Glasgow City Council Education Services
Improvement Planning
Establishment
/ St. Benedict’s Primary /Session
/ 2013-14CONTENTS
1. Vision, Values and Aims
2. Summary of Self Evaluation Process
3. Overview of 3-year Planning Cycle
4. Priorities for Improvement in the current year
5. Action planning
6. Appendices:
a. Action Plan Summary for Stakeholders
b. Monitoring of Progress of Improvement Plan
Signatures:
Head of Establishment / Anne Marie Mc Govern / Date / June 2013Quality Improvement Officer / Rick Swan / Date
Area Education Manager / John Butcher / Date
1a Our vision, values and aims /
Within St. Benedict’s community of Faith and Learning”Getting It Right For Every Child” is our key priority. On our Journey to Excellence we endeavour to put the child at the centre and help lives and life chances.
We will do this by:
SAFE Providing a nurturing and happy environment in which all children feel safe and valued.
HEALTHY Ensuring each child has the opportunity to access physical, social and emotional programmes which help him or her
thrive.
ACHIEVING Ensuring children take responsibility for their own learning by setting targets, planning and evaluating their work.
Creating an ethos of the highest aspirations and expectations in which young people are engaged, supported and
challenged in their learning.
Staff ensuring all children are motivated and learning experiences meet learners’ needs.
Recognising achievement within and out with school.
NURTURED Nurturing all children in their social and emotional well being and developing talent.
ACTIVE Working with all partners (local and national) and stakeholders to provide each child with a positive lifelong approach to
health and well being.
RESPECTED All within St. Benedict’s School Community trying to live by the Gospel values promoting at all times respect for others,
their culture and religion.
RESPONSIBLE Developing young people as leaders within the school, parishes, community and beyond.
Fostering positive attitudes to global issues and encouraging thoughtful and responsible decision making.
INCLUSIVE Staff working with all agencies to meet the needs of young people and their families in breaking down barriers to learning.
1b How our vision, values and aims were developed and how our stakeholders were consulted /
Staff carried out a recent review of the vision, values and aims. These were developed during Inset Day 5 2013. All staff including teachers, PSAs and clerical staff worked collegiately to develop the priorities using the GIRFEC model and Curriculum for Excellence. A carousel model was used. The identified priorities from each group were displayed and staff selected which aims they felt were most important and relevant to the school.
This exercise was repeated with parents. The aims were put on display at Parents’ Evening and the parents had the opportunity to contribute to the process by selecting their priorities. The majority of parents who attended participated in this exercise.
The children were then involved through the Student Council where the selected aims were discussed with them and they had the opportunity to be involved in the process. The children then worked on and completed a child friendly version of the vision, value and aims.
2. Summary of self evaluation process
How we carried out our self-evaluation and involved our stakeholders /
The views of the staff are collated through TACLE. Each term the quality indicators are issued to staff at collegiate meetings and these are discussed and completed with up to date evidence, the professional dialogue meetings also allow teachers the opportunity to evaluate the work of the school and the impact on teaching and learning.
Staff evaluated the 2012\13 school improvement plan and identified priorities for this year’s plan.
A member of staff attended the Authority’s “Improving Our Classrooms” and used this to get the children to evaluate her teaching and their learning; this will be rolled out across the school in 2013/14 and is a target in the SIP.
Following on from last year’s parent and children focus groups it was decided to collate the parents’ views of the school at the “Open Afternoon” when parents were asked their views on the school and how we could improve the service we provide. The returns were very positive with the parents stating they were very happy with the school and identified no areas for improvement.
The children continually evaluate their work through their PLPs, learning logs, target setting, evaluations on their experiences, class discussion, learners’ dialogue, ECO. Student Council, Fair Trade and the monthly tea party.
Through sampling of course work and learners’ dialogue with SMT the children’s performance is also evaluated.
This year evaluations have been completed by a wide range of visitors to the school. Again these have been very positive with no areas being identified for improvement.
Teachers regularly evaluate their teaching and learning and identify next steps in learning. “The Good Lesson” is used to evaluate teaching on class visits by SMT and plans are reviewed on a termly basis through a professional dialogue.
