Agendas, reports and minutes

Minutes of Meeting of the Education Committee held remotely on Thursday 6 August 2020 at 10.35 am.

Present:

Mr G Adam, Mrs I Campbell, Mr A Christie, Mrs M Cockburn, Mr J Finlayson (Chair), Mr L Fraser, Mr K Gowans, Mr A Graham, Mr T Heggie (Vice Chair), Mr G MacKenzie, Mrs I MacKenzie, Mr S Mackie, Mr R MacWilliam, Mrs F Robertson, Mr G Ross, Mr A Sinclair

Religious Representatives:

Ms S Lamont, Mr W Skene    
    
Non-Members also present:

Mr R Balfour, Mr A Baxter, Mr B Boyd, Mr R Bremner, Mrs C Caddick, Mrs G Campbell-Sinclair, Mrs H Carmichael, Mr I Cockburn, Mrs M Davidson, Mr J Gray, Mr A Jarvie, Mr B Lobban, Mr D Mackay, Mr A Mackinnon, Mrs A MacLean, Mr D MacLeod, Mr D Macpherson, Mrs B McAllister, Mr J McGillivray, Mr C Munro, Ms L Munro, Mrs T Robertson, Mr B Thompson
    
In attendance:

Ms D Manson, Chief Executive
Ms J Douglas, Care and Learning Alliance (Third Sector)
Ms G Newman, Highland Children’s Forum (Third Sector)
Ms S Blyth, Highland Parent Council Partnership

An asterisk in the margin denotes a recommendation to the Council.  All decisions with no marking in the margin are delegated to the Committee.

Mr J Finlayson in the Chair

Preliminaries

Prior to the commencement of formal business, the Chair emphasised the importance of the meeting given recent Scottish Government announcements relating to a full-time return to school.  The following week, schools would begin to open and many pupils would return for the start of a new session, with all pupils being back at school by 18 August.

The meeting also coincided with SQA results week which, despite some controversy nationally, showed the positive work taking place in Highland schools and provided an opportunity to celebrate the work of pupils, teachers and parents.

The agenda reflected the work that had taken place during lockdown and the journey to get back to school, and updated Members on the plans that had been put in place and what stage they were at.  It also provided an update on this year’s exam results and how Highland attainment had improved during the last year.  When priorities had been discussed over a year ago, improving attainment had been the main priority along with closing the attainment gap, which it was recognised would have widened during lockdown.

The content of the Committee papers was an opportunity to celebrate the work of schools, staff and young people, as well as those who supported schools, and the Committee would hear from Head Teachers from across the authority.  He thanked the Head Teachers for attending the meeting to personalise their experiences which, he was sure, would reinforce how well Highland had done in terms of national comparisons during lockdown and how the Council had been benchmarked in the top quartile for its approach to blended learning and planning for the return to school.

It was hoped that today’s Committee would be a positive meeting which recognised the achievements, hard work and resilience of Highland’s young people, parents, schools and Education Improvement Team (EIT).  He also thanked Members for their input and support across Highland’s many diverse school communities.

He concluded by expressing best wishes and support to Aberdeen as it re-entered some phases of lockdown, news of which added a sobering element to the discussions.

Business

1.    Apologies for Absence
Leisgeulan

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Ms E Knox and Ms N Sinclair.

2.    Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

The Committee NOTED the following declarations of interest:-

Item 3 – Mr A Baxter, Mr A Christie, Mr K Gowans and Mrs B McAllister (all non-financial)

3.    Return to Schools

Declarations of Interest: 

Mr A Baxter, Mr A Christie and Mr K Gowans declared non-financial interests in this item on the grounds that they had children enrolled in primary or secondary school but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that their interests did not preclude their involvement in the discussion.

Mrs B McAllister declared a non-financial interest on the grounds that two family members were involved in education but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that her interest did not preclude her involvement in the discussion.

A.    Education Improvement Strategy

There had been circulated Report No EDU/10A/20 dated 22 July 2020 by the Head of Education.

The Chair welcomed Head Teachers from Dingwall Academy, Portree High School, Thurso High School, Kingussie High School and St Clement’s Special School and thanked them, as representatives of all Head Teachers and school staff, for their hard work in recent months, both in terms of supporting pupils using blended learning and in preparing for a return to school.

