[Contents]
In this report H M Inspectors of schools bring together their evaluations of how well primary schools and the primary departments of special schools promote pupils’ personal and social development. As indicated in the HMI report on Standards and Quality in Scottish schools: 1995 to 1998, these evaluations are generally very positive. Almost all schools recognise the importance of personal and social development in the education of the whole child, and give it good attention.
This report recognises the value of careful planning, effective delivery of good quality programmes, well-focused staff development for teachers and continuing monitoring and evaluation in securing the best possible provision. It also recognises the close link between personal and social development which supports pupils and promotes their self-esteem and high standards of pupil attainment.
The report includes a small number of important recommendations. All schools are encouraged to learn from the descriptions of particularly good practice that were noted in some schools. The report calls for more assistance and exemplification for schools in planning their programmes. I am pleased to say that moves are already in train through the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum to provide that support. I am confident that these measures will help schools to build on the very sound foundations which have already been established and ensure that they provide the very highest quality of personal and social development for all of their pupils.
Kathy Fairweather
HM Chief Inspector of Schools
1.1 The national guidelines for ‘Personal and Social Development 5-14’ begin by stressing its fundamental role in the education of the whole child. They go on to develop a rationale for personal and social development in terms of promoting children’s self-awareness, self-esteem, relationships with others, independence and social responsibility. There are two reasons why personal and social development is a fundamental part of the curriculum for all pupils. Firstly it is important in its own right because schools are concerned with children’s all round development as persons living in society. Secondly, it is important as the foundation for other types of learning.
1.2 The first reason recognises the important contribution that schools make to children’s all round development. All pupils need to learn how to build relationships, to give and take, to become responsible, to enjoy and share success and face setbacks. All will have to deal with the challenges of adolescence as they move towards adulthood in an increasingly complex and sometimes uncertain world. Some children may experience problems within their own families associated with poverty, ill health, violence, unemployment, racism, divorce or bereavement and need particular support. By the end of primary school, many pupils will have developed a clear understanding of their own identity and worth, sophisticated interpersonal skills and a well-developed sense of personal and social responsibility. Some may be at risk of offending or experimenting with drugs. The quality of a school’s personal and social development provision is crucial in extending each pupil’s personal and social skills and supporting them through times of difficulty. It is a decisive factor in the school’s success in promoting fairness, equality, citizenship and social inclusion.
1.3 Secondly, personal and social development is important as the foundation for other types of learning. If pupils lack self-esteem and cannot relate well to others, they are unlikely to make progress in classroom learning. Conversely, success in learning builds self-esteem and confidence and lays the foundation for further learning. The link between high standards of attainment and progress in personal and social development is increasingly recognised. Where pupils acquire the essential skills required to enjoy learning and to succeed in school and in society, standards are likely to rise. Where pupils have low self-esteem and lack confidence, they will struggle to cope with tasks in and beyond their classwork. An ethos of achievement is closely interrelated with an effective programme of personal and social development.
1.4 In 1998 HM Inspectors carried out a review of provision for personal and social development in primary schools and the primary stages of special schools. They reviewed evidence from general inspections of 120 primary schools and 23 special schools, including some residential schools over a three-year period 1995-98. HMI also inspected an additional sample of 22 primary and 2 special schools in 1998 to investigate provision in more depth. These inspections set out to gather additional evidence about key features of high quality provision in terms of approaches and programmes, learning and teaching and pupils’ progress, and management and quality assurance. The schools for this additional sample were selected as likely examples of good practice. This report is based on these two sources of evidence.
1.5 HMI use the performance indicator ‘personal and social development’ to evaluate the development in pupils of positive attitudes and personal and social skills and the contribution of extra-curricular activities. This was found to be fair in 6% of primary schools, good in 48% and very good in 46% of primary schools in the general inspection programme. Special schools gave high priority to personal and social development and provided well-balanced, integrated programmes relevant to pupils’ needs. Overall, this is a positive picture but the central importance of personal and social development in supporting children’s development makes it important that all schools have well designed programmes for personal and social development which meet the needs of all pupils.
1.6 This report emphasises the contribution of the school to personal and social development. Parents and society are also key influences on that development and a range of professional agencies and voluntary groups actively support children in growing up as responsible citizens and participants in the community. Factors beyond the school will sometimes limit the school’s influence in developing pupils’ personal and social skills. Partnerships with parents, community groups and other professional agencies will greatly increase the school’s effectiveness in supporting their development.
