Project 2024

Our Strategic Plan 1 2 ’s Introduction A higher purpose since 1124 The High School of , founded as the Choir School, the ‘Sang School’, of Glasgow Cathedral in the 12th century, was born with the then higher purpose of teaching young boys to read and to sing in praise of God. That the School has continued since its origins to become the independent all-through co-educational school of today reflects our commitment to consistently pursuing a higher purpose in all we do. Our School motto, Sursum Semper, encapsulates the mission of a higher purpose well in the translation “ever upwards”. Since our independence in 1976, being saved through the endeavour of our Former Pupils and friends, the High School has grown in pupil numbers, buildings, resources, educational opportunities and national standing. Today in 2019 we are part of the Glasgow and Scottish school educational scene and well regarded as such, despite our changed status as an independent school. This strategic plan aims to unconditionally state not only our vision, mission and values as a school, but to detail how we ultimately aim to be the independent school of choice in the City of Glasgow and the West of ; a nationally recognised beacon of outstanding educational practice and experience; and one in which young people are nurtured to make a life-long difference to their lives and the lives of others, from local to global. We aim to be a school which prizes the abilities, talents and presence of all people: staff, pupils, parents, alumni and the wider local and global community.

John O’Neill Rector

3 Context The independent school landscape in Scotland continues to thrive despite the various challenges since 2008 with regard to the economy and various policy positions being taken by the Scottish Government. In addition, independent education continues to face difficult commentary from sections of the Scottish and UK media. It is the case, however, that many families still seek to enrol their children in an independent school, recognising the high standards and wide-ranging educational opportunity and personal development an independent education can provide. To that end, the following strategic plan for The High School of Glasgow provides our response to the present context and coming future landscape with the single purpose of ensuring that the School remains attractive to parents and young people as a first class all-round educational destination.

Strategic Plan 2024 In 2024, The High School of Glasgow will commemorate its 900th anniversary. This strategic plan is the first published by the High School since becoming a co-educational independent school following the changes to Scottish selective grammar education in the 1970s. As we look forward to 2024, we wish to articulate not only the values and vision of the School as it now sits in the 21st Century, but to detail our mission and strategic aims for the next five years. The following plan comprises three elements: • Vision, Mission and Values • Whole School Strategic Themes • Strategic Aims 2019-2024

4 5 6 Our Vision To ignite the potential within every young person, that they may enjoy more enriched lives and make a positive difference to others and their communities. Our Mission To be the school of choice in the City of Glasgow and the West of Scotland; a beacon of learning, where the all-round capacities of young people are nurtured, challenged and realised within an inclusive and caring environment of mutual respect, positive relationships and obligations. To be a place of learning constantly in pursuit of excellence and all-round personal development, secured through high quality teaching and learning, rich and wide-ranging opportunities, first class resources and a nurturing supportive ethos drawing upon traditional values and our Christian heritage. Our Values We are a people-centred, welcoming school: the talents, abilities, interests, contribution and development of all lie at the heart of our community, while our approach will always be outward, open, accepting, friendly and with unconditional positive regard. This is our approach to all. We are ambitious: consistently committed to realising and delivering outstanding practice in education, and being nationally and internationally recognised. We are innovative: focused on applying research-informed practice with proven impact in teaching and learning, open to evaluating and using existing, alternative and creative programmes and solutions to continually enhance all-round education. We are community minded: we have an active social conscience and aim to support people locally, in wider Glasgow, and globally. We shall assist one another through bursaries, by being family friendly and by keeping in contact with our alumni.

7 Strategic Themes Learning, Wellbeing, Community and Legacy are the four themes that underpin the strategic aims and operational expectations of the High School.

Learning Wellbeing We pride ourselves in providing a broad and Our ethos recognises that people and their challenging curriculum and co-curriculum all-round wellbeing comes first. The capacity encompassing high levels of pupil choice. for young people and staff to flourish in their Our practice and pedagogy is informed by learning and personal development requires proven research and we commit significant all individuals to feel safe, secure, included resources to ensuring high standards of and supported. We consistently aim to place professional learning within our teaching staff. wellbeing at the centre of our communal We are conscious of the evolving impact of life: through our behaviours towards one emerging digital technologies and recognise another, our arrangements in providing that the development of skills is born pastoral guidance, personal and social through mastery of knowledge. We aim to education, opportunities for pupil advocacy be a school nationally recognised for the and leadership, safeguarding, and proactive standards, quality and impact of our practice initiatives to promote mental health and provision. awareness. We recognise that wellbeing underpins everything we aim to achieve for our pupils, staff and wider school community.

