Early Years

Quality Improvement Team: Taking a Closer Look Series

Moving from Good to Great: 5.1 The Curriculum Self-evaluation toolkit and

5.9 Improvement through Self-evaluation toolkit

Adapted from Education Scotland - Curriculum for Excellence National Expectations: Self-evaluation resource

August 2013

Quality Improvement Team: August 2013 Impact Statements illustrating Level 5 + (Very Good and Excellent)

Quality Improvement Team: Taking a Closer Look Series

Moving from Good to Great: 5.1 The Curriculum Self-evaluation toolkit (Early Years)

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Contents

• QI 5.1 The curriculum : Updated Level 5 illustration Page 4

• Self-evaluation resource QI 5.1 The curriculum Page 5-8

• 5.1 The Curriculum Evaluation Page 9

• 5.1 Focus Group Questions Page 10

• 1.1 The Curriculum – Key Documents and Resources Page 11-12

• QI 5.9 The curriculum : Updated Level 5 illustration Page 14

• Self-evaluation resource QI 5.9 The curriculum Page 15-17

• 5.9 The Curriculum Evaluation Page 18

• 5.9 Focus Group Questions Page 19

• 5.9 The Curriculum – Key Documents and Resources Page 20-24

• Highly Effective Practice from Ed Scotland

• Cowgate

Page 25-37

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• Castleview

QI 5.1 The curriculum : Updated Level 5 illustration

KEY FEATURES:This indicator relates to the curriculum as the totality of learning across curriculum areas and subjects, interdisciplinary learning, the life of the school as a community, and opportunities for personal achievement irrespective of where the learning takes place. It focuses on the quality of the curriculum as experienced by learners across stages and transition points. It highlights the need for the curriculum to be dynamic to take account of innovation, and flexible to meet the needs of all learners.

Theme 1: The rationale and design of the curriculum❖ Our curriculum has a clear rationale based on shared values and learners’ entitlements and develops the four capacities. We have a clear and shared strategy for the development of literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing across the curriculum. The curriculum is based on the design principles of challenge and enjoyment, breadth, depth, progression, relevance, coherence and personalisation and choice for all learners. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all learners and takes account of our local circumstances and of local and national advice, and reflects the views of parents and carers. It is designed to deliver the entitlements. We ensure coherence and progression in learning with well - planned, joined up learning across the four aspects of the curriculum.

Theme 2: The development of the curriculum❖ We develop and refresh the curriculum on a regular basis and effectively manage curriculum change and innovation. Staff plan carefully and in consultation with stakeholders in making curriculum change, innovations and adaptations to meet the needs of learners, and provide opportunities for choice and, where appropriate, specialisation. We work with a range of partners to ensure the curriculum provides a coherent experience for learners. Staff and partners clearly identify the benefits to learners from planned curriculum change and innovation including improving the range and quality of outcomes for learners.We involve our parents and carers to help them understand how changes will benefit their child. We monitor and evaluate the impact and outcomes of changes in the curriculum in an on-going way. Staff and partners take any necessary action to ensure that curriculum planning and structures evolve progressively over time to deliver the entitlements of CfE for all young people.

Theme 3: Programmes and courses❖ We are designing and refreshing programmes and courses using the experiences and outcomes and in qualifications and awards to plan a coherent approach to learning, teaching and assessment. We have a clear rationale for change and the expected outcomes for all learners. We respond to and meet the needs of all learners

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and are delivering the CfE entitlements. We are developing programmes and courses to effectively balance the progressive development of knowledge and skills as well as the attributes and capabilities of the four capacities. We have flexibility in determining the content to be covered to provide stimulating, challenging, relevant and enjoyable experiences. We are planning for progression through the Curriculum for Excellence levels and into the senior phase with a range of provision and flexible pathways to meet the needs of all learners. We provide a range of progression routes to meet young people’s needs allowing young people to progress at different rates and in different ways at a good pace appropriate to their prior learning in line with the highest aspirations.

Theme 4: Transitions❖ Curriculum transition procedures and programmes are designed to meet the needs of all learners, including those with additional support needs, to ensure continuity and progression in learning. Shared activities, experiences and placements are effectively planned to support progress and achievement. Arrangements for universal and targeted support and induction into the next phase of learning, including preparation for the world of work and future careers, ensure our learners are creative, enterprising and prepared for positive and sustained destinations. We are taking steps to improve the curriculum in providing a range of opportunities for support and induction to the next phase of learning for all children and young people. We are improving the curriculum to support children and young people in developing an increased awareness of themselves as learners, including through further developing profiling.

Self-evaluation resource QI 5.1 The curriculum

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Theme 1: The rationale and design of the curriculum

The curriculum has a clear rationale based on shared values and learners’ entitlements and develops the skills and attributes of the four capacities.

Staff have a clear and effective strategy for the development and assessment of literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing to ensure smooth progression across the curriculum.

The curriculum is based on the design principles of challenge and enjoyment, breadth, depth, progression, relevance, coherence and personalisation and choice for all learners.

Staff are developing the curriculum to ensure coherence and progression in learning using the Es and Os to provide well-planned and joined up learning across curriculum areas, interdisciplinary learning, personal achievement and the life and ethos of the school/centre.

How well do our school’s/centres approaches to planning, developing and assessing literacy, numeracy and HWB across the curriculum provide a coherent experience and ensure smooth progression for all?

In what ways are interdisciplinary learning (IDL) experiences and opportunities for personal achievement planned to provide the entitlement to a BGE?

How well does the range, variety and depth of IDL support coherence and progression in learning linked to the Es and Os?

How well are children involved in planning and identifying opportunities for personal achievement?

How well does IDL contribute to providing breadth and depth in learning? In what ways does our school’s/centres ethos and approaches to IDL contribute to raising achievement for children?

In what ways do planned opportunities for personal achievement ensure coherence and progression linked to the Es and Os?

Self-evaluation resource QI 5.1 The curriculum

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Theme 2: The development of curriculum

Schools/centres, along with partners, are further developing the curriculum to improve planning for progression through the BGE across all curriculum areas to meet the needs of all learners.

Staff have planned opportunities to collaborate across schools/centres and with partners and to share resources and evolving practice.

Achievement pathways are increasingly informed by realistic and manageable tracking and profiling of learners’ progress through the BGE so that the curriculum is under review and evolving to better meet learners’ needs.

How well do staff develop the curriculum to provide different progression routes through the BGE tosupport children in progressing at different rates?

How well does planning support progression by providing challenge and application of learning(moving away from focus on just covering Es and Os)?

How well do we ensure planning is as streamlined and effective as possible and not overly bureaucratic or time-consuming?

How well do we work with partners to ensure opportunities for shared experiences in the BGE are of high quality?

How well do we work with a range of partners, and with stakeholder, including learners and parents, in curriculum change and innovation?

How well do we use information on learners’ progress and achievements to plan different achievement pathways through the BGE to better meet their needs?

