Contents

Item / Page number
Contents / 1
Self-evaluation / 2
Vision, values and aims / 4
Development priorities 2014 to 201 / 5
Priority R - ReadingReading / 8
Priority SfL – Support for Learning / 11
Priority PS – Professional Standards / 13
Other areas of development for the school / 17
The consultation process / 17
Appendices – Action plans and self-evaluation schedule / 18

1. Self-evaluation

a.) School initiated evaluations

The school has engaged in a range of self-evaluation activities over the last year. The following are examples of specific self-evaluation activities:

  • Review of the 2014-2017 School Improvement Plan.
  • Development of the Standards and Quality Report for the school for 2014-15.
  • Observations of teaching by the headteacher.
  • Teaching alongside by the headteacher.
  • Headteacher teaching class in the absence of teacher.
  • Review of planning and evaluation processes and records by the headteacher.
  • Review of pupil data by the headteacher and in discussion with teachers.
  • Consultation of parents and carers; Parent Group (parent council), parnet, child, teacher consultation meetings.
  • Consultation of pupils: School Council, Peedie Council.
  • Staff review process.
  • Staff discussions both formal and informal: development meetings, in-service days
  • Questionnaire responses by nursery parents.

A programme for self-evaluation for 2015 to 2016has been developed and is available to school staff and other stakeholders (see Appendix 1).

b.) Orkney Islands Council initiated evaluations

  • Review of School Improvement Plan 2014 – 15
  • Review of Standards and Quality Report 2013 – 14
  • Review of PIPS data
  • Review of Primary 7 achievement (Curriculum for Excellence Levels)

c.) External inspection

The school was last inspected by HMIe in March 2010 (report published May 2010). Judgements were between Satisfactory and Good.

The school nursery was last inspected by the Care Inspectorate 11th January 2013. The Judgements were between Very Good and Excellent.

2. Vision, values and aims

1. We aim to do the very best for our pupils and strive to understand how they learn and how we can challenge and support their thinking and learning.

2. We aspire to help our pupils to become:-

Successful learners

Confident individuals

Responsible citizens

Effective contributors

3. We aim to improve the achievement and attainment and the health and wellbeing for all pupils, staff and for the wider school community.

3. Development priorities 2015 to 2018

ScIP ref. / Improvement
Priority
2015 - 2018 / HMIe priorities from the report May 2010 / Continued Development
from 2014 / 2015 / Orkney Islands Council
Development
2015 / 2016
R / Reading / Standards: English language / Raising standards / Curriculum development
SfL / Support for Learning / Standards: English language and mathematics / Raising standards / Curriculum development
PS / Professional standards / Standards: English language and mathematics / Raising standards / Professional learning and development

Other development work:

Technology – ICT: The computer suite was updated with new machines during July and August 2015. Setting the machines up for class teaching, dealing with snags and problems, updating and installing software took place in August, September and October 2015. The room was redecorated in October 2015. New iPads for support for learning were purchased in August 2015 and these have software installed and staff familiarisation in November. Laptops were updated, snags resolved and new machines ordered so that each class has four during August to November 2015. New wireless sytem installed and in use from August 2015.

Next steps:

  • Instructional posters for the ICT suite, designed with the children.
  • iPads used effectively across the school – Nursery, Primary 1, Primary 2 and support for learning.
  • Further develop information for parents online.
  • Ensure classroom laptops are used effectively.
  • Train staff to use software.
  • Purchase data management software for teaching.
  • Investigate websites for learning for children to access – bad weather contingency.
  • If new reading scheme is purchased ensure ICT elements are fully operational.

Finance - £2,000

Modern languages - 1+2 Languages: Joined the pilot school programme in September 2015. Working with Education Scotland with regard to Scots language (L3) form August 2015. Working with a Scots language ambassador (Sheena Taylor) from September 2015. Attending development meetings with staff for French (L2). Developing French teaching in school August 2015.

