adverts produced limited number of applicants. We have now looked to address this, alongside the wider challenges to recruitment across the department, and have created a recruitment plan. This issue is pertinent across children and families social work nationally and it is recognised that there are plans on a national basis to tackle this issue. However, these will not provide solutions in the short term. Recruitment and retention of staff 5.6 Following the inspection in March 2022 a number of members of staff left the fostering team. As noted above, this is within the context of national challenges in recruiting and retaining social work staff, particularly in the areas of work with children and families. This situation created pressures for the service and has had an impact upon the ability to progress some development work. However, notwithstanding this, significant development work has taken place. There has been a steady recruitment process in the fostering team where it is expected to be fully staffed by May 2023. Training and induction for staff 5.7 The retention of staff has been supported by an improved Placement Services training schedule and induction process. The training schedule for 2023/24 Page 20
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has been completed and will be tracked on a monthly basis. The Policy Team has also a significantly improved training programme which sits alongside the Placement Services training schedule. The identification of training is supported by all staff having had an annual appraisal. 5.8 The progress of Life Story Work has not been as rapid as had been hoped. There are in-house practitioners providing support and guidance alongside newly purchased resources. A short life working group has been established to embed current progress and identify future developments and actions. 5.9 The induction process has been refreshed with the support of the Policy Team. There is an improved core induction for all staff in Children and Families & Justice Social Work. This is supplemented by specific induction activity for staff from Placement Services. Processes and procedures 5.10 There has been considerable work in reviewing and re-writing the processes and procedures in Placement Services. This has been collated in operational documents for the teams and an updated LAC (Looked After Child) Manual for all of Children & Families and Justice Social Work. 5.11 Household Safer Caring Plans are in place for all foster placements. The Young Person Safer Caring Plans have been completed for all those assessed as high risk. The remaining Young Person Safer Caring Plans are to be completed in the next 3 months. This has been a significant amount of work as previously Safer Caring Plans were not consistently in place. The staffing capacity in the fostering team has resulted in this task taking longer than intended. However, this work is nearing completion where the understanding that Household Safer Caring Plans and Young Person Safer Plans are required is embedded with staff. 5.12 Unannounced visits for foster carers has also been a challenge as a result of staff capacity although good progress is being made. The staff in the fostering team fully understand the need for unannounced visits where this has been part of development sessions. Currently, 65% of foster carers have received an annual unannounced visit which demonstrates significant progress. There is a schedule in place for the remaining unannounced visits to be completed by the end of March 2023. Unannounced visits are a standing item at every supervision and are monitored via a tracking spreadsheet. 5.13 A monthly Tracking Meeting is now in place to have oversight of data spreadsheets. It was apparent that although a large amount of data was being collected this sat across a number of spreadsheets which were not being scrutinised effectively. The number of spreadsheets has been streamlined Page 21
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where there is monthly monitoring by the Service Manager, Team Manager, Senior Social Workers and Business Support Manager. Fostering & Adoption Panel 5.14 All ‘Requirements’ have been fully implemented and embedded. Permanence planning 5.15 Following the inspection there was a refresh of the Permanence & Care Excellence (PACE) process which seeks to identify barriers to effective permanence planning and how these can be resolved. The PACE working group has reviewed the data and aims and is now tracking specific projects which are intended to improve permanence planning. This is work over a long time period where the impact of the projects upon practice and data will not be evident for a number of months. 5.16 Alongside the PACE working group there is the Permanence Tracking Meeting (PTM) and the Placement Oversight Meeting (POM). These two groups track the progress of individual young people thereby avoiding drift in permanence. 5.17 Together, these three meetings are providing valuable information and, at this stage, have identified processes and individual cases where immediate action has been required. The long term impact upon practice will not be known until we have had fuller evidence over the next few months. Training for foster carers and adopters 5.18 There was an area of improvement identified by the Care Inspectorate on providing carers with improved training on child protection and managing challenging behaviour. In addition to the current online training, Morag Martindale (Self-Regulation Behaviour Management) and Kate Cairns training suite, means carers now have access to online child protection training and in person Behaviour Support Strategies (BSS) training as needed. There is current exploration of introducing training by Dan Hughes (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Acceptance) for managing challenging behaviour. This is starting with adopters and will move to include foster carers. It has been identified that carers can join in person training run by Cala (in-house children’s residential provision) where appropriate. 5.19 There are now more comprehensive training options for carers. Training for carers is being tracked via a spreadsheet and subject to monthly monitoring. Page 22
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Concurrency or dual approved foster carers/adopters 5.20 The Care Inspectorate highlighted that concurrent carers (fosters carers who then adopt) were not being supported as foster carers when undertaking the fostering task prior to adoption. This has now been fully rectified and reflected in concurrent carers now being described as dual approved foster carers/adopters. 5.21 Overall, there has been good progress in most areas in meeting the ‘Requirements’ and ‘Areas for Improvement’ identified by the Care Inspectorate. There are no areas RAG rated as red where the areas requiring improvement can, in part, be attributed to staff shortages through 2022 and 2023. However, Placement Services is approaching full staffing capacity where the Service Improvement Plan working group is anticipating more rapid progress. 5.22 The ‘Requirements’ and ‘Areas for Improvement’ identified by the Care Inspectorate will be subject to a second review process in late July 2023. 5.23 The Service Improvement Plan is an ongoing project where the working group will continue to meet on a fortnightly basis. It will now have a broader focus and will support improvements in areas not specifically identified by the Care Inspectorate, but where performance data, national policy developments and carer feedbacks points to areas requiring attention. 6. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) The work of Placement Services is underpinned by the Children’s Services Plan with particular attention to Priority 4 “The outcomes and life chances of looked after and care experienced children and young people are improved”. This links in, and is consistent with, the wider Corporate Plan for Moray Council. The work of Placement Services is sighted on and committed to upholding the principles of keeping The Promise and the UNCRC Incorporation Bill. It is seeking to develop its role in line with The Promise and the importance of children’s rights particularly in regards to having a good childhood and to hear the voice of children, young people and their families. There are no contraventions of child’s rights to consider as part of this report. Page 23
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(b) Policy and Legal Placement Services has statutory procedural guidelines in accordance with Scottish Government guidance and regulations. (c) Financial Implications There are no financial implications associated with this report. (d) Risk Implications There are no specific risk implications associated with this report. (e) Staffing Implications There are no staffing implications associated with this report. (f) Property There are no property implications associated with this report. (g) Equalities/Socio-Economic Impact There are no equalities/socio-economic implications associated with this report. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impact None. (i) Consultations Interim Head of Service, Panel Advisor, Chief Officer Health and Social Care, Equal Opportunities Officer, Senior Human Resources Advisor, Principal Accountant, Legal Services Manager and Committee Services Officer. 7. CONCLUSION 7.1 The purpose of this report is to request that the Committee scrutinise and note the outcome of the improvement work following the inspection of fostering, adoption and adult placements in March 2022. 7.2 Placement Services is undertaking a process of learning and improvement via the Service Improvement Plan overseen by the associated working group. This work has been supported and reinforced by the inspection in March 2022 of fostering, adoption and adult placements. Author of Report: Carl Campbell, Service Manager, Children & Families and Justice Social Work Ref: SPMAN-305227695-64 / SPMAN-305227695-63 / SPMAN-305227695-62 / SPMAN-305227695-61 Page 24
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MorMoraay Fy Fostostering Sering Serervicevice Fostering Service The Moray Council Rose Cottage PO Box 67 Elgin IV30 9BX Telephone: 01343 563 552 Type of inspection: Announced (short notice) Completed on: 18 March 2022 Service provided by: Service provider number: The Moray Council SP2003001892 Service no: CS2004082074 Item 7 Page 25
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About the service Moray Fostering Service provides a fostering service for children and young people who are unable to live at home. Inspections of an adult placement (continuing care service) and adoption service have been undertaken and separate reports have been completed. The service recruits and supports foster carers who provide care to children in need of alternative care. It should be noted that this inspection took place during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and therefore followed a revised procedure for conducting inspections in these circumstances. We spoke with the management team, staff and other professionals and viewed evidence sent to us virtually. We made arrangements to visit adoptive families and children in their homes. What people told us Children and young people told us about their positive experiences with foster carers and how they felt included and supported in family life. Carers told us that they felt well supported by the current workers in the fostering team but reflected that the service had been through a lot of change which had impacted on the consistency of their support. From this inspection we evaluated this service as: In evaluating quality, we use a six point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent How well do we support people's wellbeing? 2 - Weak How good is our leadership? 3 - Adequate How good is our staff team? 3 - Adequate How well is our care and support planned? 3 - Adequate Further details on the particular areas inspected are provided at the end of this report. How well do we support people's wellbeing? 2 - Weak We have evaluated this key question as weak as strengths are outweighed by significant weaknesses. Children and young people experienced supportive and enduring relationships with Fostering families that provided them with a sense of belonging. One young person told us 'I don't think of myself as a child in care I feel like I'm someone that lives with my mother figure.....I'm closer to (carer) than I am with any other family member'. We were confident that young people were experiencing love with their needs fully met by committed Fostering families. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 2 of 13 Page 26
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Children and young people were supported to use formal advocacy to express views and the "Better Meeting Project" a collaborative art project with care experienced young people in Moray was a good example of children's views driving change. The service was changing its language in line with 'The Promise' recommendations from the Independent Care Review and was considering children and young people's experiences of social work. Children and young people were achieving positive outcomes in education and had access to a range of leisure and social activities. Fostering families supported children to have fulfilling lives with high aspirations for success. This supportive and positive culture contributed to positive outcomes for children and young people. Fostering families told us that they felt supported by their current social workers but continuity of relationships had been impacted by staff turnover and changes in management. This, combined with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, led to carers feeling disconnected from the wider service with a lack of clarity around who new managers were or the overall vision of the service. Fostering families worked positively with birth families to support children returning home. We saw examples of siblings living together in the same fostering family but the service needs to improve how it supports the needs for sibling relationships for children who do not live in the same fostering household to build meaningful relationships. This will form an area for improvement (see area for improvement 1). Children were supported to understand their life story and we saw positive examples of materials produced with photographs and explanations of events appropriate to a child's age and stage of development. We also saw examples that lacked photographs of important people or events that were not child friendly. Some young people's life story information had been lost by the service. This impacts a child's ability to understand their history and their understanding of their reasons for entering care which negatively impacts on their sense of identity (see area for improvement 2). Fostering families had access to training which included supporting in managing challenging behaviour. Carers and supervising social workers told us that this is an area where carers felt more support was required to assist them in understanding the behaviour of children in their care to keep everyone safe. The service does not have a clear training plan and some carers had not engaged with online models of delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic (see area for improvement 3). The service should make significant improvements in achieving positive outcomes for children in need of permanent care. We saw examples of drift and delay both in children achieving legal permanence and the identification of appropriate fostering families to meet children's needs. This has meant that children have not experienced the stability and security of a fostering family identified as being able to provide their long term care. This impacted on children's felt permanence and negatively affected longer term planning and will form a requirement (see requirement 1). Safeguarding practice in the service meant that children in the service were not safe and protected from harm. The decisions made by the service in relation to safeguarding issues were not always consistent, and we noted instances where carers had not notified the service appropriately when incidents occurred. The service should ensure all carers have child protection training so are aware of responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe (see area for improvement 4). Carers told us that they were not clear about how decisions were made by the service when assessing which carer was best able to meet a child's needs. Carers did not always get full information about the child's needs before they came to live with them. A lack of robust decision making in this area led to unsafe Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 3 of 13 Page 27
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situations for children and contributed to negative outcomes. The service should ensure that there are robust considerations of a carer's ability to meet the needs of a child in advance of a Fostering arrangement being agreed (see requirement 2). Requirements 1. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that clear systems are in place to monitor outcomes for children in need of permanent substitute care. To do this the provider must as a minimum: a)ensure robust tracking arrangements are in place for children at all stages of their care journey and that drift and delay is addressed at each stage of the process. b)ensure a robust approach is taken to family finding when children are identified as needing permanent care to ensure that their care needs can met by the right Fostering family. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘As a child or young person needing permanent alternative care, I experience this without unnecessary delay’ (HSCS 1.16) 2. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that there is a clear identification of a fostering families ability to meet the needs of a child before the child joins this family. To do this the provider must as a minimum: a) have clear a clear referral process which outlines the needs of children needing alternative care from fostering families b) Identify carer strengths and vulnerabilities in relation to meeting the needs of a specific child and outlining any additional support required to ensure that children’s needs are fully met c) ensure planning meetings take place when children join fostering families to review children’s needs d) ensure panel members have full information for matching panels including minutes of linking meetings. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘My care and support meets my needs and is right for me.’ (HSCS 1.19) Areas for improvement 1. To promote long term positive relationships between brothers and sisters, the provider should have a plan to facilitate family time between sibling groups who live in different fostering families. This should include but not be limited to a review of the needs for family time for sibling groups in different fostering families with a plan to facilitate appropriate ongoing relationships between brothers and sisters. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 4 of 13 Page 28
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This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I am supported to manage my relationships with my family, friends or partner in a way that suits my wellbeing.' (HSCS 2.18) 2. To ensure all children have a clear understanding of their past the provider should improve its approach to life story work. This should include but is not limited to, implementing a consistent approach to gathering and storing important life story information and providing specific training to staff and carers about how life story work should be approached. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I am supported to be emotionally resilient, have a strong sense of my own identity and wellbeing, and address any experiences of trauma or neglect.’ (HSCS, 1.29) 3. To support Fostering families to fully support children in their care, the provider should improve the support available to carers in particular in relation to managing challenging behaviour. This should include but is not limited to the creation of a clear programme of training to create a shared vision of the approach to care to ensure fostering families are fully supported to meet the needs of children. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I experience high quality care and support based on relevant evidence, guidance and best practice.’ (HSCS 4.11) 4. To keep all children safe from harm, the provider should ensure that all foster carers are aware of their responsibilities in relation to child protection. This should include but is not limited to the provision of specific training in child protection for foster carers. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I am protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities.’ (HSCS 3.20). How good is our leadership? 3 - Adequate We have evaluated this key question as adequate where strengths just outweigh weaknesses but key areas of performance need to improve. The service had some effective quality assurance systems in place to ensure children's wellbeing is maintained. Performance relating to statutory checks for carers was now effectively monitored to ensure that ongoing statutory requirements were met to ensure the safety of children. The service has new management and governance arrangements in place and has taken steps to monitor performance but this is at an early stage. The service should improve quality assurance systems for monitoring key areas which are outlined in fostering regulations to ensure that children remain safe within their fostering families this will Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 5 of 13 Page 29
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form a requirement (see requirement 1). The Fostering and Adoption Panel and Agency Decision Maker provided robust scrutiny to carer review and applications for approval for fostering families and were able to challenge assessments presented to them. A panel advisor role further supported quality assurance but the service needs to improve how social work staff are supported and how practice issues are identified at an earlier stage. We saw examples of delays in decision making caused by information not being available for panel to consider or information being presented which was incomplete. This impacted negatively on outcomes for children and young people by further delaying key decisions about their care (see area for improvement 1). We did not see evidence of how the service learned from situations where children moved from fostering families on an unplanned basis. Meetings to discuss these were not held in every case and minutes did not demonstrate reflection and learning from these situations. The service should ensure that outcomes for children are constantly reviewed with clear learning and action points identified when unplanned moves occur to improve future outcomes (see area for improvement 2). A service development plan is in place which outlines a number of areas of improvement for the service. Some of these elements were contained in previous plans so the service needs to evidence how it can move from planning to delivery based on feedback from children, carers and other key stakeholders. Requirements 1. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that robust quality assurance processes are in place to monitor key areas of performance within fostering regulations with monitoring and review to identify areas of continuous improvement: To do this, the provider must as a minimum ensure: a) unannounced visits take place within required timescales b) individual safer caring plans are reviewed regularly in response to changing need c) full carer checks are monitored and kept up to date. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I experience high quality care and support based on relevant evidence, guidance and best practice.’ (HSCS 4.11) Areas for improvement 1. To promote positive outcomes, the provider should ensure that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to quality assurance. This should include but is not limited to improving internal quality assurance processes and ensuring staff are sufficiently supported to practice effectively. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes.’ (HSCS 4.19) Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 6 of 13 Page 30
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2. To promote positive outcomes for all children, the provider should develop a reflective learning culture when unplanned endings have occurred. This should include but is not limited to a clear procedure for how unplanned endings will be reviewed with meetings that identify clear learning and action points for service improvement. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I receive an apology if things go wrong with my care and support or my human rights are not respected, and the organisation takes responsibility for its actions.’ (HSCS 4.4). How good is our staff team? 3 - Adequate We have evaluated this key question as adequate where strengths just outweigh weaknesses but key areas of performance need to improve. Staff practice observed through tracked cases reflected values and principles of the Health and Social Care Standards. Fostering families told us that staff had worked hard to build genuine trusting relationships but this had been impacted by high levels of staff turnover in the service. There were improved working relationships with the children's social work team with improved communication and joint working. A shared approach to child's wellbeing across both teams ensured greater consistency of support for children. Staff had been supported through development sessions run by the service to improve their knowledge and members of the team were also due to undertake external training provided by The Fostering Network. Although these are positive improvements, staff expressed that changes in management meant that they had not had continuity of support and some areas of practice were unclear. Staff had regular supervision but not consistency in their line manager which impacts on the quality of the supportive relationship. Staff also had not had access to a clear induction or annual appraisals. Turnover in management and staffing has impacted on consistency of support provided to Fostering families and children in the service. One carer told us "Despite all the changes to staffing I do feel I can contact someone if required, professional and respect the efforts made by all, my present social worker is excellent and is there for us all the time but how long will they stay!" The service had not undertaken exit interviews to understand reasons for high staff turnover. Improvements to the levels of staff support provided by the service will form a requirement to outline specific areas of improvement (see requirement 1). 1. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that all staff are fully trained and supported effectively to provide consistent support to Fostering families. To do this the provider must as a minimum ensure: a) there is a clear induction process for new staff joining the service b) there is a clear training plan for all staff c) all staff have regular access to annual appraisal d) there is continuity of supervisory relationships for all staff e) exit interviews are undertaken and information analysed to understand reasons for staff turnover so that this can be addressed. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 7 of 13 Page 31
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This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the SSSC's Code of Practice for Employers of Social Service Workers, which state that the employer will: 'provide effective, regular supervision to social service workers to support them to develop and improve through reflective practice' (3.5). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: I have confidence in people because they are trained, competent and skilled, are able to reflect on their practice and follow their professional and organisational codes. (HSCS 3.14) How well is our care and support planned? 3 - Adequate We have evaluated this key question as adequate where strengths just outweigh weaknesses, but key areas of performance need to improve. Children were included in their care planning and were able to influence the direction of their care with support from formal advocacy where this was required. Children's reviews were held regularly with children and parents often included in decision making. Language in documentation was in line with 'The Promise' with children's needs and wishes reflected. To strengthen the voice of children and foster carers and to increase the focus on outcomes and achievements, children's reviews should look to include written updates from children, fostering families and the views of the fostering team (see area for improvement 1). Fostering families were supported to promote safe care with a joint approach to identifying risk undertaken between the fostering team and children's social workers with regular reviews. We saw examples of family policies, some of which were individual to children with a risk assessment completed by the child's social worker. These were not consistently completed and we did not see evidence of how carers and children were involved in discussions. The service should improve the implementation of their approach to ensure that children and carers are included in discussions to promote a shared understanding of potential risks, this will form an area for improvement (see area for improvement 2). Areas for improvement 1. To promote children’s welfare, the provider should ensure that children’s reviews reflect the views of the young person and their fostering family. This should include but is not limited to, children, fostering families and fostering team staff providing written updates for children’s reviews and improving how it gathers these views prior to meetings taking place. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I experience high quality care and support because people have the necessary information and resources.’ (HSCS 4.27) 2. To ensure children and fostering families are included in discussions related to safer caring, the service should review its implementation of safer caring plans. This should include but not be limited to, reviewing formats of documentation and improving guidance to staff on how to engage children and Fostering families in safer caring plans. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 8 of 13 Page 32
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‘I am as involved as I can be in agreeing and reviewing any restrictions to my independence, control and choice.’ (HSCS 2.6) Requirements Requirement 1 Theagency must ensure that quality assurance systems are robust and areused effectively in order to monitor that formal/statutory checks for foster carers are always up to date and reviewed appropriately. This is in order to comply with The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 - Regulation 4 (1) (a) - 'A provider must make proper provision for the health, welfare and safety of service users.' This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards which state: "I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes". (HSCS 4.19) Timescale: March 2020 This requirement was made on 23 October 2019. Action taken on previous requirement New system in place to monitor checks. Met - within timescales Areas for improvement Previous area for improvement 1 To ensure a child centered approach is followed in all cases, theagency mustprovidecomprehensive planning for every child and young person moving on a temporary basisto respite carer. Thisshould involve all key individuals attending a planning meeting, andallow time for introductions to be made. In addition, the agency should, in participation with carers and young people explore alternative options to formal respite care. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards which state What the service has done to meet any requirements we made at or since the last inspection What the service has done to meet any areas for improvement we made at or since the last inspection Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 9 of 13 Page 33
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"I experience high quality care and support because people have the necessary information and resources". (HSCS 4.27)and"I am supported and cared for by people I know so that I can experience consistency and continuity". (HSCS 4.16) This area for improvement was made on 23 October 2019. Action taken since then Met. Nominated carers scheme implemented to improve consistency of short break care. Previous area for improvement 2 The agency should address problematic staff relationships between and within teams to ensure good quality support for children and their families is always available. This is to ensure that the quality of care and support and management and leadership is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state: "I am confident that the right people are fully informed about my past, including my health and care experience, and any impact this has on me" (HSCS 3.4), and "My care and support is consistent and stable because people work well together". (HSCS 3.19) This area for improvement was made on 23 October 2019. Action taken since then Met. Improved joint working between children's social work teams and fostering team. Cultural change in fostering team with child at the centre of planning and shared responsibility for positive outcomes. Previous area for improvement 3 The agency shouldensure thatthe quality of reports being provided to the fostering panel is appropriately scrutinised. This will improve matching considerations and clearly highlight areas of vulnerability. The creation of a panel advisor role would support decision-making within the panel. This is to ensure that the quality of care and support and management and leadership is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state: "I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes". (HSCS 4.19) This area for improvement was made on 23 October 2019. Action taken since then Met. Panel advisor role created within the service. Previous area for improvement 4 The service should devise a development plan that follows SMART principles (Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) and be regularly reviewed. This is to ensure that the quality of care and support and management and leadership is consistent with"I use an organisation that is well led and managed" HSCS (4.23). The service should devise a development plan that follows SMART principles (Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) and be regularly reviewed. This is to ensure that "I use an organisation that is well led and managed" HSCS (4.23). This area for improvement was made on 23 October 2019. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 10 of 13 Page 34
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Action taken since then Met. Service development plan is in place. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 11 of 13 Page 35
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Detailed evaluations How well do we support people's wellbeing? 2 - Weak 1.1 Children, young people. adults and their caregiver families experience compassion, dignity and respect 4 - Good 1.2 Children, young people and adults get the most out of life 3 - Adequate 1.3 Children, young people and adults' health and wellbeing benefits from the care and support they experience 3 - Adequate 1.4 Children, young people, adults and their caregiver families get the service that is right for them 2 - Weak How good is our leadership? 3 - Adequate 2.2 Quality assurance and improvement are led well 3 - Adequate How good is our staff team? 3 - Adequate 3.2 Staff have the right knowledge, competence and development to support children, young people, adults and their caregiver families 3 - Adequate How well is our care and support planned? 3 - Adequate 5.1 Assessment and care planning reflects the outcomes and wishes of children, young people and adults 3 - Adequate Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 12 of 13 Page 36
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To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough. Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service. You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 Find us on Facebook Twitter: @careinspect Other languages and formats This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Fostering Service page 13 of 13 Page 37
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MorMoraay Adoption Sy Adoption Serervicevice Adoption Service The Moray Council Rose Cottage PO Box 67 Elgin IV30 9BX Telephone: 01343 563 568 Type of inspection: Announced (short notice) Completed on: 18 March 2022 Service provided by: Service provider number: The Moray Council SP2003001892 Service no: CS2004082047 Item 7 Page 39
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About the service Moray Adoption service provides a service for children and young people aged from birth to 18 years old and their families. The service recruits and supports adoptive parents to provide families for those children who cannot be with their birth parents or extended family members, and whose needs have been assessed as best met in an adoptive family. It should be noted that this inspection took place during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and therefore followed a revised procedure for conducting inspections in these circumstances. We spoke with the management team, staff and other professionals and viewed evidence sent to us virtually. We made arrangements to visit adoptive families and children in their homes. What people told us We observed young children in their adoptive families and concluded that they were having positive experiences and were receiving high levels of support and care. Adoptive families told us that they felt well supported by current workers in the adoption team but reflected that there had been changes in management and there was felt to be fragility in the support being provided by a limited number of staff with no awareness of who the manager of the service is by the adoptive families. From this inspection we evaluated this service as: In evaluating quality, we use a six point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent How well do we support people's wellbeing? 2 - Weak How good is our leadership? 3 - Adequate How good is our staff team? 3 - Adequate How well is our care and support planned? 2 - Weak Further details on the particular areas inspected are provided at the end of this report. How well do we support people's wellbeing? 2 - Weak We evaluated this key question as weak overall, as while some strengths could be identified, these were compromised by significant weaknesses. As these weaknesses concerned the welfare and safety of children and young people, we have made requirements for improvement. The service's performance in parts of this key question were good and adequate. Children and young people experienced supportive and enduring relationships with adoptive families who provided them with a sense of belonging. We were confident that young people were experiencing love, were claimed and were having their needs fully met by committed adoptive families.During visits, we saw Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 2 of 12 Page 40
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adoptive parents demonstrating individualised and attuned care. Children benefitted from support from carers who understand their individual strengths and preferences. Children and young people were achieving positive outcomes in education and had access to a range of age-appropriate leisure and social activities. Adoptive families supported children to have fulfilling lives with high aspirations for success. This supportive and positive culture contributed to positive outcomes for children and young people. Adoptive families told us that they felt supported by their current supervising social worker, but continuity of relationships had been impacted by some staff turnover and changes in management. This, combined with the covid-19 pandemic, led to carers feeling disconnected from the wider service with a lack of clarity around who new managers were or the overall vision of the service. Children and young people were benefitting from adoptive families working positively with birth families. One birth mother told us about the support she had received to create photo books and life story work for her children and how much she had valued the opportunity to meet the adopters. Adoptive families had limited training opportunities post approval. We heard that the service plans to implement a program of training aimed at adopters post approval and prior to having a child placed with themand we will review progress on this at the next inspection. The service should make significant improvements in achieving positive outcomes for children in need of permanent care. We saw examples of drift in delay both in children achieving legal permanence and the identification of appropriate caregiver families to meet children's needs. This has meant that some children have not experienced the stability and security of a family identified as being able to provide secure, long- term care. This impacted on children's stability in their day-to-day lives and opportunities to move to permanent or adoptive families (see requirement 1). We found that permanency planning for children was subject to delays in all cases that we reviewed where children had been identified as requiring permanent alternative care including adoption. Planning was not actioned in a timely manner or was impacted by poor information governance. We saw drift in individual plans and delay in achieving permanence, affecting children's stability in their day-to-day lives and opportunities to move to a permanent or adoptive family. Safeguarding practice in the service meant that children in the service were safe and protected from harm. During our sampling of evidence, we identified some cases where safeguarding concerns had not been notified to the care inspectorate. The service should ensure all carers have child protection training so are aware of responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe. Families told us that they were not clear about how decisions were made by the service when assessing which carer was best able to meet a child's needs. Carers did not always get full information about the child's needs before they came to live with them. A lack of robust decision making in this area led to potentially unsafe situations for children. The service should ensure that there are robust considerations of a carer's ability to meet the needs of a child in advance of a caregiving arrangement being agreed (see requirement 2). We heard that not all adopters were being provided with life story information for their children and no families we spoke with had later life letters for their children. We saw no evidence that the adoption service is tracking and progressing these pieces of work. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 3 of 12 Page 41
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Requirements 1. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that clear systems are in place to monitor outcomes for children in need of permanent substitute care. To do this the provider must as a minimum: a) ensure robust tracking arrangements are in place for children at all stages of their care journey and that drift and delay is addressed at each stage of the process b) ensure a robust approach is taken to family finding when children are identified as needing permanent care to ensure that their care needs can be best met. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of the The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘As a child or young person needing permanent alternative care, I experience this without unnecessary delay.’ (HSCS 1.16) 2. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that there is a clear identification of a caregiver family’s ability to meet the needs of a child before the child joins this family. To do this the provider must as a minimum: a) have clear a clear referral process which outlines the needs of children needing alternative care from caregiver families b) identify carer strengths and vulnerabilities in relation to meeting the needs of a specific child and outlining any additional support required to ensure that children’s needs are fully met c) ensure planning meetings take place when children join caregiver families to review children’s needs d) ensure panel members have full information for matching panels including minutes of linking meetings. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘My care and support meets my needs and is right for me.’ (HSCS 1.19) How good is our leadership? 3 - Adequate We have evaluated this key question as adequate. While the strengths had a positive impact, key areas need to improve. The service has a new management and governance arrangement in place and has taken steps to monitor performance. Whilst we heard that staff were generally positive about these changes this is at an early stage. The service had implemented a series of practice workshops to support development of staff and to strengthen the culture of the team. The service generally dual approves adopters, also registering them as foster carers. This has a significant benefit of allowing children to move into their planned permanent placement at a much younger age Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 4 of 12 Page 42
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without having to wait for legal matters to be concluded, which usually meant that attachment with adopters were easier to make. We were concerned to find that these families are not being supervised as foster carers and in line with fostering regulations. We saw a lack of supervision, training and review of these carers, therefore there is no evidence of reviewor quality assurance processes for such families. This will form a requirement (see requirement 1). The service should improve quality assurance systems for monitoring key areas which are outlined in fostering and adoption legislation to ensure children remain safe within their adoptive families. We observed adoption panels and were confident in the skill mix of panel members and their ability to carry out their functions confidently. Most panel members had received supervision for their role. Outcomes for children and young people were potentially poor due to issues identified in the panel matching process. We reviewed panel processes for the matching of children and young people to their adoptive families and were concerned to see that not all panel members were provided with full paperwork, therefore we were not confident in robustness of assessment and decision-making processes. This will form a requirement (see requirement 2). The fostering and adoption panel and agency decision maker provide scrutiny to applications to adopt, and we saw evidence of applications being challenged. The panel advisor role further supported quality assurance, however the service needs to improve how social work staff are supported and how practice issues are identified at an earlier stage. We saw examples of delays in decision making caused by information not being available for panel to consider or information being presented which as incomplete. This impacted negatively on outcomes for children by further delaying key decisions about their care (see area for improvement 1). A service development plan is in place which outlines a number of areas of improvement for the service. Some of these elements were contained in previous plans so the service needs to evidence how it can move from planning to delivery based on feedback from children, carer and other key stakeholder. We could see that the service had made some recent progress with this as we saw evidence of feedback being sought from adoptive families. During our inspection we found that managers have a vision for the service and are beginning to make progress, however, they will require a stable staff team and skilled workers to move this on. Progress on this will be reviewed at the next inspection. Requirements 1. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that all dual registered foster carer/adopters are supported in line with fostering legislation and best practice. To do this the provider must as a minimum: a) undertake foster care agreements in line with best practice guidance and statutory requirements b) ensure systems are in place for identification and panel review of dual registered prospective adopters c) ensure that all carers are supported through regular supervision and have access to relevant training d) ensure that the safety of children and young people is improved through unannounced visits e) Individual safer caring plans are developed and reviewed regularly in response to changing need f) full carers checks are monitored and kept up to date. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 5 of 12 Page 43
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This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: "I receive high quality care and support based on relevant evidence, guidance and best practice." (HSCS 4.11) 2. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that all children and young people are cared for in safe and well-matched adoptive families. To do this, the provider must as a minimum: a) ensure that Panel members are all provided with relevant documentation to inform the matching of young people with their adoptive families. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘My care and support meets my needs and is right for me.’ (HSCS 1.19) Areas for improvement 1. To promote positive outcomes, the provider should ensure that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to quality assurance. This should include but is not limited to improving internal quality assurance processes and ensuring staff are sufficiently supported to practice effectively. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes.’ (HSCS 4.19) How good is our staff team? 3 - Adequate We evaluated this key question as adequate. While the strengths had a positive impact, key areas of performance need to improve. Staff practice observed through tracked cases reflected values and principles of the Health and Social Care Standards. Adoptive families told us that staff had worked hard to build genuine trusting relationships, but this had been impacted by high levels of staff turnover in the service. There were improved working relationships with the children's social work team with improved communication and joint working. A shared approach to child's wellbeing across both teams ensured greater consistency of support for children. Staff had been supported through development sessions run by the service to improve their knowledge and members of the team were also due to undertake external training provided by The Fostering Network. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 6 of 12 Page 44
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Although these are positive improvements, staff expressed thatchanges in management meant that they had not had continuity of support and some areas of practice were unclear. Staff had regular supervision but not consistency in their line manager which impacts on the quality of the supportive relationship. New staff told us that they had also had not had access to a clear induction or annual appraisals or development plans. Turnover in management and staffing has impacted on consistency of support provided to adoptive families and children in the service. One carer told us "My supervising social worker is great, but I don't know who the manager is, and I wouldn't know who to contact if my social worker left". The service had not undertaken exit interviews to understand reasons for high staff turnover. Improvements to the levels of staff support provided by the service will form a requirement to outline specific areas of improvement (see requirement 1). 1. By 30 June 2022 the provider must ensure that all staff are fully trained and supported effectively to provide consistent support to caregiver families. To do this the provider must as a minimum ensure: a) there is a clear induction process for new staff joining the service b) there is a clear training plan for all staff c) all staff have regular access to annual appraisal d) there is continuity of supervisory relationships for all staff e) exit interviews are undertaken and information analysed to understand reasons for staff turnover so that this can be addressed. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I have confidence in people because they are trained, competent and skilled, are able to reflect on their practice and follow their professional and organisational codes’. (HSCS 3.14) How well is our care and support planned? 2 - Weak We evaluated this key question as weak. Whilst some strengths could be identified, these were compromised by significant weaknesses. As these weaknesses concerned the welfare and safety of children and young people, we have made a requirement. We had concerns that when reviewing documentation, we found that there was limited evidence of families having individual support plans which outlined the need for post adoption support. We found that staff are proactive in offering support and maintaining relationships until the adoption is formalised, however, post adoption there is a lack of clarity about services available and no apparent assessment of individual needs for families. From the sample we reviewed we saw that the child's plan does evidence some post adoption support needs, however, these are not specific or individualised. The service should adhere to adoption legislation and best practice guidance in which adoptive families Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 7 of 12 Page 45
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meet with the service to identify supports when an adoption is legally granted. We would then expect that families meet with the service at set timescales to review needs. This will ensure that children and adoptive families receive appropriate support when they need it. We saw limited evidence of co-ordination meetings and no evidence of any linking meetings which led us to conclude that there was a lack of information on which to make an analysis of any post adoption support needed. The service had in recent months made use of Self-Directed Support (SDS) funding to assess adoption support needs and provide services required. This was at the early stages and potentially a good progression, however, there was some concern that this may be used at crisis stagerather than in a pro- active manner. The service had limited success in setting up and maintaining adoption support groups. They were aware of this and are continuing to address this using gap using a range of methods, for example the development of a closed Facebook page. We saw no management overview relating to areas such as the management of birth family time, letterbox contact and provision of later life letters. There were no clear mechanisms for the service to track and monitor this practice which increases the risk that important information is lost which will impact on children's life experience. The lack of adoption support plans led us to conclude that children and their families were not receiving responsive, tailored and timely interventions.The service has not met the recommendation met at the last inspection regarding developing a strategic approach to providing post adoption support and therefore due to our continued concerns this will now form a requirement (see requirement 1). Requirements 1. By 30 June 2022 the provider must adopt a strategic approach to providing post adoption support services. To do this, the provider must as a minimum ensure: a) all adoptive families have an adoption support plan in place and that this is reviewed in line with legislation and good practice guidance b) ensure that staff are fully aware of their roles and adopters are aware of their rights in relation to the development of adoption support plans. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011(SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that the quality of care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state: ‘I am supported and cared for sensitively by people who anticipate issues and are aware of and plan for any known vulnerability or frailty’. (HSCS 3.18) Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 8 of 12 Page 46
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Areas for improvement Previous area for improvement 1 The service should adopt a strategic approach to providing post adoption support services. This is to ensure that the quality of care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state "I am supported and cared for sensitively by people who anticipate issues and are aware of and plan for any known vulnerability or frailty" (HSCS 3.18). This area for improvement was made on 23 October 2019. Action taken since then The service have been unable to evidence any progress on this. Previous area for improvement 2 The service should adopt a more strategic approach to participation. This is to ensure that the quality of care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state "I can be meaningfully involved in how the organisations that support and care for me work and develop" (HSCS 4.6), and "I know how, and can be helped, to make a complaint or raise a concern about my care and support" (HSCS 4.20). This area for improvement was made on 23 October 2019. Action taken since then The service have evidence some progress in relation to participation, however, need to develop this further. Previous area for improvement 3 The agency should address staff relationships between and within teams to ensure good quality support for children and their families. This is to ensure that the quality of care and support and management and leadership is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state "I am confident that the right people are fully informed about my past, including my health and care experience, and any impact this has on me" (HSCS 3.4), and "My care and support is consistent and stable because people work well together" (HSCS 3.19). This area for improvement was made on 23 October 2019. Action taken since then There has been some improvement in relationships between and within teams. This will require monitoring in order to maintain this. What the service has done to meet any areas for improvement we made at or since the last inspection Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 9 of 12 Page 47
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Previous area for improvement 4 The agency should develop a service improvement plan based on user and staff feedback and performance reporting. This is to ensure that the quality of management and leadership is consistent with the Health and social Care Standards (HSCS) which states "I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes" (HSCS 4.19). This area for improvement was made on 23 October 2019. Action taken since then The service have an improvement plan in place, however, they should strengthen this through the inclusion of user and staff feedback and performance reporting. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 10 of 12 Page 48
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Detailed evaluations How well do we support people's wellbeing? 2 - Weak 1.1 Children, young people. adults and their caregiver families experience compassion, dignity and respect 4 - Good 1.2 Children, young people and adults get the most out of life 4 - Good 1.3 Children, young people and adults' health and wellbeing benefits from the care and support they experience 3 - Adequate 1.4 Children, young people, adults and their caregiver families get the service that is right for them 2 - Weak How good is our leadership? 3 - Adequate 2.2 Quality assurance and improvement are led well 3 - Adequate How good is our staff team? 3 - Adequate 3.2 Staff have the right knowledge, competence and development to support children, young people, adults and their caregiver families 3 - Adequate How well is our care and support planned? 2 - Weak 5.1 Assessment and care planning reflects the outcomes and wishes of children, young people and adults 2 - Weak Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 11 of 12 Page 49
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To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough. Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service. You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 Find us on Facebook Twitter: @careinspect Other languages and formats This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. Inspection rInspection reporteport Inspection report for Moray Adoption Service page 12 of 12 Page 50
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Inspection Grades March 2022 Fostering, Adoption and Adult Placement Services Team Grades Overall Grades QI Fostering Adoption Cont Care QI Fostering/Continuing Care Adoption 1.1 4 4 5 1.1 4 4 1.2 3 4 4 1.2 3 4 1.3 3 3 5 1.3 3 3 1.4 2 2 4 1.4 2 2 2.2 3 3 4 2.2 3 3 3.2 3 3 3 3.2 3 3 5.1 3 2 4 5.1 3 2 Quality Indicators 1.1 Children, young people, adults and their caregiver families experience compassion dignity and respect 1.2 Children, young people and adults get the most out of life 1.3 Children, young people and adults’ health and wellbeing benefits from the care and support they experience 1.4 Children, young people, adults and their caregiver families get the service that is right for them 2.2 Quality assurance and improvement are led well 3.2 Staff have the right knowledge, competence and development to support children, young people, adults and their caregiver families 5.1 Assessment and care planning reflects the outcomes and wishes of children, young people and adults Six-Point Scale 6 Excellent Outstanding or sector leading 5 Very Good Major strengths 4 Good Important strengths, with some areas for improvement 3 Adequate Strengths just outweigh weaknesses 2 Weak Important weaknesses - priority action required 1 Unsatisfactory Major weaknesses - urgent remedial action required Item 7 Page 51
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Placement Services Improvement Action CI Review#1 date Review RAG Review#2 Date Staff understand Quality Assurance (fostering) IMP B2 (F3) 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Re-establish Unplanned Endings Meeting for fostering, adoption and TCAC IMP B3 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Clear induction process for new staff (fostering) REQ C1a (G1a) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Training plan for all staff (fostering) REQ C1b (G1b) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 All staff have annual appraisals (fostering) REQ C1c (G1c) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Continuity of supervisors with staff (fostering) REQ C1d (G1d) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Exit interviews undertaken and info analysed (fostering) REQ C1e (G1e) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Staff understand Quality Assurance (adoption) IMP F3 (B2) 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Clear induction process for new staff (adoption) REQ G1a (C1a) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Training plan for all staff (adoption) REQ G1b (C1b) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 All staff have annual appraisals (adoption) REQ G1c (C1c) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Continuity of supervisors with staff (adoption) G1d (C1d) REQ 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Exit interviews undertaken and info analysed (adoption) REQ G1e (C1e) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Page 52
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Fostering Improvement Action CI Review#1 date Review RAG Review#2 date Robust permanence tracking arrangements at all stages REQ A1a (E1a) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Robust approach to family finding for permanence REQ A1b 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Clear referral process to fostering REQ A2a 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Robust family finding and matching process REQ A2b 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Planning meetings for new placements REQ A2c 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Robust plan for contact between siblings in different foster placements IMP A3 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Robust Life Story Work practice IMP A4 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Support carers with challenging behaviour IMP A5 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Support carers with child protection IMP A6 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Unannounced visits within timescales REQ B1a (F1d) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Safer caring plans are reviewed regularly REQ B1b (D2) (F1e) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Full carer checks are monitored REQ B1c (F1f) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Views of young people and foster carers presented at LAC reviews IMP D1 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Review of safer caring plans - documentation and guidance IMP D2 (B1b) (F1e) 02/02/2023 31/07/2023 Page 53
