Standards & Quality Report JUNE 2015

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Report is to highlight and evaluate the work of Belmont Academy for Session 2014-15. The evaluations are based on several qualitative and quantitative sources as outlined below:

Meetings: Reviews/Visits: Stakeholder Views:

House Teams VSE Feedback Presentation (SAC) SSLN Departmental Personal Achievement Self-evaluation RRS Survey SLT SQA Review (and Action Plans) Anti-bullying Surveys MCMC Steering Group Nursing Services review Pupil Council Head Teachers/Joint Head Teachers Classroom Observations Pupil Voice Cluster RRS Visit (UNICEF) Senior Student Council School-College Partnership Education Scotland: Whole School Assemblies: Curriculum Architecture Group  Technologies Impact Review “You Said, We Did” Project Groups  Political Literacy review Staff Views/Questionnaires Whole School ISIS/Twilight  Evaluation of support for PE Parent Questionnaires QA (4 per annum) DMR/Efficiency Savings Group Chaplaincy Team Parent Council

In addition, statistical evidence has been gathered from SQA Exam results and STACs analysis for 2013-14. CEM data has been used as predictive indicators of performance as well as providing robust, reliable and objective information to help us facilitate self-evaluation and inform learning and teaching.

Other recent quantitative data includes attendance figures (particularly at the end of each term), positive destination statistics (from our SDS partner), and FME, LAAC and exclusion figures. This information has been used to ascertain current positions as well as making judgements with regards to improvements in the MCMC agenda, attainment performance and meeting pupils needs. Our VSE Authority Review Visit 2014 helped us gather crucial information about overall pupil experience and helped to determine strategic priorities for improvement for session 2014 -2015 specifically, but also for improvements in subsequent sessions including 2015-2016.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Whole school activities have centred on self-evaluation exercises where departments have worked collaboratively using HGIOS indicators to address:

How are we doing? How do we know? What are our next steps?

From here, staff have carried out Improvement Plan audits within their own departments, used DM Minutes, classroom and SLT observations and tracking data to support the writing of the S & Q Report as well as identify improvement priorities for next year. The SLT has traffic lighted last year’s Improvement Plan and gathered pertinent information from across the school.

We have carried out several surveys (see aforementioned) to ascertain the views of stakeholders. Along with the indicators outlined above these have been invaluable tools to support the prioritisation and direction of the Improvement Plan for 2015-16.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

THE SCHOOL CONTEXT

Belmont Academy is in the south west part of the town of . The information is based on a roll of 1279 pupils. The school has six partner primary schools – Alloway, Braehead, Doonfoot, Holmston, Kincaidston and Tarbolton. The school also has a large number of pupils who come on placing requests. In addition, the school links with Southcraig Campus a Special Needs school. The social-economic background of our pupil intake is very mixed. In the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) where Decile 1 is the most deprived and Decile 10 the most affluent the school roll breaks down as:

Decile 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Unknown No. 118 118 138 141 185 40 51 95 258 126 8 %age 9.2% 9.2% 10.8% 11.0% 14.5% 3.1% 4.0% 7.4% 20.2% 9.9% 0.01%

The table shows that 29.2% of our cohort fall in deciles 1, 2 and 3 which represent areas with the highest levels of deprivation. Nationally, these represent the most deprived 30% of the population. Similarly 37.5% of our cohort falls into deciles 8, 9 and 10 which represent highest levels of affluence. Nationally this equates to the least deprived 30% of the population. These figures are a reflection of the truly comprehensive nature of the school. We strive to cater for all pupils, maximising attainment and achievement.

The S1 intake has been capped at 240 which was initially planned to allow the school roll to drop to less than 1300. There are many placing requests from out with the catchment area. For session 2015-16 the S1 figure is 235. The school also has a consistently high staying –on rate. The table below shows the percentage of pupils who stay beyond their statutory leaving date.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Percentage of Students Staying On

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Sept 86 88 85 92 85 S5 All Jan S5 73 79 77 78 72 Students Sept 65 72 82 84 73 S6 Sept 88 87 87 90 85 S5 Male Jan S5 72 76 76 76 69 Students Sept 67 71 81 83 73 S6 Sept 85 89 84 95 85 S5 Female Jan S5 74 81 77 80 75 Students Sept 63 74 83 85 73 S6

The FSM entitlement is 14.7% @ 23.4.15 which equates to 189 pupils (based on a roll of 1279).

The positive destinations figures for 2013/14 can be seen below.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Leaver Destinations 2013/14

School Return

Total Total

Work

Other

Higher

Change

Further

Activity Leavers

Seeking

Positive

Training

Voluntary Voluntary

Education Education

Not Known

Not Seeking

Agreements

Employment

Unemployed Unemployed Unemployed Ayr Initial 20.8 45.4 7.7 15.4 3.1 6.2 1.5 130 92.3 7.7 -3.8 Academy Follow Up 18.5 42.3 6.9 18.5 2.3 10.0 1.5 130 88.5 11.5 Belmont Initial 44.6 31.8 0.9 12.4 0.4 0.4 9.0 0.4 233 90.6 9.4 0.8 Academy Follow Up 44.6 30.5 1.3 14.2 0.9 7.7 0.9 233 91.4 8.6 Carrick Initial 31.4 36.3 3.9 16.7 1.0 2.0 6.9 2.0 102 91.2 8.8 1.9 Academy Follow Up 28.4 39.2 1.0 23.5 1.0 4.9 2.0 102 93.1 6.9 Girvan Initial 30.6 34.2 1.8 13.5 6.3 11.7 1.8 111 86.5 13.5 -2.7 Academy Follow Up 30.6 29.7 5.4 15.3 0.9 1.8 12.6 3.6 111 83.8 16.2 Kyle Initial 57.4 22.0 4.3 7.8 0.7 1.4 5.7 0.7 141 93.6 6.4 -1.4 Academy Follow Up 56.0 15.6 5.7 14.2 0.7 7.1 0.7 141 92.2 7.8 Marr Initial 45.0 33.0 1.0 12.5 0.5 7.0 1.0 200 92.0 8.0 2.5 College Follow Up 44.5 33.0 0.5 16.5 4.5 1.0 200 94.5 5.5 Prestwick Initial 46.2 27.4 0.4 21.1 4.0 0.9 223 95.1 4.9 0.4 Academy Follow Up 46.6 26.0 1.3 20.6 0.9 3.6 0.9 223 95.5 4.5 Initial 44.0 33.6 2.6 12.9 0.9 6.0 116 94.0 6.0 QMA -2.7 Follow Up 41.7 28.7 0.9 19.1 0.9 7.8 0.9 115 91.3 8.7 South Initial 41.6 32.2 2.4 14.3 0.3 1.4 6.9 1.0 1,256 92.1 7.9 -0.2 Ayrshire Follow Up 40.7 30.1 2.5 17.5 0.3 0.7 6.9 1.3 1,255 91.9 8.1