How well do we help parents understand how the BGE meets the needs of learners and prepares them for Life long learning? How well do we monitor and evaluate the impact

Self-evaluation resource QI 5.1 The curriculum

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Theme 3: Programmes and courses

They are planning for appropriate progression through breadth, challenge and application in learning and further developing realistic and manageable approaches to assessing progress and achievement across all curriculum areas at early to fourth curriculum levels.

The BGE promotes young people’s independence, responsibility and collaboration in learning engaging them in applying their learning and developing their skills.

Staff provide a range of progression routes through the BGE to meet young people’s needs allowing young people to progress at different rates and in different ways at a good pace appropriate to their prior learning in line with the highest aspirations.

How well do we provide a long-term overview of planned learning within the early level in each curriculum area that can be used flexibly to plan for a consistent and progressive learning experience to meet all our learners’ needs?

How well are our programmes of learning designed to use a range of learning and teaching methodologies (egactive learning, open-ended problem solving,collaborative challenges, outdoor learning and using technologies) to support progression and meet a range of learners’ needs?

How well do our BGE programmes of learning develop skills, including higher order thinking skills and the attributes and capabilities of the four capacities?

How well do our programmes of learning build in an appropriate range of assessment approaches including periodically providing opportunities to draw together and link and apply learning?

How well do our programmes of learning provide opportunities for learners to revisit, extend and apply their learning in new and more challenging contexts?

Self-evaluation resource QI 5.1 The curriculum

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Transitions: BGE and senior phase expectations

Key questions Evidence/Comments

Theme 4: Transitions• Staff across early years centres, primary, special

and secondary schools collaborate in planning learning to ensure smooth transitions for learners across all curriculum areas

• Schools/centres further develop and embed approaches to profiling, including where appropriate using e portfolios and improving the quality and impact of the profiling process. This involves a clearer focus on skills development, discussions informing and improving future learning and using profiling to inform and improve future learning.

• How well do we ensure that when learners transfer between stages in our school/centre or transfer to and from our school/centre and another, they are supported to ensurecontinuity and progression in their learning?

• How well do we plan the curriculum with partners to support smooth transitions for learners?How well do we use assessment information to inform transition planning?

• How well is the curriculum designed to provide universal support that provides opportunities for all learners to discuss progress and achievement across all their learning with an adult who knows them well?

• How well do our approaches to profiling develop learners’ awareness of themselves as learners and the skills they are developing to inform planning future learning?

• How well do we ensure our learners are creative, enterprising and prepared for the world of work and their future careers?

Overall Evaluation of 5.1 1

2 3 4

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5.1 The Curriculum School /Centre................................................... Session ..............................

The rationale and design of the curriculum

The development of the curriculum

Programmes and courses Transitions

What are we going to do next?

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Overall Evaluation of 5.1 1

2 3 4

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5.1 Focus Group Questions

Focus Group Questions for Learners Focus Group Questions for Staff

1. In what ways are you challenged to think about and take your learning further and that expectations of your attainment and achievement are high?

2. Can you give examples of learning that you have found very relevant and why?

3. What variety is there in your learning over the course of a lesson, day, or a week?

4. How well does the balance of whole-class direct teaching, questioning and discussion, group work, thinking time and other approaches meet your learning needs?

5. How well do the teaching approaches encourage you to take responsibility for organising your learning with others, work collaboratively in groups and teams, and give presentations to / share learning with your peers?

6. Can you give examples of when you have choices in what and how you have been learning?

7. How well do your learning experiences build on your prior learning and how do you know how much progress you are making?

8. How do people at home know how much progress you are making?

9. Can you give examples of what learning you have gained from your last lesson?

10. In what ways have you used learning from one curricular area to another and how often does this happen?

11. What interdisciplinary learning opportunities have you experienced eg ...In what ways did this help your learning?

1. In what ways have learners’ experiences and achievement improved through your planning of courses and programmes?

2. What opportunities have you had to collaborate across schools/centres to improve transitions and sharing of expertise?

3. In what ways has your planning for breadth, challenge and application improved progression in learning for young people?

4. How does personalisation and choice feature in the broad general education?

5. What has been the impact of planning, tracking, recording and reporting practices for young people?

6. In what ways are you evaluating the quality of broad general education? What has improved for children a result of this evaluation?

7. How involved are learners in the planning of their learning across the broad general education? How has this improved outcomes for children?

8. What has been the impact of interdisciplinary learning for children? How could this be improved?

9. How well have you involved all stakeholders, particularly learners and their parents, in exploring the benefits of CfE?

10. How well have you used flexibility to design pathways for all groups of learners that fully meet their entitlements and increase their achievement?

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12. How much opportunity do you have to apply your literacy , numeracy and health and wellbeing skills across your learning experiences?

13. What opportunities do you have to learn and achieve in the life and work of the school as well as in other curricular areas and interdisciplinary learning? Can you give an example of what learning you gained?

14. What do you want more of / less of in your learning experiences at this school?

1.1. The Curriculum – Key Documents and Resources

1.Inspection Advice note 2013 – 2014This paper provides additional advice about our updated expectations in relation to QI 5.1 (The curriculum) and QI 5.9 (Improvement through self-evaluation). It replaces the illustrations of ‘very good’ for these QIs in HGIOS3 and CATC to reflect developing best practice and national expectations of progress in implementing aspects Curriculum for Excellence. This represents a further adjustment of expectations from August 2013 in line with the Implementation Plan Priorities 2013-14.

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/i/genericresource_tcm4809752.asp?strReferringChannel=inspectionandreview&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-682614-64&class=l1+d147692

2.Education Scotland Self-evaluation Resource for 5.1 and 5.9 in line with Increased Expectations: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/CfESelfEvaluationResourceQIs5_1and5_9_tcm4-813827.pdf

3.Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Plan: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/CfEImplementationLetter2013to14_tcm4-810945.pdf

4.CfE briefing papers http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/whatiscurriculumforexcellence/keydocs/cfebriefings.asp?iPage=1&strSubmit=True&strSearchText=&id=&bSortCD=0

In particular :

CfE Briefing 1: Broad General Education in Secondary Schools

CfE Briefing 2: Assessing Progress and Achievement in the 3-15 Broad General Education

CfE Briefing 4: Interdisciplinary Learning

CfE Briefing 5: Personalised Learning

CfE Briefing 6: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 1

CfE Briefing 7: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 2 CfE Briefing 8: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 3 12

CfE Briefing 12: Planning for Learning part 2: Further learning, training and employment beyond age 16

CfE Briefing 11: Planning for Learning part 1: Through the Broad General Education

1. Professional learning resources

Monitoring and tracking progress and achievement in the broad general education: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/Monitoringandtracking270313_tcm4-754310.pdf

Further professional learning resources re Assessing progress and achievement :http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/assessment/progressandachievement/

professionallearningresource/index.asp

2. Examples of highly effective practice : 5. 1 The curriculum

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/reports/examplesofpractice/index.asp

3. Journey To Excellence : improvement guides

Planning the outcomes of learning :

http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/learningandteaching/improvementguide/planningtheoutcomesoflearning.asp

Monitoring, recording and tracking success:

http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/learningandteaching/improvementguide/monitoringrecordingtracking.asp

List of all improvement guides:

http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/whatisexcellence/improvementguides.asp

4. Learning together resources

Professional Development Pack - Developing literacy and numeracy across learning http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/p/professionaldevelopmentpacks/genericresource_tcm4645078.asp?strReferringChannel=journeytoexcellence&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-556930-64

Professional Development Pack - Health and wellbeing across learning

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/p/professionaldevelopmentpacks/genericresource_tcm4645080.asp?strReferringChannel=journeytoexcellence&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-556930-64

List of all Learning together resources

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http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/resourcesandcpd/cpdresources.asp

5. Improving our curriculum through self-evaluation

This guide (2008 ) from HM Inspectors focuses on the use of Quality Indicator 5.1: The curriculum, to help schools and centres to evaluate and improve their curriculum.

