EDUCATION & CHILDREN’S SERVICES

IMPROVEMENT PLAN

2015 - 2016

FOR

Torphins Primary School

Aberdeenshire Council Education & Children’s Services

“Our vision is for an Aberdeenshire in which everyone is able to develop the skills and confidence needed for learning, life and work.”

Torphins School’s Vision Statement
We are committed to providing a range of flexible pathways and progression routes to meet the needs of all our learners, allowing our children to progress at different rates and in different ways at a good pace appropriate to their prior learning in line with the highest aspirations for all.
We aim to place the values and principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) at the heart of our school’s planning, policies, practice and ethos and to develop every child’s personality, encourage talent and abilities to the full. We aim to encourage respect for human rights, as well as respect for their own and other cultures and the environment. We are committed to achieving the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA).

In Torphins Primary School our vision is the driving force behind all our improvement activity.

Education & Children’s Service’s Quality Improvement Framework, is the overarching strategic management tool which directs and supports school improvement in establishments across Aberdeenshire. At the heart of the framework is the belief that self evaluation in each school drives improvement and all improvement is aimed at delivering positive outcomes for children and young people.

Self evaluation is a reflective, professional process through which schools get to know themselves well…Improvement Planning builds on that self knowledge by involving us in understanding and valuing the best of that which already exists, deciding how good we can really be, and identifying the best way forward.

The Journey to Excellence Part 4: Planning for Excellence, HMIe, 2007

Self-evaluation is an on-going process and involves all stakeholders, including our pupils. It is reported annually to parents/carers in our Standards and Quality Report.

Education & Children’s Service Improvement Cycle

The priorities for improvement contained in the Improvement Plan for 2015 – 16 reflect this process and the priorities identified locally and nationally.

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Improvement Plan 2015-2016

Improvement Priority No. / 1 / Monitoring and Tracking Progress and Achievement
Intended Outcome (s) / Impact / Actions / Lead member of staff / Timescales
·  Develop approaches to monitoring and tracking in significant aspects of learning that are understood by everyone and are manageable. These are to incorporate existing assessment and tracking tools e.g. ePiPs, InCas, SEEMIS and current assessment portfolios.
·  Learners’ progress will be monitored and tracked to allow appropriate planned interventions to support and challenge all learners.
·  Class teachers will track children’s individual progress which will be supported by evidence.
·  Children will be involved in conversations about their learning and progress.
·  The school will have effective approaches to moderation.
·  A clear overview of children’s progress across the school will be monitored by HT/DHT. / ·  SMT/CTs to collegiately review and agree future methods of formative and summative assessment. Moderation of assessment to be collegiately agreed to ensure consistency across the school.
·  SMT/CTs to collegiately devise a manageable tracker to record progress and inform next steps in learning.
·  CTs will use tracker to record individual and class progress.
·  CTs will engage in dialogue with pupils on their learning, target setting and next steps.
·  SMT will use trackers as a method of monitoring progress across the school.
·  SMT will engage in dialogue with pupils on their learning, target setting and next steps.
·  SMT/CTs will regularly review monitoring and tracking systems being developed to ensure they are effective in supporting all children’s progress and raising attainment.
·  CTs/SMT will further use tracking to identify highest and lowest 20% in core curricular areas and how their needs are being met. / Ongoing throughout year during agreed collegiate development meetings. Priority improvement plan commencing Term 1.
How will you measure success?
·  CTs/SMT will have a tracking system to more accurately identify each child’s progress and appropriately support, challenge and raise attainment.
·  SMT will have a tracking system to provide an overview of school performance levels and support raising attainment.
·  Tracking system will be one of the tools to support reporting to parents/carers.
Progress Check / Comments / Next Steps
Date: / Termly / ·  Trackers to be completed and collegiately reviewed and refined termly.
Improvement Priority No. / 2 / Curriculum, Modern Languages 1+2 – Language 2
Intended Outcome / Actions / Timescales
·  Develop understanding of Scottish Executive’s 1+2 programme.
·  Develop a whole school approach to modern languages. P1-P7 programme to be developed for French, as language 2, linked to CfE experiences and outcomes. (French is language 2 at Aboyne Academy).
·  Parents/carers to be made aware of implementation of 1+2 as a national policy and our associated improvement plan. / ·  Authority self-evaluation toolkit to be completed.
·  HT to identify language capacity of teachers and staff in school.
·  CTs/SMT familiarisation with CfE Level 1 experiences and outcomes which are now available.
·  Audit of existing resources and identify any additional resources required.
·  P1-P7 programme to be developed for French, as language 2, linked to CfE experiences and outcomes. French to be delivered to P1-P7 pupils.
·  Cluster French Visiting Specialist to be invited to collegiate development activities to support 1+2 improvement plan.
·  HT to highlight authority CPD/twilight opportunities to staff.
·  Contribute to and collaborate with any cluster activities linked to 1+2 initiative. / Ongoing throughout year during agreed collegiate development meetings. Priority improvement plan commencing Term 2.
How will you measure success?
·  Audit tool self-evaluation tool completed. Collegiate discussion and development work.
·  Programme of work to support learning and teaching introduced and P1-P7 being taught French.
·  SMT learning visits to classes, pupils confidently engaging in French.
Progress Check / Comments / Next Steps
Date: / Term 2 / Term 2 – 1+ 2 improvement plan focus.
Date / Ongoing / Next steps - work towards French being used in cross curricular contexts as learning and teaching in this area embeds.
Improvement Priority No. / 3 / Rationale, Values and Aims – Linked to Torphins Primary School Programmes of Work
Intended Outcome / Actions / Timescales
·  Review and evaluate Improvement Plans 1 & 2 of 2014/15
o  Maths and Numeracy
o  Sciences, Social Studies, Expressive Arts & Technology – Bundling of Es and Os
·  Health and Wellbeing Programme to be reviewed and refreshed.
·  Torphins Primary School Rationale, Values and Aims to be recreated to reflected updated programmes of work and ethos of school. / ·  CTs/SMT collegiate discussion and evaluation of programmes of work. Changes to be implemented as required.
·  Monitoring and Tracking and Achievement (improvement plan 2) data to be used to inform evaluation of programmes.
·  CTs/SMT to collegiately review and update Health and Wellbeing Programme.
·  CTs will engage in dialogue with pupils on their learning, target setting and next steps linked to HWB.
·  Collegiate discussion and development of Rationale, Values and Aims to be recreated to reflected updated programmes of work and ethos of school.
·  Discussion with pupils on Rationale, Values and Aims that reflect the ethos of Torphins Primary School.
·  Views of parents/carers on Rationale, Values and Aims that reflect the ethos of Torphins Primary School. / Ongoing throughout year during agreed collegiate development meetings. Priority improvement plan commencing Term 4.
How will you measure success?
·  School Rationale, Values and Aims will be in place.
·  Reviewed Health and Well Being Programme in place.
·  Programmes of work reviewed and evaluated.
Progress Check / Comments / Next Steps
Date: / Term 4 / On going work throughtout the school year with focused evaluation Term 4.
Date

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