The data for leaver destination is given for the previous session. The initial information is gathered in June and followed up in September to ascertain any changes. The school leaver destinations are very positive for the vast number of pupils with only 20 of the 233 leavers not in a positive destination. The figures are comparable with other schools in the Authority. However, we continue to find strategies to improve the opportunities for young people and will strive to improve this figure.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

VISION All our young people will achieve: Skills for Learning All young people will:  benefit from their education, the experience supporting them in different ways to maximise their potential  value their learning experience and achievements  build up a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding  understand the purpose and relevance of their learning  use technology for learning  think creatively and independently  learn autonomously and as part of a group  to be able to link and apply different kinds of learning to new situations

Skills for Life To help all young people:  understand diverse cultures and beliefs and support them in developing concern, tolerance, care and respect for themselves and others  understand the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and nations  pursue a healthy and active lifestyle  make informed decisions and achieve success in different activities

Skills for Work To give all young people:  the confidence, attributes and capabilities to make valuable contributions to society  the opportunities for further study and work through improved skills, greater confidence and improved attitudes to enterprise, work and lifelong learning  the ability to communicate in different ways, work in partnership, take the initiative and demonstrate leadership  the skills to apply critical thinking to solve problems and to be creative in new contexts

All underpinned by a continuing focus on literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

VALUES

Ensure everyone achieves their best

Develop the skills Provide a broad, to enable young balanced and people to appropriate embrace lifelong curriculum learning opportunities Maximising Potential

Ensure all pupils Develop access a full and citizenship, self- rewarding respect and educational respect for others experience

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

SCHOOL AIMS

Statement of School Aims

The aims of Belmont Academy have been developed in consultation with the staff, parents, Parent Council and pupils and other stakeholders.

Our school aims are founded on the shared values and ambitions of the school and its wider community. They take account of the needs of the pupils and reflect the improvement objectives of Council. Each aim has been expanded into a number of bullet points that illustrate the specific objectives that the school will seek to take forward in a range of initiatives over a yearly cycle of improvement plans. These objectives give a framework through which the school improvement plan will be developed. Initiatives outlined in the annual improvement plans are intended to make a major contribution to raising standards of achievement and to achieving the ongoing ambitions of Belmont Academy.

These are: 1. To promote and develop enquiring individuals by providing

1.1 the most effective learning and teaching for all pupils 1.2 a wide range of study and activity programmes for all pupils 1.3 challenging and well-resourced courses to stretch and motivate all pupils 1.4 a climate which encourages success and a sense of achievement for all

2. To be a purposeful and caring community by creating

2.1 both value and praise cultures for everyone in the school 2.2 strong pastoral supports for all pupils through the Guidance structure 2.3 good and dynamic relationships between pupils, staff and parents based on mutual respect 2.4 a code of conduct which encourages responsible behaviour 2.5 a positive and stimulating working environment where value, responsibilities and expectations are shared and where all have the opportunity to flourish 2.6 opportunities for staff to develop, personally and professionally

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

3. To prepare our pupils to fulfill their potential by giving them the opportunities to develop

3.1 the necessary intellectual and practical skills for a secure place within society 3.2 a lasting appreciation of health and fitness and the pursuit of artistic and cultural activities 3.3 the confidence to cope with the demands and pressures of popular culture 3.4 involvement in the wider community and an understanding of the needs of society, tolerance, respect and equity in relationships with other people 3.5 the intellectual and personal confidence to allow them to take advantage of opportunities open to them as individuals and citizens

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

1.1 Improvements in Performance

Attainment

Broad General Education (S1/2/3): SOSCAs Information Centre for Evaluating and Monitoring (CEM) provides robust, reliable and objective information to schools to help facilitate school self- evaluation, inform teaching practice, and improve pupil learning. All S2 pupils undertake SOSCA assessments in Reading, Mathematics & Science. These assessments are linked to the InCAS assessments taken in P7. The graphs below indicate the ‘Value Added’ during the S1/2 courses. The first graph shows the improvement in the raw scores in the three areas. This is standardised using national data to give a more realistic indicator of ‘value added’. As can be seen, there has been excellent progress in mathematics within S1/2 and although there appears to be a decline in Science performance, it is not significant when standardised, and falls within the 2.5% confidence interval. Clearly we will use this data to look closely at the Science curriculum and teaching and learning within classrooms.

InCAS P7 2012/2013 to AfE S2 Assessments 2015 Value Added Analysis

Average Raw Residuals by Assessment

School: 8235732

Overall Mathematics 3.6

Overall Reading 0.1

Overall Science -0.4

-5.0 -4.0 -3.0 -2.0 -1.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 Average Raw Residual Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Average Standardised Residuals by Subject InCAS P7 2012/2013 to AfE S2 Assessments 2015 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.0 0 0.0 -0.2 -0.4 -0.6 -0.8 -1 Average Standardised Residual Overall Overall Overall Mathematics Reading Science

S4 – S6 INFORMATION At Belmont Academy, we offer a broad and appropriate curricular experience for all our young people and this is evidenced by the option choices from S3 into S4, S4 into S5 and S5 into S6. Pupil choice is co-ordinated through the Guidance Team in consultation with pupils and parents / carers through individual meetings and parents’ evenings. All that we do in this area is to ensure that all young people are following appropriate courses, working at appropriate levels, and that the pace of learning is both challenging and motivating and pupil responsibility for their own learning is encouraged.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Overview of SQA Attainment Data 2014

The table below summarises the national measures for Belmont Academy. More detail for each of the stages (S4, S5 & S6) is given later. In general terms, the results are positive with Belmont pupils outperforming their counterparts nationally.