8 Community Legacy We are a school that actively embraces Without the ready commitment of our opportunities not only to strengthen the Former Pupils and friends of the School ties of our own community of pupils, staff, in the 1970s, The High School of Glasgow parents, Former Pupils and friends; but also would have disappeared from the story of to engage and seek out opportunities to Glasgow and Scotland. Their legacy is our serve the needs of our local and global thriving and dynamic school community. community. We recognise and support the With that same commitment today we aim, ethical and moral personal development through a sustainable financial model and which arises from helping others, providing active Development Office, to ensure that community service and participating in the School will continue to successfully and charitable activity. In doing so, we are confidently flourish in the future. We will also committed to ensuring we are also keep to our traditional ethos that it is environmentally sustainable in our practices. potential, not background, which decides a We recognise the value to others and their young person’s opportunity to experience a lives which such community involvement High School education. Finally, we recognise provides. In addition we are a school who that we are part of our local community and depend on the generosity and support of the City of Glasgow, and we will continually others, especially our Former Pupils and strive to contribute to both in the future as parental body. For us, community does not in the past, inspired by our historic role as end when a young person leaves school, nor ‘The Town School’. does it end at our school gates.

9 10 Learning What do we want to achieve? A curriculum that closely meets the individual and collective needs of all pupils, and teaching that inspires all pupils to achieve at the highest levels.

How will we do it? How will we know? • By promoting pupil aspiration in all areas of learning and • SQA year-on-year comparative results development and maintaining a consistent focus upon • Annual departmental results review evaluation via Results individual pupil progress across all areas. Machine • By ensuring there are well researched, coherent and • Academic attainment and ‘value-added’ monitoring using rigorous learning pathways that cater for all pupils. Equity, CEM baseline data choice, opportunity and challenge are integral to this objective. • UCAS tariff scores • By embedding the use of tracking and monitoring data to • Pupil and parental subject choice satisfaction feedback identify pupil progress. • Pupil survey and focus group feedback • By using quality assurance data to inform departments of their ‘value-added’ impact. • Teaching staff survey on professional development and Investors in People Scotland annual feedback • By consistently achieving nationally recognised academic outcomes. • Teaching staff participation in professional recognition via GTCS or post-graduate certification • By developing a research-informed programme of pedagogy that underpins teaching across the School and ensuring • Teaching staff participation in school teaching and learning consistency of professional practice by all teaching staff. community • By providing a well-resourced programme of professional • Self-evaluation against nationally established Education development for teaching and support staff. Scotland HMIE quality indicators, How Good is our School 4 (HGIOS4), especially indicators 2.2 to 2.6 • By securing high levels of safe digital literacy amongst all pupils and staff through a well-resourced digital curriculum. • Professional development interest and recognition from outside bodies, eg. SCIS • By engaging with external educational organisations and associated bodies to enhance the continuous development • Where identified, evaluation by external audit of teaching and learning. • By becoming a beacon of nationally recognised educational practice, provision and outcome.

11 Wellbeing What do we want to achieve? The wellbeing of pupils and staff at the centre of the School’s communal life.

How will we do it? How will we know? • By upholding a consistent commitment by all members • Monthly monitoring of pupils’ pastoral, medical and of the community to promoting our values and ethos of wellbeing data positive, inclusive and mutually supportive behaviours across • Monitoring of pupil participation rates in co-curricular all areas of school life, activity and experience. provision, e.g. music, sport, clubs and societies, House and • By having a consistent commitment to developing the DofE capacities, talents and interests of all pupils through a varied, • Monthly monitoring of behaviour and discipline data stimulating and well-resourced programme of co-curricular activities. • Termly pupil PSE surveys and focus groups • By having the highest level of pastoral and guidance support • Peer Hub feedback on pupil wellbeing for all pupils by providing appropriately trained, experienced and caring pastoral staff. • Diana Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and Mentors for Values Promotion feedback • By ensuring compliance with all legislative requirements concerning the safety, welfare and wellbeing of young people • Student Council feedback on PSE and Wellbeing and staff. • Staff Liaison Committee and Health, Safety and Wellbeing • By developing the existing pastoral and guidance Committee arrangements, paying particular attention to communication, • Staff Health and Wellbeing delivery targets administration and the monitoring of impact. • Parent Association feedback • By providing a coherent and well-informed Personal and Social Education programme using, where appropriate, • Safeguarding Committee feedback external agencies and other opportunities. The PSE • Where identified, use of toolkits such as Scottish programme must be sensitive to the pupil voice and Government Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment ever-changing societal mores. (CRWIA) guidance • By maintaining and delivering a comprehensive Health and • Secure Right Respecting Schools status for the School Wellbeing Policy for all pupils and staff, and securing staff commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of the • Self-evaluation against nationally established Education whole school community. Scotland HMIE quality indicators, How Good is our School 4, especially indicator 3.1 Wellbeing • By increasing capacity for pupil and staff wellbeing support through embedding trained teachers in Cognitive Behaviour • Where identified, evaluation by external audit Intervention (CBI), Mental Health First Aid and Mindfulness accreditation. • By ensuring the School is legally compliant in policy, procedures and practice with all requirements of Child Protection, GIRFEC, Respect for All and GDPR; the Board of Governors Safeguarding Committee being responsible for oversight.

