What is the Cluster Working Review (CWR)?

In response to a number of strategic considerations facing Education Services over a period of years, we decided to look at the following strands of our provision to young people and families:

• Transition Activity P7-S1
• Dual zoning and catchment delineation
• Sustaining small schools

The strategic considerations that led to this Review were that:

1. 40% of Headteachers (HT) are eligible to retire in primary schools across Dumfries and Galloway in the next 4 years
2. there are increased expectations of staff as a result of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)
3. there has been an inability to recruit to teaching HT posts resulting in chronic instability for some schools
4. over all our schools there are falling rolls (5%) over the next 4 years
5. Headteachers have raised concerns over their workload when teaching and managing
6. Staff have concern over progression in learning from P7 to S1 impacting on success in secondary school
7. there is an inconsistency in learning and teaching in schools where the HT teaches and manages
8. Many young people are in peer groups of 5 or less

Initially we got agreement from Education Committee in July 2011 to temporary posts being put in place while we reviewed the above strands of our work.

How did we carry out the general consultation of the CWR?

The general consultation took place between October 2011 and April 2012. This was done through face-to-face meetings with staff and parents/carers, a public survey, extensive data collection and analysis. The evidence gathered led to a series of recommendations made to the Council's Education Committee in November 2012.

The key recommendation, based on our professional insight from the evidence gathered, is to formalise partnerships between non-denominational primary schools with a role of 150 or less to create non class committed Head Teachers and offer broader opportunities to meet the needs of all young people. This new arrangement will allow Head Teachers to focus on directing the curriculum and managing their staff. It will also mean that all children will have consistency in their learning and teaching as the HT will no longer leave the class for part of the week to focus on management.

You can read about the findings and recommendations of the CWR in detail here:

 CVR Education Committee 1 July 2011 [78kb]
 CWR Education Committee 13 November 2012 [102kb]

The Education Committee agreed in principle to partnering schools so that the role of class committed Head Teacher should be phased out.

To work out how to maximise the benefits of this and minimise the challenges we have been asked by Education Committee to hold a more specific stage of parent/carer and staff consultations.

Specific consultation stage - Where are we now?

A specific phase of public consultation about how these changes will be implemented took place recently. A round of 42 meetings with staff, parents/carers and a working group happened between January and mid-March throughout Dumfries and Galloway.

This is what people told us during this specific consultation:

•  Annandale and Eskdale Responses [89kb]
•  Evaluation Feedback - Annandale and Eskdale [137kb]
•  Nithsdale Responses [61kb]
•  Evaluation Feedback - Nithsdale [115kb]
•  Stewartry Responses [72kb]
•  Evaluation Feedback - Stewartry [119kb]
•  Wigtownshire Responses [113kb]
•  Evaluation Feedback - Wigtownshire [118kb]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As a result of the feedback from the first stage and from the consultation meetings in Phase 2, we are constantly updating a FAQ document which reflects common themes and questions around the proposal.

 CWR FAQs [101kb]

What are the proposals?

As you see above, Education Services has been involved in a significant strategic review with the aim of sustaining all our small schools and creating stability for families and staff in the future.

This process has been on-going over the last 20 months and we are now drawing together all of our  DRAFT proposals [53kb] to take to Elected Members.

During the consultation process we have heard clearly that the proposed partnerships between schools are of particular significance.  These partnerships are clearly in DRAFT as Elected Members will consider at the end of May.  They have been drawn together in consultation with Headteachers in particular, but are influenced by geography, current catchment delineation, future reviews agreed by Education Committee, capacity of buildings and travel routes - to name a few of the criteria.

Please continue to make use of the cwr@dumgal.gov.uk email address with any further comments and queries.