2.1 The 5-14 guidelines recommend three approaches to personal and social development: whole-school, cross-curricular and special focus. Whole school approaches foster personal and social development as part of the general ethos of the school. Cross-curricular approaches recognise the contribution of learning in each area of the curriculum to developing pupils’ personal and social skills. Special focus approaches involve specific programmes focusing on the personal and social development outcomes, either occupying a regular slot in the school timetable or inserted at particular times for particular purposes.
2.2 Schools regarded personal and social development as a high priority and gave it appropriate emphasis in the curriculum. Overall, schools made appropriate use of the flexibility factor in allocating time to personal and social development. The revised guidelines for The Structure and Balance of the Curriculum 5-14 enable schools to plan personal and social development as a separate programme or as a linked programme with health education and/or religious and moral education.
2.3 HMI evaluations of the effectiveness of provision for the emotional, physical and social needs of pupils and support for their individual needs are made in relation to the performance indicator for ‘pastoral care’. In general inspections, pastoral care was rated as fair in fewer than 5% of primary schools, good in just over 25% and very good in just over 70% of primary schools. Evaluations of programmes in special schools were equally positive. Common characteristics of effective programmes were that staff established good relationships with pupils and encouraged pupils to value their achievements. They also encouraged pupils to be independent and responsible, and to be considerate and positive in their relationships with others.
2.4 Even good programmes, however, often had some gaps or weaknesses in particular aspects of the broad range which constitute personal and social development programmes -from drugs or citizenship education, to developing individual initiative, to inducting new pupils to the school. A programme that serves most pupils well might not meet the needs of some vulnerable pupils
2.5 There were varying degrees of structure in programmes for personal and social development. The best programmes planned and blended together each of the three approaches. They ensured that specific issues such as vandalism, substance abuse and taking risks were dealt with at specific stages and within a well-balanced context, and that there was planned progression in the topics studied. One school had a very well-designed programme, based on an education authority programme for P1 to S1which was linked to the 5-14 personal and social development outcomes. This programme outlined themes, main ideas and resources for each year. The themes showed progression from ‘myself’ in P1 to ‘the community’ in P4 and ‘the wider environment’ in P7/S1. Some schools also had their own highly structured programmes for each stage, planning those aspects which were addressed in specific personal and social development themes, those which would be developed by whole school initiatives and those where learning would take place within different areas of the curriculum.
2.6 Effective programmes were also flexible enough to respond to events in the school and in the lives of individual children. Programmes need sufficient space to respond to the opportunities and needs created by, for example, an invitation to a class to design new playground games; a theft in a classroom; a racist attack in the local community; an issue of equal opportunities between boys and girls; or the opening of a building site near to the school. The best programmes achieved a good balance between underlying structure and flexibility.
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What contribution to your programme for personal and social development is made by:
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2.7 Overall, the picture emerging from general inspections is that almost all schools made good provision for personal and social development through whole-school ethos arrangements. A majority of schools offered appropriate special focus programmes, but fewer schools recognised the full scope for cross-curricular links. Special schools gave high priority to personal and social development and provided well-balanced, integrated programmes relevant to pupils’ needs. Most of the schools in the additional inspections had good or very good programmes which combined whole school, cross-curricular and special focus approaches. Nearly all of these schools had good or very good resources for personal and social development and organised them well to be accessible to staff.
Whole-school approaches
2.8 The general inspections and the additional sample indicate that schools are strong in fostering personal and social development as part of the general ethos of the school. The ethos was very good in 55% of primary schools and good in almost 40% of schools in the general inspection programme. Fewer than 5% had some important weaknesses in ethos.
2.9 The individual contribution of each teacher, working towards a clearly understood and shared set of aims, is at the core of an effective whole-school approach. Whole school strategies, for example to promote positive attitudes or behaviour, to improve pupils’ skills in co-operative working or to increase teachers’ expectations of attainment, depended for their success on teachers’ consistent support. For example, policies on promoting positive behaviour were frequently implemented effectively because teachers provided praise and support to pupils on a daily basis. One school promoted consistency by summarising its rules in the form of ‘five bees’ (be considerate, be honest etc) which were displayed in every class in the form of model bees hanging from the ceiling and referred to during classwork. In some schools, pupils’ behaviour suffered as a result of variations in the standards expected by different teachers.
