Agenda item

Consider report by Director – Education & Lifelong Learning. (Copy attached).

2.1       There had been circulated copies of a report by Director, Education and Lifelong Learning informing the Committee of the progress schools were making in the Broad General Education for P1 to P7 and Senior Phase S4-6 Scottish Qualification (SQA) examinations for session 2020-21. Academic session 2020-21 was unique with further school closures across Scotland as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.  As well as a second period of extended home learning, all SQA examinations were cancelled and replaced with an Alternative Certification Model (ACM).  Digital solutions to ensure excellent home learning through the Inspire Learning Programme were adopted. Staff across the Education department worked hard to provide high quality learning for children and support for families, whilst up-skilling themselves at pace. In the Broad General Education (P1-S3) attainment data in literacy and numeracy was submitted to the Scottish Government annually, reporting the percentage of pupils in P1, P4, P7 and S3 whom had achieved the national benchmarks.  Due to the impact of Covid-19 there was no requirement to report the data in session 2019/20 and only for P1, P4 and P7 in session 2020/21.  The data for 2020/21 showed a decline across both literacy and numeracy at all levels.

2.2       The Senior Phase SQA exam results for 2020 were part of the attainment journey in the Scottish Borders for pupils in S4-S6.  The exam diet of 2020/21 was suspended due to Covid-19 and an alternative model was put in place by the SQA across all schools in Scotland. The ACM required a bespoke approach by secondary schools to validate their evidence gathered to confirm levels of attainment in the senior phase.  A seconded secondary depute Head Teacher led the work for the Scottish Borders, supported by 28 subject leads who led moderation sessions from January to May 2021.  The approach to moderation was externally validated as robust and reliable by Education Scotland.  The Education Service would give a further update to the Executive Committee on attainment and achievement in March 2022 when all the data was available for leavers from May 2021.  The number of presentations across the Scottish Borders was consistent with 2021, with approximately 6,000 at National 5, approximately 4,000 at Higher and 620 at Advanced Higher.  Schools continued to accredit a broad range of subjects and qualifications at the more challenging SCQF Level 5 award, with an increase of young people gaining qualifications at SCQF Levels 1-3.

2.3       Members discussed the report and recognised the unique and unprecedented circumstances that Education staff had worked under throughout the pandemic.  Members in particular highlighted that positive destination statistics were positive despite the enormous pressures faced by all teachers and learners across the country.  In response to a question on how primary school students in the region compared to national averages in reading and writing, Ms Christian Robertson, Senior Lead Officer, explained that measures were in place to allow teachers to focus on specific areas where learners had performed less well in order to address those areas, and that early indications pointed to progress being made.  Regarding school clubs and associations, Ms Catherine Thomson, Senior Lead Officer, explained that schools recognised that participation in extracurricular activities contributed to wider achievement, and that tracking of participation and looking to remove barriers to involvement in activities was ongoing to try and ensure that young people could take part in the activities they were interested in.  In response to a question regarding what work had gone on to help school leavers transition from school to an increasingly online based workplace, Ms Thomson explained that the educational focus was on providing core skills and developing independence to ensure that the transition would be as smooth as possible.  Members thanked officers for their time and the report.

DECISION

NOTED:-

(a)     the trends and progress that schools are making, in the Broad General Education and Senior Phase, in terms of attainment and the identified areas for improvement; and

(b)     the intention to bring the Equity Strategy for Education to the Committee in the near future.