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Adoption Improvement action CI Review#1 Date Review RAG Review#2 date Tracking for all children through their journey REQ E1a (A1a) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Robust family finding for permanence REQ E1b 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Clear referral process outlining needs of children REQ E2a 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Identify carers strengths and vulnerabilities for a specific child and additional support required REQ E2b 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Ensure planning meetings take place after a child is placed REQ E2c 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Undertake foster care agreements for dual registered foster carers/adopters REQ F1a 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Ensure concurrency carers are reviewed at Panel REQ F1b 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Concurrency carers to have regular supervision and access to training REQ F1c 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Ensure unannounced visits take place for concurrency carers REQ F1d (B1a) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Safer caring plans are developed and reviewed regularly for concurrency carers REQ F1e (B1b) (D2) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Concurrency carers are subject to full carers checks which are monitored and kept up to date REQ F1f (B1c) 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 All adoptive families to have an adoption support plan; to be reviewed REQ H1a 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Staff and adopters to be aware of the need for adoption support plans REQ H1b 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Page 54
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F&A Panel Improvement Action CI Review date#1 Review RAG Review#2 date Panel members have full information for matching panels (fostering) REQ A2d 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Panel members have full information for matching panels (adoption) REQ E2d 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Panel members have full information for matching panels (concurrency) REQ F2a 27/01/2023 31/07/2023 Page 55
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SOCIAL WORK SERVICES REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING TO 31 DECEMBER 2022 BY: CHIEF OFFICER HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE MORAY 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the budget position for Children and Families Social Work Services as at 31 December 2022. 1.2 This report is submitted to Council in terms of Section III (A) (2) of the Council’s Scheme of Administration relating to the consideration of capital and revenue budgets and long term financial plans. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that Committee scrutinises and notes the budget position at 31 December 2022 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The report highlights those areas of the budget where there is a significant percentage variance identified at 31 December 2022. 4. BUDGET POSITION 4.1 The spend at 31 December 2022 is £11,932,000 against a budget to date of £12,201,000, giving an underspend of £269,000 as shown in Appendix 1. 4.2 There are underspends on adoption allowances and legal fees £46,000, fostering fees and allowances £113,000 and delays in new contracts starting £121,000. There is also one-off income for adoption placements in Moray of £33,000. The underspends are reduced by an overspend in self directed support. Item 8 Page 57
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5 ESTIMATED OUTTURN 5.1 The estimated outturn for 2022/23 is £17,417,000 against a budget of £18,150,000 resulting in an estimated underspend for the year of £733,000. 5.2 The main underspends are adoption allowances and legal fees £82,000, fostering fees and allowances £96,000, throughcare/aftercare grants £31,000 and delays in procuring new contracts £214,000. There is also one-off income for an adoption placement in Moray of £33,000. The underspends are reduced by overspends on self directed payments £82,000 and home to school transport £62,000. 5.3 Staff savings from vacancies and appointment below top of scale are anticipated to exceed the budget by £407,000 6. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) The Children’s Services Revenue Budget has particular reference to National Outcome 8 – we have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk. (b) Policy and Legal The Council has statutory responsibilities to meet educational needs, the needs of children and young people in need and those it looks after. (c) Financial implications The resource implications are set out in this report and at Appendix 1. The underspend as at 31 December 2022 is £269,000 against a budget to date of 12,201,000. The estimated year end position is expenditure of £17,417,000 against a budget of £18,150,000 resulting in an underspend of £733,000. (d) Risk implications Budget Managers are aware of their responsibilities for managing budget allocations and approval for any variances will be sought from Committee in line with the Financial Regulations. (e) Staffing implications There are no staffing implications associated with this report. (f) Property There are no property implications associated with this report. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality Impact Assessment is not needed because the report is to inform the Committee on budget monitoring. Page 58
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(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts No climate change and biodiversity impacts arise directly from this report. (i) Consultations Lorraine Paisey, Chief Financial Officer and Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer, have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report where it relates to their areas of responsibility. 7. CONCLUSION 7.1 That Committee scrutinises and notes the budget position as at 31 December 2022. Author of Report: Tracy Stephen, Head of Service (MIJB) Nicky Gosling, Accountant Background Papers: With authors Ref: SPMAN-305227695-70 / SPMAN-305227695-71 Page 59
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Children and Families Social Work Services Appendix 1 Budget Monitoring Report to 31st December 2022 Service Revised Budget Budget to Date Actual to Date Variance to Date Variance Full Year Forecast Full Year Variance £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 % £'000 £'000 Children Services and Criminal Justice Management 55 55 63 (8) (15)% 55 - Quality Assurance Team 215 157 143 14 9 % 212 3 Locality Planning Pilot 87 87 87 - - 87 - Children's Services Area Teams 4,524 3,289 3,393 (104) (3)% 4,652 (128) Corporate Parenting & Commissioning 12,057 9,246 8,877 369 4 % 11,608 449 Justice Services 453 271 266 5 2 % 451 2 Reviewing Team 337 250 249 1 - 337 - Children Services Additional Funding 201 (1,154) (1,146) (8) - 201 - Efficiency Savings-Children's Services 221 - - - - (186) 407 - Children's Services Total 18,150 12,201 11,932 269 - 17,417 733 Item 8 Page 61
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: EDUCATION RESOURCES AND COMMUNITIES REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING TO 31 DECEMBER 2022 BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the budget position for Education Resources and Communities as at 31 December 2022. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (A) (2) of the Council’s Scheme of Administration relating to the consideration of capital and revenue budgets and long term financial plans. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that Committee scrutinises and notes the budget position at 31 December 2022. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The report highlights those areas of the budget where there is a significant percentage variance identified at 31 December 2022. 4. BUDGET POSITION 4.1 The spend at 31 December 2022 is £22,618,000 against a budget to date of £23,004,000, giving an underspend of £386,000 as shown in Appendix 1. 4.2 The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on income and a £500,000 reduction in the income budget for leisure facilities was approved as part of the budget report to Moray Council 3rd March 2021. The income is recovering faster than had been predicted and at the end of quarter three there is £267,000 over achievement on income in leisure facilities. Item 9* Page 63
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4.3 Other underspends within the service are Additional Support for Learning training £12,000, school counselling £7,000 and speech and language therapy £88,000, with other minor underspends making up the difference. The underspend in school counselling relates to the difference in funding received from the Scottish Government and the contract spend following commissioning of an external provider. The Speech and Language Therapy contract is currently suspended due to resourcing issues within the NHS Grampian Speech and Language team, allowing for a review of the contract scope and specification in advance of the new financial year. 5 ESTIMATED OUTTURN 5.1 The estimated outturn for 2022/23 is £29,895,000 against a budget of £31,029,000 resulting in an estimated underspend for the year of £1,134,000. 5.2 The main underspends on services are over achievement of leisure income £310,000,Speech and Language Therapy contract £128,000 and staff savings from vacancies and appointment below top of scale exceeding budget £703,000 Appendix 1 includes top level budget lines that incorporate lower level budgets where there are small under and overspends. The full year variance figures take account of all budget variances within the high level budget line. 6. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) The Education Resouces and Communities Revenue Budget has particular reference to National Outcome 8 – we have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk. (b) Policy and Legal The Council has statutory responsibilities to meet educational needs, the needs of children and young people in need and those it looks after. (c) Financial implications The resource implications are set out in this report and at Appendix 1. The underspend as at 31 December 2022 is £386,000 against a budget to date of £23,004,000. The estimated year end position is expenditure of £29,895,000 against a budget of £31,029,000 resulting in an underspend of £1,134,000. (d) Risk implications Budget Managers are aware of their responsibilities for managing budget allocations and approval for any variances will be sought from Committee in line with the Financial Regulations (e) Staffing implications There are no staffing implications associated with this report. (f) Property There are no property implications associated with this report. Page 64
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(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality Impact Assessment is not needed because the report is to inform the Committee on budget monitoring. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts No climate change and biodiversity impacts arise directly from this report. (i) Consultations Lorraine Paisey, Chief Financial Officer and Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer, have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report where it relates to their areas of responsibility. 7. CONCLUSION 7.1 That Committee scrutinises and notes the budget position as at 31 December 2022. Author of Report: Joanna Shirriffs, Head of Education Resources and Communities Nicky Gosling, Accountant Background Papers: with authors Ref: SPMAN-9425411-159 / SPMAN-9425411-160 Page 65
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Education Resources & Communities Appendix 1 Appendix 1 Budget Monitoring Report to 31st December 2022 Service Revised Budget Budget to Date Actual to Date Variance to Date Variance Full Year Forecast Full Year Variance £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 % £'000 £'000 Communities 1,397 1,038 1,026 12 1 % 1,386 11 Culture, Sport & Leisure 4,742 3,394 3,127 267 8 % 4,500 242 Learning Estate 319 225 211 14 6 % 302 17 Additional Support Needs 16,675 12,176 12,061 115 1 % 16,507 168 Business Support Unit 1,675 1,225 1,231 (6) - 1,667 8 Education Resources & Communities Management 107 80 80 - - 107 - Public Private Partnership 5,728 4,868 4,883 (15) - 5,743 (15) Education Resources & Communities COVID-19 - (2) (1) (1) 50 % - - Education Resources & Communities Efficiency Savings 386 - - - - (317) 703 - Education Resources & Communities Total 31,029 23,004 22,618 386 - 29,895 1,134 Item 9* Page 67
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: EDUCATION REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING TO 31 DECEMBER 2022 BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the budget position for Education as at 31 December 2022. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (A) (2) of the Council’s Scheme of Administration relating to the consideration of capital and revenue budgets and long term financial plans. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that Committee considers and notes the budget position at 31 December 2022. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The report highlights those areas of the budget where there is a significant percentage variance identified at 31 December 2022. 4. BUDGET POSITION 4.1 The spend at 31 December 2022 is £51,928,000 against a budget to date of £53,104,000, giving an underspend of £1,176,000 as shown in Appendix 1. 4.2 Early Learning and Childcare has an ongoing overspend of £413,000, which is being addressed as part of the review of ELC savings options which is currently being progressed with a view to reducing this budget pressure in 2023/24. There are underspends on snack and fundraising accounts £47,000, central maternity and sickness £27,000 and speech and language therapy contract £22,000. The core Speech and Language Therapy contract is currently suspended due to resourcing issues within the NHS Grampian Speech and Language team, allowing for a review of the contract scope and specification in advance of the new financial year. The snack and fundraising accounts cover the academic year and will be carried forward as part of ear marked reserves. Item 10* Page 69
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4.3 Devolved school budgets are underspent by £1,098,000 at the end of the third quarter, £298,000 in primary schools and £800,000 in secondary schools. This position at financial year end is normal with school budgets being spent over the academic year. Some of the underspends are due to delays in filling vacancies and will be carried forward at the end of the year. The underspend is reduced by overspends on oncosts. 4.4 Education Central Services has an underspend on the Pupil Equity Fund of £439,000, this funding is ring-fenced and underspends will be carried forward as part of ear marked reserves. Work is ongoing with a Quality Improvement Manager and the Education Scotland Attainment Advisor around this with officers confident that with robust planning and monitoring this will be accounted for next session. In addition variances exist where the budget position is at financial year end with spend occurring across the academic year. ESTIMATED OUTTURN 5.1 The estimated outturn for 2022/23 is £75,869,000 against a budget of £75,653,000 resulting in an estimated overspend for the year of £216,000. 5.2 There was a reduction in the Early Learning and Childcare specific grant of £1,093,000 in 2022/23. Savings have been made in the service to cover part of the reduction in funding leaving an estimated overspend of £400,000. It is anticipated to make savings in 2023/24 which will reduce the current budget pressure. This is part of the Early Learning and Childcare external consultant report being reported to this committee. 5.3 Primary school oncosts are expected to be £20,000 over budget. Budgets for schools are based on an average percentage and are reviewed each year, the overspend relates to an increase in staff joining the pension scheme. . 5.4 There is an anticipated underspend on period poverty of £24,000 and school clothing grants £15,000. A position is currently being advertised to support the development and delivery of period poverty in the authority, which is directly funded by the Scottish government through specific period poverty funds. 5.5 Staff savings from vacancies and appointment below top of scale are anticipated to exceed budget by £139,000. 6. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) The Education Revenue Budget has particular reference to National Outcome 8 – we have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk. (b) Policy and Legal The Council has statutory responsibilities to meet educational needs, the needs of children and young people in need and those it looks after. Page 70
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(c) Financial implications The resource implications are set out in this report and at Appendix 1. The underspend as at 31 December 2022 is £1,176,000 against a budget to date of £53,104,000. The estimated year end position is expenditure of £75,869,000 against a budget of £75,653,000 resulting in an overspend of £216,000. (d) Risk implications Budget Managers are aware of their responsibilities for managing budget allocations and approval for any variances will be sought from Committee in line with the Financial Regulations. (e) Staffing implications There are no staffing implications associated with this report. (f) Property There are no property implications associated with this report. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality Impact Assessment is not needed because the report is to inform the Committee on budget monitoring. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts No climate change and biodiversity impacts arise directly from this report. (i) Consultations Lorraine Paisey, Chief Financial Officer and Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer, have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report where it relates to their areas of responsibility. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 That Committee considers and notes the budget position as at 31 December 2022. Author of Report: Vivienne Cross, Head of Education Nicky Gosling, Accountant Background Papers: with authors Ref: SPMAN-1315769894-390 / SPMAN-1315769894-389 Page 71
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Educational Services Appendix 1 Appendix 1 Budget Monitoring Report to 31st December 2022 Service Revised Budget Budget to Date Actual to Date Variance to Date Variance Full Year Forecast Full Year Variance £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 % £'000 £'000 Early Learning and Childcare 5,100 307 619 (312) (102)% 5,500 (400) Primary Education 30,433 22,652 22,464 188 1 % 30,503 (70) Secondary Education 33,746 25,421 24,594 827 3 % 33,696 50 Education Central Services 4,649 2,973 2,494 479 16 % 4,589 60 Management 118 88 84 4 5 % 113 5 Efficiency Savings-Education (56) - - - - (195) 139 Education COVID 19 1,663 1,663 1,673 (10) (1)% 1,663 - - Educational Services Total 75,653 53,104 51,928 1,176 - 75,869 (216) Item 10* Page 73
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVER ATTAINMENT 2021-2022 BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE: (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the SQA leaver attainment across our secondary schools and for this data to be scrutinised and noted as part of our improving outcomes and raising attainment focus. This is an update to the Initial Attainment Report for Secondary Schools 2022 previously presented to Committee on 2 November 2022, with leavers’ update now presented to Committee at first opportunity following data release in February 2023 including initial positive destinations. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (D) (1) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to all the functions of the Council as an Education Authority. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that Committee: (i) scrutinise and note the Senior Phase Leaver Attainment across our Secondary Schools in Moray for session 2021/2022 with specific regard to the National Measures for leavers published on Insight in February 2023; (ii) acknowledge identified improvements in performance evidenced through key measures outlined within this paper; and (iii) further note identified actions for improvement arising from 2021/2022 attainment and performance as outlined in initial analysis of secondary school attainment paper previously presented to committee on 2 November 2022. Item 11* Page 75
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3. BACKGROUND 3.1 Contextual information relating to the examinations in place for session 2021/2022 have been provided in the Initial Analysis of Secondary School Attainment: Session 2021-2022 Committee Paper presented for scrutiny and noting to Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee on 2 November 2022 (please see Background, Section 3) 3.2 This report provides update in relation to Insight data we receive each year for cohort attainment across S4, S5 and S6 for our school leavers across four key national benchmarking measures: • Improving attainment in Literacy and Numeracy • Improving attainment for all • Increasing post-school destinations • Tacking disadvantage by improving the attainment of lower attainers relative to high attainers 3.3 Insight encourages us to take a holistic approach to evaluating attainment and achievement that takes into account the performance within Moray across all four measures in 3.2 above. We also use our breadth and depth of SCQF level qualifications for leavers as a measure against our virtual comparator. 3.4 As part of our revised Secondary Improvement Model approach this session and secondary school visit programme, we continue to discuss performance with Moray Secondary Head Teachers and collectively through Secondary Head Teacher meetings, with our Scottish Government Insight advisor and at school level with in-person visits to schools. This is in line with our revised Secondary Attainment and Performance Framework for school support and challenge, data scrutiny activities and discussion on key actions required and next steps focussed on improvement. 3.5 Caution remains with data trends over time whereby this year’s return to a formal examination diet is a follow on from two very different years of Alternative Certification Models (ACMs) with Covid-19 impacting on young people and our school communities. Schools continue to support young people as a result of the legacy of Covid-19, with secondary schools reporting higher levels of absence, concerns in relation to behaviours exhibited by some young people, mental health and wellbeing concerns and further increase in Additional Assessment Arrangements (AAA) for examinations. Some AAA has resulted in acute accommodation pressures in some of our secondary schools in planning ahead for SQA Examinations starting in April 2023. 3.6 Secondary schools continue to support young people as much as possible through wellbeing, learning and supported study opportunities. While schools are offering the latter, it is noted that Secondary Head Teachers report in much lower than anticipated uptake for sessions offered. Further signposting to national e-learning opportunities offered through e-Sgoil and Scholar are also made by our schools in support of young people as well as wider interventions including mentoring and targeted learning conversations/target setting. Page 76
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3.7 Our Best Value Audit Report for Moray highlighted scope for improvement in levels of attainment for a number of measures; this was extracted from our attainment data for session 2017/18. Within this Committee report, data from 2017/18 is noted along with data from 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 in order to demonstrate progress made to date as well as actions that are planned for improvement, albeit within very different assessment processes and operating environments compared to previous sessions when arriving at final grades, making year on year comparisons unequal. 3.8 This report will now complete the attainment picture for session 2021/22 where leaver destination data is not available until December of each year, information appearing on Insight in February 2023. This report is presented to Committee at first available opportunity following data release. For session 2021/22 there were 963 leavers in total (S4: 173; S5: 292;S6: 498) 4 SENIOR PHASE ATTAINMENT ANALYSIS OVERVIEW – LEAVERS’ DATA Improving attainment in Literacy and Numeracy 4.1 This measure presents the percentage of leavers achieving an award in Literacy and Numeracy at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Levels 4 and 5 by the end of their school experience in Moray, compared with pupils with identified similar characteristics across Scotland (VC - Virtual Comparator) for each of the last five years. This is shown in graph form below for Moray (all leavers, percentage attaining Literacy and Numeracy at SCQF level 4 and 5). Percentage of Leavers Attaining Literacy: SCQF level 4: Literacy remains above the VC, common with 2021. SCQF level 5: Literacy is above the VC, highest positive gap across 5 year trend. Percentage of Leavers Attaining Numeracy: SCQF level 4: Numeracy remains above the VC, common with 2021. SCQF level 5: Numeracy is marginally above the VC, now positive and above VC (first time in 5 year trend). Five-year analysis: Moray performance at SCQF level 4 and 5 against Virtual Comparator Page 77
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Literacy & Numeracy Year % Level 4 Literacy % Level 4 Numeracy % Level 5 Literacy % Level 5 Numeracy Moray 2022 95.53 93.87 84.32 70.09 VC 2022 94.26 91.21 81.09 69.35 Moray 2021 95.90 93.29 83.39 70.53 VC 2021 94.52 91.57 82.01 70.93 Moray 2020 92.95 88.53 80.88 64.16 VC 2020 93.95 91.62 80.44 69.63 Moray 2019 93.30 87.16 80.46 64.00 VC 2019 93.73 91.60 79.81 65.49 Moray 2018 92.22 87.46 78.38 62.38 VC 2018 93.89 90.24 78.44 65.83 4.2 Overall, Moray has performed positively and above the Virtual Comparator for leaver attainment for Literacy and Numeracy at SCQF level 4 and level 5. This year is the first in a five year trend that performance has exceeded the Virtual Comparator across all four measures reported above. Improving attainment for all 4.3 This measure allows us to examine how different ability cohorts are attaining in relation to the appropriate virtual and national cohorts. Attainment is measured using the tariff scale, which was developed for Insight. This allocated a specific number of points to each qualification (including non- examination, unit-based courses). More demanding qualifications gain more points than less demanding ones and in graded courses, a grade ‘A’ is equivalent to more points than a grade ‘C’ for example, within the same course 4.4 Three ability cohorts are identified for each school, the VC, the Northern Alliance (Regional Improvement Collaborative) and Scotland as a whole (The National Establishment): those in the lowest 20% of tariff points achieved, those in the highest 20% and those that fall within the middle 60% of tariff points achieved based on the courses they have undertaken and completed. Average Complementary Tariff Points: The lowest 20% are in line with comparators overall. The middle 60% are marginally below VC, Northern Alliance and Scotland. The highest 20% are below comparators with gap noted. Page 78
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4.5 Complementary tariff is a score that looks at parity of achievement of young people in their top five qualifications studied. It is not affected by the number of qualifications and units a young person completed; this removes the inequality and anomalies with different curriculum structures across Scotland of which there are many. Reasons included quality of pass and level of study can impact on the overall tariff measure, requiring schools to continue to work with young people and families in raising aspirations in order to aim high for positive achievement. 4.6 Recent work on curriculum choice and innovation, working with Education Scotland in collaboration with our Moray Secondary Schools and through recent ADES- Education Scotland Collaborative Improvement event focused on Senior Phase Curriculum will progress further work on curriculum design for strengthened consortia working and senior phase offers. 3-year analysis: Lowest 20%, Middle 60%, Highest 20% across SCQF levels Complementary Tariff Year Lowest 20% Middle 60% Highest 20% Moray 2022 135 568 1,231 VC 2022 133 605 1,290 Northern Alliance 2022 143 628 1,289 National 2022 138 644 1,303 Moray 2021 129 631 1,277 VC 2021 137 638 1,315 Northern Alliance 2021 143 669 1,328 National 2021 144 692 1,339 Moray 2020 117 595 1,284 VC 2020 130 610 1,286 Northern Alliance 2020 142 654 1,321 National 2020 133 657 1,313 4.7 It is noted that the lowest 20% of leavers are marginally above the VC, the middle 60% and highest 20% below the VC, matching performance of pre- pandemic 2019 data as most recent previous year of an SQA examination diet (2019: lowest 20%: 127, middle 60%: 555, highest 20%: 1,205). Schools have continued this session to support young people as longer term impact of the pandemic continues to be realised through attendance, health and wellbeing concerns reported. Challenging behaviours exhibited by a minority of young people require schools to creatively support them and their families, impacting on resources and staffing capacity. We continue to work with multi- agency partners in support of children and families, with increased societal pressures and demand on partner services impacting on school resources. Leaver initial destinations – increased post-school participation 4.8 This measure shows the percentage of young people securing an initial positive post-school destination when the leave school at their point of exit in S4, S5 or S6. 4.9 Destination figures reflect choices made by pupils along with opportunities available to them upon leaving school. The availability of particular opportunities (e.g. apprenticeships and employment opportunities) extend options available to school leavers. As a result, this may have impact on the number of young people progressing on to Further and Higher Education as destination pathways. Page 79
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Leaver Initial destinations – percentage of school leavers in a positive destination: Moray in 2021/2022 has performed above all key comparators (VC, Northern Alliance, National), highest across a 5-year trend period for initial positive destinations. Year Moray VC Northern Alliance National Establishment 2022 96.16 95.87 95.41 95.74 2021 94.08 95.64 95.32 95.48 2020 93.07 93.78 92.99 93.36 2019 92.76 95.30 94.98 95.05 2018 93.62 95.05 94.99 94.40 2017 93.53 94.02 94.39 93.72 4.10 In Moray, for 2021/2022 we perform above national average at 96.2% compared with 94.08% in 2020/2021 and 93.07% in 2019/2020 and for the first time in 5 years, Moray is above all key benchmark comparators as outlined above. Nationally, 95.74% of leavers were in an initial positive destination compared to 95.48% in 2020/2021. Leaver destinations for 2021/2022: Data presented highlights more young people entering employment compared with key comparators. Further Education is in line with comparators overall, Higher Education below comparators. Page 80
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4.11 As further outlined in graph form above and in the table below, the number of young people entering employment, Further and Higher Education contribute most to initial positive school leaver destination figures, with percentage of young people entering employment in particular this session as an initial positive destination, notably above key comparators at 36.86%. Where Covid-19 may have had impact on availability of opportunities for young people, this did not restrict prospects for our young people in Moray. We continue to work with Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in order to strengthen support and advice for young people as they progress on chosen pathways to initial post-school destinations. 4.12 In comparison with the 2020/21 leaver cohort, it is noted that numbers entering employment in 2021/22 was notably higher, with drop in numbers entering Further and Higher Education also witnessed as highlighted in yellow above. 4.13 Those young people who are unemployed not seeking and unemployed seeking are below or in line with key comparators respectively, lower than session 2020/21. Our schools continue to work with key partners through pathway planning meetings to ensure pupils at more risk of negative destinations are supported, during and post-school. We continue to reduce percentages in these categories to as near to zero as possible, noting impact of wider factors (for example, mental health and wellbeing) on initial positive post-school destination of identified young people. 4.14 Work also continues with key partners including Skills Development Scotland and DYW Moray to ensure Moray learners are informed and afforded opportunities to progress on to chosen post-school pathways based in individual desires and talents. We continue to analyse our key data on leaver dates, destinations and routes to success to support for young people, in order that they may succeed in their chosen journeys. Tacking disadvantage by improving the attainment of lower attainers relative to higher attainers Year Employed % Further Education % Higher Education % Not known % Personal Skills Development % Training % Unemployed Not Seeking % Unemployed Seeking % Voluntary W ork % Moray 2021/22 36.86 24.40 31.36 0.31 1.66 1.45 1.77 1.77 0.42 VC 2021/22 27.18 26.75 38.21 0.33 0.45 2.75 1.67 2.13 0.53 Northern Alliance 2021/22 30.84 23.35 38.28 0.66 0.48 1.93 1.63 2.30 0.53 National 2021/22 25.11 25.45 41.27 0.40 0.51 2.92 1.54 2.32 0.47 Moray 2020/21 27.42 26.62 37.09 0.23 0.46 2.28 2.16 3.53 0.23 VC 2020/21 25.53 24.81 40.91 0.25 0.50 3.58 1.73 2.38 0.31 Northern Alliance 2020/21 27.47 22.80 41.67 0.46 0.34 2.75 1.89 2.33 0.31 National 2020/21 22.58 23.29 45.11 0.30 0.47 3.67 1.69 2.53 0.37 Page 81
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4.15 The graph below shows 2021/22 leaver attainment data (using complementary tariff scores) for Moray against the Virtual Comparator, broken down into the ten deciles according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). Decile 1 refers to attainment of young people living in areas with postcodes considered the 10% most deprived in Scotland according to SIMD. Decile 10 refers to those young people living in postcodes identified as the 10% least deprived datazones according in SIMD. We continue to monitor the use of SIMD as a measure in authorities where rural poverty and other wider poverty related factors are of concern; however, these are not fully considered nationally within SIMD classification. Attainment versus Deprivation - VC Performance at deciles 1, 2, and 5 are above or marginally above the VC. Performance at deciles 4, 6, 7 and 8 are marginally below the VC. Performance at SIMD 9 and 10 are below the VC. Larger circle size represents a greater amount of young people within the SIMD decile. 4.16 The highest number of young people leaving school in Moray in 2021/2022 were within SIMD deciles 4-8. It is noted that while performance at SIMD decile 5 is in line with the VC, some young people in deciles 4, 6, 7 and 8 performed less well in comparison with VC. Vertical lines within each SIMD show the range of attainment for young people within each decile, noting both positive and less favourable attainment for a variety of reasons as noted previously. As shown by trend lines, as SIMD decile increases to SIMD 10, a small attainment gap emerges as the SIMD increase between Moray and the VC. Page 82
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4.17 A similar comparison may also be made against the National Establishment (Scotland) as shown in graph form below. Attainment versus Deprivation – National Performance at deciles 1 and 2 are in line with the National establishment. Performance at other deciles are marginally below, or below the National establishment based on attainment contributions of specific individual/ cohorts of young people. Blue vertical lines once again indicating the spread of attainment. 4.18 In Moray, we continue to work with our children and young people, and their families in order to raise aspirations and encourage positive attendance and engagement. Legacy impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is noted through school attendance levels, increase in less favourable behaviours with some young people impacting on wider school community and secondary school temporary/short term exclusions. Following the Association of Directors for Education Scotland (ADES)-Education Scotland Curriculum Innovation event in March, we look forward to planning our curriculum for the future, working further in partnership across our schools and with Moray College UHI to enhance our curriculum for all. We continue to participate in key national reform on the curriculum underway through review based activities, with a view to maximising achievement of all learners, in graded and ungraded qualifications and curriculum experiences as we look to the future. Breadth and depth of qualifications achieved by leavers 4.19 This measure considers the breadth (number) and depth (SCQF levels studied) of qualifications achieved by our young people in Moray. This demonstrates the suite of qualifications that our 963 leavers in session 2021/22 (increase from 837 leavers in session 2020/21) gained throughout their Senior Phase by point of exit, whether in S4, S5 or S6 as they reach school leaving age or natural point of exit from their secondary schooling based on their chosen pathway and qualifications required. Page 83
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4.20 The table below highlights overall performance across key breadth and depth measures against the VC. This measures how many qualifications learners achieved at all SCQF level qualifications (SCQF level 5, 6, 7); this includes National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher awards as well as others qualifications, including Skills for Work and National Progression Awards at level 5. Key measures are: • 1+, 3+, 5+ and 6+ qualifications at SCQF level 5 • 1+, 3+ and 5+ qualifications at SCQF level 6 • 1+ qualifications at SCQF level 7 SCQF level 5 SCQF Level 6 SCQF level 7 1+ 3+ 5+ 6+ 1+ 3+ 5+ 1+ 2022 Moray 90.1% 76.2% 63.1% 56.0% 60.4% 45.6% 29.8% 21.2% VC 88.5% 77.2% 65.3% 58.3% 63.1% 49.5% 35.8% 23.3% 2021 Moray 88.7% 79.3% 65.8% 57.3% 63.9% 49.7% 34.2% 23.7% VC 89.0% 78.7% 67.4% 60.5% 65.5% 52.0% 37.6% 24.1% 2020 Moray 87.6% 74.6% 61.9% 55.1% 61.2% 48.5% 34.2% 22.0% VC 87.6% 76.5% 65.0% 57.4% 63.1% 50.3% 36.8% 22.6% 2019 Moray 88.6% 74.9% 61.6% 50.3% 58.7% 44.5% 29.5% 18.7% VC 87.8% 74.0% 60.7% 52.7% 60.6% 46.5% 32.3% 19.1% 4.21 At SCQF level 5, leavers achieving 1 or more qualification at this level or above has witnessed positive increase to 90.1% and above the VC. At other measures, performance is marginally below the VC. Across breadth and depth measures at SCQF level 6, performance is below the VC. However, compared with 2019 (as the last year prior to 2022 when formal SQA examinations were the principal form of assessment in place), all measures are above 2019 performance as highlighted in yellow above. 4.22 Through our Secondary School Improvement Model (SIM) partnership working, secondary schools are moving to pilot alternative timetabling and curriculum approaches for session 2023/2024. This includes piloting of seven SCQF level 5 qualifications in S4 in one of our SIM partnerships as well as exploration of a wider health and social care pilot option in a further SIM partnership. All schools have embraced the SCQF Ambassador programme working with the SCQF partnership to extend opportunities through wider awards and accreditation, maximising achievement of Moray’s young people. 4.23 Data literacy and interrogation has been strengthened as we complete our Scottish Government Insight Benchmarking strategy timeline and working with our Education Scotland Attainment Advisor, we continue to monitor use of additional monies in our school supported through Scottish Attainment Challenge Pupil Equity Funding and Strategic Equity Funding arrangements. Looking to term 4, we look to further review our stretch aims as a measure to focus improvement activities, following review of the Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress by Scottish Government and Education Scotland. Page 84
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4.24 Further actions for improvement have previously been provided in the Initial Analysis of Secondary School Attainment: Session 2021-2022 Committee Paper presented for scrutiny and noting to Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee on 2 November 2022. We continue to support our schools through support and challenge activities and our central quality improvement framework aligned to our key Quality Indicator Framework, How Good is Our School? version 4. 5. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) Reflective of priorities within the Corporate Plan with particular regard to (3) provide a sustainable education service aiming for excellence and (4) day to day service delivery in line with council values of ambitious, improving and responsive. With regards to the 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan LOIP), (2) building a better future for our children and young people in Moray through equity of learning experience offered across our schools. (b) Policy and Legal There are no legal implications arising from this report. (c) Financial implications There are no financial implications arising directly from this report. Any future reduction in funding to schools may directly may adversely impact on data presented and impact on supports available to maximise achievement of Moray’s children and young people in our schools. (d) Risk Implications There are risk implications as to how this attainment dataset will continue to be used as comparator data for the next 3-5 years and may skew future performance reporting. The data presented herein reflects year 1 of reversion to an examination based system, differing to the previous two session’s ACM and the examination process in place during session 2018/2019. Schools continue to report concerns regarding behaviours, wellbeing, mental health and impact on learner outcomes and attainment. This has resulted in increased behaviours of concern in schools, with pressure on partnership capacity impacting on wider supports available to schools. As a result, existing resources require to be directed to support young people individually/in small groups by schools, impacting on wider school agenda of improving outcomes for individual pupils, groups and cohorts. Schools further note increases in Additional Support Needs among pupils, impacting on number of courses studied and levels of study. This has measurable impact on attainment measures outlined above on individual schools and is anticipated to increase based on Broad General Education cohort information. A number of young people, due to their additional support needs, access a personalised curriculum with individual targets and outcomes. Where a number of other local authorities have dedicated establishments for supporting young people Page 85
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with specific SEBN/ASN, this is not reflected fully in comparators presented due to different operating contexts and limited external resource offer. Uncertainty continues as a result of further impact of the Covid-19 pandemic now being realised as a result of challenging behaviours exhibited by some young people and need for increased parental involvement and engagement in supporting schools to reinforce importance of positive relationships and raising ambition in young people. This is noted in breadth and depth measures and aspiration of young people to achieve as fully as they can, with increased levels of anxiety noted resulting in lower ambition in courses/course levels studied in Senior Phase. All of the above are likely to have an effect on SQA results and overall performance data in future years. Changes in assessing qualifications in 2020 and 2021 as a result of cancellation of examinations as well as return to examinations this session creates risks relating to accountability and data comparability. Further potential changes are planned to our main awarding body – SQA – as it is redeveloped along with assessment approaches in the future, altering comparator datasets further. (e) Staffing Implications There are no staffing implications arising directly from this report. (f) Property There are no property implications arising directly from this report. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality/Socio Economic Impact Assessment is not required as this report is to inform Committee on performance. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts No climate change or biodiversity implications have been determined due to the scrutiny based nature of activities reported and no findings related to such implications contained herein. (i) Consultations Senior Officers in Education, Communities and Organisational Development, Equal Opportunities Officer, Human Resources Manager, Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report as regards their respective responsibilities. 6. CONCLUSION 5.1 Committee is invited to consider and note performance of leavers in Moray for session 2021/22 based on the return to formal SQA examination diet in May 2022, after two years of Alternative Certification Models in 2019/20 and 2020/21. Positive performance is noted in Literacy and Numeracy at SCQF level 4 and level 5, initial positive leaver destinations and individual measures within attainment versus deprivation (SIMD), improving attainment for all (complementary tariff) Page 86
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and breadth and depth compared with 2019 as the last year available of similar comparison due to SQA examination diet presence. 5.2 Work continues across our secondary schools to support young people, with wider wellbeing needs emerging as we have emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools continue to work together and with key partners to ensure young people progress on to positive post-school destinations and those who require additional support are increasingly supported by our schools, creative in their approaches using resources they have available to meet learning, wellbeing, additional support and behavioural needs. 5.3 We continue to analyse our data and performance centrally and with our schools through our quality improvement processes, sharing good practice and successes while focussing on improving outcomes further based on data intelligence. 5.4 This report completes the cycle of performance reporting for session 2021/22. Author of Report: Stewart McLauchlan, Quality Improvement Manager Background Papers: Initial Analysis of Secondary School Attainment: Session 2021-2022 Committee Paper How Good is Our School? version 4 Ref: SPMAN-1315769894-398 Page 87
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: EDUCATION SCOTLAND INSPECTION OF ST PETER’S RC PRIMARY SCHOOL BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE: (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the outcomes of the recently published report on a Moray school following inspection by Education Scotland. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (D) (1) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to all the functions of the Council as an Education Authority. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that Committee: (i) scrutinise and note the contents of this report and findings of Education Scotland following their inspection visit; (ii) note that a clear action plan is in place to respond to the areas for improvement identified and that regular monitoring visits will take place by the QI team with support and challenge provided to aid improvement further; and (iii) note that following future revisit from Education Scotland (anticipated February 2024), a further paper will be brought to Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee in order to provide update on school progress with improvements. Item 12* Page 89
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3. BACKGROUND 3.1 When a school is inspected by Education Scotland and/or the Care Inspectorate a report is published which gives commentary on the school’s performance. These reports are presented regularly to Committee, where possible at the first available opportunity after publication. 3.2 In November 2022, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited St Peter’s RC Primary School. During their visit, Education Scotland inspectors talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the Acting Headteacher and staff. St Peter’s RC Primary School was subject to a full inspection model visit spanning over five days in total. The Education Scotland Inspection team use selected Quality Indicators (QIs) from “How good is our school? 4th edition” (HGIOS4), rated using the six- point scale. 3.3 Education Scotland focus QIs for the Primary school (full inspection model inspection) are: QI 1.3 Leadership of Change QI 2.3 Learning, Teaching and Assessment QI 3.2 Raising Attainment and Achievement QI 3.1 Ensuring Wellbeing, Equality and Inclusion Inspectors make evaluations of these QIs using the six-point scale. The first three of these QIs feed directly into the evidence base for the National Improvement Framework. Full establishment inspections also include focus on Safeguarding and themes from other QIs to ensure Inspectors continue to capture the evidence needed to promote improvement and provide evidence to inform national policy development. These are not assigned a rating and are: QI 2.2 Curriculum (Learning Pathways theme) QI 2.7 Partnerships (Partnerships in evaluating the impact of parental engagement) 3.4 Following ongoing dialogue between Education Scotland and the local authority, Education Scotland published St Peter’s RC Primary School’s Inspection Report on 21 February 2023 with the following gradings: QI 1.3 Leadership of Change Weak QI 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment Weak QI 3.1 Wellbeing, equality and inclusion Weak QI 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement Weak Page 90
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3.5 The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work: • A staff team who have an understanding of the challenges faced by the community as a result of the pandemic and cost of living; • Children across the school are focused and keen to learn. Children’s interactions are respectful and supportive of each other; and • Staff have created a welcoming, nurturing and caring ethos leading to positive relationships across the school community. 3.6 The inspection team agreed the following areas for improvement with the Acting Headteacher and Moray Education: • Senior leaders and staff should work together to improve leadership across the school. In doing so, staff should support children, parents and partners to participate in evaluation activities that improves how the school works. • Staff should work together to improve the quality of learning and teaching. This includes ensuring children are actively involved in learning. • Staff should improve approaches to planning of learning, teaching and assessment. There is a need to ensure children’s knowledge and skills build on what they know as they move through the school. • All staff should be involved in planning learning that supports better children with additional support needs. They should ensure that they set targets that help children make progress in their learning. • All staff should work together to have a clear focus on raising attainment of all children. 3.7 The Education Scotland inspection report and summary of inspection findings for the school can be viewed at: • Inspection Report • Summarised Inspection Findings • Additional Inspection Evidence 3.8 Following inspection, Education Scotland have advised that the school needs additional support and more time to make necessary improvements. Education Scotland will liaise with Moray Council regarding the school’s capacity to improve. It is of particular note that the Acting Head Teacher had been in post for 5 weeks at the point of the inspection. Quality Improvement (QI) team officers are working closely with the school with a clear action plan in place to respond to the areas for improvement identified at 3.6 above. Regular monitoring visits will take place by the QI team with support and challenge provided to aid improvement further. 3.9 Education Scotland will return to carry out a further inspection of the school within one year of the publication of the inspection letter (anticipated on or around February 2024). Education Scotland will discuss with Moray Council the details of this inspection and when they return to inspect the school they will once again write to parents/carers informing them of the progress the school has made. Page 91
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3.10 As a result of inspection outcome, an action plan has been developed in partnership with the Acting Head Teacher and local authority officers in order to prioritise key actions now required. Since November 2022, key actions have progressed, with support from the Primary Advisor and Quality Improvement Officer linked with the Associated Schools Group. 3.11 For reference, the Education Scotland HMIE visit letter published in February 2023 following visit in November 2022 is contained within Appendix 1. 4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS a. Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) Reflective of priorities within the Corporate Plan with particular regard to (3) provide a sustainable education service aiming for excellence and (4) day to day service delivery in line with council values of ambitious, improving and responsive. With regards to the 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan LOIP), (2) building a better future for our children and young people in Moray through equity of learning experience offered across our schools; supporting ambitious and confident children, able to reach their full potential. b. Policy and Legal It is the duty of the Council to secure improvement and the quality of school education which is provided in schools managed by Head Teachers and to raise standards of education (Section 8 of Standard in Scotland Schools Act 2000). This report relates to Section 66 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, which concerns the inspection of educational establishments. c. Financial implications There are no financial implications arising directly from this report. d. Risk Implications There are no risk implications arising directly from this report. e. Staffing Implications There are no staffing implications arising directly from this report. f. Property None. g. Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality/Socio Economic Impact Assessment is not required as this report is to inform Committee on school performance following external scrutiny/validation activity. Page 92
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h. Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts No climate change or biodiversity implications have been determined due to the scrutiny based nature of activities reported and no findings related to such implications contained herein. i. Consultations Senior Officers in Education, Communities and Organisational Development, Equal Opportunities Officer, Human Resources Manager, Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report as regards their respective responsibilities. 5. CONCLUSION 5.1 Committee is invited to scrutinise and note the contents of this report, further noting that an action plan is in place with a number of key improvement areas having already progressed in relation to the November 2022 inspection of St Peter’s RC Primary School. Ongoing local authority support and challenge of school improvement activities will continue with further Education Scotland revisit anticipated in February 2024. Author of Report: Stewart McLauchlan, Quality Improvement Manager Background Papers: Inspection Report Summarised Inspection Findings Additional Inspection Evidence How good is our school? 4th edition Education Scotland six-point scale Ref: SPMAN-1315769894-397 / SPMAN-1315769894-396 Page 93
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Appendix 1 St Peter’s Nursery, Buckie – EDUCATION SCOTLAND VISIT, NOVEMBER 2022 Authority commentary on the inspection report During the inspection the team of inspectors talked to parents/carers, children and practitioners. They met with the Early Years’ Service Manager, Continuous Improvement Officer (East) and the Nursery Manager at the beginning of the inspection and gathered evidence during the visit to enable them to evaluate aspects of the quality of leadership and children’s achievements. The inspection team found the following strengths in the setting’s work. • The manager and practitioners create nurturing, caring relationships with children and families. This approach ensures children and families feel well supported. • Children who are well-behaved, enthusiastic, enjoy coming to nursery and are keen to learn. • The focus on supporting children’s early mark-making. This is resulting in children who are keen to experiment with writing. The following areas for improvement were identified by the Education Scotland team: • The senior leaders, with support from the local authority should use guidance from national practice frameworks to help develop more robust approaches to self-evaluation and quality assurance. • The manager and practitioners should develop further approaches to planning to provide appropriately challenging experiences across the curriculum for all children. • The manager and practitioners should develop the quality of the learning experiences available outdoors. They should create interesting spaces and experiences to support all children to develop curiosity and creativity. The local authority will continue to monitor the settings progress with its quality processes and will report back to the Committee as appropriate. Hazel Sly, Early Years’ Service Manager Item 12* Page 95
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1 | St Peter’s RC Primary School, Moray Council, 5206529 © Crown Copyright 21 February 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In November 2022, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited St Peter’s RC Primary School. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the acting headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • A staff team who have an understanding of the challenges faced by the community as a result of the pandemic and cost of living. • Children across the school are focused and keen to learn. Children’s interactions are respectful and supportive of each other. • Staff have created a welcoming, nurturing and caring ethos leading to positive relationships across the school community. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the acting headteacher and a representative from Moray Council. • Senior leaders and staff should work together to improve leadership across the school. In doing so, staff should support children, parents and partners to participate in evaluation activities that improves how the school works. • Staff should work together to improve the quality of learning and teaching. This includes ensuring children are actively involved in learning. • Staff should improve approaches to planning of learning, teaching and assessment. There is a need to ensure children’s knowledge and skills build on what they know as they move through the school. • All staff should be involved in planning learning that supports better children with additional support needs. They should ensure that they set targets that help children make progress in their learning. • All staff should work together to have a clear focus on raising attainment of all children. Item 12* Page 97
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2 | St Peter’s RC Primary School, Moray Council, 5206529 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using four quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition). Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for St Peter’s RC Primary School Quality indicators Evaluation Leadership of change weak Learning, teaching and assessment weak Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion weak Raising attainment and achievement weak Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland What happens next? As a result of our inspection findings we think that the school needs additional support and more time to make necessary improvements. We will liaise with Moray Council regarding the school’s capacity to improve. We will return to carry out a further inspection of the school within one year of the publication of this letter. We will discuss with Moray Council the details of this inspection. When we return to inspect the school we will write to you as parents/carers informing you of the progress the school has made. David McKellar HM Inspector Page 98
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: EDUCATION SCOTLAND INSPECTION OF ST PETERS NURSERY, BUCKIE BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 The purpose of this report is to invite the Committee to scrutinise and note the outcomes of the recently published report on a Moray Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) setting following inspection by Education Scotland. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (D) (1) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to all the functions of the Council as Education Authority. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommend that Committee scrutinise and notes the content of this report. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 When an ELC setting is inspected by Education Scotland a report is published (by Education Scotland) which gives commentary on the setting’s performance. These reports are presented regularly to this Committee, where possible at the first available opportunity after publication. 3.2 In November 2022, Education Scotland inspected St Peters Nursery, Buckie, using the Full Inspection Model. 3.3 The key features of the full inspection visit model were; - The team was composed of 2 inspectors. - The inspectors spent 3 days at the setting, including time for initial scoping and feedback. - The team inspecting Nursery liaised with the team inspecting School. Item 13* Page 99
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3.4 There was a focus on four Quality Indicators (QI’s) from the How Good is our Early Learning and Childcare (HGIOELC) quality framework which were evaluated using the six point scale, namely; QI 1.3 – Leadership of change QI 2.3 – Learning, Teaching and Assessment QI 3.1 – Ensuring Wellbeing, Equality and Inclusion QI 3.2 - Securing Children’s Progress 3.5 A further two Q.I’s were evaluated, although these were not graded; QI 2.2 – Learning and development pathways QI 2.7 – Partnerships: Impact on children and families – parental Engagement 3.6 The inspectors also had a focus on safeguarding as is the case in every inspection. 3.7 The inspection findings indicated that St Peters Nursery has the capacity to continue to improve and Education Scotland will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. 3.8 The summary of the inspection report is contained in Appendix 1. The original inspection report and summary of inspection findings can be viewed at; https://education.gov.scot/education-scotland/inspection-reports/reports- page//?id=27401 4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) This report relates the priority ‘Provide a sustainable education service aiming for excellence’ from the Corporate Plan and to ‘Building a better future for our children and young people in Moray’ from the LOIP. (b) Policy and Legal This report relates to Section 66 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, which concerns the inspection of educational establishments. (c) Financial implications None arising directly from the report. (d) Risk Implications None arising directly from the report. (e) Staffing Implications None arising directly from the report. (f) Property None arising directly from the report. Page 100
