This week has been very busy with a variety of meetings focusing on consultation and future plans.
On Monday I was involved in a telephone conference in relation to 1140 hours expansion programme for early years. This is a very important development across Scotland at this current time. All Authorities are asked to submit a delivery plan to be with Scottish Government by the 29th of September. The Early Years Service are working hard on this with other services of the council. This is a very big project. A consultation on the increased hours is currently available at:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HCFXQS3
Tuesday was the fortnightly Education Management meeting. We spent the majority of the time focusing on the self-evaluation return for Education Scotland who will return to the Authority on the 26th of September. Taking time to really focus on the work we have undertaken and asking the so what question was really beneficial and good to undertake this work as a team. We provided challenge to each other and support. To have challenge in a supportive and safe environment is a strong element of what makes us all better practitioners.
On Wednesday I spent the time in the office covering routine correspondence, meetings with individual staff and a meeting with Finance Department. Eilidh Petro our Principal Accountant is going off on maternity leave and she is being replaced by Anne MacDougall. I had a very informative and productive meeting as Eilidh took me through the handover. We wish Eilidh all the very best and look forward to welcoming baby Petro in the coming weeks.
On Thursday the Community Services Committee took place and Education submitted a variety of papers including:
- Annual Performance Review
- Inspection of the Education Functions of Argyll & Bute Council (INEA)
- SQA School Examination Results 2017
- Digital Learning Strategy
- The Expansion of Funded Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland
- Fair Funding to Achieve Excellence and Equity in Education: Consultation Response
- Teaching Staff Recruitment, Retention and Leadership in Argyll & Bute “Growing our Own”
- Scottish National Standardised Assessment
- Our Children, Their Future: Education Vision and Strategy
All papers can be viewed at:
https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=548&MId=7592&Ver=4
On Friday I travelled down to Hermitage Academy to carry out the short-leeting process for the Head Teacher post. This was a post which brought considerable interest and made the leeting a very difficult process with some outstanding candidates.
