Education Business Improvement Plan

This Business Improvement Plan (BIP) sets out the main actions that the Education Service intends to carry out over the three-year rolling period, 2024-27.

These actions will deliver core priorities and the related objectives of the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) and the Strategic Planning & Performance Framework.

The purpose of the Education Service is to deliver excellence, equity and inclusion for all children, young people, families and communities. The shared vision is that all children and young people have the same opportunities to succeed in educational outcomes, wider achievements, positive leaver destinations and life chances. The Education Service strives to improve attainment and achievement for all learners, with a particular focus on reducing inequalities and narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap.

The Education Service provides high quality provision across:

• 22 Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Centres
• 24 Partnership ELC providers
• 32 Primary Schools
• Eight Secondary Schools
• One ASN School
• Three Primary and three Secondary Enhanced Learning Resources (ELRs), based in Council locality areas.

Specific link between the teams’ activities and delivery of the wider Strategic Group Priorities and LOIP outcomes and guiding principles are as follows:

The Education Service has responsibility for delivering and/or contributing to three of the six Local Outcomes.

The Service contributes to Local Outcome 2: Our people are equipped with knowledge and skills for learning, life and work; and Local Outcome 4: East Dunbartonshire is a safe place to work, live and visit. Education has a lead role in Local Outcome 3: Our children and young people are safe, healthy and ready to learn.

The Education Service supports children, young people and families through highly effective partnership working. The Delivering for Children and Young People’s Partnership (DCYPP) is the multi-agency strategic planning group responsible for progressing actions to achieve Local Outcome 3 priorities. Key partners include the Education Service, Health and Social Care Partnership, Voluntary Action, Police Scotland, Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Other partners include Skills Development Scotland, Education Scotland and Glasgow City Regional Improvement Collaborative (West Partnership).

The Chief Education Officer is responsible for the strategic leadership of the Education Service and for advising the local authority on functions as set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 2016. The Chief Education Officer has direct line management responsibility for the Education Leadership Team (ELT) and all Head Teachers.

The Education Leadership Team (ELT) have strategic remits to support planning, improvement and performance across the Education Service. ELT membership includes:

• Chief Education Officer
• Quality Improvement Manager (QIM) Primary and Early Years
• QIM Additional Support Needs (ASN) and Children’s Services
• QIM Secondary and Provision
• Principal Educational Psychologist
• Skills for Life, Learning and Work Manager
• School Planning and Improvement Manager
• Quality Improvement Officers (QIOs) support quality improvement and the implementation of actions in the Business Improvement Plan
• Link QIOs are allocated to schools and centres in Learning Partnership Groups (LPGs), to provide support and challenge, focusing on improving attainment and outcomes for children and young people. They support quality assurance, self-evaluation for continuous improvement, career-long professional learning and policy development across the Education Service
• QIOs lead and participate in Quality Improvement Reviews and support schools and centres to continue to build on their strengths and work on areas of focus for improvement. They support link schools and centres to prepare for inspection
• QIOs have individual remits to action sector specific priorities and tasks. They also collaborate to develop cross-sector approaches to Service priorities.

Early Years and Primary Team

• Ensure compliance with legislation, statutory requirements, national and local policy
• Support and challenge schools and centres to improve attainment and outcomes for all children and young people, with a particular focus on reducing inequalities and narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap
• Implement 1140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare (Council centres and partnership providers)
• Support centres and schools to implement Curriculum for Excellence, including learning, teaching and assessment
• Support schools and centres to participate in self-evaluation for continuous improvement, including quality assurance activities.
• Lead on aspects of policy development and implementation
• Design and deliver Career-Long Professional Learning across all sectors (3-18) in Literacy and Numeracy
• Co-ordinate work in the Scottish Attainment Challenge across all sectors
• Lead on corporate planning and performance across the Education Service.

Additional Support Needs and Children’s Services Team

• Ensure compliance with legislation, statutory requirements, national and local policy
• Support and challenge schools and centres to ensure that all children and young people enjoy their rights, equality and equity
• Support Tier 2 provisions (Enhanced Learning Resources, the Primary Wellbeing Support Service and the Secondary Wellbeing Support Service) and Tier 3 provision (Woodland View School)
• Co-ordinate a range of specialist support services: Sensory Impairment; Language and Communication; Wellbeing Support and the Assistive Technology Teacher
• Develop and implement key policies: Child Protection and Safeguarding; Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) framework; Including Every Learner (IEL) policy framework; Children’s Rights; The Promise; Accessibility; Equalities & Diversity; Inclusion; Child Poverty; and the Relationships, Behaviour and Learning policy framework
• Design and deliver Career-Long Professional Learning across all sectors (3-18) in Health & Wellbeing, including the ASN Leadership Forum.

