Agenda item

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

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director Children and Young People providing information on the progress schools were making in the Broad General Education for P1 to S3 and Senior Phase S4-6 Scottish Qualifications Examinations for session 2017/18.  With the aid of a visual presentation Quality Improvement Officer, Catherine Thomson, summarised the information provided in the comprehensive report.  In 2017/18 all areas of Literacy and Numeracy in the Broad General Education in P1, P4, P7 and S3, apart from P2, were above 75% and in particular Listening and Reading were above 80%. For session 2018/19, all schools would be set new targets in Literacy and Numeracy to ensure that Scottish Borders met the Scottish Government’s stretch aim of 85% for 2020.  Ms Thomson explained the use of the Insight Benchmarking Tool to summarise results in the Senior Phase S4-6 and to produce tables of comparator figures.  She also referred to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) which standardised awards across the SCQF levels.  The attainment data within the report did not include the wider achievement awards, which were on the qualifications framework at the same level.  These would be provided in a further update of Insight data in March 2019 when all the information on attainment was available.  Tables of S4-6 overall attainment showed an improving trend in pass awards.  98% of S4 achieved a Literacy award and 97% of S4 achieved a National 5 English, increases from 2017 of 3% and 4% respectively.  92% of S4 achieved a Numeracy award and 86.3% of S4 achieved a National 5 award in Maths, increases from 2017 of 4.5% and 9% respectively. This year’s Higher results demonstrated a consistently positive trend with the percentage of young people gaining an award at Higher remaining at 85%.  It was noted that this was the first year of the new assessment arrangements for Higher. The percentage of young people gaining an award at Advanced Higher had risen very slightly at 89%, compared to 2017.  The report went on to give ‘Closing the Gap’ data tables noting that this data would change when the qualifications update came through in February.  Members welcomed the positive attainment trends in Literacy and Numeracy and the improving trends in exam results across all levels and thanked all the staff involved.  It was noted that there had been scheduled a Members’ briefing about the Insight Benchmarking Tool to which the external Education representatives to Executive Committee would also be invited.

            DECISION

            NOTED the trends and progress that schools were making, in the Broad General Education and Senior Phase, in terms of attainment and the identified areas for improvement. 

            CHAIRMAN

            On behalf of the Executive Committee, the Chairman offered good wishes to Donna Manson, Service Director Children and Young People, as she prepared to leave the Scottish Borders to take up the post of Chief Executive at the Highland Council.  She thanked Donna for the huge amount of work which she had delivered with enthusiasm and dedication in the Borders for young people.  In reply Donna said it had been a privilege to work in the Scottish Borders and she thanked all staff, partners and elected Members for their support.

OTHER BUSINESS

CHAIRMAN

Councillor Haslam took the Chair for the remaining business.