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(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality Impact Assessment is not required as this report is to inform Committee on performance. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts None arising directly from the report. (i) Consultations Head of Education (Chief Education Officer), Quality Improvement Manager (East), Continuous Improvement Officer (West), Continuous Improvement Officer (East), Principal Teacher Early Years Education Service and Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report as regards their respective responsibilities. 5. CONCLUSION 5.1 That Committee scrutinise and note the contents of this report. Author of Report: Hazel Sly, Early Years’ Service Manager Background Papers: Ref: SPMAN-1315769894-388 / SPMAN-1315769894-387 Page 101
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: EDUCATION RESOURCES, COMMUNITIES AND EDUCATION CAPITAL BUDGET BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform Committee of the capital budget position for Education Resources, Communities and Education as at 31 December 2022, and to advise of proposed capital budget allocations for 2023/24. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (A) (2) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to the consideration of Capital and Revenue budgets and long term financial plans. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: (i) scrutinises and notes the capital budget position for Education Resources, Communities and Education Services at 31 December 2022; and (ii) approves the proposed capital budget allocations (essential maintenance and design work) for 2023/24. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 At the meeting of Moray Council on 22 February 2022 Council approved the Capital Plan for 2022/23 (paragraph 4 of the minute refers). 3.2 This report highlights those areas of the capital budget relating to Education Resources, Communities and Education budgets where there is a significant percentage variance as at 31 December 2022. 3.3 The report also provides a narrative update on major ongoing projects. Item 14* Page 103
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3.4 The capital budgets (2022/23) for the Education Resources, Communities and Education Services are listed in Appendix 1. At the meeting of Moray Council on 1 March 2023 (paragraph 4 of the minute refers) Council approved the Capital Plan for 2023/24. 3.5 The capital budgets (2023/24) for the Education Resources, Communities and Education Services are listed in Appendix 2. Any spend against the libraries and leisure line – ‘Refurbishment and Upgrade of Pools’ will be dependent on a number of factors, including the outcome of the Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) 3 funding bids, and would be the subject of future reports to this committee. 4. BUDGET POSITION 4.1 The total approved capital budget for Education Resources, Communities and Education for financial year 2022/23 was: 22/23 £000 Land and Buildings 5,443 Vehicles Plant and Equipment 460 Total 5,903 4.2 Planned expenditure to December 2022 was £5,538,000. Actual expenditure to end December 2022 was £3,648,000. 4.3 Where current projects are rated as ‘amber’ in Appendix 1 the variance (and projected variance) in the 2022/23 Capital Plan relates to the following: • Findrassie Primary School The Findrassie Primary School new build project was allocated £282,000 capital funding to cover RIBA stage 1-2 concept design work. On 25 January 2023 this Committee approved a deferment in the Findrassie new build project for up to 5 years (paragraph 18 of the draft minute refers). The remaining capital allocation (£82,000) is therefore not required in 2022/23. There will be a requirement for a small carry forward of this into 2023-24 to support project review activity and ensure the project remains in a future ‘ready to re-start’ status and this will be reported to Council on 28 June 2023. An annual review of the project deferment decision will be taken at Committee (next Jan 2024) and capital allocation requirements revisited at that time. • Universal Free School Meals On 7 November 2022, the Scottish Government announced a 2022/23 budget commitment for £30 million of capital funding for local authorities to continue the phased expansion of free school meal support for primary schools. The funding was to be used in 2022/2023 to support initial investment in school infrastructure ahead of further Page 104
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expansion of free school meals for primary school children later in the parliamentary term. The capital funding allocation for Moray was £598,000 paid as part of the General Capital Grant in 15 December 2022. The allocation is to fund the design and reinstatement of two servery kitchens to production kitchens to meet additional demand with the expansion of free school meals to P6 and P7 children. There has been insufficient time available to develop the design and tender for the works so none of the capital allocation has been spent. Carry forward of the budgeted spend will be recommended in the final report to Full Council on capital spend 2022/23 on 28 June 2023. • Moray Leisure Centre (Vehicles, Plant and Equipment) On 14 December 2022 this Committee agreed to allocate £275,000 from the 2022-23 £400,000 capital allocation for Moray Leisure Centre to cover the costs of an initial design and cost study to support Moray Leisure Limited plans to expand and develop the facility. Carry forward of the remaining capital allocation (£104,000) will be recommended (paragraph 19 of the Minute refers). 4.4 The capital budgets in Appendix 2 do not yet fully account for the anticipated full 2023/24 costs of the Elgin High School extension (£950,000), or for potential 2023/24 costs for Forres Academy and Buckie High School (currently awaiting the outcome of the Scottish Government Learning Estate Investment Programme (phase 3) process). These costs will be the subject of Capital Plan update reports at a future Moray Council meeting. The projected overall project costs for both the Forres Academy and Buckie High School projects have previously been reported to this Committee (Special ECLS Committee 7 November 2022 – paragraph 4 of the minute refers). 5. MAJOR PROJECTS UPDATE Schools Essential Maintenance Programme 5.1 The total budget for this programme of work is £3.208 million which is made up of a carry forward of £0.208million from 2021/22 and £3 million from the 2022/23 Capital Plan. This programme of work is a single line within the Capital Plan. However, the programme has been split into separate budgets for each individual project as detailed in Appendix I for budget monitoring purposes. The majority of this work programme is the phased work begun under the Make Do and Mend criteria, which was to address elements of schools in Condition D that have the possibility of failing. The scope of each of the projects is developed in consultation with the school and the contractor. The reactive nature of this programme does mean that individual project budgets do vary during the year of the programme. 5.2 Work to replace defective render with a new insulated render system at Hythehill Primary School completed on 25 April 2022. 5.3 Construction work to upgrade the mechanical and electrical systems at Speyside High School, Cluny Primary School, Forres Academy, New Elgin Primary School, Anderson Primary School, Burghead Primary School, West Page 105
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End Primary School and Kinloss Primary School were completed during the school summer holidays 2022. 5.4 Work progressed well on site with no major issues uncovered and very little of the contingency allowances required. Refurbishment projects, particularly where these are upgrading mechanical and electrical components, carry greater risk of discovering unknowns when on site and this is reflected in the cost estimates produced for budgeting. The £523k budget line balance is the contingency allowance across all the projects that was not required to be expended. 5.5 Emergency works to replace corroded mains water pipework at Forres Academy were carried out and completed under this programme of work. This has resulted in additional budget expenditure under the Forres Academy Mechanical and Electrical budget heading, however the overall programme of works remained within the £3.208 million budget. 5.6 A carry forward of £208,000 from the 2021/22 budget appears in the budget line under Milnes High School Roof Covering replacement. This carry forward was taken to support design work and as a contingency for the overall programme. The replacement of the roof covering at Milnes High School is a significant budget estimate and is proposed to be carried out in the 2023/24 financial year. New Build Project (Lossiemouth High School) 5.7 The budget is projected to over spend by £32,000 due to re-profiling of the budget figure from the Quarter 2 Report figure of £608,000 to the Quarter 3 figure now at £232,000. The project remains within the overall budget figure. The contractor is currently undertaking the making good of the contractual defects after the one year defects liability period. This is currently behind programme and will not complete this financial year. This delay in completing the contractual defects is not having any operational impact on the school. New Build Project (Linkwood Primary School) 5.8 The contractor is currently undertaking the making good of the contractual defects after the one year defects liability period. This is currently behind programme and will not complete this financial year. This delay in completing the contractual defects is not having any operational impact on the school. New Build Project (Findrassie Primary School) 5.9 A preferred Tier 1 contractor had been identified and work was ongoing to formally appoint in September 2022. However, following the project viability assessment and an increasing cost model estimate for the project the Learning Estate Programme Board agreed to the Project Board request to instruct a project design ‘pause’ to allow the project team to review the design options and affordability against the continued requirement for future additional primary school capacity within the Elgin Academy Associated Support Group catchment. Page 106
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5.10 As stated earlier in this report, on the 25 January 2023, this Committee approved a deferment in the Findrassie new build project for up to 5 years. The agreed annual review and reporting of the project will seek to provide an update to the cost model to include inflationary and other cost contributory factors. Elgin High School Modular Classrooms 5.11 A total capital budget of £326,000 was allocated to purchase and deliver two modular classrooms to support an increasing capacity requirement at Elgin High School until a new permanent extension is delivered for the commencement of the 2026/27 academic session. The contractor responsible work was completed in March 2023. There are some internal ICT requirements to complete but this will have no operational impact on the school. Elgin High School Permanent Extension 5.12 At Council on 7 December 2022 it was agreed to bring forward capital budget of £46,030 into Q4 of 2022/23 to engage external consultancy from hub North Scotland Limited to undertake a feasibility study of options for a permanent extension at Elgin High School in 2026. A further £46,030 is required within Q1 of 2023/24 to complete the feasibility study together with up to £30,000 to support site investigation works. 5.13 As stated earlier in this report, the capital budgets in Appendix 2 do not yet fully account for the anticipated full 2023/24 costs of the Elgin High School extension (£950,000). On conclusion of the feasibility study, an Outline Business Case on the viable options will be submitted to this Committee in June 2023 for approval. 5.14 With the deferment of the Findrassie Primary School project it no longer qualifies as a Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) – Phase 2 project and the outcome revenue funding support it provides. A February 2023 request to Scottish Government for a formal replacement of the Findrassie Primary School project with the Elgin High School Permanent Extension project is awaiting Cabinet Secretary approval. Schools Essential Maintenance Programme 2023/24 5.15 A total capital budget of £3 million has been allocated to support the 2023/24 schools essential maintenance plan. A further budget of £1 million has been allocated to support design work to inform 2024/25 and future years upgrade programme. Page 107
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5.16 The proposed schedule for essential maintenance works (Building Element Replacement line) is as follows: School Planned Works East End Primary Windows and doors replacement Milnes High School Flat and pitched roofs replacement New Elgin Primary School Water and heating pipework Speyside High School Mechanical and Electrical Works Keith Grammar Fire alarm upgrade Forres Academy Fire alarm upgrade 5.17 Although still in discussion the current proposed areas of design work (Schools BB Investment line) are: Schools Planned Works Burghead, Kinloss and West End primary schools Install new heat source, pipework replacement, fabric energy efficiency upgrades (read across to other schools) Up to 10 primary schools including East End, Millbank, Seafield Upgrade external drainage pipework Schools priority to be confirmed B condition upgrade Buckie High School 5-8 year sustainment programme (scope/timing dependent on outcome of LEIP 3 funding bid) Forres High School 5-8 year sustainment programme (scope/timing dependent on outcome of LEIP 3 funding bid) Universal Free School Meals 5.18 In addition to the £598,000 that will be recommended to be carried across to 2023/24 to support the expansion of free school meals to P6-7 children, it is anticipated that Scottish Government will provide a further capital grant allocation in 2023/24 to support further infrastructure works. A sum of £80 million had been announced by Scottish Government but has yet to be included in the settlement as the method of distribution has yet to be agreed by Council Leaders. 5.19 The work carried out in 2021 to determine the infrastructure works and associated capital cost estimated that a total of £1,206,152 would be required to support kitchen and dining room capacity upgrades. A review and update of these costs will be completed over the coming weeks. 5.20 The current intention is to complete kitchen and dining spaces design works in 2023/23 but delay building works until Scottish Government provide more clarity on dates for the expansion of free school meals to the P6-P7 cohort. Based on the stated ‘end of parliamentary term’ for expansion it is anticipated that no major works will be undertaken before 2024/25. Page 108
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Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Expansion 5.21 It was agreed at Moray Council on 29 June 2022 (para 22 of the minute refers) to include in the 2023/24 capital budget plans for the outstanding major and minor ELC infrastructure projects and these are now included in Appendix 2 with updated costings. The costings remain at risk of further cost inflation. 5.22 The proposed schedule for the noted projects (dependent on contractor interest/availability) is as follows: Nursery Planned works Proposed timeline Kinloss Primary School Nursery Fob system to be installed on nursery doors connected to primary school; door leading into primary school classroom to be relocated outwith nursery area Summer holidays 2023 Findochty Primary School Nursery Kitchen refurb/existing nursery toilets to be re-configured to include private nappy changing space (if possible replacement of flooring to be included) Summer holidays 2023 Portgordon Primary School Nursery Kitchen refurb/existing nursery toilets re-configured to include private nappy changing space Summer holidays 2023 Rothes Primary School Nursery Kitchen refurb/re-configure disabled toilet area to include nappy changing space Summer holidays 2023 St Peters Primary School Nursery Kitchen refurb/addition of nursery and staff toilets including private nappy changing space (if possible replacement of flooring to be included) Summer holidays 2023 Aberlour Primary School Nursery / Aberlour and Craigellachie Pre-School Nursery at Aberlour Primary School Refurbishment works to carried out on a phased approach from summer 2023. This would require minimal decanting at Aberlour PS from August 2023 to a revised outdoor decant plan for both nurseries to share on a short term basis. Schedule to be confirmed following further consultation by Property with the contractor; it is anticipated that works will begin summer 2023 holidays Page 109
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6. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) The capital projects referred to in this report support the delivery of the LOIP outcome of building a better future for our children and young people in Moray and growing a diverse and sustainable economy, and are advancing the Corporate Plan priority of reviewing and transforming the learning environment, and creating a sustainable council. (b) Policy and Legal The Council has statutory responsibilities to meet educational needs, the needs of children and young people in need and those it looks after. (c) Financial implications The financial implications are set out in this report and at Appendix 1. Budget managers are aware of their responsibilities for managing budget allocation and approval for any unavoidable variance will be sought from the Council in line with the financial regulations. (d) Risk Implications The school estate (excluding new build) continues to deteriorate. The level of investment that the Council is able to afford is insufficient to maintain all schools to B/B standard. The risk of building failures, temporary closures and/or health and safety continue to be a concern. Construction costs are continuing to rise, which will impact on tender prices received for construction projects, which means additional budget may be required for projects as they progress. (e) Staffing Implications There no staffing implications arising directly from this report. (f) Property There are no property implications other than those detailed in the report. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact There are no equalities or socio economic implications associated with this report. Page 110
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(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts Where heat source replacements are planned a Heating Option Appraisal in accordance with current procedures will be carried out that includes renewable heating options. Where wall or roof replacements are programmed additional insulation to improve the performance of the fabric will be considered. For new build projects we are considering options to meet energy and zero carbon targets. (i) Consultations The Chief Financial Officer; the Property Asset Manager; the Design and Construction Manager; The Learning Estate Programme Manager; the Legal Services Manager; the Equal Opportunities Officer, the Head of Education and Committee Services Officer have been consulted and the comments received have been incorporated into the report. 7. CONCLUSION 7.1 This report presents the Education Resources and Communities and Education Capital Works budget to 31 December 2022. It highlights and provides detail on any variances and provides an update for Members on agreed major projects. The report also details proposed essential maintenance projects for 2023/24, and proposed design work in preparation for future learning estate projects. Author of Report: Joanna Shirriffs, Head of Education Resources and Communities Background Papers: Ref: SPMAN-9425411-161 SPMAN-9425411-181 SPMAN-9425411-182 Page 111
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Current Capital Plan 2022/23 Actual Expenditure to 31 December 2022 Total Projected Expenditure Projected Variance R/A/G Land & Buildings B for condition and B for suitability Cluny Primary School Mechanical and Electrical Works 49 48 49 0 G Hythehill Primary School External Insulated Render 319 136 187 132 G Milnes HS Roof Covering Replacement 208 20 188 G New Elgin PS Mechanical and Electrical Works 406 267 278 128 G Speyside High School Mechanical and Electrical Works 370 302 422 (52) G St Gerardines Drainage 3 3 0 G Pilmuir Primary School Roof Covering Replacement 9 18 25 (16) G Forres Academy Drainage 5 5 0 G Forres Academy Mechanical and Electrical Works 617 883 883 (266) G Burghead PS Heating and Pipework Upgrade 296 158 175 121 G Applegrove Primary School Drainage 5 5 0 G Andersons Primary School Mechanical and Electrical Works 206 225 237 (31) G Andersons Primary School Drainage 7 18 18 (11) G West End Primary School Heating Upgrade 305 175 182 123 G Kinloss Primary School Heating and Pipework Upgrade 400 266 275 125 G New Elgin PS additional storage area 3 3 (3) G Forres Academy 68114 Emergency Works 40 44 (44) G Forres Academy 619429D make do and mend 9 2 (2) G Millbank Primary Drainage 1 1 (1) G East End Primary Drainage 5 2 (2) G Seafield Primary Drainage 2 2 (2) G Balance 3 523 (520) G School 3G Pitches Resurface & rejuvenate 3G pitches in Moray 300 240 245 55 G Schools Health & Safety Fire, Safety and Security - Minor Works 100 67 100 0 G Legionella works 15 6 15 0 G Schools - Accessibility 46 24 46 0 G Other Schools New primary school at Findrassie 282 122 200 82 A Lossiemouth High School 232 263 263 (31) G Elgin High School Modular Units 326 141 326 0 G Elgin High School Extension 46 0 46 0 G Libraries & Leisure Condition Surveys - Other Leisure Facilities 40 40 40 0 G ELC Settings - Kinloss Nursery Access 0 0 5 (5) G ELC Settings - Findochty Kitchen & Toilets 0 0 5 (5) G ELC Settings - Portgordon 0 0 7 (7) G ELC Settings - Aberlour Modular Units 30 31 54 (24) G ELC Settings - Cullen New Fence 0 4 4 (4) G ELC Settings - Pilmuir 0 99 100 (100) G ELC Settings - Keith 0 0 196 (196) G ELC Settings - Mosstodloch 0 25 25 (25) G ELC Settings - Rothes 0 0 4 (4) G ELC Settings - St Peters PS 0 0 1 (1) G ELC Settings - Mortlach 0 0 0 0 G Universal Free School Meals 598 0 0 598 A Allotments 220 5 220 0 G Vehicles, Plant & Equipment Libraries & Leisure Leisure and Libraries Equipment 60 4 60 0 G Moray Leisure Centre 400 21 400 0 A 5,903 3,648 5,703 200 0 0 (164) APPENDIX 1 Item 14* Page 113
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Education Capital Plan 2023/24 APPENDIX 2 Heading Capital Plan 2023/24 ELC Settings - Aberlour 1,017 ELC Settings - St Peters 137 ELC Settings - Rothes 131 ELC Settings - Kinloss Nursery Access 20 ELC Settings - Findochty Kitched & Toilets 92 ELC Settings - Portgordon 110 Libraries & Leisure - Refurbishment & Upgrade of Pools 1,900 Libraries & Leisure - Libraries Refurbishment 139 Libraries & Leisure - Equipment 60 Libraries & Leisure - Moray Leisure Centre 700 3G Pitches - Resurface & Rejuvenate 3G Pitches 300 Schools H&S - Schools Legionella Works 15 Schools H&S - Schools Fire, Safety and Security Minor Works 200 Schools Accessability 40 School Estate - Learning Estate Strategy 654 School Estate - Building Element Replacement 3,000 School Estate - Schools BB Investment 1,000 9,515 Item 14* Page 115
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: REVIEW OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS SERVICES (ACTION PLAN 2023-24) BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform Committee of the prioritised Additional Support Needs (ASN) Services Action Plan (2023-24) to take forward the outcomes of the Review of Additional Support Needs (ASN) Services over the next 12-18 months as part of the Council’s Improvement and Modernisation Programme. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (D) (1) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to all the functions of the Council as an Education Authority. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: (i) reviews and notes the prioritised ASN Services Action Plan (2023- 24); (ii) agrees to receive regular updates on progress against the prioritised ASN Services Action Plan (2023-24); (iii) agrees that Officers bring relevant papers back to Committee at the appropriate time, where identified actions within the Action Plan (2023-24) require a Committee decision; and (iv) notes that the actions highlighted are a response to identified risks and barriers, and will provide the necessary support to enable schools and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings to engage fully with longer term ASN improvement actions. Action plans that extend beyond this initial 12-18 month period will be the subject of future reports to this Committee. Item 15* Page 117
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3. BACKGROUND 3.1 On 14 December 2022 Members received a report highlighting the background to and context for the Review of ASN Services and progress towards the implementation of the Review outcomes since the Business Case was approved on 11 August 2021 (para. 17 of the Minute refers). 3.2 Members noted progress and requested a further report to Committee outlining prioritised actions, including staff capacity to deliver. A prioritised ASN Services Action Plan (2023-24) has been agreed in consultation with staff across Education (including Head Teachers) and Education Resources & Communities and is included as Appendix 1. 3.3 The current risks and barriers to progress have informed the development of the prioritised ASN Services Action Plan and are included in Appendix 1. The risks include the increase in violence and aggression incidents; the continuing risk of out of area placement; and staff absence. The barriers include the operational workload in schools, in particular when planning for individual curricula; an inconsistent understanding across schools and ELC settings of support available within settings, central teams and partner organisations; and ASN staffing structures that do not reflect the current ASN needs profile. The intention is to prioritise actions that will mitigate risks and remove barriers, supporting ELC settings and schools to move towards a more stable platform from which longer terms actions leading to sustainable improvement can be delivered. 3.4 The actions and associated timelines take account of capacity within the teams to deliver against the six priorities. The priority actions will be progressed by staff working across the central ASN teams, including the additional temporary resource allocated through Improvement and Modernisation funding (7 ASN Associated School Groups (ASG) teachers and 2 ASN Trainers), in consultation with Education colleagues in the central team and in ELC settings and schools. 3.5 Members also requested a review of the management structure supporting ASN Services. A review of the management structure is underway and is included as a priority within the Action Plan. A draft Change Management Plan for the ASN Teams supporting ELC settings and schools will be brought to Committee for consideration later this year. 3.6 The measures that will be used to assess the impact of the priority actions (and future longer-term actions) are outlined in the Business Case for the ASN Review and include: • Reduction in the number of violence & aggression incidents (linked to ASN). • Improved attendance rates for children and young people with ASN. • Improved staff wellbeing measures (including absence). • Number of children and young people with ASN educated within their own communities. • Improved planning for ASN needs within Education settings, from pre nursery through to transition to further/higher education. Page 118
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4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) This report supports the LOIP outcomes: Building a better future for children and young people in Moray: • A place where children and young people thrive; • A place where they have a voice, have opportunities to learn and can get around; • A place where they are able to reach their full potential And the Aims of the Corporate Plan to: • Provide opportunities where young people can achieve the potential to be the best they can be. (b) Policy and Legal There are no policy or legal implications arising directly from this report. The Council has a statutory duty to make adequate and efficient provision for the additional support required by each child or young person for whose school education it has responsibility for, in terms of the Education ( Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. (c) Financial implications There are no financial implications arising from this report. Any financial implications arising as actions within the Action Plan are progressed will be the subject of future reports to this Committee. (d) Risk Implications The strategic risks associated with the delivery of ASN Services are included in the Action Plan. Operational risks are now managed through the ASN Management Group, where operational data is reviewed on a regular basis, and actions agreed to mitigate risks within individual ELC settings and schools. (e) Staffing Implications There are no staffing implication arising from this report. Any staffing implications arising as actions within the Action Plan are progressed will be the subject of future reports to this Committee (f) Property There are no property implications arising directly from this report. Any property implications arising as actions within the Action Plan are progressed will be the subject of future reports to this Committee Page 119
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(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact The implementation of the prioritised actions within the ASN Services Action Plan (2023-24) will help ensure we can effectively meet the needs of all our children and young people with additional support needs in our schools and early year’s settings both now and into the future. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts There are no climate change or biodiversity issues arising directly from this report. (i) Consultations The Head of Education (Chief Education Officer), the Chief Financial Officer, Committee Services Officer, the Human Resources Manager and the Equal Opportunities Officer have been consulted on this report and their comments have been incorporated. 5. CONCLUSION 5.1 This report provides a prioritised ASN Services Action Plan (2023-24) that will ensure the outcomes of the Review of ASN Services are progressed in a timely and managed way. Members will receive regular progress updates on the identified actions, and Committee reports at an appropriate time on specific actions where a Committee decision is required to progress. Author of Report: Jo Shirriffs, Head of Education Resources & Communities Background Papers: Ref: SPMAN-9425411-169 SPMAN-9425411-170 Page 120
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APPENDIX 1 Additional Support Needs (ASN) – Action Plan 2023-24 # Risks/Barriers to Change Priority Actions Delivery Date Status 1 Challenging Operating Environment • Increase in ASN Needs • Significant needs that cannot be supported within a school environment • Increase in incidents of Violence & Aggression/risk of exclusion • Planning for individual children consuming time and resource • Part-time timetables not meeting children’s/family’s needs or legislative requirements • Risk of Out of Area Placement Alternative Provision 1a. Define and resource a Council team to support education outside of school setting June 2023 1.b Develop a strategic procurement framework to engage third party providers to support education outside of school setting August 2023 1c. Identify a location to support education provision away from school setting (including alternative to exclusion) June 2023 1.d Develop clear criteria and processes for accessing alternative provision June 2023 2 Resource Allocation Model requires review • Individual assessment of need is no longer a suitable distribution methodology as needs increase/change. Does not fit with national best practice. • Head Teachers/Nursery Managers highlighting need to be more flexible in the resource we provide to support current needs within each setting. Resource Allocation Model (2023-25) (Allocation of ASN Budget to support resourcing of ASN within ELC settings and schools – teaching and support staff) 2a. Resource Allocation Model agreed for 2023-24 (based on current assessed individual need in ELC settings and schools) April 2023 2b. Resource Allocation Model for 2024-25 co-produced with Nursery Managers/Head Teachers – formula based taking account of current information on ASN characteristics, existing allocations and national benchmarking April 2024 3 Resource Allocation requires review Forres Pilot (April 2023-June 2024) 3a. Develop and implement a revised staffing structure August 2023 Item 15* Page 121
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• Principal Teacher ASN allocated to Primary Schools with enhanced provision only. • ASN needs are supported across all primary schools but do not have access to Principal Teacher expertise. (Look at how staffing structures can improve support for ASN needs across an ASG) 3b. Develop clear criteria for admission to enhanced provision (including class sizes), and expectations regarding needs that can be supported across all primary schools December 2023 4 Policies and Procedures do not meet current needs • Out of date policies do not reflect current legislative context. • Inconsistent knowledge of actions required to be taken in different circumstances. • Needs cannot be met in an appropriate and timely manner. Policy/Guidance – Review and Development (Rolling programme) 4a. ASN Transport Guidance April 2023 4b. Guidance re the use of /support for Pupil Support Assistants (PSAs) April 2023 4c. Assistance Dog Guidance May 2023 4d. Coordinated Support Plan Guidance May 2023 4e. Violence and Aggression policy and procedures June 2023 5 Staff knowledge and understanding of approaches to meeting needs is not consistent across all ELC settings/schools • Roles and responsibilities in meeting needs is not clearly understood across all settings. • Inconsistent knowledge/application of approaches to meeting needs (increase in Violence & Aggression incidents) • Inconsistent understanding of support available to ELC settings/schools and when and how to access that support. • Negative impact on staff wellbeing leading to staff absence Comprehensive Staff training and Development Programme (Focus on Staged Intervention in line with National GIRFEC framework) 5a. Delivery of Overview of Staged Intervention training across Moray August 2023 5b. Programme of training within different Stages of Intervention agreed for rollout from August 2024 (compulsory and opt in training) June 2023 Page 122
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6 Central ASN Team resourcing does not reflect current needs • Temporary Management Structure • ASN structure is not efficient and targeted towards meeting current needs Central ASN Teams – Future Structure Development of Draft Change Management including future management structure and team resourcing August 2023 Page 123
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: LEARNING ESTATE – CLOSURE OF INVERAVON PRIMARY SCHOOL STATUTORY CONSULTATION REPORT BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the statutory consultation on the closure of Inveravon Primary School and seek agreement on next steps. 1.2 This report is submitted to the Council in terms of Section III (D) (7) of the Council's Scheme of Administration to consider the closure of schools and other educational establishments under the control of the Council as Education Authority. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: (i) consider the formal consultation report attached as Appendix 1 regarding the closure of Inveravon Primary School; and (ii) Taking account of the consultation report, make a recommendation for the consideration of Moray Council to close Inveravon Primary School and reassign its catchment area to Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. 3. DECISION MAKING 3.1 The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that local authorities undertake a formal consultation process whenever changes are proposed to the location or catchment area of a school; or when a school is being considered for closure. Item 16* Page 125
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3.2 At its meeting of 24 August 2022, the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee (para 13 of the minute refers) approved the launch of a statutory consultation into the permanent closure of Inveravon Primary School. 3.3 The consultation proposes that the education provision at Inveravon Primary School, which is currently mothballed, should be discontinued and that the catchment area should be reassigned to Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. 3.4 At the end of the consultation period all written submissions, along with the minutes of the public meeting, were provided to Education Scotland. Both Education Scotland and officers within the Council’s Education Resources and Communities Service have written a report on the consultation. The officer consultation report is attached as Appendix 1. The Education Scotland report is contained within Appendix 1 as Appendix I to the consultation report. 3.5 As this report is in relation to the permanent closure of a school, the recommendation of Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee should be considered by Moray Council on 24 May 2023. 4. DISCUSSION 4.1 The statutory consultation on the permanent closure of Inveravon Primary School discussed several options that had been considered for changes to the school catchment area, with three main options considered to be viable. These were to rezone the whole catchment area to Knockando Primary School; to reassign the catchment area between Knockando and Aberlour primary schools; to reassign the catchment area between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. 4.2 The statutory consultation took place between 29 August 2022 to 7 October 2022, which covered the required minimum of 30 days term time consultation. 4.3 In support of the statutory consultation process two in person public meetings were held on 27 September 2022; one at Inveravon Church at 1.30pm and the second at Speyside High School Community Centre at 7pm. A further online meeting was held on 28 September 2022 at 7pm. Records of these meetings are at Appendices B, C and D. 4.4 Parental feedback that was provided during the earlier public engagement is at Appendix E. 4.5 Pupils at Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools were consulted on the closure proposal and their responses have been collated at Appendix F. 4.6 An online survey was made available to all consultees during the consultation period and 33 completed the survey. The online survey report is at Appendix H. Page 126
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4.7 Five written representations were received to the consultation. 4.8 Officers within the Education Resources and Communities Service and Education Service have carefully considered all of the responses to the consultation and have made a recommendation in Appendix 1 (paragraph 14.1) to this report. The recommendation supports the majority community view and gives maximum parental choice. The recommendation is that the Council should adopt the proposal to permanently close Inveravon Primary School and re-assign its catchment area between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. Children would also continue to receive school transport to their catchment school where eligible. 4.9 Free school transport would continue to be provided to Knockando for all Inveravon catchment pupils currently attending this school. Free school transport would be extended to current Inveravon catchment pupils that attend Aberlour Primary School . All existing primary aged pupils would continue their education at their current schools. 5. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) This report supports the LOIP outcomes: Building a better future for children and young people in Moray: • Healthier Children: children get the healthiest start in life and are supported to achieve the best possible mental health and wellbeing and there is equity for vulnerable groups. And the aims of the Corporate Plan to: • Improve health and wellbeing for the people of Moray. (b) Policy and Legal The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 has been referred to and adhered to throughout the statutory consultation process and this adherence will continue with respect to decisions on the future of Inveravon Primary School. The Schools (Scotland)(Consultation) Act 2010 requires that prior to any final decision on school closure the report needs to have been in the public domain for a minimum of 3 weeks. A copy of the full Consultation Report will be made available to Education Scotland. Although no formal title deeds have been discovered, all estate information indicates that the school building is on land that was gifted for educational use by Ballindalloch Estate over a century ago. The expectation is that should the final decision be to close the school, the land, and by inference the building, will revert to Ballindalloch Estate ownership. Page 127
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The local authority purchased an area of land (0.305 acres) to extend the subjects in 1926 and accordingly Moray Council retain title to that upon closure. Given the location of this small area of land within the main school site it is on its own deemed to have no intrinsic value. In the event of approval to close Inveravon Primary School action would be initiated to transfer ownership of this area of land to the Ballindalloch Estate. (c) Financial implications A decision to close the school would realise an annual saving of £45,175 (following the 3 year cash conserved salary period). A re-opening of the school would require a full remediation of the site, and significant capital works to the building over future years to achieve the Moray Learning Estate Strategy aim and Scottish Government mandate for all schools to be an overall Condition B status or better. The cost of upgrade has been estimated to be over £206k to support reopening with a further investment of over £130k over the next 5 years. This capital sum is not within the current capital plan. In the event of the closure of Inveravon Primary School, and rezoning of the catchment to adjacent schools in the Speyside ASG, there would be an increase in costs for school transport provision for those children who would now be entitled to Council-provided transport to Aberlour Primary School The increase is not expected to be significant and may be managed within the value of the current Speyside ASG transport contracts. (d) Risk implications There are no risks associated with this report. (e) Staffing implications Inveravon Primary School is currently in a paired Head Teacher arrangement with Knockando Primary School. In the event of Inveravon Primary School closing the implications on Knockando based Teaching Staff are as per table below. FTE (during mothballing) FTE (post closure) Head Teacher 1.0 (SP4) 1.0 (SP2) Principal Teacher 1.0 Head Teacher Relief 0.46 Class Teacher 1.0 1.0 McCrone 0.28 0.28 Total 3.28 2.72 The Head Teacher would move to SP2 from SP4 – cash conserved for 3 years. The Principal Teacher would need to be redeployed and potentially cash conserved for 3 years. There are no non-teaching staffing implications should Inveravon Primary School close. Page 128
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(f) Property Impact Whilst the school has been mothballed, the state of the building has been maintained as wind and water tight. The building has been drained down and regular janitor inspections conducted and any issues, e.g. water ingress, have been addressed. This minimal care and maintenance regime will continue during and to conclusion of the statutory consultation process. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a statutory requirement on the Council to assess the policies and practices necessary to meet the requirements of anti-discrimination and equalities legislation. It also affords an opportunity for the Council to consider the impact on the education service. An assessment has been carried out, as part of the options appraisal process for Inveravon Primary School. The main impact for children in the P1-7 age group is the length of journey from Inveravon to either Knockando, Aberlour or Glenlivet primary schools; however, as Inveravon Primary School has been mothballed since July 2017, the majority of the current pupils are already making the journey to either Knockando or Aberlour. Should there be future journeys to Glenlivet these would be of a similar distance and duration. Under the Equality Act 2010 education providers must not treat disabled pupils less favourably and should take reasonable steps to avoid putting disabled pupils at a substantial disadvantage. Any existing arrangements in place for pupils with additional support needs within the schools affected will continue. As discussed in Appendix 1 Section 10.28 Aberlour Primary School is the enhanced provision hub for the Speyside ASG, and as such is fully adapted to meet the requirements of pupils with a range of additional support needs. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts A carbon assessment of Inveravon Primary and Knockando Primary, where the majority of pupils moved to at the time of mothballing, has been undertaken by the Moray Council Climate Team. Overall the carbon impact per pupil is substantially lower at Knockando – and that includes the pupils on the school roll from the Inveravon catchment from Aug 2017. The reopening of Inveravon Primary School would therefore significantly increase carbon emissions in the future, outweighing any additional transport emissions associated with longer pupil journeys. A closure of Inveravon Primary School is therefore predicted to lead to carbon savings. Page 129
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(i) Consultations Senior Officers in Education, Education Resources and Communities, the Head of Housing and Property, the Head of Environmental and Commercial Services, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, the HR Manager, the Chief Financial Officer, the Legal Services Manager, the Equal Opportunities Officer, members of the Learning Estate Programme Board and Committee Services Officer have all been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report as regards their respective responsibilities. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The Committee is requested to consider the Consultation Report at Appendix 1 and the recommendation herein to close Inveravon Primary School and ask Moray Council, in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, to approve the closure of the school. Author of Report: Andy Hall (Programme Manager (Learning Estate)) Appendices: 1. Consultation Report - Closure of Inveravon Primary School Sub Appendices: Appendix A Appendix A1 Closure of Inveravon Primary School Consultation Proposal Options Appraisal Appendix A2 Appendix A3 Public Engagement Comments/Suggestions Financial Template Appendix B Public Meeting Record – Inveravon Church (27 September 2022) Appendix C Public Meeting Record – Speyside High School (27 September 2022) Appendix D Public Meeting Record (28 September 2022) Appendix E Appendix F Appendix G Appendix H Parental Feedback Pupil Engagement Online Survey Responses Online Survey Summary Report Appendix I Education Scotland Report Ref: SPMAN-9425411-184 / SPMAN-9425411-192 / SPMAN-9425411-193 SPMAN-9425411-194 / SPMAN-9425411-195 / SPMAN-9425411-196 SPMAN-9425411-197 / SPMAN-9425411-198 / SPMAN-9425411-199 SPMAN-9425411-200 / SPMAN-9425411-201 / SPMAN-9425411-202 SPMAN-9425411-203 / SPMAN-9425411-204 Page 130
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Appendix 1 CONSULTATION REPORT REGARDING THE CLOSURE OF INVERAVON PRIMARY SCHOOL April 2023 This Consultation Report has been issued by Moray Council in accordance with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 (as amended) If you have difficulty reading this document please contact Learning Estates Team on 01343 563374 Item 16* Page 131
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Contents 1. Introduction 2. The Consultation Process 3. The Proposal 4. Educational Benefits Statement 5. Public Engagement 6. Written Responses 7. Moray Council Response to Written and Oral Representations 8. Education Scotland Report 9. Alleged Omissions or Inaccuracies and Additional Information 10. Compliance with Section 9(1) of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 11. Compliance with Sections 11A to 13 of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 12. Representations to Scottish Ministers in terms of Section 15 of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 13. Conclusion 14. Recommendation Appendices: Appendix A Closure of Inveravon Primary School Consultation Document Appendix A1 Appendix A2 Appendix A3 Options Appraisal Public Engagement Comments/Suggestions Financial Template Appendix B In person Public Meeting Record – Inveravon Church (27 September 2022) Appendix C In person Public Meeting Record – Speyside High School (27 September 2022) Appendix D Virtual Public Meeting Record (28 September 2022) Appendix E Appendix F Parental Feedback Pupil Engagement Page 132
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Appendix G Online Survey Responses Appendix H Appendix I Online Survey Summary Report Education Scotland Report 1. Introduction 1.1 This report has been prepared following a consultation on the proposal to discontinue education at Inveravon School, which is currently mothballed, and reassign its catchment area to that of either Knockando, Glenlivet or Aberlour primary schools or a combination of these. 1.2 This report has been prepared in accordance with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 on the above proposal. The objective of this report is to: • Provide a record of the total number and a summary of written and oral responses received during the statutory consultation period; • Provide a statement of the Council’s response to those written and oral representations; • Provide the full text of Education Scotland’s report and a statement of the Council’s response to this report; • Provide a statement on how the Council reviewed the above proposal following the representations received during the statutory consultation period; • Provide details of any omission from, or inaccuracy in, the proposal document and state how the Council acted on it; • State how the Council has obeyed Section 12 of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 when reviewing the above proposals; and • Provide officer conclusions and recommendation. 2. The Consultation Process 2.1 The requirement for consulting on a relevant proposal relating to schools is set out in the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. 2.2 At its meeting on 24 August 2022 the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee authorised a statutory consultation regarding the closure of Inveravon Primary School. 2.3 The proposal document made clear to consultees that the consultation period would run from 29 August 2022 until 7 October 2022. This more than adequately covered the required minimum of 30 days term time required for consultation. 2.4 On 29 August 2022 copies of the proposal document were made available to: • Parent Councils of Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet Primary Schools; • Parents of the pupils at Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet Primary Schools; Page 133
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• Pupils at Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet Primary Schools; • Parents of pre-school age children living within the Inveravon catchment; • Staff at Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet Primary Schools; • Trade union representatives; • Speyside Community Council; • Glenlivet and Inveravon Community Association; • Tomintoul and Glenlivet Development Trust; • Education Scotland; and • Inveravon Primary School catchment residents 2.5 A copy of the document was also made available at: • Aberlour Library; • Knockando Primary School; • Aberlour Primary School; • Glenlivet Primary School; • Glenlivet Medical Practice; • Ballindalloch Post Office; • Community Centre, Speyside High School; and • Elgin Library 2.6 A copy of the document was also available on request from Moray Council Learning Estates Team. 2.7 The proposal document was also published on the Council website: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_139703.html 2.8 Communication regarding the consultation was published on the Council’s newsroom and social media platforms on 24 August 2022 when a news release was issued. It was further promoted on social media platforms on 8 September 2022. 2.9 The consultation was also advertised in the Press & Journal and Northern Scot newspapers on 9 September 2022. 2.10 An online survey was available throughout the consultation period. 2.11 The consultees were also given the option to submit their comments on the proposal via email to LearningEstate@moray.gov.uk or posted to Community Support Officer (Learning Estate), Elgin Council Offices. High Street Elgin IV30 1BX 2.12 Two face-to-face public meetings were held during the consultation period. The first was held at 1:30pm on Tuesday 27 September 2022 at Inveravon Church, Ballindalloch AB37 9BA. A further public meeting was held at 7pm on Tuesday 27 September at Speyside High School, Mary Avenue, Aberlour AB38 9QU. Page 134
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2.13 An online public meeting was held on Wednesday 28 September. Anyone wishing to attend this meeting was able to register their interest by emailing learningestate@moray.gov.uk. 2.14 Education Scotland received a copy of the proposal document and attended both public meetings. 2.15 At the end of the consultation period, Education Scotland were provided with all documentation relating to the consultation. They also visited Inveravon Primary School, Knockando Primary School and Speyside High School, which included discussions with parents and pupils. Following their visit and a review of relevant documentation, Education Scotland issued a report on the educational aspects of the proposal. The report is covered in more detail within Section 8 of this report. 2.16 Adhering to the statutory requirement this consultation report was published on the Moray Council’s website on 12 April 2023, in preparation for the Education, Children and Leisure Services Committee on 19 April 2023, and more than three weeks, the minimum time required, prior to when the Council is expected to take the decision on whether to implement the proposal 3. The Proposal 3.1 The proposal document, included as Appendix A to this report, was issued to those individuals and bodies listed under ‘Distribution’ within the proposal document. The Proposal Document was also published on the Council website at: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_98109.html#Closure%20of%2 0Inveravon%20Primary%20School 3.2 The proposal on which the consultation took place was: To close Inveravon Primary School, currently mothballed, and re-assign its catchment area to either Knockando Primary School, a combination of the Knockando and Aberlour primary schools or a combination of Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. 3.3 The schools that could be impacted by this proposal are; • Inveravon Primary School • Knockando Primary School • Aberlour Primary School • Glenlivet Primary School 3.4 The proposal was advanced for the following reasons: • At the start of the 2016/17 session the Inveravon Primary School roll was 13 pupils; Page 135
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• During the build up to the closing months of the 2016/17 session the school roll had declined, leading to no children enrolled for the 2017/18 session at the end of June 2017; • It was noted that a number of children within catchment were electing to move to Knockando Primary School; • In August 2017, due to no children attending the school for the start of the new 2017/18 session, the Education Service was left with no alternative but to take the decision to not open the school and in September 2017, the school was mothballed; • No parents had chosen to enrol their children at Inveravon Primary School for the 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 or 2022/23 sessions; and, • Although the number of primary school children in the Inveravon Primary School catchment totalled 15 for the 2022/23 session those families who have formally indicated their choice did not wish to send their children to Inveravon Primary School as they have settled elsewhere. 3.5 An update report on the position at Inveravon School was given to the Education, Children and Leisure Services Committee on 24th November 2021. The Committee agreed to the preparation of an options appraisal regarding the future of Inveravon Primary School. 3.6 A follow up report was submitted to the Education, Children and Leisure Services Committee on 24th August 2022 seeking approval to undertake a statutory consultation on the closure of Inveravon Primary School in accordance with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. 3.7 The Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee agreed to : (i) Authorise a statutory consultation with local stakeholders (Parent Councils, parents, pupils, staff and the local community) on the proposal to close Inveravon Primary School; and, (ii) To receive a further report on the outcome of the consultation in January 2023. Due to insufficient time and resource the Moray Learning Estate team were unable to complete the consultation analysis and draft the Consultation Report for December 2022 to support Committee meeting in January 2023. 4. Educational Benefits Statement 4.1 In 2009, the Scottish Government set out its Vision for the Future School Estate in Scotland, in ‘Building Better Schools: Investing in Scotland’s Future’. 4.2 In September 2019, this was updated with Scotland’s Learning Estate Strategy ‘Connecting People, Places and Learning’, which was developed by Scottish Government and COSLA. This contains ten guiding principles. Local Authorities are required to take account of these principles in planning changes to their school estate, namely: Page 136
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• Learning environments should support and facilitate excellent joined up learning and teaching to meet the needs of all learners; • Learning environments should support the wellbeing of all learners, meet varying needs to support inclusion and support transition for all learners; • The learning estate should be well-managed and maintained, making the best of existing resources, maximising occupancy and representing and delivering best value; • The condition and suitability of learning environments should support and enhance their function; • Learning environments should serve the wider community and where appropriate be integrated with the delivery of other public services in line with the place principle; • Learning environments should be greener, more sustainable, allow safe and accessible routes for walking, cycling and wheeling and be digitally enabled; • Outdoor learning and the use of outdoor learning environments should be maximised; • Good consultation about learning environments, direct engagement with learners and communities about their needs and experiences, and an involvement in decision making processes should lead to better outcomes for all; • Collaboration across the learning estate, and collaboration with partners in localities, should support maximising its full potential; • Investment in Scotland’s learning estate should contribute towards improving learning outcomes and support sustainable and inclusive economic growth. 4.3 In May 2016, Moray Council approved the ‘Schools for the Future’: A policy for Sustainable Schools’ in order to monitor schools provision in Moray and ensure provision continues to meet the needs of learners, parents and the community and enable the Council to meet its requirements to ensure best value, as per the Local Government Scotland Act 2003. This policy contributes to the aim of ensuring all children and young people in Moray have equality of opportunity in terms of access to educational provision and facilities. 4.4 Within this policy, Moray Council set criteria and indicators in determining an optimum quality education experience which include provision of accommodation as reported to Children and Young People’s Services Committee for: • The range of curricular and wider school activities available for children to enable them to achieve in a range of activities for personal and wider achievement (e.g. physical education, music, art, drama); • The ability of the school to cater for children with Additional Support Needs; • The school’s ability to provide access to a suitably broad and balanced curriculum; • The quality of the physical environment for learning and teaching o Condition - minimum standard B o Suitability - minimum standard B • No more than two composite year groups in a single classroom at primary school level. Page 137
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• A minimum of four teachers at a primary school. This recognises both the needs of pupils and the demands on teachers; and. • Ideally, at least seven classrooms (one for each year group). 4.5 Key statutory requirements are further subsumed including delivery of 2 hours minimum Physical Education as part of National standards, compliance with statutory legislation in relation to school accommodation and Additional Support Needs, UNCRC and overall extent of on-site accommodation and facilities (including required general purpose spaces, play and social spaces, staff rest areas and outdoor spaces). 4.6 Moray’s vision and strategic direction for all involved in Moray Education as set out in our Education Strategic Plan and Priorities 2020-2023 – improving outcomes for all Moray’s children and young people – is underpinned by the core entitlements of Curriculum for Excellence in order to ensure all children and young people maximise development in the four capacities: Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors and Responsible Citizens. This stems from Early Learning and Childcare, across the Broad General Education and through into the Senior Phase, working across our system to ensure our learners progress to positive and sustained post-school destinations. Underpinned by our Council values of Fair, Ambitious, Improving and Responsive we are ambitious to achieve excellence together in benefit of all Moray’s children and young people. 4.7 In order to deliver on our Education strategic vision and priorities, all Moray schools thus work towards: • Improving outcomes for all: help improve levels of children and young people’s achievements and broaden the range of opportunities for young people to develop their skills; • Curriculum: provide a quality curriculum and create positive environments for effective learning and teaching matched to the needs of learners; • Learning, teaching and assessment: create the conditions for greater personalisation and choice for children and young people with improved continuity and progression in their learning; create more opportunities for children and young people to participate in well-judged paired and group activities; • Supporting all learners: develop a supportive ethos where children and young people’s learning, personal, social, health and emotional needs address the care and welfare of children and young people and their personal and social development. • Leadership at all levels: strong, sustainable schools providing quality education and access to the full curriculum are central to the achievement of this vision and delivering these entitlements. 4.8 As further educational context, Curriculum for Excellence guides us to achieve transformation in education in Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18 firmly focused on the needs of the child and young person and designed to enable them to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. All children and young people are entitled to experience: Page 138
