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9 HIGHLAND

Project Background and Rationale

9.1 This Pathfinder project is different from the other 12 Pathfinders in that prior to inviting applications to be part of the Programme, the then Scottish Executive (now Scottish Government) had already agreed financial support to the Highland Council to help deliver The Highland Promise - An Gealladh Mor, as part of Highland 2007: Scotland's Year of Highland Culture.

9.2 It was decided to treat this as a Pathfinder project as the Highland Promise fitted well with the Pathfinder objectives, and an application was submitted to the Programme.

9.3 The Highland Promise was a cultural pledge from the Highland Council to children and young people in Highland that they would have the opportunity to participate in activities across the 'six strands of culture' of Highland 2007: arts, sport, heritage, language, science and environment, and therefore taking a broad approach to culture. It was a year-long plan of cultural activities, specific to each school, in which school pupils were invited to participate.

9.4 The 'Promise' for each school cluster comprised a mix of activities chosen from a menu of opportunities and was designed and delivered via an Associated School Group ( ASG), of which there were 30 and which comprised the main secondary schools and the feeder primary schools.

Aims and Objectives

9.5 The main aim of the Pathfinder was to give children and young people in schools the opportunity to participate in activities to which they might not otherwise have had access. The project aimed to not only increase the level of cultural activity, but also to raise awareness of culture and to encourage schools to experience culture during, but also after, the Pathfinder.

9.6 There was a genuine desire of the project management team to allow schools and pupils to have a say in shaping the activities and also to avoid simple pledges such as 'every child will get swimming lessons'.

9.7 In addition to the delivery of direct activities, the Pathfinder also aimed to develop relationships between schools, national agencies and local providers that could flourish throughout 2007 and continue post 2007.

Funding

9.8 The total cost of The Highland Promise was £600,000 with £125,000 ¹⁴ from the Pathfinder Programme, £75,000 from the private sector and the remaining £400,000 from the public sector (including £139,000 from Highland Council and £150,000 from Leader+).

9.9 Each ASG received a budget of around £20,000 for their Promise, adjusted according to whether a school had particular requirements (e.g. situated in a remote area or having a higher number of schools/pupils within the ASG).

9.10 Some schools also levered additional external funding from the Scottish Arts Council and sponsorship from the private sector. Other ASGs also reported significant in-kind support, largely from public bodies, and internal school staff.

Strategic Fit

9.11 A key policy aim of the previous national cultural policy ( Scotland's Culture) was to encourage more people to enjoy cultural activities by requesting local authorities to develop cultural 'entitlements' for their area, in consultation with local people. This was to assist local authorities in developing 'cultural planning', to feed into Community Planning.

9.12 While The Highland Promise was developed prior to the establishment of the full Pathfinder Programme, it did fit with the policy at the time. The Project adopted a bottom-up approach to planning and development, engaging many organisations, schools and individuals within the community, particularly young people. In particular, key beneficiaries (the school pupils) were given the opportunity to input into the development of the activities and to state their expectations of the project.

9.13 Although the policy shifted from 'local cultural entitlements' to widening access to cultural provision, the Pathfinder remained strongly aligned with policy drivers, as the focus was on widening access to cultural activities for all school pupils in Highland.

9.14 Although not all school pupils can be said to be under-represented in the arts, a certain proportion will be. For instance, children living in rural areas experience greater barriers to participation (e.g. transport to cultural events). Also, young people are a focus of cultural policy and the lessons should be transferable

9.15 Both past and current policy guidance called for broader and more effective planning for cultural provision and for this to be embedded in the CPPs. Given that the Pathfinder was managed and delivered by Highland Council in partnership with the CPP - The Wellbeing Alliance - culture was already embedded within Community Planning.

9.16 The Pathfinder fitted with, and contributed to, Priority Six in the Community Plan for Highland of ' enhancing culture, heritage, the Gaelic language and the natural environment'.

9.17 In relation to Community Planning, it is helpful to consider the broader context of the Highland Promise as a key component of Highland 2007. The entire Highland 2007 initiative was established and governed by a Board comprising senior members of the Wellbeing Alliance. One such member was also on the Steering Group of the Highland Promise Project. The Steering Group had a very hands-on and practical role, with a brief to implement Highland Promise, as per the remit developed by the Wellbeing Alliance.