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How does your school identify children ‘at risk’? |
2.10 All teachers also have a role in identifying pupils ‘at risk’. Most teachers were observant where changes in pupils’ behaviour or other signs indicated that they might be experiencing a serious problem and intervention by the school or other agencies was needed. Most teachers created a climate in which pupils could seek support or advice when they needed it and managed to be receptive while avoiding interference or infringements of privacy. Despite the best efforts, some children who experience serious problems at the primary stages do not feel able to confide in their teachers, and schools therefore recognised the importance of working in partnership with parents and other agencies.
2.11 Building self-awareness and self-esteem through recognising achievement also worked best where whole school support strengthened and gave direction to teachers’ work in the classroom. For example, the work of teachers in recognising a range of classroom achievements was reinforced where assemblies promoted self-esteem and recognised achievements of a wide and varied nature, not just in schoolwork or sport, but also in helping others or taking responsibility. Assemblies, either of the whole school or of pupils at particular stages, fostered a sense of community and celebrated the achievements of pupils and classes. They were generally effective and enjoyable occasions. However, sometimes they went on too long and did not engage pupils fully.
2.12 Pupils’ sense of social belonging and responsibility was developed through specific opportunities to show care and consideration for others. This often involved older pupils in running the tuckshop or in helping younger ones in paired reading programmes or in the playground. Across the stages, pupils were very often involved in raising money for charities and sometimes in practical activities such as entertaining or visiting senior citizens. Two schools involved pupils in enterprise activities, in which they set up ‘mini-companies’ to design, make and sell products. These activities taught pupils valuable lessons about interdependence, teamwork and individual initiative, and were thoroughly consistent with the national framework for education industry links.1 Some schools provided pupils with opportunities to exercise social responsibility in pupil councils. These were most effective where they considered issues which genuinely affected the pupils’ day to day lives and provided scope for improvements. Some teachers helped pupils to understand the parallels between pupil councils and representative groups in the community and society.
2.13 Extra-curricular activities offered varied opportunities for personal and social development, for example, by encouraging pupils to explore and develop individual talents and interests and to learn to co-operate and compete in team games. Activities frequently involved sport and music but there were also visits and various forms of involvement with the local community. Parties and seasonal concerts allowed teachers and pupils to share in enjoyment and fun and developed pupils’ awareness of appropriate behaviour during social occasions. In some schools, the range of extra-curricular activities was very good, with opportunities available at the middle as well as the later stages and a high uptake of activities. In others, where the majority of pupils did not take part in extra-curricular activities, potential opportunities for personal and social development were missed.
2.14 Residential visits provided invaluable opportunities for children to experience community living away from the familiar surroundings and immediate support of their families. They learned to become more independent in looking after themselves and to enjoy more informal relationships with staff. Pupils sometimes faced personal challenges in exploring new environments or new and demanding activities such as orienteering or canoeing. As a result, some developed new and positive relationships, gained in self-confidence and learned to trust and depend more upon their classmates. Some schools and education authorities provided financial support for residential visits to minimise barriers to pupils’ participation.
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How can you extend the range and uptake of extra-curricular activities in your school? |
2.15 Such measures reflected the determination of some primary schools to be ‘inclusive’. These schools worked hard to ensure that all pupils took part in some form of extra-curricular activities, joined in residential visits and took a full part in the life of the school. Although there was scope for pupils to opt out of some activities through choice, an important principle in these schools was that ‘Nobody gets left out’. All schools should encourage all of their pupils to take a full part in the life of the school and its extra-curricular activities.
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What steps can you take to improve the links between care and teaching staff? |
2.16 In special schools there was a commendable focus on encouraging pupils to be as independent as possible in matters of self-care and skills required for everyday living, as well as on developing their social skills. While addressing these objectives as part of a whole-school approach, staff were able to tailor them to individual pupils on the basis of their knowledge of individual strengths and needs. However, in some schools which provided residential care there was a need to improve the links between care and teaching staff to promote more consistency in staff expectations of pupils.
Cross-curricular approaches
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In your school, how does each area of the curriculum contribute to pupils’ personal and social development? |
2.18 Pupils’ curricular experiences can make a crucial contribution to personal and social development. Yet cross-curricular approaches were not generally as well planned as whole-school approaches. In planning and auditing school programmes for personal and social development, schools should recognise and utilise the important contribution of all areas of the curriculum to promote pupils’ personal and social skills.