New National Qualifications 2014 Performance Measure School

5+ awards @ level 3 or better by the end of 99% S4

5+ awards @ level 4 or better by the end of 89% S4

5+ awards @ level 5 or better by the end of 55% S4

1 award at level 6 or above by the end of S5 57%

3 awards at level 6 or above by the end of 37% S5

5 awards at level 6 or above by the end of 22% S5

1 award at level 7 or above by the end of S6 31%

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

The tables and graphs that follow show the results for S4/5/6 over the last five years.

S4 Attainment Although the new qualifications cannot be compared directly with Standard Grades from previous years, there is a close correlation and it clear that there has been good progress in 5+ @ Level 5 and a consistent performance on the other measures. This session, the results were very good with pupils performing better in all measures than the Virtual Comparator pupils from the national sample.

New National Standard Grades Qualifications 2014 Performance Virtual 2010 2011 2012 2013 School Measure Comparator

5+ @ level 3 96% 97% 100% 101% 99% 84%

5+ @ level 4 88% 80% 83% 89% 89% 79%

5+ @ level 5 49% 45% 46% 50% 55% 41%

In S4, to assist pupils in achieving their potential, there is clear focus by the Pupil Support Co-ordinator and pupil support staff to identify pupils who are at “risk of missing out”. This is done through the use of tracking and monitoring data, the Risk Matrix and departmental assessments. The focus is to ensure that these pupils achieve a minimum of ‘5@3’ qualifications or better. The support required may include extra time within Pupil Support, 1:1 support with departments by support staff, home visits and visits to “neutral” venues by staff for pupils disengaged from school. There may also be alternative curricular provision to ensure the minimum expected attainment.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

CURRENT POSITION  45 pupils identified at risk of missing out  Of these 45 pupils: o 33 achieved 5 @ 4 or better o 1 was out with school and not at Alpha Plus o 1 at Alpha Plus o 3 are LAAC o 1 LAC and Care & Learning o 3 joined the school in S4 o No S4 Christmas leavers o 3 long term absence due to serious health issues  Looking at 100% Maths and English  Looking at 100% 5 @ 3  Of the 3 new pupils who were new to the school during S4 - 1 achieved 5@3, 1 achieved 5@4 and the other 5@5.

These strategies have helped to ensure that in session 2014/15, the vast majority of pupils in Belmont Academy attained at least the minimum national target of five qualifications at SCQF level 3 although there has actually been a focus in reality on 5 qualifications at Level 4. This strategy is part of our programme to reduce the attainment gap between the most and least deprived. The following graph shows how pupils in Belmont are performing in each decile in relation to the national figures. In nine of the ten deciles, Belmont pupils are outperforming their virtual comparators from the national sample.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

S5 Attainment The S5 attainment is consistently high in all measures where again, pupils outperformed their virtual comparators. Over half of the pupils at Belmont have achieved 1 Higher over the last five years. The performance at 3 @ Level 6 is a cause for concern with it being at a five-year low and we have plans to address this. See Improvement Plan for 2015 - 2016. Performance at 5 @ Level 6 is consistent and has fluctuated over the last five years. However, over one-fifth on Belmont pupils achieved five Highers.

Highers Performance Virtual Measure 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Comparator

1 @ level 6 56% 63% 57% 53% 57% 49% 3 @ level 6 41% 40% 39% 41% 37% 30%

5 @ level 6 22% 23% 18% 24% 22% 15%

Attainment in S5 is monitored in a similar way to S4. Information from tracking is used to identify pupils in danger of missing out. Pupils are supported through the S5 mentoring programme and targets are set regularly and monitored by identified mentors. In addition, a member of the SLT has responsibility for each of the measures and threshold lists for 5@6. 3@6 and 1@6 are produced at each tracking period where they are traffic-lighted to highlight individual pupils. The SLT member will conduct individual interviews and where appropriate liaise with parents /carers to support the pupil to improve their results.

S6 Attainment

The attainment in S6 is also excellent and well above the national measure from the Virtual Comparator. Almost one-third of Belmont pupils attain at least one Advanced Higher, and for many it is three. There was a fall of 3% from last session but this falls within acceptable boundaries being within one standard deviation (±3.4%) of the scores.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Advanced Highers Performance Virtual Measure 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Comparator

1 @ level 7 28% 29% 36% 34% 31% 19%

Again S6 performance is tracked through the S5/6 threshold lists with a member of the SLT overseeing the measure.

Attendance Data Attendance at Belmont is generally very good and falls within one standard deviation (±0.97%) of the South Ayrshire average. We do, however, have concerns about attendance at the end of each term and parental holidays within term time.

(%)

Possible

Openings Openings

Attendance Attendance Attendance 180460 162465 90.03% Belmont 449606 407617 90.66% Academy Carrick 187842 173867 92.56% Academy 192168 172830 89.94% 290794 266161 91.53% 346726 317407 91.54% Prestwick 418352 385001 92.03% Academy QMA 197624 178583 90.37% 226357 206393 AUTHORITY 91.18% 2 1 Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Exclusions We are working hard at reducing exclusion and there has been a small reduction this session. With the appointment of a Principal Teacher of Inclusion, we are continuing to develop new strategies to support who are most vulnerable. This is supported by a revised Behaviour Management policy and the use of Restorative practices

2013 / 2014 2014 / 2015

Incidents Incidents

Openings Openings

Exclusions Exclusions Exclusions Exclusions Exclusions Ayr Academy 74 36 117 56 Belmont Academy 157 35 138 32 50 21 103 40 Girvan Academy 168 29 131 31 Kyle Academy 17 3 23 9 Marr College 40 12 54 18 72 26 78 28 QMA 57 14 55 16

SAC Total 501 176 699 230

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Improvement Targets for Session 2015-16

Next Steps.

