Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS TO SCHOOLS GUIDANCE Alan Stewart

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS 1. WHY CHANGE? ORIGINAL GUIDANCE ON QA VISITS TO SCHOOLS - DECEMBER 1997 (in Aberdeen City Council Education Department: Quality Assurance Guidelines) REPRESENTED WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN 2003 (in Aberdeen City Council Education Service: Quality Framework for School Education) NO REVIEW OF PURPOSE OR STRUCTURE OF VISITS SINCE 1997

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS 2. WHY CHANGE? THE NATIONAL PICTURE STANDARDS IN SCOTTISH SCHOOLS ACT 2000 THE EDUCATION (Additional Support For Learning) SCOTLAND ACT 2004 SCOTTISH SCHOOLS (Parental Involvement Act) 2006 AN INCREASING FOCUS ON EFFECTIVE SCHOOL SELF EVALUATION A REGULAR AND SYSTEMATIC HMIE INSPECTION PROGRAMME

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS 3. WHY CHANGE? THE LOCAL PICTURE THE COUNCILS COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION (The Quality Improvement Framework (QIF) and School Improvement Planning-April 2008) From QIF: the roles and responsibilities of Education Officers include: collaborating with schools in compiling performance-related information; undertaking evaluation exercises carried out jointly with school staff; supporting schools by identifying areas for improvement and by providing advice and guidance about standards of performance in a particular aspect of a schools work; taking steps to be appropriately conversant with the needs, strengths and areas for improvement of those schools which fall within their remits; ensuring that advice provided to schools in information or performance reports is appropriately evaluative and formative; and Taking all steps to identify and disseminate good practice

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS 4. WHY CHANGE? INEA 2 REPORT ON THE CITY The quality assurance framework did not encourage EOs to engage with staff in a sufficiently broad range of activities to test schools self-evaluations. Pre-inspection reports on schools varied in accuracy. They often gave higher evaluations for aspects such as teaching, learning, meeting pupils needs and self-evaluation. In relation to pre-school provision : Local authority providers received a low level of support and there were limited quality assurance arrangements in place.

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS 5. WHY CHANGE? THE CHANGE OF FOCUS FROM PROCESSES TO OUTCOMES CHANGE FROM QUALITY ASSURANCE TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS IN PROVIDING ACCURATE S&Q REPORTS SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS IN PREPARING FOR INSPECTION

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Summary of changes: Discussions with Headteachers and Senior Management Teams Discussions with staff (teaching and support staff) Discussions with pupils Discussions with parents Visits to classes to observe learning and teaching

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Range of classes for EOs to visit to observe learning and teaching (1) PRIMARY AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS CATERING FOR PRIMARY-AGED PUPILS: minimum of 4 classes per session to be visited; nursery classes also to be visited. SECONDARY SCHOOLS: minimum of 2 classes in manageable number of departments, but not less than 4 departments per session. SPECIAL SCHOOLS CATERING FOR SECONDARY-AGED PUPILS: manageable number of classes at each stage to be visited per session, but not less than 4 per session.

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Range of classes for EOs to visit to observe learning and teaching (2) Principles of visits to classes at all stages: Classes and departments to be visited will be negotiated with headteacher Focus for classroom visits will be agreed with headteacher; EOs will always take account in their visits of the quality of learning and teaching in literacy and numeracy and the support all classroom staff provide to meet the range of pupils needs; and EOs will take opportunities to see and disseminate good practice. Feedback to teachers and headteachers

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Phasing of activities SAME 3 FORMAL VISITS AT SAME TIMES (November/December, February /March, May/June ) FIRST VISIT DISCUSSIONS WITH HTs AND SMT DISCUSSIONS WITH STAFF (TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF) SECOND VISIT DISCUSSIONS WITH HTs AND SMT ENGAGEMENT AND DIALOGUE RE SCHOOL AUDIT THIRD VISIT DISCUSSIONS WITH HTs AND SMT DISCUSSIONS WITH PUPILS DISCUSSIONS WITH PARENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR VISITS TO CLASSES TO OBSERVE LEARNING AND TEACHING, INCLUDING NURSERY CLASSES) AS REQUIRED (WITH EMPHASIS ON SECOND VISIT)

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS The coverage of QIs (1) QIs currently used on visits: (from HGIOS 2) OVERALL QUALITY OF ATTAINMENT AIMS AND POLICY MAKING PLANNING FOR IMPROVEMENT SELF-EVALUATION LEADERSHIP In addition, EOs discussed other issues, including staffing, property and identified examples of good practice.

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS The coverage of QIs (2) NEW GUIDANCE FOR VISITS: (from HGIOS 3 and Child at the Centre) Improvements in Performance (QI 1.1) Learners Experiences/Childrens Experiences ( QI 2.1) The Curriculum ( QI 5.1) Teaching for effective learning (QI. 5.2) Meeting Learning Needs (QI 5.3) The schools /centres success in involving parents, carers and families (QI 2.2) Care, welfare and development (QI. 5.8) Improvement through self-evaluation (HGIOS QI 5.9) Planning for improvement (QI 6.3) Management of Finance for learning (QI. 8.2) Developing people and partnerships (QI. 9.3) Leadership of improvement and change (QI. 9.4) Advice given on the QIs to be used for each visit CONSISTENCY AND PROPORTIONALITY

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Time Allocations Primary schools (including nursery classes) and Special schools: Visit 1: 1 day per officer for visit and ½ day for report writing Visit 2: 1 day per officer for visit and ½ day for report writing Visit 3: 1 day per officer for visit and ½ day for report writing (Officers to be supported on at least one visit to schools with nursery classes by member(s) of pre-school development team) Secondary Schools: Visit 1: 2 officers for one day each and ½ day for report writing for lead officer Visit 2: 2 officers for 1 day each and ½ day for report writing for lead officer Visit 3: 1 day for one officer and ½ day for reporting

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Other arrangements related to quality improvement remain in place: September visits to some schools by officers 1:1 meetings between HTs and EOs PR and D meetings with HTs

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Reporting on QI visits to schools: EOs continue to complete reports on their visits and agree them with individual schools S and Q reports will continue to be submitted by schools according to the existing calendar and arrangements to confirm their evaluations remain the same S and Q report evaluations will be a key to all EOs discussions, observations and evaluations to ensure they provide effective support to establishments

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Follow up to EO visits to schools: After each round of visits, relevant area Heads of Service/Service Managers will meet with EOs to discuss strengths and issues arising from their reports and discuss any necessary further support for schools. Subsequently Area Heads of Service and Service Managers will meet with Head of Policy and Planning for Education to discuss any City wide strengths and issues which have emerged from each round of visits and discuss any further action required.

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Appendices Calendar of QI visits to schools Purposes of each of range of activities undertaken Interview checklists Reporting proforma

Aberdeen City Council 2008 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT VISITS Concluding remarks Minimal change for schools required to meet this renewed advice. Headteachers and Senior managers should expect more effective support and challenge from QI visits. Schools should be better placed to respond to Councils commitment to provide high quality education. Guidance to be reviewed in August 2009