9.18 Furthermore, the SOA between Highland Council, the CPPs and the Scottish Government explicitly mentions the role of culture. The SOA featured the thirteenth National Outcome, "we take pride in a strong, fair and inclusive national identity" and focused on the development of the Gaelic language and culture and on growth in arts, literary demand and music festivals, all involving the local community.

9.19 This is no surprise as cultural policy has always been at the heart of economic, social and community development across Highland. The Pathfinder project fits with and contributes to the Highland Council's Programme for Administration under the Arts, Heritage, and Culture and Sport priority.

9.20 Overall, the Pathfinder was closely aligned to the objectives of the Cultural Pathfinder Programme, in that it:

• targeted under-represented groups (children in rural areas);
• worked with other services (locally and nationally);
• was embedded within the priorities of the CPPs, and the CPPs played a critical role in its implementation;
• there was genuine involvement from the community (teachers, children, local artists); and
• there was a commitment to evaluation (as part of the wider Highland 2007 evaluation).

Activities and Processes

9.21 Each ASG's 'Promise' comprised a mix of activities chosen from a menu of opportunities (over 100 choices of activities). The menu included a 'shopping list' of projects which would be delivered by national agencies or local companies or agencies that would engage young people across the full range of activities included in the six strands of Highland 2007. Due to the diversity of the six strands, activities were wide-ranging.

9.22 School pupils were consulted from the outset to gauge their opinions on the kind of activities they would like to see available within their 'Promise' and how they would like it to work, e.g. travelling to cultural events or developing them within their local school and community. This was achieved via a questionnaire distributed to the 30 school pupil councils and also through receiving feedback from head teachers and council officers engaged with children not in the traditional school system (e.g. gypsy traveller, home-schooled and excluded children).

9.23 Despite the diversity of choices available, schools were further encouraged to introduce their own specific options to better suit their needs and aspirations for the pupils.

9.24 Furthermore, although school children were the target audience and some of the activities did take place during school hours, there was no insistence that it had to be curriculum related (although many saw these activities as being part of other initiatives targeted at strengthening the curriculum).

9.25 The Pathfinder was led by Education, Culture and Sport within Highland Council, very much in partnership with the Wellbeing Alliance. To help deliver the project, the Pathfinder engaged many of the 47 partner organisations involved in the wider Highland 2007 initiative, in the formation of a steering group. The group comprised Highland Council, Highland 2007 officers, representatives from major cultural providers in the Highlands and the head teachers from the local schools. It was an inclusive approach designed to engage the community and meet the needs, wishes and aspirations of the young people in Highland.

Achievements and Impacts

9.26 The account of the achievement and impacts of the Highland Pathfinder is based mainly on the evidence provided in the final evaluation report ¹⁵ of the project, supported by the feedback from consultation with project management. It should be noted that the final evaluation was relatively short as it was encompassed in a wider evaluation of Highland 2007, and it did not follow the Evaluation Toolkit framework.

9.27 For consistency with other case studies the achievements and impacts are reported in line with the structure provided by the Evaluation Toolkit and the Evaluation Plan used by the other Pathfinders, covering: Activities, Participation, Satisfaction, Impacts and Value for Money.

Activities

9.28 Each ASG was allocated £20,000 ¹⁶ in cash for their chosen programme of projects - their 'Promise'. As noted, a menu of activities was drawn up to assist, not circumscribe, schools in their choices, although in practice most schools used the menu for the majority of choices due to the scope of activities available. Even within one category of the six strands of culture the options were extensive. For instance, Sport activities ranged from canoeing and archery to Brazilian martial art and yoga, and within Arts, artforms ranged from theatre and dance to digital animation and film.

9.29 Many on the vast list of potential activities were to be delivered in partnership with both national and local organisations. National organisations involved included, among others:

• BBC Radio Scotland;
• National Theatre of Scotland;
• Scottish Ballet;
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra;
• Royal Observatory Edinburgh;
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra;
• Scottish Natural Heritage; and
• Scottish Opera.