Next steps:

  • Continue to engage as a 1+2 Languages pilot school.
  • Develop a programme for teaching Scots language, Orcadian dialect.
  • Monitor (light touch) teaching of French (L2).

Finance – should be provided under the pilot schools initiative.

Staffing: Management of recruitment and induction of new staff: probationer teacher inducted August – September 2015. Recruitment and induction of new principal teacher August to November 2015. Recruitment of class teacher October and November 2015. Recruitment of auxiliary, support for learning and clerical staff October to November 2015.

Next steps:

  • Continue induction of principal teacher.
  • Induction of class teacher.
  • Continue to develop probabtioner teacher.
  • Continue to develop other recently appointed teaching and non-teaching staff.
  • Induct and develop new staff in post.
  • Ensure continued quality of staff work by formal and informal monitoring.
  • Annual reviews.
  • Provide and support staff professional development.
  • Continue to develop security awareness of staff.
  • See main objectives for proposed development with regard to GTCS Standards for teachers, costed separately.

Finance – retained budget mostly.

RReading

Introduction

The school is seeking to consolidate and update the work carried out over 2010 – 2012 and 2014 - 2015 on the development of the teaching and learning of reading.

The school has not been successful in significantly improving the standards of reading to date.

The teaching staff of the school continues to change,and in order to ensure consistency of teaching of reading across the school reading should continue to be a development priority.

The school has continued to invest in new books annually. The school intends to re-position a new school library in a now vacant room in the school, moving it from a corridor. The school is looking into investing in an Oxford University Press scheme, Project X, which is designed to support teachers and improve the consistency of teaching and learning across the school especially from Primary 4 to Primary 7. The school is also looking at systems for teaching dyslexic children.

Success criteria

We will know we have succeeded when:

  • 85% of children make at least expected progress with the learning of reading, a significant proportion, 30%, make good progress.
  • 90% of children with PIPS reading scores of 60 or greater from Primary 3 make good progress with the learning of reading, year on year, as they go through school.
  • 99.5% of children leave Primary 7 as functional readers, able to access the curriculum in Senior 1.
  • 85% of children make the expected progress, or better, with reading each year.
  • reading standards in the school are significantly better than the Scottish average across the whole school.
  • reading teaching is 100% compatible with Curriculum for Excellence.
  • 90% of children enjoy the learning of reading throughout the school.

Evaluation arrangements

  • Children’s progress with reading learning is tracked and monitored using PIPS, Edinburgh Reading Test and Curriculum for Excellence data, this data is available to the local authority, school staff and parents and carers (for their own child).
  • Headteacher observes the teaching of reading throughout the school.
  • Parents are surveyed with regard to the teaching of reading and the support given them to enable their support of their own children.

Improvement Project
R
Reading / OIC
SIP
Performance improvement / HMIe
Raise levels of attainment / School Aims
1, 3 / Q.I(s)
1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 4.2, 5.2, 5.3, 5.7
Area for Improvement: Pupils’ progress and overall standards of reading in the school.
OUTCOMES FOR ALL LEARNERS
Learners:
  • enjoy reading
  • attain a better standard of reading learning; 90% are working within the expected Level at the end of Primary 4; 85% are working within the expected Level at the end of Primary 7
  • are able to apply their reading skills and knowledge to a wide variety of situations in their everyday lives.

RESOURCES ALLOCATED
In 2015 - 2016:
  • £4,500 to purchase resources.
  • £500 to purchase dyslexia support programme.
  • £3,000develop a new library.
  • £600 to release staff for development purposes.
  • Time in development meetings – at least 30 minutes in each of 10 meetings.
  • In-service day time, half a day.
  • Teacher CPD time to read and understand and then develop their planning– 20 hours
  • Headteacher time to enable and to monitor – 15 hours

Budget reference at September 2015

Item / Finance in action plan / April 2015 budget / Subsequent budgets
Supply days / £600 / CPD / CPD similar amounts each year
CPD fees / £0 / £0 / ?
Furniture and capital items / £3,000 / £3,000 / If not completed carried over finance to next budget.
Finance for resources / £5,500 / £5,000 / If not completed carried over finance to next budget.
Other items / £0 / 0 / £1,200 to purchase books.

