11 - Education Service Standards and Quality Report 2023-24
North Ayrshire Council · 27 August 2024
Back to Cabinet — 27 August 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 27 August 2024 Cabinet Title: Education Service Standards and Quality Report 2023-24 Purpose: This paper seeks cabinet’s permission to publish the Standards and Quality Report (SQR). The SQR highlights key progress towards the Education Service improvement priorities and the National Improvement Framework priorities made during session 2023-24. This paper should be read in conjunction with the parallel paper reporting on the Service Improvement Plan (SIP). Recommendation: That Cabinet: (a) Notes the content of the report; and (b) Approves the publication of the report 1. Executive Summary 1.1 This report provides information on the performance of the Education Service in the 2023-24 academic year. Its publication is required as part of the statutory duty for each Education Authority to report annually on performance as outlined in the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 and Education (Scotland) Act 2016. 2. Background Education Authority statutory duties 2.1 The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 places a statutory duty on education authorities to annually publish a Standards and Quality report. In addition, there is a statutory duty outlined in the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, for education authorities to produce an annual plan and report on progress towards achieving National Improvement Framework (NIF) priorities. The NIF priorities in the relevant period were: (a) Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy (b) Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people (c) Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people (d) Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing
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(e) Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education Education Service planning arrangements 2.2 The Education Service Plan priorities for 2023-24 are aligned to the NIF priorities, noted in section 2.1 above, and they also align well to the Wellbeing theme of the Council Plan. The five priorities are as follows: • Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy • Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people • Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people • Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing • Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education 2.3 The SQR provides evidence of progress against these (and the key themes that sit below them), including performance indicators, wider analysis and the use of case studies. 2.4 In May 2023, the Scottish Government updated its ‘Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress’. This document requires local authorities to set stretch aims for improvement, and report on the extent to which progress towards them is being made as part of their annual statutory SQR. 2.5 The Education Service’s SQR 2023-24, (attached at Appendix 1), fulfils the statutory duties and NIF reporting requirements into a single report. The report describes some of the principal improvement activities undertaken throughout the academic session 2023-24 and includes key performance information on learner outcomes. A selection of key findings include (NB these are not comprehensive): • Ongoing progress in investing in our learning environments. • Consistently strong HMIE inspection outcomes. • Similar ACEL figures to last year. • A positive 5-year picture of school leavers in attaining Literacy at Level 4 and Level 5 displays, although equivalent trends in numeracy show greater fluctuation. • The average total tariff score for the lowest attaining 20% of learners is above the Virtual Comparator and, although slightly lower than 2022, it is above the 2019 and 2020 performance. • Breadth and depth measures highlight that North Ayrshire’s school leaver attainment performance is broadly in line with both the SWEIC and national performance, although overall attainment has dipped slightly, both locally and nationally in 2023. • Primary literacy and numeracy attainment gaps within the Broad General Education (BGE) have started to reduce again following the Covid-19 pandemic. • In 2022-23, 84% of the most deprived group of school leavers left school with at least one qualification at SCQF Level 5 or better. This is the best performance for this group in the last six years. • The attainment gap in average total tariff score between school leavers living in North Ayrshire’s 20% most deprived areas and pupils living in all other SIMD deciles
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has reduced over the last six years from a high of 44% to 38% in 2022-23. The attainment gap in North Ayrshire has been smaller than the corresponding national gap for the last three years. • In 2022-23, 87% of North Ayrshire’s care experienced school leavers attained at least 1 qualification at SCQF Level 4 or better, the second highest performance in the last five years. • At 96.5%, the proportion of leavers in North Ayrshire moving into an initial positive destination in 2022-23 is the highest on record, above the Virtual Comparator and National performance. • Whilst overall attendance across North Ayrshire Establishments has declined in recent years, we saw a very small improvement in 2023-24. • Overall, progress towards the 2026 stretch aims by August 2024 is limited. The legacy impacts of the COVID pandemic are still evident, and our response to this is reflected within the focus of this year’s SIP. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet: (a) Notes the content of the report; and (b) Approves the publication of the report. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 The production of an annual SQR is a requirement under the standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000. In addition, an annual report on progress towards NIF priorities is a requirement under the Education (Scotland) Act 2016. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The SQR sets out our progress towards improving educational outcomes for all, but also reducing the impact of poverty on educational attainment. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 The SQR sets out our progress towards improving educational outcomes including actions taken to promote progressive and interdisciplinary outdoor learning experiences with a focus on sustainable development goals, directly related to the NAC Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy.
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Key Priorities 4.6 The SQR sets out progress made on actions that support the Council Plan 2023-28 strategic aim to “transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people” and more specifically “improving educational attainment and achievement and closing the attainment gap” activities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 This report demonstrates progress made over the last year towards the Service Improvement Plan priorities in 2023-24. In turn, these reflect the National Improvement Framework priorities for 2023-24. Consultation on the content of this report is not required. However, a range of stakeholders and partners contributed to this report content and continue to play an active role in enabling the service to realise the NIF priorities and the Council’s vision to ensure a North Ayrshire that is fair for all by achieving our mission to work together to improve the lives of our people in North Ayrshire. Sam Anson Executive Director (Education) For further information please contact Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education), on (01294) 324413. Background Papers Appendix 1: NAC Education Service Standards & Quality Report 2023-24
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0 Education Service Standards and Quality Report 2023-24 Draft v1
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1 Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 4 The North Ayrshire Local Context ........................................................................................................... 5 Investing in our Learning Environments ................................................................................................. 7 Education Service Improvement Plan Priorities 2023-26 ....................................................................... 8 Priority 1: Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy............................ 10 Theme 1: High Quality Learning, Teaching and Assessment ...................................................... 10 Professional Learning to support high quality learning and teaching ..................................... 10 Play Pedagogy in the early stages of primary ........................................................................... 11 Digital Learning ............................................................................................................................... 11 Improvements in STEM, Learning for Sustainability and Outdoor Learning ......................... 12 Theme 2: Raising Attainment and Achievement ............................................................................ 13 Ongoing work to raise attainment including improved tracking and monitoring ................... 13 Performance Indicators for Priority 1 ............................................................................................... 14 Inspection Outcomes ..................................................................................................................... 14 North Ayrshire Early Learning Milestones .................................................................................. 14 Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels .................................................................... 15 Improving leavers’ attainment in literacy and numeracy .......................................................... 16 Improving attainment for all .......................................................................................................... 18 Breadth and Depth ......................................................................................................................... 19 Priority 2: Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people .............................................................................................................................. 21 Theme 1: Interventions to close gaps ............................................................................................. 21 Increasing the impact of Pupil Equity Funding .......................................................................... 21 Excellence and Equity Leads in Early Years .............................................................................. 24 Theme 2: Specific focus on identified target groups, including care experienced learners .... 24 MCR Pathways: North Ayrshire’s Young Talent programme ................................................... 24 Welfare Rights Officers .................................................................................................................. 25 Performance Indicators for Priority 2 ............................................................................................... 26 Early Learning Milestones attainment gap ................................................................................. 26 Primary attainment gap (P1, P4, P7 combined Curriculum for Excellence Levels) ............. 26 School Leavers Attainment Gap (Breadth and Depth) ............................................................. 28 School Leavers Attainment Gap (Average Total Tariff Score) ................................................. 29 Care Experienced Leavers educational outcomes ................................................................... 29
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2 Priority 3: Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Theme 1: Improved Skills ................................................................................................................. 32 Theme 2: Partnerships to improve learner outcomes post-school ............................................. 32 Performance Indicators for Priority 3 ............................................................................................... 33 School Leavers entering an initial positive destination ............................................................. 33 The Annual Participation Measure for all 16-19 year-olds ....................................................... 33 Priority 4: Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing ........................ 35 Theme 1: Supporting mental health and wellbeing ....................................................................... 35 Counselling supports and community wellbeing supports ....................................................... 35 Promoting staff wellbeing .............................................................................................................. 36 Theme 2: Supporting social and emotional wellbeing .................................................................. 37 Building on positive relationships and whole school nurture ................................................... 37 Theme 3: Improving attendance ...................................................................................................... 37 Pupil attendance data .................................................................................................................... 38 Priority 5: Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education ............................................................................................................................................. 39 Theme 1: Supporting needs ............................................................................................................. 39 Review of governance, processes and practice in supporting needs, with a focus on Staged Intervention and Inclusion ............................................................................................... 39 Review of support services and teams engaged in supporting needs within and out with the classroom .................................................................................................................................. 40 Support for the expansion of flexible and bespoke learning experiences tailored to match needs ................................................................................................................................................ 40 Theme 2: Maximising learner participation and voice .................................................................. 41 Rights Respecting Schools (RRS) ............................................................................................... 41 Progress towards Stretch Aims ........................................................................................................ 42