He reiterated the challenging times everyone had lived through and how schools had been expected to deliver education in a blended manner, support staff and pupils, and adapt to using sometimes inconsistent technology.  In addition, Area Care and Learning Managers and the EIT had been expected to support schools with learning and a health and wellbeing agenda, work together to plan for the different return to school scenarios and prepare information and gradings for the SQA.  It had been a huge ask but staff and pupils, supported by parents, had stepped up to the mark.

The Vice Chair also commended pupils and teaching staff for their achievements in what had been a unique and difficult time.  However, he hoped that the outstanding results would not be overshadowed by the debate on moderation, which he suggested should take place at another time.  Pupils whose results were lower than they expected had the option to appeal and he was sure there would be further positive developments.  He went on to speak about his experience of working as a setter and marker for the SQA and the rigorous moderation and benchmarking that took place.  There was always a debate about standards, consistency and fairness and there were often anomalies that needed to be analysed.  He reiterated that this was a time to celebrate success, reinforce the excellent achievements of staff and pupils, and wait for the final outcomes of the appeals process to be analysed.

The Opposition Spokesperson for Education, Councillor Graham MacKenzie, concurred with the comments made by the Chair and Vice Chair, particularly in relation to moderation.  Disputes arose every year, and there was a robust, open and transparent appeals process which it was hoped would resolve the majority of concerns.  He added his congratulations to everyone in the education sector for what had been achieved over the past few months.  The work to support pupils, present assessments and provide evidence had been done remarkably quickly, which was testimony to the professionalism of staff.  Attainment had not only improved but had improved over and above the national trend, which had also increased.  He particularly welcomed the progress in numeracy and literacy and in schools that had received Scottish Attainment Challenge Funding, emphasising that it was now necessary to build on this success.  He concluded by recognising the contribution of parents, many of whom had become teachers overnight and had encouraged and developed children during what had been a hugely traumatic time.

