National Islands Plan: annual report 2023

Education

Strategic objective 12 – Promote and improve education for all throughout life

Commitment 12.1 Work with UHI, the University of Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt University, Robert Gordon University and other education providers to ensure a broad range of options are available to young people.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Scottish Government is aware that a range of positive work has been taken forward in recent academic years within UHI, University of Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt University and Robert Gordon University to ensure young people in Islands communities have access to a wide range of opportunities throughout the lifelong learning and skills system. We will continue to engage with those institutions to monitor ongoing work over the coming academic year.

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)

Following an online event in May 2023, a full UHI Islands Forum event was held in September 2023 at the UHI Shetland Lerwick campus. It provided an opportunity to review the development of the UHI Islands Strategy as well as offering an overview of UHI’s engagement with Island Growth Deal projects. The event included engagement with the relevant local authorities, and stakeholder such as Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Government and Bòrd na Gàidhlig on their key strategic priorities. A further virtual UHI Island Forum was held in January 2024.

University of Aberdeen

The University of Aberdeen delivers the Reach element of National Schools Programme, supporting pupils from rural communities interested in law, medicine and (new for 2023-24) vet medicine in collaboration with SRUC. In order to ensure parity of offering to young people from island communities, funding is offered to attend all in-person events and efforts are made to ensure that timings of events do not preclude those from island communities attending.

The University is working on expanding the Reach model to other disciplines through the Access Aberdeen programme, which delivers advice and guidance to learners to ensure they have the information they need to make informed choices about their futures. In line with research conducted with school pupils, the University is delivering a mix of online and in-person activities in academic year 2023-24 to allow anyone to attend regardless of geographical location. Where in-person is the best medium, funding will again be offered to support attendance from young people in the islands.

In addition, two careers’ fairs were held in island locations in 2023, one in Shetland (SDS) and one on Lewis (UCAS).

The University’s Access and Articulation Team have designated Secondary/High Schools on the islands as priority schools. The University also decided to guarantee an adjusted, conditional offer of entry to most of their degrees to any pupil from a priority school meeting the minimum entry criteria, therefore taking into account the exceptional circumstances found on the islands.

Heriot-Watt University (HWU)

The throughput of Masters students at HWU’s Orkney Campus is widely acknowledged as a key contributor to Orkney’s green energy leadership. Incoming students, and graduates that choose to stay and work locally in the sector, are helping to reverse the ‘brain drain’ and depopulation seen elsewhere in the Highlands and Islands region.

In collaboration with the Orkney Research and Innovation Campus (ORIC) as well as commercial and higher education partners, HWU is contributing to the development of an Orkney Innovation Strategy. The latter is intended to enhance the innovation ecosystem in Orkney, increasing interaction between public, private, third and higher education sectors around renewable energy and the blue economy. This work will also identify strategic goals and priorities for ORIC’s development.

Robert Gordon University (RGU)

RGU leads on two of the work packages that are part of the TalEntEd Islands programme. These focus on entrepreneurship and intra-preneurship respectively and are delivered in close collaboration with the three islands local authorities.

Following the launch of the RGU Orkney 2023-2028 strategy, the RGU Orkney Advisory Group was established. Members include Orkney Islands Council, ORIC, HITRANS, Destination Orkney, Serco-Northlink, Orkney International Island Games and NHS Orkney and Voluntary Action Orkney. Key strategy themes include housing, transport, health and wellbeing and entrepreneurship.

As tenants of ORIC, RGU have supported the development of the ORIC Islands Growth Deal programme working with other tenants to draft an innovation strategy for the campus.

The Orkney Community Clinic, a partnership between the Blide Trust and the RGU Law School, has run throughout the year. The clinic offers confidential and independent advice to those on low incomes in Orkney on areas of social welfare law such as housing, employment, consumer rights, family law and more.

Commitment 12.2 Support UHI as it deepens collaboration with island partners to promote learner pathways, innovation and industry/employer engagement.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• The UHI Islands Strategy Director role will continue to be important and support close partnership work with the SG Islands Team through a collaborative, solution-focused approach that seeks to maximise the opportunities that arise through overlapping work streams and synergies, such as UHI projects associated the Islands Growth Deal and Islands Programme investment. Critically this work interconnects as a result of shared priorities, identified through both the Islands Strategy and the SG’s National Islands Plan.
• Ongoing work on Student Retention and Talent Attraction and Retention programmes to support students to stay, including linking with employers, especially those with skills shortages.

Please see commitments 1.2 and 2.2 for more information on skills planning, Talent Attraction and Migration Service for Scotland, and graduate retention.