Objective and Implementation Strategies  Improve the number of positive/sustained destinations.

 Raise attainment:- . Closing the Gap (5@3). . Closing the Gap (5@4). . Closing the Gap Literacy (BGE & SP). . Closing the Gap Numeracy (BGE & SP).  Focus on improving:- . 3 @ Level 6. . 5 @ Level 6.  Reduce exclusions

 Improve attendance/Late coming to help raise attainment.

 Tracking & Monitoring: . To improve attainment (BGE & SP). . To inform parents about pupil performance (Tracking reports, Senior Referrals). . To enhance the (revised) target Setting programme. . To improve positive and sustained destinations.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

2.1 Learners’ Experiences

Belmont Academy is a truly mixed comprehensive school with young people from all 10 SIMD indicators. In 2015 – as in 2014 - young people by the end of S2 perform above national patterns in reading, mathematics and science. The range of approaches introduced to raise attainment is having a significant impact on learners’ experiences. These approaches include: embedding of Aifl techniques; a more targeted approach to classroom observations; rigorous and robust tracking and monitoring systems; pupil questionnaires; an enhanced monitoring programme and focused target setting. In most key measures in national qualifications, pupil attainment continues to improve and Belmont Academy pupils perform better than pupils in comparator schools with similar needs and backgrounds.

Young people at Belmont Academy have opportunities to take part in Active Learning including Aifl, critical skills and co-operative learning. Our curriculum includes provision for IDL in S1 (Ayr: Past, Present and Future; Scottish Studies) as well as STEM and Health & Well Being IDL initiatives in S2 &S3. Learners are developing an array of skills, including learning research skills, group and independent working, as well as collaborative working which should enhance their learning and prepare them better to enter the modern workplace.

Through the use of curriculum audits, we have driven forward initiatives and improvements in Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing across the curriculum. Project Development Groups have been working to ensure an improved experience for young people as well as ensuring a consistent approach. The work done by the Learning and Teaching Group in 2014/15 has continued to raise the focus on the need for effective teaching and learning in all classrooms all the time. Moreover, the introduction of Learning and Teaching Toolkits in every classroom has allowed for equality of experiences for learners and is also developing further DFS strategies.

The Staff work hard to equip young people with cultural, sporting, citizenship and enterprise skills to lead successful lives beyond school. Young people are developing well personally and socially and their achievements are recognised through significant numbers of young people achieving accredited awards including the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. The young people are developing as responsible citizens, gaining useful skills for life and work and an understanding of the needs of others through raising significant funds for charity.

Pupil Voice is gathered regularly through Pupil Council and within departments relating to learning and teaching as well as their experiences. Feedback is given to young people through Assemblies and “You Said – We Did” noticeboards. We will continue to develop this further and explore the use of ICT to communicate more effectively with young people. Most classroom teachers actively take on board pupil voice and make adjustments and improvements to learning and teaching appropriately, but we will look further at methods of evidencing this.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

The voices of young people at Belmont Academy have been enhanced by the achievement of a Level 1, Rights Respecting School Award. This has recognised the extensive work done on raising awareness of RRS issues and in the integration of RSS into the fabric of the school and the experiences that young people have. We have used the charter to formulate policy across the whole school on: Bullying, Racism, Discrimination and Diversity. We will continue to improve attitudes and embed practice in relation to diversity over the next session whilst working towards a Level 2 Award.

Particular strengths of the school include young people who are polite, friendly and keen to learn, very focused and effective approaches for tracking and monitoring young people’s progress resulting in strong academic performance, a wide range of approaches and activities to enable young people to achieve.

In a recent survey, most young people said they enjoy learning, get appropriate support to improve their learning when they need it and value the range of experiences that help them to develop skills for learning, life and work. Most pupils report that the school is helping them to become successful learners and is encouraging them to become responsible citizens and confident individuals. The majority of young people feel valued, safe and cared for in school. Relationships between teaching staff and pupils are positive and pupil behaviour is very good.

We have an inclusive and positive ethos. The enhanced transition programme provides a very good level of support to vulnerable young people and their families and weekly House Team Meetings are addressing learning and pastoral needs more effectively. Pupil attendance continues to be above South Ayrshire and national averages. There is an encouraging 5 year pattern of decreasing exclusion rates.

In session 2015/16 we will have an enhanced focus on personal achievement – over and above traditional SQA certificated courses – through Universal Support periods; the development of Wider Personal Achievement options in the Senior Phase and the Enhanced Curriculum option for young people in S6.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Improvement Targets for Session 2015-16

Next Steps:  Consolidate/embed Formative Assessment . Continue twilight sessions on Aifl . Embed AifL strategies . Improve pupil engagement in planning and reviewing their own learning . Continue to develop Learning & Teaching Toolkits . Develop further and encourage staff to join the Teaching and Learning Project Group

 Focus on feedback to enhance learning, increase pupil motivation and raise attainment . Continue twilight sessions on Aifl . Encourage higher order questioning . Develop feedback in depts. . Develop systems to record feedback for pupils . Develop further and encourage staff to join the Teaching and Learning Project Group

 Consolidate/embed DFS strategies to enhance the learning experiences of All learners . Continue twilight sessions on DFS strategies . Develop clear DFS policies and implementation strategies in all Depts. . Develop systems to get feedback from young people on success of DFS strategies

 Increased use of ICT to enhance Learning & Teaching . Continue development of ICT in all Depts. . Share good practice through twilight and INSET . Encourage and support staff to develop ICT skills  Pupil Voice . Adopt coherent departmental strategies to inform learning . Use to inform curricular planning. . Correlate with Rights respecting Schools. . Sustain current whole school level (Year & Pupil Councils) and extend to adopt additional gathering of pupil voice