Thereafter, following an introduction by the Head of Education, the Head Teachers in attendance spoke in detail to the work taking place in their school communities, particularly in relation to the three key themes of improvement vision; communities and wider partners; and growth, courage and parent partnerships.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• Members commended the inspirational contributions by Head Teachers, which demonstrated the pride they had in their schools; a clear degree of vision; a diverse, innovative and comprehensive approach; and an understanding of their communities and young people;
• improvements in attainment did not happen overnight, and were the result of years of tracking and monitoring;
• concern was expressed regarding the health and wellbeing of pupils who had not achieved the results they had hoped for.  It was important to listen and understand and it was hoped that the SQA would take into account the views of teachers who had worked with the pupils and knew what they were capable of.  It was also important to remember that there were other pathways available through UHI;
• the ability to problem-solve and innovate would be of huge value going forward.  It was necessary to reimagine the Highlands and prepare pupils for jobs in both traditional and non-traditional industries;
• attainment increased when learning was made relevant to pupils;
• degree graduates had not been able to have a graduation ceremony this year and thanks were expressed to the Provost of Inverness for agreeing to illuminate Ness Bridge and Inverness Castle to celebrate their success;
• the way in which schools had adapted quickly to ensure learning continued in what was a challenging time was commended.  In addition, thanks were expressed to pupils who had had to learn in a different way, and to parents who had had to home-school their children;
• it was requested that a report be presented to a future meeting of the Committee to assure Members of the transparency and validity of the SQA appeals process.  The Chair confirmed that a report would be prepared following the appeals process, adding that it was important to get Head Teachers’ reflections.  He also confirmed that the Head of Education would send information to Members on where they could direct queries regarding appeals;
• whilst welcoming the contributions from Head Teachers, their schools were not representative of all schools in Highland.  It would be helpful to know more about what was happening in the Inverness City Area as it had the largest schools, particular reference being made to Millburn Academy;
• it would be helpful to receive feedback from pupils on how they had been managing;
• it was useful to hear direct from Head Teachers, and it was exciting that Highland was on an upward trajectory in terms of attainment;
• the system needed to change based on recent experiences, it being necessary to emphasise to pupils the importance of prelims and that they might inform their final results should such a situation arise again;
• concern was expressed that pupils’ grades had been marked down based on their school’s past performance.  Significant improvements had been made in Highland and it was important to ensure this was reflected in the final grades.  it was necessary to review as much information as possible, including case studies of pupils who had been marked down, from a cross-section of Highland schools, and as many appeal results as possible to ensure pupils got the grades they deserved and Highland got the average marks it deserved;
• concern was expressed regarding the impact of the evaluation process on the results in respect of Inverness High School;
• whilst society placed a high value on education, the system was desperately under-resourced;
• there was going to be a quantum leap in the number of SQA appeals.  Concern was expressed that the system would be overstretched and it was suggested that communication take place with the SQA in that regard;
• the appeals system had to work as young people’s futures depended on the outcomes;
• the innovative way in which Pupil Equity Fund monies had been used was commended and it was hoped that the Council would support the continued provision of PEF funding to Thurso High School;
• whilst it was important to be proud of the high achievers, the reference by Head Teachers to supporting the remaining 80% of pupils was welcomed;
• the work taking place at Kingussie High School in terms of engaging with young people and giving them opportunities was exemplar and the introduction of 30 new courses was welcomed.  However, it was questioned whether the number of new courses was contributing to a deterioration in the traditional skills of reading, writing and arithmetic;
• in relation to digital learning, some of the more remote communities in Highland had connectivity issues and it was important this was addressed;
• education was for all and the emphasis on inclusion was welcomed;
• the views of Head Teachers were sought on whether teachers required special training on how to conduct distance learning and whether this should be given greater emphasis by the education authority in future;
• the need for flexible funding, with decisions being made by local practitioners based on local need, was emphasised;positive destinations had historically meant different things in different places.  A university first approach could sometimes be detrimental to pupils and the value of apprenticeships and vocational learning was emphasised.  Reference was made to Thurso High School’s dialogue with local employers, which was putting in place the building blocks for pupils to get the skills and attributes they needed to grow as people, and giving them the best possible start;
• local solutions were the way forward and it was necessary to enable Head Teachers as much as possible to make that a reality;
• concern was expressed regarding the disparity in terms of attainment and achievement in areas with the lowest Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) scores compared with the least deprived areas, and a number of statistics were quoted.  It was not a fair or equitable system, and it was hoped it could be improved upon in Highland;
• the report referred to the empowerment of staff and the views of Head Teachers were sought in that regard.  Empowering staff was to be welcomed provided it was meaningful and not just a token gesture.  It was necessary to listen and value the expertise, knowledge and abilities of staff;
• in relation to the refurbishment of Inverness High School, concern was expressed that the wrong ovens had been installed and that, by not admitting that a mistake had been made, the Council was discriminating against pupils from what was one of the most deprived areas in Highland by not providing them with the opportunity to take part in national certification.  The mistake had been pointed out as far back as October 2019 and there was an opportunity to rectify it while the contractors were still on site, thereby giving staff the basic equipment they needed to help pupils raise their attainment and achieve positive destinations.  It was hoped that a quick and satisfactory solution could be reached to enable pupils to be all they could be, and that the aspirations in the report also applied to Inverness High School.  It was added that the school had been operating as a building site for years, and pupils and teaching staff had had to contend with that.  Whilst it was recognised that it was a capital project and therefore outwith the remit of the Education Committee, it was important to provide the right environment for education to take place and a request was made that the project be completed before or as soon as possible after the return to school date;
• it was important to get the foundations of literacy and numeracy right in primary school but it was necessary to be more creative and vocational when children reached secondary school.  Many young people were not academic but were not mature enough to leave school in S4.  They still needed the nurturing environment that school provided and should be encouraged to stay on and explore other avenues;
• inspirational and dedicated teachers that made a difference to children’s lives were the Council’s biggest asset and it was necessary to invest in them;
• it was heartening to hear how well the young people at St Clement’s Special School had responded to online learning, and of the parental partnerships that had been established.  The home learning environment had helped some children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) to flourish and it was necessary to look at how to build on that so that the benefits were not lost when children returned to school;
• the “Gaelic with Granny” initiative at St Clement’s Special School was commended, and showed what could be done with support;
• it was important to recognise that improving education was a team effort, and the contributions from Head Teachers in terms of what was happening with teachers, parents and pupils were a welcome addition to the report;
• in relation to the priorities set out in section 4.1 of the report, it was hoped that more detail on the expected outcomes and opportunities for monitoring progress would be provided in a future report;
• in relation to the secondary school attainment meetings described in section 4.2 of the report, information was sought on what training EIT members had received and what involvement Education Scotland had had in supporting that training;
• the school inspection process had changed significantly in recent years and a request was made that Education Scotland representatives be invited to attend a future meeting of the Committee to give a presentation in that regard.  The Chair confirmed that this would be taken forward;
• today’s meeting had demonstrated the benefits of hearing direct from teachers and it was suggested that, in future, when embarking on new initiatives, the views of Head Teachers be collated via the Highland Secondary and Primary Head Teachers Groups and expressed to the Committee.  The Chair confirmed that he had always encouraged Head Teachers and staff to attend the Committee and that would continue;
• in relation to section 4.6 of the report, it was questioned where the funding was going to come from;
• in relation to the engagement work described in sections 4.7 and 5.2 of the report, there was no reference to engagement with Members and it would be helpful to see how it was going to be incorporated;
• tribute was paid to all staff involved in putting together the online learning model that had been used during lockdown.  The quality was exceptional, and it had allowed some teachers to excel in a remote situation.  However, in relation to pupils that had not participated, information was sought on how what they had missed would be measured and how this would be addressed;
• the work that had taken place in respect of transitions was commended;
• in relation to SQA results, when the estimated grades had been put together pupils should have been entitled to know what they were;
• in relation to the working groups that had been established, it was necessary to work in partnership and it was suggested that they should not only be led by EIT members;
• in relation to health and wellbeing, the way in which schools had looked after and maintained contact with their pupils was commended;
• it would be helpful, at a future meeting, to recap the education improvement agenda and the associated goals and timelines;
• it would be interesting to have an overview of the findings of the staff survey;
• it was queried whether, in the event of another lockdown, senior pupils could be kept on track in some way so their academic learning did not stall;
• in relation to young people with conditions such as autism, information was sought on what steps had been taken to identify need and develop bespoke ways to help them cope.  It was added that it might be necessary to identify extra resources as the need could be significant;
• the former Change Team, now part of the newly formed EIT, had been established on a temporary basis and it was queried whether it was intended to make the EIT a permanent part of the education management structure.  If so, it would be necessary to identify a budget for the team.  In addition, the schools whose Head Teachers were involved in the Change Team/EIT currently had acting Head Teachers and needed clarity regarding the direction of travel for their school; and
• information was sought on who was involved in the EIT; what groups were included in school communities; the current position in respect of the Northern Alliance, including who the Council’s representative was; what issues there had been in terms of digital support; when school inspections would resume; how pupils would be assessed when they returned to school; the current position in Highland in terms of the Curriculum for Excellence; what support was being put in place for teachers, who would be under significant pressure when schools returned; what plans had been put in place to recommence face to face music lessons and make them as safe as possible; what plans had been put in place to monitor and evaluate the return to school; what plans were in place to continue digital learning for pupils on reduced timetables, some of whom had thrived during lockdown; and how it was intended to get pupils who had not engaged in online learning to engage in the event of a second lockdown.