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• a coherent curriculum from 3 to 18; • a broad general education, including well planned experiences and outcomes across all the curriculum areas. This should include understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it and understanding of the environment; • a senior phase which provides opportunities for study for qualifications and other planned opportunities for developing the four capacities; • opportunities for developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work; • opportunities to achieve to the highest levels they can through appropriate personal support and challenge; and, • opportunities to move into positive and sustained destinations beyond school; 4.9 Educational benefits are considered below for pupils in respect of options previously outlined in this proposal document. 4.10 In December 2020, Moray Council approved the approach to the Moray Learning Estate Strategy, setting out the vision of providing a sustainable education service aiming for excellence. As well as improving condition and suitability as noted in para 4.4 above, among wider outcomes this strategy aims to ensure our learning estate enriches the learner journey and supports curricular delivery noting the quality of learning environment as having direct impact on learning and achievement of children and young people. 4.11 Ensuring all young people develop in the four Curriculum for Excellence capacities through the learner entitlements in para 4.8 above would prove more challenging if Inveravon Primary School were to reopen with a reduced number of pupils across the Primary age range. This would also place discrete pressures on staff, for example in planning for a wide range of needs, year groups and abilities, in developing the curriculum and managing educational change. As a result, multi-stage composite classes can prove challenging to recruit teachers compared with larger schools where classes have single or few stage composite arrangements. 4.12 Pupils attending schools within the Speyside Associated Schools Group in closest proximity to Inveravon Primary School; Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools, regularly work in pairs and groups on shared learning tasks and cooperative learning activities. A school size low in pupil numbers, for example in a school of 5 or fewer children based on potential future intake if Inveravon Primary School re-opened would mean that groups would be curtailed in size restricting activities to those of a paired nature, with little to no flexibility in change or rotation of participants in pairings or groupings. Pupils could be spread multi-stage across P1 to P7, and while benefitting cross-stage working, this may result in reduced peer challenge in learning or potential for sibling pairing/groups. The variety of skills, knowledge and wider experiences brought to the groups would be further restricted by roll size and may result in gender imbalances and inequity in provision of a full programme of wider school activities. 4.13 In comparison as the smallest school based on the three named closest to Inveravon Primary School, Glenlivet Primary School operates within a pairing Page 139
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under a shared Head Teacher, school roll projections over the next five years remain near to 20 children on roll, with partnership approaches in place with the paired school; Tomintoul Primary School. This includes joined projects and staff professional and collegiate development activities while both schools retain their own unique identities. Children have regular opportunities to self and peer assess in each school as well as work in stage and cross stage pairings and groups. 4.14 In Aberlour and Knockando Primary Schools, children have regular opportunities to work in cooperative learning groups, on paired and in group activities with five and three classes formed in each school respectively. This further supports discussions and debate with a range of viewpoints and background of learners contributing to such activities. Class organisation within each school offers a blend of individual, group and class learning and teaching over the session. 4.15 The reopening of Inveravon would prove more restricted for children to develop skills for learning, life and work with fewer or no opportunities to work with others of a similar age and stage, which is not possible in a school size low in pupil numbers, for example in a school of 5 or fewer children based on potential future intake. Pupils may miss opportunities to develop wider skills for life in particular with limited immersion and interaction with a wide range of peers, where levels of attendance and participation may also impact further on this. 4.16 In Knockando, a skills framework has been developed following refresh of the school’s Curriculum Rationale. This promotes equity of opportunity, supporting successes and achievement of all pupils within the formal and informal curriculum. Children use learning logs to reflect on skills development. In Glenlivet, curricular programmes that support sustained development of skills for learning, life and work have been developed where STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), and the Career Education Standards/Career Management Skills are specific within the school’s skills development pathway and staff continually look for ways to ensure children are challenged and motivated in learning. As the largest school in the Associated Schools Group, children at Aberlour Primary School benefit from wider skills development and transferability through various community projects and whole- school initiatives supported by partners including Primary Engineer, Christmas Enterprise, DYW initiatives and Moray Primary Science. Aberlour Primary School’s Skills Progression “Skills for Stars” lead to weekly OSCARS which link to profiling and the Moray Skills Pathway. 4.17 Collaboration with wider staff in order to ensure a coherent and progressive curriculum can prove more difficult in a school with low roll size. As noted with Glenlivet Primary School paired with Tomintoul Primary School, a progressive curriculum differentiated to meet the needs of each child with a focus on engaging and active learning experiences is in place with opportunities for personalisation and choice across the four contexts for learning. Rich contexts for learning including the outdoor areas are embraced with child-led developments. 4.18 In Aberlour Primary School, the curriculum supports children to develop in the four capacities with planned inter-disciplinary learning for transfer of skills and knowledge with commitment to active learning and purposeful play. At Page 140
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Knockando Primary School, there is a focus on skills development and building on prior learning through cohesive learner pathways making best use of the outdoors and local context. Children are increasingly benefitting from a range of play contexts that are adult-led, adult-guided or child-initiated. Pupils are developing social skills for sharing, co-operation, turn-taking, listening and organising through play. At Glenlivet Primary School, children have ‘independent learning time’ each day with child-led and adult-led play. A dedicated outdoor space supports development of a range of play and skills-based activities. 4.19 Strong partnerships across the Speyside Associated Schools Group exist with previous joint working on moderation, Numeracy, HWB policy and wider curriculum development. Each school values community and wider partnerships for supporting the Developing the Young Workforce agenda and ensuring children are prepared for the future world of work and employability. At Glenlivet Primary School, partnership working further supports skills development and curriculum enrichment where involvement in partnership projects enables pupils to build confidence and take increasing responsibility for their own learning – for example, learning for sustainability, science, expressive arts and literacy. Key partnerships with Tomintoul and Glenlivet Landscape, Crown Estates, Spey Fishery Board and Glenlivet Wildlife group have supported this. 4.20 In Knockando Primary School, a range of partners and local employers including Tamdhu Distillery, Knockando Estate, Knockando Athletics Club and the Shieling Project offer opportunities to learn and be active outdoors. Pupils at Aberlour Primary School have opportunities to engage with local employers and parents as employees for future employability and pathway opportunities, alongside working closely with partner agencies as the Enhanced Provision School for the Associated Schools Group. Schools in the Associated Schools Group also collaborate, including a week’s residential stay at Abernethy Outdoor Centre for wider outdoor pursuit experience, team building and transition support. 4.21 Larger schools provide greater opportunities for pupil leadership and involvement in the ethos and wider life of the school as well as provision of a wider range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. At Aberlour Primary School, P7 House Captains and P6 Vice-Captains are elected each year to lead ‘houses’, pupil voice activities and inter-house challenges including sporting events,as well as contribute to whole school change initiatives. Community groups include Eco-schools, Rights Respecting Schools group (successful in achieving ‘Gold’ status), philanthropic and community engagement activities. Staff led a range of clubs and activities for all children including Bikeability, Running, Languages, Outdoor Learning, Choir, Nurture, Craft, Netball, Gardening and Leadership. P7 Play Leaders further develop their leadership skills through the ‘Playground Squad’, leading play activities and supporting lunchtime interaction sessions for younger pupils. 4.22 Play leaders at Knockando Primary School have been working with Active Schools to support play and lunchtime interactions and activities for younger pupils. This ensures that all pupils feel included at playtimes and lunchtimes and for the P6 and P7 pupils involved, this is further developing skills of leadership, organisation and problem solving. Other opportunities include Pupil Council, Global Citizenship, Community groups and wider pupil projects to enhance the Page 141
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school and local community. Lunchtime clubs include Club Doodle, Netball Club, Book Club and Gardening Club where pupils also engage in dance/performance, athletics and wider Moray Badge participation. 4.23 At Glenlivet Primary School, child-led developments have led to enhancements to school grounds and cross-pollination investigation led to bee-keeping at the school. Real-life scientific and environment studies including Citizen Science research, the Big Wasp survey and RSPB Bird Watch further promote curiosity among learners, where a range of Monday clubs are also offered including Health club, STEM club and Rights Respecting School club led by the pupils. Through ‘Glenlivet Go Getters’ (Pupil Council) all children make a significant contribution to school leadership of change and views are taken on board. Bronze ‘Rights Committed’ accreditation has been achieved at Glenlivet with the school currently working towards Rights Respecting Schools’ Silver ‘Rights Aware’ accreditation. 4.24 The range of interactions offered by all schools and the leadership and wider skills development opportunities presented strengthen capacity to work with others as part of a team, problem solve, make decisions and increase confidence in learners. As part of a peer group of a sufficient size, social interaction will enable further development of skills for learning life and work and build self-efficacy and esteem. A school size low in pupil numbers, for example in a school of 5 or fewer children based on potential future intake severely restricts opportunities for team sports, meaningful pupil leadership opportunities, clubs and other active recreational activities. 4.25 Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools are established as caring, nurturing and inclusive environments for learning. Aberlour Primary School as the largest Primary School in the Speyside Associated Schools Group holds Gold Rights Respecting Schools status and through their positive relationships policy, aim to ensure all in the learning community are committed to the school vision – ‘we show respect and have fun so we can learn from everyone’. Pupil achievements are regularly celebrated and ‘OSCARS’ (Our School Can Achieve Results) focused on the four CfE capacities in para 4.8 above, are awarded to pupils in recognition of their positive contribution and achievements in learning. 4.26 Knockando Primary School is a caring and inclusive school, where staff work hard to get to know pupils and families well, supporting individual needs. A relational and restorative approach is taken to positive relationship management where the school is on the journey to Gold Rights Respecting School status. The school’s Positive Relationship Policy has been developed and shared with the school community with a focus on inclusion, safeguarding, mental and emotional wellbeing and accessing supports. 4.27 Glenlivet Primary School has a very caring, nurturing and inclusive ethos with a strong community identity due to the unique school location. Individual reflective portfolios and learning logs support children to reflect on their learning against the four capacities and development of skills. Regular reflection against the school’s ‘Smarts’ is undertaken by children to understand aspects of their own wellbeing. Staff actively promote inclusion and equity for all children and due the to size of school and one large multi-composite class, pupils are grouped by ability as opposed to stage, strengthening pace and challenge in learning. In Page 142
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collaboration with all children, Glenlivet Primary School has developed a new Positive Relationships Policy reflecting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). 4.28 Aberlour Primary School has the Primary Enhanced Provision base for children with Additional Support Needs for the Associated Schools Group. Most children attend for part of the time, also attending mainstream classes. ‘The Rainbow Room’ provides specialist support for identified young people and support on group and one-to-one basis. Multi-agency links are in place with key partners including Health, Social Work and 3rd sector. 4.29 At Knockando Primary School, class teachers support all children where required with support assistant input for targeted need. Currently the Head Teacher in class contact time supports in provision of additional Support for Learning Teacher time, ensuring all children are supported as part of Moray’s approach to staged intervention. In Glenlivet Primary School, there is effective planning to meet the needs of all learners, with clear progression pathways and universal/targeted interventions where necessary. A Support for Learning teacher works with identified pupils over two days per week with Pupil Support Assistant time for targeted needs. 4.30 All schools within Speyside Associated Schools Group benefit from their location in an area of outstanding natural beauty with access to extensive grounds and countryside. As a town school, Aberlour Primary School is in close proximity to Speyside High School as the local secondary school, with access to a range of external areas including a playing field, outdoor garden area and hard-standing playground/parking area. The school currently houses a local authority and partner nursery. The school is within walking distance of the secondary school’s swimming pool, community sport facilities and multi-use games area. 4.31 The catchment of Knockando Primary School enjoys large grounds with easy access to woodland, fields, burns and wildlife supporting outdoor learning contexts. During snowy weather, the hill next to the school is used as a sledge/ski run. The school is well resourced with outdoor playing fields and play areas and additional multi-use spaces. With extensive outdoor areas or within close proximity to wider facilities in the case of Aberlour Primary School, opportunities for team sports and game-based activities can be maximised with a number of pupils on the roll of all three schools enabling such activities. Larger staffing complement and parent body further increases the likelihood of interested adults leading a broader range of activities. Glenlivet Primary School pupils regularly use the woods located behind the school for outdoor learning. A community play park organised by the Go Getters funded by Pupil Equity Funding and other community monies (Paul’s Hill Windfarm and the Glenlivet and Inveravon Community Association) is used by children during school time and is available for community use out with school times. 4.32 Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools are committed to the 1+2 languages agenda. French is offered across all three schools with the addition of German in P5-P7. This provides the opportunity to work as a whole class and in small groups or pairings in participatory learning activities. Emphasis is on the spoken word and opportunities are planned through enjoyable activities such as group and class games, role-play and songs. Delivery of language learning Page 143
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would be restricted within the multi-stage context of a school size low in pupil numbers, for example in a school of 5 or fewer children based on potential future intake. At Glenlivet Primary School, to meet the needs of current children in school, British Sign Language (BSL) will be delivered as a third language this coming year instead of German. 4.33 Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools benefit from a very small amount of Pupil Equity Funding and use this creatively to support identified children, with interventions reaching further than those where impact is directed. Aberlour Primary School focus in on Literacy interventions, Numeracy and HWB approaches. Glenlivet Primary School have identified gaps in Health and Wellbeing and run a successful Breakfast club, improving engagement in learning. In order to support Health and Wellbeing for all, swimming lessons have been provided where half of the school had never swam, building confidence in swimming, team working and wider mental, physical and social wellbeing effects. Knockando Primary School has supported literacy, numeracy and Health and Wellbeing with the purchase of various learning supports including additional Pupil Support Assistant hours for targeted support and Health and Wellbeing inputs. 4.34 Schools also look outwards and seek to source additional supports and wider experiences for children. Heritage Lottery Funding supported Glenlivet Primary School in a four year programme with a group of artists, significantly developing children’s artistic and digital technology skills. Although this project has now finished, a legacy of skills and equipment remain which Glenlivet continues to make use of for learning and teaching. 4.35 Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools all have Parent Councils formed who meet regularly throughout the year. Aberlour Primary School Parent Council represent the views and interests of parents and pupils and support school improvement where there are currently ten parent members. Glenlivet Primary School regularly engages with parents and a supportive Parent Council take an active role in driving forward school improvement. There is a very strong sense of community with the school vision ‘success for all’ understood by all. Sustainable partnerships with parents and wider community further enrich the curriculum and children are supported to take an active part in the school and wider community. 4.36 At Knockando, an active and supportive Parent Council fundraise for school trips and activities and also contribute to bringing in specialists to enhance the curriculum with dance, sport, music, drama and outdoor education. Parents may also use their individual skills to support learners through ‘Activity Afternoons’. If Inveravon were to re-open then there would be potential for a Parent Council to operate. However, with a small pupil cohort there would be a limited number of families able to participate – particularly where sibling groups may feature – resulting in greater reliance on a few individuals to support the school in this way. 4.37 Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools are central establishments within their respective communities with strong links to other organisations including local churches. Effective transition programmes and links with other Associated School Group schools including Speyside High School as the local secondary school are in place. Working in collaboration across the Associated Page 144
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Schools Group, Head Teachers and schools ensure all children continue to access a wide range of experiences and activities, ensuring location does not detract from opportunities available. Glenlivet, Knockando, Tomintoul and Craigellachie Primary Schools also work in partnership to organise transition events throughout the year for Primary 7 pupils, to support team building and wider skills development in advance of secondary transition. 4.38 Section 3 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000 requires local authorities to endeavour to raise standards and secure improvement in the quality of school education provided in our schools for all learners. It is Moray Council’s view that the pupils from the Inveravon catchment derive educational benefits from their current attendance at other larger neighbouring schools. Formalising the current arrangements would provide a number of such benefits, judged against both the Moray and National criteria set out above. 4.39 As all pupils from the Inveravon Primary School catchment currently attend Knockando Primary School or Aberlour Primary School depending on current zoning arrangements or parental choice, no adverse effects for those pupils are expected to arise from the permanent closure of Inveravon Primary School. 5 Public Engagement Public Meetings 5.1 All parents/carers and stakeholders were invited to discuss the proposal at one of the two public meetings, or a third online meeting which were scheduled to be held during the consultation period. 5.2 The first meeting was held at Inveravon Church on the afternoon of 27 September 2022 and chaired by Programme Manager, Learning Estate. It was attended by 11 members of the community. The minutes of the meeting are attached as Appendix B. 5.3 A second meeting was held at Speyside High School on the evening of 27 September 2022 and chaired by Programme Manager, Learning Estate. It was attended by 2 members of the community, who had both attended the earlier meeting. A record of the meeting is at Appendix C. 5.4 A third online meeting was planned for the evening of 28th September 2022. It was attended by 1 member of the community. A record of the meeting is at Appendix D. 5.5 During the meetings there were questions and comments regarding • The status of the school leading up to the 2016/17 session • The process that led to the decision to mothball the school • The fall in school roll leading up the end of the 2016/17 session • The community consultation up to and following the mothballing decision • Maintenance of the grounds at Inveravon Primary School Page 145
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Discussion with Parents (Inveravon Catchment) 5.6 At the time of the consultation 15 (fifteen) children of primary school age resided in Inveravon Primary School catchment area. All parents/carers of Inveravon catchment children were offered the opportunity to provide comments on the future of the school. During pre-engagement and statutory consultation parents/carers responded and all indicated a preference to continue to send their children to their current school rather than Inveravon Primary School, should it reopen. A collated record of the parent/carer comments received is at Appendix E. Discussion with Pupils 5.7 As part of the consultation process, Head Teachers at Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet Schools discussed the proposal regarding the closure of Inveravon Primary School with their respective pupils. 5.8 Knockando Primary School has 11 children from the Inveravon Primary School catchment on its current school roll, Aberlour has 4 children from Inveravon catchment and Glenlivet has no children from the Inveravon catchment. 5.9 A full breakdown of the pupil responses is at Appendix F. Within the responses a minority of children expressed an interest in the school reopening. Of these almost all expressed their preference to remain at their current school if Inveravon Primary School did reopen. Online Survey 5.10 During the consultation period parents/carers, stakeholders and community members were invited to take part in an online survey to express their opinion on the proposal. The survey provided a summary of the proposal regarding the closure of Inveravon Primary School. Participants were also given the opportunity to leave comments regarding the proposal. 5.11 A total of 33 people completed the online survey and a collation of their direct responses is provided at Appendix G. An analysis of the online survey is at Appendix H. The analysis of the responses highlighted that 40% (13) of respondees resided within the Inveravon Primary School catchment, 44% (16) of respondees were equally split between Glenlivet and Aberlour catchment and the remaining 16% (4) resided in the Knockando catchment. The high level outcome from the online survey was that 13 supported closure of the school, 14 disagreed and 6 did not respond to the specific closure question. Of the 16 parents that completed the online survey, 11 supported the proposal and 5 disagreed. Staff Engagement 5.20 As Inveravon Primary School has not been operational since August 2017 and mothballed fsince September 2017, teaching staff that were employed at the Page 146
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school have been employed at other establishments. Staff at Knockando Primary School and Aberlour School were given the opportunity to discuss the proposal with Education Scotland but none chose to do so. 6 Written Responses 6.1 During the consultation period between 29 August 2022 and 7 October 2022 representations were invited from statutory consultees and interested parties. 6.2 Officers received 5 written communications. Three responses were received from individuals in the community. One of these individuals was a parent of a child who was at Inveravon Primary school just prior to mothballing. Two of the responses were from local community groups, the Speyside Area Forum and Glenlivet and Inveravon Community Association. 6.3 None of the written responses supported the proposal. 7 Moray Council Response to Written and Oral Representations 7.1 The comments received during the consultation period fall into a number of themes. These have been carefully considered and the Council responses to these are provided below. Statutory Consultation has not been robust, open and transparent 7.2 A comment was received that the ‘consultation process has not been pursued with due diligence, especially in establishing the desired qualities for openness and transparency’ 7.3 Moray Council do not agree with the assertion that the consultation process has not been robust, open and transparent. A number of public engagement events were completed prior to the 24 August 2022 Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee report seeking approval to undertake a statutory consultation regarding the closure of Inveravon Primary School in accordance with the School (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010. 7.4 At these pre-consultation meetings the next steps in the mothballing process were discussed and members of the community were able to ask questions and contribute future options for consideration. In addition to these public meetings, suggestion boxes were positioned around the catchment to allow any interested party to comment on the future of the school. Indeed, the majority of Inveravon Primary School catchment parent/carer responses were received through this approach. This engagement information is contained within the consultation proposal document at Appendix A. 7.5 This consultation process has followed the process set out in the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010 in engaging with all interested parties and providing every opportunity for community engagement. This Consultation Report is now made available to all interested parties to review prior to a Council decision on the future of Inveravon Primary School planned for 24 May 2023. Legislation allows for any person to make representations to Scottish Ministers Page 147
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within three weeks of the Council taking their final decision to implement a closure proposal. The detail on the how to do this is at Para 12.5. Reduction in School Roll 7.6 A number of comments made reference to the school roll during the 2016/2017 academic year. An example comment was that the ‘official timeline of recorded individual pupil departures and enrolments had been reduced to a crude assertion that parents unanimously transferred their children to other schools for educational reasons in August 2017’. 7.7 The Council has maintained throughout that the decision to mothball the school was the result of a school roll that fell throughout the 2016/2017 academic year. Although the detail of this was not available at the public consultation, subsequent analysis of the August 2016 to June 2017 school roll clearly shows that the roll fell from 13 to zero during this timeframe. 7.8 The school roll on 21 September 2016 was 13, with the breakdown by gender and year group shown below. SEEMIS data over the period December 2016 to June 2017 shows a gradual decrease in school roll. Detail of this is set out below. 22 December 2016 1 x placing request to Knockando Primary School 14 March 2017 1 x placing request to Craigellachie Primary School. Reason given “more pupils to make transition easier for secondary school” 31 March 2017 1 x pupil move to school out with Moray 24 April 2017 1 x placing request to Knockando Primary School – no reason given. Initially refused but later accepted (12 June 2017) due to class numbers 17 May 2017 2 x pupils move to school out with Moray 1 June 2017 2 x placing requests to Knockando. Reasons given - “school is too small - would benefit from being in bigger school with more children of their own age” and “school is too small - behind with their work - benefit from being in bigger school with more children” 12 Jun 2017 1 x placing request to Craigellachie Primary school reason given “moving house to Dufftown - pupil has attended Craigellachie before and has peers at the school” 15 Jun 2017 1 x placing request to Knockando Primary School – no reason given 20 Jun 2017 2 x placing requests to Knockando Primary School. Reasons given for both is that if they stayed they would be the only pupil. Page 148
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30 Jun 2017 1 x pupil move to school out with Moray. Other than the 2 x placing requests received on 20 June 2017 the reasons provided for leaving Inveravon Primary school were educational ones. The situation was that the school had a roll of zero at the end of the 2016/2017 academic session. School Mothballing Process 7.9 Several comments were received during the consultation period questioning the mothballing process that Moray Council undertook and the lack of documentary evidence as to what was formally communicated to Inveravon Primary School parents prior to this. 7.10 Moray Council acknowledge that no documentary evidence has been discovered between the parents/carers of those children still at Inveravon Primary regarding the decision at the end of June 2017 that the school would not reopen for the 2017/18 academic session. However, correspondence between council officers during this period provides an insight into decisions and points towards a rapidly changing situation as a number of placing requests were received from parents/carers in June 2017 resulting in a school roll of zero for the start of the 2017/18 academic session. Although during the public engagements and later consultation public meetings on the future of Inveravon Primary School it has been stated by the Moray Council consultation team that there may have been letters/emails between the Council and/or school in May and June 2017 that could not now be found, it would appear that there was little if any formal correspondence during the critical run up to end of year (June 2016) period as the Education Service at that stage had no intention to not open Inveravon Primary School at the start of the 2017/2018 academic session. 7.11 Email correspondence dated 15 Jun 2017 between Education (Head of Schools and Curriculum Development) and Legal Services requested advice following receipt of placing requests from the parents/carers of the remaining 2 children on the school roll requesting a move to Knockando for start of 2017/2018 academic session. The email states that “the roll at Inveravon primary has been dropping of late to the point that the last 2 remaining children will move to Knockando, effectively ‘mothballing’ the school. This has happened very quickly with parents, unfortunately, informing teaching staff yesterday” 7.12 Email correspondence dated 19 Jun 2017 between Human Resources and Education to discuss a visit to discuss the impact on school staff with a forecast school roll of zero for the start of the 2017/2018 academic session. 7.13 Letter dated 27 June 2017 between Education Services and Principal Teacher informing them of compulsory transfer to Aberlour Primary School at start of 2017/2018 academic session as result of zero school roll at Inveravon Primary School. Page 149
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7.14 Email correspondence dated 27 June 2017 between Human Resources and Head Teacher, Inveravon Primary school detailing the redeployment of other staff at the school for the 2017/2018 academic session. 7.15 Email dated 3 July 2017 between Public Relations and Education seeking approval for press release that stated “given the low numbers at the school the remaining parents decided to seek placings at Knockando Primary. The council has accommodated these requests and provided transport. Staff have been redeployed within the school system locally. A report will be submitted to councillors early in the next session setting out options for the school’s future” 7.16 Due to the zero school roll at Inveravon Primary School for 2017/2018 academic session the Moray Council’s Children and Young People’s Services Committee agreed on 23 August 2017 for a consultation to proceed with respect to the mothballing of Inveravon Primary School. A consultation event was be held at Inveravon Primary School on Monday 25th September at 7pm to discuss the mothballing. 7.17 The report to the Children and Young People’s Services Committee on August 2017 records that in May 2017 the Head of Schools and Curriculum Development and the Business Support Team Manager met with parents and staff of both Inveravon and Knockando primary schools to answer concerns over falling school roll at Inveravon Primary school and stated that “parents were assured that as long as there were pupils on the roll at Inveravon there would be no decision to mothball or otherwise”. Proposal to close the school is financially driven 7.18 A number of written and oral comments during both the engagement and the follow up statutory consultation stated that Moray Council were seeking to close Inveravon Primary School for financial reasons. The Council do not agree with this opinion and argue that the closure proposal is based on school roll and educational benefit. 8.1 During both the pre-consultation engagement and the consultation the majority view of parents/carers within the Inveravon Primary School catchment was that if the school were to reopen they would not move their children from their current schools. A similar response from children from Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools was that they would not wish to leave their current schools should Inveravon Primary School reopen. 8.2 Education Scotland back up the education benefits statement and their report highlights that children currently benefit from working with larger peer groups aligned to their age and stage. Their report also concluded that the predicted school roll in the wider area makes it unlikely that all four primary schools affected by this report could be sustained. Staff changes during 2016 and 2017 Page 150
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7.19 A number of comments were received during the consultation period, although not from parents, that the staff changes that took place during the 12 months leading up to the mothballing of the school were somehow engineered by the Council and resulted in a “weakening of the school’s teaching provision” which “significantly damaged its educational efficacy”. A request was made to provide more detail over the staffing changes. 7.20 The Council refute the assertion that staffing changes at Inveravon Primary School were engineered. Teaching staff leave for a number of reasons such as career progression or seeking out new challenges. Moray Council cannot stop career development or staff desire to move on, but do work to support schools where this may have happened with backfill and new appointments. Schools may wish to keep teachers they hold in high regard but this is out with the local authority control and down to individual staff wishes. The Council continue to support recruitment to posts and staff professional development but at times have a limited supply available. The following paragraphs provide more specific detail that is requested on the circumstances of staff changes at Inveravon Primary School in 2016 as requested during consultation. 7.21 On 5 May 2016 Education Services informed Inveravon Primary School parents/carers that the Head Teacher had been appointed, following the standard recruitment process, to become Head Teacher for Linkwood Primary School, a new 450 place primary school that was at that time in construction. An acting Head Teacher position was advertised and while the process for recruiting for a permanent Head Teacher was underway the appointment of an Acting Head Teacher for Inveravon Primary School was made on 29 June 2016. 7.22 In May 2016, the Inveravon Primary School Principal Teacher, after another recruitment process, was appointed Head Teacher at Botriphnie/Newmill and a replacement Principal Teacher appointed. 7.23 In19 December 2016 the process for recruitment of permanent position Head Teacher at Knockando and Inveravon was unsuccessful in finding a long term suitable candidate to appoint. The Acting Head Teacher remained in post while the recruitment process was reset. School building condition 7.24 A number of comments were made that the condition of the school had been allowed to decline during the period that it has been mothballed. One such comment is that ‘we note that certain elements of the condition of the building have deteriorated from condition C to D during the time of indecision by Moray Council. In essence the failure to maintain the building essentially means the building is no longer ‘fit for purpose’ as an educational establishment’ 7.25 At the meeting to discuss the school mothballing in September 2017 it was explained that the school building would be maintained in a wind and water tight condition – which Moray Council have done. During this same period, due to budget constraints, Moray Council has had to prioritise building maintenance across the school estate and focus on building fabric and services that had a Page 151
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high risk of closure to an operational school. This policy of ‘make-do-and mend’ implemented a regime of affordable controlled management of those condition factors that had fallen from Condition C (Poor) to Condition D (Bad), as defined within the Scottish Governments Condition Core Fact guidance, and had a high closure risk if not addressed. 7.26 A full condition survey of Inveravon Primary School was completed in 2022 and graded the overall school Condition as C (42.27%). Within that overall grading a number of factors were identified as Condition D. A comparison between the survey conducted in June 2022 and the previous one in April 2013 is set out in the table below. Roofs Floors Ceilings Externals Internals Sanitary Mechanical Electrical Decoration FFE Externals Outdoor Sports Overall Grading Weight (%) 15 7 1 20 7 5 14 11 2 5 10 3 April 2013 B B B B B B D D B B C N/A 59.54% C June 2022 C D C C B C D D C B D N/A 42.27% C 7.27 During the 9 year interval between condition surveys although a number of areas have declined from B to C, and in one case B to D, this managed deterioration repeats a similar pattern to other schools in Moray, schools that have not been mothballed for nearly 6 years. This is not an ideal situation, but as previously explained is as a result of the ‘make-do-and-mend’ approach which has been applied across the school estate. School inspection reports not being made public 7.28 One written respondent made reference to the lack of access to school inspection reports and that “appropriate detailed documentation has not been put into the public domain to allow interested parties to track the apparent educational decline of Inveravon Primary School in 5 years from a position of outstanding excellence” 7.29 Inveravon Primary School was last inspected by Education Scotland in November 2011 with the report published in January 2012. The public report was shared with parents/carers. The evaluation for Inveravon Primary School were, against the three important quality indicators, as follows: Learners’ experiences excellent Improvements in performance very good Meeting learning needs very good No other formal inspections were undertaken by Education Scotland between 2011 and 2017. Although Quality Improvement Officers have provided support to Inveravon Primary School to continue to improve they did not undertake any formal inspections and therefore there is no additional documentation available to publish in the public domain. Page 152
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7.30 The premise in the written response that there was an “apparent educational decline” at Inveravon Primary School between 2012-2017 is not evidenced and is therefore only an opinion that is not supported by Moray Council. 7.31 The decision to mothball the school and the current proposal for school closure does not question the past educational performance of Inveravon but rather reflects the situation in June 2017 – when the school roll fell to zero - and the current situation where parents/carers in catchment, who have expressed an opinion, have no desire to move their children to Inveravon if the school were to reopen. Status of School Website 7.32 A number of oral and written responses made reference to the fact that the link to the Inveravon Primary School website was removed from the Moray Council website at or just before mothballing in September 2017, therefore depriving potential parents/carers from identifying Inveravon as their primary school of choice. 7.33 The Council acknowledge that the website link should not have been removed from the Council website and have apologised for this at pre-consultation and consultation public meetings. It was an honest error by the Council officers at the time and nothing more. As soon as the Moray Learning Estate team were made aware of this the website was updated and the school reinstated on the school list.. 7.34 The Council accept that as a result of the website not being available some prospective parents in the local area may have not been aware of the school situation. However, the Council do not believe that awareness of the school situation would have only been through the website. The dual Inveravon/Knockando Head Teacher remains extant and they were aware of the status, the Parent Council at Knockando are also aware (a number of members have been and are Inveravon residents) and it is assumed than within a small community the situation with the ‘local’ school would be shared by word of mouth. 7.35 Whether an active website would or would not have made new Inveravon catchment parents/carers aware of the option to request to send their children to Inveravon Primary School, and potentially resulted in a viable school roll at some stage over the last 5 academic sessions, cannot be proven either way. Status of Parent Council funded school assets 7.36 A number of oral and written comments made reference to the removal from the school site of items that had been purchased by the parent council without permission and described the actions “as the council’s wanton ‘vandalism’ of the amenities in the school grounds following mothballing”. Page 153
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7.37 This issue was first raised at a meeting with the community on 25th October 2017 and subsequently in an MP Enquiry. A verbal response was provided to the meeting and a written response to the MP from the then Head of Lifelong Learning, Culture and Sport dated 26 October 2017. 7.38 The letter stated that the equipment had been removed by a janitor who was on site to collect materials that were not to be left on site while the school was mothballed and to supervise a team of young people undertaking ground maintenance tasks as part of their community service orders. The janitor noted the outdoor equipment and decided this could be put to good use elsewhere. Despite permission to remove the equipment being denied by the Education Resource Manager at the time he went ahead with removal. 7.39 In the letter responding to the MP enquiry it was stated that Moray Council did offer at the community meeting on 25 October 2017 to return the equipment and reinstate the ground to its original condition. Although the equipment was returned to the site, it is unclear why it was not reinstated as the Moray consultation team can find no further correspondence on the issue. The dismantled equipment is currently stored inside the school building. 7.40 It was noted in the letter that the equipment had been gifted to the school by the Parent Council. However, once the equipment had been gifted to the school it became the property of the school and therefore Moray Council. 7.41 Should the decision be to close the school there is an extant request from a Glenlivet community group to move and install the outdoor equipment within the grounds of Glenlivet Primary School. The Council are supportive of this request. Full rezoning to Glenlivet 7.42 A number of written comments made reference that in the event of a closure of Inveravon Primary School that there was no option to fully rezone the Inveravon catchment to Glenlivet Primary School. It has been stated that “the fact that the rezoning options for the children of Inveravon precludes them from going to Glenlivet Primary School (the other school within our parish) is most concerning. Some Inveravon children will have to travel further to school each day and in winter especially, the B9008 to Glenlivet is kept in reasonable condition, whilst the B9102 is much more likely to be closed with drifting snow” 7.43 During the 2016/17 school roll decline no placing requests were received to transfer children to Glenlivet Primary School. Currently none of the parents/carers and children (currently 15) living within the current Inveravon Primary School catchment attend Glenlivet. The parent/carer feedback received during engagement and consultation is that if Inveravon Primary School were to reopen then they would not chose to send their children there. It is the opinion of Moray Council that the same position would be taken should the Inveravon Primary School catchment be fully rezoned to Glenlivet Primary School. 7.44 All Inveravon Primary School catchment children have been travelling to both Knockando (free transport) and Aberlour (private arrangements) primary schools since August 2017 without any issues notified. Page 154
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7.45 With any of the closure options proposed parents/carers within the Inveravon Primary catchment are still able to submit a placing request to send their children to Glenlivet Primary School and provided there a suitable places available then this is highly likely to be accepted. However, they would not be eligible for free transport. Community support for a school ignored 7.46 There were a number of oral and written comments that opined that the community support for the school was ignored by the Council during mothballing, public engagement and consultation. 7.47 The strong support for the school by a small but dedicated community group has been and is acknowledged. If there was a viable school roll at Inveravon Primary School (and current policy is that operational viability is reviewed if a school roll falls below 15) then re-opening the school would be a serious consideration. However, there is no desire by parents/carers within the Inveravon catchment to move their children to Inveravon Primary School were it to reopen. A school cannot reopen if it has no pupils, no matter if there is a community desire for it to do so. 7.48 The expectation is that the land ownership, and by inference the school building, will transfer to Ballindalloch Estate in the event of school closure. The Education Scotland report states that “should the proposal (to close the school) be approved it will be important for Moray Council, Ballindalloch Estate and community organisations to work together to find an appropriate use for the site and building”. The Council acknowledge and agree that this would be the next step should the school close. If this is the outcome then the community use options proposed during public engagement and consultation have been collated and will be shared with Ballindalloch Estate in order to facilitate any early discussions on future use. 8 Education Scotland Report 8.3 In line with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, a report was produced by Education Scotland on the educational aspects of the proposal. The full report is attached as Appendix I. 8.4 The report from Education Scotland was prepared by His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education (HMIs) in accordance with the terms of the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010. The purpose of the Education Scotland report is to provide an independent and impartial consideration of Moray Council’s proposal to close Inveravon Primary School. 8.5 HMIs considered: • the likely effects of the proposal for children and young people who live in the catchment area of the school; • any other likely effects of the proposal; Page 155
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• how the council intends to minimise or avoid any adverse effects that may arise from the proposal; • the educational benefits the council believes will result from implementation of the proposal, and the council’s reasons for coming to these beliefs; • any reasonable alternatives to the closure of Inveravon Primary School; and • the likely effect on the local community and different travelling arrangements with the proposal to close a rural school. 8.6 In preparing their report, HMIs undertook the following activities: • attended both public consultation meetings held on 27 September 2022; • considered all relevant documentation provided by Moray Council in relation to the proposal, specifically the educational benefits statement and related consultation documents, written and oral submissions form parents and others; and, • visited Inveravon Primary Schoo,l Knockando Primary School, Aberlour Primary School and Glenlivet Primary School with the intent to view the schools and discuss the proposal to close Inveravon Primary School with relevant consultees. 8.7 Education Scotland are of the view that there are sound reasons for Moray Council to consider the long term viability of Inveravon Primary School. HMIs agree that the proposal by Moray Council will result in educational benefits for children in the Inveravon Primary School catchment area. They state that the proposal provides clarity for the parents and for staff in neighbouring schools that children have attended since 2017 and addresses the future education provision in the area. 8.8 The report highlighted that children currently benefit from working with larger peer groups aligned to their age and stage. 8.9 The report concluded that the predicted school roll in the wider area makes it unlikely that all four primary schools affected by this report could be sustained. 8.10 Education Scotland noted that parents/carers are fairly evenly split between Option 1, all of the catchment area allocated to Knockando Primary School and Option 3 where it is split across the three neighbouring primary schools. 8.11 Education Scotland recognise that the mothballing and proposed closure of Inveravon Primary School is a loss to the community. They highlighted the importance of Moray Council working with Ballindalloch Estate, who land ownership will revert to in event of school closure, and the local community to explore options for both the school building and land, should the proposal be approved. 8.12 The Council welcomes the Education Scotland report and accepts its findings. In response to the findings within the report, Moray Councils response is as follows: Page 156
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• The Council has acknowledged the community concern about the future of the land and school building. Should the proposal go ahead the importance of Moray Council, Ballindalloch Estate and community groups and organisations to work together to find an appropriate use for the site and buildings is recognised. • The Council accept that there is a view that the mothballing process was poorly handled. Para 7.10 provides more detail around the rapidly changing situation leading up to the school not opening in August 2017 and subsequently mothballing in September 2017 which we believe mitigates this view. In order to avoid any future confusion in terms of actions and communications around any future mothballing Moray Council have recently implemented a more robust process. 9 Alleged Omissions or Inaccuracies and Additional Information 9.1 Section (10)(3) of the 2010 Act also places a requirement on the Council to provide details of any inaccuracies or omission within the proposal document which has either been raised by the consultees or identified by the Council itself. 9.2 This section of the 2010 Act also requires the Council to provide a statement on the action taken in respect of the inaccuracy or omission, or, if no action was taken, to state that fact and why. 9.3 Officers are required to publish its response to representations made during the consultation period within its final Consultation Report. 9.4 There were no areas identified by consultees as being inaccurate or omitted from the proposal document during the consultation period. 10 Compliance with Section 9(1) of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 10.1 Section 9(1) of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 states that: After the Education Authority has received HMIE’s report, the Authority is to review the relevant proposal having regard (in particular) to (i) written representations received by the Authority (from any person) during the consultation period, (ii) oral representations made to it (by any person) at the public meeting, (iii) HMIs report 10.2 The feedback from the consultation, and all the questions and comments raised, were considered in detail by officers. Data and factual information was checked where required and advice and input was sought from other Council Services where needed to consider the issues raised. This ensured that the Council met the requirements to review the proposal under section 9(1) of the 2010 Act. Page 157
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10.3 Officers of the Education Service and Education Resources and Community Service have listened to the points made at the public meeting and have considered equally carefully the written representations received. 10.4 The Education Service’s position (as the Education Authority) is set out in Section 4 of this report. 10.5 The educational benefits were reviewed in respect of the Education Scotland report and representations made. Factors included in the Education Scotland report or representations made regarding any aspect of the educational benefits were considered. 10.6 There were no aspects included in the representations made which provided a different conclusion in relation to the rural school factors. 11 Compliance with Sections 11A to 13 of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 11.1 Inveravon Primary School is a remote rural school, therefore the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 requires the Authority to have special regard to the following factors: (a) the likely effect on the local community in consequence of the proposal, (b) the likely effect caused by any different travelling arrangements that may be required in consequence of the proposal. 11.2 As Inveravon Primary School is a rural school, special regard was paid to the rural school factors. Likely Effect on the local community 11.3 Inveravon Primary School has not operated as a school since August 2017. The Council recognises that Inveravon Primary School was a sustainable learning community prior to the school roll falling to zero at the start of the 2017/18 session. It is also acknowledged that the uncertainty surrounding the future opening of the school has impacted on the community and it is hoped that this statutory consultation will give clarity to the community and a sense of certainty regarding the future of their children’s education. 11.4 During the engagement and consultation process surrounding the future of Inveravon Primary School full endeavours have been made to ensure all residents within the catchment area have been communicated and consulted with to ensure that the impact on the community is understood by officers. 11.5 Prior to launching the statutory element of the consultation, opportunities were made available to all members of the community to either suggest ways to make the school viable again or alternative uses for the building that would benefit the community. Page 158
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11.6 There were no suggestions from the engagement and consultation that could be seen as ways of ensuring a viable future school. 11.7 The alternative uses proposed during engagement and consultation will be shared with the Ballindalloch Estate, to whom the land ownership, and by inference the building, will transfer in the event of the school closure, for them to consider as future community use options. Likely effect caused by different travel arrangements 11.6 Since 2017 free transport has been provided to those children in the Inveravon Primary School catchment who attend Knockando Primary School. During this same timeframe no transport has been provided to those children in the catchment who attend Aberlour Primary School. 11.7 The rezoning proposals in both Option 2 and 3 to this closure proposal see free transportation now available to both Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools within their respective extended catchments. This will immediately benefit children in and around the Marypark area who attend Aberlour Primary School. 12 Representations to Scottish Ministers in terms of Section 15 of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 12.1 If the Authority makes a final decision to implement the proposal, it will require to notify Scottish Ministers of that decision and provide them with a copy of the proposal document and consultation report. This must be done within six working days of the decision. Scottish Ministers have an eight-week period from the date of the final decision to decide if they will call-in the proposal. 12.2 Within the first three weeks of that eight-week period, Scottish Ministers will take account of any relevant representations made to them. Until the outcome of the eight-week call-in process is known, the Authority cannot proceed to implement the proposal. 12.3 If Scottish Ministers call-in the proposal, they must refer the proposal to the Convener of the School Closure Review Panels who may refuse to consent to the proposal or grant their consent to the proposal subject to conditions or unconditionally. 12.4 It should be noted that the legislations allows for any person to make representations to Scottish Ministers within three weeks of the Council taking their final decision to implement a closure proposal. Moray Council expect the decision on whether or not to implement this closure proposal at its meeting on 24 May 2023. If the decision is taken to implement the closure proposal, any representations to Scottish Ministers, therefore, in this context need to be with the Ministers within three weeks of this date. Therefore, any representations must be made to Scottish Ministers by 14 June 2023. 12.5 Anyone wishing to make representation to Scottish Ministers during the three week period referred to above should do so by email to schoolclosure@gov.scot or in writing to: Page 159
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The Scottish Government School Infrastructure Unit 2A (South) Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. 13. Conclusion 13.1 In review of the oral and written submissions to the formal consultation and survey results, it is clear that there is stakeholder support for the proposal to close Inveravon Primary School. 13.2 Officers have carefully considered the opportunities, issues and challenges identified by stakeholders during both the informal engagement and formal consultation processes. 13.3 The Council now has the following options: • Adopt the proposal to close the school; or • Amend the proposal in a minor way; or • Amend the proposal significantly and undertake a further consultation exercise on a new proposal; or • Withdraw the proposal and maintain the status quo. Each option is discussed below. Adopt the Proposal 13.4 If the Council chooses to adopt the proposal and close Inveravon Primary School on a permanent basis then one of the three options for Inveravon Primary School, outlined in the proposal document, would need to be chosen. 13.5 The most popular option amongst participants was Option 3, to close Inveravon School and split the current catchment between Knockando (the majority area), Aberlour and Glenlivet. This option was supported by 14 (51%) of the 27 participants who responded to this question of the online survey. The option was discounted by 9 (33%) of the 27 participants who responded to the question in the online survey. The Council position is that this Option would most align with the current parental choices to send their children to either Aberlour or Knockando primary schools. 13.6 If the Council adopts the proposal, it would be on the basis that it aligns with the wishes of the majority of current parents/carers in the Inveravon Primary School catchment AND that the educational benefits set out in the proposal document would materialise and a period of uncertainty for the community would come to an end. Children will have access to greater learning opportunities and experiences and increased socialisation through being part of a larger school. Opportunities to participate in peer support, classroom learning, learning groups across stages and between classes and opportunities to engage in lunchtime, after school and team events will be increased. The primary schools of Page 160
