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NATIONAL PRIORITIES IN EDUCATION: Performance Report 2003

FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNING - NATIONAL PRIORITY 2

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

Evidence on Framework for Learning in 2002

Continuing Professional Development

By the end of 2002, 366 teachers had obtained the Scottish Qualification for Headship and a further 400 were working towards achieving the qualification. An evaluation of this programme was begun in August 2002. ⁹ Induction programmes for new headteachers are run in a number of authorities.

Funding for training teachers and school librarians in ICT continued to come from the New Opportunities Fund (NOF). ¹⁰ By the end of June 2002 93% of Scottish teachers had signed up for training. HMIE published a report on the implementation of the NOF training initiative. ¹¹

The Masterclass programme in ICT was established, with 600 participants drawn from all authorities in Scotland and the Scottish Teacher Education Institutions. They include: classroom teachers, senior managers in schools, local authority officers and lecturers in teacher education institutions. This unique programme is aimed at establishing a shared vision across Scottish education authorities of the role of ICT in the future, through local champions of ICT use in classrooms.

The Heads Together programme was established. This is an electronic community growing quickly towards its target membership of 1,000. It is designed to give headteachers from all over Scotland an opportunity to meet in a secure online environment to share best practice and debate with policy makers. The programme is seen in many authorities as having an important role to play in developing the management and leadership capacities of its headteachers. ¹²

Attendance and exclusion

The levels of attendance and exclusions in primary and secondary schools at a national level are shown in the table which follows.

Levels of attendance and exclusion

The figures on exclusions in the above table are drawn from the Scottish Executive National Statistics Publication Exclusions from Schools, 2000/2001. ¹³

In both primary and secondary schools, the percentage absence was the lowest rate in recent years, with the exception of 1999/2000. Authorities and schools have set themselves targets for school attendance by the end of session 2004/2005. If met, the levels of attendance which might be expected to be seen nationally would be 95% in primary schools and 90% in secondary schools. There is a commitment in Building a Better Scotland ¹⁴ to reduce the gap between the average attendance levels in schools serving areas of high and low deprivation by 10% by 2006 and by another 10% by 2008.

There is an expectation that the trend will be for reductions in exclusions. Education authorities and schools may find it useful to set targets locally. Most authorities and schools have set themselves targets for reducing the numbers of days lost through exclusions by the end of session 2004/2005. One of the Scottish Executive's current social justice milestones is to reduce by a third the days lost every year through exclusion from school and through truancy.

Levels of adult support in primary schools

The pupil:adult ratio nationally in primary schools was 13.6:1 at September 2002. This ratio has been secured, in the main, through the employment of classroom assistants and additional teaching staff to reduce maximum class sizes in the early years of primary school to 30 from 33. Administrative and clerical staff have been employed to address issues arising from Time for Teaching and A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century.

Almost all authorities have set targets in respect of the pupil:adult ratio in their primary schools. Authorities had all previously reported a pupil:adult ratio lower than 15:1. In some cases the ratio seems to have drifted back above that level but those authorities have set targets to bring themselves back down to 15:1. Authorities with ratios already lower than 15:1 have set targets to maintain or to further reduce their ratios. The intention on the part of the Executive to increase teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007 will have an impact on pupil:adult ratios in primary schools beyond those planned by authorities. This commitment is part of A Partnership for a Better Scotland: Partnership Agreement. ¹⁵

Quality awards

A range of award schemes, e.g. Investors in People (IIP), Charter Mark and EFQM, offers opportunities for schools and authorities to assess and be credited publicly for the effectiveness with which they operate. 74 schools hold one or other of these awards in their own right currently.

International comparisons

International studies have thrown light on several topics which are relevant to Framework for Learning. In the Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 (PISA), 37% of pupils in Scottish secondary schools reported being absent from school at least once during a two week period. The same proportion also reported arriving late for school at least once a week over the same period. 12% reported not attending at least one class during the two weeks. Levels of attendance and absence were similar in the rest of the UK. Not surprisingly, those with higher levels of attendance tended to achieve higher reading literacy scores.

65% of 15 year olds attended schools whose headteacher considered the scale of pupil absenteeism in Scotland to be a hindrance to learning. This was slightly above the level in the rest of the UK.

