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NATIONAL PRIORITIES IN EDUCATION PERFORMANCE REPORT 2003
EDUCATION AUTHORITY INFORMATION

EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL

This report summarises some of the key points set out in East Lothian Council's Education and Community Service's Service Improvement Plan 2003/2005 and its Progress Report for SEED 2001/2002.

For a full understanding of the position in this education authority and its plans for improvement you should refer directly to these documents or contact David Cameron (01620 827 827;dcameron@eastlothian.gov.uk).

The summary is presented here under individual National Priority in Education outcomes for simplicity but the actions and programmes referred to may often relate to more than one National Priority.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 1 - ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTAINMENT

To raise standards of educational attainment for all in schools, especially in the core skills of literacy and numeracy, and to achieve better levels in national measures of achievement including examination results

Outcome 1 - Increased levels of numeracy and literacy

The charts below provide information on the attainments in reading, writing and mathematics achieved by pupils in East Lothian Council's primary schools and in the first two years of secondary school. They also provide information on the targets which the education authority has set in respect of these aspects of pupils' learning.

Chart 1. Percentage of pupils in P3, 4, 6 and 7 meeting or exceeding age appropriate 5-14 levels in reading, writing and mathematics in East Lothian Council, its comparator authorities and nationally at end June 2002.

East Lothian Council has set targets with its primary schools to raise levels of attainment between now and the end of school session 2004/2005.

Chart 2. Levels of attainment at end June 2002 compared with anticipated percentage of pupils in P3, 4, 6 and 7 who will meet or exceed age appropriate 5-14 levels in reading, writing and mathematics in East Lothian Council and nationally by the end of school session 2004/2005.

Chart 3. Percentage of pupils in S2 meeting or exceeding their age appropriate 5-14 level, level E, in reading, writing and mathematics in East Lothian Council, its comparator authorities and nationally at end June 2002.

East Lothian Council has set targets with secondary schools to raise these levels of attainment between now and the end of school session 2004/2005.

Chart 4. Levels of attainment at end June 2002 compared with anticipated percentage of pupils in S2 who will meet or exceed their age appropriate 5-14 level, level E, in reading, writing and mathematics in East Lothian Council and nationally by the end of school session 2004/2005.

The percentage (averaged over 3 years from 1999/2000 to 2001/2002) of the original S4 cohort who by the end of S6 had attained SCQF level 3 or better in English and mathematics was 93.4%. Nationally 92.6% did this and 94.4% of pupils did this in comparator authorities. East Lothian Council has set a target that 95% of its pupils should achieve these levels of attainment by 2005. The equivalent national target is 94%.

Outcome 2 - Improved examination results

The charts below provide information on the attainments in National Qualifications achieved by pupils in East Lothian Council's secondary schools. They also provide information on the targets which the authority has set in respect of these aspects of pupils' learning.

Chart 5. Levels of attainment (a three-year average for 1999/2000 to 2001/2002) of pupils in East Lothian Council's secondary schools in National Qualifications (post-appeal) compared with attainment in comparator authorities and nationally.

East Lothian Council has set targets with its secondary schools to raise levels of attainment in National Qualifications by the end of school session 2004/2005.

Chart 6. Levels of attainment (a three-year average for 1999/2000 to 2001/2002) of pupils in East Lothian Council's secondary schools in National Qualifications (post-appeal) compared with anticipated levels of attainment (a three-year average for 2002/2003 to 2004/2005) locally and nationally by the end of school session 2004/2005.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 2 - FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNING

To support and develop the skills of teachers, the self-discipline of pupils and to enhance school environments so that they are conducive to teaching and learning

Outcome 1 - Continuing professional development of teachers' skills

The authority provides a wide range of professional development opportunities for its teaching and non-teaching staff. It publishes a catalogue of these opportunities once a term, catering for emerging needs and continuous improvement. All teaching staff participate in the authority's Employee Development and Review scheme and maintain Continuous Professional Development Plans. The Education Department supports 16 candidates in the Scottish Qualification for Headship Programme and approximately 70 newly qualified teachers in primary and secondary.

The Department of Education and Community Services received the Investors in People award in 2002 commending the quality of the Staff Development function. High levels of participation in International Staff Development activities are supported and achieved.

Outcome 2 - Increased self-discipline of pupils

Almost all primary schools have arrangements in place for a majority of Primary 6 and 7 pupils to participate in buddying and mentoring schemes. An equivalent situation exists in secondary schools in respect of pupils in S5 and S6.

