External Education Establishment Inspection Report
Argyll and Bute Council · 25 August 2022
Back to Community Services Committee — 25 August 2022 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 25 AUGUST 2022 EXTERNAL EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENT INSPECTION REPORT 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Elected members have requested that they are provided with details of all external education establishment Inspection Reports. 1.2 With a view to providing further information than that contained within the Annual Education Plan and Update Report, details of all inspections carried out on a quarterly basis will be presented to Community Services Committee as a standing item. 1.3 This report provides details of all external education establishment inspection reports received across Argyll and Bute Education Service during the period January 2022 to June 2022. 1.4 As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, HM Inspectors of Education (HMIE) took the decision to pause all inspection activity on 13th March 2020. 1.5 Between late September 2021 and December 2021 HMIE undertook a programme of national thematic inspections focused on themes relevant to COVID-19 and recovery. Local Authorities agreed with HMIE which schools would participate in the national thematic inspections. At the time of the last Committee the reports for these inspections were not available. Links to these reports are provided in section 3.0. 1.6 The programme of ELC and school inspections was scheduled to resume from January 2022. However updates received from HMIE in December 2021 and February 2022 respectively, noted that, in recognition of the ongoing challenges settings and schools were facing in dealing with COVID-19, routine school inspections would not resume as originally outlined. In December 2021, HMIE intimated that they would carry out recovery visits during the remainder of the academic year. This purpose of these visits and HMIE’s approach to them is outlined in section 4.0 of this report.
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1.7 In late May 2022 HMIE intimated that they would resume inspections in academic year 2022-23. Arrangements for these are outlined in section 5.0 of this report. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Community Services Committee notes: a) The contents of this report; b) This quarterly report will be presented on an ongoing basis to Community Services Committee detailing all establishment inspections conducted and published by Education Scotland within that period, and c) That Ward members will receive copies of school inspection reports for schools within their area as published by Education Scotland. 3.0 DETAIL – Thematic Inspections 3.1 The first three national thematic inspections were undertaken by HMIE by December 2021 and focused on the following: Approaches to supporting children’s and young people’s wellbeing Health and wellbeing: a thematic review (education.gov.scot) Outdoor learning Successful approaches to learning outdoors (education.gov.scot) Local approaches to recovery Local approaches to recovery: a thematic review (education.gov.scot) Links to each report are provided. 3.2 In the ‘Health and Wellbeing: a thematic review’ report the work of Argyll and Bute’s Educational Psychology Service in developing and implementing the ‘Our Children, Their Nurturing Education’ strategy is recognised and features as a case study. 3.3 In the ‘Successful approaches to learning outdoors’ report both Inveraray Primary School and Oban High School are featured as case studies. 4.0 DETAIL – Recovery Visits 4.1 The purpose of recovery visits as set by HMIE, was to support the education system during the pandemic through: Hearing from establishments about their current priorities for recovery or improvement; Learning what was working well, the challenges faced and solutions found and;
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Identifying and sharing examples of effective practice HMIE also continued to have a focus on safeguarding and child protection in each visit. 4.2 HMIE acknowledged the pressure establishments continued to face at that time. Taking account of this they asked establishments to self-nominate to participate in a recovery visit. Eight Argyll and Bute schools and settings volunteered following discussion with the relevant Education Officer: Rothesay Joint Campus Tobermory High School Cardross Primary School Luss Primary School Port Ellen Primary School St Columba’s Primary School Strone Primary School Willowview ELC 4.3 The visits were of a hybrid nature with both online meetings and face to face engagements. Visits were arranged over two days within a given week, all took place from May 2022 to June 2022. Each visit was supported by a member of the Central Team. 4.4 HMIE did not report on specific quality indicators or assign summative grades as part of the visits. Following the visit, HMIE provided the setting/school with a note of the visit. The note of visit is aimed to support the setting/school and will not be published. 4.5 Schools in Argyll and Bute schools continue to be supported with school improvement by the following members of the Education Central Team: Link Education Managers Education Officer with responsibility for supporting school improvement Education Officer with responsibility for supporting learning, teaching and assessment Lead Teacher for Recovery and Renewal 5.0 DETAIL – Inspections in academic year 2022-23 5.1 HMIE will resume their routine programme of inspections from August 2022. Inspections will start week beginning 5th September 2022.