2.19 Schools in the additional sample generally recognised appropriate links between personal and social development outcomes and environmental studies topics such as ‘myself’, ‘families’ or ‘people who help us’. Studies of other times and places and of different cultures within a local community helped pupils to understand and celebrate differences in lifestyle and to develop respect and tolerance for other people. There were particular links with health education aspects of environmental studies, including sex and drugs education. Involving pupils in environmental education projects also encouraged them to develop informed and responsible attitudes to their surroundings and to appreciate their own role in stewardship.
2.20 Other worthwhile examples were noted of links with drama and religious and moral education. The schools concerned had recognised the opportunities provided by drama for developing self-confidence through role-playing situations involving personal relationships, and the scope provided by the personal search aspects of religious and moral education for pupils to develop and express their own views and relate them to those of others.
2.21 Many schools did not give sufficient recognition to the contribution of activities in English language to their personal and social development programmes. Yet teachers in these schools planned opportunities for children to listen and talk about personal experiences and express their own ideas in discussions; to enter imaginatively into the thoughts, feelings and actions of characters in reading fiction and poetry; and to describe and reflect on personal experiences or express a point of view through writing. All of these activities are of essential relevance to personal and social development.
2.22 The contribution of drama has already been mentioned. However, the wider contribution of expressive arts to personal and social development was not sufficiently recognised, even where schools had good expressive arts programmes. The expressive arts provide a rich context for personal and social development. Art and design, drama, music and physical education all offer opportunities to develop pupils’ confidence and accept constructive comment in exploring their own capabilities and presenting their work to others. In turn, responding to the work of other pupils and evaluating their performance encourages pupils to appreciate and respect the skills and achievements of others. Where pupils in physical education stretched their skills and stamina to their limits or when an assembly admired their artwork, or they played an instrument at a concert for parents, there were recognisable benefits for the pupils’ personal growth.
Special focus approaches
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How well planned is your special focus programme? |
2.23 The majority of schools offered appropriate special focus programmes but some schools need to plan these programmes more effectively.
2.24 The most frequent form of regularly occurring activity was ‘circle time’2 in which pupils sit in a circle and say something about their own feelings on a specific issue. They may be asked to complete a sentence beginning ‘I feel happy when …’ or ‘I feel sad when …’, or they may be invited to say positive things about one of their number who is ‘special’ for the day. Sometimes pupils received certificates or cards indicating what the class regarded as their positive features. The object of the exercise is to develop pupils’ awareness of their own and others’ feelings and build social relationships. Sometimes the technique is linked to the development of ‘emotional intelligence’, that is the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions.
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Do you use circle time approaches? In what ways do activities show progression from stage to stage? |
2.25 Inspectors found that many schools had adopted the strategy and appreciated the principles which lay behind it. However, in some schools it was difficult to see any progression in the way circle time was used with younger and older children. Schools should give careful consideration to progression before introducing a policy of circle time at all stages. Lessons using circle time approaches usually worked well and contributed effectively to pupils’ awareness of themselves and others, and to their self-esteem. However, on occasions pupils became unco-operative or restless because the pace was too slow or opportunities for individual participation were too limited.
2.26 Special focus activities usually related to matters of personal safety, child protection or health education. For example, a school might decide on a ‘campaign against bullying’ and have a special fortnight of anti-bullying activities such as discussions, reading and writing relevant stories or poems, or creating anti-bullying posters. The community police officer might visit to talk about vandalism or safety in the local area. Some topics were stage-related, such as lessons on living and growing, dealing with, among other things, puberty. Some schools had quite extensive programmes on child protection, such as the ‘Feeling Yes, Feeling No’ programme in schools in the former Lothian Region.
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What opportunities do your pupils have to demonstrate caring in action? |
2.27 At class level, special focus activities were often designed to help pupils to demonstrate caring in action and to encourage them to show responsibility or initiative. Such activities included visiting hospitals to provide entertainment and talk to patients; improving an aspect of the school or local environment; delivering parcels to the elderly at harvest time; leading a whole school assembly; and taking responsibility for supporting younger pupils in the enjoyment of books. Special focus activities at class level also helped pupils to prepare for transitions. These were particularly common in P1 and P7. At P1, the majority of schools had well planned induction programmes, sometimes in collaboration with pre-school staff, to introduce new pupils and their parents to the staff, layout and activities of the primary school. At P7, primary and secondary teachers generally collaborated well to ensure that pupils became familiar with new staff, a new building and new rules and that they knew who to contact if they experienced difficulties in the early weeks of secondary school.
