A collaborative approach to trackin acheivement with a focus on skills in Alva Academy: Background

In late 2023, Education Scotland CLD officers published the Achievement Project in Forth Valley and West Lothian (FVWL). This  research project was carried out by Education Scotland and partners in the FVWL Regional Improvement Collaborative (RIC). It investigated how young people’s personal achievements, out with the formal curriculum, were recognised and recorded across schools and CLD providers. The report concluded with ten recommendations for schools and community partners.  These focused on steps to support a broader range of children and young people’s achievements to be recognised, recorded and tracked throughout their education journey. Some of these recommendations highlighted where the Community Learning and Development (CLD) sector and schools could work together to support improvement.

Recommendation 3: Schools and CLD providers should develop local collaborative partnerships to support the development of achievement opportunities and youth awards. This should involve staff upskilling, shadowing and practice sharing opportunities at a local level. Partnership agreements should be co-designed and regularly evaluated. 

Recommendation 4: Schools and CLD partners, including youth work providers and youth award providers, should work together to build a common language to recognise children and young people’s personal achievements – in school and in their communities.

In addition, recommendation eight outlined that the Youth Work Outcomes and Skills framework could be a useful tool in helping the wider education system map skills that are being developed by children and young people through personal achievements 

Recommendation 8: This pilot has demonstrated that the Youth Work Outcomes and Skills Framework is a valuable tool to support shared planning and evaluation between youth work partners and schools. It also allows for accurate and meaningful skills mapping for children and young people. Professional learning and support in FVWL to increase awareness and use of the Framework should be a priority.

School staff who took part in the original project stated that they needed tools to help them accurately map young people's skills development through participation in achievement opportunities.  Youth work and CLD teams also noted that the framework is already an effective tool used to demonstrate the impact youth work has on skill development, articulation and reflection.  

Wider than this region, there is evidence surrounding the provision of achievement opportunities and their ability to grow skills. Youth awards are widely used across the youth work and formal education sector to create opportunities for young people to build and recognise their own skills achievements. A recent report from the Awards Network highlighted that:

'Youth awards can be an important factor in empowering young people to be active and engaged agents in their own learning. Youth awards can facilitate the recognition of young people’s rights in their learning journey and provide a means with which to recognise their achievements and skills beyond the classroom.' 

Pg 13 Acting on Achievement Report (2024)

Key messages within the FVWL Achievement Project were mirrored in the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment (2023) which identified a need for a more holistic recognition of learners achievements, skills and competencies: 

'learners should have opportunities to have recognised broader evidence of their achievements socially, culturally and economically. Many learners held a strong view on this broader view of recognising their achievements'  pg. 33

Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment

This supports views gathered from young people participating in youth work during the National Discussion, who called for education to better value their skills and achievements through youth work. 

Additionally, the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development highlights the role of youth work and wider CLD partners in improving school attendance and engagement. It describes the positive impact of the sector’s ability to provide tailored learning pathways and approaches (recognising that the classroom doesn’t work for every learner), skills development, and support for those who need it.  

Although the research for the basis of this pilot was localised to one region, the findings and recommendations connect well with national policy and guidance. The recommendations help to measure young people’s Opportunities for Personal Achievement – one of the 4 contexts for learning in Scottish Curriculum for Excellence.