SfLSupport for Learning

Introduction

The school engaged in a self-evaluation exercise with Stromness Primary School and St Andrew’s Primary School during the latter part of the 2013 – 14 academic year. A number of possible improvements to practice were identified during that exercise. The school should ensure that class teachers understand their responsibilities with regard to Support for Learning fully. The school has a high proportion of children with identified needs, at September 2015, 37% of pupils were identified as being at or above Stage 2 of the Staged Intervention process.

Success criteria

We will know we will have succeeded when:

  • all children with identified needs have the interventions in place which will support their learning and their health and well-being, IEPs and Child’s Plans are in place for those children on Stages 3 and Stage 4 of Staged Intervention respectively.
  • every class has an up-to-date support for learning file maintained by the class teacher, this file includes an up-to-date intervention spread sheet.
  • every class teacher meets the support for learning teacher twice a year, in this meeting suitable targets and interventions are discussed, the intervention spread sheet is agreed, the class support for learning file is checked.
  • all children are involved in the target setting process and have the opportunity to agree their own targets.
  • 100% of children transition successfully from Nursery to Primary 1 and from Primary 7 to Senior 1.
  • 90% of pupils with identified needs make expected progress within Curriculum for Excellence Levels in aspects of the curriculum upon which their need do not impact.
  • 65% of pupils with identified needs make expected progress within Curriculum for Excellence Levels, where their identified need is known to impact on progress.
  • 85% of pupils make at least expected and satisfactory progress with learning to read.
  • all children are happy learners.

Evaluation arrangements

  • Documentation (support for learning file, intervention spread sheet, tracking sheets) are always available in the class and are kept up-to-date by the class teacher.
  • The data to show achievement and progress of children with identified needs is up-to-date and readily available.
  • The headteacher works regularly with the support for learning teacher to monitor the impact of support for learning work in the school.

Improvement Project
SfL
Support for learning / OIC
SIP
Curriculum development / HMIe
Standards: English language and mathematics / School Aims
1, 2, 3 / Q.I(s)
1.1; 1.2; 2.1; 2.2; 5.2; 5.3; 5.7; 5.8; 7.2.
Area for Improvement: The progress with learning made by children who have additional learning and support needs.
OUTCOMES FOR ALL LEARNERS
Learners:
  • consistently make good progress with learning and attain well because teaching is differentiated, and appropriate for each individual.
  • are happy in school.
  • and their parents or carers are involved with the planning and of their own learning and work with school as partners in learning.

RESOURCES ALLOCATED
In this second year:
  • Development meeting time / in-service days – 40 minutes in each of 6 meetings.
  • Headteacher time – 60 hours
  • Support for learning teacher time – supply budget used to enable this £400
  • Teacher time – class teachers will need to commit at least 5 hours of their Professional Learning hours (of 35 hours)
  • Support for learning assistants 5 hours each (in working hours, no additional cost)
  • Equipment - £250 for resources, £150 for IT
  • Stationery - £100
  • See also resources allocated for reading.

Budget reference at September 2015

Item / Finance in plan / April 2015 budget / Subsequent budgets
Supply days / £400 p/a / CPD / CPD - £400
CPD fees / 0 / 0 / 0
Furniture and capital items / 0 / 0 / 0
Finance for resources / £500in this year / Resources, IT and photocopying / office supplies budget, teaching resources budget - £500 / Resources, photocopying / office supplies budget, teaching resources budget - £250 p/a
Other items / 0 / 0 / 0

PSProfessional standards

Introduction

Using the General Teaching Council of Scotland’s Professional Standards the school will focus on improving the learning experience for children and the ability of parents and carers to engage with their children’s learning by putting in place procedures which support teachers to meet the Standard for Career-long Professional Learning as well as maintain the Standard for Full Registration.