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

 Extend Praise and Reward protocols to correlate with whole school issues (Behaviour, Uniform, and Attendance) . Prize Giving: protocols to be looked at with reference to whole school praise and reward system . Wider Achievement to be developed further within and outwith the timetable . Methods of recording Wider Achievement to be developed further. . Whole school praise and reward system now in place to be reviewed and developed further

 Devise a policy for Personal Achievement and accreditation . Implement Wider Personal Achievement in the Senior Phase . Expand use of Saltire Awards and Youth Achievement Awards . Methods of recording Wider Achievement to be developed further. . Audit of all Awards given in the school

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

5.1 The Curriculum

As a school, we are absolutely committed to improving outcomes for young people, ensuring that we maximise the potential of all learners. Through Curriculum for Excellence, we have an ideal forum for creative change and improvement. An extended outline of the curricular provision in Belmont is available in the recently updated "Curricular Structure" policy document; the highlights are in the grids below.

The curriculum is the driver by which we ensure improvements in learning and teaching. Through Active Learning methodologies pupils will be more engaged and participatory which will increase motivation levels. As a result of a more rigorous tracking and monitoring system, pupils will have the support required to identify prior learning and to set targets to allow very good progress and raised attainment. High quality feedback will ensure that our young people are aware of their progress and strengths as learners. Much of this work will be carried out through S3 Profiling, E-Portfolios and an S4 - S6 Support period which meets the requirements of Universal Support in the senior phase of CfE.

With the re-structuring of our IDL provision in S1 and S2, learners will experience more cross-curricular links and will have the opportunity to learn across a variety of contexts. By rationalising the S1/2 curriculum two periods of IDL are now integral to each of these year groups with a variety of subject departments contributing to both the planning and the teaching. In S3, the STEM IDL begun in S2, will be embedded as part of the Technologies provision in session 2015-2016. Likewise, there will be an integrated HWB experience for all S3 pupils - this too builds on the S2 provision which is core for all pupils. Making use of external partners and agencies and adopting cross-curricular practices will ensure that learning takes place across the four contexts of learning.

Against the background of the Senior Phase there has also been a re-structuring of the curriculum in S3. This gives pupils the opportunity to have more depth to their learning as well as introducing personal choice; these changes all within the BGE framework with each of the curricular areas being included. There has also been the opportunity to have a greater focus on skills development within our core skills framework - an essential part of the BGE experience.

The rationalisation of our curriculum in the BGE has not diminished our commitment to delivering two periods of Physical Education and this is carried on into S4.

Moving into the Senior Phase we have completed the delivery of year 2 of National 5 courses whilst also delivering year 1 of the New Higher in the overwhelming majority of subjects. The small balance of subjects will be ready for delivery in Year 2 (2015-16) and no pupils will sit the old qualifications next year. Work will need to be done, however, to amend courses. Recent new guidelines in a range of subjects at National 4 and National 5 require changes to compulsory content and in S5 and S6 content will require to be delivered in different ways as a result of a cut in the number of periods allocated to delivery time. This is very much in the minds of staff as they complete their preparations for the delivery of the new Advanced Higher qualification in 2016. This re-allocation of periods is necessary to both allow pupils to access wider

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015 achievement opportunities within the 666 model now used to deliver the curriculum. 2015-16 is the first year of this development and regular, careful monitoring will take place to assure successful implementation and plan any amendments in session 2016-17.

Underpinning the curriculum S1-6 we continue to invest in the DFS initiative correlating this with our Literacy Across the Curriculum policy. DFS materials are now in all classrooms and are increasingly being used to good effect. We continue to improve learning experiences in Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing across the Curriculum. These initiatives and improvements are driven forward by ‘Project Champions’ but are also developed by staff working collaboratively in collegiate groups. The Health and Wellbeing agenda, now the focus of one of our IDL periods in S2 has been correlated with other whole school projects and improvements, namely Restorative Practice/Positive Strategies, and new Praise and Rewards systems. The Rights Respecting School charter will underpin the planning and policy decisions of these improvement projects.

The overarching aim is to ensure links across subjects, improved learning experiences and an increased feeling of inclusion and well-being for all young people. These improvements will impact on young people in that they note increased involvement and participation in their learning, a connection and cohesion across subject areas and an ethos/culture of being nurtured and included.

We continue our partnership working with our cluster primaries. A recent focus – Rights Respecting Schools – has been incorporated into our Health and Wellbeing initiatives to ensure cohesion and coherence. In early June we were successful in our bid for Level 1 status and the visit from the UNICEF assessor was a very positive experience. We have commenced preliminary working on the level 2 award and in all of these areas of progress we share practice with our primary colleagues. In addition to the Rights Respecting Schools agenda we are moving forward with cluster working in a range of activities which both enhance the curricular provision in the primary sector and also deepen the already strong transition links. Last session, we worked collaboratively to develop the Curricular Framework in Technologies – early years through to Level 3. Whilst this development work was primarily about planning experiences with a focus on significant aspects of learning, next session will see the adoption of the learning and teaching therein.

In order to deliver these improvements, the school is committed to Lifelong Learning and enhanced CLPL for all staff. Clearly, the collaborative nature of the aforementioned working will ensure that teachers improve the personal achievement opportunities for our S6 cohort who are integral to many of these initiatives. This entails being involved in learning contexts beyond school, often working with external partners and providers.

In terms of linking with partners, we will continue to do so with those already established. However, it is a major priority to seek further partners who can support us to deliver a varied and appropriate curriculum that caters for the needs of all. These links will be able to be strengthened and extended by plans to enhance the SAC 0.2 staffing provision from the school budget in order to meet the challenge of the Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

The challenges we face relate to ensuring that budgets are prioritised and well spent, particularly during more austere times. With an increasing number of young people returning to school it will be a challenge to adapt the curriculum to suit their needs; to continue to seek the support of external agencies and to apply the MCMC model in a wider context. We are committed to this through our inherent moral purpose to maximise the potential of all pupils at Belmont Academy.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT

There is a very strong commitment to personal achievement throughout the school. There is a wide range of opportunities both within the formal curriculum and as extra -curricular activities. This session the tradition of achievement and success has continued.