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Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet have the capacity to accommodate additional children. The proposal will assist the Council to deliver ‘Best Value’ through making more efficient and effective use of its resources. Amend the proposal in a minor way and adopt 13.7 During the consultation period no suggestions were received from stakeholders that would require a minor amendment to the proposal. Amend the proposal significantly and undertake a further consultation exercise on a new proposal 13.8 The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that changes to the school estate are subject to rigorous statutory consultation. Any significant amendments to the proposal would require a full consultation with pupils, parent/carers and the wider community of all affected by the proposed schools. 13.9 Allowing for appropriate governance the process can take in the region of nine months to complete. 13.10 This is considered to be unreasonable to go through another lengthy statutory process. The uncertainly surrounding the future of the school has significantly impacted on the community and it is hoped that this statutory consultation to close Inveravon Primary School will give clarity to the community and a sense of certainty regarding their children’s education. 13.11 Having reviewed the Education Scotland report and feedback from consultees, officers concluded that the basis of the original proposal continues to be the most appropriate conclusion for Inveravon Primary School. Withdraw the proposal and maintain the status quo 13.12 This option would be to continue to mothball Inveravon Primary. Maintaining the status quo would continue the uncertainty for the community. The school would remain mothballed and the building would continue to draw on Council revenue finances and require additional significant capital investment in the future to be upgraded to Condition B status. 13.13 Withdrawing the proposal, the Council would be failing to recognise or respond to the educational and social benefits for Inveravon catchment children. Education Scotland has recognised the proposal has the potential to deliver overall educational benefits for the children within the Inveravon catchment area. Children are currently benefitting from working with larger peer groups closely aligned to their age and stage. 14. Recommendation(s) 14.1 The recommendation of officers is that the Council should adopt the proposal to permanently close Inveravon Primary School and re-assign Page 161
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its catchment area between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. Children would also continue to receive school transport to their catchment school where eligible. Page 162
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1 Appendix A Proposal Document Closure of Inveravon Primary School Consultation open 29th August 2022 to 7th October 2022 Item 16* Page 163
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2 This document has been issued by Moray Council in accordance with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 as amended. The Act requires that changes to the school estate, including the proposed closure of a school, are subject to rigorous statutory consultation. The schools affected by this proposal are: • Inveravon Primary School • Knockando Primary School • Aberlour Primary School • Glenlivet Primary School DISTRIBUTION A copy of this document is available on the Moray Council website: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_105407.html or by emailing learningestate@moray.gov.uk This document will be made available to: • Parent Councils of the schools listed above • Parents of the pupils at the schools listed above • Pupils at the schools listed above • Parents of pre-school age children living within the Inveravon catchment • Staff at the schools listed above • Trade union representatives of the above staff • Speyside Community Council • Inveravon Community Association • Knockando Community Association • Glenlivet and Tomintoul Development Trust • Education Scotland MORAY COUNCIL IS PROPOSING, SUBJECT TO THE OUTCOME OF THE STATUTORY CONSULTATION PROCESS: • To discontinue education at Inveravon Primary School, which is currently mothballed and re-assign its catchment area to that of Knockando and Glenlivet • The proposal would apply to the primary school stages (P1-P7) of education in Inveravon, as there is no pre-school education provided at the school. • The proposed changes, if approved, will take place immediately after the conclusion of the statutory process relating to school closures. Page 164
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3 • Inveravon catchment residents Read copies of this document is also available at: • Aberlour Library • Knockando Primary School • Aberlour Primary School • Glenlivet Primary School • Glenlivet Medical Practice • Ballindalloch Post Office • Community Centre, Speyside High School • Elgin Central Library Page 165
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4 1. Legislative Background 1.1. The proposal is advanced within the context of all applicable legislation. Amongst other duties, education authorities are required to secure adequate and efficient provision of school education (S.1 of the Education Act 1980); and to endeavour to secure improvement in the quality of school education in schools that are managed by them (S.3 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000). 1.2. Inveravon Primary School is classed as remote rural school within the terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Council has had regard to the provisions of that Act, in particular the heightened consideration to be given to rural school closures. In terms of that Act, S7 requires a public meeting to be held as part of the consultation process. 2. Introduction 2.1. Moray Council strives to allocate its resources in a way that ensures the quality of all of its services. It attaches particular importance to providing the best possible educational experience for all of the pupils in its schools. 2.2. This proposal document is focussed upon Inveravon Primary School, located within Speyside area of Moray, and part of the Speyside Associated School Group. 2.3. This proposal document contains several maps. PDF copies of all maps will be available on the Moray Council website at the address given on page 34 of this document. Printed copies of the maps will also be available on request in each of the schools affected by the consultation and at Aberlour Library. The consultation will run from Monday 29 August 2022 until Friday 7 October. Two public meetings will be held on Tuesday 27 September 2022 at Speyside High School between 7pm and 8pm and Inveravon Church between 1.30pm and 2.30pm. An online meeting will be held on Wednesday 28 September 2022 between 7pm and 8pm. 2.4. The consultation process for this proposal is set out in detail in Section 17 of this document. 3. Reason for Proposal 3.1. This proposal is being advanced for the following reasons: • No children have attended Inveravon Primary School since the end of session 2016/17, when the school was mothballed. The decision to mothball was taken as no pupils were enrolled from Aug 17. Page 166
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5 • No parents have chosen to enrol their children at Inveravon Primary School for the 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 or 2022/23 sessions. • Although the number of primary school children in the Inveravon Primary School catchment totals 15 for the 2022/23 session those families who have formally indicated their choice (9 in total) do not wish to send their children to Inveravon Primary School as they have settled elsewhere. • A school roll of fewer than 15 pupils provides significant impediments to the successful implementation of a Curriculum for Excellence. • A school roll of fewer than 15 pupils hampers social interaction opportunities for children, who conversely benefit from attending larger schools amongst more children of their own age. • The Council has explored alternatives in arriving at this proposal, explained further below. • Alternative uses of the school building are restricted as the land is owned by the Ballindalloch Estate and was gifted to Moray Council more than a hundred years ago. The ‘deeds’ state that in the event of the site not being used for the education of children the land shall be returned to the Estate 3.2. The current proposal follows informal discussions between Moray Council officials; local elected members, the community council and community members. Informal meetings with the community were held as follows: • Community engagement session (virtual) - Wednesday 9 February 2022 • Community engagement session (virtual) - Tuesday 8 March 2022 • Community engagement session at Speyside High School – Tuesday 8 March 2022 3.3. Letters were sent to every property within the catchment area to inform residents of the meetings in February 2022, with other contact details if they were unable to attend. 3.4. In addition to the engagement session’s comments boxes were made available in locations around the Inveravon catchment as well as in Glenlivet, Knockando and Aberlour, and an online comments page was open on the Moray Council website from 16 February 2022 to gather views from all residents and people could telephone or email the Learning Estate team. 3.5. Despite a small uptake in numbers, these sessions proved useful and a number of suggestions were made over the course of the sessions for use of the school building – albeit with the understanding that should the school close these would need to be pursued with the Ballindalloch Estate. Page 167
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6 4. Examination of Alternatives 4.1. In bringing forward this proposal for closure, the Council must have special regard to any viable alternatives to closure. The alternatives to closure would be: • to re-open Inveravon Primary School with its current catchment area or; • to continue with the current “mothballing” arrangement. 4.2. During the community engagement sessions, officers sought suggestions of alternatives to closure, although it was made clear that where the suggestion was not education related Moray Council could only note these and would forward these onto the Ballindalloch Estate for consideration as the land (and by inference the school building) would be returned to them in the event of a closure decision. The suggestions included: • Community space for activities • Outdoor activity centre • Community cafe • Rural business centre • Residential property 4.3. As none of them involve the building operating as a primary school for local pupils, they would not be a viable alternative to closure. 4.4. In the event of a school closure being approved, consideration is required of the most appropriate way to re-zone the school catchment area. Further discussion of this is included in Section 7 of this report. 4.5. The detail of the Council’s consideration of the alternatives is set out throughout this proposal paper and the Options Appraisal. 5. Inveravon Primary School 5.1. During the build up to the closing months of the 2017/18 session it was noted that a number of children on the school roll were electing to move to Knockando and Aberlour primary schools. 5.2. In August 2017, due to no children attending the school from the start of the new 2017/18 session, the Education Service was left with no alternative but to take the decision to mothball Inveravon. 5.3. The Speyside Associated School group consists of 8 primary schools, Aberlour, Craigellachie, Glenlivet, Inveravon, Knockando, Mortlach, Rothes and Tomintoul. Each of these schools is in the catchment for Speyside High School in Aberlour. Page 168
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7 5.4. Inveravon Primary School was built in the early 20th century. The school is non-denominational and serves properties within the rural area of the Ballindalloch Estate. It is located by the A95 just north of the Bridge of Inveravon 6.5 miles from Aberlour. 5.5. Inveravon Primary School catchment is bordered by Aberlour, Glenlivet, Knockando and Tomintoul schools within the Moray Learning Estate. It is also bordered to the west by Grantown Primary School in the Highlands Council area. Map 1 below shows the catchment area for Inveravon Primary School and the neighbouring schools. Page 169
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8 Map 1 – Catchment area for Inveravon Primary School and surrounding schools 5.6. As mentioned in 1.2 under the Scottish Government Guidelines Inveravon primary school is classed as a remote rural school – that is it serves a population of less than 3,000 and is more than 30 minutes’ drive from a settlement of 10,000 or more. 5.7. Inveravon Primary School has a functional capacity of 50 pupils. It is a single storey building with two classrooms, kitchen, hall, resources room, library reception/staff room. The hall doubles as both a dining room and indoor PE area. The school has a servery kitchen which served meals that were prepared at Aberlour Primary and delivered to Inveravon Primary School on a daily basis. The outside areas consists of a small concrete play area on the north aspect of the building which extends to adjacent grassed area. 5.8. Inveravon Primary School delivered primary education from P1-P7. There is no nursery on site and local children often attended Knockando or Aberlour nursery. The school did not operate a breakfast club or after school club outwith school hours. 5.9. When the school was last in operation, it was managed with a paired head teacher arrangement with Knockando Primary School. If the school were to re-open with one class, the staffing entitlements (Full Time Equivalent (FTE)) could be as follows: • Head Teacher - 0.5 FTE • Principal Teacher - 1 FTE • McCrone support - 0.12 FTE • Pupil Support Assistant - 25 hours • Senior Catering Assistant -10 hours • Playground assistance - 7 hours • Lunchtime supervisor – 7.5hours This would be dependent upon actual school roll and in line with the Moray Devolved School Management Scheme staffing formula. 5.10. In addition, any ASN teaching and pupil support staff would be allocated to the school in accordance with an annual assessment of need across the Speyside Associated Schools Group. 5.11. Every local authority in Scotland is required to grade their schools for condition and suitability. The grades range from A to D for each category with the following values: • A: Good - Performing well and operating efficiently (the school buildings and grounds support the delivery of services to children and communities) Page 170
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9 • B: Satisfactory - Performing adequately but with minor problems (the school buildings and grounds support the delivery of services to children and communities); • C: Poor - Showing major problems and/or not operating adequately (the school buildings require continuous repair and does show signs of age/the school buildings and grounds impede the delivery of activities that are needed for children and communities in the school) • D: Bad – Economic life expired and/or risk of Failure (the school buildings and grounds do not support the delivery of services to children and communities). 5.12. Inveravon Primary School was assessed as B for suitability and C for condition prior to mothballing. A more recent condition survey in June 2022 has assessed the overall condition remains at C although a number of elements are condition D. A breakdown of the condition elements is shown in the table below. Roofs Floors and Stairs Ceilings Ext Walls, Windows and Doors Int Walls and Doors Sanitary Services Mechanical Electrical Decoration Fixed Int Fixtures, Furniture and Fittings External Areas Outdoor Sports Facilities Overall Score Condition Category C D C C B C D D C B D N/A 42.27% C Table 1. Core Condition Assessment (Overall and Individual Elements) 5.13. There is no current Education Scotland Inspection report available for Inveravon Primary School. The last report HMIE Inspection Report was January 2012. 6. Details of Proposal 6.1. The Council proposes that Inveravon Primary School should be closed on a permanent basis. This would be with immediate effect from the completion of the consultation process. The Council also proposes that all existing primary aged pupils should continue their education at the schools they are currently attending. If the proposals are implemented any siblings of these current pupils would be able to join their brother/sister(s) at the same school. 6.2. The school catchment area would be reassigned to one of the neighbouring primary schools. Discussion of these options is set out in Section 7. • Option 1 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School. Page 171
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10 • Option 2 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary School. • Option 3 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. Discounted options and alternatives to closure: • Option 4 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone with Aberlour Primary School. • Option 5 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone with Glenlivet Primary School. • Alternative 1 - Re-open Inveravon Primary School. • Alternative 2 - Continuation of mothballing Inveravon Primary School Details of the Council’s consideration of the alternatives is set out in Section 8 and the discounted options in Section 9. 6.3. The options identified above would have a minor impact on the rolls of the schools affected. Table 1 below details the current roll and capacity of these schools over the next five years as per the Moray Council School Roll Forecast, using the census taken in September 2021. School Suitability Rating Condition Rating Functional Capacity Current Roll (Sep 21) 2022/ 2023 2023/ 2024 2024/ 2025 2025/ 2026 Inveravon B C 50 Knockando B C 75 46 47 51 57 56 Aberlour B B 183 116 111 111 117 119 Glenlivet B C 42 20 19 18 18 18 Table 2. School Roll Forecast 6.4. Birth rate data included in previous school roll forecasts, indicate that within the Inveravon catchment area there are around seven that would be expected to attend Inveravon School within the next three years. These pupils could be accommodated at either Knockando, Aberlour or Glenlivet primary schools. 6.5. Alternative uses for the building will be further explored with the community during the consultation period and beyond. Although in the event of closure the land and school building will be ‘returned’ to the Ballindalloch Estate, officers will seek to support individuals and community groups in ensuring any potential alternative uses suggested are forwarded to the Ballindalloch Estate for consideration. 6.6. It is important that this proposal does not have a negative impact upon any children currently attending schools affected by this proposal and that they have continuity in their education. 7. Options Assessment 7.1. Officers applied an objective methodology to the assessment of the options which are discussed in Appendix A. Page 172
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11 7.2. Together with each school’s baseline score and outcome of the options appraisal matrix, other aspects that were taken into account for the overall recommendations were: • Transport • Outcome of surveys representing the views of the Inveravon School catchment parents and wider Inveravon community • Views of parents and public expressed during engagement sessions • Financial qualitative information • Viability and timescale for option to be completed 7.3. Table 3 below shows the Options final rankings. Option 1, close Inveravon Primary School has the highest ranking although Option 2 and 3 also score highly and warrant consideration during the statutory consultation. Options Final Ranking Option 1 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School. 1 Option 2 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary School. 2 Option 3 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. 3 Table 3 – Outcome of options appraisal 7.4. Option 1 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School 7.4.1 The proposed catchment for this area for this option is shown below in Map 2. 7.4.2 Knockando Primary School is a multi-building school. The main school building was built in the early 1900’s with additional two buildings, a gym hall built in and a dining room and additional classroom constructed in 1960s. It is situated in the rural area of Knockando, 9.8 miles west of Aberlour and some 6.6 miles from Inveravon Primary School by road. During the period of mothballing Knockando Primary School has been the designated schools for pupils in the Inveravon catchment area and has a shared head teacher with Inveravon Primary School. The school is non-denominational and is classed as “remote rural” school according to Scottish Government classification. 7.4.3 The school offers both primary education from P1-P7 and a partner operated nursery on site. Accommodation consists of three classrooms for school age children and one for nursery, a games hall used for PE and a dining block with both dining room and classroom area. The main building has multiple general- purpose rooms, library, Head Teacher office, school office and staff room. The Page 173
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12 school has a servery which is designed to provide meals prepared at Rothes Primary School and delivered to the school on a daily basis. The outside areas are a concrete area with a small tarmac playground and grassed playing field area. 7.4.4 Knockando Primary School has a functional capacity of 75 pupils and a current roll of 46 P1-P7 pupils (September 2021). These are distributed across 3 classes. The school roll forecast suggests pupil numbers will see a small increase to a max of 58 in 2026. This represents a 58% use of capacity. Page 174
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13 Map 2 – Proposed catchment area with rezoning Inveravon to Knockando Primary School 7.4.5 The class structure for the 2021/22 session is shown in Table 4 below Stage Class structure P1/2 9/8 P3/4/5 5/7/4 P6/7 7/6 Table 4 – Knockando Primary School Class Structure on Census Day 7.4.6 On census day, there were 14 children from out of zone (including pupils from Inveravon) who were attending Knockando Primary and 6 children who were zoned for Knockando who were attending elsewhere. 7.4.7 Knockando Primary School is currently assessed as B (81.9%) for Suitability (satisfactory – performing well but with minor problems) and C for Condition (satisfactory – performing adequately but showing minor deterioration). 7.4.8 There are pupils from the Inveravon catchment area currently attending Knockando School who are transported to school within current transport contracts. With the permanent closure of Inveravon Primary School this number would remain unchanged. 7.5. Option 2 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary School 7.5.1. The proposed catchment for this area for this option is shown below in Map 3 Page 175
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14 Map 3 – Proposed catchment area with rezoning Inveravon to Knockando and Aberlour primary schools 7.5.2. Information on Knockando Primary School remains as per Section 7.4 7.5.3. The main Aberlour Primary School building was built in 1897. It is situated in the centre of Aberlour to the south of the A95, 15 miles south of Elgin and is 6.6 miles from Inveravon Primary School by road. During mothballing a small number of pupils from the Inveravon catchment have been on the Aberlour Primary School roll. The school is non-denominational and is classed as “accessible rural” school according to Scottish Government classification. Page 176
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15 7.5.4. The school offers both primary education from P1-P7 and both a council and partner operated nursery. Accommodation consists of eight classrooms for school aged children, a shared dining room/PE hall, multiple general-purpose rooms, a library, Head Teacher office, school office, staff room and kitchen. Aberlour Primary School also hosts the Primary Enhanced Provision base for children with Additional Support Needs for the Speyside Associated Schools Group. The outside areas are a concrete area with a tarmac playground and small grassed play area with access to larger grass playing field across a residential access road. 7.5.5. Aberlour Primary School has a functional capacity of 183 pupils and a current roll of 116 P1-P7 pupils (September 2021). These are distributed across 6 classes. The school roll forecast suggests pupil numbers will remain steady over the next five years – with a max of 120 in 2027 before falling to 114. This represents a 58% use of capacity. 7.5.6. The class structure for the 2021/22 session is shown in Table 5 below Stage Class structure P1 19 P2/3 12/7 P3/4/5 9/7/4 P4/5 7/11 P6 18 P7 22 Table 5 – Aberlour Primary School Class Structure 7.5.7. On census day, there were 31 children from out of zone who were attending Aberlour Primary and 3 children who were zoned for Aberlour who were attending elsewhere. 7.5.8. Aberlour Primary School is currently assessed as A (88.9%) for Suitability (satisfactory – performing well but with minor problems) and C for Condition (satisfactory – performing adequately but showing minor deterioration). 7.5.9. There are a small number of pupils from the Inveravon catchment area who currently attend Aberlour Primary School who do not have an entitlement to council provided school transport. With this option the permanent closure of Inveravon Primary School would likely see a small increase in the number of children entitled to council provided school transport to Aberlour Primary. 7.6. Option 3 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools 7.6.1 The proposed catchment for this area for this option is shown below in Map 4 7.6.2 Information on Knockando and Aberlour primary schools remains as per Sections 7.4 and 7.5. Page 177
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16 7.6.3 The main Glenlivet Primary School building was built in 1900. It is situated in the rural community of Glenlivet to the south of the A95, 12 miles south-west of Aberlour and is 5.6 miles from Inveravon Primary School by road. The school is non-denominational and is classed as “remote rural” school according to Scottish Government classification. 7.6.4 The school offers primary education from P1-P7. Accommodation consists of two classrooms for school age children, a shared dining room/PE hall, a library and office/staff room. The school has a servery which is designed to provide meals prepared at Aberlour Primary School and delivered to the school on a daily basis. The outside areas are a mix of small tarmac and grass play areas. 7.6.5 Glenlivet Primary has a functional capacity of 47 pupils and a current roll of 20 P1-P7 pupils (September 2021). These are distributed across 2 classes. The school roll forecast suggests pupil numbers will remain steady over the next five years – with a max of 21 in 2027. This represents a 44% use of capacity. Page 178
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17 Map 4 – Proposed catchment area with rezoning Inveravon to Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools 7.6.3 The class structure for the 2021/22 session is shown in Table 4 below Stage Class structure P1-4 4/1/2/3 P5-7 3/4/4 Table 6 – Glenlivet Primary School Class Structure Page 179
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18 7.6.4. On census day, there were 0 children from out of zone who were attending Glenlivet Primary and 4 children who were zoned for Glenlivet who were attending elsewhere. 7.6.5. Glenlivet Primary School is currently assessed as B (81.6%) for Suitability (satisfactory – performing well but with minor problems) and C for Condition (satisfactory – performing adequately but showing minor deterioration). 7.6.6 There are a number of pupils from the Inveravon catchment area currently attending Glenlivet Primary School. With this option the permanent closure of Inveravon Primary School would see a small increase in the number of children entitled to council provided school transport to either Knockando, Aberlouror Glenlivet. 8. Alternatives to the Proposal 8.1. In bringing forward this proposal for closure, the Council must have special regard to any viable alternatives to closure. 8.2. The detail of the Council’s consideration of the alternatives is set out below. 8.3. Re-open Inveravon Primary School with Current Catchment Area 8.3.1 There are currently 15 children of P1-7 age living within the catchment area of Inveravon School (SEEMIS extract December 2021). These children all attend other schools in the area, having submitted successful out of zone placing requests to attend other schools. 8.3.2 There are only 12 new houses either allocated within the local development plan or with approved planning permission within the Inveravon School catchment area. The site is constrained and no development has yet taken place, therefore it cannot be guaranteed that new housing will generate any primary aged pupils in the near future. 8.3.3 If the school were to re-open, the pupils that reside within Inveravon, who enrol at the school, would have a slightly shorter journey time than they do at present. 8.3.4 Reopening of the school would require full remediation of the site, and significant capital works to the building to achieve overall Condition B status. The cost of this has been estimated to be over £206k to support reopening and a further investment of over £130k over the next 5 years. This capital sum is not within the current capital plan and would need to be approved as an additional spend by elected members if Inveravon Primary School were to be reinstated. Page 180
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19 8.4 Continuation of “Mothballing” Inveravon Primary School 8.4.1 Although it would be possible to continue with the current mothballing arrangement, Moray Council does not consider that would represent the best option for the community or taxpayer. Mothballing would mean the continuation of the current lack of clarity regarding the future status of the school. The Council would also be responsible for the costs of maintaining a mothballed building. 8.4.2 Scottish Government guidance relating to the mothballing of schools makes it clear that mothballing is a temporary measure and should not be used to undermine the requirements to undertake a statutory school closure consultation. Inveravon Primary School will have been mothballed for 5 years at the time this report is submitted. 8.4.3 As previously stated Inveravon School has not been operational since August 2017. During this period pupils have been either attending Knockando or Aberlour Primary Schools. This has been a significant period of uncertainly for families, a continuation of mothballing does not provide clarity to the situation. 9 Discounted Options 9.1 The detail of the Council’s consideration of the discounted options is set out below: 9.1.1 Option 4 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone with Aberlour Primary School. Although some children within the current Inveravon catchment do attend Aberlour Primary, and this would remain a parental choice in the future no matter the outcome of the statutory process, the majority of current parents have elected to send their children to Knockando. The reasons for this relate to a smaller school and less distance to travel for the majority of children. There was no parental support for this full rezoning option. 9.1.2 Option 5 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone with Glenlivet Primary School. Due to the topographical area – especially the location of school in relation to the rivers Spey, Avon and Livet and their respective road crossing this creates excess travel distances between much of the Inveravon catchment and Glenlivet Primary School. These roads are also predominantly rural B roads which experience disruption during the winter months. There was no parental support for this full rezoning option. 10. Education Benefits Statement 10.1. In 2009, the Scottish Government set out its Vision for the Future School Estate in Scotland, in ‘Building Better Schools: Investing in Scotland’s Future’. 10.2. In September 2019, this was updated with Scotland’s Learning Estate Strategy ‘Connecting People, Places and Learning’ which was developed by Page 181
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20 Scottish Government and COSLA. This contains ten guiding principles. Local Authorities are required to take account of these principles in planning changes to their school estate, namely: • Learning environments should support and facilitate excellent joined up learning and teaching to meet the needs of all learners; • Learning environments should support the wellbeing of all learners, meet varying needs to support inclusion and support transition for all learners; • The learning estate should be well-managed and maintained, making the best of existing resources, maximising occupancy and representing and delivering best value; • The condition and suitability of learning environments should support and enhance their function; • Learning environments should serve the wider community and where appropriate be integrated with the delivery of other public services in line with the place principle; • Learning environments should be greener, more sustainable, allow safe and accessible routes for walking, cycling and wheeling and be digitally enabled; • Outdoor learning and the use of outdoor learning environments should be maximised; • Good consultation about learning environments, direct engagement with learners and communities about their needs and experiences, and an involvement in decision making processes should lead to better outcomes for all; • Collaboration across the learning estate, and collaboration with partners in localities, should support maximising its full potential; • Investment in Scotland’s learning estate should contribute towards improving learning outcomes and support sustainable and inclusive economic growth. 10.3. In May 2016, Moray Council approved the ‘Schools for the Future’: A policy for Sustainable Schools’ in order to monitor schools provision in Moray and ensure provision continues to meet the needs of learners, parents and the community and enable the Council to meet its requirements to ensure best value, as per the Local Government Scotland Act 2003. This policy contributes to the aim of ensuring all children and young people in Moray have equality of opportunity in terms of access to educational provision and facilities. Page 182
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21 10.4. Within this policy, Moray Council set criteria and indicators in determining optimum quality education experience which include provision of accommodation as reported to Children and Young People’s Services Committee for: • The range of curricular and wider school activities available for children to enable them to achieve in a range of activities for personal and wider achievement (e.g. physical education, music, art, drama) ; • The ability of the school to cater for children with Additional Support Needs; • The school’s ability to provide access to a suitably broad and balanced curriculum; • The quality of the physical environment for learning and teaching o Condition - minimum standard B o Suitability – minimum standard B • No more than two composite year groups in a single classroom at primary school level. • A minimum of four teachers at a primary school. This recognises both the needs of pupils and the demands on teachers; and. • Ideally, at least seven classrooms (one for each year group). 10.5. Key statutory requirements are further subsumed including delivery of 2 hours minimum Physical Education as part of National standards, compliance with statutory legislation in relation to school accommodation and Additional Support Needs, UNCRC and the overall extent of on-site accommodation and facilities (including required general purpose spaces, play and social spaces, staff rest areas and outdoor spaces). 10.6. Moray’s vision and strategic direction for all involved in Moray Education as set out in our Education Strategic Plan and Priorities 2020-2023 – improving outcomes for all Moray’s children and young people – is underpinned by the core entitlements of Curriculum for Excellence in order to ensure all children and young people maximise development in the four capacities: Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors and Responsible Citizens. This stems from Early Learning and Childcare, across the Broad General Education and through into the Senior Phase, working across our system to ensure our learners progress to positive and sustained post-school destinations. Underpinned by our Council values of Fair, Ambitious, Improving and Responsive we are ambitious to achieve excellence together in benefit of all Moray’s children and young people. Page 183
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22 10.7. In order to deliver on our Education strategic vision and priorities, all Moray schools thus work towards: • Improving outcomes for all: help improve levels of children and young people’s achievements and broaden the range of opportunities for young people to develop their skills; • Curriculum: provide a quality curriculum and create positive environments for effective learning and teaching matched to the needs of learners; • Learning, teaching and assessment: create the conditions for greater personalisation and choice for children and young people with improved continuity and progression in their learning; create more opportunities for children and young people to participate in well-judged paired and group activities; • Supporting all learners: develop a supportive ethos where children and young people’s learning, personal, social, health and emotional needs address the care and welfare of children and young people and their personal and social development. • Leadership at all levels: strong, sustainable schools providing quality education and access to the full curriculum are central to the achievement of this vision and delivering these entitlements. 10.8. As further educational context, Curriculum for Excellence guides us to achieve transformation in education in Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18 firmly focused on the needs of the child and young person and designed to enable them to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. All children and young people are entitled to experience: • a coherent curriculum from 3 to 18; • a broad general education, including well planned experiences and outcomes across all the curriculum areas. This should include understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it and understanding of the environment; • a senior phase which provides opportunities for study for qualifications and other planned opportunities for developing the four capacities; • opportunities for developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work; • opportunities to achieve to the highest levels they can through appropriate personal support and challenge; and, Page 184
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23 • opportunities to move into positive and sustained destinations beyond school; 10.9. Educational benefits are considered below for pupils in respect of options previously outlined in this proposal document. 10.10. In December 2020, Moray Council approved the approach to the Moray Learning Estate Strategy, setting out the vision of providing a sustainable education service aiming for excellence. As well as improving condition and suitability as noted in 10.4 above, among wider outcomes this strategy aims to ensure our learning estate enriches the learner journey and supports curricular delivery noting the quality of learning environment as having a direct impact on learning and achievement of children and young people. 10.11. Ensuring all young people develop in the four Curriculum for Excellence capacities through the learner entitlements in 10.8 above would prove more challenging if Inveravon Primary School were to reopen with a reduced number of pupils across the Primary age range. This will also place discrete pressures on staff, for example in planning for a wide range of needs, year groups and abilities, in developing the curriculum and managing educational change. As a result, multi-stage composite classes can prove challenging to recruit teachers compared with larger schools where classes have single or few stage composite arrangements. 10.12. Pupils attending schools within the Speyside Associated Schools Group in closest proximity to Inveravon Primary School; Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools, regularly work in pairs and groups on shared learning tasks and cooperative learning activities. A school size low in pupil numbers, for example in a school of 5 or fewer children, based on potential future intake if Inveravon Primary School re-opened, would mean that groups would be curtailed in size restricting activities to those of a paired nature, with little to no flexibility in change or rotation of participants in pairings or groupings. Pupils could be spread multi-stage across P1 to P7, and while benefitting cross-stage working, this may result in reduced peer challenge in learning or potential for sibling pairing/groups. The variety of skills, knowledge and wider experiences brought to the groups would be further restricted by roll size and may result in gender imbalances and inequity in provision of a full programme of wider school activities. 10.13. In comparison as the smallest school based on the three named closest to Inveravon Primary School, Glenlivet Primary School operates within a pairing under a shared Head Teacher, school roll projections over the next five years remain near to 20 children on roll, with partnership approaches in place with the paired school; Tomintoul Primary School. This includes joined projects and staff professional and collegiate development activities while both schools retain their own unique identities. Children have regular opportunities to self and peer assess in each school as well as work in stage and cross stage pairings and groups. Page 185
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24 10.14. In Aberlour and Knockando Primary Schools, children have regular opportunities to work in cooperative learning groups, on paired and in group activities with five and three classes formed in each school respectively. This further supports discussions and debate with a range of viewpoints and background of learners contributing to such activities. Class organisation within each school offers a blend of individual, group and class learning and teaching over the session. 10.15. The reopening of Inveravon would prove more restrictive for children to develop skills for learning, life and work with fewer or no opportunities to work with others of a similar age and stage, which is not possible in a school size low in pupil numbers, for example in a school of 5 or fewer children based on potential future intake. Pupils may miss opportunities to develop wider skills for life in particular with limited immersion and interaction with a wide range of peers, where levels of attendance and participation may also impact further on this. 10.16. In Knockando, a skills framework has been developed following refresh of the school’s Curriculum Rationale. This promotes equity of opportunity, supporting successes and achievement of all pupils within the formal and informal curriculum. Children use learning logs to reflect on skills development. In Glenlivet, curricular programmes that support sustained development of skills for learning, life and work have been developed where STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), and the Career Education Standards/Career Management Skills are specific within the school’s skills development pathway and staff continually look for ways to ensure children are challenged and motivated in learning. As the largest school in the Associated Schools Group, children at Aberlour Primary School benefit from wider skills development and transferability through various community projects and whole-school initiatives supported by partners including Primary Engineer, Christmas Enterprise, DYW initiatives and Moray Primary Science. Aberlour Primary School’s Skills Progression “Skills for Stars” lead to weekly OSCARS (Our School Can Achieve Results) which link to profiling and the Moray Skills Pathway. 10.17. Collaboration with wider staff in order to ensure a coherent and progressive curriculum can prove more difficult in a school with low roll size. As noted with Glenlivet Primary School paired with Tomintoul Primary School, a progressive curriculum differentiated to meet the needs of each child with a focus on engaging and active learning experiences is in place with opportunities for personalisation and choice across the four contexts for learning. Rich contexts for learning including the outdoor areas are embraced with child-led developments. 10.18. In Aberlour Primary School, the curriculum supports children to develop in the four capacities with planned inter-disciplinary learning for the transfer of skills and knowledge with a commitment to active learning and purposeful play. At Knockando Primary School, there is a focus on skills development and building on prior learning through cohesive learner pathways making the best use of the outdoors and local context. Children are increasingly benefitting Page 186
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25 from a range of play contexts that are adult-led, adult-guided or child- initiated. Pupils are developing social skills for sharing, co-operation, turn- taking, listening and organising through play. At Glenlivet Primary School, children have ‘independent learning time’ each day with child-led and adult-led play. A dedicated outdoor space supports development of a range of play and skills-based activities. 10.19. Strong partnerships across the Speyside Associated Schools Group exist with previous joint working on moderation, numeracy, health and wellbeing policy and wider curriculum development. Each school values community and wider partnerships for supporting the Developing the Young Workforce agenda and ensuring children are prepared for the future world of work and employability. At Glenlivet Primary School, partnership working further supports skills development and curriculum enrichment where involvement in partnership projects enables pupils to build confidence and take increasing responsibility for their own learning – for example, learning for sustainability, science, expressive arts and literacy. Key partnerships with Tomintoul and Glenlivet Landscape, Crown Estates, Spey Fishery Board and Glenlivet Wildlife group have supported this. 10.20. In Knockando Primary School, a range of partners and local employers including Tamdhu Distillery, Knockando Estate, Knockando Athletics Club and the Shieling Project offer opportunities to learn and be active outdoors. Pupils at Aberlour Primary School have opportunities to engage with local employers and parents as employees for future employability and pathway opportunities, alongside working closely with partner agencies as the Enhanced Provision school for the Associated Schools Group. Schools in the Associated Schools Group also collaborate, including a week’s residential stay at Abernethy Outdoor Centre for wider outdoor pursuit experience, team building and transition support. 10.21. Larger schools provide greater opportunities for pupil leadership and involvement in the ethos and wider life of the school as well as provision of a wider range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. At Aberlour Primary School, P7 House Captains and P6 Vice-Captains are elected each year to lead ‘houses’, pupil voice activities and inter-house challenges including sporting events, and contribute to whole school change initiatives. Community groups include Eco-schools, Rights Respecting Schools group (successful in achieving ‘Gold’ status), philanthropic and community engagement activities. Staff lead a range of clubs and activities for all children including Bikeability, Running, Languages, Outdoor Learning, Choir, Nurture, Craft, Netball, Gardening and Leadership. P7 Play Leaders further develop their leadership skills through the ‘Playground Squad’, leading play activities and supporting lunchtime interaction sessions for younger pupils. 10.22. Play leaders at Knockando Primary School have been working with Active Schools to support play and lunchtime interactions and activities for younger pupils. This ensures that all pupils feel included at playtimes and lunchtimes and for the P6 and P7 pupils involved, this is further developing skills of Page 187
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26 leadership, organisation and problem solving. Other opportunities include Pupil Council, Global Citizenship, Community groups and wider pupil projects to enhance the school and local community. Lunchtime clubs include Club Doodle, Netball Club, Book Club and Gardening Club where pupils also engage in dance/performance, athletics and wider Moray Badge participation. 10.23. At Glenlivet Primary School, child-led developments have led to enhancements to school grounds and a cross-pollination investigation led to bee-keeping at the school. Real-life scientific and environment studies including Citizen Science research, the Big Wasp survey and RSPB Bird Watch further promote curiosity among learners, where a range of Monday clubs are also offered including Health club, STEM club and Rights Respecting School club led by the pupils. Through ‘Glenlivet Go Getters’ (Pupil Council) all children make a significant contribution to school leadership of change and views are taken on board. Bronze ‘Rights Committed’ accreditation has been achieved at Glenlivet with the school currently working towards Rights Respecting Schools’ Silver ‘Rights Aware’ accreditation. 10.24. The range of interactions offered by all schools and the leadership and wider skills development opportunities presented strengthen capacity to work with others as part of a team, problem solve, make decisions and increase confidence in learners. As part of a peer group of a sufficient size, social interaction will enable further development of skills for learning life and work and build self-efficacy and esteem. A school size low in pupil numbers, for example in a school of 5 or fewer children based on potential future intake severely restricts opportunities for team sports, meaningful pupil leadership opportunities, clubs and other active recreational activities. 10.25. Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools are established as caring, nurturing and inclusive environments for learning. Aberlour Primary School as the largest Primary School in the Speyside Associated Schools Group holds Gold Rights Respecting Schools status and through their positive relationships policy, aim to ensure all in the learning community are committed to the school vision – ‘we show respect and have fun so we can learn from everyone’. Pupil achievements are regularly celebrated and ‘OSCARS’ (Our School Can Achieve Results) focused on the four CfE capacities in 10.8 above, are awarded to pupils in recognition of their positive contribution and achievements in learning. 10.26. Knockando Primary School is a caring and inclusive school, where staff work hard to get to know pupils and families well, supporting individual needs. A relational and restorative approach is taken to positive relationship management where the school is on the journey to Gold Rights Respecting School status. The school’s Positive Relationship Policy has been developed and shared with the school community with focus on inclusion, safeguarding, mental and emotional wellbeing and accessing supports. 10.27. Glenlivet Primary School has a very caring, nurturing and inclusive ethos with strong community identify due to unique school location. Individual reflective portfolios and learning logs support children to reflect on their learning against Page 188
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27 the four capacities and development of skills. Regular reflection against the school’s ‘Smarts’ is undertaken by children to understand aspects of their own wellbeing. Staff actively promote inclusion and equity for all children and due to size of school and one large multi-composite class, pupils are grouped by ability as opposed to stage, strengthening pace and challenge in learning. In collaboration with all children, Glenlivet Primary School has developed a new Positive Relationships Policy reflecting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). 10.28. Aberlour Primary School has the Primary Enhanced Provision base for children with Additional Support Needs for the Associated Schools Group. Most children attend for part of the time, also attending mainstream classes. ‘The Rainbow Room’ provides specialist support for identified young people and support on group and one-to-one basis. Multi-agency links are in place with key partners including Health, Social Work and 3rd sector. 10.29. At Knockando Primary School, class teachers support all children where required with support assistant input for targeted need. Currently the Head Teacher in class contact time supports in provision of additional Support for Learning Teacher time, ensuring all children are supported as part of Moray’s approach to staged intervention. In Glenlivet Primary School, effective planning to meet the needs of all learners, with clear progression pathways and universal/targeted interventions where necessary. A Support for Learning teacher works with identified pupils over two days per week with Pupil Support Assistant time for targeted needs. 10.30. All schools within Speyside Associated Schools Group benefit from their location in an area of outstanding natural beauty with access to extensive grounds and countryside. As a town school, Aberlour Primary School is in close proximity to Speyside High School as the local secondary school, with access to a range of external areas including a playing field, outdoor garden area and hard-standing playground/parking area. The school currently houses a local authority and partner nursery. The school is within walking distance of the secondary school’s swimming pool, community sport facilities and multi-use games area. 10.31. The catchment of Knockando Primary School enjoys large grounds with easy access to woodland, fields, burns and wildlife supporting outdoor learning contexts. During snowy weather, the hill next to the school is used as a sledge/ski run. The school is well resourced with outdoor playing fields and play areas and additional multi-use spaces. With extensive outdoor areas or within close proximity to wider facilities in the case of Aberlour Primary School, opportunities for team sports and game-based activities can be maximised with a number of pupils on the roll of all three schools enabling such activities. A larger staffing complement and parent body further increases the likelihood of interested adults leading a broader range of activities. Glenlivet Primary School pupils regularly use the woods located behind the school for outdoor learning. A community playpark organised by the Go Getters funded by Pupil Equity Funding and other community monies (Paul’s Hill Windfarm and the Glenlivet and Inveravon Community Page 189
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28 Association) is used by children during school time and is available for community use outwith school times. 10.32. Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools are committed to the 1+2 languages agenda. French is offered across all three schools with the addition of German in P5-P7. This provides the opportunity to work as a whole class and in small groups or pairings in participatory learning activities. Emphasis is on the spoken word and opportunities are planned through enjoyable activities such as group and class games, role-play and songs. Delivery of language learning would be restricted within the multi-stage context of a school size low in pupil numbers, for example in a school of 5 or fewer children based on potential future intake. At Glenlivet Primary School, to meet the needs of current children in school, British Sign Language (BSL) will be delivered as a third language this coming year instead of German. 10.33. Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools benefit from a very small amount of Pupil Equity Funding and use this creatively to support identified children, with interventions reaching further than those where impact is directed. Aberlour Primary School focus in on Literacy interventions, Numeracy and Health & Wellbeing approaches. Glenlivet Primary School has identified gaps in Health and Wellbeing and run a successful Breakfast club, improving engagement in learning. In order to support Health and Wellbeing for all, swimming lessons have been provided where half of the school had never swam, building confidence in swimming, team working and wider mental, physical and social wellbeing effects. Knockando Primary School has supported literacy, numeracy and Health and Wellbeing with the purchase of various learning supports including additional Pupil Support Assistant hours for targeted support and Health and Wellbeing inputs. 10.34. Schools also look outwards and seek to source additional supports and wider experiences for children. Heritage Lottery Funding supported Glenlivet Primary School in a four year programme with a group of artists, significantly developing children’s artistic and digital technology skills. Although this project has now finished, a legacy of skills and equipment remain which Glenlivet continues to make use of for learning and teaching. 10.35. Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools all have Parent Councils formed who meet regularly throughout the year. Aberlour Primary School Parent Council represent the views and interests of parents and pupils and support school improvement where there are currently ten parent members. Glenlivet Primary School regularly engages with parents and a supportive Parent Council take forward an active role in driving forward school improvement. There is a very strong sense of community with the school vision ‘success for all’ understood by all. Sustainable partnerships with parents and the wider community further enrich the curriculum and children are supported to take an active part in the school and wider community. 10.36. At Knockando, an active and supportive Parent Council fundraise for school trips and activities and also contribute to bringing in specialists to enhance the curriculum with dance, sport, music, drama and outdoor education. Parents Page 190
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29 may also use their individual skills to support learners through ‘Activity Afternoons’. If Inveravon were to re-open then there would be potential for a Parent Council to operate. However, with a small pupil cohort there would be a limited number of families able to participate – particularly where sibling groups may feature – resulting in greater reliance on a few individuals to support the school in this way. 10.37. Aberlour, Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools are central establishments within their respective communities with strong links to other organisations including local churches. Effective transition programmes and links with other Associated School Group schools including Speyside High School as the local secondary school are in place. Working in collaboration across the Associated Schools Group, Head Teachers and schools ensure all children continue to access a wide range of experiences and activities, ensuring their location does not detract from opportunities available. Glenlivet, Knockando, Tomintoul and Craigellachie Primary Schools also work in partnership to organise transition events throughout the year for Primary 7 pupils, to support team building and wider skills development in advance of secondary transition. 10.38. Section 3 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000 requires local authorities to endeavour to raise standards and secure improvement in the quality of school education provided in our schools for all learners. It is Moray Council’s view that the pupils from the Inveravon catchment derive educational benefits from their current attendance at other larger neighbouring schools. Formalising the current arrangements would provide a number of such benefits, judged against both the Moray and National criteria set out above. 10.39. As all pupils from the Inveravon Primary School catchment currently attend Knockando Primary School or Aberlour Primary School depending on current zoning arrangements or parental choice, no adverse effects for those pupils are expected to arise from the permanent closure of Inveravon Primary School. 11. Effect on the Local Community 11.1. Moray Council recognise that the uncertainty surrounding the future of the school has impacted on the community and it is hoped that this statutory consultation to close Inveravon Primary School will give clarity to the community and a sense of certainty regarding their children’s education. 11.2. Inveravon Primary School is situated in a rural location, with no public/community buildings close by. Inveravon Church is a short distance from the school with a limited amount of dedicated parking. 11.3. Several meetings have been held with the local community and parents in the catchment area of the school. Although attendance at these meetings was low, representatives from the Community Association raised concerns that Page 191
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30 there would be no community space in the area such as a meeting place, picnic or play area for the community. 11.4. Prior to the school closing the church had occasional community use of Inveravon Primary School and there was also a badminton club that used the school hall. There has been no community use of the land or building since the school was mothballed in 2017. 11.5. The site is owned by the Ballindalloch Estate and was ‘gifted’ to Banffshire Council in early 20th century for educational use. Moray Council are currently ‘custodians’ of that gift and if the school is closed the land and buildings would revert back to estate ownership. Ballindalloch Estate would welcome input from the community as to sustainable options for the building and land use should the proposal to close the school be approved. 11.6. Tomintoul and Glenlivet Development Trust conducted some consultation with the community in April 2021 about general community priorities, including community assets. The community expressed three favoured options for the future use of the school: • Reinstated as a school • Community space for activities • Outdoor activity centre 11.7. Aberlour is the closest town, approximately 6 miles from the school, with public amenities, including a swimming pool, high school, local shops and public parks. Knockando and Glenlivet Primary School are equidistance from the school, approximately 6 miles. 12. School Transport 12.1. During the 2016/17 session entitled pupils were provided with transport to Inveravon Primary School at a cost of £208.34 per day. With mothballing pupils were provided transport to Knockando Primary School on existing contracts at no additional cost. 12.2. Three new contracts currently support ALL pupils attending Knockando Primary School at a total cost of £557.55 per day. Ten pupils within the Inveravon catchment are transported to Knockando schools. 12.3. The closure of Inveravon School will not impact upon the current journey times for the majority of catchment pupils as they are currently being transported to Knockando. The average travel time compared to travelling to/from Aberlour or Glenlivet primary schools would be the same as Knockando Primary School under normal conditions. Page 192
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31 12.4. It is recognised that rezoning some areas of the Inveravon catchment to Aberlour or Glenlivet primary schools may increase the number of children entitled to school transport. 13. Financial Implications 13.1. As mentioned in Section 12 above the proposed changes could result in an increase in costs for school transport provision, which would need to be met by Moray Council. The increase is expected not to be significant and may be managed within the value of the current Speyside ASG transport contracts. 13.2. Further details of the financial impact of this proposal are included in the financial template provided at Appendix B. The costs provided in the template derive from 2016/17 when the school was last operational for a full session, which has been corrected for inflation to provide a forecast for 2022/23 if Inveravon Primary School was reopened. With a potential school roll of 5 this would equate to a cost of £31,415 per pupil per year against a Moray average of £7,225 per pupil per year (2019/2020 data). 14. Sustainability 14.1. A carbon assessment of Inveravon Primary and Knockando Primary - where the majority of pupils moved to at the time of mothballing - by the Climate Change Strategy Officer is summarised in the table below: Building Heat Electricity Water Total CO2 Emissions (Tonnes) Carbon Impact per Pupil CO2 Emissions (Tonnes) Carbon Impact per Pupil CO2 Emissions (Tonnes) Carbon Impact per Pupil Annual CO2 Emissions (Tonnes) Inveravon (2016/17) 27.2 3.0 3.4 0.4 0.06 0.007 30.66 Knockando (2017/18) 24.4 0.4 14.9 0.3 0.16 0.003 39.46 14.2. The additional school transport mileage associated with travel to and from Knockando Primary School for pupils local to Inveravon Primary School requires to be considered but as there are no fixed school transport routes - contractors are given a pupil address list and work out the most efficient route - it is therefore not possible to assess the detailed impact of the additional mileage with mothballing or closure of Inveravon Primary School. 14.3. Overall the carbon impact per pupil is substantially lower at Knockando – and that includes the pupils on the school roll from the Inveravon catchment from Aug 2017. The reopening of Inveravon Primary School would therefore significantly increase carbon emissions in the future, outweighing any additional transport emissions associated with longer pupil journeys. The Page 193