2.28 Teachers sometimes designed personal and social development programmes for particular individuals on the basis of their needs. For example, teachers sometimes selected individual pupils who would benefit by taking responsibility for helping a new pupil to settle in to the school; acting as a class or school librarian; meeting visitors to welcome them to the school; or caring for plants or a pet in the classroom. In some schools activities focused on individual pupils also involved them in setting and reviewing their own targets to improve aspects of their behaviour or effort in schoolwork.
2.29 Some other good examples of special focus approaches were:
Learning and teaching
3.1 Most of the schools in the additional inspections had devised good ways of planning personal and social development, either as a separate area of the curriculum or in conjunction with other areas. Some schools used pre-printed proformas, so that teachers could highlight the 5-14 outcomes and strands relevant to a topic and add details of activities, resources and assessment methods. One school, which made considerable use of outside agencies to contribute to personal and social development, had devised a helpful joint planning system involving teachers, community education and health education workers. In general, teachers’ plans for personal and social development were not specific enough about what they intended pupils to learn. For example, in health related topics, plans should specify the knowledge and understanding which pupils will gain. In other aspects, plans might focus on the skills outlined in ‘Personal and Social Development 5-14’. Clear specification of learning outcomes makes it easier to assess pupils’ progress and to evaluate the success of a particular unit of work.
3.2 The quality of learning and teaching observed during the additional inspections was good or very good in almost all schools. Lessons were well organised and structured, with appropriate tasks and good use of resources. The range of activities included group and class discussion, stories, drama, role play, games, song, puppets, visiting speakers, personal writing and art work. Teachers interacted well with pupils and made good use of praise to boost self-esteem and foster co-operation. Praise was most effective where it was well earned and teachers and pupils recognised that it had to be deserved. Pupils were well motivated and responsive in most of the lessons observed. One particular feature of good practice was the successful integration of pupils with special needs into personal and social development activities. Learning support staff and special needs auxiliaries gave good support in these instances.
3.3 In special schools, the quality of learning and teaching was almost always good and often very good. Staff worked collectively to create a climate of trust, respect and confidence in which personal and social development could be taught effectively. Teachers adjusted their approaches well to meet the often complex needs of their pupils. Some of the very best teaching involved staff’s sensitive handling of difficult issues in group discussions. Staff generally used effective forms of assessment based on recording the progress of pupils towards achieving clearly specified targets, often in the form of individualised educational programmes (IEPs). Some schools needed to ensure that goals stated in IEPs were shared with pupils themselves so that they could become more aware of their next steps in learning.
3.4 Assessment was the only aspect of learning and teaching in personal and social development which was found to be fairly evenly divided between ‘good’ (more strengths than weaknesses) and ‘fair’ (some important weaknesses). Most schools relied on informal observation and a general knowledge of pupils built up over time. This is appropriate for those aspects of personal and social development which are closely linked to attitudes and values. However, there is also a place for more structured assessment where lessons concentrate on knowledge and understanding or the development of personal and social skills. Good practice was found in a number of special schools where assessment of skills and behaviours was based on structured observation in relation to well-defined goals. In some of the additional primary schools inspected, teachers did keep notes for reporting to parents, and some encouraged pupils to assess their own strengths and needs and to keep personal records of achievement. But these schools were in the minority. Generally, teachers needed further guidance on what and how to assess in personal and social development.
3.5 Where pupils received learning support, teachers worked hard to maintain their motivation and self-esteem. Pupils were aware from an early age of differences between their attainment and those of their classmates. Teachers who were most effective in maintaining motivation and self esteem did this by:
Where effective learning support programmes met pupils’ learning needs and ensured that they made good progress, it was easier to sustain the motivation of pupils receiving additional support.
Pupils’ progress in their personal and social development
3.6 Pupils in primary and special schools generally made good or very good progress in their personal and social development. Where pupils had received specific drug education, sex education and personal safety programmes, they showed a good knowledge and understanding of what they had learned. Similarly, where pupils had practised negotiating skills and conflict resolution they showed a good grasp of the strategies used. Programmes and learning and teaching approaches were generally effective in providing good opportunities to promote pupils’ personal development by increasing their self-awareness and self-esteem, and their social development by encouraging them to develop inter-personal relationships, independence and inter-dependence. Specific improvements needed in relation to some of these strands are identified below.
personal development
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How do you involve your pupils in self and peer assessment? |
3.7 Most schools promoted pupils’ self-awareness by giving them regular and constructive feedback on their work. It was less common for schools to involve pupils in discussing their own strengths and needs though some schools placed commendable emphasis on self and peer assessment. A minority of primary and special schools involved pupils in building up a record of their personal achievements. Cross-curricular approaches and special focus programmes played a valuable part in making pupils aware of their own views and feelings and how to express and manage these.