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/i/genericcontent_tcm4747804.asp?strReferringChannel=educationscotland&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-615801-64

Source of Questions for 5.1: Adapted from Learning Together: Opening up learning http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/ltoul_tcm4-712892.pdf

And informed by Briefing paper 1 : Broad General Education http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/whatiscurriculumforexcellence/keydocs/cfebriefings.asp

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Quality Improvement Team: Taking a Closer Look Series

Moving from Good to Great: 5.9 Improvement through Self-evaluation toolkit (Early Years)

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QI 5.9 Improvement through self-evaluation: Updated level 5 illustration

KEY FEATURES:This indicator relates to the school’s arrangements for improvement through self -evaluation. It highlights the importance of leadership of self-evaluation, including effective support for career- long professional learning, and evaluating its impact on the work of staff and the progress and achievement of learners. Ensuring shared self-evaluation with partners is especially important.

Theme 1: Commitment to self-evaluation

❖ We work with partners, learners and stakeholders, including parents and carers, in self-evaluation and are aware of resulting strengths and development needs and are committed to take action to effect improvement. Effective systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of provision, including with partners, and to gather and respond to views of stakeholders. We have strong leadership at all levels with a vision for the outcomes of change. This vision gives direction to self - evaluation. High quality support for career-long professional learning is in place to support improvement. This is founded on effective arrangements for professional review and development of staff. We take ownership of professional learning, including reflection and enquiry on practice as individuals and with others, in order to engage more deeply and meaningfully with Curriculum for Excellence. We are aware of the impact of our professional learning on our work and on the experiences of learners. We use the GTCS Professional Standards as a starting point for personal reflection and self-evaluation. We are ensuring a continued focus on support for leadership development, including leadership for learning. We ensure appropriate mentoring and support for students and newly qualified teachers.

Theme 2: Management of self-evaluation

❖ Self-evaluation focuses on key aspects of learners’ successes and achievements. It draws on a wide range of advice and evidence and is rigorous, systematic and transparent. We reflect on current practice and evaluate any new initiatives, ideas and changes which have been introduced. Self-evaluation gives a high priority to the quality of learning and teaching. We also focus on the impact of changed methodologies on outcomes for learners. We identify important strengths and areas for improvement through self-evaluation from a range of evidence. This includes using effective arrangements to assess and track progress and achievement in the BGE and senior phase. We have clear knowledge and understanding about how learners are progressing andachieving at department/faculty and whole school level across all curriculum areas and subjects. Weuse self-evaluation to help share good practice. We use self-evaluation and work collaboratively to develop a shared understanding, consistently apply and improve standards and expectations including through moderation, sharing best practice and benchmarking with other establishments.

Theme 3: School/centre/learning community improvement4

❖ Our school and partners take a joined-up approach to improvement across all that it does. We act on the results of robust and rigorous self-evaluation and can show clear evidence of improvement based on actions as part of our self-evaluation. We focus particularly on continuing improvements

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to learning and teaching, our curriculum and the achievement of all learners. We work with partnersto focus on eliminating barriers to achievement and progress of different groups of learners and their characteristics.

Self-evaluation resource QI 5.9 Improvement through self evaluation

Theme 1: Commitment to self-evaluation

a) All staff, partners, learners and stakeholders are involved in self-evaluation, are aware of resulting strengths and development needs and are committed to take action to bring about improvement. Effective systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of provision, including with partners, and to gather and respond to views of stakeholders.

b) The school/centre has strong leadership at all levels with a vision for the outcomes of change. This vision gives direction to self-evaluation.

c) Good quality support for career-long professional learning is in place to support improvement

Staff are engaging in joint professional learning with partners.

How well do we use evidence from self- evaluation to work with partners in informing improvements?

How well do those of us with specific responsibilities (HT/Manager, Depute, Pupil Council, Parent Council) lead improvements?

How well do we engage parents and carers in self-evaluation and improvement planning?

How well is evidence from self-evaluation used to provide leadership and direction for improvement?

How well do PRD systems and individual staffs self-evaluation support career-long professional learning?

How well are staff in their early phase of their career supported?

How well do we promote leadership development at all levels to support improvement?

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Self-evaluation resource QI 5.9 Improvement through self evaluation

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Theme 2: Management of self-evaluation

a) Self-evaluation gives a high priority to the quality of learning and teaching. Staff maintain a strong focus on evaluation of practice to ensure a high quality of teaching, consistent with the Es and Os. They also focus on the impact of changed methodologies on outcomes for learners.

b) Schools/centres use a range of evidence to monitor and evaluate the impact of curriculum change to inform on-going improvements to provision.

c) Staff identify important strengths and areas for improvement through self-evaluation from a range of evidence. This includes using effective arrangements to assess and track progress and achievement in the BGE. They have clear knowledge and understanding about how learners are progressing and achieving at whole school level and across all curriculum areas. The school/centre has robust evidence of standards of achievement across all curriculum areas and trends over time.

d) Staff use self-evaluation to help share good practice. Staff use self-evaluation and work collaboratively to develop a shared understanding, consistently apply and improve standards and expectations including through moderation, sharing best practice and benchmarking with other establishments.

e) Staff are increasingly engaged in a range of quality assurance and moderation activities within schools/centres,

How well are we using a range of evidence to evaluate the impact of curriculum change and improvements in methodologies to monitor improvements in outcomes for children?

How well do we analyse and use information on learners’ choices to ensure they make appropriate progress and to inform developing the curriculum?

How well do we use a range of research evidence and local, national and international benchmarking information?

How well do we use evidence collated from progress and achievement, in all curricular areas at whole school/centre level and from learning outwith school/centre, to support improvement planning and to plan the curriculum to meet the needs of all children?

How well are approaches to Quality Assurance and moderation impacting on staff confidence in assessment and understanding standards and leading to improved achievement of all learners?

Self-evaluation resource QI 5.9 Improvement through self evaluation

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Theme 3: School/centre/learning communityimprovement

Staff are committed to acting on the results of robust and rigorous self-evaluation and can show clear evidence of improvement based on actions as part of our self-evaluation. Improvements focus particularly on continuing improvements to learning and teaching and the achievement of all learners.

