The Inspectorate is to give Aberdeen Pounds 5,000 to encourage schools to publish their own “standards and quality” reports modelled on the national HMI review of school performance. The money would be used to provide class cover for meetings and other expenses.
The unusual move follows the hope expressed by Douglas Osler, head of the Inspectorate, when the national report was launched last June that schools would take such a step as part of their own evaluation efforts and as an earnest of their intention to make themselves more publicly accountable.
The six Aberdeen schools asked to take part are Causewayend, Cornhill and Dyce primaries, Harlaw and Oldmachar Academies and Marlpool Special School. Their participation depends on agreement being reached with the teaching staff.
The project will undertake action research to discover the practical implications of writing school reports on standards and quality. “The report is intended to provide reliable information in a form that is accessible and straightforward to produce,” the city’s education committee was told this week.
The schools chosen will deploy the Inspectorate’s 33 performance indicators published last year under the title “How Good is Our School?” These cover seven key areas of school activity from teaching and management to resources and ethos.
