Argyll and Bute - Education Strategic Plan 2022-24 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-22
Argyll and Bute Council · 25 August 2022
Back to Community Services Committee — 25 August 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 25 AUGUST 2022 ARGYLL AND BUTE – EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2022-24 AND RECOVERY, RENEWAL AND PROGRESS REPORT 2021-22 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The purpose of this report is to update Committee on the progress made by the Education Service in achieving the priorities included in the Argyll and Bute Annual Education Plan for 2021-22 presented at Community Services Committee in August 2021 and outline priority actions for 2022-2024. 1.2 It is recommended that the Community Services Committee: Note the progress made with respect to priority actions within the 2021-22 Argyll and Bute Annual Education Plan; Approve the Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-22 (Appendix 1) Approve the publishing of the Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-2022; and Approve the submission of the Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-2022 to Scottish Government.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 25 AUGUST 2022 ARGYLL AND BUTE – EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2022-24 AND RECOVERY, RENEWAL AND PROGRESS REPORT 2021-22 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Section 13 of the statutory guidance of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 (‘the 2000 Act’) as amended by section 4 of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016 (‘The 2016 Act’), enables the Scottish Ministers to issue guidance to education authorities in relation to their functions under section 3 to 8 of the 2000 Act, and education authorities are required to have regard to this guidance in discharging these functions. 2.2 The guidance focuses in particular on education authority duties which are designed to enhance equity and support improvement within schools and across education authorities. 2.3 Sections 3F, 3H and 6 of the 2000 Act: impose duties on education authorities in relation to the annual planning and reporting; namely the publishing of an Annual Education Plan. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that the Community Services Committee: Note the progress made with respect to priority actions within the 2021-22 Argyll and Bute Annual Education Plan; Approve the Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-22 (Appendix 1) Approve the publishing of the Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-2022; and Approve the submission of the Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-2022 to Scottish Government.
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4.0 DETAIL 4.1 The Education Service must prepare and publish an annual plan setting out the s steps we have taken, over the course of the planning period: to reduce inequalities of outcome experienced by pupils as a result of socio- economic disadvantage, including the use of Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) to comply with the duties imposed on it by section 3B(3) (to seek and have regard to the views of the persons listed in section 3B(4) and to provide any advice and support the authority thinks appropriate to those persons in relation to its consideration of decisions of a strategic nature about the carrying out of its functions relating to school education; in pursuance of the National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education; and to set out any educational benefits for pupils that the Authority considers have resulted from taking these steps. 4.2 The Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-22 has been prepared in compliance with the statutory guidance and contains the following sections: Our continuing response to Covid-19 Our Children, Their Future The policy context for Scottish education Addressing key elements of the National Improvement Framework The National Improvement Framework and Our Children, Their Future – self-evaluation and improvement 4.3 In light of the emerging national context for education, our plan takes into account the recommendations from the Audit Scotland Report and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) review of Curriculum for Excellence and the reports resultant from the OECD review. 4.4 As a response to the recommendations of the OECD report – Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future, the Scottish Government commissioned Professor Ken Muir provide advice on aspects of education reform. Professor Muir, and the team appointed to work with him, carried out a wide consultation with stakeholders. This consultation led to a suite of 21 recommendations for education reform which place children and young people and the teachers and practitioners supporting learning at the heart of the education system. His report Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education can be accessed here: Supporting documents - Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) 4.5 Professor Stobart was appointed by the OECD to consider the approaches to assessment at the senior phase in response to the recommendations outlined in
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the OECD report. His report outlined options for Scotland’s future approach to assessment and qualifications. His paper Upper-secondary education student assessment in Scotland: A comparative perspective can be accessed here: d8785ddf-en.pdf (oecd-ilibrary.org). 4.6 The Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-2022 will focus on recovery, renewal and improvement in light of Covid-19 and the emerging dynamic national context for education. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The planning and reporting processes at school, service and Education Authority levels are designed to produce robust, consistent and transparent data of the work of the Education Authority, to improve our understanding of what works and, ultimately, drive forward improvements that will improve outcomes for the children and young people of Argyll and Bute. 5.2 The Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-22 presented to Community Services Committee has been prepared in compliance with the requirements set out in the Statutory Guidance accompanying the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 taking full account of the requirement to: Analyse the outcomes of the 2021/2022 Annual Education Plan and prepare and publish the annual report of progress as soon as possible after 31 August 2022; Takes full account of the continued impact of Covid-19 on our children and young people with a strong focus on recovery, renewal and improvement; Enables us to monitor the short and longer term impacts of Covid-19 on our children and young people’s learning and wellbeing and take action as required to mitigate the effects and improve outcomes; and Enables us to respond to the national context for education and in particular the review of Curriculum for Excellence. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy – The development of the Education Strategic Plan and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report supports the central purpose of the Scottish Government and the delivery of national outcomes. The framework supports delivery on the SOA Outcomes 1 and 3, OCTF Key Objectives 1-6 and NIF priorities 1-4 6.2 Financial - None 6.3 Legal – Council is required to prepare and publish the Education Strategic Plan annually as directed within the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 200, set out within the supporting Statutory Guidance published March 2017.
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6.4 HR - None 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 6.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – The Education Strategic Plan sets out the Council’s response, delivered by Education Services to section 3B of the 2000 Act which imposes duties on education authorities which are designed to promote a reduction in inequalities of educational outcome experienced by pupils as a result of socio- economic disadvantage. 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty - None 6.5.3 Islands - None 6.6 Climate Change - None 6.7 Risk – There are potential reputational risks for the Council should they fail to deliver the legislative requirements set out within the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 statutory guidance of March 2017 6.8 Customer Service – This report provides elected members with an overview of service performance for 2021-2022 and priorities for 2022-2024 Douglas Hendry - Executive Director with responsibility for Education Councillor Yvonne McNeilly - Policy Lead for Education and Lifelong Learning 1st July 2022 For further information contact: Wendy Brownlie Head of Education – Learning and Teaching Wendy.Brownlie@argyll-bute.gov.uk Jennifer Crocket Head of Education – Lifelong Learning and Support Jennifer.Crocket@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 and Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report 2021-22