How well do we draw together a range of evidence to demonstrate the impact of improvements?

How well do we act on the evidence of self- evaluation to prioritise and inform improvement planning and put in place a range of strategies to raise achievement?

How well do we take account of factors such as disabilities, gender and social background?

How well aligned are priorities for career-long professional learning to priorities in the school/centre improvement plan and do they lead to positive impact on outcomes for learners?

How well do we take account of issues arising from diversity and equality?

How well do we ensure that improvement planning processes focus on key priorities and actions to improve outcomes for learners and not become overly

Overall Evaluation of 5.9 1

2 3 4

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6

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1.9. Improvement through self evaluation School / centre...................................... Session......................

Commitment to self-evaluation Management of self-evaluation School improvement

What are we going to do next?

Overall Evaluation of 5.9 1

2 3 4

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6

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5.9 Focus Group Questions

Focus Group Questions for Learners Focus Group Questions for Staff

• To what extent are you involved in discussing the strengths and development needs of the school/centre?

• How often are you asked for your opinion on how to make improvements in the school/centre?

• Is your viewpoint listened to and acted upon?

• Are you involved in leading any school improvements?

• Do you know what your school improvement priorities are?

• Can you discuss a recent improvement initiative outlining how it was implemented and organised and what the impact was in practice?

• How often are you asked how well you are progressing and achieving in different curriculum areas?

• How well do we use evidence from self-evaluation to work with partners in informing improvements?

• How well do those of us with specific responsibilities lead improvements? • How well do we engage parents and carers in self-evaluation and improvement

planning? • How well is evidence from self-evaluation used to provide leadership and direction for

improvement? • How well do PRD systems and individual staffs self-evaluation support career-long

professional learning? How well are teachers in their early phase of education supported?

• How well do we promote leadership development at all levels to support improvement?

• How well are we using a range of evidence to evaluate the impact of curriculum change and improvements in methodologies to monitor improvements in outcomes for our learners?

• How well do we analyse and use information on learners’ choices (in curricular areas, IDL) to ensure they make appropriate progress and to inform development of the curriculum?

• How well do we use a range of research evidence and local, national and international benchmarking information?

• How well do we use evidence collated from progress and achievement, in each curricular area and from learning out with school/centre, to support improvement planning and to plan the curriculum and appropriate progression routes to meet the needs of all our learners?

• How well are approaches to Quality Assurance and moderation impacting on staff confidence in assessment and understanding standards which lead to improved attainment and achievement of all learners?

• How well do we act on a range of evidence to prioritise and inform improvement planning and put in place a range of strategies to raise attainment of all?

• How well do we take account of factors such as diversity, equality, disabilities, gender

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and social background? • How well aligned are priorities for career-long professional learning to priorities in the

school/centre improvement plan and do they lead to positive impact on outcomes for learners?

• How well do we ensure that improvement planning processes focus on key priorities and actions to improve outcomes for learners and not become overly bureaucratic?

5.9 Improvement through self-evaluation – Key documents and resources

1. Briefing Note for Head Teachers: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/about/secondaryschoolinspections/briefingnoteforheadteachers.asp

2. Sample Inspection Pupil and Parent Questionnaires: Very useful SE tools for gathering views and can be adapted and used annually as part of the cycle of SE to

identify strengths, aspects for development and to show evidence of progress over time:

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/about/secondaryschoolinspections/questionnaires.asp

3. Inspection Advice note 2013 – 2014: This advice note supports colleagues involved in pre-school, school and learning community inspections from August 2013. It takes account of progress with Curriculum for Excellence in centres, schools and learning communities. It sets out an adjustment in expectations, in line with national implementation expectations, for HM Inspectors' evaluation of QI 5.1 (Curriculum) and QI 5.9 (Improvement through self-evaluation): Inspection advice note - August 2013

••4. Education Scotland evaluation resource for 5.1 and 5.9: Education Scotland self evaluation resource - 5.1 and 5.9•

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3. Improving outcomes for learners through self-evaluation: Expectations of QIs 1.1, 2.1 and 5.3 are outlined in HGIOS? and CATC. This document provides further advice on self-evaluation of these QIs: Improving outcomes for learners through self-evaluation

Key Documents and Resources

Preparing for Inspection

1. School Inspection Framework – Arrangements for Inspecting Schools in Scotland (August 2011): http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/SchoolInspectionFramework2011_tcm4-684005.pdf

2. Being Ready for Inspection: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/about/secondaryschoolinspections/beingready.asp

3. Briefing Note for Head Teachers: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/about/secondaryschoolinspections/briefingnoteforheadteachers.asp

4. Sample Inspection Pupil and Parent Questionnaires: Very useful SE tools for gathering views and can be adapted and used annually as part of the cycle of SE to

identify strengths, aspects for development and to show evidence of progress over time::

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/about/secondaryschoolinspections/questionnaires.asp

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5. Inspection Advice note 2013 – 2014: This advice note supports colleagues involved in pre-school, school and learning community inspections from August 2013. It takes account of progress with Curriculum for Excellence in centres, schools and learning communities. It sets out an adjustment in expectations, in line with national implementation expectations, for HM Inspectors' evaluation of QI 5.1 (Curriculum) and QI 5.9 (Improvement through self-evaluation): Inspection advice note - August 2013

Generic Resources for QIs 1.1, 2.1, 5.1, 5.3 and 5.9

6. Improving outcomes for learners through self-evaluation

Expectations of QIs 1.1, 2.1 and 5.3 are outlined in HGIOS? and CATC. This document provides further advice on self-evaluation of these QIs: Improving outcomes for learners through self-evaluation

5.1 and 5.9 Self-evaluation resource: Education Scotland self evaluation resource - 5.1 and 5.9

7. Education Scotland Key DocumentsThis link provides access the key documents including the latest advice notes, terms used, key publications and tools to support self-evaluation. This includes HGIOS?, The Child at the Centre and arrangements for inspecting schools: Education Scotland: Principles and frameworks: Key documents

8. Examples of highly effective practice These materials illustrate some of the features of highly effective practice noted during recent visits to schools and centres. It contains examples of practice in each of the QIs – 1.1, 2.1, 5.1, 5.3 and 5.9

Education Scotland: Examples of highly effective practice

9. Journey To Excellence : improvement guides and Learning together resourcesList of all improvement guides: Journey to Excellence Improvement GuidesList of all learning together resources: Learning together resources Three new learning together resources have been added: Enabling young people to achieve Opening up learning: Self-evaluation Opening up assessment

10. Curriculum for Excellence briefing papers: A summary of Curriculum for Excellence briefing papers is attached in Appendix B.