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4 Foreword (by Councillor Macaulay, Depute Leader of Council and Cabinet Member for Education and Young People) Introduction (by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) and Chief Education Officer)
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5 The North Ayrshire Local Context
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6 This report details progress made towards our Service Improvement Plan priorities for session 2023- 24, which are aligned to the priorities within the National Improvement Framework as follows: • Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy • Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people • Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people • Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing • Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education
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7 Investing in our Learning Environments Investment in our school and early years buildings is of vital importance for several reasons: • Raising attainment, achievement and wellbeing • Enhancing quality and reflecting changes in curriculum • Reducing inequality of facilities and opportunity Within North Ayrshire we have an excellent record of continuous improvement across our Learning Estate, and Academic Year 2023/24 saw a number of major projects progressed which strengthen that commitment: • Completion of new build Montgomerie Park Primary School, Irvine • Completion of major refurbishment of Marress House, Early Years Centre, Irvine • Final stages of the new build replacement of Moorpark Primary School, Kilbirnie • Site works underway for a new Ardrossan Community Campus, which will replace Ardrossan Academy and Winton Primary School • Kitchen and servery works in preparation for the roll out of Universal Free School Meals in Garnock Community Campus, Hayocks Primary School, Corsehill Primary School and Whitehirst Park Primary School • Significant replacement programme of ICT devices (laptops/PCs/ipads/Smartboards) • Completion of the internal upgrade works at Kilwinning Academy • Development of a terms of reference for ‘PPP Schools Hand Back Group’ to be established As well as the progression of the major projects outlined above, a risk-based approach to measuring the condition of our buildings has been developed in conjunction with Property Management and Investment. This approach focuses on the major elements of buildings e.g. Roof/Heating/Building Envelope, which informs the planned investment of Property Lifecycle Funding. This work has been coupled up with a review of Business Continuity Planning (BCP) for the Education Service. Every building now has a dedicated Teams site for BCP which holds all documentation including a locality matrix of all local buildings that could be used in the event of an emergency. The suitability of the learning estate continues to be measured on an annual basis. The Suitability Core Facts seek to provide a measure of the extent to which a school building and its grounds are appropriate in providing an environment which supports quality learning and teaching and those other services provided to individual children and to the school community, in terms of practicality, accessibility and convenience. Our latest measure showed that 90% of our buildings are in the top two categories, A (Good – performing well and operating efficiently) and B (Satisfactory – performing well but with minor problems).
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8 Education Service Improvement Plan Priorities 2023-26 Our Service Improvement Priorities will remain the same overall between 2023 and 2026. Each year, we will focus on specific actions to take forward those priorities across the service. The table below summarises the key pieces of work which contributed towards our improvement agenda throughout session 2023-24. PRIORITY 1: Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy Theme 1: High quality learning, teaching and assessment Develop a partnership approach to our new model of professional learning to support improved quality of learning and teaching in the classroom, and include additional investment in high quality professional learning for support staff and early years practitioners. Extend play pedagogy in the early stages of primary following a review of the pilot programme and work in partnership to increase outdoor active play in primary school settings. Review, update and implement authority-wide frameworks for learning to support high quality learning and teaching across all schools and EYCs – including: Literacy; Outdoor learning/STEM; Early learning; Health & Wellbeing Support establishments to achieve Digital Schools status, ensuring that digital technologies are a central component of our approaches to quality learning and teaching. Theme 2: Raising attainment and achievement Further enhance approaches to supporting and challenging schools/EYCs to make effective use of performance data to plan for further improvements in attainment. This will be supported through the development of new data visualisation resources. Implement further target setting arrangements to raise attainment and achievement for all Support primary schools to raise attainment in literacy through evidence-based improvement approaches to developing aspects of listening and talking skills in the early stages of primary and writing in the middle stages of primary. PRIORITY 2: Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people Theme 1: Interventions to reduce gaps Increase coherence between SEF and PEF interventions and support schools to improve the impact of PEF investments on target groups of learners. With a specific focus on early learning, enhance the work of our Excellence and Equity Leads team to support the further reduction of the poverty-related achievement gap. Continue to work closely across North Ayrshire services and third sector partners to reduce the cost of the school day and mitigate the impact of child poverty. Theme 2: Specific focus on identified groups, including care experienced learners Continue to implement the strategic actions of the Promise, through: • further enhancing supports for care experienced children and young people, including mentoring services, that enable them to attain and achieve in line with their peers. • expanding MCR Pathways programme to involve all mainland secondary schools. PRIORITY 3: Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people Theme 1: Improved skills Commence a review of the curriculum across secondary schools.
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9 Increase direct links within the curriculum to the Ayrshire Growth Deal and design further opportunities for skills development in a range of contexts. Theme 2: Partnerships to improve learner outcomes post-school Through DYW co-ordinators and other partners, embed approaches to planning, supporting and tracking post-school destinations for all school leavers. Strengthen partnership work with the NAC Local Employability Partnership, Skills Development Scotland and Ayrshire college to support sustained, positive participation in education, training or work for all young people up to the age of 19. PRIORITY 4: Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing Theme 1: Supporting mental health and wellbeing Implement and evaluate the revised school counselling service across all schools. Continue to embed whole school approaches to supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing, ensuring integration with community mental health and wellbeing approaches. Support establishments to develop evidence-based staff wellbeing approaches around the key themes of autonomy, agency and affiliation for staff. Theme 2: Supporting social and emotional wellbeing Establish whole school nurturing approaches in all establishments, including the designation of whole school nurture leads, the implementation of a comprehensive training programme for staff and the establishment of benchmarks to support self-evaluation and consistency of practice. Theme 3: Improving attendance Develop further universal supports to ensure improved school attendance for all, including updated processes and guidance Develop targeted approaches to support improved school attendance for individuals and identified groups of children and young people, including care experienced learners. PRIORITY 5: Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education Theme 1: Supporting needs Implement the recommendations of the Supporting Needs review including the review of governance, processes and practices to support placements, and the revised Staged Intervention policy. Working in partnership with other services, engage with children, young people and their families to collaborate and co-create a communication strategy around how needs are supported in North Ayrshire. Review support services and teams, including outreach services, classroom assistants and teaching support, and enhance professional learning programmes. Refresh and redesign advice and guidance around best practice in curriculum approaches which offer flexible learning experiences for young people. Theme 2: Maximising learner participation and voice Complete and implement a new Learner Participation Policy and increase opportunities for children and young people to play a meaningful role in shaping education and Council policy and practice. Theme 3: Maximising parents/carer involvement and engagement Implement locally the revised ‘Learning Together’ Scottish Government parental involvement and engagement action plan and use the Strategic Framework for Parental Involvement, Parental Engagement, Family Learning and Learning at home to evaluate and plan for next steps at school and authority level.
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10 Education Service Priority 1 Improvement in attainment, particularly literacy and numeracy Theme 1: High Quality Learning, Teaching and Assessment Professional Learning to support high quality learning and teaching Following a review of the Professional Learning Academy (PLA) last session, a refreshed delivery model was designed and implemented for session 2023-24. The new model includes PLA teachers becoming embedded within partner schools for a term and working alongside school staff on an agreed aspect of learning, teaching and assessment identified from their school improvement plans to improve practice and have a positive impact on learning outcomes. This year, the PLA worked in this way with 25 primary schools and 3 secondary schools for at least one term on targeted interventions across a range of curricular areas, including literacy, numeracy, play pedagogy and digital learning. The range of professional learning offered through the PLA was expanded in session 2023-24 to include training not only for teachers, but also for early years practitioners and support staff. The impact of the new delivery model for the PLA has been positively evaluated by establishments. In terms of improving learner outcomes, pre- and post-intervention assessment information demonstrates consistently that measurable progress is being made by pupils in the specific area of learning which was the focus of the intervention. An example of the type of work which has been undertaken through our new professional learning delivery model is illustrated in the case study below: Case study: “Literacy Power in an Hour” at Mayfield Primary School Beginning in August 2023, the Literacy Power in an Hour pilot has been supporting children’s literacy by offering daily guided reading, word study, and writing sessions. Reading performance was tracked daily to ensure children are reading within their instructional reading level. The sessions included children reading a new book every 1-3 days (depending on their book level), targeted word work and phonics tasks, a guided writing lesson, and the opportunity to work on phrasing, fluency, and comprehension. Pre- and post-intervention assessment data demonstrates accelerated progress in reading was made by most learners, across a range of assessed areas. Teaching staff highlighted the engagement levels and motivation of their learners throughout the sessions. Children responded well to the structures and routines created through this intervention. Teaching staff valued the opportunity to work alongside the PLA teacher to implement and embed the Literacy Power in an Hour approach in a way which was at the same time consistent to the principles of the intervention and also bespoke to the individual needs of their pupils. Attainment is steadily improving as the children become more confident in reading and writing.