Music

A large number of pupils are involved in:

 The Symphony Orchestra  The String Orchestra  The Wind Band and Concert Band  The Junior Choir  Junior String Orchestra  Senior chamber ensemble  Senior vocal ensemble

Pupils are involved in the wider context with the South Ayrshire Orchestra, the South Ayrshire Jazz Band and Ayrshire Voices.

A very successful production of the stage musical ‘Oliver,’ which involved pupils from all year groups in all aspects of the performance, was seen by large audiences from Tuesday to Friday during the last week of November 2013. With this success in mind preparations have commenced in session 2014-15 for a production of Little Shop of Horrors in November 2015.

There are a large number of participants in The South Ayrshire Music Festival both as solo performers and ensembles and they always find success.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

One of our S3 pupils has secured a place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

We are the largest personal achievement presenting centre in South Ayrshire working with over 80 pupils at Bronze, almost 60 at Silver and 30 at Gold. There is a large contribution of time and effort from parents to ensure pupils receive a quality experience.

Sporting Success

Athletics: A large number of pupils achieved success at District level.

Rugby: Our U16 Rugby Team won the Ayrshire School Bowl competition.

Belmont pupils have been selected for the U16 and U18 Glasgow District Rugby Squads.

Swimming: Several Belmont pupils became Ayrshire swimming champions after having won their events at the Ayrshire Schools Gala.

Football: One of our senior boys has been invited to attend Scottish Schools’ trials while the U13 boys’ team are:

 Ayrshire Cup Winners

 Ayrshire League Winners

 Ayr and District Cup winners

Volleyball: 4 Belmont pupils were selected to play for Scotland West in the Sainsbury’s School Games last September.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Our senior boys won the Scottish Senior Boys Festival at Ravenscraig – as well as the Scottish Cup.

The senior girls and the S2/3 girl teams were runners up in the Scottish Cup.

Handball: Our S3 girls’ team won the Scottish Championships this year.

Basketball: Some of our pupils were part of the team that won the Strathclyde and Scottish U16 League.

Ski-ing: 3 x S1 and 1 x S3 boys came second in the SSSA dry slopes championships for schools – earning them silver medals.

The same team came third in the SSSA Alpine Ski Championships.

The female member of the team won 2nd in the girls West of Scotland in the same competition.

Badminton: One of our S3 boys won a gold medal in the Active Schools tournament against performers from across Ayrshire.

Cross-country: At Ayrshire Championship level, we have:

 An S3 champion

 An S1 pupil who was 2nd in her age group

 A senior boys team of 4 who were second in the overall championships

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Young Ambassador

One of our S6 pupils delivered the opening and closing speeches at the Young Ambassadors Conference at Hampden Park.

Burns Speaking

Belmont pupils were very successful again at the Burns Speaking Competition:

In S3/4, we had 1st and 2nd place while in S5/6, we had 1st place

Chess

A hugely talented S1 pupil recently won the overall Ayrshire Junior Chess Championships.

Not only did she win the U14 Ayrshire Girls competition, she also won U14 overall champion – and U16 overall champion.

Charities

We have also had a hugely successful year in terms of Charity fund-raising:

 The Belmont Academy Community Aid group had a food bank initiative and provided food/gifts to the Salvation Army at Christmas  £676.00 was raised for Clic Sargent in October through a sponsored walk  £1533.00 was raised for Children in Need. Various events included “Take Me Out”, teacher leg waxing, bake sales and raffles  £401.88 was raised for Save the Children and Cash for Kids at Christmas through Christmas Jumper Day and Candy Cane service. Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

 Cute Pets competition raised £100.00 for PDSA  £350.00 was raised for Comic Relief through “Would I Lie to You” quiz show.  Our annual Krispy Kreme Doughnut Day raised £660.96 for school funds. Sports Leaders Award S6 pupils were involved in Sports Leaders Award with the Active Schools co-ordinator.

Enterprise In another very successful year for enterprise in the school the highlights were:

 BASE Challenge (Business Accounting Skills Education) – Higher Accounting pupils compete in this event.  Sir Tom Hunter Challenge – S3 Business Management pupils complete and are awarded £400 funds for school  Participation in the Young Enterprise Company Programme – including 2 training evenings  Young Enterprise organisation and host of School Fashion Show  Representation of the Young Enterprise Company at the Ayrshire Finals – winning Best Trade Stand  Embarked on Wider Achievement programme which will culminate in a live “The Apprentice” event.  A two day Leadership event was delivered by Kilmarnock College  S6 pupils were involved in peer mentoring in subjects across the school.  An S6 group were involved in the Peer Alcohol project delivering lessons to S1 classes.  The Home Economics dept. delivers Elementary Food Hygiene Certification to S2 pupils.  Home Economics – Frankie and Benny Challenge. This competition takes place annually and allows an opportunity to work with external partners in the Hospitality industry

In the context of developing citizenship the Pupil Councils have reflected pupil voice in the development of the school. A number of subject departments have used Survey Monkey to canvas pupil opinion, while our significant level of charitable fund raising shows a broad commitment to the wider community.

Space School:

A senior pupil successfully gained a place at this year’s Scottish Space school which commenced mid-June.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Improvement Targets for Session 2015-16

Next Steps.

Objective and Implementation Strategies  Raise awareness of Curricular Frameworks (Primary) to inform BGE developments.

 Review and improve BGE courses to ensure progression from Primary (Curricular Frameworks) and effective transition to Senior Phase.

 Develop an assessment and moderation framework for BGE.

 Continuation of “Responsibility for All”

 Deliver, monitor and evaluate the impact of a unified Senior Phase.

 Consolidate NAT 4, 5 and 6 courses/provisions.

 Develop NAT 7 course/provision.