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5.2 As the programme of inspections resumes, HMIE will continue to be responsive to the pressures and challenges that the education system is facing while continuing to give priority to the needs and experiences of children and young people. 5.3 As required for the National Improvement Framework, HMIE will report on and provide grades for the following Quality Indicators (QIs) as part of the full model of inspections i.e. inspections which take place over a full school week: QI 1.3 – leadership of change QI 2.3 – learning, teaching and assessment QI 3.1 – ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion; and QI 3.2 – raising attainment and achievement Short model inspections, which are shorter visits to schools, typically over two and a half days, will focus on two QIs: QI 2.3 – learning, teaching and assessment; and QI 3.2 – raising attainment and achievement HMIE will also continue to have a focus on safeguarding in every inspection. 5.4 In inspections of early learning and childcare settings, HMIE will continue to use the equivalent QIs from How good is our early learning and childcare? 5.5 HMIE will use predetermined criteria to select the annual sample of full model inspections. This criteria takes account of the context and characteristics of schools, including the type of school, deprivation and balance across local authorities. For short model inspections, they place an increased focus on the length of time since the last inspection as well as context and characteristics. 6.0 CONCLUSION 6.1 In summary, 3 reports are available for the Thematic Inspections which took place during the period of September 2021 to December 2021. 6.2 A further report on inspection outcomes, when the programme of ELC and school inspections resumes, will be presented to the next Community Services Committee. 7.0 IMPLICATIONS 7.1 Policy – The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 places a duty on Education Authorities to provide children and young people with school education and (in terms of raising standards) requires Authorities to endeavor to secure improvement in the quality of that school education.
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7.2 Financial – None 7.3 Legal – None 7.4 HR – None 7.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: – None 7.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – None 7.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – None 7.5.3 Islands – None 7.6. Risk – Reputational risk to the Education Service following a weak report. 7.7 Customer Service – The outcome of establishment inspections of the Education Service of Argyll and Bute Council may significantly enhance or 4 detract from the Council’s reputation and attractiveness as an area to work and live in. Douglas Hendry Executive Director with responsibility for Education Councillor Yvonne Mcneilly Policy Lead for Education Wendy Brownlie Head of Education: Learning and Teaching For further information please contact:- Victoria Quinn, Education Officer Telephone: 01631 567942 Email: Victoria.Quinn@argyll-bute.gov.uk. July 2022 Appendix 1 – Overview of Inspection Outcomes
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Appendix 1 - Overview of Inspection Outcomes School Type of Visit Outcome of Visit Gigha Primary School In-person engagement HMIEE will make no more visits to the school in connection with the original inspection. Lochnell Primary School In-person engagement HMIEE will make no more visits to the school in connection with the original inspection. Glassary Primary School In-person engagement HMIEE will make no more visits to the school in connection with the original inspection. Achahoish Primary School In-person engagement HMIEE will make no more visits to the school in connection with the original inspection. St Andrews Primary School In-person engagement HMIEE has requested that Argyll and Bute Council provide further information about the school’s progress within one year of the published report. Campbeltown Grammar School In-person engagement HMIEE has requested that Argyll and Bute Council provide an interim report on the school’s progress in six months from the published report, followed by a thorough analysis of the school’s performance in one year. Hermitage Academy In-person engagement HMIEE will make no more visits to the school in connection with the original inspection. Tiree High School Virtual visit HMIEE will make no more visits to the school in connection with the original inspection. Dunoon Primary School Virtual visit HMIEE will make no more visits to the school in connection with the original inspection.