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BREADALBANE ACADEMY

IMPROVEMENT PLAN

2013 - 2014

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National Outcomes No 4: Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens. No 5: Our young people have the best start in life and are ready to succeed No 6: We live longer healthier lives No 7: We have tackled significant inequalities in Scottish Society No 8: We Have improved life chances for children, young people and families at risk No 11: We have strong resilient and supportive communities, where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect each other

Education Services Responsibilities

• Extended Learning and Achievement Visits

• Professional Learning

• Professional Dialogue

• Building Capacity in Partnership

PKC Outcomes

1 Raising achievement for all; 2 Supporting vulnerable children and families; 3 Improving the quality of life for individuals and communities; and 4 Enabling the delivery of high quality public services.

Schools • Strategic 3 Year Plan

• Outcomes and measures of Impact (incremental 1 year at a time)

• Actions and Budgets (individual establishment choice of format) Self evaluation/ Standards and Quality

LMGs Session 2013 -14 LMG Action Plans will detail the work

External support and Scrutiny Validated Self Evaluation ( Local Authority) Services for Children’s Scrutiny (Child Protection) Education Scotland HMI

Stakeholders

• Children and Young people

• Parent, carers and the Community

• Staff

• Elected Members

The Scottish Government has identified a number of National Outcomes, which describe what it wants to achieve over the next ten years. They are designed as a focus for the Government and enable its priorities to be clearly understood. The National outcomes most relevant to Perth and Kinross, Education and Children’s Services and Education Scotland are:

PKC Statement of Intent: Our vision is of a confident and ambitious Perth and Kinross with a strong identity and clear outcomes that everyone works together to achieve. Our area will be vibrant and successful; a safe, secure and healthy environment; and a place where people and communities are nurtured and supported.

The School Improvement Framework Map The School Improvement Framework is based on national and local priorities and focuses on achieving better outcomes for children and young people.

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around one shared outcome

Values Working closely as a staff and with partners, we aim to give our learners a rich, broad curriculum with opportunities to develop confidence to contribute effectively to our community and beyond, and to have success in learning and life. We value our community and aspire to offer the highest quality of learning for children and their families. Learning will be relevant, motivating, inclusive and meet the needs of all learners. Our learners are actively involved in planning and assessing their own learning and next steps and their achievements are recognised and celebrated.

Totality of the Curriculum The curriculum from 3-18 is an appropriate blend of discrete subjects and interdisciplinary learning designed to be relevant to our learners. The learners, families and the community are involved in planned and spontaneous activities and events that are meaningful to our learners and our community. These provide opportunities for our learners to develop and achieve their potential. Working with our partners, we will ensure that achievements within and beyond school are valued, noted and celebrated.

Learning and Teaching All staff have a shared understanding of effective learning and teaching approaches and of the expectation of high standards in learning. Strategies employed are specifically selected to ensure learner engagement, challenge and enjoyment. Learners will be stretched to achieve the best they can individually. Active Learning, cooperative learning and outdoor learning are strategies used by all staff which, coupled with effective use of technologies, will provide a rich learning experience.

Experiences and Outcomes All the Experiences and Outcomes are used to plan relevant meaningful learning experiences for every child. This ensures consistent, progressive development of their knowledge, skills and attributes.

Entitlements Each child experiences a broad, coherent, relevant curriculum which meets their needs. All children have appropriate opportunities to develop the skills for learning, life and work, including the skills and attributes of the four capacities, and can talk about their progress in this area. All our children engage in learning experiences which enable them to develop their understanding of our world and Scotland's place in it, supported by their families and our community.

Our children, families, staff and community have high expectations of themselves and the school and play a significant role in improving our school. Every child experiences success.

Breadalbane Academy Strategic Plan

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Support Transition support at all levels and stages demonstrates best practice in ensuring each child is supported appropriately. All stakeholders are clear about agreed policy and practice in this area. Support needs for each child are identified, addressed and reviewed as needed to ensure that learning experiences meet their needs and that we make best use of all available resources.

Principles The seven principles of curriculum design underpin all planned learning experiences and are consistently used as an integral part of the quality assurance process.

Assessment The continuous cycle of learning, teaching and assessment is built on a sound foundation underpinned by the principles of Assessment for Learning. School, LMG, PKC and national moderation processes enable us to make sound judgements about each learner's progress which is supported by a bank of good quality evidence demonstrating breadth, challenge and application of knowledge, skills and attributes.

Outcomes and measures of impact What are the outcomes that you plan to achieve for your children, young people and families for this session?