CfE briefings

CfE Briefing 1: Broad General Education in Secondary Schools

CfE Briefing 2: Assessing Progress and Achievement in the 3-15 Broad General Education

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CFE Briefing 3: Profiling and the S3 Proflie

CfE Briefing 4: Interdisciplinary Learning

CfE Briefing 5: Personalised Learning

CfE Briefing 6: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 1

CfE Briefing 7: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 2

CFE Briefing 8: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 3

CFE Briefing 9: Learning about Scotland

CFE Briefing 10: The role of CLD in partnership working

CfE Briefing 11: Planning for Learning part 1: Through the Broad General Education

CfE Briefing 12: Planning for Learning part 2: Further learning, training and employment beyond age 16

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/CfEBriefing13_tcm4-809982.pdf

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/CfEBriefing14_tcm4-813894.pdf

11. Education Scotland Professional resources

Supporting Learners - self reflection resource Assessing progress and achievement professional learning resourcesProfessional Development Pack - Developing literacy and numeracy across learningProfessional Development Pack - Health and wellbeing across learning

12. Career-long professional learningEducation Scotland website: Career-long Professional Learning Education Scotland Guidance (PDF): Career-long Professional Learning: Guidance for teachers on approaches to professional learning Scottish Government: Framework for Educational Leadership

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CfE Briefings 1-14

A series of briefings designed to provide practitioners with information and advice to support their implementation of Curriculum for Excellence:

www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/whatiscurriculumforexcellence/keydocs/cfebriefings.asp

CfE Briefing 14: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/c/genericresource_tcm4813895.asp?strReferringChannel=thecurriculum&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-715583-64&class=l3+d148554. This briefing

explores the place of political literacy within Curriculum for Excellence. It relates to all settings where children and young people experience aspects of political literacy, either in an educational establishment

such as a college or school, or more broadly in a wide range of community settings and forums.

CfE Briefing 13: Planning for Learning part 3 - Individualised educational programmes (IEPs): http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/c/genericresource_tcm4809983.asp?

strReferringChannel=thecurriculum&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-715583-64&class=l3+d14855: An IEP is a non-statutory document used to plan specific aspects of education for learners who need some or all of

their curriculum to be individualised. This CfE briefing about IEPs is the third in a series about effective planning for learning.

CfE Briefing 12: Planning for Learning part 2: Further learning, training and employment beyond age 16: This briefing provides advice for practitioners and can also be used to inform partners, learners and

their parents and carers of developments in Curriculum for Excellence.

CfE Briefing 11: Planning for Learning part 1: Through the Broad General Education: This briefing explores emerging practice in planning for learning through the Broad General Education (BGE) in the early years,

primary and secondary S1-S3 stages.

CfE Briefing 10: The role of CLD and partnership working: This briefing explores the important contribution that CLD is making to CfE outcomes for learners through partnership working in educational

establishments and communities.

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CfE Briefing 9: Learning about Scotland: This briefing explores the ways in which practitioners across sectors are increasing opportunities for children and young people to learn about Scotland as part of the

broad general education (BGE) and in the senior phase.

CfE Briefing 8: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 3: This briefing looks at how schools and their partners are developing new curriculum approaches that provide flexible

achievement pathways at the senior phase.

CfE Briefing 7: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 2: This briefing explores the importance of learning in the senior phase to ensure all learners are prepared well for lifelong

learning, further study and employment.

CfE Briefing 6: Progression from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase part 1: This Curriculum for Excellence briefing explores the pivotal role of the S3 experience.

CfE Briefing 5: Personalised Learning: This briefing explores the practical implications for staff, learners and parents of personalised learning which resumes a degree of choice and a stronger role for the learner

in making decisions.

CfE Briefing 4: Interdisciplinary Learning: Interdisciplinary learning is a planned approach to learning which uses links across different subjects or disciplines to enhance learning. This Curriculum for Excellence

briefing explores interdisciplinary learning, how it can be planned and how you can take it forward.

CfE Briefing 3: Profiling and the S3 Profile: This Curriculum for Excellence Briefing takes an in-depth look at profiling.

CfE Briefing 2: Assessing Progress and Achievement in the 3-15 Broad General Education: This briefing looks at assessing progress and achievement in the 3-15 broad general education.

Broad General Education in the Secondary School – A Guide for Parents and Carers: A guide for parents about broad general education, the period from age three to the end of S3, covering all of the experiences

and outcomes across all curriculum areas. Question and answer - broad general education in the secondary school: Supplementary information regarding the broad general education in the secondary school.

CfE Briefing 1: Broad General Education in Secondary Schools: Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 1, published on 19 April 2012, covering support for the learner entitlement to a broad general education in the

secondary school under Curriculum for Excellence.

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Appendix 1Cowgate Under 5's Centre Inspection Report March 2014

How well do children learn and achieve?Children’s learning at Cowgate Under 5’sCentre is outstanding. From the earliest age, children are encouraged to explore and investigate the world around them, both indoors and outside. In all areas of the nursery, highly-knowledgeable staff provide comfort, encouragement and stimulation. Because their work is of the highest quality, children develop secure relationships with caring and trusted adults and make excellent progress. The nursery has strong and shared philosophies and values. Adults place trust in children and allow them to drive their own learning. They provide them with stimulating, natural materials to help them develop and learn. Throughout the playrooms, children’s experiences are designed to foster independence and decision making. By allowing children to consider hazards and take risks, these skills are developing particularly well. Children’s outdoor experiences are of an exceptionally high-quality. Here, natural materials provide children with creative and challenging ways to extend their knowledge and understanding, and to developrelationships with the natural world. In the nursery garden, the forest kindergarten and at Stickland, a natural woodland space on the outskirts of Edinburgh, children climb, observe wildlife, reflect, play in running water, cook, problem-solve and create imaginary play situations. Younger children’s early language skills are encouraged by staff who understand how to do this effectively. Almost all children love to share stories and rhymes with adults and friends, often curling up in a quiet space alone or with a friend to share a book. Many older children create their own plays and perform them to each other, dressing up or using puppets. Through nursery routines and play, staff encourage children’s pre-writing skills in relevant contexts. In the Sala Infantil, which caters for children aged three to five, children mark-make during their play, making lists, writing labels for the playroom, making tickets for their performances or taking charcoal tree rubbings on their hill walks. Commendably children’s understanding of early mathematics is encouraged through solving real and imaginary problems. For example, children had measured the depth of a river using sticks to check that the water would not flood into their boots. Older children count in many real-life contexts and daily routines such as playing games, helping to bake and having snack and lunch. Consequently, almost all have an excellent understanding of numbers.I n areas such as early science and technology, children’s early skills in inquiry and investigation are developing very well. By observing and exploring their natural environment they are beginning to understand their place in the world. Children’s creativity is encouraged and promoted in every area of the centre. Children frequently choose to sing, dance and perform using musical instruments or indeed pots and pans and other resources they find around the playroom. Children love to use technology to record and share pictures of their friends playing and staff have begun to share these short films and pictures electronically with parents. Children’s learning is also recorded in personal learning plans and we have asked staff to consider how these can be further developed so that they demonstrate children’s progress even more clearly. The centre has

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many awards in recognition of its successes, for example as Investors in Children. It has achieved its fourth green flag award from Eco-Schools Scotland to acknowledge its work on sustainability.

