HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) launched its report Improving Scottish Education 2005-2008, on 16th January, 2009 at Hampden Park, Glasgow.
When HMIE’s first Improving Scottish Education report was published in 2006, the Senior Chief Inspector, Graham Donaldson stated that:
‘The future will require a population with the confidence and skills to meet the challenges posed by fast and far-reaching change’.
This still remains as one of the biggest challenges which face everyone engaged in the process of supporting the generations who are moving through our education system.
At the launch in Hampden Park, Graham Donaldson highlighted the many positive aspects of Scottish education stating that:
‘The fundamentals of Scottish education remain strong’.
Graham Donaldson stated that a key feature of a strong education system is that:
‘It is not complacent. It is prepared to identify where it needs to improve, and is single minded about bringing about that improvement’.
He stressed the need for Scotland to have an education system which can develop the kind of knowledge, skills and attributes that can help people to thrive personally, socially and economically in the twenty-first century.
Despite the fundamental strengths in Scottish education, Graham Donaldson identified a number of significant and longstanding problems which remain. He said that:
‘The need for further and faster improvement has grown in response to the changing context within which education operates in an increasingly competitive world’.
The world’s current economic challenges add urgency and, speaking about this aspect, Graham Donaldson said:
‘Higher standards of general education will be essential in taking us out of recession and beyond. The continuing strength of Scottish education provides a sound platform for the kind of significant improvement which the current economic environment and future prosperity demand. But there is a real danger that the world will pass Scotland by, giving renewed urgency to improving learning for all our young people and adult learners’.
Speaking about the report more generally, Graham Donaldson said ‘this is one of the most significant pieces of work we have published in recent times, and we are determined that it will make a significant and positive contribution to improvement throughout Scotland’s education system. It identifies a range of vital strengths on which Scottish education can build. It also makes very clear the areas where further significant improvement is needed, particularly in late primary and early secondary education. I believe that the report should be seen as encouraging, not because of what it says about where we are but because of what it tells us about where we can get to. We urge everyone involved in education to take note of its findings and reflect on how it can help them in their own professional improvement’.
This report shows steady improvement in Scottish education. Steady improvement, however, is not good enough. Since devolution, education budgets have increased by almost £2 billion – some 43 per cent. Despite this investment, the report confirms what recent international studies have also shown: there is an urgent need for further and faster improvement.
The report says that there are many classrooms where inspirational teaching leads to very successful learning and many schools where leadership is outstanding. The challenge is to ensure that high quality education is delivered to all our pupils.
To achieve this, we need to recognise that the report’s findings are the result of a generation or more of education policy. The report itself looks at the final two years of the last administration and the first year of the new Government but we must now come together to address the challenges this report presents.
Curriculum for Excellence offers the chance of taking a new approach, supported by robust qualifications and assessment, professional development and effective leadership to create a strong platform from which to deliver sustained improvements.
This report is a wake-up call to every local authority, director of education, head teacher and everyone involved in education. We need the very best leaders to work together to motivate, raise standards and provide the support and challenge needed to improve outcomes for young people. I expect everyone involved to rise to this challenge. Scotland’s children, parents and taxpayers deserve no less and Scotland’s future prosperity depends on it.
The pre-school sector section of the report is based on a range of evidence gathered since 2005 and includes evidence from some 1442 inspections which covered both the private and voluntary sectors and education authority provision.
Strengths in pre-school
A number of areas were highlighted as needing to continue to improve. There is variable quality of provision across the pre-school sector. In general, the quality of provision in partnership private and voluntary centres is less good than the local authority sector. More needs to be done to bring partnership centres into line with education authority provision.
There needs to be improvements in the quality of leadership in guiding educational developments and children’s learning. While improvements have been noted, this continues to be an area for development. The impact of self-evaluation in improving outcomes for children remains a concern. This is by far the weakest area across the range of pre-school provision, particularly in the private and voluntary sector. Staff support children well, both emotionally and socially. They are less good at extending and challenging children’s thinking and learning. The early identification of children’s individual learning needs is improving but not at a quick enough pace. Similarly, staff use of assessment information and staff intervention to ensure all children make appropriate progress requires to improve if children are to benefit fully from their pre-school experience.