The number of Scottish pupils in the PISA research who stated that they did not wish to go to school was only just below the OECD average, and the number stating that they often felt bored exceeded the average. Figures for the rest of the UK were almost identical. Pupils who felt lonely or out of place at school or those who felt bored tended to score worse on the reading literacy tests. Both headteachers and students agreed that a supportive and encouraging climate encourages learning and that good educational resources in schools promote learning significantly.

How schools rated themselves in 2002

The introduction to this report explains how schools use How good is our school? (HGIOS) in their regular self-evaluations to reach judgements on where they see themselves as standing in relation to a range of quality indicators. The schools rate themselves on the four point scale described in HGIOS; the scale runs from 1 (unsatisfactory) to 4 (very good).

Schools report on three quality indicators which cover aspects of Framework for Learning. For each indicator, the proportion of schools which rated themselves in each of the four categories is shown in the charts below.

What did schools think about their arrangements for developing their teachers' skills?

The use of the 'Staff review and development' indicator involved schools gathering and assessing evidence and reaching conclusions about their practice drawn from the intelligence relating to three themes: the extent to which staff review and development and school self-evaluation and planning are linked; the quality of the arrangements which are operating; and the quality, relevance and impact of the staff development which is undertaken in consequence of staff reviews.

The chart below shows what schools thought about the arrangements which they had in place for the review and development of all of their staff.

Staff review and development

What did schools think about the climate which they had created for learning?

Schools gathered, assessed and reached conclusions from evidence relating to five themes in respect of the 'Climate and relationships' indicator from HGIOS: a school's sense of identity and pride in itself; the way a school receives its visitors and its general atmosphere; morale; relationships between pupils and teachers; and pupils' behaviour and discipline.

The chart below illustrates the extent to which schools thought that the climate which they had created for learning could be seen as being good or very good.

Climate and relationships

What did schools think about their accommodation and facilities?

The chart below indicates what schools thought about their accommodation and facilities. They reached their conclusions by looking at evidence relating to the 'Accommodation and facilities' indicator from HGIOS.

Accommodation and facilities

Action to support Framework for Learning in 2002

Continuing Professional Development

A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century underlined the profession's commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) by proposing an additional 35 hours per year for every teacher. All teachers will now agree an annual CPD plan and will keep an ongoing record of the CPD activities they undertake.

All authorities reported significant progress in the implementation of arrangements for Professional Review and Development and establishing local CPD frameworks. All have established induction programmes for their probationer teachers. Over time it will be possible to monitor the effectiveness of such programmes. ¹⁶

Authorities reported that they had run conferences, training courses and other events to introduce staff to contemporary developments in learning and teaching. These include special educational needs, training in support of the extension of early intervention programmes relating to literacy and numeracy, modern foreign languages, assessment, methodology and specific programmes (e.g. co-operative learning, the Critical Skills Programme, Philosophy for Children, CASE and CAME) and discipline. A number reported that they had developed or were developing guidelines and materials which would help schools to address the practical implications of these developments. Authorities had also been active in producing policies and related guidance on learning and teaching which takes account of developing understanding about how people learn and of the school and classroom conditions which support and enhance learning.

Attendance and discipline

Authorities reported on a range of actions which they and their schools have taken to encourage good attendance. These actions include public and high profile award schemes for good attendance, truancy watch schemes, usually in association with the police and local communities, the introduction or re-introduction of attendance officers and more frequent and immediate contact with parents when absence occurs. Other initiatives are the introduction of electronic registration systems and the establishment of alternative curricula, e.g. vocational programmes linked to attendance at a local college.

Being bullied is a reason quoted commonly by pupils to explain their truancy. ¹⁷ The creation and maintenance of a positive climate and good relationships is clearly helpful in tacking bullying in schools. Almost all authorities have made reference to the fact that they have revised or are revising their anti-bullying policies.

Authorities reported that they have drawn up plans to address the recommendations of the Discipline Task Group (DTG) but it is still too early to assess how effective these are. The implementation of these plans includes increased levels of support for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (including the establishment of pupil support bases) and support for the introduction of positive behaviour management schemes supported by staff development programmes. The employment of behaviour assistants, support teachers and home-link workers, and the establishment of alternative curriculum provision, also contribute to improving discipline, and absence and exclusion rates.

