FALKIRK COUNCIL Education Services Head of Muir Primary School Head of Muir Primary School and Nursery Class Standards & Quality Report Dear Parent/Carer As you probably know, each year the government and the council publish information designed to show how well schools and local authorities are improving pupil performance and achievement year on year. In similar fashion, we in Head of Muir Primary School and Nursery Class would like to tell you how we are progressing in our school. This leaflet has been designed to do just that. It is our 'Standards and Quality Report' for last session. Inside, you will find a brief description of our main achievements during the last session. Whilst we do many things in the course of a year, we have focused on what we consider to be the most important areas. I have outlined the school's main priorities for next session. Under the previous 5 to 14 curriculum guidelines you would have been very familiar with the different levels of attainment from A to E. Along with Falkirk Council Education Services we will be working to replace these assessment indicators and reporting structures with new systems that will better reflect the new national curriculum guidelines. I hope you find the leaflet helpful. If you have any questions about it, please do not hesitate to phone the school office for an appointment. I will be pleased to offer clarification. Daniel F. Barrie Headteacher May 2011 Highlights of 2010/2011 August September Miss Smith joined us for our annual Road Safety week A group of pupils represented the school at the Denny and Dunipace Highland Games October November Commonwealth Week Ardeonaig To celebrate the Indian Once again P7 conquered their Games we spent a week fears and spent a fantastic week studying different together at Ardeonaig House - commonwealth countries. The week ended with a fantastic assembly where each class P7 also organised our Children in Need Fundraiser – raising performed something they had learned – a highlight was P3 singing and dancing to Jayho December January What happened in December…… P1 parents came to share our learning at Family Finish P6 gave us the amazing Xmas Factor for our end of term service. Once again Mr Billcliff encouraged our young stars to take to the stage in our Talent Show Primary 7 excelled at one of our best Burns Suppers ever. And of course we had a little snow..... February March Cross Country runners braved Pupils from all classes worked hard nd the cold preparing for our 2 Green Flag Assessment Fish came to join P7 at school - they eventually set them free In P2 grandparents came to visit and spent the afternoon finding out what we had been learning April May Primary 5 led us in a Our bottle greenhouse is wonderful Easter Service beginning to take shape A group of pupils took part in the final of the K-nex We challenge at Denny High held a School Teddy Bears Picnic to celebrate the Royal Wedding Our Priorities for 2010/2011 What we achieved Next steps Continue to develop active approaches All teaching and learning planned using Review planning formats to ensure to learning throughout the school. experiences and outcomes – weekly plans they meet quality assurance Ensure that all pupil learning organised around literacy/numeracy and requirements and demonstrate a experiences are delivered in line with inter disciplinary learning – plans clearly consistent approach Curriculum for Excellence identify coverage and progress through CfE Continue to develop courses and levels. programmes in line with Pupils confidently discuss their learning and experiences and outcomes. are responding positively to active and co- Review Learning and Teaching operative approaches to learning. Policy to reflect development of Feedback from parental surveys indicates an active and co-operative learning understanding of new developments and the introduction of more active approaches to learning. Ensure that the needs of all pupils are Reductions in SLA and SLT provision Respond to authority guidance on met and that children make progress prompted a revaluation of the role of both new approach to IEP‟s. through Curriculum for Excellence resources. SLT role more focused on Implement staff input paperwork Levels as early as possible by targeting assessment and planning for pupils with ASN to IEP progress. Ensure additional support where required – still has direct input with some pupils and identification of next steps in consults widely with staff, parents and pupils learning are clearly identified and on target setting and resources to best shared support individual progress Implementing new assessment and All staff involved in moderation exercises at Use recording formats and moderation strategies throughout the school, cluster and authority level. Work progress records to track coverage school to ensure pupils make appropriate carried out to define standards and identify and ensure appropriate progress. agreed criteria for matching pupil progress development of core skills. to levels. Staff working groups developed Respond to Education Authority recording formats indicating criteria for guidance on the development of Developing/Consolidating/Secure in core standardised testing and subjects- decision made to delay use of assessment of pupils these terms awaiting guidance from EA To improve behaviour and pupil Restorative Approaches introduced Continue to implement restorative relationships through the introduction throughout the school, community – all staff approaches to behaviour and development of restorative trained in approach – survey of staff/pupils management in session 2011/2012 practices and parents completed to provide a Review staff/parent/pupil opinions benchmark which will be revisited in March in March 2012 using restorative 2012 survey Staff using restorative conversations to deal Identify and train pupils to with low level behaviour throughout the facilitate restorative school conversations amongst peers. Information leaflet produced and shared with parents promoting the use of Restorative Conversations Feedback from parent survey positively reflected current approaches to manage and support behaviour (the results of this survey can be seen on the school website). To achieve third Enterprising School As the result of a huge amount of hard work To achieve Enterprising School Gold Award and effort on behalf of staff, pupils and Platinum Award in session To achieve second Eco – schools Green parents we were successful in both of these 2011/2012 Flag external accreditations To work toward 3rd Green Flag in 2012/2013 Develop use of Storyline including joint A transition topic has been planned jointly Plan a further topic to enable a two P1/nursery topic for the summer term in Nursery/P1. This year rotation to occur. involves the children from P1 visiting the nursery and nursery children visiting P1 to complete a variety of tasks. This has developed the confidence of both groups and offered reassurance to the nursery pupils – the nursery have become familiar with the rooms, resources and staff in P1 and P1 have grown in confidence by sharing their knowledge and support. This has eased the transition process and has also motivated and stretched the more able nursery children. Develop and involve use of evaluation AW taken on responsibility for Nursery Blog Continue to develop all forms of techniques with parents. which is weekly updated and gives immediate evaluation and to recognise any new opportunity for parents to comment on day opportunities. to day activities in nursery. Comment book available at Open Evenings. Comment book available to visitors in Nursery. Evaluation sheet used with parents and pupils. Newsletters available on nursery blog/school website. All offer opportunity for parental evaluation and comment. Our Priorities for 2011/2012 School Vision and Values Review school values and aims Self Evaluation Staff agree a whole school approach to the development and moderation of active and co-operative learning across the school Curriculum Development Health and Wellbeing – begin to break down e‟s and o‟s into the knowledge, understanding and skills which they contain Assessment Develop pupil profiling as a means of recording progress and assessment throughout the school Effective Learning and Teaching Ensure that we have a shared understanding of interdisciplinary learning and review the balance of time spent on IDL and core subjects ICT Continue to develop GLOW as the key resource for learning and teaching Your feedback to us ......... Over the current session we have been focusing on delivering all pupils learning experiences in line with Curriculum for Excellence. We have also been concentrating on using more active and cooperative approaches to learning. Have you noticed any difference? Does your child tell you about the way they are learning – and what do you think about it? Does the work displayed around the school demonstrate a wide range of ways of learning? Comments X is so engaged – he can list his days activities with definite areas in which he should improve. His learning log has had the best activities and he has found it easy to compete over the weekend. His topics this year have also grabbed his imagination in content and activities but by far the whole classroom management and decoration. He is fully immersed in his learning. X has become more focused and engaged on her work this year. All the required elements of the programme seem to be supportive of a successful curriculum. The way X shares her learning also supports this style of learning X enjoyed the video and the work involved in making it. The school displays look fantastic. The pupils and teachers must work really hard. Well done all. Feel like my children very involved in Active learning. They have experienced a lot of outdoor learning and enjoyed a lot of practical activities. There is a lot more flexibility in the „curriculum for excellence‟ and it offers opportunities for the different learning styles that children have.