Quality Assurance in Education Authority Peripatetic Sensory Services
Self-Evaluation by Peripatetic Sensory Services
A project funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department
Published 2001
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- Foreword
- Members of the writing group
- Introduction
- How to use this document
- Summary
- Key Area 1: Requirement for Intervention / Support by Service
- Key Area 2: Ethos
- Key Area 3: Management, Planning and Service Delivery
- Key Area 4: Learning, Teaching and Support
- Key Area 5: Attainment
- Resources and references
- Contacts and addresses
This document, Self-Evaluation by Peripatetic Sensory Services, aims to contribute to the development of quality assurance procedures for peripatetic sensory services. As these services work closely with colleagues in schools, care has been taken to ensure that these procedures follow the approach and refer to the performance indicators of How good is our school? There should be a familiar 'feel' to the document although most of the content is new, dealing as it does with the aspects and features of concern to those who provide services to children and young people with sensory impairment.
There have been peripatetic services for deaf children in Scotland since the 1950s. On a personal note, I was the first peripatetic teacher of children with visual impairment in Scotland when I was appointed to be counsellor to parents and teachers of visually handicapped (sic) children in Strathclyde Region in 1978. Many councils in Scotland now have combined services for children who are deaf or who are visually impaired. This document sets out to help all involved in supporting inclusion and working with schools, parents and pupils to help all children and young people with sensory impairment to achieve as best they can and to enjoy their school experience.
This project was funded by the Scottish Executive to support self-evaluation in the sensory services. It aims to help teachers in sensory services to evaluate their own practice. The draft version of this document was circulated for consultation to members of the Forum of Heads of Schools and Sensory Services and to voluntary organisations working in the field of sensory impairment. Many valuable suggestions and much positive feedback were given which heartened the writing team in the demanding task which they carried out, with great energy and dedication, within the very short time-span of two months. Dr. Mike Gibson, HM Inspector, provided advice during the process of writing.
Self Evaluation by Peripatetic Sensory Services will now proudly join the other documents which provide the self-evaluation framework for schools and services in Scotland. I hope that this new document will be welcomed and used widely by peripatetic sensory services in the process of self-evaluation to ensure the continued development and improvement of service delivery throughout Scotland.
Marianna Buultjens
Co-ordinator of the Scottish Sensory Centre
Geraldine Elliott - Depute Head of Visiting Teaching and Support Service, St Giles' Centre, Edinburgh
Joan Haston - Assistant Head Teacher, Resource Centre for Visually Impaired Pupils, Uddingston Grammar School
Anne Morris - Head of Service for Children and Young People with Sensory Impairments, Fife
Carole Sturt - Co-ordinator, West Lothian Hearing Impaired Services
Hilary McColl - Consultant editor
Acknowledgements
The writing group acknowledges the contribution of many staff working in sensory services and other organisations across Scotland who provided helpful comments on draft versions of this document.
The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect those of the Scottish Executive Education Department which funded the project and this publication.