Item 08 - Senior Phase Update
West Dunbartonshire Council · 27 November 2024
Back to Educational Services Committee — 27 November 2024 and its agenda
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by Chief Education Officer Committee: Educational Services Committee 27 November 2024 Subject:Senior Phase Update 1 Purpose 1.1 This report updates members on the achievements of our young people through the Senior Phase curriculum for session 2023/24, and progress with plans to ensure an equitable offer across all establishments. The report also provides an update to members on the recent Collaborative Improvement activity with the Association of the Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and Education Scotland looking at work on skills frameworks. 2 Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that Committee: Note the issue faced in presenting accurate data to committee on SQA attainment for session 2023/24; Note progress with the development of a common Senior Phase timetable across our all our secondary schools, and the provision of digital courses and Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) courses on offer in our schools. Note the findings and ‘next steps’ of the Collaborative Improvement report into the development of skills across the curriculum. 3 Background 3.1 In September each year, Scottish Government update their national Senior Phase benchmarking tool ‘Insight’ with the achievements of our young people in their courses of study and awards gained. Ordinarily, this makes it possible to assess the achievements of our schools against their own historic progress and makes comparisons of their achievements against a ‘virtual comparator’, the Local Authority, the West Partnership and the national measure. 3.2 In 2023, Scottish Government published ‘It’s Our Future - Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment’ led by Professor Louise Hayward. Whilst we await the adoption of the recommendations by Scottish Government, we work to address the themes identified. 3.3 In 2022, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and Scottish Government agreed an approach to collaboratively supporting improvement activities across Scotland, with the introduction of a three-year programme of ‘Collaborative Improvement’. This programme asked local authorities to identify an area they were looking to improve that would benefit ITEM 8
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from wider engagement with national partners. In September 2024, we undertook our Collaborative Inquiry. 4 Main Issues Senior Phase Attainment 4.1 There has been a technical error exchanging data between SEEMiS and SQA for the 2023/24 data relating to St. Peter the Apostle High School. As a result, the data for St. Peter the Apostle High School uploaded to Insight is incorrect. 4.2 In August, when the initial attainment data was received from SQA through SEEMiS, attainment seemed lower than expected for St. Peter the Apostle High School, so discussion commenced with both SEEMiS and SQA to ascertain what had happened. Dialogue is still ongoing with both organisations to get to the root cause. 4.3 Without accurate data in Insight, it is impossible to present information on the level of attainment of our schools. Where the data for one school is incorrect, it makes comparison to the Local Authority, the West Partnership and the National measure also incorrect. 4.4 Insight is updated twice per year, so it is anticipated that the correct data will be added for the February 2025 update to Insight, at which point it will be possible to report on attainment to committee. Senior Phase Developments 4.5 In June 2024 we outlined to committee our plan to work on developing a common Senior Phase timetable across our schools. Work on this continues, with our school timetablers presently involved in research and comparison activities with Education Scotland and other schools across the country that offer alternative models. This research will inform our own approach, which will be brought to committee in March 2025. 4.6 In June 2024 we also brought our intention to develop the use of Interdisciplinary Learning and plan for a greater offer of online learning opportunities for our young people. Our Secondary Head Teachers had input on an away day from ‘Daydream Believers’, a creative organization specializing in interdisciplinary learning programmes. Both St. Peter the Apostle High School and Clydebank High School were already engaging with their offer, but all schools are now actively pursuing the introduction of these innovative approaches to learning and teaching. 4.7 Since June 2024, we have been engaging with Trade Union colleagues to better understand the barriers to online learning, and what we can do to address concerns. For the Senior Phase offer for 2025/26, we plan to offer courses provided through ‘e-Sgoil’, the online learning platform developed by
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Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar which we have already made use of in Choices School. We also plan through dialogue to offer ‘online only’ courses, to address the concern highlighted by Trade Unions of the challenges presented in delivering hybrid courses. Detail of this will be presented to committee in March 2025. Collaborative Improvement 4.8 In September, a visiting group from the Association of the Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and Education Scotland joined us for a Collaborative Inquiry. This is part of a national programme of visits that have taken place over the last three years. We chose as our area of focus the transition of skills between the Broad General Education and the Senior Phase, as we wished to explore how we build on the great work already underway in our schools with our own ‘Six Competencies for Learning’ (WDC 6Cs) framework, and the work many of our secondary schools have engaged in with Skills Development Scotland looking at the development of metaskills. We were aware that whilst all our school leavers can list the qualifications they have attained in school, many struggle to articulate the skills and strengths that they have developed during this time. 4.9 The visiting group, composed of a former Director of Education, two Heads of Service from other local authorities, two Senior Education Officers from Education Scotland and a member of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education spent two intense days in discussion with representatives of our staff and young people about the approaches to develop skills presently underway in our schools. The report (appendix A) highlighted what’s going well, identified areas for improvement, and made a recommendation of five ‘next steps’ for us to take: 1. Build on the successful foundation of WDC 6Cs to strengthen transition across sectors, and further exemplify shared terminology and language around skills development to improve consistency. 2. Develop further a shared understanding that the progression of skills is core to a curriculum that ensures the development of the four Curriculum for Excellence capacities of all our learners. 3. Utilise the Local Learning Community model to develop coordinated approaches to skills development across a local area. 4. Develop approaches to capturing skills development so that young people can show and be proud of their progress over time 5. Explore opportunities to share further the professional learning taking place in schools. These will be incorporated into the Education Delivery Plan for 2025/26 and Local Learning Community and School Improvement Plans for next session. 5 People Implications
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5.1 There are no direct people implications arising from this report. 6 Financial & Procurement Implications 6.1 There are no direct financial or procurement implications arising from this report. 7 Risk Analysis 7.1 Failure to deliver a high quality Senior Phase may have a direct impact on the delivery of the Council’s Strategic Plan, particularly in relation to an economy that is strong and flourishing. 8 Equalities Impact Assessment 8.1 Screening and impact assessments will be carried out on proposals to alter the delivery of the Senior Phase. 9 Consultation 9.1 Secondary Head Teachers, Legal and Finance were consulted in the development of this paper. 10 Strategic Assessment 10.1 An equitable, high quality Senior Phase contributes directly to the council’s strategic priority of an economy that is strong and flourishing. Chief Officer: Laura Mason Service Area: Education Date: 29 October 2024 _____________________________________________________________ Person to Contact: Andrew Brown andrew.brown@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: Appendix A: West Dunbartonshire Collaborative Improvement Report Background Papers: Senior Phase Curriculum, Education Committee, June 2024 Wards Affected: All