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NATIONAL PRIORITIES IN EDUCATION PERFORMANCE REPORT 2003
EDUCATION AUTHORITY INFORMATION

CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL

This report summarises some of the key points set out in the City of Edinburgh Council Education Department's Service Improvement Plan, Update 2002-2005 which incorporates a Progress Report in respect of previously set objectives. The authority's Draft Local Outcome Agreement 2002-2004 is also a relevant document, as is the authority's Standards and Quality Report 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 Susanne Harrison (0131 469 3164;ken.bogle@educ.edin.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

Schools piloted the use of the draft nursery to primary transfer record. All primary and secondary schools used the national primary to secondary transfer document.

The authority's literacy programme was implemented in most primary schools.

Adult literacy was promoted through a guide to community-based adult learning and the publication and implementation of an adult literacy themed Community Learning Plan.

The charts below provide information on the attainments in reading, writing and mathematics achieved by pupils in City of Edinburgh 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 City of Edinburgh Council, its comparator authorities and nationally at end June 2002.

The authority 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 City of Edinburgh 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 City of Edinburgh Council, its comparator authorities and nationally at end June 2002.

Targets have been set 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 City of Edinburgh 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 91.1%. Nationally 92.6% did this and 95.3% of pupils did this in comparator authorities. City of Edinburgh Council has set a target that 92.5% 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 City of Edinburgh Council's secondary schools. They also provide information on the targets which the education 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 City of Edinburgh Council's secondary schools in National Qualifications (post-appeal) compared with attainment in comparator authorities and nationally.

City of Edinburgh 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 City of Edinburgh 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

A rolling programme of staff development, review, and associated training was put into place and an interim CPD framework for teaching staff was also introduced. A 'full' CPD framework was piloted in a selection of schools.

All Education Headquarters staff participated in a second Staff Development and Review exercise; they all have an agreed training and development plan. Arrangements were put in place to assess the effectiveness and impact of this exercise.

Outcome 2 - Increased self-discipline of pupils

Strategies for providing alternatives to exclusion were developed. These were grounded in the principles which have informed the development of the overarching Working Together approach to the provision of services for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The levels of attendance and exclusions in City of Edinburgh's schools are shown below.

Levels of attendance

The authority has set itself the targets of having an average percentage attendance of 98.0% in primary schools and 88.0% 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.

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

The pupil:adult ratio in the education authority's primary schools is 13.6:1 currently. The City of Edinburgh has set itself the target of maintaining a ratio of at least 15:1 until 2004/2005. The ratio nationally is 14.2:1.

Improved financial Management Information Systems have been introduced. A review of DSM was completed and an action plan was drawn up to secure equitable distributions of resources to schools. DSM was extended to the community education service and its centres. The authority's quality assurance arrangements include programmes of school visits. A review of school transport services was conducted.

In the context of A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century a 'Fair Treatment at Work' policy was introduced, return to work interviews have taken place with all education staff returning from a period of unplanned absence, an LNCT was established and the development of career structure and probationer arrangements were progressed.

Education Headquarters was awarded IIP status in early 2002.

An outline business case for a second round of Public Private Partnership school building and refurbishment projects was also prepared and accepted by the Scottish Executive.

By Christmas 2002, the City of Edinburgh had opened 6 new schools under its Public Private Partnership (first phase) and an additional new secondary school and a nursery funded from its own capital programme.

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

Looked after children have been provided with enhanced access to ICT, educational software and other educational resources. A bank of materials has been established; carers and the children themselves can borrow materials from the bank. Staff in care settings and foster carers have received training in the use of this equipment and these materials. Buildings adaptations have been undertaken where appropriate; in the main these have been to set up study areas. Looked after children have been supported in becoming involved in sport and the arts, in activities which would enhance their self-esteem, and have received support at key transitions in their lives, e.g. moving into secondary school.

The percentage of children looked after by the 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 21%. Nationally, the percentage of pupils was 29%.

City of Edinburgh has set itself an objective to improve the attainment of looked after children and has already established an improvement plan, based on an audit, which sets targets for raising the attainment of looked after children.

The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils in the authority's secondary schools is 45. The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils nationally is 58 and in City of Edinburgh's comparator authorities it is 76.

24.6% of primary pupils are entitled to free school meals; 68.1% of these pupils actually take a school meal. 17.3% of secondary pupils are entitled to a free school meal with 59.7% of these pupils actually taking up their entitlement. Nationally, the uptake percentages for primary and secondary are 79.2% and 59.1% respectively.

