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NATIONAL PRIORITIES IN EDUCATION PERFORMANCE REPORT 2003
EDUCATION AUTHORITY INFORMATION

SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL

This report summarises some of the key points set out in South Lanarkshire Council's Education Resources Service's Education Improvement Plan 2003-2005 which includes a report on progress in 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 John Cassidy (01698 455 233;john.cassidy@southlanarkshire.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

Support for pupils in raising levels of attainment in numeracy and literacy continues to be developed through improvements in learning and teaching approaches including the development of thinking skills, ICT developments, gender based initiatives, home-school partnerships, primary secondary co-ordination, early intervention and a range of personal and social development initiatives.

The charts below provide information on the attainments in reading, writing and mathematics achieved by pupils in South Lanarkshire 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 South Lanarkshire 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 South Lanarkshire 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 South Lanarkshire 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 South Lanarkshire 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 93.1%. Nationally 92.6% did this and 93.6% of pupils did this in comparator authorities. South Lanarkshire has set a target that 96% 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 South Lanarkshire 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 South Lanarkshire Council's secondary schools in National Qualifications (post-appeal) compared with attainment in comparator authorities and nationally.

South Lanarkshire 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 South Lanarkshire 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

Arrangements for CPD arising from A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century are well-established in all schools. Almost all secondary and primary teachers have a personal development plan. All schools have established training plans for their support staff.

46 teachers have completed the Scottish Qualification for Headship.

The authority operates a comprehensive annual programme of training and development opportunities for staff in all sectors and for partners in early years.

An award winning probationer induction programme is well established.

Outcome 2 - Increased self-discipline of pupils

All of the authority's schools make some use of buddying and mentoring schemes. These include paired reading and mathematics schemes, study support involving peer tutoring, playground buddy schemes, Guardian Angels, dinner hall buddies, anti-bullying support and Circle of Friends.

The outcomes of Better Behaviour, Better Learning, are being addressed by all schools through behaviour support specialists in schools and in peripatetic teams, training of staff in new behaviour management approaches and improvements in the approaches for promoting positive behaviour.

An evaluation of Behaviour Support in Secondary Schools was carried out by Glasgow University over 1999-2002. The outcomes have been used to further strengthen expertise and approaches in behaviour support and have been incorporated in the authority's Care and Welfare policy.

The levels of attendance and exclusions in South Lanarkshire's schools are shown below.

Levels of attendance

The authority has set itself the targets of having an average percentage attendance in primary schools of 96% and just over 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 a target of 13 days lost through exclusions per 1000 pupils in primary schools by the end of session 2004/2005 and of 350 days lost through exclusion per 1000 pupils in secondary schools within the same timescale.

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

The allocation of support staff to schools is targeted to take account of, for example, existing levels of literacy, existing class sizes, and rurality. As a result of a major Best Value Review the provision of support services is being restructured on the basis of a cluster management structure.

The pupil:adult ratio in the education authority's primary schools is 14.8:1 currently. South Lanarkshire has set itself the target of 13.0:1 by the end of school session 2004/2005. The ratio nationally is 14.2:1.

A Health Promoting School website has been developed with NHS Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Forth Valley. The site includes a scheme for awarding schools the status of Health Promoting School. Strategies for promoting sexual health and for addressing substance misuse have been developed and published. Schools promote health in a variety of ways including breakfast clubs, playground initiatives, the Active Primary School Programme and Sportsnet. The authority has set up a Curriculum Advisory Group on Health.

All schools have IIP status through the overall service's recognition which was awarded in October 2002.

An outline business case for the further development of the authority's school estate has been prepared. It has received support from the Scottish Executive and its final proposals are now being developed. A primary estate management plan is being drawn up on the basis of information derived from property condition surveys.

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

All looked after children have a care plan which is reviewed every 6 months. The provision made for looked after children has been identified as a priority to be addressed in all school development plans for 2002/2003.

Looked after children have been provided with access to pre-vocational trades training. They also have improved access to ICT, educational software and other resources including SuccessMaker, where appropriate. Study facilities in residential care settings have been improved. Links between Education and Social Work have been developed further through management systems which have established an integrated approach to the monitoring of attendance, exclusions and attainment of looked after children.

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 28%. Nationally, the percentage of pupils was 29%. South Lanarkshire has set itself the target of raising the percentage of looked after children who attain English and mathematics at SCQF level 3 or above in school session 2004/2005 to 100%.

The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils in the authority's secondary schools is 56. The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils nationally is 58 and in its comparator authorities it is 54. South Lanarkshire has set itself the target of raising the average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of its pupils to 60 by the end of the school session 2004/2005.

19.5% of primary pupils are entitled to free school meals; 75.8% of these pupils actually take a school meal. 17.5% of secondary pupils are entitled to a free school meal with 48.8% of these pupils actually taking up their entitlement. Nationally, the uptake percentages for primary and secondary are 79.2% and 59.1% respectively.

The authority has well established policies on 'Inclusive Education and Support for Learning' and 'Care and Welfare of Young People'.

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

South Lanarkshire 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.