Key Outcomes

What and how will you measure?

Our learners will be more actively involved in planning their learning and assessing their own progress. Learners will be able to explain how they learn, what they have learned and plan their next steps in learning.

What?

• Capacity of all to contribute ideas and suggestions and develop their learning in both knowledge and skills development.

• Ability of learners to collaborate with each other and staff to make the most of their learning and to articulate their learning.journey.

How ?

• Evidence of improved outcomes for learners from learning rounds, SMT QA visits, building baseline

assessments through SSLN Support materials, PKC Indicators and Skills Framework

• Individual pupils tracking and monitoring and quality learning conversations focusing on learners’ knowledge

of own progress. Profiles..

Breadalbane Academy - High level strategic outcomes

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Children and young people are better supported in their development and learning by all those responsible for and involved with them.

What?

• Impact of partnerships, multi–agency working and family involvement

• Parents and carers understanding of the principles and design of the curriculum

How ?

• Learner participation in improving levels of engagement and aspiration of and for all learners

• Planning discussions to ensure high expectations and aspirations appropriate and relevant learning

experiences

• Quality learning conversations with children and young people focusing on their skills development

All children and young people experience learning which takes account of local, national and international connections.

What?

• Monitoring of progress towards developing informed views on environmental, ethical and economic issues

• Assessment strategies that link with other areas of the curriculum, both within and outside the classroom, and

in the context of the global world of work and communication

How ?

• Evidence of learning experiences taking account of wider context than school alone

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STRATEGIC AREA: LEARNING and TEACHING

Target development area: Every member of staff will ensure high quality learning experiences,

Personnel Timescale

Resources including External Support

Specific action: All members of staff will ensure that the following will feature in all learning experiences

• Differentiation in learning, to ensure the needs of all learners are met.

• Pace and challenge to inspire learners to achieve their full potential

• Learners have regular opportunities to articulate their learning journey, including progress and next steps.

• Children and young people are at the centre of learning, having opportunities to decide, lead, deliver, support, plan and evaluate.

All members of staff will look for opportunities to develop literacy and numeracy skills in all classes 3-18.

• Through regular, active mental maths activities, children in nursery and primary will develop good mental agility.

• Through inter-disciplinary learning, topic work and other learning opportunities, pupils will experience and develop greater numerical skills.

• By regular reinforcement of these skills, pupils will be able to use their numeracy skills confidently and with accuracy within a range of situations/contexts.

• Opportunities will be planned for to ensure that pupils have a range of challenges to develop literacy skills across the curriculum.

All staff All staff All staff All staff All primary staff All staff All staff All staff

On-going as lessons are planned. On-going, as appropriate Regularly On-going Checked by regular assessment On-going

Consultation with SfL staff Departmental discussions/extension work Personal Support Tutor L&T Working Group Assessment materials Departmental courses/ whole school events (L&T Working Group)

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Expected Outcomes

All learners will be learning at an appropriate level, with appropriate pace / challenge All learners can articulate their learning journey Improved attainment in Literacy and Numeracy

Monitoring and Evaluation Classroom monitoring, learning rounds, SMT learning walks Learning conversations, portfolios, pupil questionnaires. Assessment and SQA results

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STRATEGIC AREA: LEARNING and TEACHING

Target development area: An ethos of high achievement for all which is shared by all

Personnel Timescale

Resources including External Support

Specific action:

• A variety of appropriate approaches are used which engage, challenge and support all learners, at all stages, to achieve their full potential.

• All planning for effective learning will take into account the variety of contexts for learning to maximise opportunities for achievement and attainment.

• Senior pupils will provide positive role models and peer mentors to younger pupils to engender a caring atmosphere where all aspire to be the best they can be.

• Learning conversations and on-going profiling will encourage achievement to be articulated, recorded and praised which will drive up the desire for higher achievement.

• Review how we celebrate success, with a particular focus on raising attainment and achievement in boys.

All staff All staff KG, support staff, senior pupils All staff SMT

On-going On-going On-going On-going Sept ’13 onwards

Dept discussions, TfEL policy, sharing good practice, learning rounds Peer support training Staff training, WG, praise postcards, merits Time to have consultation events.

Expected Outcomes

Pupils will be challenged to achieve their full potential Pupils will have more opportunities for achievement and attainment Pupils will be able to articulate their achievements Pupils will strive for higher attainment and achievement with an improvement in this area for boys

Monitoring and Evaluation Classroom observations, Learning Walks, Learning Round, feedback from pupils, assessment results, tracking information, SQA results, evaluation sheets (Nursery), learning logs, pupil profiles

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STRATEGIC AREA: CURRICULUM

Target development area: Our curriculum reflects the views, needs and aspirations of our stakeholders and relates to the community in which we live.