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11 Play Pedagogy in the early stages of primary The Education Service is committed to developing play within our schools. We understand that effective play pedagogy can support the development of creativity and curiosity in our children. It will also engage our children in meaningful learning, encouraging autonomy and motivation and developing confident individuals. Our Professional Learning Academy has provided training and support to schools to support the knowledge and skills development across our workforce. A suite of documents was created to support staff in evaluating their provision and identifying their next steps in the approach to play including a self-evaluation document, an environment and observation tools. By the end of session 2023-24, all primary schools had received training and support in taking forward play in the early stages of primary. In December 2023, the Education Service called in a team of professionals with expertise in play from local authorities across Scotland and from Education Scotland to support us in evaluating our work in this area through a collaborative improvement model. The key strengths of approaches to play pedagogy the early stages of primary in North Ayrshire were identified as follows: • A strong commitment to the development of play pedagogy • The positive role of the professional learning academy in delivering training in play and creating a network for sharing practice and collaborating on implementation • Some good examples of early adopters of play in primary which will support further development and expansion of the model • Strong support to establishments provided through clear documentation • The positive impact of play on children in primary settings Play will remain on our Service Improvement Plan for session 24-25 ensuring all staff in the early stages of primary have the necessary skills to deliver high quality learning experiences through play for our children. Digital Learning By June 2024, a total of 22 schools have achieved their Digital Schools Award with almost all schools registered and on their journey towards completion of the Award. An established network of Digital Coordinators continued to meet termly to develop digital skills and cascade these within their school contexts. To support the development of our learners’ digital skills, 26 courses were delivered with over 560 teaching staff involved.
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12 Representatives across all sectors met on a number of occasions to begin creating a Digital Learning Strategy that will support digital skills development in learners, improve staff confidence levels regarding digital technology and prepare our learners for their next steps in learning, life and work. A group of learners and staff participated in an ADES project focus group on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within education, contributing their views and giving feedback which in turn will support the creation of education tools across Scotland on the use of AI. Improvements in STEM, Learning for Sustainability and Outdoor Learning Learning for Sustainability (LfS) We are supporting schools to engage with partner organisations and national programmes that enhance pupil entitlement to learning for sustainability. Engagement with Keep Scotland Beautiful Climate Action Schools is very positive. During the 2023- 24 session, 24 primary schools participated in Climate Ready Classrooms. A further 25 schools hold a current Eco-schools accreditation and 3 schools are participating in the Learning about Forests programme. A Learning for Sustainability partnership group has been established that enables Education to meet and collaborate with other council services and community groups. Members of the LfS partnership group are supporting the NAC Climate Voices competition next session. Outdoor Learning Improving teaching and learning outdoors has been supported through the Go Wild professional learning programme that was delivered to two early years settings and nine primary schools this session. The Go Wild programme supported early years practitioners and primary teaching staff with a variety od practical activities to support the delivery of literacy and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) activities outdoors. Training was delivered jointly by North Ayrshire countryside
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13 rangers and the STEM education support officer and focussed on: activities for speaking and listening; outdoor areas as a context for creative writing; den building; fire lighting; activities to deepen understanding of biodiversity. In terms of impact on learning, evaluations from this programme show that outdoor learning is supporting learning to a greater extent than previously in the following areas: creative writing; reading for information; listening and talking; team building; empathy with nature and health; engineering and design processes; chemical reactions; biodiversity outcomes. Theme 2: Raising Attainment and Achievement Ongoing work to raise attainment including improved tracking and monitoring In a number of Primary schools, additional Raising Attainment class teachers were deployed to support identified learners and groups of learners with targeted interventions. By providing appropriate pace and challenge, the Raising Attainment teachers could support the work of the class teachers and enhance the learning experiences further for identified children. Across all establishments, regular quality improvement professional dialogue between senior school leaders and their staff and central senior managers supported a focus on raising attainment for all learners. Working collaboratively across Primary and Secondary sectors with teaching representatives, a new tracking and monitoring tool for the Broad General Education (P1-S3) was launched which allows schools to track attainment in literacy and numeracy and provide a level of consistency of approaches to data usage across the authority. A refreshed approach to the use of data for improving outcomes for learners provided an opportunity to strengthen outcomes and measures for raising attainment. A focus on stretch aims across all sectors at establishment and local authority levels provided opportunity for regular data analysis and professional dialogue around attainment of learners in North Ayrshire schools and Early Years establishments.
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14 Performance Indicators for Priority 1 Summary statistics and narrative Inspection Outcomes The improvement activities under Priority 1 are designed to have a positive impact on the quality of learning, teaching and assessment and attainment outcomes. A strong external indicator of the quality of educational provision overall is the percentage of school/ early learning and childcare inspections by Education Scotland which resulted in an evaluation of “good” or better. Data has been analysed since the introduction of the current inspection framework in 2016 until 2023. In the tables below, there are consistently strong performances across all quality indicators, and particularly in the areas of learning, teaching and assessment as well as raising attainment and achievement/securing children’s progress. Across all quality indicators, inspection outcomes Percentage of Education Scotland school inspections resulting in an evaluation of “good” or better 2016-23: Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 82% 60% Learning, teaching and assessment 88% 62% Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 82% 69% Raising attainment and achievement 83% 61% Percentage of Education Scotland early learning and childcare inspections resulting in an evaluation of “good” or better 2016-23: Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 75% 59% Learning, teaching and assessment 83% 59% Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 75% 74% Securing children’s progress 83% 65% * Data source = internal analysis of inspections published on Education Scotland website. North Ayrshire Early Learning Milestones Overall, children continue to reach their early learning milestones in significant numbers by the start of Primary 1. The percentage of children in 2023-24 who successfully achieved their early learning milestones across all measures (literacy, numeracy and health & wellbeing) is 79%. Whilst this is slightly lower than the previous year, this figure is the joint second highest level of achievement in the last 5 years.
