Blueprint for Education

   

Stage 1 Consultation

Informal Consultation and Information Gathering

Blueprint Principles

1) To ensure strategic planning, effective leadership and quality assurance to bring about improvement;

2) To ensure effective partnership working;

3) To ensure that all families have access to quality early education and childcare provision;

4) To ensure all schools deliver Curriculum for Excellence, specifically, a broad curriculum, a breadth of experience, social interaction and learning experiences;

5) To ensure all learners experience smooth transitions between stages of learning, supported by the highest possible professional standards;

6) To ensure all learners in Shetland have equal opportunity throughout their educational experience to enable them to achieve their full potential;

7) To ensure that these principles are delivered within the Council’s Budget.

Teacher and Pupil Numbers

Shetland BirthsThe numbers of live births in Shetland from 1976 to 2008 provided by the General Registrar Office for Scotland and the Information Services Division of NHS Scotland contain a number of peaks, however, the general trend has been one of decline. This is supported by the falling school rolls figures for the same time period. Projected figures provided until the year 2031 suggest a similar rate of decline with birth rates falling from 240 in 2009 to 180 in 2019, and to 140 in 2031. Overall, the projected 0-15 age population of Shetland is projected to decline by 31% over the next 22 years.

Primary Full Cost per Pupil 08/09

SecondaryFull Cost per Pupil 08/09

Consultation

STAGE 1 – INFORMAL CONSULTATION

•What is being consulted on?

•Primary School Options•Secondary School Options•Relevant Factors

•Who is to be consulted?

•Parents•Pupils•Staff•Community Councils

The main purpose of the informal consultation is to gather information and engage with communities. Any formal proposals will

not be established until all the information and views collected are carefully considered.

ConsultationWhat will happen next?

STAGE 2 – CONSIDERATION OF CONSULTATION OUTCOMES

STAGE 3 – FORMAL PROPOSALS

Formal proposals to be put to elected members

STAGE 4 – STATUTORY CONSULTATION

•Educational Benefits Statement•Proposal Paper•Notice & Consultation Period•Public Meeting•HMIE•First Review Period•Consultation Report•Second Review Period

STAGE 5 – FINAL REPORT

Timetable

Shetland Islands CouncilBlueprint for Education Consultation Timeline

J an Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan2010 2011

Stage 1. Informal ConsultationStage 2. Consideration of Consultation OutcomesStage 3. Formal ProposalsStage 4. Statutory ConsultationStage 5. Final ProposalSG. Scottish Government 6 week period call-in notice period

Informal Consultation Starts Services Committee

Stage 1 Stage 2

June 17, 2010

3 Week Period endsAug 30, 2010 (tbc)

Statutory Consultation Begins

Dec 8, 2010

Shetland Islands Council

Oct 29, 2010 (tbc)

Shetland Islands Council

June 30, 2010

6 Week Period ends

Oct 8, 2010 (tbc)Jan 13, 2010

Stage 3 Stage 4

Nov 25, 2010

Stage 5

Services Committee

SG

What are the Relevant Factors?

•The Education Case

•Travel Distances and Times

•Future Pupil and Population Projections

•Community Planning and Use

•Rural Sustainability and Development

•Financial Considerations

•Other Alternatives

•Unique Local Factors

Curriculum for ExcellencePRIMARY SCHOOLS

In Primary Schools the curriculum will cover three stages:

Early years (the pre-school years and P1 or later for some)

First level (the end of P4, but earlier or later for some)

Second level (to the end of P7, but earlier or later for some). SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Secondary schools will use levels continuing on from the Primary. These will be:

Third and Fourth Level (S1-S3, but earlier for some) which will provide a broad general education.

Senior Phase (S4-6 and college or other means of study) which will be when the majority of qualifications will be taken.  As young people move forward to the qualifications stage, they will be taught more subject-based material and offered courses in specific subjects. The new qualifications will be awarded in 2014, until then students will continue to sit the existing qualifications.   

Curriculum for Excellence Entitlements

•A curriculum which is coherent from 3 to 18

•A broad general education, including well planned experiences and outcomes across all the curriculum areas from early years through to S3

•A senior phase of education after S3 which provides opportunities to obtain qualifications as well as to continue to develop the four capacities (successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens

•Opportunities to develop skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work (including career planning skills) which with a continuous focus on literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing

•Personal support to enable them to gain as much as possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for Excellence can provide

•Support in moving into positive and sustainable destinations beyond school

Curriculum for Excellence sets out expectations for learning in 8 areas - Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Languages, Mathematics, Religious and moral education, Sciences, Social Studies and Technologies.

Curriculum for Excellence Some local considerations

•The guidelines for the 8 curricular areas have been with all schools for some time and the new curriculum will begin in August 2010 for pupils in nursery, primary and S1.

•Shetlands Junior High Schools have secondary departments that operate from S1 to S4.

•The senior phase of curriculum for excellence will for most pupils begin after S3. The majority of pupils will not take specialist subject qualifications until the senior phase.

•Some of the options put forward for discussion include a change to the secondary education structure in Shetland and these include changing transfer points.

•The following options are for consideration and we are keen to gather your views on them and other options we have identified.

•The first pupils to enter the Senior Phase are the current P7 and they will begin the new qualifications in August 2013.

Proposals:Viable Options

Non Viable Options

Options for informal consultation for each area will appear here and are in

the Option Booklet.