Of mainstream primary pupils with special educational needs in South Lanarkshire, 74.6% receive all of their education in a mainstream class. 9.5% of primary mainstream pupils with special educational needs in South Lanarkshire receive all of their education in a special unit attached to a mainstream school. For secondary, the figures are 97.7% and 0% respectively. Nationally the percentages for the primary sector are 83% and 3%; for secondary, they are 73% and 4%. For its comparator authorities the percentages for the primary sector are 76.2% and 6.3%; for secondary, they are 57.2% and 11.0%. South Lanarkshire has nine special schools which accommodated 663 pupils in 2001/2002.

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

Pupils in South Lanarkshire who have recorded special educational needs, as defined currently, have an Individual Education Programme (IEP). In these programmes targets are set with and for individual pupils; these targets help to structure and focus the pupils' learning

The authority has a detailed action plan supporting the roll-out of its New Community School Programme where the core intention is to have all schools involved in the programme by 2007. The concept of the Health Promoting School is central to the authority's New Community School Programme.

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

The authority met all requests for Gaelic medium education.

It has a Gaelic medium unit in Mount Cameron Primary School. There has been a recent focus on the development of oral Gaelic, staff development and an increased use of video-conferencing to support contact with other Gaelic medium units. Provision is developed in consultation with parents; there is a focus group composed of school staff, authority officials, members of the School Board and parents.

Claremont High School offers courses for Gaelic learners up to and including SCQF level 6. The Gaelic learning unit in the school supports the development of Gaelic language through effective use of new technology including access to Gaelic learning resources on the Internet.

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

Outcomes 1 and 2 - Increased respect for self and others and 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 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 ( see section on Quality Indicators).

25 of the authority's schools are registered with the Eco Schools Award Scheme.

The authority promotes knowledge of and engagement with the community through initiatives to tackle, for example, care and welfare issues, personal safety, social responsibility and health related topics. The authority is fully engaged in a number of Social Inclusion and Health Care Partnerships. Its New Community Schools Programme has engagement with the community as a key focus. The authority's Youth Partnership supports over 10,000 young people in raising achievement, social inclusion and developing creativity through a network of Universal Connections facilities.

All secondary schools, almost all primaries and a majority of special schools have School Boards. All schools are required to include plans for the involvement of parents in their development plans. The authority's schools and the authority itself use a variety of devices for gathering information from parents to inform policy development and to support planning for service improvement. These devices include surveys, consultations, focus groups, opinion meters and suggestion boxes. Parents are informed about service developments through workshops, newsletters, websites and leaflets.

A major 2-day conference on citizenship and equal opportunities further developed the role of pupil councils in schools and the embedding of aspects of citizenship in the curriculum.

The authority has produced revised procedures for 'Dealing with Racial Harassment' and a 'Good Practice Guide on Race Relations Law'. There are Equality Co-ordinators in all schools. An Equal Opportunities Advisory Group is established and schools make a monthly racist incident return.

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

All pupils and staff have access to the Internet and email addresses. Computer ratios are 5:1 in secondary schools and 10:1 in primary schools and in schools providing special needs support.

Schools offer a wide range of out of hours activities including supported study programmes, school shows and clubs. Easter and summer study schools provide support for young people in raising achievement. The range of these activities has been extended by the introduction of the Artsnet and Sportsnet initiatives.

All schools engage their pupils in education for work and enterprise activities including work experience, work place visits and enterprise events including internationally focused activities such as Achievers International. In primary schools pupils participate in enterprise activities including visits and visitors from industry and commerce, running mini enterprises and problem solving.

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

South Lanarkshire 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 39%.

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

South Lanarkshire Council's schools have used HGIOS in their regular, moderated self-evaluations to reach informed judgements on where they stand currently in relation to these processes. All schools maintain a performance profile which records schools' self-evaluations and gradings on the quality indicators of HGIOS. These judgements are summarised below:

• almost all primary and most secondary schools judged that the 'overall quality of attainment' was good or very good
• almost all of both primary and secondary schools judged that they were very good at promoting 'expectations and achievement'
• in primary schools the majority thought their 'staff review and development' arrangements were very good; in secondary schools the majority thought their arrangements were good
• almost all primary schools and most secondary schools judged that 'climate and relationships' in their schools were good or very good
• most primary schools thought their 'accommodation and facilities' were good or very good; less than half of secondary schools thought these were good
• almost all primary schools judged that their schools' arrangements for the promotion of 'equality and fairness' were good or very good; the majority of secondary schools judged these arrangements to be very good
• almost all primary schools thought their arrangements for 'learning support' were good or very good; most secondary schools thought the arrangements were good or very good
• most primary schools thought they were good or very good at the 'implementation of SEN and disability legislation' and most secondary schools thought they were very good
• most primary schools thought their arrangements for the 'placement of pupils with SEN and disabilities' were good or very good; the majority of secondary schools judged themselves to be very good
• most schools judged that their arrangements for supporting 'personal and social development' of young people were good or very good
• most primary schools judged that they had good or very good 'partnerships with parents, the School Board and the community', while the majority of secondary schools judged this to be very good
• there is no data available on the overall quality of their 'pupils' learning experiences'.

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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