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15 Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels Achievement of a level of CfE levels is judged based on a holistic view of a child’s achievements by their teacher across a range of evidence throughout their journey through the level. As part of a school’s quality assurance process, teacher judgement levels are moderated internally and, in some cases, externally across school clusters, for example. In 2023, the combined figure for P1, P4 and P7 pupils achieving the expected level in literacy is 68%, which is an increase of one percentage point on the previous year, but is still below the national figure of 73% in this measure. In numeracy, the combined figure for P1, P4 and P7 pupils achieving the expected level is 76%, which is in line with the performance of the previous year but is still below the national figure of 80% in this measure. 77% 78% 72% 79% 82% 79% 87% 89% 86% 89% 91% 88% 75% 76% 69% 76% 79% 76% 74% 74% 68% 74% 77% 76% 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 % of Pre-school pupils reaching their early learning milestones by Primary 1 Overall Developmental Milestones Health and Wellbeing Milestones Literacy Milestones Numeracy Milestones
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16 Improving leavers’ attainment in literacy and numeracy Performance of North Ayrshire school leavers in attaining Literacy at Level 4 and Level 5 displays a positive 5-year picture. Our schools remain above or in line with the Virtual Comparator, the SWEIC authorities and the National performance in all 5 years of this analysis. In 2023, North Ayrshire school leavers have outperformed all other comparators at level 4, with 95% achieving literacy at level 4 or better. Similarly, at level 5, North Ayrshire leavers outperformed all other comparators except the national figure (which is equal to NAC performance), with 82% achieving literacy at level 5 or better. The performance of North Ayrshire school leavers in attaining Numeracy at Levels 4 and 5 has fluctuated slightly over the 5-year period, with schools again remaining above the Virtual Comparator in almost all years. In 2023, 92% of school leavers in North Ayrshire achieved Level 4 Numeracy, this being an improvement on the previous year and the second highest percentage since 2019-20. In 2023, 69% of school leavers attained Level 5 Numeracy and while this is a slightly lower percentage than previous years, this figure remains consistently above the virtual comparator of pupils across the rest of the country with the same characteristics as North Ayrshire leavers. 72% 74% 59% 67% 68% 80% 79% 67% 76% 76% 71% 72% 67% 71% 73% 78% 79% 75% 78% 80% 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 LITERACY NUMERACY Curriculum for Excellence Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy -P1, P4, P7 -combined NAC National
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17 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Percentage of school leavers attaining SCQF level 4 or better in Literacy North Ayrshire South West Collaborative Virtual Comparator National 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Percentage of school leavers attaining SCQF level 5 or better in Literacy North Ayrshire South West Collaborative Virtual Comparator National 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Percentage of school leavers attaining SCQF level 4 or better in Numeracy North Ayrshire South West Collaborative Virtual Comparator National
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18 Improving attainment for all This measure focuses on the average total tariff score of the candidate’s latest and best qualifications. Tariff points are assigned to each unit or course achieved by learners – in all SCQF-graded awards, not just those provided by SQA. This acknowledges to a greater extent the drive towards wider achievement qualifications and encourages schools to offer curricular choices and learner pathways tailored to a variety of abilities and aspirations. In 2023, the average total tariff score for the lowest attaining 20% of learners is above the Virtual Comparator, and although slightly lower than 2022, it is above the 2019 and 2020 performance. The average total tariff score of the middle attaining 60% of leavers is slightly below the Virtual Comparator, but above the score in 2019. The average total tariff score of the highest attaining 20% of leavers is the second highest on record in the 5-year trend. The figure is above the Virtual Comparator and a consistent 5-year positive trend is evident. School Leavers Average total tariff points in North Ayrshire (compared to Virtual Comparator and Scotland): 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 NAC VC Scot NAC VC Scot NAC VC Scot NAC VC Scot NAC VC Scot Lowest 20% 145 120 151 139 126 151 160 157 164 155 140 154 133 127 141 Middle 60% 697 733 821 780 821 880 840 873 939 812 804 871 744 766 832 Highest 20% 1665 1749 1830 1797 1865 1921 1860 1910 1982 1907 1876 1950 1869 1866 1931 The average complementary tariff scores are calculated using the same principles but display the average tariff score for only the five best qualifications achieved per candidate. Further information about tariff points can be found here. 63 65 67 69 71 73 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Percentage of school leavers attaining SCQF level 5 or better in Numeracy North Ayrshire South West Collaborative Virtual Comparator National
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19 School Leavers Average complementary tariff points in North Ayrshire (compared to Virtual Comparator and Scotland): 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 NAC VC Scot NAC VC Scot NAC VC Scot NAC VC Scot NAC VC Scot Lowest 20% 134 110 134 126 114 133 141 137 144 137 126 137 125 116 127 Middle 60% 556 560 623 611 616 657 643 649 691 607 600 643 554 570 612 Highest 20% 1189 1204 1267 1256 1272 1314 1254 1284 1339 1256 1253 1304 1204 1237 1286 Breadth and Depth Breadth and depth measures highlight that North Ayrshire’s school leaver attainment performance is broadly in line with both the SWEIC and national performance, although overall attainment has dipped slightly, both locally and nationally in 2023. A higher percentage of school leavers left school in North Ayrshire in 2023 with at least one Level 6 qualification (Higher) than across the SWEIC or nationally. 5 or more at Level 3 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 National 90.1% 89.0% 89.6% 90.5% 90.1% 88.6% North Ayrshire 91.3% 89.4% 89.8% 91.0% 91.2% 88.6% SWEIC 91.4% 89.8% 89.9% 90.8% 90.5% 89.5% 5 or more at Level 4 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 National 86.7% 85.4% 85.8% 87.1% 86.5% 85.1% North Ayrshire 86.7% 83.6% 84.3% 85.8% 86.5% 82.9% SWEIC 87.9% 85.4% 85.4% 87.0% 86.3% 85.1% 5 or more at Level 5 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 National 64.4% 64.3% 67.5% 70.5% 67.7% 66.3% North Ayrshire 63.2% 60.7% 65.3% 69.6% 67.0% 63.4% SWEIC 64.1% 63.5% 66.4% 69.0% 66.3% 63.9% 1 or more at Level 6 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 National 66.2% 66.2% 68.2% 70.2% 67.1% 65.6% North Ayrshire 65.4% 65.0% 67.3% 70.6% 68.0% 66.2% SWEIC 65.0% 64.0% 65.8% 68.6% 65.1% 61.9%
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20 3 or more at Level 6 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 National 50.3% 50.9% 54.7% 56.6% 53.0% 51.1% North Ayrshire 46.7% 44.4% 51.7% 53.8% 51.0% 49.2% SWEIC 47.0% 47.5% 51.9% 53.9% 50.7% 48.3% 5 or more at Level 6 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 National 35.5% 36.0% 40.2% 42.1% 38.7% 37.9% North Ayrshire 30.9% 28.3% 35.6% 37.6% 36.1% 35.0% SWEIC 32.0% 32.7% 36.3% 38.5% 35.9% 35.5% 1 or more at Level 7 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 National 23.2% 22.1% 25.6% 28.0% 26.0% 25.4% North Ayrshire 19.9% 18.0% 23.5% 23.9% 24.7% 20.5% SWEIC 20.6% 20.0% 23.5% 24.9% 24.5% 23.2%
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21 Education Service Priority 2 Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people Theme 1: Interventions to close gaps Increasing the impact of Pupil Equity Funding Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) is additional funding allocated directly to schools and targeted at closing the poverty-related attainment gap. This investment is part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge programme and empowers head teachers to improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty. North Ayrshire schools are directly allocated a share of almost £4.2 million in PEF funding annually until 2026. Details about the funding levels allocated to individual schools can be found on the Scottish Government website. For session 2023-24, school PEF plans and impact reports have been reviewed resulting in key strengths and improvement areas being identified. The review of plans indicates that almost all schools have a clear and robust rationale for school improvement priorities. Almost all schools are able to provide examples of effective PEF interventions supporting improvement for all learners. All schools work with their school community to decide how to invest PEF and are encouraged to use participatory budgeting approaches to inform decision making. There is a strong focus on learner participation, recognising the importance of actively involving children and young people in decision making processes, including those pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The following brief case studies illustrate how schools are using Pupil Equity Funding effectively to reduce gaps with targeted groups of learners. Case study 1 – Cumbrae Primary School Outdoor Learning, off site school visits and visitors to school Rationale for the PEF initiative An assessment of learners’ wellbeing showed that 24% of Primary 4-7 children have lower than average perceived learning capability. The outdoor learning initiative was designed to increase children’s engagement, improve wellbeing and develop a love for learning through interesting and meaningful experiences. The initiative included access to learning experiences off the island to reduce the impact of rural isolation in the island context and the associated financial pressures of travelling between the island and the mainland. Description of initiative School staff planned a consistent offering of outdoor learning opportunities. Outdoor learning provision was developed in collaboration with the wider staff team. PEF was used to buy resources to enhance this provision. In addition, the