Buddying and mentoring schemes exist in most schools in all authorities. These schemes include friendship squads, playground buddies, programmes of positive play in primary schools, support for children experiencing bullying, peer mediation and tutoring schemes, paired learning, and adult befriending and mentoring schemes.

Additional adult support

The impact of classroom assistants on teaching and learning has been the subject of a formal evaluation exercise. The evaluation, which was carried out by SCRE, ¹⁸ concluded that classroom assistants had had an indirect impact on pupils' attainment by allowing teachers to devote more of their own time to teaching. Most schools and authorities also thought that the Classroom Assistant Initiative, along with the Early Intervention Programme, were important factors in helping them to meet or exceed their attainment targets.

Health promotion

The general physical and mental health and well being of young people are significant factors in determining the extent of their achievements and attainments. Education authorities described many different projects, initiatives and strategies. These include securing access for pupils to fresh drinking water, oral hygiene and other health initiatives. Local authorities and schools had developed policies on nutrition, exercise and other aspects of health usually in collaboration with local health services. Many had established breakfast clubs, schemes through which fresh fruit is provided free to pupils, healthy tuck shop initiatives, School Nutrition Action Groups, and local Health Promoting School development and award schemes. Other initiatives are the appointment of health education staff tutors in some authorities, and programmes to promote higher levels of physical activity among young people and their communities.

Accommodation and facilities

Authorities' reports indicate that a wide range of actions, including the development and implementation of PPP projects, had been taken to develop the school estate. Following the 1998 bidding round for school PPP projects, revenue support was provided for school building projects with a capital value of around 500 million. This allowed projects to be taken forward by ten authorities, which resulted in the building or significant refurbishment of around 80 schools. In 2002, 36 of these came on stream. This contributed significantly to the Programme for Government commitment to build or substantially refurbish 100 schools by 2003. Other actions include the development of asset management plans, property and fit for purpose surveys, specific refurbishment programmes, e.g. of science laboratories, and on-going repair and maintenance programmes. Pupil support bases had been created in many schools.

National frameworks and programmes to support Framework for Learning

A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century, the agreement reached between teacher organisations, employers (through COSLA) and the Scottish Executive to improve the professional conditions of service and pay for teachers, was published in January 2001. ¹⁹ This is a comprehensive and far-reaching package of measures to modernise the career structure, conditions of service, pay, professional development and negotiating machinery of teachers. A commitment to full implementation by 2006 is contained in Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2003-2006.

In their guidance to authorities on implementing the National Priorities, Ministers drew attention to several key policy themes. Three of them are relevant to Framework for Learning: discipline, health promotion and the school estate. A national programme in support of each of these areas is in place.

The Discipline Task Group (DTG) was established in 2000. In 2001, the DTG published a report, Better Behaviour - Better Learning, ²⁰ which made 36 recommendations aimed at improving discipline in schools. The recommendations in the DTG report arose from extensive consultation with teachers, pupils, parents and a wide range of other interested parties. Implementation is being taken forward through a range of national initiatives such as the Anti-Bullying Network and the Scottish Schools Ethos Network.

A second key theme identified by Ministers for authorities to address in the National Priorities improvement plans is Health Promotion. This focus follows from the 1999 White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland which acknowledges the lifelong impact of ill-health and health-damaging lifestyles in childhood. ²¹ Work is underway through the Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit, based at Learning and teaching Scotland, to develop criteria to enable schools and support and encourage them to think about healthy living. The intention is for Scottish schools to qualify for the status of a Health Promoting School.

Another key theme, the school estate, covers buildings, equipment, sports facilities and community use. The appropriate physical environment is a vital part of inspiring children to realise their full potential during their school years. The School Estate Strategy, developed with COSLA, sets out a vision and objectives to achieve a well built, well designed and well managed school estate over the long term. ²² The largest ever school building programme in Scotland's history, renewing 200 more schools by 2006, rising to 300 by 2009, is a commitment contained in A Partnership for a Better Scotland: Partnership Agreement. These schools should be available to the whole community and include high quality facilities for drama, music, sport, IT and, in secondary schools, science laboratories.

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