A joint Education and Social Work Policy Review of Early Years Services for Children in Need was undertaken as was a review of the services available for vulnerable young girls.

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

City of Edinburgh 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.

Up-dated guidance was produced on the provision of support for learning and provision for pupils with special educational needs. Provision for children with dyslexia was reviewed.

Of mainstream primary pupils with special educational needs in Edinburgh, 88.4% receive all of their education in a mainstream class. 1.4% of primary mainstream pupils with special educational needs in Edinburgh receive all of their education in a special unit attached to a mainstream school. For secondary, the figures are 83.2% and 1.0% 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 82.5% and 2.2%; for secondary they are 89.9% and 0.3%. Edinburgh has 16 special schools which accommodated 968 pupils in 2001/2002.

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

Almost all pupils in City of Edinburgh 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.

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

The city meets all requests for Gaelic medium education. During session 2001/02, four requests were made.

A peripatetic play leader for pre-nursery groups was appointed. Gaelic language groups were established in four nursery classes in the city. Two publications were added to the series of Gaelic Nursery Language Links books produced for non-Gaelic speaking parents. Wraparound nursery care was established to facilitate the attendance of young children at the above facilities.

Gaelic education provision was reviewed.

A Best Value Review of the English as an Additional Language Service was completed. A strategy for sustaining early literacy initiatives for bilingual pupils was established.

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 education 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.

A Youth Task Force has existed for some time in the city. Its consultative functions were extended. The authority's 'People, Power and Parliament' pack was in common use throughout the city's schools and with local community groups.

The authority produced revised policies on Health Education and on Anti-Bullying.

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

The youth work curriculum was reviewed.

A communications and consultation strategy was produced; this strategy relates to parents.

A strategy for sustaining family learning activities set up under the auspices of the former Excellence Fund was established. The authority's Sure Start Projects continued to make a significant contribution to the learning and development of young children.

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

A Teaching and Learning Policy grounded in new understandings about how people learn was produced and a plan for its implementation was drawn up.

Funding was secured to develop sports facilities and service provision for school-age children. Around one third of primary and secondary schools became involved in TOP Play and/or TOP Sport initiatives.

The youth work curriculum was redrawn to place greater emphasis on the development of core skills. It has been redrawn also to place greater emphasis on ICT. Services have been structured to deliver a much higher level of contact with ICT. For example, all community centres now have web pages, portable computer laboratories have been set up, community education staff have been trained in the use of ICT and ICT facilitators have been employed in each community education area across the city.

Weekend opening, summer schools and other devices have been used to increase the ease with which young people and adults can access these enhanced facilities and ones relating to sport, e.g. through the 'Sporting Chance' project, and the arts, e.g. through the community education arts education network.

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

City of Edinburgh has set itself the target of maintaining the percentage of school leavers who go on to Higher Education after leaving school in June 2005 at 30%.

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

Initiatives referred to in National Priority 5, Outcome 1 and, indeed, throughout this report have a bearing on this outcome.

QUALITY INDICATORS

The National Priority Quality Indicators are based on the HGIOS self-evaluation model, used in schools and by the HMIE Inspectorate in school inspections.

City of Edinburgh Council is currently in the process of rolling out an electronic mechanism for schools to record and share the results of their self-evaluation. It is hoped that this will be in place during session 2003/2004. The analysis below is based on the evaluations from HMIE Inspections of our schools over the period January 1999 to October 2002.

It should be noted that those areas which are not judged to be good or very good are analysed and addressed as 'areas for development' through the Standards and Quality Reporting and Service Improvement Planning processes. The judgements are summarised below:

• statistical evidence shows that the 'overall quality of attainment' and 'expectations and promoting achievement' in Edinburgh schools was good with some areas for development
• 'climate and relationships' - under the previous, most similar indicator 'ethos' almost all the City's schools were judged to be good or very good
• in most of the primary schools 'staff review and development' was judged to be good, while in the secondary schools it is an area for development
• the majority of Edinburgh's schools were judged to have good or very good 'accommodation and facilities'
• 'equality and fairness' is a new indicator and as such there is no qualitative evidence
• arrangements for 'learning support' were considered to be very good; the arrangements which were made for the 'placement of pupils with SEN and disabilities' were good or very good
• HMIE did not report on 'implementation of SEN and disability legislation' in any Edinburgh schools
• 'personal and social development' of young people was reported on in a small proportion of schools and was judged to be good while almost all were judged as having good or very good 'partnership with parents, the School Board and the community'
• HMIE judged that the overall quality of their 'pupils' learning experiences' was good or very good in the primary schools inspected.

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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