Westray Junior High School Vision, Values and Aims

Westray Junior High School Improvement Plan 2015 - 16 Westray Junior High School – Vision, Values and Aims .

We aim to develop successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors by:

1. Sharing creative, challenging and enjoyable learning in a safe and supportive environment.

2. Developing self-awareness and an understanding of the needs of others.

3. Being responsible and treating each other fairly.

4. Celebrating the culture and quality of life in our island.

5. Actively learning and working together as a community.

National Improvement Framework 4 key priorities:  Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy;  Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children;  Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing; and  Improvement in employability skills and sustained, positive school leaver destinations for all young people 6 key drivers of improvement – progress across all of these is needed to deliver the improvements we want to see for all children:  School leadership  Teacher professionalism  Parental engagement  Assessment of children’s progress  School improvement  Performance information HGIOS 4 Quality Indicators What is our capacity for improvement? Leadership and management Learning Provision Successes and Achievements How good is our leadership and How good is the quality of the care How good are we at ensuring the best approach to improvement? and education that we provide? possible outcomes for all our learners? 1.1 Self-evaluation for self-improvement 2.1 Safeguarding and child protection 3.1 Improving wellbeing, equality and inclusion 1.2 Leadership of learning 2.2 Curriculum 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement 1.3 Leadership of change 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment 3.3 Increasing creativity 1.4 Leadership and management of staff 2.4 Personalised support 1.5 Management of resources to promote equity 2.5 Family learning 2.6 Transitions 2.7 Partnerships Improvement Priorities

Priority 1

1. Improving wellbeing Q.I. 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion Features of highly effective practice Theme: Wellbeing Outdoor spaces are used effectively to promote (Primary Department) positive relationships and wellbeing. Staff take NIF Priority: Improvement in children and young people’s health and account of research linking benefits of outdoor wellbeing learning and green space with wellbeing. Key Driver: School Improvement Challenge Questions  To what extend are outdoor spaces used effectively to promote positive relationships and wellbeing? Outcome Key personnel Timescale Evidence used for evaluating success/impact Children will have the opportunity to Primary CTs May in-service day All staff are trained in the philosophy of play in a more engaging and Cath Diamond Main development to take place in Scrapstore Playpod. stimulating outdoor play 2017-18 session Equipment/resources are stored safely, with easy environment. access for all children Pupils develop responsible attitudes towards care of resources Feedback from pupils Feedback from Playground staff Children’s mental and emotional HL, JG, LH, SB Oct Pupils are knowledgeable of, and using, wellbeing is improved through strategies for self-awareness and are thinking training before acting.

Priority 2

2. Personal Learning Planning Q.I. 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment Features of highly effective practice Themes: Learning and Engagement, Effective Use of Learners receive high-quality feedback and have an Assessment, Planning, Tracking and Monitoring accurate understanding of their progress in learning (Primary Department) and what they need to do to improve.

NIF Priority: Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy Key Driver: Assessment of children’s progress Challenge Questions  How well are we enabling learners to become independent learners and develop the four capacities?  How effectively do we involve learners and parents in planning and evaluating learning?  How well do we enable all children and young people to engage in self- and peer-assessment to improve their learning? How do we know this benefits learning?

Outcome Key personnel Timescale Evidence used for evaluating success/impact Parents have been consulted with Oct 2016 Data received from parents analysed and shared with regard to communication about PT primary staff. learning. Current position regarding feedback Nov-Dec 2016 Minutes of discussions establish current position given to pupils has been PT/CTs established. Personal Learning Planning PT/CTs Dec-Jan Staff have become more familiar with possible exemplar materials have been approaches to Personal Learning Planning and its reviewed. impact on learning. Appropriate Personal Learning PT/CTs Dec-June Children have a better understanding of themselves Planning has been developed in the as learners and are more able to reflect on their Primary Department including the progress leading to more effective learning. use of Blogging. Children’s progress in learning is shared more effectively with parents to enable dialogue regarding meaningful next steps. Attainment is raised.

Priority 3

3. Curriculum Q.I. 2.2 Curriculum Features of highly effective practice Themes: Development of the curriculum Time is protected for professional learning and Awards, Wider Achievement, IDL, accredited collegiate working to develop the curriculum and short courses, Flexible Learning, BGE NIF Priorities: Improvement in employability skills and consider its impact on children and young people. Self-evaluation using HGIOS 4 and GTCS sustained, positive school leaver destinations for all Standards young people Key Drivers: Assessment of children’s progress Secondary Department, Challenge Questions  To what extent does our curriculum promote equity and raise attainment for all children and young people?  How do we ensure improvement for the learner is central to all self-evaluation activity?  Do all staff have sufficiently high aspirations and expectations for all children and young people?  How well do all staff know and understand the key tools to be used in self-evaluation activities including the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) Standards and other QI frameworks? Outcome Key personnel Timescale Evidence used for evaluating success/impact Identify next steps in development of BGE HT/CTs Nov - March courses, with a focus on wider achievement Self-evaluation of current provision with strength (Continued from last session) and developmental areas identified Draft curriculum produced HT March Impact assessment completed Draft peer reviewed by Junior High HTs and SIO. Review of draft curriculum by all All stakeholders March - May Stakeholder voice recorded stakeholders Amended curriculum produced and impact assessment completed Final curriculum written and in place HT June New BGE curriculum for 2017-18 academic year Students benefit from a balanced, challenging and engaging curriculum.