How well does the pre-school centre support children to develop and learn?The nursery supports children’s development and learning exceptionally well. It provides a rich and supportive physical and emotional environment for children and their families which is highly appreciated by parents. Partnerships with parents are extremely positive and reflect the shared vision and values which underpin the life and work of the nursery. The unique ethos of the centre allows children to thrive in a safe, secure, yet vibrant setting. Children and their families are very well supported at times of transition or when there is a change in routine. Where appropriate, staff work sensitively and productively with other agencies to provide additional help for children who need support to make progress. The way adults respond to individual children’s emotional, developmental and learning needs is exceptional. They listen carefully to children’s wishes and tune in to their interests. They immediately plan for exciting ways to respond to children’s curiosity and to deepen their understanding. For example, having seen a nearby display of Chinese Warrior Lanterns one morning, adults tookagroup of children to see these lit in the evening. Almost all learning comes from the children’s interests, but staff ensure that children receive a broad and challenging curriculum. They provide a very wide and stimulating range of opportunities in the playroom and outdoors which help children to experience broad, deep, coherent and purposeful learning

How well does the pre-school centre improve the quality of its work?The nursery has highly effective ways to monitor what it does well and how it can continue to improve.Parents feel able to influence decisions which affect them and their child and help to support the centre’s priorities for improvement. Children’s own ideas generate and drive developments and they enjoy taking responsibility for making changes to their play areas.For example, having decided that they wanted running water in their garden, they helped design and bring about a water pump in their garden. The head of centre has successfully engendered a professional learning community amongst staff and parents to provide an outstanding service for children. She provides very strong, sensitive and very effective leadership of the centre and has successfully encouraged these qualities in others. Consequently, the highly qualified staff team have a deep understanding of how children develop and learn. They share their own practice and improve aspects of the nursery based on sound research which they often undertake themselves. For example, following her own observations and after extensive research and consultation a senior practitioner opened up the baby and toddler rooms to benefit very young children by allowing them to play together with siblings and friends. This has been an innovative and successful change which reflects the centre’s approach to improvement. Overall, Cowgate Under 5’s is an outstanding nursery whose practice will continue to be shared widely.All grades – level 6 – excellent

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Peek-a-Boo Nursery Fraserburgh Inspection Report January 2014.How well do children learn and achieve? Children are learning and achieving very well. They are enthusiastic about their learning and clearly enjoy being at nursery. Children benefit from the consistent, caring and nurturing relationships that they have with all staff. Consultation is used extensively to ensure that children’s views are taken very good account of. It also helps establish what children already know before moving on to new learning. Children also evaluate aspects of the playroom and staff make changes and improvements, taking account of their views. Recently, children have created a ‘bug hotel’ in the nursery garden. They are now enjoying exploring the insects it has attracted. In preparation for Christmas children have created their own cards that are being sold to parents and families. They enthusiastically rehearse a selection of songs to present at their Christmas party. Children are making very good progress in early language. In discussions they confidently share their personal knowledge and experiences with others. They listen well during group activities and show interest in mark-making in their play. Children have a very good knowledge of a range of stories including traditional tales. Through exploring the local area children recognise print, such as street names, in the environment. Almost all children have an awareness of number including discussing their ages and who is older or younger. When discussing their families children have gathered information and created graphs to display it. They are confident with a range of measurement including weighing using scales and using other methods such as bricks and hands to measure their heights.

How well does the pre-school centre support children to develop and learn? The nursery provides very good support to help children develop and learn. Staff provide a broad curriculum that is firmly based on children’s interests and what they need to learn next. The curriculum is enriched by visitors into the nursery, including parents, who share their professions and interests. Staff recognise that children could benefit from greater use of the local community where they could have first-hand experiences. The nursery garden, which children have extensive access to, provides very good opportunities for learning in all areas of the curriculum. Staff observe children at play and record information to help them plan for what children need to learn next. They recognise that children could be even more involved in deciding their own next steps in learning.Transition arrangements into nursery are very well planned on a personalised basis. Peter Boo, the nursery teddy and the creation of family banners provide helpful links between home and nursery to help children settle. All children have a key worker who they have a close relationship with. This helps children feel safe and secure. By using space in the nursery more flexibly, children would be more independent and have more responsibility in their learning. Staff need to ensure high standards in hand washing are maintained and best practice in the storage and administration of medicine is followed. A learning partnership is encouraged between home and nursery. Parents are extremely satisfied with arrangements to support this. They appreciate the information that is shared through their child’s weekly jotter. This helps them be very well informed about what children have been learning in nursery and continue this at home.

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How well does the pre-school centre improve the quality of its work? We are confident that the nursery is consistently improving the quality of its work. The management team are passionate about the continued development of the nursery to ensure a consistently high quality service for children and families. They use a wide range of monitoring and self-evaluation activities to help identify aspects that could be improved further. Actions are then taken to make improvement and further evaluation allows the quality of improvements to be measured. Parents are extensively consulted with and their views fully acted upon. The management team value the contribution staff make to the nursery. Staff are supported to continue their development through further training. This helps improve children’s experiences further. Peek-a-Boo Nursery is well placed to continue to provide a high quality learning experience for children.

All grades – level 5 – very good

Mount Esk Nursery School Midlothian Council Inspection Report December 2013

How well do children learn and achieve?Children look forward to coming to nursery and say that they enjoy all of the activities.

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They show that they have made a close bond with staff and like to talk to them about their learning. Children are motivated and confident. Overall, they make choices about where they would like to play. Often, they show a preference for playing outdoors where they can explore, investigate and use the bikes. They play very well together for extended periods of time and happily include other children who wish to join in. Children are very independent and are proud of this. For example, they can collect their own materials and make careful choices when designing and making their own models and cards. When children are ready for snack, they organise this for themselves and take part in extended conversations with their friends as they eat. Children are very proud of their ‛special books,' which detail their learning. They use their photographs and samples of work to discuss their achievements and progress. Children and their parents talk to staff about achievements outside nursery and these are celebrated on the achievement trees at group times. Children are making very good progress in early language and literacy, numeracy and mathematics. All children are learning new words which help them to talk about their learning and share their knowledge. Most children take part in extended conversation throughout their session and younger children like to listen to what is said. Staff make effective use of signing and symbols to aid communication. Children use books purposefully to relax with a familiar story or to find interesting facts. Older children in particular, show enthusiasm for exploring early writing. A few children use their skills meaningfully across the nursery to make labels for others. Children demonstrate their understanding of early mathematics through their play and use the right words to talk about size, shape and quantity. Staff have improved the ways in which they enable children to apply their numeracy skills acrosslearning and this is working very well. Outdoors, children describe how they have grown plants and have great fun using homemade kites. They like energetic play and know how this contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