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22 school engaged with authors, illustrators and STEM companies. Authors worked with children over a series of days to produce games, pieces of writing and illustrations. This enabled children to see a purpose to their learning and experience joy in learning to read and write. The school was also proactive in seeking off-site activities to further enhance opportunities for children to see the wider world of work beyond the island setting. Impact of the initiative Children spent an increased amount of time engaged in outdoor activities (over 30% of learning time). Data showed that all learners in the target group improved in terms of engagement in learning and skills developed. Across all stages, class teachers reported that all children showed improved listening skills and were far more engaged and motivated to learn. All staff commented this was a result of engaging in exciting outdoor learning opportunities. Case study 2 - Greenwood Academy Improving engagement and attendance Rationale for the PEF initiative Similar to other schools in North Ayrshire and across Scotland, the school identified an increase in the number of pupils with low attendance rates. Some pupils had disengaged completely, and some were attending for part of the week. A robust analysis of attendance data showed that there had been a significant decrease in attendance among young people from the most deprived areas, with attendance issues also being seen more widely across all groups of learners. Description of the initiative Two Principal Teachers of inclusion were appointed who met regularly with a Depute Head Teacher to review the strategic direction of the work to improve, monitor and track learner attendance and impact on engagement in learning. Targeted input was provided for identified learners at risk of not achieving their full potential due to low school engagement and low attendance. In-school and after school inputs were developed to support improvements in literacy and numeracy levels. From March 2023, learning experiences were also delivered from a local community centre and offered opportunities for young people to work in small groups and on a one-to-one basis every day of the week. Core staffing provided specialist inputs daily and the Principal Teachers of Inclusion offered SQA awards and bespoke interventions. In partnership with ‘Developing the Young Workforce Ayrshire’, the school explored the possibility of opening a community café, served by learners undertaking the Events Management qualification. The learners have been working at Townend Community Centre since August 2023, serving coffee to invited guests and parents/carers while they wait on their child finishing the learning sessions. Impact of the initiative
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23 The current targeted group is across S1-5. Attendance and engagement are tracked individually for learners with an ongoing review. The attendance of this group of identified learners at school and engagement in learning is improving. 71% of these learners have shown an improvement during 2023/24, compared with the same period in 2022/23. Attendance statistics from August 2023 – February 2024 have improved by 1.2 percentage points in comparison with the previous year. The benefits of this approach have also extended to the curriculum. The community café has provided skills-based qualifications for the young people, including Barista qualifications, Customer Services qualifications, and Personal Development Awards at level 5. This can also count towards their Saltire Award as volunteering hours. Case study 3 – St Matthew’s Academy Increase literacy and numeracy outcomes for learners, improve wellbeing and provide opportunities to engage in wider achievement experiences Rationale for the initiative Nurture provision was required to support identified learners in need of additional support, with a view to increasing literacy and numeracy attainment. All learners participated in the school vision of developing all aspects of the young person, providing opportunities for wider learning. A disproportionate number of learners in S1-S3 were not participating in wider achievement experiences and extra-curricular activities. To increase employability, young people were supported to develop skills and qualifications in Emergency First Aid. Description of the initiative The school successfully implemented the six principles of nurture to support identified young people. Additional Teachers of Mathematics and English were appointed to support improvement in Levels 4 and 5 Literacy and Numeracy. A school trip was organised to increase opportunities of experience and to close the activity gap. The school was able to provide all learners with access to employability skills and First Aid training. Impact of the initiative There was an increase in attainment, particularly at SCQF level 6 and among learners from the most deprived areas at Levels 4 and 5. There is a positive 5-year trend in attainment which is above the Virtual Comparator in both Literacy and Numeracy. Comparing data between 2019 and 2023, there is increased engagement in learning for learners living in the most deprived areas. Engagement in learning assessments and learner feedback indicate a successful implementation of nurturing approaches which have led to positive outcomes for identified young people. The school has achieved the Nurture UK Marjorie Boxall Award for Nurturing approaches.
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24 Excellence and Equity Leads in Early Years As part of Scottish Government’s focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap, all 24 Excellence and Equity Leads were deployed in our Early Years establishments with the highest levels of socio-economic deprivation. Increasing the number of children who attain key milestones in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing is a key focus of their work and this is achieved through targeted support and interventions in all three areas as well as analysing achievement data to track and monitor learners’ progress. Theme 2: Specific focus on identified target groups, including care experienced learners Care experienced children and young people continue to be supported through a range of interventions where the focus is on delivering equity and improving educational outcomes. MCR Pathways: North Ayrshire’s Young Talent programme This academic session the MCR Pathways Young Talent programme supported our young people in, or on the edges of, care within 6 secondary schools with a total of 424 young people engaged. This is a significant increase from the 229 engaged in session 2022-23. S1 and S2 learners involved in the programme participated in group work which focussed on building self-esteem and confidence, strengths and interests, teamwork, problem solving and employability skills. MCR Pathways Co-ordinators, who are members of the schools’ extended pastoral support teams, provide an enhanced and integrated level of support, liaising with partners and preparing young people for engagement with a Mentor. Using their wealth of experiences and life skills, mentors share the same desire to support a young person in their local community and give something back. This year, 250 young people were supported in weekly face-to-face sessions with a mentor, representing an increase of 77 from the previous year. The impact of the MCR programme (as part of the wider range of interventions and supports available to our young people) is evident in improved literacy and numeracy outcomes for this group and improvements in the number and level of qualifications achieved. Moving forward, we have now recruited an additional 2 MCR Pathways Co-ordinators ensuring that young people in all our Secondary Establishments and Extended Outreach have access to the resource. In addition to the programme above, a tutor continues to provide one-to-one tuition for care experienced children and young people. Based within our Home Tuition Service, the tutor supports our learners by providing one to one intensive individual
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25 support within the children’s houses and by supporting with specific classwork or homework. Welfare Rights Officers Our Welfare Rights Officer (WRO) provides support and help to identified families regarding possible access to benefits and any changes to benefits that occur. This year, the WRO also delivered training and provided briefings on relevant topics for education staff, and in 2023-24 all NAC Secondary schools engaged with the WRO. In total, the financial gains for families since the project began is over £1 million, with a further £565,000 coming in financial year 2023-24. To raise awareness of the service to families, the WRO attended events such as P7 Transition Events, Wellbeing Events, Community Connections and Breakfast Blethers. Communication of the service has been a priority, with the WRO sharing information through leaflet drops in S1 bags and engaging with Area Inclusion Workers. In addition, there has been a focus this year on young carers and the WRO has made links with the Psychological Service. Funding has now been identified to expand the programme into all Primary and Early Years Establishments in session 2024/25 which will see the initiative go from 1 full- time Welfare Rights Officer to 3 and will allow for more referrals to the service to take place.
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26 Performance Indicators for Priority 2 Summary statistics and narrative Early Learning Milestones attainment gap The gap between the percentage of children living in the most and least deprived areas who achieve their early learning milestones has fluctuated across recent years, with the largest gap in the year immediately following the pandemic. In the most recent year, the gap has narrowed slightly, but this remains an area for further improvement in future. Primary attainment gap (P1, P4, P7 combined Curriculum for Excellence Levels) The most recent published data available for Primary Curriculum for Excellence levels relates to session 2022-23. Primary literacy and numeracy attainment gaps within the Broad General Education (BGE) have started to reduce again following the Covid-19 pandemic, however, work is ongoing to improve the overall attainment levels of all groups to firstly recover to pre-pandemic levels then build on these. Nevertheless, the improvements so far since the pandemic have been steeper for those facing the highest levels of deprivation (according to SIMD), with an improvement in literacy of 14 percentage points for this group since 2020-21, compared to an improvement of 7 percentage points for the least deprived group. There is a similar picture for improvements in numeracy, with an improvement of 13 percentage points for the most deprived group since 2020-21, compared to an improvement of 5 percentage points for the least deprived group. -11 -6 -19 -6 -12 -7 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 Percentage of children who achieve Early Learning Milestones by the start of Primary 1 (SIMD Quintile 1 vv SIMD Quintiles 2-5) SIMD Quintile 1 SIMD Quintiles 2-5
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28 School Leavers Attainment Gap (Breadth and Depth) In 2022-23, 84% of the most deprived group of school leavers (i.e. those living in SIMD Quintile 1) left school with at least one qualification at SCQF Level 5 or better. This is the best performance for this group in the last six years. Furthermore, in 2022-23, the gap between the most deprived and least deprived groups reduced to 7.2 percentage points, which is also the lowest level in the last six years. In 2022-23, 57% of the most deprived group of school leavers (i.e. those living in SIMD Quintile 1) left school with at least one qualification at SCQF Level 6 or better. This is the second best performance for this group in the last six years. Furthermore, in 2022- 23, the gap between the most deprived and least deprived groups reduced to 15.8 percentage points, which is also the lowest level in the last six years.