3.8 Schools’ efforts to promote self-esteem through the use of praise and awards clearly paid off in pupils who were confident and justifiably proud of their achievements. Most schools linked self-esteem to ethos initiatives, such as promoting positive behaviour. Promoting self-esteem was also an important aim of early intervention initiatives in literacy and numeracy where teachers stressed that early success and the confident development of key skills were fundamental in building a positive self-image and self-esteem.
social development
3.9 Almost all of the published reports on individual schools commended pupils’ behaviour and inter-personal relationships. Almost all schools were taking steps to promote positive behaviour through clear expectations and the use of praise as well as sanctions. In most schools, pupils were courteous, friendly, co-operative and considerate. Some were notably good at relating to adults and speaking confidently about their work and interests. Pupils were good at accepting responsibilities and showing care and consideration for others. Many showed a sound understanding of the need for rules and acted responsibly in drawing up agreed rules for a class or school code. Most pupils demonstrated positive attitudes to differences in the appearance and lifestyle of other people. In a few schools, the behaviour of a minority of pupils gave cause for concern. Some schools were ineffective in identifying and dealing with bullying. This had harmful consequences both for the children who were bullied and for those involved in bullying.
3.10 Teachers generally provided good opportunities for pupils to learn independence. This was particularly the case in the early stages of primary school where pupils often carried out a sequence of tasks independently, setting out and clearing away the resources needed. There was variation in how effectively schools developed more demanding skills in independence as pupils moved through the school. Some teachers set older pupils extended tasks, such as personal projects, investigations, design briefs or writing several chapters of a story. Some encouraged pupils to initiate activities and to set their own goals. They coached their pupils in planning, organising and persevering with tasks over a number of lessons or homework sessions. In other schools these skills were under-developed.
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What strategies do you use to encourage pupils to work co-operatively? |
3.11 Schools varied in the extent to which they provided pupils with opportunities to appreciate the value of inter-dependence and to acquire skills in working with others. Some teachers involved pupils in planning activities where collaborative effort and decision making were needed for success, for example where the quality of a frieze or model or survey depended on the group working together and agreeing roles and tasks. In best practice teachers encouraged pupils to reflect on how well they had worked together at the end of a task. There are rich opportunities across the curriculum for co-operation, for example in problem-solving in mathematics, group discussion in religious education, experimenting in science, preparing a short play, dance or gymnastic sequence or using percussion to accompany singing. Schools and classes within schools varied widely in the extent to which such opportunities were used to promote ideas of inter-dependence and co-operation.
4.1 Strengths in the management of personal and social development included the role of headteachers and staff in creating positive whole school support for personal and social development, partnerships with parents, and the arrangements for links with other schools, professional agencies and community groups. In the additional schools inspected, there were also strengths in staff development and in monitoring and evaluation of programmes by promoted staff. Too few schools had a clear programme for personal and social development based on a well-planned blend of whole school, special focus and cross-curricular approaches. In the schools in the general inspection programme improvements were also needed in monitoring and evaluating personal and social development.
4.2 The key factors which contributed to the effective management of personal and social development were:
The leadership of the headteacher
4.3 Headteachers varied in their effectiveness in establishing clear programmes for personal and social development, which clearly identified the contribution of each of the three approaches to the overall programme. As a result the contributions of some teachers to special focus activities sometimes lacked coherence and progression, and opportunities for cross-curricular links sometimes lacked definition. Headteachers should take a lead in planning the contribution of each component in order to establish a clear programme for personal and social development based on a well-planned blend of whole school, special focus and cross-curricular approaches.
4.4 Headteachers and management teams frequently had a clear and visible profile in leading whole school approaches to personal and social development within their schools. They set the tone for the school’s ethos by leading well-planned assemblies which communicated the values of the school and recognised pupils’ achievements. They set high expectations for pupils’ work and behaviour and provided a model for staff-pupil relationships in their own interactions with staff and pupils. They were also crucial to the success of partnerships with parents, other agencies and the local community in supporting personal and social development within the school and in providing effective support to pupils with problems.