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32 closure of Inveravon Primary School is therefore predicted to lead to carbon savings for Moray Council. 14.4. Teacher recruitment and retention is a challenge faced by many rural authorities in Scotland. Rural schools with small numbers of pupils on roll changes the teaching dynamic, requiring teachers to be highly adept in managing the curriculum, differentiation and assessment for pupils from primary 1 - 7 in one or just two classes to ensure an educational benefit is maintained. Due to the staffing complement within these establishments the opportunities for collegiate and stage partner working requires carefully planning with their paired school or others local schools within the ASG and increased use of digital resources to allow online communities, however some rural settings also have connectivity difficulties. 15. Implications for Staff 15.1. As a consequence of mothballing an interim teaching staff arrangements were implemented as per the table below. There were no changes to non-teaching support staff. FTE (before mothballing) FTE (post mothballing) Head Teacher 0.5 1.0 Principal Teacher 1.0 1.0 Class Teacher 1.0 1.0 McCrone 0.28 0.28 Total 2.78 3.28 15.2. In the event of Inveravon Primary School closing the amended teaching staff arrangement are as per table below FTE (during mothballing) FTE (post closure) Head Teacher 1.0 (SP4) 1.0 (SP2) Principal Teacher 1.0 Head Teacher Relief 0.46 Class Teacher 1.0 1.0 McCrone 0.28 0.28 Total 3.28 2.72 The Head Teacher would move to SP4 from SP2 – cash conserved for 3 years. The Principal Teacher would need to be redeployed and potentially cash conserved for 3 years. 16. Equal Opportunities 16.1. An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a statutory requirement on the Council to assess the policies and practices necessary to meet the requirements of anti-discrimination and equalities legislation. It also affords an Page 194
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33 opportunity for the Council to consider the impact on the education service. An assessment has been carried out, as part of the options appraisal process. 16.2. The aim of an EIA is to examine policies and practice in a structured way to make sure that adverse effects on groups with protected characteristics are avoided. It is also a tool to enable the Council to assess what positive steps it can take to promote equality of opportunity and measure the results of the actions that have been taken. 16.3. The main adverse effect for children in the P1-7 age group is the length of journey from Inveravon to Knockando, Aberlour or Glenlivet, however, as the school has been mothballed since July 2017, all the current pupils are already making the journey to either Knockando or Aberlour. Should there be future journeys to Glenlivet these would be of a similar distance and duration. 16.4. Funded school transport would be provided for all entitled P1-7 pupils attending Knockando, Aberlour or Glenlivet primary schools from the current Inveravon catchment area, if one of the proposed options is approved. 16.5. As part of the consultation process the Council will consult with a wide range of stakeholders, including staff, parents/carers and young people, and will address comments about equality during this consultation. 16.6. Under the Equality Act 2010 education providers must not treat disabled pupils less favourably and should take reasonable steps to avoid putting disabled pupils at a substantial disadvantage. Any existing arrangements in place for pupils within the schools affected with additional support needs will continue. As discussed in 10.28, Aberlour Primary School is the enhanced provision hub for the Speyside ASG, and as such is fully adapted to meet the requirements of pupils with a range of additional support needs. 17. Consultation Arrangements 17.1. At its meeting on 24 August 2022, Moray Council’s Education, Communities and Leisure Services Committee were asked to agree that a proposal document should be issued as a basis for consultation. No decision will be taken by the Council on the proposal contained in the paper until after the end of the consultation period. The Council will then receive a report on the consultation and will reach a view on the proposal. 17.2. A copy of this document will be issued to all of the consultees listed on the first page of this document and it will also be published on the Council’s website: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_105407.html 17.3. Reading copies of this proposal document will be made available at Speyside High School Community Centre, Aberlour Library, Glenlivet Medical Centre, Ballindalloch Post Office, Elgin Library, Knockando Primary School, Aberlour Primary School and Glenlivet Primary School. Page 195
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34 17.4. The period for consultation will run from 29 August 2022 until 7 October 2022 which adequately covers the statutory requirement period of 30 school days. 17.5. A face-to-face public meeting will be held at 1:30pm on Tuesday 27 September 2022 at Inveravon Church, Ballindalloch AB37 9BA. A further public meeting will be held at 7pm on Tuesday 27 September at Speyside High School, Mary Avenue, Aberlour AB38 9QU. Anyone wishing to attend the meetings are welcome. 17.6. An online meeting will be planned for Wednesday 28 September and anyone wishing to attend this meeting should express their interest by emailing learningestate@moray.gov.uk 17.7. The meetings will be convened by the Council and the Council will present the reasons for bringing forward the proposal. There will be an opportunity for questions and comments at both meetings. A minute will be taken so that comments can later be summarised and considered. 17.8. Opportunities will be provided for the staff working in Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools to discuss the proposals. Opportunities will also be arranged for impacted primary pupils at each of the schools to engage in the consultation in a manner appropriate to their age. An online survey will be available as part of the consultation. This can be completed at the following address - http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_105407.html - or by scanning the QR code below: 17.9. The Council will also consider any written comments which should be emailed to LearningEstate@moray.gov.uk . Alternatively, any comments can be sent to Community Support Officer (Learning Estate), HQ Room 207a, Elgin Council Offices. High Street Elgin IV30 1BX. Comments should be received no later than 4pm on 7 October 2022. 17.10. A copy of this document will also be sent to Education Scotland. They will also receive a copy of any relevant written representations that are received by the Council during the consultation period. They will also receive a copy of any oral representations made at the public meeting and a copy of any other Page 196
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35 relevant documentation. Education Scotland will then prepare a report on the educational aspects of the proposal. In preparing their report, they may visit the school and make such reasonable enquiries as they consider appropriate. 18. Consideration of Consultation Responses 18.1. The Council will review the proposal having regard to the Education Scotland Report, survey results, written representations that it has received, and oral representations made to it by any person at the public meeting. It will then prepare a report on the consultation. This report will be published in electronic format and will be available on the Council website. Anyone making written representations during the consultation period will be informed about the report. 18.2. The report will include a record of the total number of written representations made during the consultation period, a summary of the written representations and a summary of the oral representations made at the public meeting. The report will also include the Authority’s response to the Education Scotland Report, a response to issues raised through any written or oral representations it has received, together with a copy of the Education Scotland Report and any other relevant information, including details of any alleged inaccuracies and how these have been handled. The report will also contain a statement explaining how the Council has complied with the requirement to review the proposal in light of the Education Scotland Report and representations (both written and oral) that it received. 18.3. The last section of the report will include an officer recommendation as to whether the proposals should be adopted and implemented. The Consultation Report will be published at least three weeks prior to the Council making a decision. 18.4. A final report on the consultation process with recommendations will submitted to the Education, Childcare and Leisure Services Committee in January 2023. 19. Decision Making 19.1. The consultation report will be considered by Education, Communities and Leisure Services Committee who will be asked review and make a comment on the officer recommendation. 19.2. Following discussion and recommendation at the Education, Communities and Leisure Services Committee, Full Council will consider the report and be asked to approve the officer recommendation in the report. This is expected to be February 2023. 19.3. At the end of the consultation process, Section 15 of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 enables ministers to call-in a decision to implement the proposed closure of Inveravon Primary School. Page 197
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36 19.4. Beginning on the day that the final decision is taken, the Council has a period of six working days to notify Scottish Ministers of the decision. Scottish Ministers then have a period of eight weeks from and including the date of decision to decide if they will call in the proposal. The Council must publish the fact that the Scottish Ministers have been notified and that representations can be made to the Scottish Ministers within the first three weeks of the eight- week period. The Scottish Ministers will take into account any relevant representations that were made to them by any person within the first three weeks. The Council may not proceed with the implementation of the proposal until this eight-week period has passed. 19.5. If the Scottish Ministers decide to call in a closure proposal, it is then referred to the Convener of the School Closure Review Panels who has a period of seven days after a call-in notice is issued to constitute a School Closure Review Panel. The Panel may decide to refuse consent to the proposal, refuse consent and remit it to the education authority for a fresh decision or grant consent to the proposal, either subject to conditions, or unconditionally. The Panel must notify the education authority of its decision within eight weeks from when the Panel was constituted or within 16 weeks if the Panel has issued a notice to the education authority that a decision has been delayed. The Council may not proceed with the implementation of the proposal until the outcome of the call-in has been notified to the Council. 20. Conclusion 20.1. Taking the above into account Moray Council recommends that Inveravon Primary School, currently mothballed, is closed and the catchment area re- assigned to either Knockando Primary School, a combination of the Knockando and Aberlour primary schools or a combination of Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools as outlined in Options 1-3 above. 20.2. Whichever decision is taken with respect to catchment areas, existing pupils will not be required to change schools. This will also apply to any younger siblings of such pupils, provided they remain at the same primary school. 20.3. This proposal paper is issued in terms of the authority’s procedures to meet the relevant statutory requirements. Appendix A - Inveravon Primary School Options Appraisal Appendix B – Inveravon Primary School Financial Report Page 198
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1 Appendix A1 Inveravon Primary School Options Appraisal 1. Introduction Moray Council strives to allocate its resources in a way that ensures the quality of all its services. It attaches particular importance to providing the best possible educational experience for all pupils within its schools. The Strategic Approach to the Learning Estate was agreed at a Special Meeting of the Moray Council on 9 October 2020 in accordance with Scotland’s Learning Estate Strategy (Connecting People, Places and Learning). The Council’s strategy sets out the council’s aspirations for our schools using a holistic place-based approach, which will ensure that services can be delivered in an optimum way, making best use of available assets. The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that educational benefits should be at the heart of any proposal to make a significant change to schools, for current and future pupils in the area. At its meeting on 24 November 2021, the Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee agreed to the preparation of an options appraisal regarding the future of Inveravon Primary School and supported community engagement as part of the options appraisal process to identify alternative options to consider. 2. Background / Discussion During the 2016/2017 school session the school roll at Inveravon Primary School dropped due to a number of families moving schools for several reasons. As the school session drew to a close it was clear that there was a risk that at the start of the 2017/2018 session that the school roll would be significantly lower than the total catchment of 13. In fact, as of August 2017 the school roll was zero as all catchment children were enrolled at either Knockando or Aberlour Primary. Due to no children attending the school for the start of the new 2017/18 session, the Education Service was left with no alternative but to mothball Inveravon Primary Item 16* Page 199
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2 School. Mothballing is a temporary closure of a school which does not in itself lead to statutory consultation. Reference is made to the report considered by the Children and Young People’s Committee on 23 August 2017 where this decision was ratified. The Primary 1 admission period for all Moray Schools takes place in January each year. No applications to Inveravon Primary School have been received since the school was mothballed. The deadline for submitting out of zone placing requests is March each year. There have been no applications received for pupils wishing to attend Inveravon Primary School through the placing requests process over the last three years. As there continues to be no expectation of pupils enrolling at Inveravon Primary School, the school remains mothballed. 3. Community Engagement The Learning Estates Team conducted the following engagements with the wider Inveravon community to keep them fully informed and to explore potential options for the future of Inveravon Primary School. • Wednesday 9 February 2022 – A virtual community engagement session facilitated by MS Teams. • Tuesday 8 March 2022 - A virtual community engagement session facilitated by MS Teams. • Tuesday 8 March 2022 - Community engagement session at Speyside High School • February to June – A comments form was provided – both online and mailed to parents within catchment – to allow community stakeholders to provide informal comments and suggestions on the future of Inveravon Primary School. This has been available since 16 February 2022 to 28 June 2022. A summary of all comments gathered during and following the meetings and the online survey is at Appendix A to this report. 4. Options Appraisal An options appraisal has been undertaken to consider the future of Inveravon Primary School to ensure the best educational and wellbeing benefits for Inveravon children. The appraisal considered the current mothballing and the schools the families had chosen to attend prior to and during mothballing. Page 200
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3 4.1 Inveravon Primary School The majority of the Inveravon Primary School was ‘gifted’ to the Council by the Ballindalloch Estate in 1910 as a site for a school. A further area of land was purchased by the Council in 1926 to increase the available land for outdoor play. In the event of a school closure the land, and by implication the school building would be returned to the Ballindalloch Estate. The plot of land purchased is deemed of having no value in isolation and it is proposed that this is gifted to Ballindalloch Estate at no cost in the event of school closure. Inveravon Primary School was built in the early 20th century. The school is non- denominational and serves properties within the rural area of the Ballindalloch Estate. It is located by the A95 just north of the Bridge of Inveravon 6.5 miles from Aberlour. Inveravon Primary School has a functional capacity of 50 pupils. It is a single storey building with two classrooms, kitchen, hall, resources room, library reception/staff room. The hall doubles as both a dining room and indoor PE area. The school floorplan is attached as Appendix B and a map of the school ground and its surrounding amenities is shown in Map 1 below. Map 1 – Inveravon Primary School The school has a servery kitchen which served meals that were prepared at Aberlour Primary and delivered to Inveravon Primary School on a daily basis. The outside areas consists of a small concrete play area on the north aspect of the building which extends to adjacent grassed area Inveravon Primary School delivered primary education from P1 to P7. There was no nursery on site and local children often attended nursery at other nearby schools. Page 201
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4 Condition is an assessment of the physical condition of the school building and its grounds. Inveravon Primary School was assessed C for condition a number of years prior to mothballing. A more recent condition survey in June 2022 has assessed that the overall condition remains at C (Poor - Showing major problems and/or not operating adequately - the school buildings require continuous repair and shows signs of age), although a number of elements are now at condition D (Bad – Economic life expired and/or risk of Failure (the school buildings and grounds do not support the delivery of services to children and communities). A breakdown of the condition elements is shown in the table below. Roofs Floors and Stairs Ceilings Ext Walls, Windows and Doors Int Walls and Doors Sanitary Services Mechanical Electrical Decoration Fixed Int Fixtures, Furniture and Fittings External Areas Outdoor Sports Facilities Overall Score Condition Category C D C C B C D D C B D N/A 42.27% C Table 1. Core Condition Assessment (Overall and Individual Elements) Suitability is an assessment of the school as a whole, the buildings, the grounds and the impact they have on teaching and learning, leisure and social activities, as well as the health and wellbeing of users. The Suitability assessment of Inveravon Primary School was carried out in 2013 the school was graded as B, satisfactory – performing well but with minor problems (school buildings and grounds generally support the delivery of services). 4.2 Inveravon and Local Area The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification defines Inveravon Primary School as “remote rural”, meaning that is it serves a population of less than 3,000 and is more than 30 minutes’ drive from a settlement of 10,000 or more. The Inveravon Primary School catchment is bordered by Aberlour, Glenlivet, Knockando and Tomintoul schools within the Moray Learning Estate. It is also bordered to the west by Grantown Primary School in the Highlands Council area. Map 2 below shows the catchment area for Inveravon Primary School and the neighbouring schools. Distances between Inveravon School and surrounding schools sourced from Google Maps are listed below: Knockando Primary School 6.6 miles Aberlour Primary School 6.6 miles Glenlivet Primary School 5.5 miles Page 202
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5 In addition, the distance to the Speyside High School, in Aberlour is 6.7miles The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is a measure of deprivation across 6,976 data zones. SIMD ranks data zones from most deprived (ranked as 1) to least deprived (ranked as 6,976) and the Inveravon data zone (South Speyside and Cabrach) is ranked at 3696. Within this ranking geographical access is the biggest level of deprivation, followed by Education/Skills. Income and Employment are relatively good while Crime and Health are ranked as the least deprived. A graphical breakdown of this information is below. Table 2. SIMD 2020 Ranking - South Speyside and Cabrach Page 203
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6 4.3 Rural Sustainability and Housing Development Inveravon is within a community located within the Ballindalloch Estate area with basic services including a combined rural shop and post office. The community straddles a fast-flowing section of the main Elgin to Grantown-on-Spey trunk road (A95). Information received from The Council’s Community Economic Development Team indicates that there are no significant new business activities in the Inveravon area. There is no significant housing development for the Inveravon catchment within the current Local Development Plan. 4.4 Demographics and Pupil Numbers In the 5 years up to the mothballing of Inveravon Primary School in Aug 2017 the school roll remained steady at between 14-15 pupils with few placing requests to and from the catchment. The school roll had been low for a number of years. The P1 intake had ranged from zero to four pupils in each of these years. The position is shown in the table below: Census data 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 P1-P7 15 15 13 0 0 0 0 0 Table 3 - School Roll Data 2014-2021 There are currently 15 children of P1-P7 age residing within the catchment area of Inveravon School (Census data extract September 2021). These children all attend other schools in the area, all by parental choice. The majority attend Knockando Primary School with a smaller number at Aberlour School. School roll forecasts show a very small number of families living in the catchment area with children that are under school age. SEEMIS data indicates there were 2 children within the Inveravon catchment that could have enrolled for P1 in August 2022 but no requests were made. A similar number of children can enrol in 2023 and 2024 but if they did the school roll numbers would remain below 10. 4.5 Occupancy In line with the Learning Estates Strategy an ideal school occupancy level would be approximately 80%, aspiring to the occupancy band of between 60% and 80%. At its peak the school roll had 15 pupils in the 2014-2015 session – an occupancy of just 30%. Such a low occupancy level is unsustainable, unaffordable and does not offer best value. Page 204
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7 4.6 Pupil Enrolments No families have approached Moray Council to enrol their children at Inveravon School, either as a new P1 start or as a placing request. Additionally, no families have approached officers to indicate that if there were sufficient other families in a similar position that they would consider moving their children back to the school. 4.7 Inveravon Community While in operation, the school did not operate a breakfast or after school club and there were no formal lets of the school. The children and the community did have free access to the school garden and the hall for badminton. Speyside Community Centre is adjacent to Speyside High school and is approximately 6.7 miles away. The Community centre has a swimming pool, fitness suite, climbing wall and outdoor pitches with a regular programme of activities. Both the School and Community centre has a range of rooms and facilities for hire for activities such as exercise classes, courses, committee meetings, sports and hobbies, counselling sessions, training sessions and rehearsals. Glenlivet Public Hall is approximately 6.1 miles away, the hall is used by a number of groups for regular weekly meetings involving sports, music, dancing and more. Beside these regular user the hall aims to provide a venue for other public events. Behind the hall there is a football pitch. The football pitch is used regularly by the football and archery clubs and can be booked for private events. 4.8 Options for Consideration Some comments proposed that the school reopen. However, this requires families wishing to send their children to the school. As no new pupil enrolments had been received for the 2022-23 session, reopening of the school was not possible. On this basis the school continues to be mothballed. Alternative suggestions for the school building were received with the focus on community use and economic development. Due to the land ownership situation these options would require commitment from other agents. These options cannot be implemented without the formal closure of the school. A full list of suggestions and comments with an overview of the requirements for them to be implemented can be found in the below table. No. Comment/Suggestion Requirement for implementation 1 Community space for activities School closure process - private provider commitment 2 Outdoor activity centre School closure process - involvement of private provider Page 205
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8 3 Community cafe School closure process - private provider commitment 4 Rural business centre School closure process - private provider commitment 5 Residential property School closure process - private land owner commitment Table 4 – Alternative use suggestions The following options were considered for the future of Inveravon Primary School as part of the options appraisal: 1 Reopen the school – No pupils have enrolled at the school and no families have indicated that they would wish to attend the school. This option has been discounted. 2 Continue Status Quo – School remains mothballed for a further session and potentially beyond. The school has been mothballed since August 2017, such prolonged time has already caused uncertainty for families and the community. Therefore, this option has been discounted. 3 Consider closing Inveravon Primary School and rezoning pupils to attend another school in the Speyside Associated Schools Group. 5. Conclusion One of the options identified as part of the appraisal is to close Inveravon School. This is currently considered to be the only viable option for the school; therefore, Moray Council must undertake a statutory consultation under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. As a rural school there is a presumption against closure and Moray Council must ensure all other alternatives have been identified and robustly considered prior to undertaking any statutory consultation on this matter. Appendix A - Community Engagement Comments and Suggestions Appendix B - Inveravon School Floorplan Page 206
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9 Appendix A – Community Engagement Comments and Suggestions (Received during informal engagement) The Learning Estate team engaged with the community over 4 sessions in order to fully inform and explore the potential options on the future for Inveravon Primary School. • 7 December 2021 – online Public meeting with the community and parents to outline future engagement. • 2 February 2022 – online public meeting to discuss future options for the school. • 8 March 2022 – community engagement session at Speyside High School, Aberlour to further explore options. • 10 March 2022 – meeting with parents at Knockando Primary School. • 16 February 2022 to present – comment boxes available, and opportunity to send comments via email to the Learning Estate Team. Residents in the catchment area were notified of the meetings by two mail drops. Details of the meetings were also published on the Moray Council website, social media channels and distributed to the local media. Secure comment boxes were situated at Aberlour Library, Knockando Primary School and Glenlivet Medical Practice from February to June 2022. 6 parent and 19 resident comment were received during this period. The table below provides an overview of the Comments and Suggestions from community engagements (February 2022 - June 2022) Ref No. Comment/Suggestion Wants Requirements for implementation 1 Email – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Whilst it would be lovely for our son to attend school much closer to home than Knockando, I strongly feel that the quality of his social and academic education should come first. Unless the school roll can be reliably and consistently at a level to facilitate age appropriate group learning and play activities then I would not support the reopening of Inveravon Primary. By this, I'm not an expert, but I would be thinking in the order of 25+ pupils. There is so much to be gained in the social interactions and the things that are possible with the increased School closure School closure Process Page 207
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10 numbers at the combined provision, but for current skills development and in preparation for high school and beyond. A number of years ago there was suggestion of a new build combined school for Knockando, Inveravon and Glenlivet at a site in Marypark. This would have been excellent. I am very happy with the calibre of teaching and support at Knockando, but modern facilities (and space!) would really benefit all the pupils. Whatever decision is made it must be one that is in the best interests of current and future pupils. I am well aware personally and professionally of the implications in regard to transport etc., but do not find these unresolvable. There are of course wider community benefits that come from having a school facility in a rural community, but these should not overshadow the main function of the building. 2 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Any local parent looking for options for schools would not see the school on any part of the council website. School closure School closure Process 3 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Children at Knockando their whole school life. Another starting in August. If they went to Inveravon they would be in class by themselves which would be unsettling for the child. School closure School Closure Process 4 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Would love to make use of the school if possible for community-based activities. Community Space School closure Process – Community Commitment 5 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Just looks like closing by stealth, take the teachers away, head hunted, supply teachers, no wonder the pupils were taken elsewhere, a calculated move to close it. Addressed at meeting 6 Tomintoul and Glenlivet Trust Page 208
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11 The trust conducted some consultation with community in April 2021 about general community priorities. Included community assets within the survey. 3 main views around the school: o (1) Reinstated as school, o (2) Community space for activities o (3) Outdoor activity centre School re- opened Community Space School closure Process – Community Commitment 7 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): How irritating it is when you keep saying that there has been no-one interested in joining the school, it was taken off the website and people told on the phone that school was closed, no wonder there has been no interest, teacher head hunted Addressed at meeting 8 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): How many schools have been mothballed in the last 10 years? Addressed at meeting 12 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Problem with getting roll over 10, unless you get 10 sets of parents, it’s a catch- 22 Addressed at meeting 13 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): If and when council decide it is to be closed, does council make it habitable? Addressed at meeting 14 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Why did it take so long from mothballing in 2017 until now to progress the future of Inveravon PS? Addressed at meeting 15 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Have we had any formal response from parents of primary school children in Inveravon catchment? Addressed at meeting 16 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Has and will the building be kept wind and water tight and repair and maintenance be undertaken while school remains moth balled? Addressed at meeting 17 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Addressed at meeting Page 209
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12 Will this repair and maintenance activity include the garden and grounds? 18 Is there anything of any value within the school that could be reused – or donated (e.g. Ukrainian appeal)? Followed up post meeting 19 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Can you confirm who would be responsible for the building in the event of its closure? Addressed at meeting 20 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Having attended Inveravon Primary myself as a child and now seeing my children currently attend Knockando Primary I feel the resources are/can be better used by directing them fully to Knockando. I feel the school at Knockando is very well run (in our experience) and being part of a slightly larger school community with access to better resources if far more beneficial for our children. Families have the option of applying to Aberlour & Glenlivet also which again fields resources/funding to established learning communities. Rural schools are very important but in this case our family feels there are better opportunities at other schools which would be further enhanced if funding was not re-directed to re- opening Inveravon and rather put towards the other ‘rural’ schools still open in the area. I have very fond memories of my time at Inveravon but in this current age, this school is no longer sustainable in my opinion. School Closure School Closure Process 22 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Close it, sell it! School Closure School Closure Process 22 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) As a parent of 2 school aged children, I feel Inveravon needs closed completely, ASAP. My children are very happy attending Knockando Primary School and I would not be moving then under any circumstances. School Closure School Closure Process Page 210
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13 It also seems unfair that Knockando Primary cannot have a permanent Heat Teacher until this is resolved. 23 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) We feel Inveravon Primary should be closed and financial & staff resources should be consolidated to provide a modern equipped resource for the wider area. School Closure School Closure Process 24 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) I think Moray Council needs to fully close Inveravon as it is just wasting money which could be used to improve education elsewhere in the area. There will never be enough children to deem the school fit to be open so it needs to be closed not mothballed. School Closure School Closure Process 25 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): This was a lovely primary school which was very outgoing in the community. Even though I live in Aberlour I attended the PTA quiz nights, etc. It is so sad not to see the building in use for it’s intended purpose – as it is one of the basics of a community. I really hope that it will be re-opened. School re- opened Page 211
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14 Appendix B: Inveravon School Floorplan Page 212
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Appendix 2 Community Engagement Comments and Suggestions (Received during informal engagement) The Learning Estate team engaged with the community over 4 sessions in order to fully inform and explore the potential options on the future of Inveravon Primary School. • 7 December 2021 – online Public meeting with the community and parents to outline future engagement. • 2 February 2022 – online public meeting to discuss future options for the school. • 8 March 2022 – community engagement session and Speyside High School, Aberlour to further explore options. • 10 March 2022 – meeting with parents at Knockando Primary School. • 16 February 2022 to present – comment boxes available, and opportunity to send comments via email to the Learning Estate Team. Residents in the catchment area were notified of the meetings by two mail drops. Details of the meetings were also published on the Moray Council website, social media channels and distributed to the local media. Secure comment boxes were situated at Aberlour Library, Knockando Primary School and Glenlivet Medical Practice from February to June 2022. 6 parent and 19 resident comment were received during the period. The table below provides an overview of the Comments and Suggestions from community engagements (February and March 2022) Ref No. Comment/Suggestion Wants Requirements for implementation 1 Email – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Whilst it would be lovely for our son to attend school much closer to home than Knockando, I strongly feel that the quality of his social and academic education should come first. Unless the school roll can be reliably and consistently at a level to facilitate age appropriate group learning and play activities then I would not support the reopening of Inveravon Primary. By this, I'm not an expert, but I would be thinking in the order of 25+ pupils. There is so much to be gained in the social interactions and the things that are possible with the increased School closure School closure Process Item 16* Page 213
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numbers at the combined provision, but for current skills development and in preparation for high school and beyond. A number of years ago there was suggestion of a new build combined school for Knockando, Inveravon and Glenlivet at a site in Marypark. This would have been excellent. I am very happy with the calibre of teaching and support at Knockando, but modern facilities (and space!) would really benefit all the pupils. Whatever decision is made it must be one that is in the best interests of current and future pupils. I am well aware personally and professionally of the implications in regard to transport etc., but do not find these unresolvable. There are of course wider community benefits that come from having a school facility in a rural community, but these should not overshadow the main function of the building. 2 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Any local parent looking for options for schools would not see the school on any part of the council website. School closure School closure Process 3 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Children at Knockando their whole school life. Another starting in August. If they went to Inveravon they would be in class by themselves which would be unsettling for the child. School closure School Closure Process 4 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Would love to make use of the school if possible for community-based activities. Community Space School closure Process – Community Commitment 5 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Just looks like closing by stealth, take the teachers away, head hunted, supply teachers, no wonder the pupils were taken elsewhere, a calculated move to close it. Addressed at meeting 6 Tomintoul and Glenlivet Trust Page 214
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The trust conducted some consultation with community in April 2021 about general community priorities. Included community assets within the survey. 3 main views around the school: o (1) Reinstated as school, o (2) Community space for activities o (3) Outdoor activity centre School re- opened Community Space School closure Process – Community Commitment 7 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): How irritating it is when you keep saying that there has been no-one interested in joining the school, it was taken off the website and people told on the phone that school was closed, no wonder there has been no interest, teacher head hunted Addressed at meeting 8 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): How many schools have been mothballed in the last 10 years? Addressed at meeting 12 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Problem with getting roll over 10, unless you get 10 sets of parents, it’s a catch- 22 Addressed at meeting 13 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): If and when council decide it is to be closed, does council make it habitable? Addressed at meeting 14 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Why did it take so long from mothballing in 2017 until now to progress the future of Inveravon PS? Addressed at meeting 15 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Have we had any formal response from parents of primary school children in Inveravon catchment? Addressed at meeting 16 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Has and will the building be kept wind and water tight and repair and maintenance be undertaken while school remains moth balled? Addressed at meeting 17 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Will this repair and maintenance activity include the garden and grounds? Addressed at meeting Page 215
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18 Is there anything of any value within the school that could be reused – or donated (e.g. Ukrainian appeal)? Followed up post meeting 19 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Can you confirm who would be responsible for the building in the event of its closure? Addressed at meeting 20 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): Having attended Inveravon Primary myself as a child and now seeing my children currently attend Knockando Primary I feel the resources are/can be better used by directing them fully to Knockando. I feel the school at Knockando is very well run (in our experience) and being part of a slightly larger school community with access to better resources if far more beneficial for our children. Families have the option of applying to Aberlour & Glenlivet also which again fields resources/funding to established learning communities. Rural schools are very important but in this case our family feels there are better opportunities at other schools which would be further enhanced if funding was not re-directed to re- opening Inveravon and rather put towards the other ‘rural’ schools still open in the area. I have very fond memories of my time at Inveravon but in this current age, this school is no longer sustainable in my opinion. School Closure School Closure Process 22 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Close it, sell it! School Closure School Closure Process 22 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) As a parent of 2 school aged children, I feel Inveravon needs closed completely, ASAP. My children are very happy attending Knockando Primary School and I would not be moving then under any circumstances. School Closure School Closure Process Page 216
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It also seems unfair that Knockando Primary cannot have a permanent Heat Teacher until this is resolved. 23 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) We feel Inveravon Primary should be closed and financial & staff resources should be consolidated to provide a modern equipped resource for the wider area. School Closure School Closure Process 24 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) I think Moray Council needs to fully close Inveravon as it is just wasting money which could be used to improve education elsewhere in the area. There will never be enough children to deem the school fit to be open so it needs to be closed not mothballed. School Closure School Closure Process 25 Inveravon Community Resident (Meeting): This was a lovely primary school which was very outgoing in the community. Even though I live in Aberlour I attended the PTA quiz nights, etc. It is so sad not to see the building in use for it’s intended purpose – as it is one of the basics of a community. I really hope that it will be re-opened. School re- opened Page 217
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Appendix A3 Inveravon Primary School - Financial Report Table 1 Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 Column 6 Column 7 Column 10 Row 1 Row 2 Name of School Inveravon Primary School Costs for full financial year (2016/2017 annual costs) Costs financial year (2022/23 Forecast annual costs IF REOPENED) Additional financial impact on receiving schools [Knockando] - note 2 Annual recurring savings (column 3 minus column 4) Capital Costs School Proposed for Closure Receiving School Row 3 School Costs Capital Life Cycle cost - note 7 - - Row 4 Employee Costs Third party contributions to capital costs - - Row 5 Staff Costs - note 1 113,106.00£ 142,721.00£ 38,730.00£ 103,991.00£ Row 6 Row 7 Property Costs: Row 8 property insurance 460.92£ 460.92£ 460.92£ property insurance 460.92£ Row 9 non domestic rates 100% rural relief 100% rural relief 100% rural relief non domestic rates 100% rural relief Row 10 water & sewerage charges 347.00£ 795.00£ 795.00£ water & sewerage charges 141.00£ Row 11 energy costs 6,577.00£ 8,415.00£ 8,415.00£ energy costs 439.00£ Row 12 cleaning (contract or inhouse) 81.00£ 82.00£ 82.00£ cleaning (contract or inhouse) -£ Row 13 building repair & maintenance 576.00£ 576.00£ 576.00£ building repair & maintenance - note 1,336.00£ Row 14 grounds maintenance 650.00£ 650.00£ 650.00£ grounds maintenance 655.00£ Row 15 facilities management costs - note 6 -£ -£ facilities management costs - note 6 -£ Row 16 revenue costs arising from capital -£ -£ revenue costs arising from capital -£ Row 17 other -£ -£ other Row 18 PROPERTY COSTS SUB-TOTAL 8,691.92£ 10,978.92£ 10,978.92£ TOTAL ANNUAL COST UNTIL DISPOSAL 3,031.92£ Row 19 School Operational Costs: Row 20 learning materials 1,460.00£ 1,449.00£ 1,449.00£ Table 4 Row 21 catering (contract or inhouse) -£ Row 22 furniture and equipment 231.00£ 230.00£ 230.00£ -£ Row 23 other school operational costs (e.g. licences) 485.00£ 484.00£ 484.00£ TOTAL NON-RECURRING REVENUE COST -£ Row 24 Curricular and Staff Support 350.00£ 346.00£ 346.00£ Row 25 Transport costs: note 3 208.34£ 557.55£ 557.55£ -£ Row 26 staff travel 309.00£ 310.00£ 310.00£ Row 27 -£ Row 28 SCHOOL OPERATIONAL COSTS SUB-TOTAL 3,043.34£ 3,376.55£ 3,376.55£ Row 29 SCHOOL COSTS 124,841.26£ 157,076.47£ 118,346.47£ Row 30 Row 31 UNIT COST PER PUPIL PER YEAR (5) 24,968.25£ 31,415.29£ Assumed No of Pupils 5 1. The annual recurring savings on staff is the difference between school open and mothballed. A further saving of £45,175 will be realised if Inveravon is closed and after cash conserved salary periods end (3 years from closure). 2. Due to small pupil numbers and no staff taken on during mothballing of Inveravon there is no impact on staff costs at either Aberlour or Glenlivet primary schools if rezoned 3: Cost for pupil transport was not impacted when temporary rezoning to Knockando on mothballing of Interavon. Similarly the recontracting for 21/22 would not be impacted in Inveravon did reopen Notes Table 3 Current revenue costs for school proposed for closure Table 2 Annual Property costs incurred (mothballing) until closure Non-recurring revenue costs Item 16* Page 219
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development Appendix B Public Consultation Meeting Closure of Inveravon Primary School 27 September 2022 at 1.30pm In Person meeting at Inveravon Church Moray Council Officers present: Jo Shirriffs, Head of Education Resources & Communities; Andy Hall, Programme Manager (Learning Estate); Stewart McLauchlan, Quality improvement Manager; Jane Martin Community Support Officer (Learning Estate) HMI Inspector Present Sheila Brown Elected Members present: None Public attendance 11 members of the public also attended – one of whom arrived during the discussions. Apologies: No apologies were received. 1. Welcome and Introductions Andy Hall opened the meeting and welcomed everyone to the meeting. He introduced the officer present and that a minute would be taken by Jane Martin. Andy Hall confirmed the format of the meeting would be an overview of the proposal by a PowerPoint presentation followed by an opportunity for discussion from the floor. 2. Consultation Overview Andy Hall informed the meeting that the proposal currently under statutory consultation is the closure of Inveravon Primary School. The consultation proposes to discontinue education at Inveravon School, which is currently mothballed and re- assign its catchment area to other school(s) within the Speyside High School ASG. 3. Consultation process The consultation is in line with the School (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. The 2010 Act’s principal purpose is to provide strong, accountable statutory consultation practices and procedures that local authorities must apply to their handling of all proposals for school closures and other major changes to schools. The consultation will take into account • Any reasonable alternatives to the proposal • Specific requirements to be reviewed for a rural school Item 16* Page 221
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development • the likely educational benefits; • the likely community impact; and • the likely effect of any different travelling arrangements These consultation processes are expected to be robust, open, transparent and fair, and seen to be so. The process runs Monday 29 August 2022 to Friday 7 October 2022. 4. Background No children have attended Inveravon Primary School since the end of session 2016/17, when the school was mothballed. The decision to mothball was taken as no pupils were enrolled from August 2017. There have been no parents that have chosen to enrol their children at Inveravon Primary School up to and including the 2022/23 sessions. The number of primary school children in the Inveravon Primary School catchment totals 15 for the 2022/23 session. There were a series of Community engagement on the school in February and March 2022 with online public meetings. Comments boxes were left in key locations in the area from February to August for the general public to make comments. The outcome of the Options Appraisal was presented to the Education, Childcare and Leisure Services Committee on 24 August 2022. After deliberation and a vote approval was agreed by Councillors for Public Consultation on the closure of Inveravon School. 5. Options Considered Alternatives to Closure: • to re-open Inveravon Primary School with its current catchment area • to continue with the current “mothballing” arrangement Proposed Options: • Option 1 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School. As per current mothball arrangement. Transportation will be provided by the council. Parental option to out of school catchment, transportation will not be funded • Option 2 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary School. Considers Maryhill catchment shifting to Aberour School. Council funded transportation provided to Knockando and Aberlour schools within respective catchments. Parental option to request school out of catchment, transportation will not be provided. • Option 3 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. Considers Maryhill catchment shifting to Aberlour School and small are to Glenlivet, determined by Page 222
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development postcode. Council funded transportation provided to Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet within respective catchments. Parental option for request school out of catchment, transportation will not be funded. Discounted Options: • Option 4 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone with Aberlour Primary School • Option 5 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone with Glenlivet Primary School Public submissions during consultation • A copy of our statutory consultation document which proposes the closure of Inveravon Primary School can be accessed on the Moray Council website at: • http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_105407.html • Full copies of the proposal are available for reference at Elgin Library; Aberlour Library; Ballindalloch Post Office; Glenlivet Medical Practice; Aberlour Primary School; Glenlivet Primary School; Knockando Primary School; and Speyside High School. • If you would like to receive a copy by email or post, please contact the Learning Estate Team by emailing learningestate@moray.gov.uk. • The consultation will run from 29 August until 7 October 2022 and an online survey will be available as part of the process. This can be completed at the following address or by scanning the QR code. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/InveravonConsultation • Any written comments on the proposal must be received by Moray Council within this time in order for them to be taken into account. They should either be posted to Learning Estate Team, Moray Council Office, Room 207a, High Street, Elgin, Moray, IV30 1BX or emailed to learningestate@moray.gov.uk 6. Next Steps • Phase 2 - Consultation (concludes 7 October 2022) • Phase 3 – on submission of consultation and other documentation Education Scotland will prepare report on the educational aspects of the proposal (3 weeks) HMI visit 25/26 Oct Meetings at schools/parental sessions • Phase 4 – Preparation and publication of consultation report • Phase 5 – Decision process ➢ 25 January 2023 - Recommendation to Education, Childcare and Leisure Services Committee ➢ 1 March 2023 - Recommendation to and decision at Full Council ➢ If closure decision: Authority must notify Scottish Ministers with 6 working days Publish notice on website Page 223
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development Closure Decision • Phase 6 – Ministerial call in ➢ Initial 3 weeks from notification of decision anyone can make representation to Ministers ➢ Further 5 weeks for Ministers to decide whether or not to issue a call- in notice ➢ During 8 week period the Authority cannot proceed to implement proposed closure • Phase 7 – School Closure Review Panel ➢ If Ministers call in ➢ Max 9 to 17 weeks Non-closure Decision • Phase 8 – Restriction on school closure for 5 years 7. Questions from the floor Andy Hall opened the floor for questions, asking anyone wishing to comment may do so. Deputy Lord Lieutenant – The school is in bad order, how has this been allowed to happen what will the cost to get the building back into order. AH – Although this is a valid criticism, Inveravon is on par with other schools across Moray. A make-do-and-mend approach has been adopted across the Moray school estate. The school has been maintained wind and watertight and a flood issue was addressed last winter. During Covid there authority had different priorities to meet. The school and land is not owned by the authority but Ballindalloch Estate and would be handed back. Deputy Lord Lieutenant – appreciate that not enough resources from the government are given to councils to look after schools. Glenllivet & Inveravon Development Trust – Is this why we did not get parents signing up for the school as it is not viable. AH – There are historical reasons not related to school condition; the size of the school role, peer interactions, parental choice. Resident – I spoke to parents who were opposed not all parents were of the same mind. Resident – Parents won’t put their children to a school that has been mothballed. Resident – How many schools have been mothballed in Moray? AH – I am aware of only one school within last 15 year, Cabrach Primary School. The mothballing of Inveravon came into play when the school role fell to zero. Parents took the decision to move their children when families relocated and the role fell to five in August 2017. The council had no policy at the time to trigger numbers to consider mothballing. Page 224
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development SM - In terms of Education Benefits, we outlined the range of experiences and opportunities presented from attending neighbouring schools in line with HMI guidance. Inveravon has been mothballed for 5 years and is not operational. Children indicate from responses that they are happy attending other schools and have wider opportunities for mixing with peers, ages, engagement in group activities and wide educational benefits. Description is not provided regarding education benefits for Inveravon where currently the school is mothballed and any commentary would have been in past times, when the school was operating in a very different climate. Glenlivet & Inveravon Development Trust – Is Glenlivet Primary School at risk of closing? AH – It is not at risk, the current school role is twenty four and is steady for the foreseeable future. The Scottish Government Policy is to keep rural schools open. Resident – My granddaughter had a great experience at the school, my daughter was disappointed that she had to take her daughter out. My personal view is that other parents campaigned to keep it open. Resident – I went to Inveravon has a child, we had a large room compartmented to peer groups, this is as healthy as a large peer group. AH – Nobody has said that the school was not performing. The evidence we have on the situation was that parents elected to move their children from the school therefore the role fell to zero. Resident – Once a school is mothballed it is doomed and becomes a foregone conclusion, it is economically driven rather that educational. AH – That is not the approach of Moray Council. The 2010 Act protects all rural schools. If there is evidence of a desire to re-open Inveravon Primary School we would, but we cannot remain in a mothballed situation indefinitely. The driver is that the school role is zero and there has been no interest in children enrolling over the last 5 years. Resident – Why was the school not showing on the Moray Council website as an available school? This was not an ideal situation to encourage parents to choose. Why has it taken 5 years? The decision has already been made. AH – We are a relatively new team who have inherited the situation and realise that errors may have been made in the past, when we were made aware of this previously by yourself we remedied it immediately. Covid put a halt on moving forward with the school. JS – We want to ensure you that we will presenting everything fully, notes are being taken today of discussions and will be presented in the report. AH – We have been open and honest about how thinks may have been done better in the past. Please respond to the consultation. This information will be Page 225
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development collated and included in the final report for Councillors to inform their future decision. Resident – Why has it taken over the 3 years recommended for mothballing? JS – Acknowledge that this should have happened earlier. Various circumstances led us into this situation. Covid was one of the main contributing factors, also there has been a staff restructuring within the Council during this same period. There is now the new team established to take forward the Learning Estate and ensure this does not happen again. Resident – Have you had discussions with councillors for the ward? AH – Pre engagement discussions have been made with all councillors. Resident – How much has been taken into account for the social circumstances for residents, many who move into the area for rural living. If the school is closed the community have no chance for regeneration. AH – The land and building is owned by the Ballindalloch Estate, if the school is closed everything will be transferred back to them. We have and will continue to forward ideas for the use of the school building should the decision to close be taken that are provided to use via the previous engagement and current consultation process. A number of these ideas – such as rural business hub – seek to support area regeneration. Resident – The Church built the school AH – I was not aware of that. We do not have access to the original full title deeds (which would be over 100 years old), our legal department are working on getting access to these. What is not in doubt is the ownership issue – the land and, by inference the building on it, would transfer to the Ballindalloch Estate if the school closes. A small strip of ground in the playground is owned by the council, it is not viable in isolation and would be transferred also. JS – This is a unique historical situation regarding the building, as Andy has said our legal team are working on this. AH – The Ballindalloch Estate have their own thoughts on regeneration. Although we have no influence on the future we will share ideas from the engagement and consultation process Resident – The discussion with the council is about the social loss. Speyside receive a disproportionate contribution are they looking at support for the social factors. JS – This was picked up in the consultation proposal document, we can only work with the information and data we have, it is difficult to invest if we cannot plan. AH – Moray council does look at economic growth and nothing has changed in the last 5 years Page 226
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development AH – This will go to committee with elected members who will have the final decision on the school with the information presented to them from the consultation. Resident – My mothballing understanding that the building stays in a functional state. JS – We have been dealing with a make-do-and-mend focus on schools that are in use. AH – I inherited the approach and is not the best way to manage old buildings. Incidents have happened in the school building over the last few years and theses have been addressed. A recent Conditions survey states that it is at a category C which is in line with the majority of schools across Moray. Resident – You should have come across and email I sent in 2018 regarding the Gazebo and Polly Tunnel that the school fundraised for, that was destroyed and taken down following mothballing. AH – I have been made aware of this but do have any historical communications – we continue to try and ascertain the facts about what happen will look to provide a formal response in our consultation report. We appreciate that issues during mothballing could have been handled better and we have explained that this was partly due to organisational restructuring, resourcing and COVID issues during this same period. Resident – There is a pattern in every step you have taken to close the school, foregone conclusion! Resident – What has been the involvement of the Councillors? I contacted Walter Wilson and received no reply. AH – We went through the proposal document with local Councillors and they have seen the evidence presented to them informally and in Committee. The key things for what next is we have published and shared the proposals with the community and councillors and engaging with the community with meetings this afternoon and evening with an online meeting tomorrow We have two weeks to submit our consultation proposal and feedback to Education Scotland. They will have three weeks to respond, during this time they will meet with parents and children of the schools and report. Once complete we will prepare and publish the final Consultation report, capturing all comments, but note that there may be some gaps in historical data for reasons previously stated Resident - In terms of options for the catchment, why has Glenlivet School not been included we are a community. AH – A full re-zoning to Glenlivet was not consider as there had been on historical or recent desire at engagement session earlier this year for parents to send their Page 227