Quality Framework / Our key strengths / Our areas for improvement /
Successes and
achievements / The school was a finalist in” Determined to Make Movies” and “Determined to Animate”. A P7 child won “Best Actress” category and P4 children won “Best Cover” for “Determined to Animate”.
The school won gold, silver and bronze awards from the Royal Horticultural Society.
The school won the Authority’s Platinum Award for Partnership Working at its first attempt.
The children reported they felt safe and valued in the school and were achieving.
The Primary 7 basketball team won “Champions of Champions” of Scotland in the Jump2it championships and compete in the British Championship in London in August. / Further develop work in ICT using “Determined To….”
Further develop the quality of teaching and learning across all levels through” Improving our Classroom”.
Further develop Global Citizenship and Sustainability across the school.
Further develop work on Rights Respecting School.
Develop work on the “Motivated School” with psychological services.
Embed “Positive Futures” through Positive Future Committee and buddies.
Work and life of
school/centre / All staff, through TACLE quality indicators, evaluated the work of the school as very good.
All parents and visitors to the school evaluated the work of the school in very positive terms with no identified areas for improvement. / Further develop assessment strategies in Literacy and Numeracy and agree standards across stages, school, Learning Community for developing, consolidating and secure.
Continue to work with the parent Forum through the Parent Council and PTA.
Work with parents and members of the community on the FAST (Families and Schools Together) programme
Vision and
leadership / All staff strongly agreed that leadership at all levels was very good.
All parents, who returned evaluations, identified they were very satisfied with the standard of education provided at St. Benedict’s. / The member of staff who attended “Improving Our Classroom” will lead staff in self evaluation exercise involving the children evaluating the quality of teaching and the impact on their learning.
The staff continues to adopt leadership roles across the school.
Further develop the children in leadership roles across the school.
Acting DHT to lead Rights Respecting School and Science.
3. Priorities for improvement in the current year / Year / 1 or 2 or 3
/ Priority / Main driver of priority: / Alignment with: /
Self- evaluation / Authority
Quality
Review / HMI report / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
No. / QI / GCC Priorities / Education Services’ Priorities / GIRFEC / LC Priorities
1 / Continue to develop literacy and numeracy across learning within St Benedict’s through quality teaching and learning by incorporating strategies from “Improving Our Classroom” to improve standards. / √ / 1.1
2.1
5.9
5.1
5.3 / 5 / 1, 2 & 5 / Achieving
Active
Responsible
Included / Curriculum
2 / Further develop the school’s work on Health and Well Being with focus on Bounce Back, Rights Respecting School, Motivated School, This Is Our Faith, Global Citizenship and Sustainability and introduce “Shining Light of Christ”. Introduce the FAST programme. (Families and schools together) / √ / 5.1
1.1
2.1
5.3 / 1,2,3,4 & 5 / 1,2,3 &6 / Nurtured
Safe
Achieving
Healthy
Included
Active
Responsible
Respectied / Curriculum
3 / Develop assessment and moderation strategies in Literacy and Numeracy across St. Benedict’s and the Learning Community. / √ / 2.1
1.1
5.3
5.9 / 5 / 1,2,3,4, 5 &6 / Achieving
Responsible
Active / Assessment and Moderation
4 / Develop Science across the Learning Community and within St. Benedict’s Primary. / √ / 1.1, 5.1, 2.1 / 2,3 &5 / 1, 2, 3 / Active
Achieving
Responsible
Included / Science
4. Action Planning
Priority No. / QI /
Priority
/ Expected outcomes for learners which are measurable or observable1 / 1,1
2.1
5.1
5.3
5.9 / Continue to develop literacy and numeracy across learning within St Benedict’s through quality teaching and learning by incorporating strategies from “Improving Our Classroom” to improve standards in teaching and learning. / · Interactive and engaging literacy and numeracy programmes are delivered through interdisciplinary learning evident in teachers’ planning..
· Children become more successful learners through engaging in cooperative learning experiences and apply skills to other contexts.
· Blooms’ Taxonomy skills become part of daily classroom practice.
· A tracking framework in place for literacy and numeracy.
· Improved attainment as a result of responding to learners’ evaluations (Improving Our Classrooms).