Staff teamwork
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What steps do you take to involve all members of staff in a common approach to supporting personal and social development? |
4.5 Effective teamwork by the whole staff was also vital to successful programmes of personal and social development. Section 2 of this report emphasises that the individual contribution of each teacher as part of a team is at the core of an effective whole-school approach. It highlights the need for all staff working with children – teachers, classroom assistants, auxiliaries, janitors, playground supervisors, dining staff to work to a common policy of care for the individual. In most schools this teamwork was evident in practice.
Partnerships with parents, other schools and professional agencies and the local community
4.6 The headteacher and management team had a principal role in taking account of the views of parents and communicating the school’s aims and expectations to them. With the wider staff team, they involved parents in supporting the school, in promoting high attendance, good behaviour and high levels of participation in school activities. They often took the lead in liaising with parents where problems were affecting a pupil’s progress or behaviour at school. Where there were conflicting values between a parent and the school, for example in relation to acceptable behaviour, the skills of the management team were crucial in establishing an agreed programme of action which had the support of the school and the parent.
4.7 Almost all of the schools in the additional inspections had good communications with parents. These supported the school’s personal and social development programme where:
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Which of the ideas in paragraphs 4.7 to 4.9 feature in your programme? |
4.8 One school made good use of homework in personal and social development, involving parents in discussing particular aspects with their children and sending in family photographs. Another school attempted to improve pupils’ social relationships by enlisting the help of parents and playground supervisors to organise co-operative play. This overcame many of the problems of isolated children or conflicts in the playground. In another, parents made an effective contribution by sending in accounts of how they felt when their children were born, and the children read out these accounts in class.
4.9 In a few cases, schools attempted to provide advice and support to parents in aspects of parenting. One school organised parenting classes. Another gave individual advice on managing children’s behaviour. One school employed a home-school link worker. Another set up a parents’ group to draft the school’s behaviour policy and arranged for much longer than usual individual consultations between parents and class teachers. These were successful ventures which responded to the needs of some parents.
4.10 In the primary schools inspected for the general inspection programme, links with other schools and agencies were good in just over 45% of schools, very good in 50% of schools and had some important weakness in just under 5% of schools.
4.11 Links with other schools were particularly important in managing transitions. The curriculum for pre-school children places great stress on children’s emotional, personal and social development. Effective practice at the early stages of primary school continued this emphasis and used the information provided by pre-school centres to take account of children’s prior learning in this area. Good management at the early stages identified children who had not yet formed friendships and supported them in making friends. Links with secondary schools were usually effective in transferring information about pupils with learning difficulties. They were less effective in ensuring planned continuity in personal and social development programmes or ensuring that the curriculum in S1 reflected the differing needs and attainments of pupils who were starting secondary school3.
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How effective are your links with other professional agencies? |
4.12 Links with other professional agencies were essential in ensuring that different services communicated and co-operated effectively to meet the needs of individual pupils. In some schools, where a number of pupils and their families might face crises at any point in time, considerable management time was involved in liaison with other agencies and attending reviews and case conferences. Headteachers reported that these contacts generally worked well and ensured that pupils and their families were well supported by collaboration with social work, psychological services, health, speech and language therapists or the police. In some cases, there was duplication in the records kept on children or gaps in communication between agencies which impeded the quality of support for the pupil. Headteachers should continue to work towards effective communication and co-operative working relationships so that inter-agency teamwork maximises support for children and families.
4.13 There was much good practice in schools’ links with their local communities. Such links brought considerable advantages to personal and social development programmes. The local community provided contexts for pupils to learn about ways that local individuals and groups contributed to their community and its social organisation, and for pupils to participate in it through helping projects. In turn, individuals and community groups offered support for schools by visiting to talk about local activities and problems and by providing an extended audience for school activities. Almost all headteachers reported that such links were effective, although the range of links with local communities varied considerably.
The provision of staff development related to the needs of teachers and pupils
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What are the staff development needs of your staff? |
4.14 Almost all the schools in the additional inspections had undertaken appropriate staff development in personal and social development through in-school activities or attendance at courses provided by education authority advisers, psychologists or teacher education institutions. Some schools had joined forces with others in their locality to exchange visits by staff and jointly plan the development of personal and social development programmes. Some schools commendably included non-teaching staff in staff development activities. Topics for staff development included circle time, assertiveness training, behaviour management, anti-bullying strategies, child protection and promoting positive behaviour. In schools inspected for general inspection, teachers often reported specific staff development needs in aspects such as promoting positive behaviour, circle time, child protection, drugs education and sex education.