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development children to Glenlivet. In addition we also considered average distances of travel and winter road conditions. Resident – Did parents choose Knockando School and the few that went to Aberlour? AH – Our understanding is that the majority of parents choose to send their children to Knockando as the schools share a Head Teacher and it was similar rural school setting. During mothballing the Inveravon catchment has been temporarily rezoned to Knockando so that transportation is provided. We are not aware of the reasons why a couple of families elected to enrol their children at Aberlour but that was their parental choice. These families do not benefit from Council provided transport. Resident – Moray Council has hostility, actions and attitude to rural schools AH – We have not seen evidence of this. We have acknowledged that the Council could done better at communicating the situation since mothballing – but since the Learning Estate Team has been established the lessons learnt have been addressed. Resident – Has there been a Moray Quality audit since 2012. SM – We undertake regular Quality Improvement Visits to schools undertaken by link Quality Improvement Officers. We currently use How Good is Our School? Version 4 quality indicator framework where at that time, pre 2016/2017 we used an older framework – How Good Is Our School? 3 which is not current. Any commentary made is now time-served based on education standards at that time. HMIe have also removed older pre-2016 Inspection Reports from their website for this reason, showing only a moment in time based on staffing etc. at that time. It would not be possible to compare time-served reports and audits with current status quo in schools, post-pandemic. Learner views are central to our processes. We currently base our visits and evaluations on How Good is Our School version 4. Resident – You are taking the heart out of the community there is a broader philosophy to education. I am shocked what is going on, this effects the widespread community with other things closing the Hotel what next the shop? Why in a number of weeks did the school role go from 10 to zero? Has there been an investigation to quantity and quality of school staff. JS – The consultation process will allow us to capture the feelings of the community and parents. We are new to the process and building a picture of what has happened and ensuring that lessons learnt for the future. AH – Responses from parents at the time have not commented on issues of quantity and quality of school staff impacting any decisions to move their children out of school. Page 228
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development Deputy Lord Lieutenant – I am appalled at what has happened and will be writing to the Chief Executive to ask for a full investigation, I appreciate that you have inherited this but we need to know what happened. Resident – The remote possibility that the school will re-open what will happen if it is not fit for purpose. AH – If the decision is to keep the school open it will be made fit for purpose. This will be dependent on parents establishing and interest to put their child to Inveravon Primary. Resident – The Head Teacher left and a temp in her place what happened. SM – Staff leave for a number of reasons and this may include progression on to new roles as experienced. We cannot stop career development or staff desire to move on but work to support schools where this may have happen with backfill and appointment. I know that schools may want to keep teachers they hold in high regard but this is out with the local authority control and down to individual teacher’s wishes. We continue to support recruitment to posts and staff professional development but at times have a limited supply available. Resident – Rural Schools are on a knife edge regarding there viability AH - Rural schools in Moray, as with many Local Authorities in Scotland pose a challenge with a majority with falling rolls and increasing costs. However, the School Act 2010 makes clear additional factors that should be applied and considered when considering the closure of a rural school. These have been applied during the options appraisal and detailed in the closure proposal for Inveravon Primary School. 8 Close Andy Hall thanked everyone for attending the meeting and the importance of officers gaining feedback. He encouraged everyone to participate fully in the consultation and promoted the online survey, the Speyside High School meeting in the evening and the online meeting the next day, 28th September, an invite to which can be obtained by emailing the learning estate team. Page 229
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development Appendix C Public Consultation Meeting Closure of Inveravon Primary School 27 September 2022 at 7.00pm In Person meeting at Speyside High School Moray Council Officers present: Jo Shirriffs, Head of Education Resources & Communities; Andy Hall, Programme Manager (Learning Estate); Stewart McLauchlan, Quality improvement Manager; Jane Martin Community Support Officer (Learning Estate) HMI Inspector Present Sheila Brown Elected Members present: None Public attendance 2 members of the public also attended Apologies: No apologies were received. 1. Welcome and Introductions The members of public agreed not to continue with the presentation, however if there should be any further attendees the meeting would proceed. They reiterated to officers there comments from the meeting at Inveravon Church in the afternoon. 2. Close The meeting concluded at 8:00pm with not further attendees. Item 16* Page 231
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development Appendix D Online Public Consultation Meeting Closure of Inveravon Primary School 28 September 2022 at 7pm Moray Council Officers present: Andy Hall, Programme Manager (Learning Estate) One member of the public (a local resident) attended the meeting Apologies: No apologies were received. 1. Welcome and Introductions Andy Hall introduced himself and welcome the attendee to the meeting and laid out the agenda for the meeting. He informed the attendee that written minutes would be taken of the meeting and made public as part of the consultation. 2. Consultation Overview Andy Hall informed the attendee that the proposal currently under statutory consultation is the closure of Inveravon Primary School. The consultation proposes to discontinue education at Inveravon School, which is currently mothballed and re- assign its catchment area to other school(s) within the Speyside High School Associated Support Group. The consultation is in line with the School (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. The 2010 Act’s principal purpose is to provide strong, accountable statutory consultation practices and procedures that local authorities must apply to their handling of all proposals for school closures and other major changes to schools. The consultation will take into account: • Any reasonable alternatives to the proposal; • Specific requirements to be reviewed for a rural school; • the likely educational benefits; • the likely community impact; and, • the likely effect of any different travelling arrangements. These consultation processes are expected to be robust, open, transparent and fair, and seen to be so. The process runs Monday 29 August 2022 to Friday 7 October 2022. Item 16* Page 233
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development 3. Background The decision to mothball Inveravon Primary School was taken as no pupils were enrolled from August 2017. No children have attended Inveravon Primary School since the end of session 2016/17, when the school was mothballed. There have been no parents chosen to enrol their children at Inveravon Primary School up to and including the 2022/23 sessions. The number of primary school children in the Inveravon Primary School catchment totals 15 for the 2022/23 session and these are attending either Knockando or Aberlour Primary School. A series of community engagements on the school took place in February and March 2022 with online public meetings. Comments boxes were left in key locations in the Inveravon catchment area between February to August for the general public to make comments. The outcome of the Options Appraisal was presented to the Education, Childcare and Leisure Services Committee on 24 August 2022. After deliberation a vote to approve consultation on the closure of Inveravon School was taken. 4. Options Considered Andy Hall report that a number of alternatives to closure and a number of options that involved closure were considered and the following were outlined at the meeting: Alternatives to Closure: • to re-open Inveravon Primary School with its current catchment area • to continue with the current “mothballing” arrangement Proposed Options: • Option 1 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School. As per current mothball arrangement. Transportation will be provided by the council. Parental option to out of school catchment, transportation will not be funded • Option 2 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary School. Considers Maryhill catchment shifting to Aberour School. Council funded transportation provided to Knockando and Aberlour schools within respective catchments. Parental option to request school out of catchment, transportation will not be provided. • Option 3 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. Considers Maryhill catchment shifting to Aberlour School and small are to Glenlivet, determined by postcode. Council funded transportation provided to Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet within respective catchments. Parental option for request school out of catchment, transportation will not be funded. Page 234
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development Discounted Options: • Option 4 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone with Aberlour Primary School • Option 5 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone with Glenlivet Primary School Andy Hall stressed that it is important in considering the proposed options that they did not have adversely impact any children currently attending the schools affected by this proposal and continuity in their education was paramount. He stated that whichever decision is taken, all existing pupils will not be required to change their school. This will also apply to any younger siblings of those pupils, provided they remain at the same primary school. 5. Questions from the floor Andy Hall opened the session for questions: Resident: In the event of closure could the school be considered for use as an outward-bound centre similar to Nethy Bridge? Andy Hall: If the school were to closure the land and the buildings on it would be handed back to the Ballindalloch who had gifted the land in early 19th century to the then community council as per the land deed agreement so the Council are not in a position to change use; however, community ideas on how the building and land could be used would be forward to the Ballindalloch Estate for their considerations. This idea would be added to this list. Resident: Could the building be kept open by the Council turned into a local nursery? Andy Hall: The idea had been discussed with ELC colleagues but the focus on their investment was in the current ELC facilities within Aberlour. Resident: Could the building be kept open and refurbished as an Additional Support Needs (ASN) centre? Andy Hall: Moray Council policy is that we endeavour that Additional Support Needs for children and young people should be delivered in a mainstream school. Aberlour Primary School has the Primary Enhanced Provision base for children with Additional Support Needs for the Speyside Associated Schools Group. Most children attend for part of the time, also attending mainstream classes. Knockando and Glenlivet Primary School class teachers support all children where required with support assistant input for targeted need. There is no identified requirement for additional capacity and therefore no justified investment. Further general discussions on the Moray Learning Estate strategy took place for the remainder of the session. 6. Next Steps On conclusion of questions Andy Hall outlined the next steps in the process: Page 235
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development • Phase 2 - Consultation (concludes 7 October 2022) • Phase 3 – on submission of consultation and other documentation Education Scotland will prepare report on the educational aspects of the proposal (3 weeks) ➢ HMI visit 25/26 October ➢ Meetings at schools/parental sessions • Phase 4 – Preparation and publication of consultation report • Phase 5 – Decision process ➢ 25 January 2023 - Recommendation to Education, Childcare and Leisure Services Committee ➢ 1 March 2023 - Recommendation to and decision at Full Council ➢ If closure decision: Authority must notify Scottish Ministers with 6 working days Publish notice on website 7. Close Andy Hall closed the meeting by emphasising that it is important the Council gain feedback regarding the meeting and the proposal and encouraged further comment and/or feedback via the online survey or direct email to the Learning Estates Team. Andy Hall closed the meeting at 7:40pm Page 236
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MORAY COUNCIL LEARNING ESTATE PROGRAMME Education, Communities & Organisational Development If a Closure Decision • Phase 6 – Ministerial call in ➢ Initial 3 weeks from notification of decision anyone can make representation to Ministers ➢ Further 5 weeks for Ministers to decide whether or not to issue a call-in notice ➢ During 8 week period the Authority cannot proceed to implement proposed closure • Phase 7 – School Closure Review Panel ➢ If Ministers call in ➢ Max 9 to 17 weeks If a Non-closure Decision • Phase 8 – Restriction on school closure for 5 years 8. Close Andrew Hall thanked everyone for attending the meeting and the importance of officers gaining feedback. He encouraged everyone to participate fully in the consultation and promoted the online survey, the Speyside High School meeting in the evening and the online meeting the next day ,28th September, an invite to which can be obtained by emailing the learning estate team. Page 237
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Inveravon Primary School Closure Proposal Parental Feedback (Pre Consultation and Consultation) APPENDIX E Comment/Suggestion Pre-consultation (December 2021- March 2022) 1 Email – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Whilst it would be lovely for our █to attend school much closer to home than Knockando, I strongly feel that the quality of █ social and academic education should come first. Unless the school roll can be reliably and consistently at a level to facilitate age appropriate group learning and play activities then I would not support the reopening of Inveravon Primary. By this, I'm not an expert, but I would be thinking in the order of 25+ pupils. There is so much to be gained in the social interactions and the things that are possible with the increased numbers at the combined provision, but for current skills development and in preparation for high school and beyond. A number of years ago there was suggestion of a new build combined school for Knockando, Inveravon and Glenlivet at a site in Marypark. This would have been excellent. I am very happy with the calibre of teaching and support at Knockando, but modern facilities (and space!) would really benefit all the pupils. Whatever decision is made it must be one that is in the best interests of current and future pupils. I am well aware personally and professionally of the implications in regard to transport etc., but do not find these unresolvable. There are of course wider community benefits that come from having a school facility in a rural community, but these should not overshadow the main function of the building. 2 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Children at Knockando their whole school life. Another starting in August. If they went to Inveravon they would be in class by themselves which would be unsettling for the child. 3 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) Close it, sell it! 4 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) As a parent of 2 school aged children, I feel Inveravon needs closed completely, ASAP. My children are very happy attending Knockando Primary School and I would not be moving then under any circumstances. It also seems unfair that Knockando Primary cannot have a permanent Heat Teacher until this is resolved. 5 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) We feel Inveravon Primary should be closed and financial & staff resources should be consolidated to provide a modern equipped resource for the wider area. 6 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) I think Moray Council needs to fully close Inveravon as it is just wasting money which could be used to improve education elsewhere in the area. There will never Item 16* Page 239
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Inveravon Primary School Closure Proposal Parental Feedback (Pre Consultation and Consultation) be enough children to deem the school fit to be open so it needs to be closed not mothballed. 7 Survey – Parent (Inveravon Catchment) We are delighted with the education provision at Knockando Primary school. Our children love going to School and feel part of the school community. In the event of Inveravon primary School closing, we would hope that our children continue to be zoned to Knockando primary School. Consultation (August 2022 to 7 October 2022) 8 Knockando Parent/Carer (Inveravon Catchment) We are only temporary residents to the area so feel we can’t formerly comment. However, having attended Inveravon Primary myself as a child and now seeing my children currently attend Knocked Primary I feel the recourses are/can be better used by moving them fully to Knockando. I feel the school at Knockando is very well run (in our experience) and being part of a slightly larger school community with access to better resources is far more beneficial for our children. Families have the option of applying to Aberlour and Glenlivet also which again fields resources/funding to established learning communities. Rural schools are very important but in this case our family feels there are better opportunities at other schools which would be further enhanced if funding was not re-directed into re-opening Inveravon and rather put towards the other “rural” schools still open in the area. I have very fond memories of my time at Inveravon but in this current age, this school is no longer sustainable in my opinion. 9 Knockando Parent/Carer (Inveravon Catchment) We are delighted with the education provision at Knockando Primary School. Our children love going to school and feel part of the school community. In the event of Inveravon Primary School closing, we would hope that our children continue to be zoned to Knockando Primary School. Page 240
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Appendix F Inveravon Primary School Closure Aberlour Primary School Pupil Engagement • Do you think Inveravon Primary School should re-open? Why? P1-2 If some people went to Inveravon then there would be less people at other schools. It make more children learn People wouldn’t have to drive so far then they could go to that school (Inveravon). New children can go to the school, get invited, and get a new teacher. P2-3 It’s the closest school to me it has nature around it that I like It would cost less in fuel if the people could walk there Some people might live really close and it would be easier to get there. P4-5 No pupils have heard of the school P5-6 Yes – because some children may need to go to there if there are no room elsewhere. Lots of children like there and not school nearby Aberlour to far – long journey for parents, expensive at the moment. Children’s rights – right to education so the school should reopen. Fuel prices going up – to expensive. P6-7 I don’t know where Inveravon school is or what it is – 17 responses Not bothered about it Yes - 1 response No – everyone is happy in their new schools. ASN Not able to comment • If Inveravon Primary School did re-open, would you like to go there? Why? P1-2 Yes – could do lots of fun activities Lots of art there Not sure No – it might have a smaller playground Picked up by anyone Not as fun things as here (Aberlour) Games would be different Classrooms smaller Friends different Item 16* Page 241
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P2-3 Because it is closer to me P4-5 No responses P5-6 Yes - It’s the closest school to my house, would like a change, but would miss friends. No – Mostly P6-7 No – want to stay at Aberlour I should have gone to that school but I live sometimes in Aberlour with Dad and Mum works in Aberlour ASN Not able to comment • What do you like about your current school? What would be different if you had to go to Inveravon Primary School? P1-2 Likes about Aberlour Primary School Teachers Do PE in a big playground Playing I like the writing we do I like focussing on my task Like the toys The homework What would be different Food Different tables (colours) Not nice teachers The hallways Toys Would be as kind P2-3 Like about Aberlour Primary Playing with friends Kind teachers If I’m not feeling well my house is not far away I like the classrooms and all the stuff on the walls Wonderful people I love the garden I like the work P4-5 What we like at current school Doing science, reading, learning maths, PE, nice teachers who are fun, grammar, ICT with Mrs Griffiths, art Page 242
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P5-6 Lots of friends and good food Teachers are nice here Nice classrooms, colourful Like how teachers are caring – handle my allergy Wouldn’t have friends at new school, everything would be different. Wouldn’t know anyone/teachers Don’t know routines of a new school P6-7 Big playground and playground equipment, garden, teaches and pupils are nice, lots of people in the school so lots of friends, lots of opportunities and activities. The school is financially stable People are treated equally Covid masks are no longer needed Different class combinations and composites. It has heating Don’t know what would be different. People could use Inveravon for something else – farmers market, community hall. ASN Not able to comment. Glenlivet Primary School Pupil Engagement – P1-7 (13 pupils present) • Do you think Inveravon Primary School should re-open? Why? P1-7 There are 13 children in school today, 5 children knew where Inveravon Primary School is 10 out of 13 thought the school should re-open P7 pupil said, “Maybe more families will move into the area. It would be hard for them without a school nearby. P6 pupil said, “I think it should reopen so that the children can go to the same school as their friends.” P6 pupil said, “I think it should reopen so that the children can go to the same school as their friends.” • If Inveravon Primary School did re-open, would you like to go there? Why? P1-7 No one wanted to go to Inveravon if it reopened One P6 children said, “It might be a good school, but we don’t know.” • What do you like about your current school? What would be different if you had to go to Inveravon Primary School? P1-7 These are the comments from the class about their school Page 243
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Friendly children and staff, I like all the people, everyone is nice to each other Good teachers Maths lessons Colourful environment inside and outside I like everything I like the playground and the playground equipment. I like the variety of ways you can achieve in school My teacher makes learning fun There are lots of active outdoor activities to do, for example walks, gardening and Woodland Wednesdays. Knockando Primary School Pupil Engagement – All responses collated here • Do you think Inveravon Primary School should re-open? Why? P1-7 21/37 possible said ‘Yes’ it should re-open but most of these couldn’t give a reason why and only 2 are zoned for Inveravon ‘I remember it being a nice school in P1.’ P7 Former pupil, no longer ‘I remember it was a nice school for visiting.’ P7 pupil, Archiestown My friends Mum used to work there.’, P5 pupil, Carron • If Inveravon Primary School did re-open, would you like to go there? Why? P1-7 8/37 pupils said they would like to go there. Of these 5 are zoned for Inveravon Smaller school and more space (Ballindalloch) Nice school (Ballindalloch) I’ve been to different schools and I like going to different schools as more chance of seeing a friend at the park. (Carron) An older sibling went there (Ballindalloch) Nearer to home (Ballindalloch) • What do you like about your current school? What would be different if you had to go to Inveravon Primary School? P1-7 What do you like about your current school? The outdoor space and playground, monkey bars (Archiestown) The size – small number of pupils (Ballindalloch) All my friends are at Knockando (Ballindalloch) I’ve been here a long time and I’m settled here (Knockando) All the staff and pupils are really nice and kind (Archiestown) At Knockando there are children from different communities together (Ballindalloch) It’s not too crowded with 3 classes, good size (Ballindalloch) Page 244
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It’s welcoming (Archiestown) There are lots of active outdoor activities to do, for example walks, gardening and Woodland Wednesdays. Teachers and staff are nice (Archiestown) P1-7 What would be different if you had to go to Inveravon Primary School? Different staff and routines (Ballindalloch) Would need to make new friends (Ballindalloch) There’d be only one class (Knockando) Less green space (Knockando) Teachers would be different (Carron) Don’t know if people would like me (Ballindalloch) Page 245
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? Appendix G Inveravon Primary School consultation Online survey responses report ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 1 Aberlour Parent/carer No Yes Aberlour Option 3 Yes No preference Not answered Not answered 2 Aberlour Parent/carer Yes No Not answered Option 1 No I don't support the closure of any school Option 3 The children should be kept together if relocated and not split up. Not answered 3 Knockando Parent/carer Yes No Not answered Option 1 Yes No preference Not answered Not answered 4 Aberlour Parent/carer No No Not answered No preference Yes No preference Not answered Not answered 5 Knockando Parent/carer Yes No Not answered Option 3 No Option 1,2,3 N/A N/A 6 Inveravon Parent/carer Yes Yes Knockando Option 1 Yes No preference Not answered Not answered 7 Inveravon Community member No No Not answered Option 3 No It would seem better to keep mothballed in case the potential pupil numbers increase in the next decade. No preference Not answered Not answered 8 Aberlour Community member N/A No Not answered Option 3 Yes No preference Not answered Not answered 9 Inveravon Parent/carer Yes No Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Item 16* Page 247
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 10 Inveravon Community member No No Not answered No preference No No preference No preference Parents should be allowed to choose which schools they put their child to if in Inveravon area - whether that be Glenlivet, Knockando or Aberlour - they should not be restricted and should have the option of the 3 schools. 11 Knockando Parent/carer Yes No Not answered Option 1 Yes Option 2 and 3 Knockando is a great size of school and within a good distance of our home. My children are settled in Knockando and I would not relocate them to another school. Not answered 12 Glenlivet Community member N/A No Not answered Option 3 Yes No preference Not answered Not answered 13 Aberlour Community member No No Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Page 248
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 14 Glenlivet Community member No No Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered 15 Glenlivet Parent/carer & community member No No Not answered Option 3 No No preference Not answered Not answered 16 Inveravon Community member No No Not answered Option 2 No It is a tragedy for the Ballindalloch community that Inveravon Primary school has effectively been closed already. Such a school is the centre of the community and now we no longer have it. I very much hope that the lessons of the past 5 years have been understood by the Moray Council and that lessons will be learnt for the future. Option 3 It seems totally irrelevant, the area concerned appears to be a bit of hill side. Until the reasons for the pupil roll at Inveravon dropping so suddenly within a 3-week period are admitted, analysed and assessed, it seems that lessons cannot be learnt about how to keep our current rural primary schools. 17 Aberlour Parent/carer Yes No Not answered Option 3 No See commenti Option 3 See comment ii See comment iii 18 Knockando Parent/carer Yes Yes Knockando Option 1 Yes Option 2 and 3 Knockando Primary benefits from the larger numbers and has the capacity. Children from Inveravon would have an overalll safer journey to school by taking the quieter road to Knockando. Page 249
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 19 Inveravon Community organisation N/A No Not answered Option 3 No As a scattered rural parish, the school was the essentialcentre of the community without this key establishment thelikelihood of the area supporting or attracting young familiesto live is drastically reduced. Option 1,2,3 Inveravon is a joint parish with Glenlivet in community and association terms. The rezoning to Knockando and Aberlour means that the children will not meet others in their own community (except on a bus) and due to the distance from their homes after- school activities would be difficult to say the least. The road to Knockando from Inveravon can be extremely hazardous in winter with drifting snow due to its exposure, whereas the road to Glenlivet is a B road and kept reasonably clear. The whole process of mothballing has been very painful. The schools outside equipment was removed within months of the decision to mothball as were most of the teaching aids. The building and grounds have been completely neglected - a sad reflection on Moray Council. Page 250
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 20 Inveravon Community member No Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered 21 Glenlivet Other - granparents N/A No Not answered Option 3 No Option 1,2,3 Not enough choice Not answered 22 Inveravon Community member NA No Not answered No preference No School should be maintained and used as a community resource No preference Not answered As said above, the school should be maintained and kept as a community resoutrce, with a view perhaps to re-opening as a school if the young population increases, but if not as a workshops, meeting centre. Page 251
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 23 Aberlour Other - grandparent N/A No Not answered No preference No Moray Council lied. Parents had been told by them that the school was closing in August. That is why 'no pupils attended in August 2017'. Am disgusted by the pretence by the Council that the decision to close Is based on parents taking their children away resulting in there being no roll in August 2017. Moray Council is only too aware of why there were no pupils: it was because the parents were given no choice. Am angry and distressed by the closure of this rural school. It had an exemplary track record, provided an outstanding educational experience for the children and was at the very centre of the community which will be devastated by its closure. But you know all this. Shame on you, Moray Council. No Not answered There is no point. I attended the consultation meetings. I said my piece - as many others have and much more eloquently than I. It just saddens me that our collective voice will be ignored. You know what you are going to do. Tell yourself whatever you need to keep your job and to feel no guilt or shame for lying. Page 252
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 24 Inveravon Parent/carer Yes No Not answered Option 1 Yes Option 3 I would not like to send my children to Glenlivet Primary School 25 Inveravon Parent/carer Yes No Not answered Option 1 Yes School unsuitable due to small numbers Option 3 I don't think Glenlivet Primary will be sustainable in the future. I am very happy with the size of school and interaction at Knockando Primary. Both my children attend the school and with some investment in indoor sports space, the school would be perfect. 26 Inveravon Community member N/A No Not answered Option 3 No If Moray Council has shown due commitment to an excellent school, it would never have imploded. Option 1 and 2 Glenlivet needs an enlarged catchment area if it is to be sustainable. Glenlivet/Inveravo n is an established community. If Inveravon catchment children do not go to Glenlivet then Glenlivet will be next on Moray Council's target list for closure - this must not happen. 27 Inveravon Community member No No Not answered No preference No No preference Not answered Not answered Page 253
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 28 Glenlivet Parent/carer No No Not answered Option 3 Yes I understand the building is in disrepair and can't be fixed but I believe more of the catchment should be sent to Glenlivet as closer and increases school roll there. Option 1 and 2 Pupils should go to Glenlivet Not answered 29 Glenlivet Parent/carer No Yes Glenlivet Option 3 Yes If it is currently not in use. Option 1 and 2 The fairest way to ensure the sustainability of the smaller schools such as Glenlivet would be for an even split regarding catchment areas. Also Glenlivet is the closest to Inveravon and so surely from a geographical concept pupils and families would benefit from Glenlivet being included option 3 Glenlivet currently is deemed to be a very good school achieving good results. Allegedly if numbers fall below 15 then this school will also come under scrutiny for closer. Aberlour and Knockando are some way away from the Glenlivet catchment area Page 254
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? ID Q1: Do you live in: Q2: Are you a: Q3: Do you have a child affected by the changes? * Q4: Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? Q5: Which school? Q6: Which option do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? Q7:Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School Comments Q8: Do you think any of the options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which ones. Q9: Please state your reasons why you think this option should be discounted. Q10: Please provide any other comments. 30 Glenlivet Parent/carer No No Not answered Option 3 Yes Option 1 No practical for all families and prevents representative schools Not answered 31 Glenlivet Parent/carer No No Not answered Option 3 No No preference N/A The closure of rural primary schools contributes to the depopulation of rural areas and further reduction in rural services. I understand the financial constraints, but I do not believe this is helpful for revitalising rural areas. 32 Inveravon Community organisation Yes Yes Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered 33 Aberlour Parent/carer staff member No No Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Not answered Legend: Option 1 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School. Page 255
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? Option 2 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary School. Option 3 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools. i Inveravon: An Exceptional School. My daughter (name of child redacted) attended Inveravon until its closure in 2017. This was a blow to both her and I for several reasons. (Name of child redacted) had previously attended Craigellachie Primary for her 1st year at school. Once she started at Inveravon in Primary 2 it became apparent that this school was a cut above the rest. (Redacted)'s reading, comprehension, maths and overall confidence and interpersonal skills with her peers excelled tenfold within a very short time of starting Inveravon. I could not believe the difference in her and I put this down to the approach that their amazing staff had towards education and development. Children were encouraged to help and/or learn alongside peers out with their 'age group' and it was a regular occurrence that, providing all class work was completed, children were then taken outside to explore gardening, STEM and physical activities to really enhance and compliment the learning they had in the classroom. The standard held at Inveravon was second to none and if this school was to reopen (or had it stayed open) I would have been incredibly excited to send my now 2yr old when she is ready to begin her primary education. Inveravon primary was not just a school however, it was a community hub. Classes for locals were held there and fundraising activities run by the school were always a hit. I had never felt so at home, so welcome or such a part of a community than when Inveravon was open. The spirit of the local community definitely dampened when the school was no longer open. I would like to share my experience regarding the ""mothballing"" of Inveravon. There were FOUR children in attendance at Inveravon when we were issued notice that the school would no longer be open after the summer holidays. We, as parents, had no other choice to enrol our children in another school. It may seem there were 'no children' on the roll as it was mothballed but I can assure you, we would not have moved our children to Knockando (or other schools) had we been given the choice. There was no choice. My daughter returned to Craigellachie Primary so as not to disturb her too much. If I had had the choice, she would have stayed at Inveravon. A short time after the 'mothballing' we learned that structures around the school had been demolished. This was extremely upsetting to hear as these were community funded assets, paid for with funds from parents and locals who had fundraised so the children could have an enriched and quality education. I do not believe that Inveravon was closed (read mothballed) due to a lack of quality education and the outcomes of said education. I believe it was purely down to money. Unfortunately, this stripped an already small, isolated, rural community of one of its most attractive assets. ii Inveravon: An Exceptional School. My daughter (name of child redacted) attended Inveravon until its closure in 2017. This was a blow to both her and I for several reasons. (Name of child redacted) had previously attended Craigellachie Primary for her 1st year at school. Once she started at Inveravon in Primary 2 it became apparent that this school was a cut above the rest. (Redacted)'s reading, comprehension, maths and overall confidence and interpersonal skills with her peers excelled tenfold within a very short time of starting Inveravon. I could not believe the difference in her and I put this down to the approach that their amazing staff had towards education and development. Children were encouraged to help and/or learn alongside peers out with their 'age group' and it was a regular occurrence that, providing all class work was completed, children were then taken outside to explore gardening, STEM and physical activities to really enhance and compliment the learning they had in the classroom. The standard held at Inveravon was second to none and if this school was to reopen (or had it stayed open) I would have been incredibly excited to send my now 2yr old when she is ready to begin her primary education. Inveravon primary was not just a school however, it was a community hub. Classes for locals were held there and fundraising activities run by the school were always a hit. I had never felt so at home, so welcome or such a part of a community than when Inveravon was open. The spirit of the local community definitely dampened when the school was no longer open. I would like to share my experience regarding the ""mothballing"" of Inveravon. There were FOUR children in attendance at Inveravon when we were issued notice that the school would no longer be open after the summer holidays. We, as parents, had no other choice to enrol our children in another school. It may seem there were 'no children' on the roll as it was mothballed but I can assure you, we would not have moved our children to Knockando (or other schools) had we been given the choice. There was no choice. My daughter returned to Craigellachie Primary so as not to disturb her too much. If I had had the choice, she would have stayed at Inveravon. A short time after the 'mothballing' we learned that structures around the school had been demolished. This was extremely upsetting to hear as these were community funded assets, paid for with funds from parents and locals who had fundraised so the children could have an enriched and quality education. I do not believe that Inveravon was closed (read mothballed) due to a lack of quality education and the outcomes of said education. I believe it was purely down to money. Unfortunately, this stripped an already small, isolated, rural community of one of its most attractive assets. Page 256
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* Q3: If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? iii Inveravon: An Exceptional School. My daughter (name of child redacted) attended Inveravon until its closure in 2017. This was a blow to both her and I for several reasons. (Name of child redacted) had previously attended Craigellachie Primary for her 1st year at school. Once she started at Inveravon in Primary 2 it became apparent that this school was a cut above the rest. (Redacted)'s reading, comprehension, maths and overall confidence and interpersonal skills with her peers excelled tenfold within a very short time of starting Inveravon. I could not believe the difference in her and I put this down to the approach that their amazing staff had towards education and development. Children were encouraged to help and/or learn alongside peers out with their 'age group' and it was a regular occurrence that, providing all class work was completed, children were then taken outside to explore gardening, STEM and physical activities to really enhance and compliment the learning they had in the classroom. The standard held at Inveravon was second to none and if this school was to reopen (or had it stayed open) I would have been incredibly excited to send my now 2yr old when she is ready to begin her primary education. Inveravon primary was not just a school however, it was a community hub. Classes for locals were held there and fundraising activities run by the school were always a hit. I had never felt so at home, so welcome or such a part of a community than when Inveravon was open. The spirit of the local community definitely dampened when the school was no longer open. I would like to share my experience regarding the ""mothballing"" of Inveravon. There were FOUR children in attendance at Inveravon when we were issued notice that the school would no longer be open after the summer holidays. We, as parents, had no other choice to enrol our children in another school. It may seem there were 'no children' on the roll as it was mothballed but I can assure you, we would not have moved our children to Knockando (or other schools) had we been given the choice. There was no choice. My daughter returned to Craigellachie Primary so as not to disturb her too much. If I had had the choice, she would have stayed at Inveravon. A short time after the 'mothballing' we learned that structures around the school had been demolished. This was extremely upsetting to hear as these were community funded assets, paid for with funds from parents and locals who had fundraised so the children could have an enriched and quality education. I do not believe that Inveravon was closed (read mothballed) due to a lack of quality education and the outcomes of said education. I believe it was purely down to money. Unfortunately, this stripped an already small, isolated, rural community of one of its most attractive assets. Page 257
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1 Closure of Inveravon School consultation report Appendix H Inveravon School propose closure consultation Online survey data report Introduction As part of the statutory consultation regarding the closure of Inveravon School, stakeholders were invited to participate in an online survey to express their opinion on the proposal. The survey was open from 29 August 2022 until 07 October 2022. In total, 33 survey responses were submitted – 32 were completed online and one printed copy was received. The survey data is presented in this. The survey responses are published in Appendix ?. Summary of responses • 33 people responded. • 13 people are from the Inveravon Primary School catchment; 8 from Aberlour catchment; 8 from Glenlivet catchment; 4 from Knockando catchment. • 18 are parents/carers; 12 community members; 2 community organisations; 1 staff member; 2 other family members. Some people identify as being in more than one stakeholder group. • 11 have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family • Option 3 (split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools) was preferred by 14 out of 27 people. • 13 people support the proposed closure of Inveravon Primary School and 14 are against the proposal. 6 people did not answer this question. • Support for closure is strongest among parents/carers, with 11 out of 16 in favour. Item 16* Page 259
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2 Closure of Inveravon School consultation report Survey questions and responses Question 1 - Do you live in (choose any one option). You can check your catchment area using the map above or by inserting your postcode into the interactive map on our website by clicking here. (33 responses) Chart 1 shows that 13 (40%) people live within the Inveravon Primary School catchment area, and 8 (24%) within the Glenlivet Primary School catchment area and the same within the Aberlour Primary School catchment area. 4 live in the Knockando Primary School catchment area. Comments: • I live in Highland, just out of Inveravon Primary School catchment. I teach at Aberlour Primary School. • Dufftown - because Inveravon was closed. Question 2 – Are you a parent/carer, pupil, community member, community organisation or staff member? (33 responses) Chart 2 shows that 18 people identified as parents/carers, 12 as members of the community, 2 as members of community organisations, 1 as a staff member and 2 indicated other, adding the additional comment that they were grandparents. Two people selected more than one answer. No one identified as a pupil. Chart 2a shows the breakdown of stakeholders by school catchment. 4 13 8 8 Knockando Primary catchment area Inveravon School catchment area Glenlivet School catchment area Aberlour Primary catchment area Chart 1 - school catchment areas 2 1 2 12 18 Other Staff member Community organisation Community member Parent/carer Chart 2 - all stakeholders Page 260
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3 Closure of Inveravon School consultation report Question 3 – If you are a parent/carer, member of the community or staff member, do you have a primary aged pupil or younger child affected by the changes to Inveravon Primary School in your family? (33 responses) Chart 3 shows the majority of people (22, 66%) do not have primary aged children or younger children affected by the changes to Inveravon School. 11 (33%) do have a child or children impacted. Chart 3a shows 55% of stakeholders with an affected child live out with the Inveravon Primary School catchment. 5 5 4 4 2 3 7 2 1 1 1 Aberlour PS Glenlivet PS Inveravon PS Knockando PS Chart 2a - stakeholders by school catchment Parent/carer Community member Community organisation Staff member Other 7 15 11 Not applicable No Yes Chart 3 - stakeholders with affected child Page 261
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4 Closure of Inveravon School consultation report Question 4 – Are you currently a pupil at a Moray school? (32 responses) Although no respondents answered at question 2 that they were a pupil, Chart 4 shows 5 respondents (16%) answered yes to this question. Question 5 – Please select which school you attend from the list below. (4 responses) Chart 5 shows 2 (50%) from Knockando, and 1 each (25%) from Aberlour and Glenlivet. 4 4 2 1 Knockando PS Inveravon PS Aberlour PS Chart 3a - stakeholders with affected child by group and school catchment Parent/carer Community organisation 27 5 No Yes Chart 4 - stakeholders who are pupils 2 1 1 Knockando PS Glenlivet PS Aberlour PS Chart 5 - school attended by pupil Page 262
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5 Closure of Inveravon School consultation report Question 6 – Which options do you prefer for the proposed school catchment area? (27 responses) As shown in Chart 6, 14 people (52%) prefer option 3 (split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools), with 7 (26%) selecting option 1 (rezone to Knockando Primary School) and 1 (4%) indicating option 2 (split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour primary school). 5 respondents (19%) had no preference. 6 people skipped this question. Chart 6a shows that among parents/ carers, Option 3 was most favoured and Option 1 has least support. Chart 6b shows 7 of the 14 people who preferred Option 3 (split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools) are in the Glenlivet catchment. Those in the Inveravon catchment favoured Options 1 and 3, with 3 expressing no preference and 1 supportive of Option 2. 5 14 1 7 No preference Option 3 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet… Option 2 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary… Option 1 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School. Chart 6 - preferred option, all stakeholder groups 7 1 8 5 11 3 2 Parent/carer Community member Community organisation Other Chart 6a - preferred option by stakeholder group Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 No preference Page 263
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6 Closure of Inveravon School consultation report Question 7 – Do you support the closure of Inveravon Primary School? (27 responses) As show in Chart 7, respondents are fairly evenly split, with 13 (48%) supportive of closure and 14 (52%) against the proposal. 6 people skipped this question. Chart 7a shows support for the proposal was strongest among parent carers, with 69% answering yes. 1 3 3 1 3 7 3 1 2 3 Aberlour PS Glenlivet PS Inveravon PS Knockando PS Chart 6b - preferred option by school catchment Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 No preference 11 2 5 7 1 1 Parent/carer Community member Community organisation Other Chart 7a - support for the proposal by stakeholder group Yes No Page 264
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7 Closure of Inveravon School consultation report Chart 7b shows 70% of stakeholders from the Inveravon catchment are against the proposed closure. Question 8 – Do you think any of these options should be discounted? If so, please indicate which one(s) and give your reasons below. (27 responses) As shown in Chart 8, 13 people have no preference. Option 3 (close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet primary schools) was less favoured than Option 1 (close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School) and Option 2 (close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary School). A small number of people called for two or all options to be discounted. 3 4 3 33 3 7 1 Aberlour PS Glenlivet PS Inveravon PS Knockando PS Chart 7b - support for the proposal, all stakeholders by school catchment Yes No 13 9 7 7 No preference Option 3 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet… Option 2 - Close Inveravon Primary School and split catchment between Knockando and Aberlour Primary… Option 1 - Close Inveravon Primary School and rezone to Knockando Primary School. Chart 8 - option to be discounted, all stakeholders Page 265
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8 Closure of Inveravon School consultation report Chart 8a shows that among parents/carers, 44% want Option 3 to be discounted. Chart 8b shows that among people from the Inveravon Primary School catchment, 50% had no preference. 4 1 1 1 5 1 1 7 1 1 6 7 0 Parent/carer Community member Community organisation Other Chart 8a - option to be discounted by stakeholder group Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 No preference 4 2 1 2 2 3 2 4 3 4 3 5 1 Aberlour PS Glenlivet PS Inveravon PS Knockando PS Chart 8b - option to be discounted by school catchment Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 No preference Page 266
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Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 Report by Education Scotland addressing educational aspects of the proposal by Moray Council to close Inveravon Primary School. November 2022 Item 16* Page 267
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1 | Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 Moray Council © Crown Copyright 1. Introduction 1.1 This report from Education Scotland has been prepared by His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education (HM Inspectors) in accordance with the terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”). The purpose of the report is to provide an independent and impartial consideration of Moray Council’s proposal to close Inveravon Primary School. Section 2 of the report sets out brief details of the consultation process. Section 3 of the report sets out HM Inspectors’ consideration of the educational aspects of the proposal, including significant views expressed by consultees. Section 4 summarises HM Inspectors’ overall view of the proposal. Upon receipt of this report, the Act requires the council to consider it and then prepare its final consultation report. The council’s final consultation report should include this report and must contain an explanation of how, in finalising the proposal, it has reviewed the initial proposal, including a summary of points raised during the consultation process and the council’s response to them. The council has to publish its final consultation report three weeks before it takes its final decision. Where a council is proposing to close a school, it needs to follow all statutory obligations set out in the 2010 Act, including notifying Ministers within six working days of making its final decision and explaining to consultees the opportunity they have to make representations to Ministers and the special provisions that apply to proposals to close a rural school. 1.2 HM Inspectors considered: the likely effects of the proposal for children and young people who live in the catchment area of the school; any other users; children likely to become pupils within two years of the date of publication of the proposal paper; and other children and young people in the wider area who attend nearby schools; any other likely effects of the proposal; how the council intends to minimise or avoid any adverse effects that may arise from the proposal; and the educational benefits the council believes will result from implementation of the proposal, and the council’s reasons for coming to these beliefs. 1.3 In preparing this report, HM Inspectors undertook the following activities: attendance at the public meetings held on 27 September 2022 in connection with the council’s proposals; consideration of all relevant documentation provided by the council in relation to the proposal, specifically the educational benefits statement and related consultation documents, written and oral submissions from parents and others; and visits to the site of Inveravon Primary School, visits to Speyside High School, Glenlivet Primary School, Aberlour Primary School and Knockando Primary School, including discussion with relevant consultees. 1.4 As the proposal will lead to the closure of a rural school, HM Inspectors also took account of the council’s consideration of any reasonable alternatives to closure of Inveravon Primary School. They also took account of the likely effect on the local community and the likely effect of any different travelling arrangements of the proposed closure. Page 268
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2 | Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 Moray Council © Crown Copyright 2. Consultation process 2.1 Moray Council undertook the consultation on its proposal(s) with reference to the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. 2.2 Moray Council mothballed Inveravon Primary School in 2017 after the school roll dropped to zero. The school has remained mothballed since that time. During 2022, Moray Council has engaged with local residents about the potential closure of the school. The statutory consultation for the closure of Inveravon Primary School ran from 29 August to 7 October 2022. Three public meetings were scheduled on the 27 and 28 September 2022. Eleven people attended these meetings including one parent with a child at the affected schools. Twenty five people completed an online survey and five written submissions on the consultation were received. From the surveys 13 support the proposal to close the school and 12 disagree. Of the 16 parents who completed the survey, 11 support the proposal and five do not. Currently 15 children of primary school age reside in the Inveravon school catchment area. Families of nine of these children have formally indicated a preference. This is to continue to send their children to their current school rather than Inveravon Primary School, should it reopen. Community members who attended the meeting, completed the survey and/or wrote submissions raised a range of points. These included concerns about the original decision and process to mothball the school, the lack of information for parents about Inveravon Primary School and the use of the school site if it does close. Children in the three neighbouring primaries and young people in the secondary school were also consulted. A minority of the children and young people expressed interest in the school reopening. Of these almost all expressed their preference would be to remain at their current school if Inveravon Primary School did reopen. 3. Educational aspects of proposal 3.1 HM Inspectors broadly agree with the council’s educational benefits statement and are confident there are sufficient educational benefits to merit the permanent closure of the school. HM Inspectors agree that children are benefitting from the wider educational opportunities across the curriculum that attending schools with more consistent school rolls provides. The children are experiencing opportunities to develop their capacity to work with others and build their social skills. Currently almost all children from the Inveravon catchment area attend either Knockando or Aberlour Primary Schools. In both schools and in Glenlivet Primary School children have opportunities to undertake appropriate and engaging tasks and challenges as part of a group. 3.2 All staff and parents who met with HM Inspectors agree with the proposal to close Inveravon Primary School. A few expressed the view that the original process by which the school was mothballed was poorly handled. However, they consider that education resources are now best used to support the current schools in the area rather than reopening Inveravon Primary School. If the proposal is approved this will reduce staffing levels at Knockando Primary School as it would no longer be in a paired headteacher arrangement with Inveravon Primary School. Despite this, staff and parents still agree with the proposal as they believe this would provide clarity, enabling them to better plan for the future of their school. 3.3 Children from Inveravon catchment area who met with HM Inspectors expressed satisfaction with the school they currently attend. All see benefit in being part of a larger group of children for both their learning and for building friendships with children of the same age. HM Inspectors met with a few young people attending Speyside High School who had attended Inveravon Primary School for part of the primary schooling. They remember appreciating the nurturing atmosphere at Inveravon Primary School but overall they consider that the educational benefits of being part of a larger school were more important for their development. Page 269
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3 | Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 Moray Council © Crown Copyright 3.4 The proposal explores how the current catchment area of Inveravon Primary School should be allocated if the school closes. Parents are fairly evenly split between option one, all of the catchment area is allocated to Knockando Primary School and option three where it is split across the three neighbouring primary schools. Almost all parents who expressed preferences have children attending either Knockando or Glenlivet Primary Schools. There is concern from staff and parents that reopening Inveravon Primary School would reduce the roll at Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools. 3.5 As the proposal will lead to the closure of a rural school, HM Inspectors also considered the factors to which the council should give special regard. Knockando, Aberlour and Glenlivet Primary Schools are all currently under capacity with fairly stable predicted school rolls in the next five years. Should Inveravon Primary School reopen it would reduce the numbers in some or all of three of these schools. This could leave Glenlivet and Knockando Primary Schools in particular with an insufficient roll to provide for the range of educational opportunities they currently do. Currently children residing in the catchment area of Inveravon travel to school either on school transport or by private car. As Inveravon Primary School is not located in a village, this would remain the case for almost all children. Although many would have shorter journeys, the environmental benefit from this would be offset by the energy use in reopening the school. 3.6 Community members and organisations are concerned that the mothballing of Inveravon Primary School has removed a valuable community resource from the area. Moray Council have engaged with the local community about any future use of the site should the proposal be approved. It should be noted that Ballindalloch Estate owns most of the site. There is strong support from all stakeholders for the site to be used, ideally with community access. There are no community halls or similar in the catchment area although residents do access facilities in villages and towns in the wider area. Should the proposal be approved it will be important that Moray Council, Ballindalloch Estate and community organisations work together to find an appropriate use for the site and building. 4. Summary HM Inspectors agree that the proposal by Moray Council will result in educational benefits for the children in the Inveravon Primary School catchment area. The proposal provides clarity for both families and for staff in the neighbouring schools that the children have attended since the school was mothballed in 2017. Children now attend schools with larger and more stable pupil rolls. There are clear educational and social benefits to learning alongside peers of similar ages and stages. The predicted school roll in the wider area makes it unlikely that all four primary schools affected by this proposal could be sustained. Most parents and children support the proposal to close the school. However, the mothballing of Inveravon Primary School is a loss to the community. It will be important that Moray Council work with the site owners, Ballindalloch Estate, and the local community to explore options for both the school building and land, should the proposal be approved. HM Inspectors November 2022 Page 270
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: MORAY’S DANDELION PROJECT BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of funding that has been secured following a bid to the Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund. 1.2 This report is submitted to the Committee in terms of the Council's Scheme of Administrative section (III) (D) (1) relating to functions of the Council as Education Authority within the terms of relevant legislation with regard to nursery, primary, secondary, and further education; community learning and development and to determine the Council’s policies in regard thereto. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that Committee: (i) note funding of £370K has been received from the Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund for the Dandelion project which aims to ensure that all forces children have the right conditions and environment in their school setting to thrive whatever challenges their serving parent’s military commitments may generate and agrees to implement the project arrangements of the funding bid as set out in this report. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 In March 2020 funding of £370,000 was confirmed to support forces children in Moray. This charitable funding was allocated in order that a bespoke support network for Forces’ children in school within the authority could be established. The was termed the Dandelion Project and its aim was to ensure that all forces children had the right conditions and environment in their school setting to thrive whatever challenges their serving parent’s military commitments would perhaps generate. Item 17* Page 271