4. Raising Attainment through self-evaluation Q.I. 1.1 Self Evaluation for Self Improvement Features of highly effective practice 3.2 Raising Attainment and Achievement Confident teacher judgements together with (National priority – whole school) Theme: Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy benchmarking and an appropriate range of Collaborative approaches to self-evaluation assessments are leading to improvements in NIF Priority: Improvement in attainment, particularly in attainment. literacy and numeracy Key Drivers: Assessment of children’s progress; All staff, pupils, parents and partners are fully Teacher Professionalism: Parental Engagement involved in improving the life and work of the school. Challenge Questions  How well is assessment evidence used to inform teacher judgements?  How well is our focus on literacy and numeracy leading to raising attainment across the curriculum? Outcome Key personnel Timescale Evidence used for evaluating success/impact Achieving a level HT/CTs Nov - March Feedback from staff shows that they are confidently using and applying Benchmarks Increased collegiate working All staff Ongoing throughout year Collegiate staff meetings organised Staff-led section of each staff meeting All stakeholders are consulted on the quality HT Jan – March 2017 Ethos survey results collated of work in the school Survey results acted upon (carried over from previous session) Evaluation of impact of actions taken resulting from ethos survey results. TLC meetings focus on QIs from HGIOS 4 in HT Ongoing throughout year Minutes from staff meetings order to identify strengths and development Departmental self-evaluations in place with HGIOS 4 needs strengths and developmental needs identified. Overseen and agreed by HT/PT Departmental action plans created and embedded based on departmental self-evaluations. Priority 4

Priority 5

5. Establishment of Effective Learning and Q.I. 2.3 Learning, Teaching and Assessment Features of highly effective practice Teaching in the Middle Primary Themes: Learning and engagement, Quality of teaching, The learning environment is built on positive, Effective use of assessment, Planning, tracking and monitoring nurturing and appropriately challenging relationships which lead to high quality learning NIF Priority outcomes. Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and Planning is proportionate and manageable and numeracy Key Drivers: clearly identifies what is to be learned and School Improvement assessed. Processes for assessment and reporting are manageable and very effective in informing improvements in learning and teaching.

Challenge Questions  How well are we enabling learners to become independent learners and develop the four capacities?  How confident are we that all learners experience activities which are varied, differentiated, active and provided effective support and challenge?  How well do we apply the principles of planning, observation, assessment, recording and reporting as an integral feature of teaching and learning? Outcome Key personnel Timescale Evidence used for evaluating success/impact Effective structures are in place to ensure an PT/CTs Session 2016-17 Discussion with children effective learning environment in the Middle Informal feedback from parents Primary. Classroom observations Ongoing monitoring – as per calendar Analysis of performance data

Collegiate time is in place for primary staff to PT/CTs Session 2016-17 Minutes of meetings ensure a supportive ethos has been established for staff and pupils.

Priority 6

6. Developing nursery and pre-school provision Q.I. 1.1 Self-evaluation for self-improvement Features of highly effective practice 2.2 Curriculum; The views of children, parents/carers and (Nursery) Themes: Evidence-based improvement; families are effectively used to improve the life Learning and developmental pathways; and work of the setting. Engagement of parents and carers in the life of the setting There is a clear focus on the development of NIF Priority: Improvement in attainment, particularly in children’s skills in early language and mathematics. literacy and numeracy Key Driver: School Improvement

Challenge Questions  To what extent are all stakeholders (children, practitioners, parents/ carers and partners) involved in self-evaluation and planning for improvement?  What do we do to encourage a child’s sense of belonging and increase their knowledge within their wider community? Outcome Key personnel Timescale Evidence used for evaluating success/impact Numeracy to be embedded in everyday GR Dec 2016 Daily/weekly plans and photos show classroom activities to ensure children are how numeracy is embedded in developing skills in early mathematics everyday activities. More focused self-evaluation by staff to GR, HT April 2017 Written self-evaluations ensure positive change for children and Follow-up with HT on actions/next families steps clearly shows that there has been positive change Improved evaluation and review times with GR September 2016 Views of children, parents and staff are children and parents will ensure that all recorded stakeholders views are taken into Records show how all stakeholders’ consideration, and help improve the nursery views and being used to improve the and pre-school experience setting

Develop Social Studies through focus on GR June 2017 Daily planning, evaluations and photos ‘Our Community’ to ensure that children clearly show planned learning, as well have a clear sense of their part in the local as child-centred learning, that helps community, and to further develop children understand their part in the community partnerships community