Secondary and Provision Team

• Ensure compliance with legislation, statutory requirements, national and local policy
• Support and challenge schools to improve attainment and outcomes for all young people, with a particular focus on reducing inequalities and narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap
• Support schools to participate in self-evaluation for continuous improvement, including quality assurance activities
• Lead on aspects of policy development and implementation
• Deliver Instrumental Mustic Programme
• Deliver Outdoor Education and Awards and the Vocational programme
• Support learning pathways for young people, based on robust evidence of the labour market and annual participation measures to ensure sustained positive leaver destinations
• Co-ordinate Local Negotiating Committee for Teachers (LNCT).

Educational Psychology Service (EPS)

• Implement Statutory duties to support the Council in addressing national and local priorities for education through the application of psychological knowledge and skills. The Service has five core functions which are evidenced across the three levels: consultation, assessment, intervention, training and research
• Support children and families in their local communities, with educational establishments, and at authority level
• Support individual children, families and schools/centres to support their inclusion, and in line with National priorities
• Lead role in the following areas: Nurture Intervention (primary, secondary and early years); Promoting Attendance (guidance and implementation); Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing (multiagency suicide and self-harm guidance, mental health training),;Transforming Connections Trauma training; Learning through Enquiry Based Learning; Supporting families and schools through Non Violent Resistance (NVR); Authority de-escalation professional learning (CALM); and Supporting Literacy and Numeracy Difference (dyslexia and dyscalculia).

Skills for Learning, Life and Work Team

• Contribute to the Council’s Workforce Strategy, including early careers development to improve the employability skills of young people through apprenticeships, graduate programmes and other work experience opportunities
• Lead on the Council’s Community Learning and Development Plan in the areas of adult learning and youth work
• Lead on the Local Employability Partnership and co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind and Parental Employment Support strategies, plans and programmes. This includes ensuring all age employability provision meets the needs of those who have barriers to employment
• Adult learning: Vocational skills and training; literacy skills and English for Speaker of Other Languages; and Numeracy skills support to parents and other adults is a continued focus and is supported by Shared Prosperity Multiply Funding
• Deliver National Youth Work outcomes for young people requiring additional support
• Implement Positive Achievements projects to provide a range of support for senior phase pupils who have barriers to attending school
• Support the work of the Youth Council and Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

School Planning and Improvement Team

• Workforce planning: probationer placements; recruitment of permanent supply teachers; staffing provision in all schools (including supply staff); and classification structures in primary schools
• Information systems and data: Annual Census data; attainment data; Seemis Education Management Information System; Groupcall; and the Parent’s Portal
• Partnership working with the Education Shared Services Team supports school admissions, placing requests and transport
• Service planning is supported through the work of the team in roll projections, accommodation schedules and updating Procedure Manuals
• Strategic link with Major Assets and Facilities to support ongoing work across the Education Estates. This includes remedial work across the existing estate and major capital projects, including new builds.

Strategic priorities for the Education Service are underpinned by National policy: Achieving Excellence and Equity: National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan (NIF).

The NIF sets out the vision and priorities for Scottish education that have been agreed across the system, and the national improvement activity that needs to be undertaken to deliver those key priorities.

The NIF vision statement was amended for 2024 to focus on achievement rather than attainment, as this was seen to be more in line with the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. These capacities embed the purpose of the curriculum, to make sure that learners become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

The NIF also reflects the vision from the National Discussion on Education that “all learners in Scotland matter”.

Strategic priorities will ensure that every child and young person experiences great teaching, resources and support for joyful learning that builds their confidence and equips them to be successful and to contribute in their life, work, and world, so they know how much they matter. The rights of every child will be respected, protected and fulfilled to ensure these are incorporated fully across the education system.

Excellence and Equity

Excellence is achieved through raising attainment and improving outcomes, ensuring that every child and young person achieves the highest standards in literacy and numeracy; as well as the values, attitudes, knowledge and skills to shape a sustainable future as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. Equity is achieved by ensuring that every child and young person has the same opportunity to succeed, no matter their background or shared protected characteristics, with a particular focus on narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap

Strategic priorities across all sectors of the Education Service are:

• Placing the human needs and rights of every child and young person at the centre of education
• Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing
• Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people
• Improvement in skills and sustained, positive leaver destinations for all young people
• Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy.

These priorities are achieved through drivers for improvement:

• School and ELC leadership
• Teacher and practitioner professionalism
• Parent/carer involvement and engagement
• Curriculum and assessment
• School and ELC improvement
• Performance information.

Strategic priorities are underpinned by legislative requirements in the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, the NIF and Council policy and planning, principally the LOIP and the Integrated Children’s Services Plan.

Area For Improvement

Placing the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education.

Improvement Activity

Refresh the Education Service Vision, Values and Aims.

Comply with Child Protection and Safeguarding policy and procedures.

Action legislation on Children’s Rights and continue to strengthen pupil voice through the My Rights, My Choice pupil forum.

Establish a multiagency Children’s Rights focus group.

Implement the Relationships, Behaviour and Learning Policy Framework, including the CIRCLE framework (Child Inclusion Research into Curriculum, Learning and Education) in centres and schools.

