1. Background Information
Mid Yell Junior High School serves the whole of Yell as a 4 year Secondary School. There is a Primary Department, which covers the central part of the island, and a Nursery Department which takes pupils from all over the island. Our associated Primary schools are Burravoe Primary School in the South of the island and Cullivoe Primary School in the North.
The School roll this session is, 17 Nursery pupils, 42 Primary pupils and 42 Secondary pupils.
The School has an active Parent Council and Parent Teacher Association, both of which offer a great support in many areas.
2.Mission Statement
In Mid Yell Junior High School we aim to provide a broad, challenging and enjoyable education within a secure and happy environment. Creating a place where all members of the school community can become confident and enthusiastic learners, in order to reach their full potential in their chosen direction in life.
Written and selected by the Pupils, Parents and Staff of Mid Yell Junior High School - October 2006
3.Aims
The aims of the Mid Yell Junior High School are given in relation to the seven key areas of school life.
Curriculum
We aim to provide a curriculum which:
ais broad, balanced and provides for continuity and progression
bis well planned and suited for individuals, groups and classes
cis properly resourced, and supported by staff development
dcontinues to develop in line with current guidelines
eallows equality of access for all pupils
fencourages local studies and use of the dialect
Attainment
We aim to provide a programme of learning for all pupils which:
aensures that pupils achieve the highest level possible for their own ability
bcontinuously monitors and supports attainment
cprovides appropriate targets for pupils
densures a smooth transition from primary to secondary and then to further education establishments
Learning and Teaching
We aim to ensure the quality of pupils’ learning by:
a providing a variety of teaching and learning approaches tailored to the individual needs of each child
bdeveloping pupils’ knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes in all curricular areas
cproviding planned and appropriate learning programmes which are regularly reviewed and evaluated
dusing a wide range of homework and assessment activities
eproviding regular contact and liaison with parents
Support for Learning
We aim to support pupils’ learning by:
aassisting with their moral, social, physical, cultural, and spiritual development
bencouraging the formation of a positive self image
cpromoting self-discipline, responsibility and reliability
ddeveloping consideration and respect for other pupils, staff and the wider community
eproviding structured and effective support for learning
fcorrectly implementing all SEN procedures
gdelivering effective curricular and vocational guidance
Ethos
We aim to create a positive learning environment where:
aa secure, happy and well-disciplined atmosphere exists
bpupils are encouraged to do their best in all areas of school life
cstaff have consistent and realistically high expectations
dpupils and staff work together in a supportive manner
ecare, concern and respect is evident at all times
fa good relationship exists with parents, the School Board, the PTA and the whole community
Resources
We aim to:
aprovide and organise appropriate resources for all curricular areas and new developments
bcontinually update resources within budgetary limits
cmonitor, maintain and improve existing accommodation, while planning new extensions
dmake the best use of all facilities available within the school, leisure centre and the local community for curricular and extra curricular activities
eprepare pupils in all aspects of modern technology
Management, Leadership and Quality Assurance
We aim to:
aencourage staff to be involved in all areas of development work, and consequently to contribute to the school development plan
bengender in staff a sense of being valued
cidentify areas for professional development through monitoring, consultation and self evaluation
dprovide maximum opportunity for staff liaison
esupport the quality of teaching by constructive and evaluative monitoring
fmatch pupils’ needs to staff experience and expertise when allocating classes
4. Priorities and targets set for session 2012/2013
The following priorities were set following an inspection visit from HMIe in June 2011 and the consequent report in August 2011. They were ammended following a return visit from HMIe in June 2012 and the consequent report in August 2012
PriorityQuality Indicator -Theme
Ensure there is effective planning procedures in place5.1, 5.2
Ensure there is an appropriate amount of pace and challenge in Learning & Teaching2.1, 5.1, 5.3, 5.5
Improve the curriculum to build more effectively on young people’s learning5.1, 5.4
Improve opportunities for Nursery pupils to access outdoor learning2.1, 5.7, 5.8
Ensure that principles of CfE are share effectively with the school community2.2, 5.1, 5.7
Ensure that Self–Evaluation is embedded in practice and has a positive impact on L & T5.2, 5.9
Promote achievement across the whole school5.5
Strengthen arrangements to monitor Learning and Teaching 1.1, 5.2, 9.4
These priorities for improvement have mainly been developed, using time within the school day, staff meetings, cluster group meetings, Schools Service Training opportunities and wherever necessary the use of external advice. Some have been carried over to the next school session, for completion.