12 13 14 Community What do we want to achieve? Have a consistent commitment to ensuring that all activities promote the values of concern for the needs and welfare of others in school, locally and globally.

How will we do it? How will we know? • By maintaining a high degree of commitment to pupil- • By monitoring pupil participation rates in House activities directed charity fundraising activities and initiatives. and fundraising • By promoting a clear and unequivocal statement of the • By monitoring and maintaining records of local community ethos, core values and principles of The High School of service contributions, relationships and collaborations Glasgow as a reference document for all members of the • Pupil and staff survey feedback community. • Parent Association feedback and activities • By extending further development of local community service and increasing involvement opportunities to • Secure Fairtrade School and Rights Respecting Schools enhance pupils’ experience of volunteering. status • By continuing to promote the values of obligation, social • Appoint a Global and Community Service Co-ordinator at conscience and global citizenship through the programme of Junior and Senior Schools annual trips, community service and exchanges. • Feedback from community partners, events and • By exploring further partnership opportunities with local collaborations authority schools and outside bodies to enable pupils and staff to share practice, experience, resources and • Local, national or global recognition opportunities. • Self-evaluation against nationally established Education • By maintaining ‘Eco Schools’ status and promoting awareness Scotland HMIE quality indicators, How Good is our School 4, and practice of sustainability amongst all staff and pupils. especially indicator 2.7 Partnerships • By securing Right Respecting Schools and Fairtrade School status for the School. • By actively supporting opportunities for pupils to contribute to local community, city or national activities through sport, music, art, co-curricular competitions and initiatives. • By fostering respected, open and positive dialogue between home and school, in support of the pupils, through a proactive Parent Association, the School’s ‘open door’ policy and timeous communications. • By developing a Global and Community Service Co- ordinator at Junior and Senior Schools to improve pupil understanding and participation in volunteering and service at the local and global level.

15 Legacy What do we want to achieve? Leave the School stronger and better equipped to face the future.

How will we do it? How will we know? • By attracting highly talented, caring and enthusiastic staff with • Recruitment: tracking of pupils and teaching staff; including a passion for learning and a commitment to young people. bursary access for pupils • By consistently attracting prospective families and young • Production of agreed School business model and associated people who will both gain from and contribute to the High plan by Board of Governors School experience. • Annual growth in the Bursary Fund • By securing an active and supportive Former Pupils’ • Secure and monitor increase in Former Pupil engagement community that has a global reach through a variety of with events and School and Development Office communications, events, marketing and promotion. communications and initiatives, including HSOG Community • By securing sustainable long-term financial resources and the • Expansion of Former Pupil engagement and activity globally independence of the School. Through an exacting review of with individual Former Pupils taking on responsibility for the current business model, including an evaluation of the HSOG Community initiatives in their city or country of Ledcameroch and Old campuses; an analysis of residence current and predicted demographics and the earning and financial trends of the independent and local authorities • Monitor participation and engagement with School events, schools’ market; and a review of the High School’s brand communications and initiatives through HSOG Community and market identity. • Increased recognition, in City of Glasgow and the West • By fostering, through the Development Office and HSOG of Scotland, of The High School of Glasgow and the Community, philanthropic relationships with the Former contribution the School makes to community service, events, Pupil community, parents, former parents, friends and education, opportunities and Glasgow life supporters of the School to aid, in a variety of ways, the future vitality and development of the School. • Marketing and communications research, monitoring and feedback • By reclaiming the ethos of ‘The Town School’ through access to bursaries and our contribution to the community service and involvement programme. • By promoting the School’s historic legacy of bringing benefit to the flourishing of Glasgow and Scotland since the 12th Century, through our local and national educational profile. • By ensuring that all those connected to The High School of Glasgow have a sense of obligation to the legacy of the School. • By prioritising the growth of the Bursary Fund to enable increased opportunities for prospective pupils to access the High School irrespective of background.

16 17 Strategic Aims 2019-2024

1. To be recognised as a centre of excellence in teaching and learning 2. To be sector leading in the area of wellbeing 3. To increase access to the School and attract pupils from across Glasgow and beyond 4. To protect and nurture our independence 5. To secure a well-designed school campus fit for the future 6. To ensure that ‘our town’ knows ‘The Town School’ story of The High School of Glasgow 7. To expand our global outlook

18 “The flame of our higher purpose continues to burn. The purpose of this strategic plan is to further brighten that flame to the benefit of our young people, our staff, our High School community and beyond.”

19 highschoolofglasgow.co.uk 637 Crow Road, Glasgow, G13 1PL [email protected] 0141 954 9628 20