Agenda item

Consider report by Service Director Children and Young People.  (Copy attached.)

INSIGHT LOCAL BENCHMARKING MEASURES TO 2017

            There had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director, Children and Young people which informed the Committee of trends in attainment and the achievement of Secondary 5 and Secondary 6 pupils in the Senior Phase in Scottish Borders using the ‘Local Benchmarking Measures’ from 2013 to 2017 from Insight the National Exam Comparator Data tool.  The report explained that the Local Benchmarking measures provided data on pupils' achievements during the Senior Phase while they were still at school.  Leavers’ data would be available in the National dashboards on Insight in February.  The attainment figures were based on the ‘Latest and Best’ achievement of young people in the Senior Phase and some early presentations in Secondary 3.  In Scottish Borders, the Council operated inclusive schools and there were some pupils who passed examinations at SCQF Levels 1 and 2, which were not included in the analysis as key benchmark measures, but were available in whole school subjects summary reports.  The attainment of the most vulnerable pupils would be reported as a separate report to the Executive Committee in January 2018.  The information and commentary in the report detailed the progress made by Scottish Borders pupils against the Virtual Comparator and the National Establishment (i.e. national average) by stage over the last five years for each Local Benchmarking measures.  Figures were provided for both the National Establishment and the Virtual Comparator, but the Virtual Comparator was seen as the key benchmark for helping schools and Education Authorities understand their strengths and areas for improvement.  The Virtual Comparator was made up of ten pupils from other Local Authorities around Scotland who had similar matching characteristics.  This was matched by stage, gender, Additional Support Needs (ASN) and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).  It was not an actual school, but a helpful statistical comparator.  Local benchmarking measures were influenced by a school’s curricular model/presentations policy.  The local benchmarking data was detailed in the appendix to the report.  The Chief Education Officer reported on other successes including highest number S4 young people attending the Schools Academy college programme; New Foundation Apprenticeship courses available in partnership with Borders College and the development of wider achievement awards such as leadership, employability and personal development.  In response to a question about whether the Council faced any risks in terms of Teacher numbers, attracting specialist Teachers and in particular the National teacher shortage, the Chief Education Officer confirmed that a proactive approach was being taken to shortage of Teachers including the employment of NQTs, flexible contracts and the launch that evening of year 2 of the ‘Grown your Own’ initiative.  It was noted that Scottish Borders were currently in the enviable position of having the lowest number of teacher vacancies in Scotland and it was hoped that this could be maintained. The Chief Education Officers response to a question in relation to positive destinations, explained what was available for pupils who chose not to further their education through University and advised that this data would be available in February.    

DECISION

(a)        NOTED the trends in attainment and achievement of Secondary 5 and Secondary 6 pupils :-

(b)       AGREED to recognise the significant improvement in the fifteen key measures of pupils’ performance in national exams in 2017 compared to 2016, acknowledging the work of school staff, young people and the support of parents/carers in this achievement.