This year we have once again continued to meet for whole school development nights i.e. Tuesday evenings, this enables time for staff to meet and take these action points forward. This has also had a very positive impact on the number of staff engaged in whole school developments. It should be noted that a considerable amount of this time was dedicated to whole school staff meetings to encourage a greater sharing of information and to aid communication. We have also worked hard throughout this year to establish regular Nursery, Primary and Secondary staff meetings. These meetings, along with the continuation of our Teacher Learning Communities (TLCs) have provided a greater platform for collegiate discussions and the development and sharing of practice. They have also provided the school with a better structure for taking forward our improvement agenda.
5. Progress towards Improvement Priorities
Action Point :- Ensure there is effective/ consistent planning procedures in place across the whole school
As a whole school staff we have developed a shared planning format which is used as a guide as to the expectations of plans submitted by teaching staff each term. The plans have to include details of :
- Experiences and Outcomes
- Activity / Learning features
- Timescale
- Resources
- Differentiation
- Assessment strategies
- Success criteria
- Homework
- Cross curricular links
- Evaluations
We once again set dates at the beginning of each term for staff to have plans submitted to their line manager. These dates were included in our school calendar and the management team’s monitoring calendar of events. These plans have now been in place for a couple of years and although there have been some changes to suit individual departments and changes in courses the content of them remains fairly consistent.
In the course of this year staff in the secondary department have continued developing plans for S1 & 2 but have moved on and concentrated on developing S3 plans, looking to ensure that as many Es & Os up to the 4th level are being investigated and offered to as many of our pupils as is appropriate. They have also had to look ahead and try to ensure that these plans and programmes of work offer clear routes of progression into the senior phase.
In 2012 – 2013 much of the focus has been on the planning for National 4 & 5 programmes of study and relevant assessments. This has been supported by subject development groups from across our local authority who have worked together to ensure that a consistant approach is used and staff can support each other in their own subject areas. In our single teacher departments this has had a very positive impact in most areas, improving communication between schools and helping drive forward developments.
In the primary department, feedback is discussed at one of the weekly meetings held between the depute head and class teachers. This is an addition to ongoing discussions about learning in the primary.
Primary plans are saved in a folder on teachers pool which allows for sharing of topic/outcomes covered by primary staff and being easily accessed by management.
In the Nursery Department the staff work together to plan programmes of work and focussed observation opportunities. These plans are reactive to children’s interests, reflect parent’s views and take account of local festivals and events. The focus for the planning is always on pupil’s progression and making their learning interesting and relevant. The majority of the content from these plans is available on our school website to enable parents who do not often get the opportunity to speak to nursery staff to keep up to date with the learning taking place.
Action Point :- Ensure there is an appropriate amount of pace and challenge throughout pupils learning experiences
One of the main challenges we faced over the last few years has been to ensure that our quality assurance procedures, established previously were sustainable and that they had an actual impact on the learning and teaching taking place in our classrooms and the standards being achieved by our pupils. For the most part we have been successful in this regard and have continued with more regular classroom observations and monitoring of pupil work, etc. Feedback from pupils, evidence gained from self evaluation folders and feedback from parents would all point towards this being the case.
However it would need to be noted that further, significant, reductions in secondary teaching staff has impacted on the amount of time members of the management team have to carry out these quality assurance activities. It is important that time is ring fenced and protected to ensure that quality assurance activities take place effectively. We need to put in place other, creative solutions, particularly in regards to covering staff abscences which do not impact as much on MT time.
Action Point - Ensure that nursery pupils experience high quality learning opportunities outside on a regular basis.
Nursery staff have identified many opportunities for a variety of outdoor learning experiences for the pupils in the nursery and have worked hard to ensure that we have wet weather suits and footwear available for our pupils, to enable this to continue even in inclement conditions.
Nursery plans highlight the outdoor learning opportunities which will be available to the pupils each week. The activity is identified and resourced and a focus for observation activity is linked with the weekly plan.