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)

UHI undertook a review of their Islands Strategy and a revised document was approved in November 2023. The University’s involvement in projects supported through the Islands Growth Deal (see commitment 1.1) is one of the key focus areas.

These projects include TalEntEd Islands, a UHI-led collaborative project with Heriot- Watt and Robert Gordon universities that focuses on fast-tracking the decarbonisation of the islands by creating opportunities for education, entre and intrapreneurship and commercialisation that support the increase in sustainable ‘green’ jobs across all three island groups.

Islands Programme – UHI Stornoway Campus

Through the 2023-24 round of the Islands Programme, the Scottish Government has contributed £250,000 towards the redevelopment of the UHI Stornoway Campus to enhance learning and training facilities and enable innovative approaches to digital and distance learning. A range of mobile facilities and equipment will further support equality of opportunity and enable outreach capability in Uist and Barra. The Islands Programme funding will support Mobile Equipment and Facilities and Immersive Classroom Technology.

Commitment 12.3 Ensure that young people are given the same opportunities to access education as young people on mainland Scotland.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Education Scotland will include island practitioners in groups and professional learning reviewing curriculum pathways and curriculum planning to continue to increase access to the curriculum for all children and young people.
• The Rural Skills Accelerator programme will include a mobile STEM Academy which will serve island and rural communities in Argyll and Bute.

e-Sgoil

e-Sgoil was established in the Western Isles in 2016, initially offering more equitable access to opportunities for learners across the island archipelago, before quickly expanding to offer a national e-learning service enable young people to access learning opportunities that might otherwise be restricted because of geography or staff availability. e-Sgoil is now delivered by a network of more than 60 partner organisations and employers.

The role of e-Sgoil continues to be important in the support of Gaelic education at all levels, from for formal qualifications through the medium of Gaelic to less formal support and post-school learning. E-Sgoil also provides Gaelic early years sessions and informal session for Gaelic speaking young people to encourage fluency and confidence in the language.

Argyll and Bute Growth Deal

The Scottish and UK Governments committed up to £25 million each for the Argyll and Bute Growth Deal over 10 years, with Heads of Terms signed in February 2021. The Deal, shaped by local input involves collaboration with partners including the Scottish Futures Trust, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Enterprise and various educational institutions to further develop their proposals.

Scottish Government officials are collaborating with the UK Government, Argyll and Bute Council, and partners to agree the Full Deal for project delivery. This will involve the development and approval of the necessary full deal documents (implementation, governance, and financial plans) and outline business cases for each of the projects included in the Heads of Terms agreement. Good progress is being made and there is a shared ambition to conclude the Full Deal as soon as possible.

Commitment 12.4 Work with young people across Scottish islands to ensure that they are able to contribute to the implementation of the Plan from an education perspective and to ensure that their voices are present.

Commitment fulfilled – This commitment was fulfilled in 2020. Please see the National Islands Plan Annual Report 2020 for further details.

Commitment 12.5 Continue to support and promote Gaelic medium education at all levels.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• A wide range of projects and initiatives are in place to promote and support Gaelic medium education at all levels. This involves SG, a number of local authorities, public bodies and Gaelic organisations. We will continue to support Northern Alliance working group for Gaelic to support collaborative improvement.
• The Scottish Government is committed towards exploring the establishment of a new strategic approach to Gaelic Medium Education. This was consulted on in 2022 and relevant provisions will be made in the forthcoming Scottish Languages Bill.
• We will continue to use evidence and independent evaluation to celebrate success, support improvement and raise standards in Gaelic Medium and Learner Education; taking forward the scrutiny objectives of HM Inspectors’ Corporate and Gaelic Language Plans bespoke to island contexts.

The Scottish Government continues to work with local authorities responsible for the delivery of Gaelic and with public bodies that have a key role in promoting the use of Gaelic.

In November 2023, the Scottish Government introduced the Scottish Languages Bill to the Scottish Parliament. This Bill will include Gaelic education provisions which are expected to promote and support Gaelic education in island communities.

Please see commitment 12.7 for more information on Gaelic Medium Education.

Commitment 12.6 Work with all island authorities to scope potential projects that could benefit from successive phases of the new £1 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme which runs until 2026.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• The £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme prioritises schools identified by local authorities as in need of updating, to ensure rapid progress where most required, and will benefit tens of thousands of pupils across Scotland.
• Phase three of the Learning Estate Investment programme opened to local authorities in 2022, and successful projects will be announced by July 2023. Any bids for funding from island authorities, through Phase three of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, will be given careful consideration.

The £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) prioritises schools in need of updating, as identified by local authorities, and will benefit tens of thousands of pupils across Scotland.