Personnel Timescale

Resources including External Support

Specific action:

• A curriculum map will be established for literacy and numeracy from Early Level to Third Level and for all secondary subject departments to ensure all staff

understand the plan.

• All secondary departments will focus on implementation of National 4 and 5 and development of Higher courses.

• Learners’ experiences will include Inter-disciplinary Learning developed from selected Es and Os to ensure deep learning.

• Every department will consult learners and partners in the planning, development and delivery of the curriculum.

• Every department will ensure that Health and Well-being is planned for.

• Learners will be actively involved in planning for improvement in the delivery of Health and Well-being.

• Every department will continue to plan for delivering skills for life, learning and work and contexts for our community and wider world.

• Teachers will continue to moderate levels in literacy, numeracy and subject areas.

SMT/ Literacy/Numeracy Coordinators Secondary Departments DHTs (Prim/Improv) Departments All staff and partners All staff All staff All staff All staff

By Dec ‘13 On-going On-going On-going On-going, by Oct ’13 On-going at various points in session On-going Nov Inset / on-going

P&K Documentation Education Scotland, SQA , P&K CINs / Tutors. Es and Os grid Time to meet partners Health and Well-being working group. Various partners. LMG/CIN colleagues. Departmental and collegiate time

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Expected Outcomes A curriculum map will be produced for literacy and numeracy for all levels Staff will be clear about the part they play in improving literacy and numeracy and HWB Nat 4 and Nat 5 courses will be successfully implemented Partners will be consulted and involved in planning, development and delivery

Monitoring and Evaluation DM minutes, WG minutes, Partners meetings

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STRATEGIC AREA: ATTAINMENT

Target development area: Improve attainment at all levels (3-18) by developing rigorous monitoring and tracking and taking specific action in identified areas

Personnel Timescale

Resources including External Support

Specific action:

• Nursery staff will use baseline assessment to facilitate planning for raised attainment.

• A whole-school working group will develop a tracking mechanism to track all learners (3-18) in literacy, numeracy and health and well-being.

• Review current mentoring system in S4 and extend that to include identified pupils who would benefit from mentoring.

• Scrutinise SQA and other data to focus on attainment in boys and decide on actions to improve this.

Nursery teacher and ECPs Tracking W/Group LL and mentors SMT / departments

By mid ~Sept By March ‘14 By Nov ‘13 By end Sept ‘13

Baseline Assessments ICT, meeting time, time for consultation Parents, business partners, meeting time STACS data, time.

Expected Outcomes

Nursery attainment will rise. Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Well-being will be tracked 3-18 Identified pupils experience better attainment Specific groups of boys will achieve better as a result of positive action

Monitoring and Evaluation Assessments, parental feedback, tracking in place, SQA results

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STRATEGIC AREA: ETHOS

Target development area: Through a commitment to change and improvement, develop a Nurturing School to better support all learners. Increase opportunities for learners to lead and contribute to school improvement Develop partnership working

Personnel Timescale

Resources including External Support

Specific action:

• Continue to offer Nurture training to increase the number of trained staff

• Produce guidelines for all staff to assist their understanding and improve practice in nurturing approaches.

• Arrange opportunities for all learners to evaluate lead and make decisions that will lead to improvement.

• Involve young people in peer mentoring, peer support to develop their skills and empathy towards others.

Further develop partnerships

• Increase opportunities for all staff to meet partners in learning provision

• Organise joint training events where appropriate to include partners

• Share and celebrate pupil achievements together with partners

KG LJS/KG/HM LJS / Youth Voice W/Group/ CLD KG / Support Dept LJS LJS / KG SMT

On-going By Oct ‘13 Beginning Sept ’13. On-going On-going On-going In-set / collegiate times Key times throughout session.

P&K training P&K Nurture Managers Time for consultation, Time for training, support to peer mentors/supporters. Meeting time Collegiate time / inset Planning time

Expected Outcomes All members of staff will understand the principles of nurture and will have developed nurturing skills.

Monitoring and Evaluation DM and WG minutes CPD records

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Learners will feel valued and cared for. Learners will feel they have a significant part to play in their own learning. Learners will have a positive influence on the experience of others.

Nurture guidelines will be developed. Re-shape Pupil Council.

Learning walks, behaviour log Feedback and questionnaires