Education, Culture and Sport

| Schools | Libraries | Sports Facilities | Community Learning |

ECS Vision

‘Working together to inspire learning and achievement in Highland communities’

Current Service Plan.

This is the biggest of the Council’s services, with 6,900 full and part time staff, including 2,932 teaching staff.  The Service is responsible for 31,425 pupils in 183 primary schools, 29 secondary schools, 156 nursery units; and 3 special schools. There are also 3 hostels for pupils and 100 partner centres providing pre school education.

High Life Highland 
Contact details and services provided by High Life Highland can be accessed from the High Life Highland page in In This Section on the right hand side of this page.

High Life Highland  delivers community learning and leisure services including library and information services on behalf of The Highland Council.

This includes: leisure centres; libraries (including mobile libraries); community education centres; a genealogy service; dedicated art galleries; regional museums;  public access personal computers in community libraries; day education centres; outdoor and residential centres; sports pitches and archive centres.

Arms Length Organisation (High Life Highland) - Supplementary Documents
Supplementary documents to the Business Case were presented to Education Culture and Sport Service Committee on 10 March 2011, to consider continuing the delivery of Community Learning and Leisure activity through the Council against the creation of an Arms Length Organisation for the delivery of Community Learning and Leisure activity.  These documents can be downloaded from the Current Documents section on the right hand side of this page:

  • VAT Analysis
  • Articles of Association
  • Property Agreement
  • Service Delivery Contract
  • Collections Agreement
  • Key Legal Issues 

ECS Values

  • Promoting sustainable communities through building the capacity of individuals and the community.
  • Meeting the needs of children, adults, families and communities through inclusive service provision, based on effective consultation.
  • Recognising our staff as our most valuable asset and ensure they are enabled to develop their skills, expertise and potential.
  • Promoting teamwork, collegiality and leadership at all levels within the Service.
  • Fostering the social and cultural values of the Highlands and its communities.
  • Improving our understanding of the world and our place in it.
  • Promoting achievement, health and well-being through education, arts, culture, sport and heritage.
  • Delivering continuously improving services through self-evaluation, quality assurance, planning and management.

ECS Service Improvement Priorities

  1. Develop and implement a Service Engagement Strategy with our stakeholders
  2. Improve service efficiency and information management
  3. Improve workforce planning and staff development
  4. Deliver the ECS Estate Strategy
  5. Implement the Curriculum for Excellence plan for Highland
  6. Implement the Gaelic Language Plan
  7. Continue to implement the More Choices More Chances agenda.
  8. Improve our self-evaluation and planning processes.
  9. Deliver the Council’s policies and strategies in cultural services.
  10. Deliver lifelong learning
  11. Deliver Your Choice to Healthy Living
  12. Support children to get the help they need when they need it.