9.30 The Pathfinder was believed to be an opportunity for national agencies to demonstrate their 'national' image and ambit by operating away from the Central Belt and their usual locations. On the whole, it seemed to be an opportunity that the national agencies welcomed.

9.31 Local providers (such Fèisean nan Gàidheal and the Highland Printmakers Workshop) were also included and involved in delivery. They were welcomed as part of the Pathfinder but on the condition that they were introducing special or enhanced projects rather than 'normal' activities which happened every year.

9.32 Although there was a vast choice of suggestions from which each ASG could use to develop its 'Promise', boundaries were set by the project management and it was clearly stipulated that each 'Promise' had to:

• involve young people in making choices from the menu of activities and suggesting other activities (clearly in line with Pathfinder programme guidance);
• involve all young people in the ASG - in every school and at all age stages;
• demonstrate how young people will know they are taking part in The Highland Promise;
• include activities across all the six strands of culture; and
• integrate with Curriculum for Excellence and each school's development plan.

9.33 In addition to the main 'Promise' of each ASG, other activities delivered by the Pathfinder included:

• taster sessions prior to the launch of the project in order for schools to decide which activities from the menu to select;
• the development of a website on which the menu was posted, enabling schools to access all the information about the various activities;
• a number of 'a dded-value activities', i.e. activities linked with other Highland 2007 projects, where The Highland Promise resources were combined to result in larger projects. Examples included: the enhancement of the Caithness Science Festival by the presence of an astronaut from NASA; the joint performance of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Highland Regional Youth Orchestra in Aviemore; and the Grantown Highland Garden Party which launched the Highland Garden at Grantown School and the Strathspey in May Festival.

9.34 One of the largest activities the Pathfinder was involved with was the Highland Garden Party. This was a joint initiative between the schools and community where every school was invited to an open-air performance, and to other activities including dance and visual arts. The event attracted 11,000 people from a wide range of communities - Gaelic, Polish and English.

Participation

9.35 Through the ASG mechanism, the aim of the Pathfinder was to involve all schools across the vast Highland Council area - 29 secondary, 183 primary and 3 special schools. It is believed that the Pathfinder 'touched' all of these schools in some form or another, with the depth of engagement of schools variable.

9.36 The Pathfinder was envisaged as being universal and fully inclusive and therefore efforts were also made to secure the participation of those not within the traditional school system (e.g. gypsy traveller, home-schooled and excluded children).

9.37 It is estimated that the total number of schools involved to a significant degree was 125, including 101 (55% of the total) primary schools, 21 (72%) secondary schools and three (100%) special needs schools.

9.38 There was an aggregate total of 15,688 pupils involved in the activities comprising 6,664 primary, 8,974 secondary and 50 special needs school pupils.

Satisfaction

9.39 The view of the project management was that the level of satisfaction with the Pathfinder as a whole was high. As part of the wider evaluation of Highland 2007, a survey was conducted to discover the level of participation and satisfaction across Highland in The Highland Promise.

9.40 Feedback from teachers suggested that the funding was the most useful form of support. Satisfaction was also high with regards to the menu of activities provided, the training, co-ordination and specific expertise of providers.

9.41 Feedback was more positive from the primary schools teachers, largely because the range of activities could be more easily accommodated into their learning outcomes and fit more easily around the timetable. On the other hand, secondary schools were under pressure to deliver exam results, therefore putting less emphasis on the Pathfinder project.

9.42 However, the survey data do not provide sufficient evidence to make a clear judgement on the levels of satisfaction among children and teachers. Indeed, much commentary is focused on more negative issues that arose although the consensus was that satisfaction among teachers was high.

9.43 Generally, the Pathfinder funding was essential in order to undertake activities. However, the additional Pathfinder monies arrived at a time where school budgets were being cut elsewhere. There was a great deal of concern that this was not 'new money' but had been cut from other education budgets. The impression was that budgets were cut to fund Highland 2007 and the new Pathfinder cash was replacing this, although not fully.

9.44 There was also an element of dissatisfaction, with some teachers believing that other ASGs and individual schools were receiving more cash (some got more due to "special circumstance", e.g. more rural location). This was likely a reflection of some head teachers being more interested in grasping these opportunities than others.