Some key questions that we need to address in pre-school are:
The primary section of the report draws on findings from 571 inspections carried out from 2005 to 2007.
Strengths in primary schools
However, there are also important issues which we need to address. Children at the upper primary stages make insufficient progress. Some children are moving to secondary school without well-developed skills as independent learners. Higher-attaining children across the stages need greater challenge. The recent report Trends in International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS 2007) highlighted the extent to which children in a number of other countries are improving their performance at a faster rate than Scottish children. Progress in learning in science, mathematics, technology and writing is not good enough.
Some key questions that we need to address in primary schools are:
The secondary section of the report draws on findings from 126 inspections carried out from 2005 to 2007.
Strengths in secondary schools
Inspection findings indicate strengths and a rapidly changing picture in secondary schools, particularly in relation to the curriculum. There are areas which need to be improved. Although the quality of teaching continues to be good overall, with discernible improvements in the structure of lessons and increasing use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the quality of learners’ experiences is more varied. Secondary schools need to focus staff development on how young people learn and how they develop learning skills. The need to raise attainment at all stages is now an even greater priority for secondary schools. This is particularly true at S1/S2, and for groups of vulnerable young people. Learners need to have more independence and personal responsibility, to encourage the creativity and critical thinking they will need in life. Secondary school staff need to ensure that they build on prior learning and to find more ways of convincing young people of the relevance of their experience in school.
Some key questions for secondary schools are:
The special school section of the report draws on evidence from inspections carried out in 69 inspections in day and residential special schools from 2005 to 2007.
Strengths in special schools
Special schools have many positive features which help young people to progress and develop. There are a number of areas where improvements can continue to be made. There is a need to broaden the curriculum. For example, while most schools ensure that they develop children and young people’s personal and social skills, achievement now needs to be recognised in more schools formally through the use of a range of awards and accreditation schemes. In most residential schools and centres, the attainment of young people with SEBD remains low in English and mathematics. The short school week remains an issue in special schools and is a particular challenge in schools for young people with SEBD.
Self-evaluation for improvement should focus particularly on learners’ experiences and achievement. In some schools, staff do not have sufficiently high aspirations for young people’s achievements.
SAccommodation and facilities still need to be improved in some special schools. Some key questions for special schools are:
The college section of the report draws on findings from reviews carried out in all 43 of Scotland’s colleges, incorporating 279 reviews of subject areas, from 2004 to 2008.
Strengths in colleges
The college sector is a very dynamic and responsive part of the education system, but there are some areas for improvement. All teaching staff need to ensure that they use a wide range of teaching methods and that they systematically check learners’ understanding and provide them with effective feedback. In a few colleges, internal communication and target setting in relation to strategic and operational planning should be improved. Some staff need training in aspects of child protection and equality. Colleges should systematically evaluate the effectiveness and impact on learning and teaching of CPD activities. They should ensure that self-evaluation activities always include the evaluation of learning and teaching and result in action plans and sharing of best practice in learning and teaching.
Some key questions for colleges are:
The prison learning, skills and employability section of the report was based on findings from inspections in 12 prisons from 2005 to 2008.
Strengths in prison learning
Despite these strengths, there are aspects for improvement in prison learning. There could be better links between Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and college staff. The range and flexibility of educational programmes to develop prisoners’ literacy, numeracy and core skills could be further developed. In almost all prisons, there need to be better procedures for internal review and associated action planning for improvement.
Some key questions for prison learning are:
The child protection section of the report is based on findings from the first fifteen published child protection inspection reports covering the period up to April 2008.
Strengths in child protection
Chief officers and senior staff work closely to plan, develop and deliver services to vulnerable children. There are nevertheless areas of improvement needed. There needs to be better recognition and assessment of risk and needs. Planning to meet children’s needs and taking account of changing circumstances should be improved. Children and families should participate more fully in planning and developing services. There needs to be improved operational planning, including performance management and the development and use of management information.
Key question for child protection services:
The community learning and development (CLD) section of the report was based on findings from inspections of geographical areas in 16 local authorities from 2006 to 2008.
Strengths in community learning and development
Over the course of the last three years there have been real moves forward in the area of community learning and development. Some areas for improvement still remain. There is a need to demonstrate the outcomes of CLD provision and to track improvements over time. Planning should be needs led and focused on outcomes. There needs to be better leadership of people and partnerships in half of the authorities in Scotland.
