Today new information on performance of leavers from S4-S6 has been added to the Parentzone Scotland website this year, in line with the ongoing implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.
The new information covers five areas:
- initial leavers destinations
- attainment in literacy and numeracy of school leavers
- attainment in context of deprivation by SIMD quintile for school leavers
- whole school attainment and
- number of awards at SCQF levels for school leavers.
You can read the full statement from the Scottish Government and visit Parentzone here.
SPTC takes the view that one of the most important ways to build trust between parents and schools/local authorities is through openness and sharing: we often bemoan the poor quality information provided to parents, particularly where public information which should be freely accessible to all.
Education Scotland’s addition of school performance information to the ParentZone website is a positive step in the right direction: from our experience most parents want to know what is happening in their own child’s school, and possibly how it compares with the school across town or up the road. The information on ParentZone helps parents to do that.
SPTC has been asked to review the information and how it is presented: while we feel some of the tables, charts and language are quite difficult to understand – for example tariff scores and virtual comparators – we hope this is a positive first step, and that over time the range, relevance and accessibility of the information will improve with feedback from parents themselves, and as data builds up over the years.
We hope more parents will use the information now it is readily available through ParentZone and that Education Scotland will listen to the comments and questions they receive from parents. At the end of the day performance data is only one aspect of the information parents want, but it is important information which helps parents ask the right questions of their school.