Officers and Head Teachers responded in detail to the points/questions raised, during which it was confirmed that:-

• a report on the four key themes being focused upon over the next year, and the associated outcomes, would be presented to a future meeting of the Committee;
• officers would liaise with Area Committee Chairs with a view to devoting significant time, during the next round of Area Committees, to exploring the collaborative and collegiate partnership approach being taken and the good practice taking place.  Education representatives would provide detailed information on a number of the points raised during discussion including school inspections, staff survey findings, and the experiences of young people and staff during lockdown and on returning to school; and
• restructure papers would come forward, as quickly as possible, throughout the new school session.

Thereafter, the Committee:-

i.    NOTED the content of the report;
ii.    NOTED the external validation from Education Scotland of the good practice that was emerging in the Highlands regarding curricular recovery, digital learning, health and wellbeing and Gaelic provision, and the positive feedback from Education Scotland regarding local delivery planning and the return of schools;
iii.    AGREED to recognise the progress that had been made in bringing key leaders together in taking a collaborative approach to the improvement of education within the Highlands, and NOTED the importance of this continued focus; 
iv.    AGREED that a report on the SQA appeals process be presented to the September meeting of the Committee; and
v.    AGREED that consideration be given to inviting representatives of Education Scotland to a future meeting of the Committee to give a presentation on the school inspection process.

B.    Schools Reopening 12 August 2020

There had been circulated Report No EDU/10B/20 dated 3 August 2020 by the Executive Chief Officer – Education and Learning.