Tasks to achieve priority / Timescale / Person responsible / Resources and staff development / Monitoring progress and evaluating impact /
Use strategies from “Improving Our Classrooms”
to get the children to evaluate teaching and the impact on their learning. / September / Miss Magill
All staff / CPD “Improving Our Classrooms” / · Children
· Staff
· Parents
Fully embed Active Maths across all levels to ensure progression, depth and continuity in learning. / Aug 2013-June 2014 / All Staff / Active Heinemann / · Tracking
· Monitoring by SMT
· Diagnostic tools to track and identify next steps in learning
Planning and evaluation.
Continue to develop cooperative learning strategies across all stages, enabling children to learn in a variety of contexts, both in and outdoors and taking responsibility for their own learning. / Ongoing / All Staff / Peer coaching and shadowing
Espresso
Shared practice / · Learning Logs
· SMT Monitoring
· More confident and independent children taking more responsibility for their learning.
Implement Bloom’s Taxonomy into daily practice through staff modelling. / Ongoing / All Staff / CPD opportunities for staff
Go Glasgow, Blooms’ resources / · Staff and children use Bloom’s Taxonomy language in daily dialogue
· Learners’ dialogue
· PLPs and Learning Logs
· Teachers’ planning
· Professional dialogue
Following Benchmark assessments all children have access to and use texts appropriate to their book banding level. / August / Teachers
PSAs
Volunteers / School library
Platform Library
Scottish Books Trust / · Tracking
· Improvement in performance.
· Learners’ conversations
· Children’s evaluations
Continue to provide opportunities for ICT and implement use of new technology to support learning. / Ongoing / PSAs
Teachers / CPD opportunities
DS, Kindles / · Children become more confident and independent in their learning
Further development of tracking in literacy and numeracy across outcomes / Aug 2013 / All staff / In house CPD / · Teachers and SMT track children’s progress.
Themed weeks on Literacy and Numeracy / Identified weeks / All staff/ Numeracy and Literacy working groups. / Working groups take on leadership roles in organising events. / · Children showcase work and share learning experiences with parents and other stakeholders.
5. Action Planning
Priority No. / QI /
Priority
/ Expected outcomes for learners which are measurable or observable4 / 1.1, 2.1, 5.1 / To develop a science curriculum across all levels. / - Children become more confident in using the language of science.
- Children experience challenge, depth and progression within science experiments.
- To embed science within interdisciplinary planning.
- To develop a framework for assessment embedded within forward planning.
- Children become familiar with Bloom’s Taxonomy Higher Order Thinking within science.
Tasks to achieve priority / Timescale / Person responsible / Resources and staff development / Monitoring progress and evaluating impact /
Member of staff to participate in SSERC science course. / Aug 2013 – Aug 2014 / Mr. Byatt / Programme of course work offering staff members CPD in science. / · Delivery of SSERC CPD.
Collegiate working group to develop and focus assessment opportunities. / Aug 2013 – June 2014 / Working group / Review NARS, review GCC science policy and review Education Scotland practice on assessment framework in science. / · Establish science assessment opportunities within forward plans.
Greater familiarity with experiences and outcomes through planned activities within forward plan. / Aug 2013 – June 2014 / All staff / Lessons lead with experience and outcome in science. / · Tracking within forward plan, SMT monitoring and professional dialogue.
Identify good practice across learning community. / Aug 2013 – June 2014 / Mr. Byatt / Peer shadowing, CPD manager, science networking via SSERC. / · Improved confidence in delivery of science lessons via dialogue with SMT.
To develop Bloom’s Taxonomy Higher Order Thinking Skills. / Aug 2013 / Mr. Byatt / Bloom’s Taxonomy workshop. A shared practice area within ‘our establishment’, cooperative teaching. / · Bloom’s language used within forward plan and children’s learning conversations reflect Bloom’s.
Create a science base of resources. / Aug 2013 – June 2014 / Working group / Audit science resources, inventory of equipment in science area on ‘our establishment’ and establish appropriate location for science base. / · A well resourced science base established. Shared science area in ‘our establishment’. Ordering of required resources and maintaining availability.
Organise science week. / Aug 2013 – June 2014 / Working group / Agreed timetable for delivery of science week, external agency support, learning community science teacher support, parent support. / · A timetabled Science Week with a showcase of learners’ achievements to be shared with parents and led by children.