Continue to implement #The Promise made to care experienced young people, including the provision of relationships-based mentoring in secondary schools.

Develop guidance and professional learning for Armed Forces children and young people in line with the covenant.

Rationale for Inclusion

This is an improvement priority in Achieving Excellence and Equity: National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan 2024.

This priority reflects legislation in Children’s Rights and the UNCRC in Scotland. It also reflects the Scottish Government’s plan to #KeepThePromise made to care experienced young people by 2030.

Actions align the refreshed National Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) policy framework.

Related LOIP Priority

Our children and young people are safe, healthy and ready to learn.

Due Date

31 March 2025

Area For Improvement

Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing

Improvement Activity

Continue to implement the EDC Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Nurture Strategy.

Provide Mental Health Training: Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA), Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASSIST) and What’s the Harm? Awareness and Skills Training.

Support multiagency trauma training.

Support children and families through the Non-Violence Resistance (NVR) Programme.

Implement priorities in the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund (WFWF) Strategic Plan.

Implement guidance on Promoting Attendance and Managing Non-Attendance.

Continue to implement parenting and family learning interventions.

Refresh the Parental Involvement and Engagement Strategy.

Rationale for Inclusion

This is an improvement priority in Achieving Excellence and Equity: National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan 2024. The description highlights actions at a local level.

Related LOIP Priority

Our children and young people are safe, healthy and ready to learn.

Due Date

31 March 2025

Area For Improvement

Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged

Improvement Activity

Continue to improve attainment and achievement for all children and young people, with a particular focus on reducing inequalities and narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap.

Focus on raising attainment in literacy and numeracy at Early Level.

Strengthen approaches to moderation (sharing standards) at all levels.

Implement Year 3 priorities in the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) plan. Use funding to improve attainment and outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty.

Promote poverty-aware policy and practice.

Continue to implement parenting and family learning programmes.
Continue to implement Snack and Play provision during holiday periods.

Establish new ASN summer holiday playscheme provision and implement ongoing evaluation of the service provided to inform next steps.

Rationale for Inclusion

This is an improvement priority in Achieving Excellence and Equity: National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan 2024 and The National Framework for Recovery and Acceleration. The description highlights actions at a local level, including the Scottish Attainment Challenge Plan.

Related LOIP Priority

Our children and young people are safe, healthy and ready to learn.

Due Date

31 March 2025

Area For Improvement

Improvement in skills and sustained, positive leaver destinations for all young people.

Improvement Activity

Secondary schools offer appropriate pathways in the senior phase for all young people.

Secondary Schools support improvement in skills and sustained positive school-leaver destinations for all young people.

Increase the uptake of vocational qualifications available to young people in the Senior Phase.

Support curriculum mapping to broaden the curriculum offer and progression within the Senior Phase.

Enhance partnership working with Skills Development Scotland, Developing the Young Workforce, Community Learning and Schools.

Youth workers support for all aspects of skills development and associated accreditation in relation to employability skills.

Sustain the percentage of young people in positive leaver destinations.

Ensure that all schools have an approach to the Careers Education Standard in place.
Deliver an all-age employability service to priority groups.

Support post school employment and training through No-one Left Behind and Community Learning and Development.

Support young people through Positive Achievements.

Develop a range of actions to improve the employability of parents with a view to addressing child poverty.

Develop and deliver a range of adult learning provision.
Implement the Community Safety programme.

Rationale for Inclusion

This is an improvement priority in Achieving Excellence and Equity: National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan 2024. The description highlights actions at a local level.

Related LOIP Priority

Our children and young people are safe, healthy and ready to learn.

Due Date

31 March 2025

Area For Improvement

Improvement in Literacy and Numeracy attainment.

Implementation of Refreshed Digital Learning Strategy

Improvement Activity

Implement the refreshed Literacy Strategy.

Implement the Literacy Intervention Framework and online Literacy Hub.

Continue to raise attainment and narrow the poverty-related attainment gap across all levels in Literacy and Numeracy.

Develop moderation processes across all levels.

Continue to develop the role of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategic Groups.

Continue to support teachers and practitioners with Champion leadership roles in centres and schools.

Improve transitions across all sectors through cross sector and cluster working.

Implement actions from Collaborative Improvement.

Implement Under 3’s Framework in all centres.

Improve transitions across all sectors through cross sector and cluster working.

Improve skills and confidence in digital technologies to enhance learning experience for children and young people.

Ensure digital technology enhances curriculum and assessment delivery.

Empower leaders to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for learning and teaching.

Ensure digital technology enhances curriculum and assessment delivery.

Empower leaders to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for learning and teaching.

Rationale for Inclusion

This is an improvement priority in Achieving Excellence and Equity: National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan 2024. The description highlights actions at a local level. 

This improvement priority has been identified through robust self-evaluation, recognising the need to build digital capacity across the learning system.

Related LOIP Priority

Our children are safe, healthy and ready to learn.

Due Date

31 March 2025