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29 School Leavers Attainment Gap (Average Total Tariff Score) The average total tariff score is a measure of the pupil’s latest and best awarded qualifications. Tariff points are assigned to each unit or course achieved by learners – in all SCQF-graded awards, not only those provided by SQA. This acknowledges to a greater extent the drive towards wider achievement qualifications and encourages schools to offer curricular choices tailored to a variety of pupil abilities and aspirations. The attainment gap in average total tariff score between school leavers living in North Ayrshire’s 20% most deprived areas and pupils living in all other SIMD deciles has reduced over the last six years from a high of 44% to 38% in 2022-23. The attainment gap in North Ayrshire has been smaller than the corresponding national gap for the last three years. Care Experienced Leavers educational outcomes In North Ayrshire we count all children and young people as “care experienced” if they are currently looked after at home, away from home or if they have ever been looked after at any point in the past. Care experienced leavers in North Ayrshire are continuing a positive 5-year trend of attainment. In 2022-23, 87% of North Ayrshire’s care experienced school leavers attained at least 1 qualification at SCQF Level 4 or better, the second highest performance in the last five years. For Level 5, 61% of care experienced leavers achieved at least 1 qualification. In 2022-23, 32% of care experienced school leavers in North Ayrshire left 34% 36% 38% 40% 42% 44% 46% 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Percentage gap between Average Total Tariff Score of School Leavers from the 20 % most SIMD deprived areas and that of those from the 80% least SIMD deprived areas % GAP 20/80 - North Ayrshire % GAP 20/80 - National
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30 with at least one qualification at SCQF Level 6 or better. At all levels, North Ayrshire’s performance compares positively with the national picture, although there is a continued focus on securing further improvements. The national report on Educational Outcomes for Looked After Children does not publish attainment data for all care experienced learners, focusing instead on those who were “looked after” in that year. In the charts below, North Ayrshire’s Care Experienced outcomes as well as North Ayrshire’s Looked After outcomes are displayed, in order to be able to benchmark the data against the available national level statistics. 85% 77% 86% 90% 87% 77% 77% 80% 88% 84% 97% 97% 97% 97% 97% 74% 73% 74% 82% n/a 0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Percentage of care experienced school leavers achieving at least 1 qualification at SCQF Level 4 or better NAC Care experienced NAC Looked After NAC All Other Leavers (not CE) Looked after leavers - National 51% 53% 62% 68% 61% 38% 54% 51% 67% 54% 89% 89% 92% 90% 90% 37% 40% 42% 48% n/a 0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Percentage of care experienced school leavers achieving at least 1 qualification at SCQF level 5 or better NAC Care experienced NAC Looked After NAC All Other Leavers (not CE) Looked after leavers - National
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31 27% 29% 41% 34% 32% 17% 31% 33% 27% 33% 67% 70% 73% 70% 69% 12% 13% 16% 15% n/a 0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Percentage of care experienced school leavers achieving at least 1 qualification at SCQF Level 6 or better NAC Care experienced NAC Looked After NAC All Other Leavers (not CE) Looked after leavers - National
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32 Education Service Priority 3 Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school leaver destinations for all young people Theme 1: Improved Skills Supporting Secondary schools to provide improved learner pathways through curriculum offers and choice ensures that these pathways are designed to offer maximum accreditation and achievement opportunities. Widening opportunities for learning across the Broad General Education and into the Senior Phase continues to be a focus in all secondary schools and senior school leaders and central staff are engaging in professional discussion and exploration of further opportunities for skills development across the curriculum. The links between Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Ayrshire and our schools continue to be further strengthened and supported a range of vocational courses and work placements to be delivered across all secondary schools. In total, 486 young people participated in work placements which allowed them to develop a range of key employability skills such as teamworking, communication and interpersonal skills. Our schools also held a range of DYW activities to support learners and their next steps such as: careers events; employability workshops; mock interviews and how to write CV/application forms; site visits; Further and Higher Education engagement and women into STEM events. Theme 2: Partnerships to improve learner outcomes post- school Our schools continue to benefit from close partnership working with local businesses to support the development of skills for learning, life and work. In session 2023-24, planning began between NAC and Ayrshire College for piloting the Performing Engineering Operations course. This qualification is a requirement for entering further study of engineering disciplines and will support learners who progress to Further or Higher Education. Connected to this, links have now been formed with a subsea cabling company operating in North Ayrshire which will further support learner pathways as well as graduate apprenticeship and wider employment opportunities in our local authority. We reviewed all processes and procedures between Ayrshire College, DYW Ayrshire and North Ayrshire and the result has been improved systems for supporting young people entering Further Education or a work placement. We continue to work closely with Skills Development Scotland to ensure all leavers from North Ayrshire schools enter a positive and sustained post-school destination.
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33 Performance Indicators for Priority 3 Summary statistics and narrative School Leavers entering an initial positive destination An initial positive destination means that a school leaver has gone on to one of the following activities immediately after leaving school: further or higher education, training, skills development or employment. At 96.5%, the proportion of leavers in North Ayrshire moving into an initial positive destination in 2022-23 is the highest on record, above the Virtual Comparator and National performance. To maximise the percentage of school leavers entering and sustaining positive destinations, schools continue to work hard in strong partnership with Skills Development Scotland. The Annual Participation Measure for all 16-19 year-olds The Annual Participation Measure (APM) is a measurement of the proportion of 16- 19-year-olds participating in education, training or employment over a whole year (1st April-31st March). The indicator provides a measure of the status of the wider aged 16-19 cohort – not just those who have left school. The Annual Participation Measure, covering the year from April 2022 – March 2023 showed that of the 5,872 16-19-year- olds in North Ayrshire, 93.9% were in education, employment or training and personal development. This is the highest on record since the APM started in 2016. 94.0 92.5 95.2 96.0 96.5 94.0 92.3 95.1 94.9 95.31 95.1 93.4 95.5 95.7 95.9 90.0 91.0 92.0 93.0 94.0 95.0 96.0 97.0 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Percentage of school leavers moving into Positive Destinations North Ayrshire Virtual Comparator National
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34 89.9% 90.3% 91.1% 90.5% 90.6% 90.1% 90.8% 93.9% 85.6% 85.9% 87.6% 87.8% 86.9% 85.3% 88.0% 90.6% 93.2% 93.7% 93.4% 92.4% 93.5% 93.9% 93.0% 96.2% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100% 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Annual Participation Measure (all 16-19 year-olds) NAC All NAC Q1 NAC Q2-Q5
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35 Education Service Priority 4 Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing Theme 1: Supporting mental health and wellbeing Counselling supports and community wellbeing supports Our school counsellors continue to provide support to those children (aged 10 and over) who require support. The total number of children and young people accessing counsellors in session 2023-24 is 379. S1 pupils used the service most frequently, followed by S3 pupils. The most common reasons for counselling referrals included anxiety and depression/low mood. Established tracking and evaluation tools demonstrate that school counselling continues to have a positive impact on the wellbeing of children and young people in North Ayrshire. The counselling team have established practices that have allowed them to work more closely with children and young people for whom one-to-one talking can be a barrier, including developing approaches such as psychodrama, sand trays and the use of Lego therapy. There has also been a focus on internal trauma training to promote more systemic trauma informed practice. We also continue to use Crisis Counselling as a support for children and young people who do not fall under the remit of the school counselling team, with 20 Primary School children accessing this support in the last year. Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports continue to have a significant impact on children and young people’s wellbeing, with initiatives supporting early intervention and promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. Overall, 5,962 children and young people have accessed these supports with an additional 814 families benefitting. Managing anxiety is a key area of focus, with 806 children and young people receiving support for this concern. Our education professional learning programme has ensured staff have the skills and knowledge to deliver interventions, for example an additional 35 staff members have been trained this year to deliver Let’s Introduce Anxiety Management (LIAM), with 148 young people benefitting this session. Impacts include young people who now have improved attendance at school and are able to engage in community activities. Other interventions have played a key role in supporting our children and young people, for example: • 93 learners have accessed play therapy for care experienced children, a support for learners who have experienced significant trauma. North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) have now invested in a full-time permanent play therapist due to the positive impact of this programme. • 147 children have accessed the Family Centred Wellbeing Support Service, with many referrals being made for children and young people where there is a
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36 neurodevelopmental diagnosis or concern. This service too has been expanded for next session. • Our 2 mental health and wellbeing project delivery officers continue to have a positive impact in their communities, and in particular among the 16-24 age bracket. Access is through self-referral and referral reasons include loneliness, social isolation and self-esteem or confidence issues. As well as creating a young parents’ group, the project delivery officers have delivered the ‘BounceBack’ Programme in Primary schools and ‘Your Resilience’ in Secondary schools. Young people involved in this programme identified Suicide Prevention as an area they wished to investigate and have created kindness murals in public places with the aim of supporting positive messaging. These have been created in Kilwinning and the Garnock valley. (Pictures Below) • Our Area Inclusion Workers have a key role in supporting children and young people with a range of themes, including: managing anxiety; supporting attendance; supporting with change and loss; visiting the family home; and providing social and emotional support. Promoting staff wellbeing Staff continue to participate in collaborative sessions to ensure their views are heard and they are included in planning sessions for any local authority initiatives and approaches. Leadership staff have reported that they feel better supported and included in quality improvement through for example participation in trios. The whole school nurture service improvement group has included key staff in the planning and development of nurture approaches and has developed a section on staff wellbeing as part of the nurture benchmarking toolkit. We have a specific professional learning resource entitled ‘Mental Health Improvement: A Practical Approach’ which has been delivered to Area Inclusion Workers and nurture staff. Staff in one of our Early Years Centres has engaged with a specific staff wellbeing project called ‘Do Be Mindful’ and early indications show that this is having a positive impact: it provides staff with the skills to use mindfulness techniques to support their own wellbeing within their professional context.