Some key questions for community learning and development are:
The education authority section of the report was based on findings from inspections carried out in 15 education authorities from 2006 to 2008.
Almost all inspections of education authorities undertaken since 2006 have identified important strengths in vision, values and aims and in leadership in developing people and partnerships. A number of authorities have achieved considerable success in leading change and improvement. This includes examples in which authority staff know their schools and learning services well and provide an appropriate mix of support and challenge while focusing on improving quality. More remains to be done to ensure that this effective practice is applied on a consistent basis across the country, and is provided to all services involved in supporting children’s learning, such as Community Learning and Development (CLD).
The impact on the performance of learners of pre-school age was highlighted as a key strength in most inspections. The quality of provision offered by partner providers is still too variable in some cases and at times of insufficient quality. In some cases, there is a need for high-quality curriculum advice for staff. There is a continued need for effective continuity and progression in learning between nursery and P1.
For primary-aged learners, education authorities have promoted improvements in a number of ways. This includes authorities continuing to make raising attainment a priority. In a number of education authorities, an increasing number of pupils achieve appropriate national levels of attainment earlier than might normally be expected. Across authorities, there are improving approaches to monitoring and tracking pupils’ performance. The performance of the lowest-attaining pupils still requires sustained attention. For some authorities, success in closing the gap in attainment outcomes between boys and girls remains a challenge.
The impact of the work of education authorities on secondary-aged learners is mixed. Strengths include, in some authorities, considerable improvement in the level of young people’s attainment in targeted areas. Almost all authorities offer an extensive and beneficial programme of achievement activities, such as sports, arts and cultural activities within and beyond school. More remains to be done to ensure that in all authorities all young people achieve their full potential while in secondary education. In particular, performance at S1 and S2 requires sustained attention and support. Support for secondary schools in some authorities is not of a sufficiently high quality. In a few authorities, the overall proportion of pupils leaving secondary schools for destinations in higher or further education, training or employment is too low.
The impact of the work of education authorities on adult learners is positive. Strengths include:
In most authorities, there remains work to do to integrate the work of CLD providers with aspects of formal education. Some schools play important roles in the lives of the communities they serve, but there remains considerable scope for schools to do more to build stronger, safer communities.
The impact of education authorities on outcomes for pupils with additional support needs is generally positive. In a few instances, the approach of authorities to ensuring success for all learners has been outstanding. However, there is a lack of consistency in provision for children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural needs.
In best practice, parents are actively involved in authority decision-making, have purposeful opportunities to be involved in their children’s learning, and have access to a range of opportunities for their own learning through volunteering and family learning. In some authorities, parents have access to a range of services and networks to support and encourage involvement in their children’s learning. More work is required to engage all parents in supporting their children by working in partnership with schools, particularly in the secondary school sector.
Some key questions for education authorities are:
The psychological services section of the report draws on findings from inspections carried out in 13 educational psychology services from 2006 to 2008.
Strengths in educational psychology services (EPS)
While there were many emerging strengths, a number of areas for development were also identified which could improve outcomes for children, young people and families across Scotland. Services need to share information about their roles and remits more effectively with schools and local authority staff. Services should have clear expectations about the outcomes of individual casework and share them with all key stakeholders, including schools in particular.
Some key questions for educational psychology services:
While Improving Scottish Education highlights that the fundamentals of Scotland’s education are sound and the system has substantial strengths, it also states: ‘the future will require a population with the confidence and skills to meet the challenges posed by fast and far-reaching change’.
The report identifies a range of issues which will need to be addressed sooner rather than later in order to develop a confident, skilled population. These issues are stated under six different broad headings – achievement; curriculum; learning and teaching; vision and leadership; partnerships; professional freedom and responsibility; and success for all learners.
The issues, priorities and challenges outlined include:
In going forward, HMIE will continue to assist national and local bodies through providing professional advice and support, and will ensure that inspections and reviews are rigorous, proportionate, built upon self-evaluation and support the processes of change and improvement.
The HMIE website contains a range of additional information. This includes evidence sources for the report and presentations which were used during the launch event.
For further copies, or to make a contribution contact:
enquiries@hmie.gsi.gov.uk or visit www.hmie.gov.uk
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