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3.2 The project, which was to be financed for 3 years by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust, was originally intended to enable a dedicated team of staff to be employed to provide in school support as well as provide an opportunity for bespoke training for school staff to ensure a better understanding of the complex nuances of service life. 3.3 The backdrop for such a programme was the significant military footprint in the local area in 2020 with around 2,500 personnel based at RAF Lossiemouth and 670 at Kinloss Barracks. From school census information at that time it was identified that overall 2200 families accompany these personnel and 48 out of the 53 schools in the local authority area have children from military families in attendance. 3.4 The impact of Covid-19 from March 2020 onwards in our local authority area was as significant as it was around the United Kingdom and further afield, and a delay to the project was inevitable as resources were redirected to operational requirements at the time to ensure alternative service provision was in place throughout the council service areas. 3.5 The situation for military families in schools within Moray has not changed significantly during the intervening period from March 2020 – October 2022. Both RAF Lossiemouth and Kinloss Barracks continue to see both growth and movement in terms of service structure and personnel as well as capability transfer including the introduction of the Wedgetail to the Lossiemouth base. 3.6 The timing is therefore now considered to be appropriate in terms of re- introducing the Dandelion Project to the staff and pupils within Moray but adapted and re-engineered to support the current climate and the re-evaluated school requirements. Partners involved in the initial proposal have been part of the discussion process at this time and recognise that some elements of the initial proposal have now moved on as a result of Covid -19 and with the new technology that has been put in place for all service users but particularly in schools in terms of IT capability. 3.7 The wider implications of supporting families has also become more complex as we see an increase in the number of children transitioning to Moray with additional support needs. This requires significant input at all levels to ensure that any child moving school as part of a military posting has access to the appropriate resources and infrastructure to succeed. 3.8 Given these challenges, the proposal was updated and resubmitted in October 2022 to reflect this and an award was made as outlined below with funding for a period of up to 3 years starting as and when the new Education Support Officer is in post: • Education Support Officer (Forces Families) who would work directly from Moray Council HQ , line managed by the Business Support Team Manager and supporting the wider Education team. • This role would be a highly visible and publicised single Point of Contact for all Armed Forces Families - both those due to arrive and those already in situ – providing bespoke support and assistance to remove any barriers encountered. Page 272
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• Employed directly by Moray Council, there would be a close working relationship with the welfare teams at both RAF Lossiemouth and 39 Engineers Kinloss with referrals coming direct from Armed Forces Families, via respective welfare teams or via schools at point of delivery. • The grade of post reflects the experience and seniority required to assess unique family circumstances, to credibly interface with key stakeholders including the school placing request allocation team, the Additional Support. • Needs assessment team, 3rd sector support agencies and directly into individual school establishments. • The Education Support Officer post holder would be instrumental in raising the standards of understanding and support offered by schools to the Armed Forces Family, by delivering training to all staff on the needs of the Armed Forces Family. This training will be available online across Moray Schools and will lead to Forces Family Friendly accreditation and the enduring changes that the original proposal envisioned. 3.9 The establishment of a single post will reduce the challenges of interacting with numerous departments and the potential for conflicting advice or information. By being embedded within the wider Education / Business Support Team, the new post holder will have a broader understanding of education across Moray and be able to direct families towards other non- educational sources of support or interest also. 3.10 All funding for the Education Support Officer post will be allocated to the council and will sit within the Education Resources and Communities service and will be managed by the Business Support Team Manager. Administration duties will be supported from within the Business Support Team on a match funded basis. 4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) Reflective of priorities within the Corporate Plan with particular regard to (3) provide a sustainable education service aiming for excellence and (4) day to day service delivery in line with council values of ambitious, improving and responsive. With regards to the 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan LOIP), (2) building a better future for our children and young people in Moray through equity of learning experience offered across our schools. (b) Policy and Legal As an employer who fully supports the Armed Forces Covenant, Moray Council acknowledge and understand that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve. Page 273
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(c) Financial implications The total cost of the project for the period of three years has been supported as a grant (£370,000) from the Armed Forces Covenant Trust and therefore there are no financial implications for the authority. The grant funding will sit within Education and be managed by the Business Support team Manager. (d) Risk Implications There is no risk as a result of the project being implemented. The greater risk would be ensuring appropriate support was in place for forces families moving in to the area if no appointment was able to be made. Administrative support was included as a match funding element of the original bid and will be provided from within existing resources for the period of the project as per the allocated grant. As noted below this can be accommodated given the wider pressures the new role will support. The successful applicant would be appointed by Moray Council and so all employment risks sit with the council, with the contract confirming the parameters of employment to this temporary funded post. (e) Staffing Implications This would be offered on a secondment basis for a period of 23 months initially. By supporting forces families moving in to the area, this new post will alleviate some of the workload pressures currently experienced by the Business Support Team Manager who currently supports these often extended conversations alongside her normal remit. (f) Property This is a full time position that would require access to officers within education as well as the Business Support Team. Therefore a desk space within the current Business Support Team room allocation would have to be secured. Given that this is an additional post, IT equipment would also be required for the successful candidate but this is fully funded through the original bid funding. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact There is no requirement for an equality impact or socio economic impact assessment to be carried out. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts There are no climate change issues arising as a result of this report. Page 274
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(i) Consultations The Head of Education (Chief Education Officer), the Head of Education Resources and Communities, the Chief Financial Officer, the Equal Opportunities Officer, and Committee Services Officer have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report as regards their respective areas of responsibilities. 5. CONCLUSION 5.1 Committee is asked to note funding of £370K has been received from the Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund for the Dandelion project which aims to ensure that all forces children have the right conditions and environment in their school setting to thrive whatever challenges their serving parent’s military commitments may generate and agrees to implement the project arrangements of the funding bid as set out in this report. Author of Report: Lindsey Stanley, Business Support Team Manager Background Papers: Ref: SPMAN-9425411-171 Page 275
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY LEARNING AND DEVLOPMENT PLAN UPDATE BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the work done so far to deliver on the statutory Moray Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Community Learning and Development (CLD) Plan and on emerging priorities for the final 18 months of the plan. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (D) 1 of Council’s Scheme of Administration relating to all the functions of the Council as an Education Authority. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: (i) notes the positive impact of partnership working in delivering on the Moray Community Planning Partnership CLD Plan (2021-24); (ii) notes the allocation of £745,218 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for partnership delivery of the ‘Multiply’ programme to support adult numeracy; and (iii) considers the emerging priorities which have been identified prior to discussion with the Community Planning Board and incorporation into a refreshed work plan. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 Moray Council has lead responsibility on behalf of the Community Planning Partnership to produce the statutory three year Community Learning and Development (CLD) Plan as per the Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (CLD Regulations). Item 18* Page 277
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3.2 The current Partnership CLD Plan was approved by the CPP Board on 22 September 2021 and endorsed by this committee on October 6 2021 (para 9 of the minutes refers). The Plan covers the period September 2021 – August 2024 and is currently at the mid-term stage of delivery. This report updates committee on progress made so far in delivering on the Plan through the CLD Strategic Partnership (CLDSP). 3.3 The CLDSP is the strategic lead group with responsibility for delivering on the plan. There are representatives from UHI Moray (who currently chair), Skills Development Scotland; Moray Pathways, LEAD Scotland, tsiMORAY and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Council services are represented through Communities (CLD), English as Additional Language (EAL), Education, Communities and Volunteering. 3.4 Partners agreed to use national Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) developed by CLD Managers Scotland to report on delivery against the Plan. The results of these are summarised in Appendix 1 and can be grouped in relation to adult and family learning; youth work; community development and capacity building and mental health and wellbeing. Partners have also developed case studies which capture some of the impact of the work against the priorities identified in the CLD Planthese can be seen at https://www.thinglink.com/card/1692896848206889955 3.5 The Plan had an initial focus on Covid recovery and (Appendix 2) captures the actions taken in the first year which demonstrate significant progress against the initial plan priorities and meet the Plan’s aim to ‘shift the balance of delivery to provide more face-to face support and to create opportunities to help people reconnect within their communities.’ 3.6 This CLDSP meet regularly to monitor progress in delivery of the Plan. Partners used the new How Good Is Our Community Learning and Development 4 framework to evaluate the quality of partnership working around the CLD Plan – the results of which have been added to the Education Scotland case studies website (Appendix 3). 3.7 The self-evaluation identified examples of improved partnership working; enhanced collaborative working linked to external funding investments and new strands of work being developed strategically. 3.8 The most recent example of this is the ‘Multiply’ programme to improve numeracy which is part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund drawn down through the Moray Economic Partnership. The CLD Strategic Partnership will have a co-ordination role around the ‘Multiply’ allocation of £745,218 to be completed by 31st March 2025. As per the approved governance arrangements final decision making on ‘Multiply’ funding approval is located with the Local Economic Partnership. 3.9 As always, there is room for improvement with partners keen to raise awareness of the impact of the difference CLD approaches make in Moray and to build on the collaborative approach to delivery over the lifetime of the current plan and into the next one from 2024-27. Page 278
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3.10 Partners have identified a number of emerging themes which they wish to take account of in the remaining 18 months of the current plan. The overarching themes remain the same but partners are working together to: • Deliver on the ‘Multiply’ programme to improve numeracy in Moray. • Understand the impact of reduced volunteering levels (for example Health and Social Care Communities and Volunteering Team have noted a 30% reduction in their volunteer numbers) and actions needed to support and sustain volunteering. • Understand and respond to the cost of living crisis and how this is impacting on services, agencies and communities. • Continue ethos of working strategically and in partnership to maximise the impact of external funding streams in improving outcomes for Moray communities. • Identify how best to respond to the projected rise in Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and other refugee/ asylum seekers in Moray. • Seek support from Community Planning Partners to respond to LOIP priorities in relation to community meeting spaces – particularly in New Elgin. 4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) The Partnership CLD Plan sits under the auspices of Community Planning and includes reporting on progress in relation to the LOIP. A separate report will be taken to the CPP Board for endorsement. The CLD Plan contributes to the Corporate Plan- particularly in relation to Our Place priorities. (b) Policy and Legal The statutory requirement to have a CLD Plan outlined in 3.1 has been met. The next version of the Plan will require to be in place by September 2024. (c) Financial implications None (d) Risk Implications None (e) Staffing Implications None (f) Property When the report goes to the CPP there will be a specific request for partner support to address the issue of a lack of community meeting spaces in New Elgin which has a significant impact on LOIP delivery. Page 279
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(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact CLD partners deliver both universal and targeted services which engage with large numbers of individuals and organisations. Typical outcomes of CLD work include increased literacy and numeracy skills, enhanced employability, improved health and wellbeing and increased participation in community and civic life. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts The work of CLD partners in Moray contributes positively to addressing the climate emergency. Partners have been involved in delivering PB activities which have addressed environmental concerns – e.g. youth led community garden developed as part of Back on Your Feet Participatory Budgeting process. STEM workshops have skilled practitioners to address climate change in their work and initiatives like the Climate Assembly create a space for people to discuss practical steps to respond to climate change. (i) Consultations The Head of Education Resources and Communities, the Chief Financial Officer, the HR Manager, the Equal Opportunities Officer and Committee Services Officer, have been consulted on this report and their comments have been incorporated. 5. CONCLUSION 5.1 Committee is asked to note the progress made by the CLDSP in delivering on the Partnership CLD Plan as evidenced by the information attached to this paper. 5.2 Committee is asked to comment on the refreshed priorities before they are taken to the CPP Board. Author of Report: Kevin McDermott, Communities (CLD) Service Manager Background Papers: Ref: SPMAN-9425411-172 SPMAN-9425411-173 SPMAN-9425411-174 SPMAN-9425411-175 Page 280
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Statistics pooled from work of Moray UHI; tsiMORAY, Moray Pathways, SDS, LEAD Scotland, Moray Council’s Communities CLD teams, Libraries Service and Communities &Volunteering Team (HSCP) KPi 6a and 7a refer to children and are not reported on other than in the context of family learning. Appendix 1 2021 - 2022 MORAY CLD STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP Key Performance Indicators (KPi 1-13) Totals KPi1 Number of adults engaged in CLD activity 3,318 KPi2 Number of adults receiving completed nationally recognised awards through CLD activity (SCQF levelled and awards such as Adult Achievement Award including sectional certificates) 216 KPi3 Number of adults gaining wider achievement awards, local awards, and those not nationally recognised, through CLD activity (e.g., Health Issues in the Community & Keystone Award) 203 KPi4 Number of adults engaged in family learning through CLD activity 496 KPi5 Number of children/young people engaged in family learning through CLD activity 498 KPi6b Number of young people engaged in CLD activity 2263 KPi7b Number of young people receiving completed nationally recognised awards through CLD activity 523 KPi7c Number of young people receiving sectional certificates towards above Awards (sectional certificates only to be included if full award not completed) 34 KPi8 Number of young people gaining wider achievement awards, local awards and those not nationally recognised, through CLD activity Moray Pathways 16-24yrs 248 438 KPi9 Number of adults with improved mental health and wellbeing outcomes through CLD activity 1060 KPi10 Number of children/young people with improved mental health and wellbeing outcomes through CLD activity 349 KPi11 Number of community groups receiving capacity building support through CLD activity 292 KPi12 Number of adults and young people taking part in influence and engagement activity through CLD – (including community planning / participatory budgeting / local and national consultations / ... 2104 KPi13 Number of adults and young people reached and engaged with through one-off promotional events / drop-ins / community events / engagements / etc. 2500 Item 18* Page 281
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Partnership CLD Work Plan Individually the CLD Strategic Partnership members will continue their own focussed work and share this so there is a collective picture of learning opportunities and community activity. The real value of the partnership is through analysing data and creating actions or accessing and progressing opportunities through collaborative working so we can make a difference to communities. The insight from the inequalities case studies carried out by the Fairer Moray Action Group reinforces the daily challenges people face before they contemplate learning or community activity. The partnership will respond to emerging need as Covid tiers and access to facilities change and as a result this plan is a live document which can be adapted as required The work plan is built around the strategic priorities highlighted in the one page summary visual. We have referred back to the cross cutting themes and LOIP priorities in relation to our three priorities but not for the workforce related priority 4 or the governance related actions as these are more inward focussed than with communities and learners. • Priority 1: Learning for All • Priority 2: Active Citizens and Communities • Priority 3: Participation & Community Voice Cross-cutting themes: 1. Addressing impacts of rurality & poverty 2. Improving mental health & wellbeing 3. Addressing social isolation & helping people to reconnect. Linking back to the LOIP The work plan outlines the action and links it back to the Local Outcomes Improvement Priorities (LOIP) relating to the Delivery Framework for the Empowering and Connecting Communities strand. LOIP Empowering Communities Outcomes • Develop stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities. • Improve life chances for people in Moray experiencing the greatest inequality of outcomes. LOIP Actions 1. Develop and implement a Community Wellbeing Survey identifying and responding to community needs. (L1) 2. Support Community Anchor Organisations to extend reach and involvement of those who are experiencing poverty and greatest inequalities and therefore less likely to participate (L2) 3. Support to maintain delivery of current and develop further locality plans as live active documents with meaning for the community. (L3) 4. Encourage and support the softening of the location boundaries for NE and BCE so that a wider population benefits where appropriate. (L4) 5. Promote and support Community Wealth Building initiatives to build wealth and prosperity within our communities (L5) 6. Capacity building support to community anchor organisations to become more involved with local decision making. Through support to develop locality plans identifying key priorities for their communities.(L6) 7. Ensure all communities have access to a range of learning offers to meet needs, focussing on the most disadvantaged groups. (L7) Page 284
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Partnership CLD Work Plan Theme 1: Learning for Life LOIP - Improve life chances for people in Moray experiencing the greatest inequality of outcomes Activity (LOIP link) Year 1 Summary year one 3 year Performance Target Rag Status Cross Cutting themes Skills for life & work (L7) M Power programme offered and piloted in Secondary Schools and impact evaluated for school leavers; M Power has been adopted into core CLD Youth Work offer. 49 young people took part in this strand during the first year of the plan with young people progressing into positive destinations. Over 80 pupils participate in programme. All 8 schools offer programme; 1 Moray pathways to improved employability (L7) Moray Pathways at the Inkwell (employability and training hub) evidences increased CLD partners’ involvement with regard to referrals and progression routes. There were eight core partners inputting to the hub in first quarter of plan with a further 6 contributing in the remaining quarters. Employability Team, CLD Adult &Family Learning, Moray College training department, Elgin Youth Development Group, Moray Wellbeing Hub, Lossiemouth Entertainment Academy. Lead Scotland, Moray Reach Out, Enable Works, Barnardos, Apex Scotland, Social Enterprise Academy FACT, WEA ( Aberdeen), 10% increase on 2021-2022 baseline 1,2 Digital Skills (L7) Digital Mentoring Youth project piloted supporting community groups with digital skills/practical projects A small group of 3 young people had started on this project but it was unable to continue as a result of key staff unavailability. Other digital projects have since developed and elements of the digital upskilling approach is now included within the support offer for unaccompanied asylum seeking children/young people. 30 young mentors trained & accredited. 15 learners/activists supported. 3 Page 286
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ESOL (L7) EAL pupils are made aware of the opportunity to study ESOL at Higher Level through Moray College. In the academic year 22/23 there was a 160% increase in Nat 5 students (from 5-13). There was a slight drop in higher candidates (8-7) but that will hopefully balance as current Nat 5 students’ progress. 10% increase annually on EAL pupils accessing Nat 5 and Higher level ESOL qualifications. L7 Partnership research with EAL families and wider community to understand awareness and demand for ESOL learning opportunities from informal through to accredited learning. ESOL survey was carried out by partners. Increase UHI provision to meet demand as well as additional short term hybrid provision for Ukrainian learners over summer 2022 and the development of community based ESOL provision through CLD. ESOL learners are able to access a range of learning options and are able to fully participate in learners’ forums. L7 Page 287
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Theme 2: Active Citizens and Communities • LOIP – Develop stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities. Activity (LOIP link) Year 1 Summary Year One Performance Target RAG status Cross Cutting themes Valuing volunteering, support people to get into volunteering (L2) Partnership promotion of CLD volunteering charter by CLDSP; Promotion of Volunteer Friendly Award (VFA) ; Annual Volunteers week celebration tsi MORAY led on Volunteer Week celebrations in an effective social media campaign that focussed on 20 organisations working with volunteers. Three Moray voluntary organisations received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service – Moray Food Plus, Buckie Boys Brigade and the Moray Duke of Edinburgh Committee. The Volunteer Friendly Award has now changed and is delivered online by the national charity Volunteer Scotland. Good practice continues to be shared and promoted within tsi MORAY Volunteer Managers Network. Significant levels of volunteering with older people being supported though Health and Social Care Partnership Communities & Volunteering Team. All CLD strategic partners adopt VFA principles. Increased recognition of the role and impact of volunteers in Moray. 2,3 Neighbourhood approach to develop community owned plans (L1 , L3, L4) LOIP priority communities in Buckie and New Elgin supported to sustain and develop activity and involvement as new groups emerge in Keith, Lossiemouth and Forres. Buckie Localities Plan – Extensive community engagement around reviewing and refocusing on community priorities. Community lunches to connect people with services were restarted and have been highly successful. Community feedback events further refined the priorities of the new Plan before its launch. New Elgin Localities Plan – Development of new working groups has led to increased engagement activities to reach more local residents. Targeted events around older people and pensions, family learning and pop up engagement sessions. Anchor organisations supported to review progress and identify areas that require further partner support for development and improvement. 1,2,3 Page 288
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Locally lead work in Lossiemouth has helped Lossiemouth Development Trust produce their new plan In Forres continued consultation has happened with two well attended community events and other outreach activity. Work has started in Keith with high levels of engagement in the community survey after a successful engagement process which included outreach sessions in the surrounding settlements. Continuing to support & develop community action groups through training & other initiatives (L6) Local action groups supported to deliver on initiatives and projects. Community Council elections were held and 17 were formed. Area Forums continue to meet in Buckie and Forres with Milne’s looking to reform. Buckie have had a productive year with increased participation in meetings and developments like the formation of a new Development Trust Steering Group and securing a short term lease for a short term community warm hub. HIE continue to support community anchor organisations. 118K of Covid Recovery Funding was distributed to 8 organisations. Development Officer posts funded in Lossiemouth ,Forres, Tomintoul& Glenlivet, Portgordon, Dufftown, Elgin Youth Café and Cullen Community Support Unit continued to support community groups across Moray directly helping them leverage in external funding. Community groups in Moray are able to progress actions they have identified as local priorities. 1,3 Developing community resilience plans (L3 and L6) Joint Community Councils develop 6 Resilience plans. Awareness of benefits of resilience planning shared at conference hosted by Resilience Partnership Group. Community Support Unit helped 12 local groups draw down £207k of funding from the SSEN Resilience Challenge Fund – all working towards localised Resilience priorities. All community councils to have their own Community Resilience Plans in place by 2024 1,3, Page 289
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Theme 3: Participation & Community Voice • LOIP – Develop stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities. Activity (LOIP link) Year 1 Summary Year One Performance Target RAG Status Building on existing forums to foster inclusive community participation and engagement (including young people) (L6) Work with CPP to relaunch Community Engagement Group.(CEG) Review of current provision and areas for improvement and whether any support required; e.g. young people’s participation/ involvement. Stakeholders were involved in co-designing the new refreshed Community Planning Partnership Community Engagement Strategy – which was endorsed by the CPP Board in November 22. tsiMORAY facilitated Children and Young People’s Forum, Fairer Moray Forum Action Group, and Health and Wellbeing Forums and Moray Climate Assembly. Moray is represented by two MYSP’s at the Scottish Youth Parliament and young people have participated in the Northern Alliance Youth Advisory Group. Community Planning Partnership Engagement Strategy is refreshed. Wider community group involvement in Community Engagement group Improved quality of community engagement in Moray. 1,2,3 Further roll out of participatory budgeting (L5) PB programme delivered around play parks in Moray – piloting the use of the CONSUL online engagement tool and building on previous approaches (e.g.) with care experienced young people. Increase the number of council services utilising PB as a method to prioritise spending The main council service to engage through PB has been the Open Spaces Team re Playparks in Rothes (120K) Findochty (70K), Cullen, and (74K). The Money for Moray Partnership allocated 150k through PB funding, 50k of which was for young people through the Back of Your Feet Programme which funded 20 youth led health and wellbeing projects. Partners worked together to allocate significant amounts of external funding – over £257K Mental Health and Wellbeing funds were distributed through a representative tsi panel; 6 projects were funded through the Community Priorities Fund with a further 6 through Carbon Neutral Communities Fund. Moray Council is moving forward in its commitment to meet the 1% requirement in the Community Empowerment Act. 1,2,3 Page 290
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Theme 4: Workforce Development Activity Year 1 Summary Year One Performance Target RAG Status Digital skills for learning Skills rapidly learnt consolidated; Gaps identified and supported. 10 organisations took part in Cyber Resilience Training. LEAD Scotland delivered sessions on Thinking Digitally at SCQF Level 6. Moray Pathways Digital Champion supported 81 individual digital support sessions carrying out 67 Essential Skills Assessments. Digital skills need met in annual appraisals 8 champions identified Increasing understanding of a rights based approach with CLD providers in Moray. Partnership capacity building programme to raise awareness of CLD as a rights based activity. Training was delivered on the United Nations convention on the Rights of the Child through the wider Learn North partnership. Staff also took part in training delivered by Education Scotland and Youth Link. CLD partners understand and use a rights based approach with communities and individuals Career pathway and progression routes to further skill and grow the CLD workforce Work with CLDSC, Learn North and Northern Alliance plus CLDMS to deliver CLD generic inductions on-line. Moray workforce survey completed and priorities identified. Moray practitioners both contributed to and participated in the Share, Shape , Sustain programme of CPD with inputs from Moray Wellbeing Hub , adult and family learning and on Participatory Budgeting. 16 people took part in Get Ready for Youth Work training as the first step to a career in youth work. The next progression will be to the PDA in Youth Work which is planned for year 2. CLD recognised and promoted as a career choice by all partners – and qualifications actively sought out in recruitment processes. Staff and volunteers access to accredited learning opportunities. 10% increase in CLDSC membership in Moray. Partnership approach to training offer to community groups and organisations Workforce subgroup expanded to create the Capacity Building Training Calendar delivered annually • Q1 – Challenge Poverty Week programme of events and Vulnerable Adult training ( 16 orgs) • Q2 – Cyber Resilience Training; Defibrillator training; How Good Is Our CLD session for third sector • Q3 – Get Ready for Youth Work, Child Protection, REHIS, Intro to STEM; STEM and Mental Health. • Q4 – Gaelic, Child Protection, Alcohol Brief Intervention Training, Confidence 2 Cook Training for Trainers, Local Health Walks. Learning offer is linked to identified needs and meeting CLD Plan priorities and cross-cutting themes. Page 291
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Theme 5: Governance - CLDSP Improvement Actions Activity Year 1 Summary Year One Performance Target RAG Status Provide quarterly statistics linked to KPI’s to CLDSP for monitoring purposes 4 quarterly reports to CLDSP, CPOG and LOIP Targets set after 2nd quarter. Quarterly reporting has been initiated and discussed at CLD Strategic Partnership. Year One KPI’s will; act as benchmark for the rest of the Plan. Data is used to report back to CPP through quarterly LOIP reporting. Increases on benchmark data created in Q1 and Q2 of the new plan. Samples confirm target audience achieved Improve sequencing of meetings to streamline reporting on LOIP Meetings structured to ensure partnership scrutiny of LOIP reports prior to submission. Meetings have been timetabled more regularly but for shorter duration with a cycle of business agreed in advance. There were two meetings with a specific focus on the LOIP and the work in New Elgin and Buckie. Partners carried out a robust year one self-evaluation using the How Good Is Our CLD 4 Framework. . CLD Strategic partnership are able to report on performance and to demonstrate the impact of improved partnership working. Revisit the risk mapping every 6 months to identify gaps and needs Communities identified where provision has not re-opened and contact made Analysis of availability and community access to tsiMORAY led on the partnership delivery of Community Based Adult Learning provision which met needs and gaps identified in the initial consultation about the CLD Plan. Learning sessions were delivered throughout Moray in order to meet these identified needs. CLD service starting to deliver community based ESOL – again as part of co-ordinated partnership working with UHI Moray CLD regulations are met and information contributes to formation of next Partnership CLD Plan. Agreement to adopt case-studies/other mediums to evidence impact of work by partnership Moray Strategic CLD Partnership develops Word press website to store and highlight partner case studies on effective delivery. Partners have pulled together a suite of case studies which will be added to the webpage to Increase transparency and access to information around the CLD Plan and the work being done in Moray. Moray CLD Strategic Partnership is able to demonstrate the impact of improved partnership working on performance. Page 292
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Leadership focus with the new HGIO4? New members induction to CLD completed; CLDSP focus on 2 QI’s & learning embedded CLD Strategic Partnership used the How Good Is Our CLD 4 Model to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of partnership working – shared as a case study on the Education Scotland website. Working knowledge of the new framework applied by partners in other settings To develop a partnership approach to quality assurance Programme developed and piloted linked with North Alliance. Agreement that partners across the 8 authorities can request support with joint work and Associate Assessor type provision. Moray delivery within the “Share Shape Sustain” on-line CPD sharing good practice/learning opportunities. Follow up questions received from other local authorities in youth participatory budgeting and CHIME. Moray practice benefits from supportive external scrutiny and opportunities for peer learning. Addressing impacts of poverty in Moray Participate in Challenge Poverty Week to review case-studies for CLD practice issues. Put in place measures to support learners and activists and signpost them to partner and wider CLD provision. Core partners engaged with Challenge Poverty Week 2021which included on-line workshops; a Real Living Wage campaign; Stalls in Forres, Elgin, Buckie and Keith. 2022 focussed on promoting the Money Worries leaflet ensuring communities were aware of supports available and signposted to resources. Support to community lead initiatives to build resilience and capacity. An updated Inequalities in Moray report is being collated to document the voices of residents and organisations. Partners are increasing the involvement of people who experience poverty and helping them to access support and learning opportunities. Page 293
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Appendix 3 Moray CLD Strategic Partnership (CLDSP) Self-Evaluation 2022 Purpose: to reflect on the first year of the new CLD Plan and to discuss how we are working as a partnership This is an abridged version which was carried out using challenge questions from ‘How good is our community learning and development? 4th edition’. 1. What do we do collaboratively that only this partnership achieves -What’s special? Partners recognised that the Moray CLDSP is a unique space for stakeholders with a specific CLD remit and those whose work includes CLD approaches. Partners are able to share information on current activity and to identify emerging themes and opportunities. This often leads to improved partnership working External funding streams have enhanced collaborative working – for example the co- ordinating role that the group played to support tsiMORAY in delivering Community Based Adult Learning (CBAL) activities which were built around meeting needs identified by communities in the production of the Partnership CLD Plan. Partners recognise that there is still work to be done and through strategic partners. For example, Highland and Islands Enterprise invest in numerous community anchor organisations. These community anchor organisations are not directly involved in the CLDSP, but the link back via HIE ensures that the work is linked back to the CLD Plan. Moray Partners have a responsibility and a remit to represent CLD in other partnership settings – the development of the Inequalities in Moray reporting through the Fairer Moray Forum Action Group is a good example of this. In terms of Improvement Priorities it is acknowledged that more needs to be done to promote the work being done in delivery of the CLD Plan. Question 2: 3.2 Challenge Question How well do leaders at all levels initiate, negotiate and resource collaborative working to improve outcomes? There have been clear examples where partners have worked well together to deliver on priorities in the CLD Plan as well as meeting other key objectives described by one partner as ‘the intersectional work we do – a strength’. There has been a change to the breadth of delivery of ESOL in Moray informed by the survey carried out by the CLDSP. There have been innovations like the delivery of online learning to Ukrainian nationals funded through Moray Pathways using an external provider ( the WEA); the development of community based ESOL through Communities (CLD) and the continued growth in academic delivery through UHI Moray (all connected and all delivered in partnership). Improved networking and connections between partners accelerated support to the small number of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Moray. Partner involvement in the panel process supported tsiMORAY to deliver a significant amount of Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Funding – which supported a wide range of community groups and activities meeting needs identified in the Partnership CLD Plan. Partners have worked together strategically to develop a framework to deliver on the Multiply numeracy programme in Moray which will allow us to widen our adult learning Item 18* Page 295
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offer and also contribute positively to the cost of living crisis as one of the key interventions is around financial literacy. Partners would like to see more joint planning and co-ordination, particularly where there are opportunities to tap into particular funding streams. Partners acknowledged that some of the timelines around funding announcements and spending windows create challenges that can work against strategic co-ordination. It was noted that the outputs of partnership work (such as delivering more community based adult learning or capacity building opportunities) are creating more opportunities for people in communities to benefit from CLD. Question 3: How well do we ensure that all partners are equally committed to delivering the intended outcomes that a partnership is working to achieve? A common unifying theme that resonated with people was a sense of having shared values and purpose – and a recognition that the focus on social justice and inequality makes it easier to locate the work of the CLDSP alongside other key policy documents such as the Children’s Services Plan. Funding opportunities have allowed for ‘strategic and iterative growth’ - but some partners felt that now was the time to reflect on what we have learned over the first year of the plan and to identify areas in which we can work collectively as a partnership to address. There was a sense that social justice should be the driver for all key priorities and a challenge to honestly reflect on how much of our focus is on addressing these structural barriers (e.g. people with disabilities; closing the attainment gap etc.). Question 4: How well do we forward plan and prepare to meet changing needs? Partners recognised again that working collectively can help to take a strategic and co- ordinated approach – Multiply being the most recent example of this. Partners recognised the wider circumstances and challenges which are affecting the sector such as precarious core third sector funding and that these will continue to cause uncertainty. The first year of the plan was always designed to be responsive to the impacts of the pandemic. The unknown that emerged during 2022 has been the cost of living crisis. Funding streams such as the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, Just Transitions, Multiply and Shared prosperity have all been able to respond to some of these emerging challenges in a way not explicitly identified in the CLD Plan. Partners recognise the need to look back (which requires all to complete KPI returns) and to look forward based on the situation in Moray now. The CLDSP is seen as a supportive environment in which to do this and that there is an opportunity to revisit the work plan format and agree on refreshed priorities we can collectively address. Partners used ‘How Good Is Our CLD ‘framework and levelled as GOOD. Most partners levelled at 4 but two who operate across larger geographies scored higher at 5 (with the median being 4 and the average 4.2) An evaluation of good means that there are important strengths within CLD provision yet there remains some aspects which require improvement. The strengths have a significantly positive impact on almost all service users and learners. The quality of service users’ or learners’ experiences is diminished in some way by aspects in which improvement is required. It implies that providers should seek to improve further the areas of important strength and also take action to address the areas for improvement. Page 296
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: INFORMATION REPORT: PRIMARY 1 DEFERRAL AND EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE ELIGIBILITY BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the change in legislation for Primary 1 Deferral and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Eligibility and the service’s position regarding this. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (D) (1) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to exercising the functions of the Council as an Education Authority. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 In Scotland all parents and carers have the legal right to defer their child’s entry to primary school if they are not yet 5 years old at the beginning of the school year. 2.2 Nationally the standard approach was that the youngest children, with a January or February birthday, would automatically be entitled to an additional year of funded ELC. While children with birthdays between August and December would have to apply to the local authority to request funded ELC for that year. 2.3 Through discretionary decision making in Moray any child whose date of birth fell after the beginning of the school year, in August, was entitled to funded ELC for that year irrelevant of which month the birthday fell. 2.4 In October 2019 the Scottish Government committed to legislate to entitle all children whose school start is deferred, access to funded ELC in their deferred year which would bring all 32 local authorities in line. Page 297
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2.5 In December 2020 a Scottish Statutory Instrument was brought before the Scottish Parliament to ensure that the legislation would be realised in this parliamentary session. The change meant it would align the funded ELC more closely with the existing right to defer, for children in this age group. This then should allow families to make decisions for their children, based on what they feel is in the best interested of the children, without the financial barrier of additional ELC costs. 2.6 A joint implementation plan was devised, taking cognisance of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing expansion to 1140 hours funded ELC. 2.7 A phased approach was taken during 2021-22 and 2022-23 which involved 5 pilot authorities including Angus, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk, Scottish Borders and Shetland Islands. 2.8 The pilot implementation allowed the opportunity to monitor the impact of the policy and to inform the assessment of likely update of the entitlement. 2.9 Throughout the pilot evaluations were made of the varying approaches and data was collected by Scottish Government to understand the impact of the policy on ELC capacity, financial cost and parental understanding. 2.10 On completion of the pilot the agreement between Scottish Government and CoSLA outlined that from August 2023 all children who defer their entry to school for a year can automatically access an additional year of funded ELC. 2.11 The funded ELC places will be available for children who are deferring the school year beginning August 2023. 2.12 In Moray we will continue to support all parental requests to defer if the child’s date of birth falls after the start date of each new academic year. 3. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) This report relates the priority ‘Provide a sustainable education service aiming for excellence’ from the Corporate Plan and to ‘Building a better future for our children and young people in Moray’ from the LOIP. (b) Policy and Legal Under the 2006 Act (Scottish Schools Parental Involvement Act 2006) there is a duty to involve parents in their child’s education, including attending ELC in a public school. The upcoming change in legislation does not affect this right and will allow families to make decisions based on what they feel is in the best interest of their children, without the financial barrier of additional ELC costs. Page 298
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(c) Financial implications There has been no indication from the Scottish Government about any change to funding as a result of this change in the national position. However, in Moray this does not represent a change in service offer and so there are no financial implications arising directly from this report. (d) Risk Implications There is a risk that as more families choose to defer children there will be less space in ELC settings for eligible 2 year olds or new funded 3 year olds. (e) Staffing Implications No staffing implications arising directly from this report. (f) Property There are no property issues arising from this report. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality Impact Assessment is not required as this report is to inform Committee on legislation change. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts None arising directly from the report. (i) Consultations Head of Education (Chief Education Officer), Continuous Improvement Officer (West), Continuous Improvement Officer (East) and Business Support Team Manager and Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report as regards their respective responsibilities. 4. CONCLUSION 4.1 That the Committee scrutinise and note the contents of this report. Author of Report: Hazel Sly, Early Years Service Manager Background Papers: https://www.gov.scot/publications/funded-early-learning- and-childcare-places-joint-implementation-plan/ https://www.gov.scot/publications/early-learning-childcare- statutory-guidance-july-2021/pages/9/ Ref: SPMAN-1315769894-394 Page 299
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REPORT TO: EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S AND LEISURE SERVICES COMMITTEE 19 APRIL 2023 SUBJECT: INFORMATION REPORT: SINGLETON INSPECTIONS OF EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE CENTRES – PUBLISHED REPORTS JUNE 2022 TO MARCH 2023 BY: DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the content of singleton inspection reports of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) centres by Care Inspectorate which were published between June 2022 and March 2023. These were; Aberlour Nursery, Aberlour Cullen Nursery, Cullen Rainbow Childcare, Forres Strathisla (FCSS) Nursery, Keith Drumduan Kindergarten, Forres Rothes Nursery, Rothes The Cabin, Mortlach Moray College, Elgin 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (D) (1) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to exercising the functions of the Council as an Education Authority. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 The Care Inspectorate carries out inspections of care services, including day care of children’s services. Providers are inspected against a Framework of Quality Themes and statements and the National Standard. 2.2 The Care Inspectorate resumed face to face ELC scrutiny in Autumn 2021 after COVID-19 restrictions impacted on their work. 2.3 The eight services noted are the first in Moray to have reports finalised and published using the revised Care Inspectorate Quality Framework. Page 301
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2.4 Care Inspectorate Officers will grade services and publish these grades as part of their duty to provide information to the public about the quality of care services. The six point grading scale: 6 excellent 5 very good 4 good 3 adequate 2 weak 1 unsatisfactory 2.5 Following publication, inspection reports are available through ELC centres and online at www.careinspectorate.com. 2.6 The education authority will give guidance and support, as appropriate, to both school nursery classes and partner providers of ELC education. Following a Singleton Inspection the ELC centre is asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share the plan with parents and carers. 2.7 During this reporting period there were 9 Singleton Inspection reports received. Name of Early Learning and Childcare Provider Date of Inspection Aberlour Nursery, Aberlour 09.06.22 & 16.09.22 * Cullen Nursery, Cullen 24.06.22 Rainbow Childcare, Forres 29.06.22 Strathisla (FCSS) Nursery, Keith 04.08.22 Drumduan Kindergarten, Forres 06.10.22 * Rothes Nursery, Rothes 28.10.22 * The Cabin, Mortlach 01.11.22 * Moray College, Elgin 10.11.22 2.8 The Gradings, Recommendations and Requirements arising from the reports are summarised in Appendix 1. 2.9 Services marked with a * received grades 4 or above which means they are meeting the National Standard. These services continue to work in partnership with Moray Council and have access to the Early Years Teaching Team alongside their respective Continuous Improvement Officer. 2.10 Services not yet reaching grades 4 or above are receiving support from the respective Continuous Improvement Officer and the Early Years Teaching and Learning Teacher to address the required actions resulting from the recommendations or requirements. Recommendations are summarised in Appendix 1. Page 302
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2.11 The table below highlights the area where the grade(s) have dropped and the planned improvement work to support ELC settings; ELC Setting Quality Framework Area Plans for improvement/support Aberlour Nursery, Aberlour How good is our setting? How good is our leadership? Support from a variety of central officers to meet initial requirements for 16.09.22. Please see Appendix 1 for detail. Postponed capital investment works will improve setting and environment. Rainbow Childcare, Forres How good is our care, play and learning? How good is our leadership? Ongoing support from Teaching and Learning team around self- evaluation. Service based training along with manager attending Moray training on self- evaluation. Robust staff observation protocols in place to support collegiate discussion and staff development. Format developed, with support from Teaching and Learning team, to improve quality interactions and progression of children. Strathisla (FCSS) Nursery, Keith How good is our care, play and learning? How good is our staff team? Ongoing support from Teaching and Learning team ensures that quality interactions are being supported. This is being monitored by the manager and depute manager through the self- evaluation process. Improved meal time experiences through collegiate working with whole staff team. Drumduan Kindergarten, Forres How good is our leadership? Support being provided by both Continuous Improvement Officer West and Teaching and Learning Team. Page 303
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Examples of good practice documentation in infection control policy is being shared at staff meetings. Nursery manager is working towards relevant qualification with the goal to be completed by June 2023. 2.12 The current gradings of these services will not impact on their partnership agreement with Moray Council to deliver funded Early Learning and Childcare hours as we believe they have the capacity to improve. 3. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)) This report relates the priority ‘Provide a sustainable education service aiming for excellence’ from the Corporate Plan and to ‘Building a better future for our children and young people in Moray’ from the LOIP. (b) Policy and Legal The Care Inspectorate inspects all registered services regulated under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, which includes nursery classes and playgroups. The authority has a duty to provide a quality early learning and childcare place for every 3 and 4 year old whose parents wish it and for eligible 2 year olds. (c) Financial implications None arising directly from the report. (d) Risk Implications None arising directly from the report. (e) Staffing Implications None arising directly from the report. (f) Property None arising directly from the report. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact An Equality Impact Assessment is not required as this report is to inform Committee on performance. (h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts None arising directly from the report. Page 304
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(i) Consultations Head of Education (Chief Education Officer), Continuous Improvement Officer (West), Continuous Improvement Officer (East) and Principal Teacher Early Years Education Service and Tracey Sutherland, Committee Services Officer have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report as regards their respective responsibilities. 5. CONCLUSION 5.1 That the Committee scrutinise and note the contents of this report. Author of Report: Hazel Sly, Early Years Service Manager Background Papers: Name of Early Learning and Childcare Provider Aberlour Nursery, Aberlour Cullen Nursery, Cullen Rainbow Childcare, Forres Strathisla (FCSS) Nursery, Keith Drumduan Kindergarten, Forres Rothes Nursery, Rothes The Cabin, Mortlach Moray College, Elgin Ref: SPMAN-1315769894-386 / SPMAN-1315769894-385 Page 305
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APPENDIX 1 Summary of numbers of recommendations and requirements made to providers. Name of Early Learning and Childcare Provider Areas for Improvement Requirements Aberlour Nursery, Aberlour 0 2 Cullen Nursery, Cullen 0 0 Rainbow Childcare, Forres 3 0 Strathisla (FCSS) Nursery, Keith 2 0 Drumduan Kindergarten, Forres 1 1 Rothes Nursery, Rothes 0 0 The Cabin, Mortlach 0 0 Moray College, Elgin 0 0 Details of gradings, recommendations and requirements made to providers. Aberlour Nursery, Aberlour Unannounced Gradings How Good Is Our Care, Play and Learning 4 How Good Is Our Setting 2 How Good Is Our Leadership 3 How Good Is Our Staff Team 4 (N/A – Not Assessed) Areas for Improvement • None Requirements 1. By 16 June the provider must ensure they keep children safe and healthy by improving and maintaining the environment. To do this the provider must, at a minimum: a) Deep clean the playroom, cloakroom area and toilets ensuring attention is paid to floors, heater tops and toilets and ensure this is maintained. b) Ensure that the appropriate number of accessible toilets and sinks are available for the children’s use. c) Dirty items such as rugs and cushions must be washed, removed or replaced. d) Ensure the entrance gate is safe and secure. e) Mops, buckets and other hazardous items must not be accessible to children 2. By 16 June the provider must ensure that the safety, health and wellbeing of the children is improved. To do this the provider must, at a minimum: a) Ensure that staff are knowledgeable in relation to safe record keeping and administration of medication. b) Ensure all medicines are correctly stored and labelled, including any dispensing labels. c) Ensure that corresponding records for medication is completed consistently. Page 307
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All of these requirements were met and a re- inspection completed on 16th September where the key messages were noted as; “We found that improvements had been made to the standards of cleanliness and security measures, supporting the health, wellbeing and safety of children. • Improved understanding of staff roles and responsibilities about the management of medicines supported children to receive high quality care from staff who have the necessary information, knowledge and resources. • Children benefitted from being able to play, develop and learn in a clean, secure and well maintained environment, with pleasant furnishings and equipment.” Cullen Nursery, Cullen Unannounced Gradings How Good Is Our Care, Play and Learning 5 How Good Is Our Setting 5 How Good Is Our Leadership 4 How Good Is Our Staff Team 4 (N/A – Not Assessed) Areas for Improvement • None Requirements • None Rainbow Childcare, Forres Unannounced Gradings How Good Is Our Care, Play and Learning 3 How Good Is Our Setting 4 How Good Is Our Leadership 3 How Good Is Our Staff Team 4 (N/A – Not Assessed) Areas for Improvement • To support children's learning and development to enable them to reach their full potential, staff should ensure they develop their knowledge and understanding of quality interventions which enhance and extend learning. • To keep children and families personal and confidential information protected, the provider should ensure that there are safe and secure storage arrangement in place. • To support children to have consistently high quality experiences and positive outcomes, the manager should have effective improvement planning in place. Clear, robust self-evaluation and monitoring systems will help to form quality assurance processes that support continuous improvement. Requirements Page 308
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• None Strathisla (FCSS) Nursery, Keith Unannounced Gradings How Good Is Our Care, Play and Learning 3 How Good Is Our Setting 4 How Good Is Our Leadership 4 How Good Is Our Staff Team 3 (N/A – Not Assessed) Area for Improvement • To promote a consistently positive experience for children at mealtimes the provider and manager should ensure that staff are focused on the children at these times. This should provide opportunities for staff to sit with children and offer support and promote opportunities for learning and development. • To promote the opportunities for consistently good, nurturing interactions the manager and provider should ensure that there are enough staff to nurture and support children. Requirements • None Drumduan Kindergarten, Forres Unannounced Gradings How Good Is Our Care, Play and Learning 4 How Good Is Our Setting 4 How Good Is Our Leadership 3 How Good Is Our Staff Team 4 (N/A – Not Assessed) Area for Improvement • To support children's health and wellbeing, the provider/manager should improve nappy changing facilities and the toilet facilities in the after care setting. Requirements • By 30 June 23, the provider must ensure that an appointed manager is fit to manage the service and is able to support a strong ethos of continuous improvement that enhances the delivery of high-quality practice leading to improved outcomes for all. To do this the provider must: a) ensure that a manager holds a relevant practice qualification; b) ensure that the manager is registered with a professional body; and c) ensure that the manager is provided with the appropriate support to effectively manage the service. Rothes Nursery, Rothes Page 309
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Unannounced Gradings How Good Is Our Care, Play and Learning 4 How Good Is Our Setting 4 How Good Is Our Leadership 4 How Good Is Our Staff Team 5 (N/A – Not Assessed) Area for Improvement • None Requirements • None The Cabin, Mortlach Unannounced Gradings How Good Is Our Care, Play and Learning 4 How Good Is Our Setting 5 How Good Is Our Leadership 4 How Good Is Our Staff Team 4 (N/A – Not Assessed) Area for Improvement • None Requirements • None Moray College, Elgin Unannounced Gradings How Good Is Our Care, Play and Learning 4 How Good Is Our Setting 4 How Good Is Our Leadership 4 How Good Is Our Staff Team 4 (N/A – Not Assessed) Area for Improvement • None Requirements • None Page 310
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Amber - ongoing No colour – yet to be actioned ECLS: ONGOING ACTIONS TABLE Date Agenda Item Action Required Allocated to Status New work Planned Existing Links (if any) to: Corporate Plan Service Plan LOIP Priority 1 = high 2 = medium 3 = low 4 = ongoing 5 = on hold Estimated Completion Date Notes: Progress Status 25/01/2023 Free School Meals Allowance Secondary Pupils iii) Consider a more flexible system when the contract is being renewed. Nicola Moss Planned - 4 December 2023 14/12/2022 Performance Report – Education Resources and Communities – Period to 30 September 2022 NB: A breakdown of figures on the accredited awards completed, other than the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Further information to be provided on the new indicator to measure youth engagement and participation. Jo Shirriffs Info - 3 June 2023 14/12/2022 Education Revenue Budget Monitoring to 30 September 2022 NB: Links to the previous Committee reports to be circulated to members in regards to the ELC overspend. Denise Whitworth - complete Action response submitted to Committee Services 11/01/2023: 14 12 2022 ECLS Action Response - ELC Overspend .msg Action Closed 02/11/2022 17. ELC Major and Minor Works Further information to be provided on the toilet projects at Findochty and St Peter’s nurseries. Jennie Ordonez Info - 3 April 2023 Projects at both Findochty and St Peter’s nurseries are planned for summer holidays 2023 with the tender due to go out shortly in order to ensure contractors are in place. Plan to complete works August 2023 Action Closed Page 313
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