A TOP council officer shared his “exceptional pride” in Renfrewshire’s teachers and education workers in a stirring speech at a key meeting.

Steven Quinn, director of Children’s Services, shone a light on the “fantastic work” of staff across the local authority’s schools and early years service on Thursday. 

Senior officers were fielding questions on the service improvement plan, which details the aims and ambitions of the department over the next three years. 

Referring to certain strategic priorities in the comprehensive report, Mr Quinn produced an impassioned address about education in the area. 

He told the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board: “We have prided ourselves in Renfrewshire over the last five, six years, and of course right through the pandemic in the innovative ways that we have approached literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing, and the work that our teachers and support staff across our nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools have done. 

“So much so that Renfrewshire Council became the first council in Scotland to be graded as excellent in terms of the progress they were making. 

“That is testimony to the central teams and to the school teams and to our teams in early years. 

“I think we must continue to acknowledge and to recognise the fantastic work of the teams across schools and early years, supported by our central teams, and indeed across our council services in Renfrewshire. 

“I have exceptional pride in what they’ve achieved and I’m delighted to see that in an improvement agenda, because we will always strive to do even more and do even better for our children and families in Renfrewshire.”

Councillor Edward Grady had questioned a reference in the document to “attainment” in early learning, adding: “Are we aware that there’s no such thing as attainment in nursery?”

Mr Quinn responded: “I believe attainment starts [in early years] — because it’s rich attainment, it’s about achievement, it’s about having the absolute best and our expectations for our children and our families whenever we are working with them, whether they’re 17 years old and dealing with advanced highers in sixth year or whether they’re two years old. 

“When I see the learning that takes place in our early years establishments, it is absolutely phenomenal. It’s quite incredible.

“In fact it is way beyond anything you’ll ever see in an advanced higher class or indeed at university. 

“So, I’m going to argue, councillor, for rich attainment, for achievement and for our children thriving from the moment they come into our care — not when they get to a senior phase.”