9.00-12.00 Meeting with Education Officers. Main item on the agenda was our Service Improvement Plan. This is a key document in shaping the direction of education in East Lothian as schools must take account of a series of obligations which reflect national legislation and local priorities. We have been developing a proportionate approach towards school development planning, i.e. where a school is clearly meeting any of the obligations identified in the Service Improvement Plan it need not feature in its plan. We are also keen that schools retain 15% headroom in ther plan for the coming year, which will give some space to tackle issues as they arise – which is often the case in reality.
We used the
Task Management Tracker (example) for the first time to monitor progress in January – it proved a very effective way of monitoring progress, see links –
Statement of intent;
Task Management Tracker background;
Ganntt charts
Yvonne Binks gave us a brief presentation at the start of the meeting about her work for the SEED to promote
Better Behaviour – Better Learning This could link very well with our on-going deliberations relating to the shape of our
emerging teaching and learning strategy as it provides an entry point for schools and teachers to develop their progress with a view to better engaging children
12.00 Met Gillian Reilly and Richard Parker to find out more about the Admin conference they have been organising along with a committee of colleagues.. The event is the first of its kind in East Lothian and will have over 130 admin support staff from schools and the department taking part this coming Wednesday. Thanks to all involved. Admin staff play such an important role in education and yet are all too often not given the recogition they deserve. For many parents they are the first point of contact and from a personal point of view I couldn’t do, or have done, my job without their support. I know its the same for all my colleagues.
Out to Musselburgh Grammar School for 1.00 to observe an enterprising event for Musselburgh Primary Schools.
Back for 3.00 to meet some parents.
4.00 Met with a colleague to provide some feedback from an interview.