Success criteria

We will know we will have succeeded when all teachers working in the school:

  • always demonstrate professional integrity, trust and respect, and commitment.
  • have secure knowledge and understanding of the methods and underlying theories for effective teaching of literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing, and effectively select the most appropriate methods to meet all learners’ needs following the guidance given by school procedures.
  • respect the rights of all learners as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and particularly their entitlement to be included in decisions regarding their learning experiences and have all aspects of their well-being developed and supported.
  • are developing deep, critically informed knowledge and understanding to enhance their skills and abilities in relation to the key areas of career-long professional learning particularly in respect of pedagogy, learning and subject knowledge, and curriculum and assessment.
  • know how to work with the local and global community to develop realistic and coherent interdisciplinary contexts for learning, particularly in relation to sustainability.
  • know how to promote and support the cognitive, emotional, social and physical wellbeing of all learners, and demonstrate a commitment to raising all learners’ expectations of themselves.
  • know and understand how to apply the principles of assessment, recording and reporting as an integral part of the teaching process.
  • know how to use both formative and summative assessment information in reviewing progress, in improving teaching and learning, for identifying next steps and to report to parents and carers, and children in a clear, informed and sensitive manner.

Evaluation arrangements

  • Through the annual review process teachers discuss their professional learning and how that has been applied to their practice.
  • In development meetings and in-service days and through the variety of professional learning opportunities during the year teachers are able to give considered opinion, lead discussion, support colleagues and engage knowledgably with colleagues when discussing learning and teaching.
  • Through the self-evaluation programme of the school the headteacher can evidence the impact of effective learning and teaching.
  • Target setting with pupils and parents is effective and leads to pupil progress.
  • Parents are able to understand and contribute to the learning and progress their children are making because of the excellent communication and support of the school’s teachers.

Improvement Project
PS
Professional standards / OIC
SIP
Curriculum development / HMIe
Standards: English language and mathematics / School Aims
1, 2, 3 / Q.I(s)
1.1; 1.2; 2.1; 2.2; 5.2; 5.3; 5.7; 5.8; 7.2.
Area for Improvement: Attainment for all children, progress of learning for all children.
OUTCOMES FOR ALL LEARNERS
Learners:
  • consistently make good progress with learning and attain well because teaching is targeted and appropriate.
  • are happy in school.
  • and their parents or carers are involved with the planning and of their own learning and work with school as partners in learning.

RESOURCES ALLOCATED
In the first year:
  • Development meeting time / in-service days – 40 minutes in each of 10 meetings.
  • Headteacher time – 60 hours
  • Teacher time – class teachers will need to commit at least 15 hours of their Professional Learning hours (of 35 hours)– peer working and release time - £250
  • Books, learning opportunities and equipment - £400
  • Stationery - £100

Budget reference at September 2015

Item / Finance in action plan / April 2015 budget / Subsequent budgets
Supply days / £250 p/a / CPD £250 / CPD £250
CPD fees / 0 / 0 / 0
Furniture and capital items / 0 / 0 / 0
Finance for resources / £500in first year / Resources, IT and photocopying / office supplies budget, teaching resources budget - £500 / Resources, photocopying / office supplies budget, teaching resources budget - £250
Other items / 0 / 0 / 0

4. Other areas of development for the school

There are other areas of development that the school will continue from previous years or develop alongside the work of Orkney Islands Council.

Previous developments within school include children’s play and development of the curriculum as well as listening and talking. The school will work closely with the Education, Leisure and Housing Service of Orkney Islands Council to support the development strategy of the whole service.

The school is engaged in an initiative with Orkney Active Schools introducing Positive Coaching Scotland across all its sporting activities.

IT, the 1+2 modern languages initiative and staffing are also areas of development as listed on pages 5, 6 and 7 above.

5. The consultation process

This School Improvement Plan has been developed from self-evaluation of the school’s performance.

In formulating this plan the school staff have been consulted via development and staff meetings.

The parents and carers of the children of the school have been consulted via the school newsletter and through the Parent Group of Dounby Community School (parent council).