Monitoring and evaluation as a basis for planned improvements
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How do you monitor provision for personal and social development in your school? |
4.15 Most of the headteachers and promoted staff in the additional schools inspected were good at monitoring and evaluating their provision for personal and social development. This was a much better picture than was generally the case in primary schools in the general inspection programme. It reflects the priority given in these schools to vigorous leadership and monitoring of personal and social development. Some schools had used questionnaires to staff, pupils and parents. Pupils could give their views through pupil councils or ‘comments boxes’ for written comments. Headteachers also monitored personal and social development as part of their general monitoring of teachers’ plans and classroom activities. In one school, the headteacher joined in circle time in a number of classes to monitor its effectiveness. This was handled sensitively and unobtrusively.
4.16 Class teachers often evaluated their work in personal and social development as part of the planning and review process. However, plans often needed to state more clearly what pupils were meant to learn in some aspects so that assessment information can be used to judge how successfully a topic had been taught. Evaluation of whole school approaches to personal and social development tended to be more precise where personal and social development was a priority in the school development plan. Some schools had used relevant performance indicators from How good is our school?4 to assist in self-evaluation.
5.1 The generally high quality of provision for personal and social development in primary and special schools indicates that the national guidelines for personal and social development 5-14 have formed a sound basis for development so far.
5.2 Most primary and special schools attach considerable importance to personal and social development in their aims. Almost all schools made good provision for personal and social development through whole-school ethos arrangements. A majority offered appropriate special focus programmes of specific topics in personal and social development. Although curricular links have been developed between personal and social development and aspects such as health education, fewer schools had recognised the scope for links across the curriculum.
5.3 The quality of learning and teaching observed during the additional inspections was good or very good in almost all schools but improvements were needed to planning and assessment. Schools have recognised clear links between personal and social development and pupils’ behaviour, relationships and achievements. They encourage pupils to have a sense of personal responsibility for their actions, to be aware of the needs of others, and to work and play harmoniously. The great majority of pupils respond well to these expectations. Schools were skilled in emphasising the positive, recognising and rewarding personal effort and achievement, and so building self-esteem and confidence.
5.4 Headteachers provided a clear lead to staff in creating positive whole school support for personal and social development, partnerships with parents, and the arrangements for links with other schools, professional agencies and community groups. In the schools in the general inspection programme improvements were needed in monitoring and evaluating personal and social development.
5.5 Agenda for Action: Key Recommendations
Primary and special schools should ensure that:
National exemplars should be prepared to assist schools in planning programmes. Guidance for teachers should be prepared on what and how to assess in personal and social development.
LIST OF SCHOOLS INSPECTED
Aitkenhead Primary School, North Lanarkshire
Allan’s Primary School, Stirling
Balcurvie Primary School, Fife
Bishoploch Primary School, Glasgow
Bushes Primary School, Renfrewshire
Douglas Primary School, Dundee
Kirkriggs School, Glasgow
Ladywood Primary School, Midlothian
Leith Walk Primary School, Edinburgh
Mary Russell School, Renfrewshire
Philiphaugh Community School, Scottish Borders
Pinewood School, West Lothian
Prestonpans Primary School, East Lothian
Quarryhill Primary School, Aberdeen
Raigbeg Primary School, Highland
Rhu Primary School, Argyll and Bute
Sacred Heart RC Primary School, Falkirk
St Columba’s RC Primary School, Dumfries and Galloway
St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School, Glasgow
St John’s RC Primary School, East Renfrewshire
Spittal Primary School, South Lanarkshire
Tulloch Primary School, Perth and Kinross
West Kilbride Primary School, North Ayrshire
Whitecrook Primary School, West Dunbartonshire
1 Education Industry Links in Scotland 5-18: A Framework for Action, SCCC 1995
2 Jenny Mosely’s work has been influential in promoting circle time and
work on PSD in Scotland
3 See Managing Pupils’ Learning: Continuity and Progression from P7to S1
and Meeting Needs: Pupils Attaining Levels A or B in S1 -both published by SOEID
in 1999.
4 How good is our school? Self-evaluation Using Performance Indicators (Audit
Unit – HMInspectors of Schools, SOEID 1996)
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