9.45 Also, there were some criticisms regarding timing. First, insufficient time for planning, secondly, that the timescales for delivery were too short, and thirdly that the calendar of activities did not meet the needs of the schools, in that it covered a calendar year and not a school year.

9.46 Finally, some pupils were critical of their school and felt it was not adventurous enough with the activities and they 'never got anything' - comparing themselves to similar schools elsewhere.

Impacts

9.47 A very wide range of achievements was noted, covering the Highland 2007 strands .

9.48 Given the limited duration of The Highland Promise experience, the evaluators noted difficulties in gauging the benefits to pupils beyond an immediate response in the evaluation survey. Therefore, the focus was on asking the ASG head teachers what they believed the impact on the pupils to be.

9.49 The reported impacts included:

• around 30% of the heads of each ASG that reporting that as a result of the Pathfinder culture was now a more important part of the school curriculum. However, the majority (60%) stated that it did not make a difference (positively or negatively); for some this was because culture was already considered important. Nonetheless, for some of the 30%, modest progress should be viewed positively as they had previously only had minimum engagement with cultural activities;
• similarly, it was reported that the Pathfinder did not result in pupils being more interested in culture than they were before. Again, this was because many pupils were already interested in Highland culture;
• most pupils were able to choose to participate in something they knew that they would enjoy, with many of these activities being new to them. In particular, enjoyment and enthusiasm emerged for extreme sports, wildlife safaris and traditional music making;
• most pupils learned something new about Highland culture; and
• participation in The Highland Promise resulted in better communication and levels of creativity.

9.50 There was however, a concern that it was one-off and did not tackle the real issues of access to culture (e.g. having a music teacher within the school on a permanent basis).

Value for Money

9.51 It is difficult to make an accurate value for money assessment, given the range of activities available and the variances in the number of pupils involved in each. However, the project management believed that the budget was significant, and that the project did offer value for money, particularly as funds were levered from other sources. The value was also improved by linking with other Highland 2007 projects to deliver activities jointly.

Contribution to Strategic Objectives

9.52 We have identified a number of key strategic objectives to which each of the projects would be expected to contribute. Here we provide an assessment of the extent to which the Highland Pathfinder project has successfully:

• engaged under-represented groups in arts/cultural activities;
• encouraged collaborative working within and/or across authorities;
• engaged CPPs and other partners/stakeholders;
• delivered effective consultation with communities;
• delivered something that is truly new and additional; and
• considered and ensured the sustainability and impacts.

9.53 This section draws on the feedback from the evaluation fieldwork as well as lessons reported by the project through the final evaluation report.

Engaging Under-Represented Groups

9.54 The Programme recognised that some sections of the population are more likely to take part in cultural activities than others. Therefore there was the aim to assist local authorities and CPPs to examine approaches that should help build an understanding of ways that would ensure wider access to culture.

9.55 Whether children are typically under-represented in cultural provision is a moot point. However, in the particular circumstances of this project, it is more likely that the children and young people in the Highlands will be under-represented due to the rural location.

9.56 The project was to ensure that every child, some of whom would be under-represented, had the opportunity to participate in cultural activity through Highland 2007. Such a universal approach intended to involve all children regardless of ability or need and regardless of whether they were in the traditional school system.

9.57 The Highland Council has a long experience of integrating children with special needs into mainstream schools and it is already part of their approach to ensure all children have access to all activities. There were examples of a child with physical disabilities and another with autism participating in kayaking, both from the same school and both requiring very different forms of support.

Collaborative Working

9.58 Collaborative working was at the heart of the project, assisted by the partnership approach adopted in the wider Highland 2007 initiative, and the involvement of the Wellbeing Alliance, which comprises many partners.

9.59 A clear example of collaborative working was at the early stages when there was a tension between the idea of the 'pledge', which carried with it the obligation of the local authority, via the school, to provide an activity, and the 'choice', which implied that both the pupil and the school would have choice regarding activities available as part of the initiative. This was a reflection of the statutory requirement of education vis-à-vis the looser framework in which cultural provision operates. But it was collaborative working that established a compromise in opting for the idea of a 'promise'.