 Develop and implement strategy for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

5.3 Meeting Learning Needs

Pupil Support:

Belmont Academy is committed to supporting all learners to achieve their full potential. To this end Pupil Support staff, Guidance staff and Depute Head Teacher form House Teams which meet weekly to discuss pupils in their House group. During these meeting all aspects of pupil progress are discussed and from these meetings appropriate actions are implemented to ensure pupil needs are met utilising internal and external supports.

We had intended to appoint a PT Inclusion this session to realise our ambition to further support pupils with Social, Emotional and Behavioural difficulties. Due to unforeseen circumstances the appointment wasn’t made until December with an official start date of the 24th January 2015 for the new post holder. Since taking on the role the PT Inclusion has made a significant contribution towards the ethos within the support Base and has focussed her initial work around building the capacity of support staff and building a sense of attachment with the young people who access this service. We have only started on this process but already the positive impact and changes have been noted by pupils.

It is a longer term goal to have a base that has Nurture principles fully embedded as part of the departmental ideology, permeating all aspects of individual and group work carried out by base staff. Work is on-going to explain the value of this approach with wider staff and demonstrate the benefits this can have in supporting our learners with support needs. The PT inclusion has also offered a drop in service to staff, carried out class observations and as a result offered support strategies to staff to help them be better able to deal with challenging pupils.

Whole presentations have been delivered to staff around the legislative responsibilities they have in terms of Universal Support and the ASN act. This will be an on-going aspect for development and in particular because of the named person legislation which is coming into effect.

This session we have worked in partnership to deliver a range of activities for MCMC pupils. We have delivered a successful football skills group in partnership with Ayr United FC, a mountain bike course in conjunction with community safety, a residential stay in partnership with Strathclyde Police. The XL group have delivered a number of fundraising activities in conjunction with the ARK and CLD. S2 pupils made a new partnership opportunity working with Room 60 for the first time this year. Many of the MCMC initiatives are becoming more sustainable and the Pupil Support staff have increased in confidence and experience in implementing these approaches within Pupil Support.

Data folders are issued to every department and are reviewed regularly. We developed a new system this session which has worked effectively. All PT’s/Departments are issued with a Pupil Information folder in August with up to date information on all ASN pupils and the school health list. Updates throughout the session are colour coded so staff can identify the updated information.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Leaver Destinations

A range of strategies have been implemented this session to improve outcomes for pupils to ensure they leave with a positive sustained destination. A further change has been to add the responsibility to monitor intended destinations to one of the PTG remits. At key point in the sessions a database is updated weekly by PTG’s to monitor progress to intended destinations with a particular focus on MCMC pupils identified form the Risk Matrix and LAC pupils.

Pupil support staff have identified link departments and will attend selected Departmental Meetings next session as a communication link between subject staff and Pupil Support staff. Pupil information folders have been issued to all departments, teaching and learning toolkits are all within classrooms and DfS teaching methodologies have been adopted in classrooms this session.

The role of the Campus Police Officer has been adapted this session with a move of office to the Pupil support corridor so he is physically closer to the team. He has been working closely with Base staff to provide additional support for various activities, Rugby, Football, Mountain biking. He has delivered lessons to all year groups and has provided consultation for staff on key issues such as legal highs.

The role of the Educational Psychologist has provided some challenge this year in terms of flexible working time. It is planned to have access to an emergency on call Educational Psychologist over the days that the current Ed Psychologist does not work, which is a solution offered by Jacqui Ward (Principal Psychologist).

There is a new transition policy for 2015 with adaptations which include activities and further transition activities for 2015/16.

The PT Learning offered Twilight training for P7 staff to develop skills in datasheet and IEP writing. Next session there will be continued offers of twilight training in areas identified through our Cluster meetings and staff PRDs. Twilight training will be offered to P7 teaching staff next session.

Literacy/Numeracy/DFS

We have made excellent progress this year in our journey towards achieving our DFS bronze award and are now beginning to collate evidence to present to the awarding body. Learning and Teaching Toolkits are currently being used in every department in the school. General literacy & numeracy resources have been made and are available to all staff to ensure a consistent teaching approach throughout the school. Many subjects have worked with the Literacy and Numeracy reps to produce subject specific literacy & numeracy resources which enhance the teaching of these skills across the curriculum.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Each member of staff has been issued with up-to-date information about Dyslexia and Dyscalculia and advice on how to make every classroom dyslexia friendly. A dyslexia and dyscalculia parents’ focus group has held their first meeting. All staff have received dyslexia training during in- service days. The results of the recent Scottish Survey for Literacy and Numeracy will be made available to all staff. Literacy and Numeracy reps continue to attend various pertinent events/conferences (e.g. CALL Scotland, Scottish Learning Festival) to ensure the pupils and staff of Belmont Academy benefit from the latest developments and information concerning Literacy and Numeracy. Belmont has been accepted to take part in a pilot project run by CALL Scotland, in conjunction with the SQA, entitled ‘Talking in Exams’. This will investigate the effectiveness of speech recognition software. Belmont is delighted to be involved in this endeavour and to be able to offer our pupils a level of support which can not only support their learning, but also potentially, their future working lives. Staff and pupil evaluations are soon to be carried out to gain feedback on the literacy and numeracy support provided thus far.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Improvement Targets for Session 2015-16

Next Steps.

Objective and Implementation Strategies  Develop courses that improve differentiation by task, activity and resource to ensure that the needs of All learners are met.

 Increase partnership working to improve provision for ASN/vulnerable pupils; extend alternative curricula.

 Ensure staff ownership and responsibility with regards to improving behaviour/relationships which will reduce barriers.

 Establish a Nurture Base with a view to reducing exclusions.

 Improve communication and consultation regarding ASN pupils.

 Prepare for the implementation of the Children and Young People’s Act (e.g. Single Plan and Named Person legislation)

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

5.9 Improvement through Self-evaluation

Colleagues are committed to self-evaluation as a means of measuring our performance and improving outcomes for our learners.

