Scottish Government
National Improvement Framework: Consultation on measuring the attainment gap and milestones towards closing it
20 November 2017
1. The NASUWT welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Scottish Government’s National Improvement Framework: Consultation on measuring the attainment gap and milestones towards closing it.
2. The NASUWT is the fastest growing teachers’ union in Scotland representing teachers and school leaders.
GENERAL COMMENTS
3. The NASUWT shares the Scottish Government’s ambition to work to systems that enhance standards of educational achievement and secure greater equity across the whole school system.
4. One of the most profound and damaging consequences of child poverty is the impact it has on pupils’ educational attainment, their wider wellbeing and their future life chances. The Union has campaigned consistently for more effective action to ensure that no child grows up in circumstances where they are deprived of the economic, social and cultural resources they need to thrive and make the most of their potential.
5. The Union is therefore in support of the establishment of a purposeful, coherent and integrated approach across Scottish Government policies and practices to tackling child poverty and social exclusion. Measuring the attainment gap will perform an important role in such a system and the NASUWT is keen to ensure a consistent national approach is adopted to both assessing the gap and the success of measures being taken to close it.
SPECIFIC COMMENTS
Q1 Have we based these proposals on the right principles?
6. The Union would broadly agree with the Scottish Government’s key principles to close the attainment gap, as set out in paragraph 12.
7. It must be recognised, however, that the nature of the data and indicators is such that they will only be meaningful when considered above school level. Considering trends at national and then local authority/regional level is the correct approach to adopt.
Q2 Do you agree with having a basket of key measures to assess the progress made?
8. The NASUWT agrees that combining a range of indicators provides more valid information than is possible through the use of any single measure.
Q3 Are the proposed key measures the right ones?
9. The Union is broadly supportive of the key measures outlined. It is important, however, to recognise the limitations of the data so they do not become crude performance indicators.
10. Undoubtedly, SIMD data is the correct approach to adopt: the Union would have had concerns with the use of free school meals inter alia given the variability of take-up. Nevertheless, it is important to recognise that SIMD quintiles have quite sharp boundaries, meaning that two children in almost the same circumstances will be in different boundaries. The Scottish Government must therefore be careful about relying heavily on the data collected and both understand and be open about its limitations.
Q4 Will this approach avoid the introduction of perverse incentives?
11. There is a strong case to be made for all the principles included in paragraph 12: ‘there should be a focus on literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing’. It is nevertheless important to ensure that other areas are not under-emphasised as a result. Where there is a system of high-stakes accountability, then the unintended consequence of this is that it will have a disproportionate effect on other areas of the curriculum. The NASUWT remains strongly supportive of the broad principles set out in the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) of breadth and balance. A range of learning experiences is central to ensuring wellbeing, and both breadth and balance in learning is necessary to close the attainment gap.
12. The Union agrees with the statement in paragraph 20 which stipulates that ‘SNSA results will not be used to measure the gap or progress towards closing it’.
Q5 Is 3rd level the right measure to use of attainment at S3?
13. The Union notes the intention to use the 3rd level at s3 and considers that its effectiveness as a measure of progress should be reviewed after the first couple of years.
Q6 Does the use of SCQF levels reflect a sound approach to measuring senior phase attainment? Are there other options such as Insight tarrif points?
14. The NASUWT supports the statement in paragraph 21 that ‘[w]e want this measure to be broader than just SQA qualifications, for example the inclusion of foundation apprenticeships, hence the use of SCQF levels’. It is entirely appropriate that the Scottish Government looks more widely than SQA qualifications to provide a broader measure and it is important that foundation apprenticeships are included in a move to progress towards greater parity of esteem.
Q7 How best can we give more meaning/clarity to the terms ‘SCQF 5’ and ‘SCQF 6’ so they are accessible to all?
15. The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework is a good visual aide which easily explains the framework, and its inclusion in any reports will assist in ensuring the information is more accessible.
Q8 Are these the right sub-measures? Are there others that should be included?
16. The Union would expect to be consulted over the range of options being considered to enable the gathering of health and wellbeing data. It is stated in paragraph 24 that ‘detailed information’ will be collected and further clarity is needed on what that will mean, as well as where the capacity for collecting such data is coming from. The Scottish Government is aware that the education workforce is creaking under the weight of excessive workload, and the NASUWT is keen to ensure this requirement does not result in any additional bureaucratic burden.
Q9 Is the use of stretch aims, by SIMD quintile, the right way to set milestones?
Q10 Are the stretch aims set at the right level?
17. The NASUWT supports the Scottish Government in its aim to be ambitious for children and young people in order to maximise their life chances. It is recognised that stretch aims are supportive of transformational change and that those set out by the Scottish Government represent very ambitious objectives. When setting ambitious targets for change, it is important to ensure those aims are clearly defined, and the NASUWT looks forward to continuing to work with the Scottish Government to review and revise these aims in due course.
18. Once the aims have been identified, the critical question and focus should be on how best to support the system to achieve these targets, and therein lies the Union’s greatest concerns regarding the implementation of the National Improvement Framework. Insufficient attention and focus has been given to supporting the recruitment and retention of the workforce. Moving forward, the following principles must be given greater prominence:
· the centrality of the workforce and teacher professionalism in raising standards and narrowing attainment gaps;
· the need to ensure that teachers and school leaders have working conditions that enable them to focus on their core professional functions and are recognised and rewarded as highly skilled professionals;
· ensuring that governance reform does not undermine downward pressure on teacher and school leader workload.
The best way to support raising attainment is to give teachers the time and space to teach and be leaders of learning in their classrooms. The workforce requires appropriate pay and terms and conditions and investment in staffing: equity will necessitate increased funding for the school system to ensure improved educational outcomes for the poorest and most disadvantaged in society.
Q11 Do you have any other comments on this consultation on measuring the attainment gap and milestones towards closing it?
19. The collection of data to support measuring the attainment gap cannot be considered in a vacuum and the inspectorate will play a key role both in monitoring and reporting back on work underway across the system. Were the school inspection system to operate a high-stakes model of accountability, this could also result in perverse incentives. It has never been more critical that a joined-up approach to policy development across the education system as a whole is undertaken and to ensure that Education Scotland provides the appropriate support and challenge to schools and local authorities via individual inspection.
20. If children are in insecure or poor-quality housing, do not have enough to eat or are anxious about their families’ finances, they will not be able to learn or achieve their best at school. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive strategy to address all of the social and economic factors which conspire to leave children and young people in poverty. While the Union accepts that UK economic policy, such as the benefits framework, will have a substantial impact on any initiative aimed at reducing poverty, it is nevertheless incumbent on the Scottish Government to work to address the causes of deprivation directly: children not in poverty are not impacted by poverty.
Chris Keates
General Secretary
For further information on the Union’s response, contact Jane Peckham, National Official (Scotland).
NASUWT Scotland
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NASUWT
The fastest growing teachers’ union in Scotland
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