The implementation of the recommendations of Better Behaviour, Better Learning has begun.

The levels of attendance and exclusions in East Lothian Council's schools are shown in the tables below.

Levels of attendance

The authority has set itself the targets of having an average percentage attendance of 96% in primary schools and 92% in secondary schools by the end of session 2004/2005. The national target for attendance by the end of session 2004/2005 is 95% for primary and 90% for secondary. These figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Exclusions from schools

The figures in the above table are drawn from the Scottish Executive National Statistics Publication Exclusions from Schools, 2000/2001.

The authority has set itself the targets of reducing the number of days lost per 1000 pupils through exclusion in primary schools to 15 by the end of session 2004/2005 and reducing the number of days lost per 1000 pupils through exclusion in secondary schools to 180 within the same timescale. The limited reduction in the number of days lost recognises changes that the authority has made in its exclusion procedures which will allow it to plan more effectively for successful re-admissions.

Outcome 3 - Enhanced school environments which are more conducive to teaching and learning

The authority established a property users' group. This group examines, reports on and makes recommendations about school accommodation, property maintenance programmes and the management of the school estate.

The authority has been undertaking a programme of work to support the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream settings. See National Priority 3, Outcome 1.

The structure of the education service has been re-organised following on from a QMIE inspection.

Enhanced quality assurance procedures have been developed and introduced under the banner of a general policy called Achieving Excellence. Headteachers have participated in seminars on self-evaluation, planning and reporting, the authority's service plan has been developed in full consultation with schools, values cards have been distributed to all staff, and improved Management Information Systems have been put in place.

Existing policies have been audited.

The pupil:adult ratio in the education authority's primary schools is 14.1:1 currently. East Lothian has set itself the target of 14.2:1 at the end of school session 2004/2005. The ratio nationally is 14.2:1.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 3 - INCLUSION AND EQUALITY

To promote equality and help every pupil benefit from education with particular regard paid to pupils with disabilities and special educational needs, and to Gaelic and lesser used languages

Outcome 1 - Every pupil benefits from education

Residential schools and foster parents have been supported in enhancing the educational provision which they make for children looked after by East Lothian Council. ICT hardware and software have been purchased; residential school staff and foster carers have been trained in the use of the hardware and software. All looked after children receive a book token every month. A tuition fund has been established. This can be accessed to secure support for the development of children's core skills and to help them prepare for examinations. Funds have also been made available to allow children to develop their interests more generally, for example in respect of music.

The percentage of children looked after by East Lothian Council aged 16 or 17 who left care with qualifications in English and mathematics at SCQF level 3 or above in school session 2001/2002 was 54%. Nationally, the percentage of pupils was 29%. East Lothian has set itself itself a target of raising the percentage of the relatively low number of looked after children who achieve these qualifications to 60%.

The authority's New Community Schools Programme has been rolled out based on the experience gained in its Dunbar and Prestonpans pilots and its Social Inclusion Partnership initiative in Tranent.

The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils in the authority's secondary schools is 53. The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils nationally is 58 and in East Lothian Council's comparator authorities it is 64. The target for East Lothian for 2005 is 70.

13.2% of primary pupils are entitled to free school meals; 67.8% of these pupils actually take a school meal. 11.1% of secondary pupils are entitled to a free school meal with 46.1% of these pupils actually taking up their entitlement. Nationally, the uptake percentages for primary and secondary are 79.2% and 59.1% respectively.

Outcome 2 - Every pupil benefits from education, with particular regard paid to pupils with disabilities and special educational needs

East Lothian Council, along with all other education authorities, has prepared and published an action plan setting out how it will improve access to school buildings and the formal and informal curriculum for people with disabilities over the next few years.

Pupils in East Lothian who have recorded special educational needs, as defined currently, have an Individualised Educational Programme (IEP). In these programmes targets are set with and for individual pupils; these targets help to structure and focus the pupils' learning. Pupils' progress in achieving their targets is monitored and the targets are the subject of regular review. 46% of schools met all of their IEP targets. The authority has set a target of 80% for pupils achieving the 'next steps' set out for them in their learning plans and/or report forms by 2005.

The authority carried out a Best Value Review of its provision for pupils with special educational needs in 2002.

Research commissioned from the University of Strathclyde led directly to the establishment of temporary provision for children with severe and complex needs in St Mary's Primary School and to the development of new permanent provision in Tranent.

Support for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties has been developed further.

The authority has put in place a special educational needs policy, Learning & Teaching for All - A Framework for Support for Learning.

