Argyll and Bute Council’s Community Services Committee celebrated the successes and achievements of the area’s children and young people today when members approved the council’s Education Strategic Plan for 2022-2024.
The Strategic Plan is a requirement of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 and brings together a range of information about the work of the education service for parents, pupils, staff, carers and communities.
The 2022-2024 plan sets out the council’s key priorities over the next two years, which importantly continue to place a strong focus on the health and wellbeing of children and young people in Argyll and Bute.
The plan also includes a Recovery, Renewal and Progress Report for 2021-2022 that highlights the wide-ranging work carried out by the education service to ensure continued rapid recovery of Covid, including targeted recovery for vulnerable children and young people, and those most affected by the pandemic. Included in this is developing nurturing approaches, counselling in schools and creating a trauma informed workforce.
The plan praises the capabilities and skills of teachers in delivering learning via digital platforms, and celebrates the skills and confidence of pupils and their families in engaging with such learning.
It also looks at the success of the council’s roll out of 1140 hours Early Learning and Childcare and, moving forward, plans to refresh the council’s education strategy, Our Children, Their Future, in collaboration with stakeholders.
The Council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “I know first-hand the tremendous amount of work that our practitioners and leaders put in to prepare our children and young people for an ever-changing world. This document identifies the support that the education service provides to help them realise their ambitions in learning, life and work, and celebrates the many, many successes they have experienced over the last couple of years.
“COVID-19 continued to present an unprecedented challenge for education in Argyll and Bute and schools across Scotland in session 2021-2022. Our schools have been remarkable in supporting learners and families during what has continued to be a challenging time where relationships, leadership, health and wellbeing, and learning and teaching have been the core of recovery and renewal.
“We look forward as a service to capitalising on our strengths, building on the opportunities resultant from a changed world post-pandemic and ensuring the best for the children and young people in Argyll and Bute.”