9.60 Furthermore, the ASG structure was a catalyst for collaboration, in particular:

• more than half of the ASGs had partnerships with other schools or school groups;
• just under half had partnerships with local businesses;
• two fifths developed partnerships with national bodies in arts, heritage or sports;
• a third had partnerships with parents;
• a third with voluntary organisations; and
• one ASG had its local enterprise company as a partner.

9.61 The first form of partnership (between schools) has helped in assisting pupils in making the transition from primary to secondary. This can be a particularly difficult process for some children as it may involve some moving away from their home in a remote area and boarding during the week.

9.62 There was significant support given to each ASG via key staff of The Highland Council, particularly by the Quality Development Team, Active Schools' Coordinators and the Cultural Co-ordinators who supported teachers in identifying and delivering the appropriate activity.

9.63 The Quality Officer assigned to each ASG helped to ensure the project ran successfully and encouraged children to choose a mix of activities, thereby broadening the range of experiences.

9.64 A final example of collaboration was with council officers responsible for gypsy traveller, home-schooled and excluded children, all of whom were included in the consultation process that ensured all children were given the opportunity to participate.

Engaging Community Planning and other Partners

9.65 At the time of establishment, 'Scotland's Culture' announced an intention to promote 'cultural planning'. However, this changed and the focus is now on planning for culture i.e. the activities were not solely focussed on ensuring wider access to cultural provision, but also to bring culture's benefits to bear upon the range of local authority services and to inform strategic work of the CPPs.

9.66 The project was part of, and a key output of, the Highland Wellbeing Alliance (the CPP) and the project was therefore fully integrated into the Community Planning structure, allowing funds to be drawn down from various members.

9.67 The Highland Wellbeing Alliance, established in 1996, comprises a variety of organisations including Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, NHS Highland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Northern Constabulary, Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, representatives from the private sector and representatives from the voluntary sector, all of whom were involved in the Pathfinder. As noted, funding was levered from public (£111,000) and the private sector (£75,000) members of the partnership, evidencing the perceived importance they accorded to cultural provision.

9.68 Learning from the Project was also (seamlessly) fed back via the CPP meetings. It was through this sharing of learning that the Highland project added value to Community Planning in the area. There was no need, unlike in many other Pathfinders, to advocate on culture's ability to help address a range of social issues.

9.69 Regarding the planning process, the involvement of head teachers was vital to the project's success, in terms of generating commitment to the project, and determining suitable and deliverable activities. Also, they played an important role in terms of advocacy with colleagues and engendering enthusiasm for the Highland Promise amongst school staff. Those ASGs with more active and enthusiastic head teachers typically produced more successful 'Promises', with respect not only to the activities delivered but also regarding the level of pupil involvement and the development and future continuation of new partnerships.

9.70 In terms of delivery, the Programme suggested that the voluntary sector and the arts sector will be valuable resources in delivering future cultural activity to schools and young people. The voluntary sector was engaged at the outset in the Highland Pathfinder due to its representation on the CPP, therefore increasing the possibility of continuing with some of the project's activities in the future. In addition to established relationships, many new relationships were developed with local artists, and it was envisaged that this would contribute to a positive legacy.

Effective Consultation with Communities

9.71 One of the key objectives of the Pathfinder Programme was to demonstrate how 'cultural entitlements' could be rolled out to embrace all sections of the population. Of course, the agenda has moved to widening access to culture, however, the element of engagement remains a very important one. The intention of the Programme was to ensure that specific activities and opportunities to take part and enjoy culture were designed to match local people's aspirations.

9.72 A key measurement of success lies in the level of community consultation. A critical part of The Highland Promise concerned the involvement of pupils; they were to be encouraged to choose what they wanted to do and to shape activity. This was achieved via a questionnaire distributed to school pupil councils at the planning stage.

9.73 The involvement of school pupils in determining their 'Promise' was patchy, largely because it is not part of the ethos of education to offer pupils a choice in what they learn.

9.74 Some schools were very open to pupils' suggestions, e.g. some primary schools embraced their pupils' desire to undertake the most extreme sports possible, allowing children to try out challenging activities. However, the most common approach was a more pragmatic one whereby pupils were involved in discussing the various activities and guided to think about new activities, but this was very much constrained by what the school considered practical and possible. Therefore, in most cases, pupils were consulted and when it came to practical implementation, the staff took over.

