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Tougher, intelligent accountabilities
Tough, intelligent accountabilities
Delivering excellence in education requires both professional freedom and public accountability. Scotland already has a world renowned system of inspection and evaluation: we will build on this to ensure further, sustained improvement in our schools. We need systems that are proportionate, that focus on outcomes, that promote self-evaluation, and that provide targeted support to those who are struggling. We will focus the role of the Scottish Executive on the national framework to ensure that Scotland performs well, that we stand comparison with other high performing nations, and that we improve our performance over time. We will expect local authorities to drive improvement at the local level and to add value to the work of their schools. We will expect schools to meet the needs of their community and each and every one of their pupils. We will act to build, at each level, systems of tough, intelligent accountability that foster ambition and allow proper, informed public scrutiny.
Testing Scotland's performance internationally
We have:
- benchmarked Scotland through the establishment of an international benchmarking group with other European countries, and are taking part in the next round of international attainment studies
Integrated, proportionate inspection to support improvement and target action
HMIE has:
- begun a new round of inspections of local authorities
- ensured all schools are inspected at least once during a pupil's time at both primary and secondary school
Support and challenge for local authorities to deliver continuous improvement
We are:
- publishing a report on the impact of the National Priorities in 2006
- refreshing the National Priorities measures and indicators to focus on outcomes
- encouraging local authorities to work together to deliver better services and cost efficiencies
Integrated framework of planning to support joint working
We have:
- introduced integrated children's services planning and reporting and received and reviewed plans from local planning partnerships
- promoted partnership working by piloting joint inspections of child protection services and these will be rolled out across Scotland
- introduced flexibility in the National Priorities Action Fund to allow local authorities to more effectively target resources to meet local needs
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