The Chair paid tribute to all school and council staff who had supported the return to school agenda which had changed on an almost daily basis and had been effectively supported by the Return to School Project Board and 11 subgroups.  He referred to the work happening at school level in terms of risk assessments and planning for three scenarios as well as all the other areas relating to cleaning, transport, communication etc.

He also thanked non-teaching staff such as cleaners, school catering staff, Facilities Management (FM) staff, refuse lorry drivers and staff, amenities personnel etc as preparing to return to schools was a massive task and was truly a team effort.

He emphasised that as the Council discussed recovery and moving forward, it was important to ensure that it was in partnership with valued third sector organisations as well as children and families and communities.  The tremendous work done across all organisations during the pandemic needed to be recognised and acknowledged; many organisations had been working hard supporting children and families and he thanked them for all they had done.  It was clear that it was not a Highland Council recovery plan that was needed but a Highland recovery plan developed and informed by views across all sectors and with the voices of children and families being heard.  It was about true partnership and co-production as only by working together would the best outcomes be achieved for Highland communities as children returned to school.

Gillian Newman, Highland Children’s Forum, then spoke about the Letters from Lockdown competition which had resulted in 185 letters from children and young people that would become an educational resource.  A report in that regard would be presented to the next meeting of the Committee, and it was hoped that some of the prize winners could attend.  The competition had highlighted a number of positives that it was necessary to build upon.  However, the children that had taken part had probably had a better experience of lockdown than those who had not engaged.

She went on to explain that, throughout the pandemic, the third sector had been delivering the Council’s priorities in terms of supporting young people and families.  However, communication between the Council and third sector organisations had not always enabled that, particular reference being made to CHIP+ who were funded by the Council to deliver the statutory obligation to inform parents about the Additional Support for Learning Act and had found it difficult to get information during lockdown.  Many families had an increasing level of anxiety and did not want to return their children to school as they were not confident in, or were not aware of, the arrangements that had been made.  A paper by Bernadette Cairns, Principal Educational Psychologist, on transitions for young people with ASN was welcomed.  However, not everyone had had the same experience and reference was made to feedback from a parent support group which indicated that a large proportion of children with ASN going back in to mainstream education had no transitions plan in place.

The Young Carers team had been working with young carers to help them develop their own transitions plans and, whilst the young people were looking forward to returning to school to see their friends and get some respite from their caring duties, they also had concerns about being penalised for not keeping up with their work, taking infections home to family members who were shielding, and being late for school, particularly given the stringent entrance/exit arrangements that would now be in place.

Some families would have had to deal with stresses such as relationship or financial difficulties, domestic abuse and job losses and young people who had not previously been vulnerable might now be.  However, it was reassuring to know that it had been noticed who had not engaged.  Concern was expressed regarding young people with complex conditions that had deteriorated, and how that would affect their education.  In addition, services such as the Neuro Developmental Assessment Service had not been operating so there were vulnerabilities in that regard.

Overall, there was a real opportunity to listen to children and young people and build on their experiences.  They were citizens in the making who were interested in what was going on and how they could contribute.  She concluded by referring to the various implications set out in Committee reports.  The Scottish Government was keen to see a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment on all policy documents, and it would be helpful if this was included in future Council reports.  The Chair confirmed that this could be taken forward.

Following an introduction by the Chief Executive, discussion took place during which the following issues were raised:-

