Education Governance - What it means for CLD

ELGIN GROUP 1 

Section 1 -  Head teachers charter

Assumption that head teachers know and value CLD.

Have head teacher the capacity

Head teachers often do not know the communities they work in

New connections to ensure that opportunities are open to everybody across the network.

Head teachers should be accountable to local communities and community partnerships

Feast or a famine

No mention of life long learning

Could be positive experience dependant on the views of the Head teacher – This should be assured.

ELGIN GROUP 2

Section 1:

Headteachers Charter

• Concern where CLD is in the radar and what the interpretation of CLD is.

• Conversations have to go beyond schools otherwise benefits of partnerships will be lost.

ABERDEEN group 1

Assumption that head teachers know and value CLD and its place within education and learning within the community – who may be the correct person to take the lead

Cant assume that Head Teachers know what we do, who we are – we need to be proactive so they do know.

Could be down to luck and specific teachers experience within each school community.

Have head teacher the capacity – already challenging to involve the whole school community  e.g disbandment of Learning Partnerships locally

Head teachers often do not know the communities they work in ,  issues around for out of school issues “ Drug and Alcohol dependencies, Mental Health, Vulnerable people, social isolation

An added and imbalanced focus may be on academic achievement and attainment rather than personal development and life skills

As the head of the community – who is accountable, who will take this on if not performing and delivery of services?

Gaps – how do we address them? Who addresses them, who’s responsible for finding out about them/dealing with them?

ABERDEEN Group 2

Section 1 – Headteachers’ Charter

Headteachers / Schools / Education????? Where is CLD? (Introduction)

We are a passing comment, not included.

Within the charter there must be a requirement to include others such as CLD practitioners. (pupils, communities, other partners.)

Language needs to be reviewed and made consistent. Glossary of terms – General comments

Does this allow Headteachers to opt out of standard approached?

Definition of minimum requirements for CLD provision. Stronger link to CLD guidance.

Should this be called the Educationalist Charter? Or the Learner Charter?

• CLD is barely even present in this
• would suggest minimum standard guidelines to ensure coherency between schools
• additional (mostly CLD) staff to meet requirements and ensure needs are met instead of stretching teachers thin
• concerns about headteachers being spread thin too- need more admin staff to cover additional workloads
• greater communication opportunities between school communities and wider communities
• suggest working collaboratively with established external youth and community work projects
• re: funding - community consultations should be held to ensure best use of resources instead of executive decisions being made by a sole party.
  

Glenrothes response  - 

It  has potential to have massive impact on CLD if it goes ahead as is.  The HT does not have the skills to get the parents who do not engage to engage.   It needs to be reflective of what the young people want and not a tick box for the HT.  The HT must be in a position to recognise the support they need from CLD field and be proactive in engaging in discussions well in advance to put the plans to work together in place.

WE are not getting it right for every kid - why not -  who can and who can influence - we would argue that ~CLD has the skills and knowledge.  What is the impact that a HT without a knowledge of a community can have?  Catastrophic!

Need for HT to be legislated to achieve CLD knowledge.  In that way they will have the knowledge of the approaches that CLD can take to help close the attainment gap.

External auditors focusing on community engagement and empowerment - CLD were having to make the connections for the education providers that they were doing stuff to achieve the work.    

Edinburgh Group 1

Question 1:

if heads are the leaders in how the curriculums are designed and provided in schools, theses decisions can be made for the wrong reasons i.e. to achieve targets, avoid school defacites not a holistic approach. 

Head teachers need to have a significantly improved understanding of the communities around their schools, not just the school community. 

Head Teachers should have the responsibility to engage with partners in a real manner, in early stages of the design of their school improvement plans.

Question 2

No mention occurs of the wider learning community rather than just the school community. 

An improvement which could be made to this question is to change the wording to learning community or simply community. 

Question 3

Why is the school improvement plan the most important part of the community? Is learning simply about targets?

question 4

staffing decisions - ht may not have an understanding of other professions/ partners, may only employ 'teachers' what about standardisation across Scotland, cultures could be created - equality and diversity.

question 5

for example PEF funding was completed in isolation - no wider true consultation - decisions were made before any input from partners.  again if worked in partnership from beginning would be improvement.  PEF often teachers expected to take additional roles - not specialities.

so real consultation before allocation - open to wider community.

question 6

wider or simply community rather than 'school' community - what is this??

question 7

overview of wider community, partnership working,