A total of 47 projects have been selected to be supported through Phases 1, 2 and 3 of the LEIP, which includes at least one priority project in all six of the island authorities.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with COSLA, local authorities and Scottish Futures Trust to explore how we can deliver further improvements in the school estate.

Commitment 12.7 Increase our collective efforts to improve the educational outcomes of children living in poverty by continuing to support island authorities/schools plans to raise attainment through Scottish Attainment Challenge programmes such as Pupil Equity Funding.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• Education Scotland will continue to collaborate with island authorities to improve educational outcomes of children living in poverty. Five Attainment Advisors work with local authority central staff and individual schools to continue to improve the use of data, identify need and develop appropriate interventions to close the poverty related attainment gap. Joint cross-island professional learning is taking place to develop skills in data use and how to make best use of the Pupil Equity Funding.
• HM Inspectors will continue to share practice using social media campaigns, dedicated sections within Scotland Learns newsletters, webinars and inclusion within thematic reports and other publications. By means of an example, HMI have ensured islands were part of the evidence gathering of the following thematic reports:

  Local approaches to recovery: a thematic review

  Evaluation of Foundation Apprenticeships – March 2022

  Responsive, supportive and resilient communities – September 2022

  Approaches to recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools

  Effective practice from islands was also shared in professional learning resources. The practitioner resources have self-evaluation and improvement frameworks and exemplars of effective practice:

  Sharing scrutiny evidence on Gaelic Medium Education – early learning and childcare total immersion

  Sharing inspection evidence: leadership and primary Gaelic Medium and Learner Education

  Sharing scrutiny evidence on Gaelic Medium Education – secondary curriculum

Education Scotland – Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC)

Attainment Advisors linked with island local authorities have continued to provide support and challenge to schools and central staff. This is leading to improvement in outcomes in Primary 1, 4 and 7 in a number of areas and is contributing to the national improvement toward closing the poverty related attainment gap.

Attainment Advisors linked to Orkney, Shetland and CnES have collaborated with local authorities and Scottish Government to develop means to compare data across islands and monitor improvements in local authorities where there are no children and young people living in Scottish index of multiple deprivation (SIMD) quintiles 1 or 5. This will support better comparison and collaboration to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Education Scotland have been working with island authorities through the Northern Alliance. The focus has been on developing a shared standard across schools to support the improvement in learning, teaching and assessment, as measured through outcomes of inspection.

As part of the national drive to improve attendance, Attainment Advisors offered support and advice to island local authorities and involved them in the Attendance ‘Deep Dive’ which led to Education Scotland’s national report on attendance. All island local authorities continue to have access to support where required.

HM Inspectors

HM Inspectors successfully delivered the public commitment set out in the annual programme of scrutiny by August 2023. Gaelic Medium and Learner Education was inspected in early learning and childcare, primary and secondary schools across island communities. The sample of inspections included dual medium provision and Gaelic (Learners). At individual establishment level, HM Inspectors identified strengths and areas for improvement, including those bespoke to Gaelic.

The Inspectorate prioritise having an HM Inspector with sector expertise leading inspections for Gaelic Medium Education within the early learning and childcare and school sectors. This enables HMI inspectors to provide specialised first-hand evaluation of the quality of education, promote improvement in Gaelic Education, share highly effective practice and inform the development of educational policy and practice. In such inspections, HM Inspectors use Gaelic language and model high-quality and visible leadership of the language.

HM Inspectors build capacity and gather evidence of children and young people’s range and quality of experience in learning and immersion. In 2022, prior to resuming inspections, HM Inspectors carried out recovery visits to schools and education settings in islands to engage in professional dialogue with staff, learners and, if appropriate, parents and partners. HM Inspectors received a positive response from the Gaelic sector to self-nomination for these visits.

The Inspectorate aims to ensure that people who work on islands, and fulfil the criteria, continue to be represented in our recruitment of associate assessors.

Commitment 12.8 Consider the needs of adult learners in our island communities as we develop our adult learning strategy for Scotland.

Implementation Route Map 2023

• An Island Communities Impact Assessment was undertaken and published in May 2022. We will continue to engage with adult learners in our island communities to identify how we can remove barriers to learning as we deliver the Adult Learning Strategy for Scotland.

The Minister for Higher and Further Education and Minister for Veterans announced in December 2023 an Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) provision across Scotland. The review will examine the extent to which CLD is delivering positive outcomes for some of Scotland’s most vulnerable learners and marginalised groups. It will identify strengths in our current approach to CLD, including in island communities, and highlight where improvements may be necessary.