Additionality

9.75 Consultation feedback indicated that the Pathfinder funding enabled Highland Council to design and deliver a project that was more ambitious and reached a greater number of children than would have otherwise been possible via Highland 2007. While the children would have been involved in the Highland 2007, without a specific element of the overall initiative that focussed on children, the number of children that participated would have been less and the variety of choices on the menu of activities restricted.

9.76 It was absolutely not a key focus of the Pathfinder to just 'put a bow on it' by developing a promise or pledge that had no substance to it, and without the substantial resources from the Pathfinder programme, the substance of the Promise would not have been achieved.

Sustainability and Legacies

9.77 The legacy with respect to engaging and developing the relationship with the CPPs was less of a priority within the project as the importance of cultural activities and planning for culture was already widely accepted by the CPP.

9.78 Rather, the significant legacy for the Highland Pathfinder was a legacy fund of £600,000 for additional cultural activity, secured in 2008/09. Although this was also a consequence of Highland 2007, of the £600,000, £125,000 has been ring-fenced specifically for school children (as a result of the success of the Highland Promise). From 2009/10, the total fund will be £500,000 per annum.

9.79 To support the future activities, a number of other legacies will prove valuable including:

• tangible legacies such as new equipment (e.g. new science equipment, production of films and a new school tartan);
• general increase in activity, awareness, encouragement and experience of schools of culture and in particular among schools who traditionally have not placed significant emphasis on cultural activity;
• improvements in communications and co-operation within, and between, schools and ASGs;
• a better awareness of, and relationships with, other providers both nationally and locally;
• the formation of partnerships between schools, the wider community, the voluntary sector , national agencies and local providers (throughout the project national agencies often worked with local providers to assist them to deliver their events on the ground; and
• working outside the normal curriculum, and beyond the school premises, leading to innovative teaching and being more open to the role of culture in delivering across the curriculum.

9.80 Other legacies that are not solely as a result of the Pathfinder, but those it made a contribution to, include:

• the department of Education, Culture and Sport now works within the boundaries developed by the ASGs, and each ASG has a named member of staff operating across libraries, youth work and arts and culture, all responsible for delivery; and
• the re-opened Eden Court Theatre's engagement in drama for young people with special needs

Overall Assessment and Key Lessons

9.81 The evidence suggests that the project has largely delivered what it set out to do; it ensured children and young people were given access to cultural activities that were truly shaped by them.

9.82 The Highland Pathfinder is an example of cultural activity being delivered in an integrated way by a whole host of partners, managed by the local authority and the CPP. The Pathfinder was unique in that it was the only project that was truly delivered in partnership with the CPP. Indeed, the project drew funds from CPP partners. This is largely a reflection of the wide acceptance in the area of the important role played by culture

9.83 The Final Report and consultation with the project manager identified a number of key lessons with respect to the Pathfinder.

9.84 First, at a very early stage it became clear that schools had to have some autonomy about their 'Promise' and a considerable element of choice in what it actually comprised. It would have been misguided to create a "one size fits all" pledge. The main rationale for allowing choice included:

• to promote buy-in, ownership and enthusiasm of teachers, pupils and parents, with the role of the teacher particularly critical to the success or otherwise of the project;
• to aid the practical delivery across all schools (particularly due to the vast geography and tight time scales);
• to add value to what is already going on in schools, both in terms of curriculum and learning delivery and the schools' wider social context.

9.85 Other key lessons include:

• although autonomy is of great importance, it is also vital that boundaries are set and guidelines established to ensure the overarching aim of each project is achieved;
• achieving "buy-in" from the head teachers was a critical success factor. Head teachers played an important role in terms of promoting arts and culture and engendering enthusiasm school staff, ensuring activities were deliverable and facilitating pupil involvement.;
• the ASG structure clearly had a positive impact in driving activity and creating healthy competition among the groups (e.g. striving for more ambitious activities, and leveraging funding from other sources);
• the Quality Officer assigned to each ASG was critical in ensuring that the project ran successfully and, more importantly, encouraged children to choose a mix of activities, thereby broadening the range of experiences; and
• an obvious, but an important lesson, is that any pledge or promise must have the required financial and non-financial resources in order to implement activities.

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