How well does the pre-school centre support children to develop and learn?The nursery demonstrates its values very clearly in the way it works with and supports families.Parents speak very highly of the nursery and value the very positive contribution it makes to their lives. They are impressed with the knowledge each member of staff has about their own child. Staff make time each day to talk together about how well children are learning. This enables them to provide activities which offer the right level of challenge for children and to give useful feedback to parents. Staff use skilled questioning to extend children’s play and enable them to make very positive progress toward their next steps in learning. Children and families who need extra help are supported effectively by a staff team who are consistent and can be relied upon to listen to what parents need. The headteacher takes the right action to ensure children have access to other professionals and staff act on their advice.Their work with partners, for example ‛Positive Steps'and Community Learning and Development to support families, is an example of good practice. The early intervention project 'Now You Are Two,' has been recognised very positively by others. Staff provide a curriculum which is exciting and is designed around children’sinterests and next steps in learning. Children influence how the playroom is set up and the play resources which are on offer. Staff are making increasing use of the facilities and partners within the new Lasswade High School building to extend learning. Health and wellbeing is a strong feature of the curriculum and staff are continuing to build on and improve how skills in literacy and numeracy are progressed across children’s play. The outdoor learning environment is very well designed and enables children to observe nature, solve problems and ask important questions to help them find out how things work. Staff promote creativity by, for example,supporting children to find out about artists and their work. Children and families who are new to the nursery are given every opportunity to find out about and

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take part in all of the learning experiences. Staff work closely with local primary schools and provide strong pastoral care when children move through to P1. Staff use 'Early Level Steps' effectively to ensure progression and strengthen the ways in which children build on their learning from nursery into P1.

How well does the pre-school centre improve the quality of its work?

The nursery continually improves the quality of its work because staff have children at the heart of their work and want to do their very best for them. Staff work very effectively as a teamand have adjusted well to recent staffing changes within their team. They share leadership roles from providing an ‛Education Shop’ to support creativity at home, running the library to developing aspects of Curriculum for Excellence. Through guidance from the headteacher, staff are improving how they reflect on children’s learning and the actions they take as a result. The headteacher is experienced and knowledgeable. She is a key resource within the local schools group and community and leads others in promoting the best of early education. For example, she has developed an approach to tracking children’s progress. She listens carefully to the views of children and parents and acts upon them to enhance the curriculum and meet children’s learning needs. The headteacher and staff are determined to build on the successes of the nursery and continue to offer a service which puts play at the heart of learning and ensures families feel included and very well supported

All grades level 5 – very good

Lerwick Preschool Lerwick Inspection Report August 2013

How well do children learn and achieve?I found that your children are learning and achieving very well. Children are happy, settled and very enthusiastic about learning. They are confident, and highly motivated by the activities on offer. They freely access a wide range of resources

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and show very good imagination in their play. They are very well behaved and show consideration for each other. Children are extremely independent at snack time and when dressing for outdoors. They play exceptionally well together and many show very good concentration and perseverance. They are developing friendships and learning to share and cooperate well. Children have raised significant amounts of money for local and national charities. The pre-school has a valued role in the local community. As a result, children are developing awareness of citizenship and responsibility, for example, by contributing to the Up Helly Aa celebrations. Children are learning how to care for the environment through regular clean-up activities in the local area. The pre-school has an award for its work on health promotion. Children are very keen to discuss their activities and their achievements. Staff are aware of the need to give children more opportunities to talk about, and deepen their understanding of their learning. Children are making very good progress in early language and mathematics. They listen well and almost all children talk confidently to each other and to adults. Children enjoy listening to stories and many children choose books independently. They are learning songs and rhymes, including some traditional Scottish favourites. Children are aware of letters and almost all are beginning to recognise their name in print. Many can write their name and other words around the playroom. They explore different mark-making materials and show awareness and interest in how they can use writing for different purposes. They enjoy using notepads and clipboards to record their writing. Children are developing their understanding of mathematics as they play and take part in activities, for example, measuring their heights or counting out foods at snack time.They are becoming aware of measurement and shape through pouring sand andwater into different containers, and matching three-dimensional objects. Children have a very good understanding of healthy eating, personal care and safety. They are developing a range of scientific skills through planting and growing activities, seeking out and identifying bugs in the nursery garden and releasing butterflies back into the wild garden. They are becoming increasingly confident in climbing, balancing and using wheeled toys. Many make very imaginative use of props and costumes to develop role-play activities.

How well does the pre-school centre support children to develop and learn?The pre-school supports children to develop and learn very well. All staff know children and their families, and staff work effectively in partnership with parents to help support children. Staff create a calm, nurturing and supportive environment for children to learn. Parents are actively involved in the life of the nursery by developing the outdoor area and helping with outings. They feel very well informed about their child’s learning and progress. Staff are using Curriculumfor Excellence very well to plan and record children’s learning. They organise a stimulating and varied range of play experiences which are fully child centred. Play contexts are richly resourced and encourage children to explore using all of their senses. There are very good opportunities for children to apply their skills in early literacy and numeracy across the playroom and outdoors. The curriculum is enhanced by high quality learning outdoors, and an exciting range of visits out into the local area and beyond. Staff have developed detailed ‘learning stories’ for each child. They are now working to develop their assessment procedures further to track children’s progress through the early level. Almost all activities are set at the right level of difficulty for children and staff are working to ensure that older children are consistently challenged by the activities on offer. Staff show skill in asking questions or

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Offering explanations to extend children’s learning. Those children who need extra help to settle, or help with aspects of their learning, are very well supported by staff. The centre has very effective links with the pre-school home visiting service and other specialist agencies.

How well does the pre-school centre improve the quality of its work?The owners and visiting manager are highlyeffective in leading a dedicated staff team. All staff show strong commitment to continuous improvement. They have a clear vision for the pre-school and readily identify strengths and areas for development. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and are eager to undertake further training to improve their knowledge and understanding of the curriculum, learning and teaching. They have a clear focus on improving out comes for children and use well-considered evaluations to help them monitor children’s progress. Staff are working to involve children and parents more fully in evaluating and improving the pre-school. The owners and visiting manager monitor all aspects of the pre-school systematically. They are making very good progress with their planned developments. The pre-school has a strong capacity for continued improvement.

All grades level 5 – very good

Castleview Primary School, City of Edinburgh

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Castleview Primary.school has a roll of 259 pupils who are currently situated within 10 classes including our Nursery class. The school serves the community of Craigmillar, Niddrie and Greendykes. The Catchment area is undergoing an intense programme of regeneration and the neighbourhood has high levels of multiple social deprivation that are being addressed through this change. FME at Castleview is currently at 63%. The Department of Children & Families recognises this and allocates additional funding to support positive action in learning. The school is co-educational and nondenominational. Castleview opened in May 2003 as part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s, Private, Public Partnership (PPP) initiative and was built on a green field site next to Castlebrae High School. The school was formed from by the closures and amalgamation of Craigmillar, Peffermill and Greendykes Primary Schools.

Castleview was inspected in June 2013 and the inspectors noted the following features of the school’s work which contributed to the school receiving an evaluation of ‘excellent’ for Quality Indicator 5.1.

Evaluations take account of the context of the school and these features are just part of the overall approach the whole school community takes to improving young people’s learning experiences and their achievements.

Rationale and design of the curriculum

There is a clear rationale for the design of the curriculum which is based on delivering the core entitlements within Curriculum for Excellence. As a result, the curriculum supports children’s development of skills and knowledge exceptionally well across all areas.