• thanks were expressed to Gillian Newman for her important contribution, as well as to Bernadette Cairns, Principal Educational Psychologist, and Toni Macartney, Head Teacher, St Clement’s Special School, for their work with children with ASN;
• the anxiety of children, parents and teachers about the return to school were recognised;
• it was requested that consideration be given to a Highland Wellbeing Week in schools, culminating in a Covid-19 Hygiene Certificate.  The Chair welcomed the idea and confirmed that it would be taken forward;
• FM teams had worked tirelessly to get schools to ready to reopen and it was necessary to seek their feedback and consider what lessons could be learned.  It was suggested that there should be a bottom up and top down approach and it was hoped that systems could be put in place that were easier for FM staff to manage;
• it was hoped that the hygiene measures that had been put in place would mean there would be no instances during the coming winter of schools being closed due to other viral infections such as Norovirus;
• it was important to acknowledge the efforts of teaching staff, who had had to quickly adapt to delivering education in ways they were unfamiliar with;
• behavioural traits, as yet unknown, would manifest as a result of the pandemic.  They would be amplified in children with ASN and information was sought on what plans were in place to support not only children with ASN but their parents.  It was likely that there would be an increased demand for ASN support and the Council needed to be in a position to cope;
• communications from schools regarding the return to school had been variable and it was necessary to look at the reasons for that;
• it was queried whether the necessary support was in place for staff, parents and children, and whether there were sufficient quantities of PPE in schools;
• if the virus could not be eradicated there would continue to be outbreaks and the factors that had led to the current lockdown in Aberdeen were no different to Inverness.  It would help to alleviate the anxieties of parents and young people returning to school if more information could be provided on what would happen in the event of an outbreak and what the criteria would be for locking down individual schools;
• reference was made to a study in the USA that challenged the earlier thinking regarding the transmission of Covid-19 amongst children;
• public health was the greatest challenge, and Members reiterated the call for public health representatives to attend the Committee to discuss how they were feeding in to what was happening in terms of education and the intense support that was going to be required over the coming months;
• concern was expressed that schools would not open as smoothly as they usually would and it was queried whether staff could be redeployed into schools to deal what could potentially be a deluge of enquires from parents and to ensure that support services were on hand to react as quickly as possible;
• it would be a sensible health measure to ensure that the maximum number of children were outside the school building at any one time and information was sought on what had been done to ensure that outdoor learning opportunities were maximised;
• information was requested regarding the fitting of protective screens on buses used by pupils and members of the public; the use of face coverings by secondary school pupils on buses and in school; the potential to carry out random temperature checks on pupils on a daily basis; and whether breakfast and after school clubs for working families would operate as usual;
• there was ample information available to respond positively to parents’ questions in terms of how likely it was that their child would contract Covid-19 from going back to school, how ill they were likely to get and how likely they were to transmit it to family members.  The risks were very low and information was sought on what steps had been taken to explain this;
• thanks were expressed to all staff involved in preparing for the return to school;
• whilst school buildings were being deep-cleaned before staff and pupils returned, cleaning needed to be ongoing and it was hoped that sufficient time had been scheduled for the stringent regime that would be required;
• parents were concerned about the money they had paid out for school trips and whether this would be reimbursed.  The Chair confirmed that this matter would be considered at the forthcoming Corporate Resources Committee; and
• new research indicated that 16-18 year olds were a high risk group and it was queried whether the Council could facilitate extra vigilance for this group.  In that regard, it was suggested that any Wards with Covid funding remaining could purchase electronic thermometers for schools; and
• whilst appreciating the comments regarding the low risk in Highland, chances should not be taken, and reference was made to the long-term health implications coming to light.

Officers responded in detail to the points/questions raised, during which it was confirmed that:-

• Head Teachers had been asked to ensure that local Members were included in any communications regarding the return to school;
• the latest guidelines from the Education Advisory Group would be circulated to Members; and
• drop-in sessions would be offered to Members over the next couple of weeks to provide reassurance in terms of any issues being raised by teachers or constituents.

Thereafter, the Committee:-

i.    NOTED the context as set out within the report, and the latest Scottish Government Direction regarding education provision and return to school;
ii.    AGREED that the opportunity to return to school would be in place for all Highland children by 18 August 2020;
iii.    NOTED the ongoing additional support and infrastructure provided by partners and central Council services would require ongoing review as children and young people were educated in school settings from August onwards; and
iv.    AGREED that consideration be given to a Highland Wellbeing Week in schools, culminating in a Covid-19 Hygiene Certificate.

4.    Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Update

There had been circulated Report No EDU/11/20 dated 3 August 2020 by the Head of Resources.