A calendar of self-evaluation activities is in place and is reviewed annually. The types of self-evaluation include:

 STACS and Exam Analysis (soon to be ‘Insight’)  Our programme of departmental Quality Assurance Meetings (QA1,2,3 & 4) at pertinent times of the year  CEM data  Value added measures of performance  Pupil tracking reports  Lesson observations  Minutes from all school meetings including departmental, project group and SLT.  Questionnaires issued to parents/carers, pupils and staff.  Data collected nationally or locally  Attendance, exclusions and positive destination data

This data is analysed and decisions are made in an informed way to ensure future improvement priorities.

There has been a marked increase in lesson observations this session – 66 episodes of learning by line managers through the VSE Visit in November 2014. In addition, approx. 90 episodes of lesson observations took place between December 2014 and March 2015 through a programme of peer observations set up by our TLC Project Group coupled with a further round of SLT observations. The practice observed has been collated and issued to all colleagues to complement our focus on sharing good practice across the school.

Professional Update Training has taken place for all colleagues with an additional session focusing on those who were required to be ‘signed off’ this session. Personal Learning Plans have been collated by the DHT with overview to identify the CLPL needs of the whole school and thus inform the Improvement Planning process. DHT (remit) attended further training provided by GTCs in February 2015. In addition,

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

CLPL opportunities have been hugely extended. Evidence of this can be found via PLPs, MyGTCs website and in-house documentation – i.e. CLPL applications, Twilight/In-Service and Project Groups agendas and minutes and colleagues evaluations completed after various events.

All colleagues have the opportunity to share and improve their own practice through a range of Project Groups, subject networking and peer observations. There is a clear rationale and intention to continue to build on this next session and all colleagues have already ‘signed up’ for which group they want to contribute to. These Project Groups include:

 BGE  DFS  Literacy  Numeracy  Praise and Reward  Behaviour Management  Restorative Practice  TLC/L&T  HWB  STEM  Cluster Initiatives (PE, ML, STEM, 5.3, Maths, Transition)

Many members of staff have been involved in delivering CLPL for the Authority and have taken lead roles in PT Networks.

The Head Teacher and two Depute Head Teachers have gained the Scottish Qualification for Headship. In addition, one Principal Teacher has nearly completed his SQH journey.

Pupil leadership opportunities have been greatly extended this session. These include:

 SSC/Prefects  Charities Committee

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

 Events Committee  Year Book Committee  S6 Communications Team – Belmont Banter; signage; displays; press reports  S5/6 Induction  Leadership Days – Ayrshire College  Enhanced Curriculum – see programme  Peer Mentoring – see T/T and programme

In addition, in September 2014 13 * S3 pupils attended Staffin on The Isle of Skye and have graduated as Columba 1400 Ambassadors. The focus of their project was to contribute to and enhancing our P7-S1 Transition process. Other year groups will also have the opportunity for extended leadership opportunities next session.

We have been working hard, in conjunction with the Senior Student Council, to improve the identity of our Houses Structures and Systems. This has included:

 A new pupil led Assemblies Programme  A new Praise and Reward system across the whole school  More regular Pupil Council meetings  Several Inter-House Activities throughout the session  Enhanced House Notice Boards in the Admin corridor

Just recently we have secured Level 1 of the Rights Respecting School Award. Further work will take place next session as we work towards securing this Award at Level 2.

Next session will see the revision of our vision, values and aims. All stakeholders will be invited to take part in shaping the new vision, values and aims. Once devised, we will use these to constantly review our work.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Various commercial options have been investigated to improve communication with all stakeholders in the school. These have included Ward- Henry who will as of next session be contracted to provide all school photographs, new school notice boards and banners. In addition Ward- Henry will provide a QR code which will give pupils and their parents/carers instant access to the school website.

Miss Laura Bohan (from the Music Department) has been given time ‘off timetable’ to work on refreshing/updating the school website. Significant progress has been made and this work will continue in to early next session as we endeavour to develop the website into a dynamic and user friendly resource which will benefit all pupils, parents/carers and other stakeholders.

Other strategies to improve Communication include:  Regular HT Newsletter (termly)  New Campus P.O. attending Parent Council meetings and/or gives a Report  Weekly ‘good news stories’ to Ayrshire Post  Updating the school Notice Boards  Increased use SMS messages to parents  Belmont Banner out 23/12/14, renamed Belmont Banter  Activities to enhance the school’s reputation, i.e. Charities work, delivering food parcels to local neighbours (Hansel Village) and 3 Tins Campaign (Salvation Army), SFL calendars etc.  S6 Communication Group/Committee now in operation. The group meets every Monday afternoon and carries out various tasks to improve Belmont’s communication and reputation.

The school offers an array of personal achievement and foreign trips to enhance the learning experience of our young people. Duke of Edinburgh goes from strength to strength, catering for numbers above the average figures for Authority.

We are committed to forging increasingly robust links with external partners and agencies. In a bid to ensure accreditation for our ‘S6 Experience’ initiative, we will continue to engage with an array of external agencies including local companies, the NHS, business partners, colleges, universities and SAC Sectors of work.

The school has experienced significant challenges with timetabling and staffing this session. However, these have been resolved and we have a full staffing complement, ever ready to take on the challenges and improvements for session 2015-16.

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015

Improvement Targets for Session 2015-16

Next Steps.

Objective and Implementation Strategies  Improve Self-evaluation to ensure:- . Robust Tracking & Monitoring in the Senior Phase to align with national developments. . Increased teacher self-reflection and shared practice, and to identify increased opportunities for distributing leadership capacity. . Enhanced parental participation and consultation. . Coherent and robust processes that gather information and data that leads to measurable improvement.

 Plan for improvements in:- . Website function and communication. . Pupil leadership opportunities. . CLPL opportunities and training on PU. . Values and Vision to ensure collective and collegiate approach. . Observations and shared practice with a focus on effective feedback. . Staff Induction (including Students, Probationers, and new staff).

Belmont Academy S & Q Report June 2015