Of mainstream primary pupils with special educational needs in East Lothian, 62.8% receive all of their education in a mainstream class. 7.9% of primary mainstream pupils with special educational needs in East Lothian receive all of their education in a special unit attached to a mainstream school. For secondary, the figures are 7.9% and 0% respectively. Nationally the percentages for the primary sector are 83% and 3%; for secondary they are 73% and 4%. For comparator authorities the percentages for the primary sector are 62.8% and 7.9%; for secondary they are 69.3% and 6.4%. East Lothian has no special schools.

It should be recognised that the collection of this SEN data in 2000/2001 may not have been universally robust.

Outcome 3 - Every pupil benefits from education, with particular regard paid to Gaelic and lesser used languages

Primary age pupils from East Lothian who wish to access Gaelic medium education do so in primary schools in Edinburgh. Requests for Gaelic medium education are dealt with by that education authority on behalf of East Lothian. All 4 pupils in this category were granted a place.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 4 - VALUES AND CITIZENSHIP

To work with parents to teach pupils respect for self and one another and their interdependence with other members of their neighbourhood and society and teach them the duties and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society

Outcome 1 - Increased respect for self and others

The pupils in the authority's schools are involved in a wide range of activities which encourage them to work with others and which are designed to promote their personal and social development ( see section on Quality Indicators).

All schools have pupil councils.

Outcome 2 - Increased awareness of interdependence with other members of their neighbourhood and society and teach them the duties and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society

All of the authority's schools have participated in school grounds development projects over the last decade. Thirteen schools were involved in such projects in 2001/2002. 13 of the authority's schools were involved in the John Muir Award Scheme.

Two schools have achieved Eco School status.

The authority operates pupil volunteering schemes.

All schools have carried out, or have plans for carrying out, whole school audits of

Education for Citizenship.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 5 - LEARNING FOR LIFE

To equip pupils with the foundation skills, attitudes and expectations necessary to prosper in a changing society and to encourage creativity and ambition

Outcome 1 - Pupils are equipped with the necessary foundation skills, attitudes and expectations to prosper in a changing society

Supported study and other opportunities for out of school learning are available throughout the authority's schools.

The authority has been implementing a Sports and Arts Strategy. As well as promoting general engagement with sport and the arts, the strategy supports the establishment of, for example, sports squads through which excellence in performance can be encouraged and supported in talented young people.

The authority's primary schools have successfully engaged in the schools enterprise programme activities. All secondary schools have a range of work and enterprise activities including a work experience programme for all S4 pupils. Young Enterprise as well as charity and community work features within the S5/S6 programmes.

Chart 7. School leaver destinations; percentage of pupils leaving East Lothian Council's secondary schools in 2002 and going on to Higher Education and other destinations compared with comparator authorities and the national position.

East Lothian Council has set itself the target of raising the percentage of school leavers who go on to Higher Education after leaving school in June 2005 to 29%.

Outcome 2 - Increased levels of creativity and ambition in young people

The initiatives referred to above and, indeed, throughout this report contribute not just to National Priority 5, Outcome 1 but also to Outcome 2.

QUALITY INDICATORS

East Lothian Council's schools and the authority have used HGIOS in their regular, moderated self-evaluations to reach informed judgements on where they stand currently in relation to these indicators. These judgements are summarised below:

• most schools judged that the 'overall quality of attainment' was good or very good
• almost all schools judged 'pupils' learning experiences' to be good or very good
• most schools judged the support for pupils in 'personal and social development' to be good or very good
• almost all schools judged the 'learning support' for pupils to be good or very good
• most schools judged 'implementation of legislation relating to special educational needs and disabilities' to be good or very good
• most schools judged 'placement of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities' to be good or very good
• almost all schools judged their 'climate and relationships' to be good or very good
• almost all schools judged their 'expectations and promoting achievement' to be good or very good
• almost all schools judged their 'equality and fairness' to be good or very good
• all schools judged their 'partnership with parents, the School Board and the community' to be good or very good
• the majority of schools judged their 'accommodation and facilities' to be good or very good
• most schools judged their 'staff review and development' to be good or very good.

Authorities and schools will be continuing to build up their expertise in self-evaluation and moderation of progress with the National Priorities over the period to the end of school session 2004/2005. Some self-evaluation in this report is therefore provisional at this stage. HMIE are undertaking independent and robust external evaluation of how well Scottish schools and education authorities are delivering the National Priorities in Education and their report will be published after the end of school session 2004/2005.

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