During discussion, the following points were made:-

• the Chairman explained that this report built on the decisions and discussions from the last Education Committee around ELC and gave additional information including further guidance and advice from the Scottish Government.  He emphasised that this was about ongoing expansion to 1140 hours across the authority, not if, but when.  Unlike some other local authorities Highland Council was not rolling all settings back to 600 hours but instead were maintaining hours at what they were before lockdown.  He took the opportunity to mention the importance attached to the support and input received during lockdown from partner providers and many third sector organisations;
• disappointment was however expressed at the lack of progress.  Highland Council had been lagging behind many other local authorities in Scotland with many nearby either having met, or being close to, meeting the 1140 hours requirement.  Last year the underspend in this budget had been £5.262m and, although £800k had been used to provide emergency childcare during lockdown, there was still over £4m unspent.   This year’s budget was £31.37m and, at the end of Quarter 1, £25.71m was still to be used;
• a much quicker approach was needed to support parents and children.  Parental expectations had been raised and it was estimated that the savings per child per annum was £4,500, money which could be in the local economy.  It was acknowledged that the universal statutory requirement to provide 1140 hours had been removed in recognition it couldn’t be provided everywhere but it was not intended to halt progress;
• the money should be ringfenced, not set against other costs and used to address budget deficits;
• the provision of 1140 hours involved jobs, at a time when jobs were at a premium;
• the lack of progress would impact negatively in the most deprived areas of Highland where parents were unable to access this provision.  There were, in fact, some areas of deprivation, such as Wick, which had no provision of 1140 hours whatsoever despite a local provider making preliminary arrangements to expand.  As a result of the delay it now looked like the Council had backtracked.  It was questioned what difference it would make to the Education budget to provide 30 nursery places to 2 year olds at 1140 hours from a deprived area, living in poverty, balanced against their ability to play, learn, have a hot meal and the opportunity to start school at the same development stage as their peers and the opportunities this would give them;
• many Highland centres and partner agencies would be able to move to 1140 hours and should be allowed to do so.  Where not, some clarity should be provided;
• it was widely recognised that GME pupils had suffered more than their English Medium counterparts due to the lack of interaction and 1140 hours should be targeted at them with a degree of urgency; 
• some communities had raised funds towards the provision of ELC and it was important the Council was supportive of such communities by opening such facilities, recognising their endeavours; 
• it was unfair to compare Highland Council with other often more urban areas where the rollout of 1140 hours would have been easier; and
• the Chairman suggested that, given the previous discussion about the need to review the result appeal process and Members were seeking an urgent review of the provision of 1140 hours, the Education Committee scheduled for 3 September be moved to be 30 September to allow consideration of both these matters.

The Committee:-

i.    NOTED the update information provided in relation to ELC and plans for provision as part of the wider return of school and ELC settings from August 2020;
ii.    NOTED the update on a setting by setting basis as per Appendix 1 of the report;
iii.    AGREED that an urgent review of the proposed 1140 hours delivery be undertaken with the report on that review being brought to the next Committee which includes an assessment of which providers are ready to deliver 1140 hours, assesses the impact of Covid-19 on the ability to implement the roll out of 1140 hours, what options are available to address this and a proposed detailed timetable; and
iv.    AGREED that the Education Committee scheduled to take place on 3 September be re-scheduled to Wednesday 30 September 2020.

5.    Teacher Recruitment - Update

There had been circulated Report No EDU/12/20 dated 3 August 2020 by the Chief Executive.

During discussion, the following points were made:-

• the Chair commended all the staff involved in teacher recruitment.  With the Scottish Government about to announce additional funding to assist with education recovery, he looked forward to additional teachers being recruited;
• it had been understood that Head Teacher posts were to be filled during the summer period but this had not happened.  In response, it was confirmed that interviews had taken place but, for various reasons, appointments were not made.  Nevertheless, the filling of these posts remained a priority; and
• it was important that the money attributed to filling teaching posts before the summer recess in schools was ringfenced and would not be resourced from the new Scottish Government funding.

The Committee NOTED:-

i.    the position regarding the appointment of main grade primary and secondary teachers to date;
ii.    the position regarding the planned recruitment activity to be undertaken during August; and
iii.    the initial plan for the use of proposed additional funding for the recruitment of teaching and support staff to assist with education recovery, subject to the confirmation of grant funding.

6.    Education Committee Seminars/Workshops

There had been circulated Report No EDU/13/20 dated 31 July 2020 by the Head of Education.

The Chair explained the purpose of these was to keep Members informed.  Education professionals and Head Teachers would be brought in with the aim of facilitating more casual, but focused, discussion and, as already agreed, now that the Education Committee had been rescheduled, the original date of 3 September could be used as a seminar date.  It was suggested that the seminar proposed to consider ASN in October could also be moved so the Committee could consider the matter of  ASN at an earlier stage.  However, it was explained there was considerable work ongoing with major stakeholders and time was needed to complete this given the importance of ASN. 

The Committee AGREED that confirmation of the dates of the first phase of workshops from August to December 2020 be circulated to Members.

The meeting concluded at 3.30 pm