The implementation of Curriculum for Excellence is very well established and all staff are confident and articulate in describing how they have embraced and implemented curriculum change very effectively. The curriculum is designed exceptionally well to meet the needs of all learners. There is an excellent range of focused, very well planned interventions to improve children’s progress in literacy and numeracy. These interventions are tailored exceptionally well to the needs of individuals and groups. Planning for literacy and numeracy is excellent overall. Overall staff and partners are delivering an outstanding and motivating curriculum which offers a range of experiences designed to improve children’s life chances and to help address the effects of high levels of social deprivation.

The development of the curriculum

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There is a clear focus on providing meaningful and challenging opportunities for children to develop skills for learning and skills for life. The curriculum is exceptionally well developed to take account of the local context and the needs of the pupils. Teachers have been systematically developing the curriculum very successfully over a number of years, to take full account of all aspects of Curriculum for Excellence. School staff work closely with a range of partners exceptionally well and are finding different ways to engage with parents and the community. Overall, the curriculum provides an outstanding range of opportunities to extend children’s achievements and improve their life chances. The curriculum is enhanced through an excellent range of focused, targeted interventions. Monitoring of the wide variety of programmes are showing real gains for the children. The entitlements are being delivered successfully for all children.

Programmes and courses

Staff are designing and refreshing programmes and courses exceptionally well using the experiences and outcomes to plan a coherent approach to learning, teaching and assessment and to ensure the development of the knowledge, skills, attributes and capabilities of the four capacities. They have a clear rationale for change and the expected outcomes for all children. They have been developing new programmes successfully and in depth for a number of years, taking full account of the design principles. Working in partnership with the community, staff are supporting the children to grow as citizens and develop skills for learning, life and work through a range of interdisciplinary topics which provide stimulating, challenging, relevant and enjoyable experiences. For example, all children in P6 and P7 benefit from excellent opportunities to develop skills in listening, talking, performing and presenting through working for Historic Scotland at Craigmillar Castle as tour guides. This curriculum initiative has an outstanding impact on children’s confidence and sense of self-worth. It has won a range of local and national awards. Castleview Primary school provides an exceptionally high level of support for families, through day to day contact and specific projects and initiatives. For example, ‘Families and Schools Together’ (FAST) has enabled 20 families to work directly with school staff to develop a range of skills and to extend learning.

The school has arrangements in place to ensure all pupils experience 2 hours of very high quality physical education each week. The school provides equipment including appropriate clothing to remove potential barriers to participation. For example, purchasing and subsidising bikes and helmet for children to cycle to school and for children to take part in the Bike-ability programme and outdoor clothing to take part in outdoor activities.

Transitions

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Transitions are very well organised and there are very well considered activities as part of the induction from nursery to P1. Children have had productive opportunities to prepare for P1 through a series of planned visits. There are excellent, very well planned arrangements enable smooth transition from stage to stage and across all levels. Staff are forming very positive relationships with Castlebrae and Holyrood High School. Children are very well supported when they move from P7 to S1 at Castlebrae and Holyrood High School. Transitions for vulnerable groups, such as gypsy traveller children, are very well planned.

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Northmuir Primary School, Angus CouncilNorthmuir Primary School and Nursery Class has a roll of 318 pupils. It serves an area in the north of Kirriemuir and surrounding area. Inspectors noted the following features of the school’s work which contributed to an evaluation of ‘excellent’ for Quality Indicator 5.9.

Evaluations take account of the context of the school and these features are just part of the overall approach the school takes to improving young people’s learning experiences and achievements.

Improvements through self-evaluationStaff have a shared commitment to providing the very best experiences to equip children to be successful throughout their lives. This vision permeates every aspect of the school’s work and underpins its arrangements for self-evaluation and improvement. All staff, parents and children are involved in evaluating and improving the school and children’s learning.

Teaching and support staff are reflective and self-critical. They understand the features of good practice. The headteacher and depute headteacher have established a clear vision and ensured that staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge to put this into action. Staff read and research, and look outwith the school for ways to implement the required improvements. They regularly work closely together to discuss teaching and learning and visit each other’s classrooms using innovative ‘Learning Mirrors’ to reflect on what they see there.

There are consistent high quality practices across the school and many effective approaches are embedded. These are personalised by teachers so each classroom has its own flavour. Rigorous and systematic self-evaluation is embedded in the daily life of the school. Reflective teachers evaluate every lesson including children’s progress and use this as a basis for planning subsequent learning experiences. Systems for assessing, monitoring and tracking children’s progress are robust and embedded. Staff plan progressive experiences for classes, groups and individuals based on drawing learning intentions from the Experiences and Outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence. Very careful attention is given to assessment results to evaluate the progress children have made over time.

Those children who are not making the anticipated progress are identified and their experiences carefully analysed to identify where improvements can be made.

The school aims for children to exceed the usual rates of progress. Staff regularly discuss individual children with one another and with senior managers and work together to plan for challenging learning.

There are very effective mechanisms in place for gathering and taking action on the views of pupils, parents, staff, visitors and partners. The Pupil Council and Parent Council are actively involved in evaluating the work of the school, in making improvements happen and in evaluating their impact. A range of pupil and parent focus groups have developed imaginative ways of measuring progress and gathering views.

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The work and contributions of the pupil learning group is shared on wall displays and supported by a pupil improvement plan, displayed in each class, which is used to monitor and evaluate progress towards their priorities. Pupils have responsibility for leading the process of measuring impact, gathering evidence via a range of methods including interviews and filming.

Parents have had a good level of involvement in building the school’s curriculum. They have expressed their views on a number of occasions on what and how learning should be presented and they support learning very well as detailed above.

A range of community, business and social partners play key roles in learning. The impact of their work is maximised by being involved at some level in planning for learning. They are usually asked to provide feedback and views on what went well during activities.

Classroom learning visits by senior managers focus on a range of aspects pertinent to the school’s improvement priorities or teachers’ personal developments. They use the information gained to provide further development opportunities and set up learning visits by staff.

All pupils are evaluative and reflect lesson-by-lesson on their success in learning. This means that they are responsible for ensuring they meet targets they have set themselves and work hard. Teachers regularly use children’s views on how they learn effectively to adapt and plan their lessons. Recently, a working party of the pupil council have been planning how to evaluate the impact of the school’s improvement priorities and have come up with some innovative ideas for gathering the views of other children.

The school’s improvement plan contains an achievable and appropriate set of priorities and has been repeatedly successful over recent years in raising standards. The School Improvement Plan is carefully evaluated and any next steps followed-up before being removed.

The school is constantly striving to raise standards of attainment across all curriculum areas. They have successfully broadened children’s skills in reading and writing across all stages.

Staff have high standards and identified weaknesses in children’s progress in music. They immediately took action to develop a progressive programme to compensate for temporary shortage of specialist instruction.

School improvement priorities have had a measurable impact on improving achievements, attainment and wellbeing of learners and the work of the school.

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