Quality Services

Quality Services is part of the Education and Lifelong Learning Department. There are 3 other Services within Education and Lifelong Learning:

Quality Services is responsible for driving continuous improvement across every aspect of the Department through:

a structured and professional programme of quality improvement across the Portfolio monitoring policy and performance;
ensuring open and effective communications; and
improving and increasing the quality of professional review and continuing professional development.

Quality Services have a core staff of 10 including the Head of Service, with seconded senior teaching staff working on critical initiatives such as A Curriculum for Excellence and Feurstein - Instrumental Enrichment.

Our Vision and Values

Our vision is to ensure the highest quality learning and teaching experience for all through partnership working.

Our values guide the way our work which is focused on improving the quality of learning and teaching; contributing to an environment that recognises individual potential, achievement and attainment of all learners by demonstrating enthusiasm, professionalism, encouragement, support and appropriate challenge. Our commitment to best practice and fostering equality will help shape the framework for learning and personal development and ensure that our contribution to excellence is recognised and understood.

All of the Services' priorities are embedded in national quality frameworks and all of our work is cross-referred to these standards. The main quality frameworks used by the group are The Child at the Centre, How good is our school, Quality Management in Education and the National Priorities Performance Reporting Framework.

Our Aims

We have five clearly articulate aims

to develop the best learning and teaching experience for all that delivers high standards of achievement, creativity, motivation and ambition
to utilise our resources wisely to deliver effective, efficient and empowering learning environments for all
to promote inclusion and ensure equality of opportunity and access for all and to all areas of the service
to forge highly effective and productive partnerships and working practices with learners, staff, parents, professional colleagues and communities
to encourage and develop citizenship in ways that actively promote participation, confidence, responsibility pride and ambition

Priority Actions that will impact positive upon our schools in 2007 - 2010 are shown below. Further information on these actions and their context are included in 'Better - next steps for schools' a guide to our local improvement objectives.

Develop and implement a 3 - 18 curriculum for the Borders
Develop and communicate an approved strategy for the implementation of 'A Curriculum for Excellence'
Develop and implement policies and procedures to raise achievement and attainment levels of pupils and young people not in the mainstream education
Formalise the quality improvement framework for schools
Development and implement transition improvement between agencies and schools from birth to 18 years
Improve learning and teaching
Improve the quality of learning and teaching for children and young people with additional support needs
Restructure the Borders' learning environment
Improve the quality of the SBC teaching force
Develop use of technology to enhance future learning and support service
Establish framework for policies and procedures
Improve the health and well being of children and young people
Develop and improve sports, health and physical activities
Increase parental and young peoples involvement in schools and in children's learning and achievement opportunities
Support and develop all staff including review and development
Implement a strong Race Equality Policy and promote projects that foster diversity
Implement effective communications and consultation strategies
Develop a wide range of youth engagement opportunities
Raise awareness and appreciation of the environment with cultural and science initiatives

Standards and Quality Report 2006

A report on the department's progress, catalogued in line with the National Priorities framework will be published in March - copies of reports from previous years are available upon request online