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37 Theme 2: Supporting social and emotional wellbeing Building on positive relationships and whole school nurture Targeted nurture groups were implemented in 20 primary schools and 7 secondary schools during session 2023-24 with bespoke adaptations being made to the original North Ayrshire model based on school context and need. Schools were supported to complete the Boxall and SDQ to help monitor the impact of targeted nurture. Schools submitted data for 181 young people who were involved in targeted nurture last session. Analysis of this data demonstrates that targeted nurture continues to have a positive impact on children and young people. Given the short-term nature of targeted nurture provision, evidence has indicated that any approach is more effective when it is delivered as a whole school approach, and given the reduction in funding and the need to ensure impactful outcomes, a Service Improvement Group was established to ensure that we had a clear, consistent plan of action to deliver whole school nurture. A ‘train the trainer’ approach was developed alongside a benchmarking tool to support evaluation of nurture. This has been delivered across the whole education service to ensure all staff in our provisions have the necessary skills and experience to offer a nurturing environment for all children and young people. Approximately 90 staff attended whole school nurture training this session and evaluations confirmed the effectiveness of the professional learning programme. In parallel to embedding a whole school nurturing approach, we have continued to develop our building on positive relationships approach (which is based on the principles of non-violent resistance). We have expanded our offer to parents and have run 8 parent groups which supported 48 parents alongside our HSCP colleagues. Analysis of surveys completed before and after the building on positive relationships parent groups has demonstrated a significant impact on the understanding and knowledge of our parents in terms of applying this approach to strengthen positive outcomes for their children. Theme 3: Improving attendance Improving attendance has been a key priority this session with the a range of improvement activities taking place throughout the year. A full analysis of North Ayrshire attendance data and comparison with national data was undertaken which utilised our own SEEMIS data and the School Reform ‘Absent Minds’ Report to help us to establish initial priorities. A collaborative improvement day was held in November which included an opportunity for stakeholders to hear about the current data, local and national approaches and the wider policy context. An opportunity was also provided for establishment representatives to share their views on possible influencing factors and potential next steps for action.
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38 Throughout the session, extensive stakeholder consultation has been undertaken with establishments, other agencies and third sector partners, parents/carers, and children and young people. This has allowed us to carry out an analysis of perceptions regarding the underlying causes of non-attendance and the current supports/services on offer along with identification of areas for improvement. A blog on attendance was created to provide further information on approaches to support our 4 priorities for improving attendance, which are: universal approaches; processes and data; targeted approaches, and partnership working. The blog can be accessed via the following link: Supporting School Attendance in North Ayrshire (glowscotland.org.uk). A Service Improvement Group was created with representation from school staff, Educational Psychologists, Senior Managers and partners. Following further collaboration on the priority areas for improvement, this wider group was then divided into 4 workstreams. Initial planning meetings have taken place, and the following has been taken forward: o SEEMIS Guidance has been developed to support consistency of recording, monitoring and tracking of absence and attendance; o A staged approach to assessing and supporting attendance is in the early stages; o A campaign to promote attendance with accompanying guidance for parents/carers is in development. This will help to ensure that NA is setting high expectations for attendance alongside appropriate support for those who are experiencing barriers to attendance; Information on supports from partners to promote attendance and tackle absence is being gathered. Pupil attendance data 86.00% 87.00% 88.00% 89.00% 90.00% 91.00% 92.00% 93.00% 94.00% 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 North Ayrshire overall pupil attendance percentage
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39 Whilst overall attendance across North Ayrshire Establishments has declined in recent years, we saw a very small improvement in 2023-24. This is an issue we will continue to focus on as we progress our focused improvement activities to support attendance. Education Service Priority 5 Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education Theme 1: Supporting needs Review of governance, processes and practice in supporting needs, with a focus on Staged Intervention and Inclusion The revised Staged Intervention policy has been embedded across all establishments during this session with planned evaluations demonstrating all establishments are implementing this in a consistent manner. Following the introduction of the revised policy, establishments reported the changes to be easy to implement with the reduction in bureaucracy allowing greater time to focus on the quality of planning for individual learners. Following feedback, information for parents and carers was created which will be published online and as hard copies available from establishments. The approach to the assessment of need and subsequent placement allocation was reviewed. Sampling of parental views underlined the need for greater transparency around all aspects of the process, a more explicit approach to seeking views and a greater degree of consistency in the application of the policy. The policy is now revised considering these elements, with clear timescales, reduced paperwork and accompanying literature to support parents and carers’ understanding of the process. The assessment process has also been refined to include a detailed risk matrix and scoring system to assist in the prioritisation of placements. The Secondary Support Resource teams have now completed their second year of implementation with more children and young people being educated within their local community and transitioning to their mainstream secondary with support. Attendance, engagement and attainment continue to be positively impacted by this approach to bespoke and targeted intervention at the early stages of secondary school. Clusters of schools work together to identify learners from Primary 5 – 7 whose needs can be met within their secondary school with adaptations to the curriculum and with additional mentoring and support from trained staff. Parents and carers continue to report high levels of satisfaction with the support available to their children in accessing a mainstream education.
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40 Review of support services and teams engaged in supporting needs within and out with the classroom Following on from the recommendations of the Morgan Report and the subsequent Scottish Government Action Plan, we sought to review our Classroom Assistant workforce and consider the appropriateness of the existing role profiles. These colleagues provide an invaluable complementary service in supporting learners in schools. With the range and complexity of needs increasing, the need for a refreshed role profile alongside a comprehensive programme of professional learning was essential. We have now revised the role profile to reflect the demands of the job and have regraded out existing workforce. 97% of employees accepted the new ‘Pupil Support Assistant’ role profile and a programme of professional learning has been devised which enables establishments to tailor their professional learning to meet the needs of their young people. A review of our approach to Outreach Support Services has also been carried out examining each element of the services and to consider their appropriateness to meet the needs of today’s learners. The review identified as strengths the flexibility, resourcefulness and commitment of the staff, along with the broad range of support available to learners and their families. Recommendations include the consideration of a leadership and management structure, identification of consistent learning environments and transport options as being important next steps. Support for the expansion of flexible and bespoke learning experiences tailored to match needs Linking closely with the work in improving skills and ensuring positive destinations, a focus for the review of supporting needs was around how the curriculum within secondary schools can designed to allow maximum flexibility for learners for whom a more traditional pathway was insufficient to meet their needs. Supporting Secondary schools to provide improved learner pathways through curriculum offers and choice are ensuring that pathways are being designed or refreshed to offer maximum accreditation and achievement opportunities. Widening opportunities for learning across the broad general education and into the senior phase continues to be a focus in all NAC Secondary schools and senior school leaders and central staff engaged in professional discussion and exploration of further opportunities for skills development across the curriculum.