Throughout this year the pupils have had access to the outdoor area on the vast majority of days. The impact of the weather still hampers this from time to time but staff endevour to make sure that they make the most of every opportunity. The nursery pupils have also had access to the Primary play area as it offers the opportunity for more physical play and space to move around a bit more.
Nursery staff have spent a considerable amount of time developing a plan for how to improve the outdoor learning areas. Throughout this year they have worked at brininging in these changes one bit at a time. They have created some planting areas, made some musical instruments available outside, encorporated a game onto the fence and provided some additional play equipment.
The school has also succeeded in building a polytunnel which will allow our children access to an outdoor planting area which can be accessed in just about any weather. The nursery will have a section of this allocated to them for use throughout the school year, increasing the opportunities for these pupils to be out and experienceing a variety of types of learning.
Some members of the secondary department and pupils have also been involved in the development of these areas, promoting transitions and strengthening our all-through school approach..
The nursery pupils have also been out walking around the community, developing their knowledge and appreciation of our local environment.
The timescales set in our original action plan have proven to be unrealistic in terms of the creation of the various outdoor learning areas as the nursery curriculum is already packed with other eleemnts. The uncertainty of future staffing of the nursery has also had an impact as has the individual needs of the children who attend the nursery at present.
The development of this area will continue over the next few academic years, allowing the space to evolve into a learning zone which best supports our youngest pupils.
Action Point - Ensure that the principles of CfE are shared effectively with the school community and impact positively on learning & teaching.
On the whole the principles of CfE are key to just about every aspect of our school work and development. From teachers planning to pupil council meetings there is far more focus on our whole curriculum and how it is designed to meet the needs of our pupils and our community.
The school has produced a CfE summary document which has been shared with all staff and placed on our school website. We have also condensed this into an A4 version which was shared with all parents. The aim of the document was to remind parents of the principles of CfE and identify how they impact on the work in our school. The document will also provided a link to the full document on our website and links to further information which was available various other websites..
At the start of the academic year and throughout 2012-2013 we have spent time discussing the formative assessment ‘toolkit’ and ‘what makes a good lesson’ poster which were created by the staff of the school. This was to remind staff and focus their attention on the important aspects which we have developed over the last few years and to ensure that these things become embedded in our practice. Offering our pupils some consistencey across the school and encouraging them to engage in evaluating their own learning and taking responsibility for their future development.
During parents’ evenings we have also provided a range of literature from Education Scotland, Shetland Islands Council and our own school, encouraging parents to discuss them or take them home to reflect on, getting back in touch with the school if they have any questions or comments. We have held a parental workshop for both our Primary and Nursery parents and highlighted aspects of CfE, giving real examples of how they impact on the learning and teaching going on in our school.
In regards to the new national qualifications we have produced an information leaflet which was sent to all parents, held a workshop for all S1 & S2 parents and worked as a staff to develop a programme for pupils in S3 and S4 which offers personalisation and choice in the last year of a broad general education and a smoother transition into National Qualifications.
We invited staff from the SQA to visit the school and they lead a parental workshop for all parents of children from P6 to S3, highlighting the new national qualifications aswell as opportunities to have pupil’s wider achievements recognised. This event was very informative and provided the parents with further reading and contact details of where to access advice in the future.
Our curriculum development groups have prepared policy statements to make clear our intentions in regards to Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Well Being. These will be reviewed regularly during this transitional phase and will be shared with pupils and parents regularly.
Action Point - Ensure that all pupils’ achievements are recorded, monitored and shared appropriately, using these achievements to lead future learning
Across the whole school we have placed more emphasis on achievement. Be it through the achievement wall, sharing achievements at our weekly assembly or publishing them in our local newspaper we are making a point of recognising achievements and emphasising their importance.
In the nursery the parents are now invited in once per term to share their child’s learning story. These learning stories are also available during other nursery events for parents to look through and discuss with their child. Pupils in the nursery are also more involved in the selection of photographs to be included in the learning story. They give a comment as why they wish to include it and this is added to the story, encouraging them to be more involved in their own learning. These learning stories are also used during transition with cluster primary staff to help develop a smoother path for our young learners. This process can be very time consuming and with proposed changes in nursery staffing and the increased pupil numbers in a session we will need to look at streamlining this in the future.