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41 Theme 2: Maximising learner participation and voice Rights Respecting Schools (RRS) The UNCRC, now part of Scottish domestic law, is central to the key national and local policy drivers underpinning North Ayrshire’s Education Service. As such, Rights Respecting Schools remained a focus for North Ayrshire Council this year with 97% of establishments engaged in the accreditation process. This number is significantly higher than the Scottish average of 78%. Our accreditation levels as of June 2024 are: • 18 Gold Awards • 28 Silver Awards • 13 Bronze Awards • 2 schools have not yet started Establishment staff have been supported at a local, regional and national level with the work needed for each level of award. This has included professional learning opportunities in thematic areas such as: global citizenship; rights across the curriculum; and Rights Respecting Schools in early years settings to support the accreditation journey and embed the Rights of the Child across each establishment. School staff were also able to access responsive professional learning and information about current world themes such as antisemitism and Islamophobia. Practitioners participated in professional learning around balancing emotional engagement, intellectual rigour and ethical reflection when designing learning around these issues. Work has begun on building capacity and self-sufficiency within North Ayrshire to ensure sustainability for children’s rights education beyond the cessation of external funding in March 2025.
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42 Progress towards Stretch Aims For the first time in 2022-23, all local authorities were required to set stretch aims, to indicate the progress they intended to make on a range of improvement activities. In the tables below, North Ayrshire’s stretch aims for 2023-24 are recorded along with the baseline position in 2022 and the actual position by August 2024. The figures in the green section of the table show the progress so far. Overall, progress towards the 2026 stretch aims by August 2024 is limited. The legacy impacts of the COVID pandemic are still evident. To show progress over a longer time frame, several years of historical data are available for comparison. Data which is currently unavailable, but due to be published later this year, will be added to an updated version in dure course. Key: = Improving picture / = Limited or no improvement / = declining position CORE OUTCOMES FOR IMPROVEMENT Performance up to 2023 Stretch Aim (by August 2026) Actual Progress Summary (updated annually) Description of improvement Performance Measure 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Core Stretch Aim 1 The proportion of learners in North Ayrshire who achieve the expected levels of attainment in literacy at P1, P4 and P7 will increase. All learners 74% n/a 59% 67% 68% 75% Dec’24 Q1 67% n/a 49% 60% 63% 72% Dec’24 Q2-5 79% n/a 67% 74% 74% 80% Dec’24 Q5 89% n/a 70% 83% 82% 88% Dec’24 Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -12pp n/a -18pp -14pp -11pp -8pp Dec’24 Gap 2 (Q1 vv Q5) -22pp n/a -21pp -23pp -19pp -16pp Dec’24 Core Stretch Aim 2 The proportion of learners in North Ayrshire who achieve the expected levels of attainment in numeracy at P1, P4 and P7 will increase. All learners 79% n/a 67% 75% 76% 81% Dec’24 Q1 74% n/a 58% 69% 71% 78% Dec’24 Q2-5 84% n/a 75% 81% 80% 86% Dec’24 Q5 91% n/a 82% 87% 87% 91% Dec’24 Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -10pp n/a -17pp -12pp -9pp -8pp Dec’24 Gap 2 (Q1 vv Q5) -17pp n/a -24pp -18pp -16pp -13pp Dec’24
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43 CORE OUTCOMES FOR IMPROVEMENT Performance up to 2023 Stretch Aim (by August 2026) Actual Progress Summary (updated annually) Description of improvement Performance Measure 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Core Stretch Aim 3 The proportion of school leavers who achieve 1 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better will increase. All learners 87% 86% 90% 89% n/a 92% 89% Q1 80% 79% 83% 82% n/a 89% 84% Q2-5 93% 92% 95% 93% n/a 95% 92% Q5 98% 97% 99% 96% n/a 98% 96% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -13pp -13pp -12pp -11pp n/a -6pp -8pp Gap 2 (Q1 vv Q5) -18pp -18pp -16pp -14pp n/a -9pp -12pp Core Stretch Aim 4 The proportion of school leavers who achieve 1 or more passes at SCQF level 6 (grades A-C) or better will increase. All learners 65% 67% 71% 68% n/a 74% 66% Q1 52% 55% 61% 56% n/a 62% 57% Q2-5 75% 76% 78% 77% n/a 80% 73% Q5 89% 87% 87% 86% n/a 90% 82% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -23pp -21pp -17pp -21pp n/a -18pp -16pp Gap 2 (Q1 vv Q5) -37pp -32pp -26pp -30pp n/a -28pp -25pp Core Stretch Aim 5 The proportion of 16-19 year- olds who are participating in education, employment or training will increase. All learners 90.5% 90.6% 90.1% 90.8% 93.9% 95% 27 Aug Q1 87.8% 86.9% 85.3% 88.0% 90.6% 92.5% 27 Aug Q2-5 92.4% 93.5% 93.9% 93.0% 96.2% 97.5% 27 Aug Q5 94.7% 96.7% 96.1% 96.4% 98.1% 99% 27 Aug Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -4.6pp -6.6pp -8.6pp -5pp -5.6pp -5pp 27 Aug Gap 2 (Q1 vv Q5) -6.9pp -9.8pp -10.8pp -8.4pp -7.5pp -6.5pp 27 Aug Core Stretch Aim 6 School attendance levels will increase. All learners 92.1% 91.6% 91.4% 89.4% 88.8% 93% 89.2% Q1 90.7% 90.1% 89.9% 87.7% 86.7% 92% 87.2% Q2-5 93.2% 92.8% 92.8% 90.8% 90.5% 94% 90.8% Q5 94.6% 94.1% 94.0% 91.7% 91.6% 95.5% 92.2% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -2.5pp -2.7pp -2.9pp -3.1pp -3.8pp -2pp -3.6pp Gap 2 (Q1 vv Q5) -3.9pp -4pp -4.1pp -4pp -4.9pp -3.5pp -5pp
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44 ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES FOR IMPROVEMENT Performance up to 2023 Stretch Aim (by August 2026) Actual Progress Summary (updated annually) Description of improvement Performance Measure 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Additional Stretch Aim 1 The proportion of children achieving local early learning milestones by the start of P1 will increase. All learners 78% n/a 72% 79% 81% 83% 79% Q1 75% n/a 62% 76% 75% 79.5% 75% Q2-5 81% n/a 81% 82% 87% 86% 82% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -6pp n/a -19pp -6pp -12pp -6.5pp -7pp Additional Stretch Aim 2 The proportion of school leavers achieving literacy at SCQF Level 5 or better will increase. All learners 83.8% 81.5% 85.0% 83.8% n/a 85.5% 81.5% Q1 75.0% 73.3% 78.7% 76.4% n/a 79% 74.1% Q2-5 90.8% 87.5% 90.0% 89.0% n/a 90.5% 87.1% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -15.8pp -14.2pp -11.3pp -12.6pp n/a -11.5pp -13pp Additional Stretch Aim 3 The proportion of school leavers achieving numeracy at SCQF Level 5 or better will increase. All learners 69.3% 70.8% 72.3% 71.4% n/a 74% 69.3% Q1 58.5% 59.3% 64.0% 60.6% n/a 65% 60.3% Q2-5 77.7% 79.1% 78.6% 79.1% n/a 81% 76.1% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -19.1pp -19.8pp -14.6pp -18.5pp n/a -16pp -15.8pp Additional Stretch Aim 4 The average “complementary tariff score” of school leavers’ best five qualifications will increase. All learners 599 643 665 643 n/a 675 598 Q1 465 495 539 508 n/a 570 481 Q2-5 703 751 765 740 n/a 775 687 Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -238pts -256pts -226pts -232pts n/a -205pts -206pts Additional Stretch Aim 5 The proportion of care experienced school leavers who achieve 1 or more awards at SCQF levels 4, 5 and 6 will increase. 1+ Level 4 or better 84.7% 77.2% 86.1% 90.3% n/a 92.5% 87.0% 1+ Level 5 or better 50.6% 53.2% 62.4% 67.7% n/a 69.5% 61.0% 1+ Level 6 or better 27.1% 29.1% 40.6% 34.4% n/a 36.5% 32.0% Additional Stretch Aim 6 The proportion of care experienced school leavers who achieve literacy and numeracy qualifications at Lit L4 or better 75.5% 74.4% 71.7% 81.6% n/a 84% Lit L5 or better 39.6% 53.9% 40.0% 51.0% n/a 55% Num L4 or better 64.2% 69.2% 55.0% 79.6% n/a 84%
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45 ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES FOR IMPROVEMENT Performance up to 2023 Stretch Aim (by August 2026) Actual Progress Summary (updated annually) SCQF levels 4 and 5 or better will increase. Num L5 or better 26.4% 38.5% 33.3% 32.7% n/a 45%