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St Mary’s Primary School

and Polbeth Nursery

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

2015-2016

The West Lothian Context

West Lothian Council is committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for children and young people so that they have the best start in life and are ready to succeed by following the principles of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC).

Within Curriculum for Excellence, every child and young person is entitled to experience a curriculum which is coherent from 3-18. Those planning the curriculum have a responsibility to work in partnership with others to enable children and young people to move smoothly between key transition points, building on prior learning and achievement in a manner appropriate to the learning needs of the individual. This should ensure that young people are well placed to move into positive destinations and adult life.

The Corporate Plan sets the strategic direction and our priorities for West Lothian Council. There are eight priorities that we, and our community, believe can make a lasting and sustainable impact on the local area and improve the lives of residents in West Lothian.

Priority 1: Delivering positive outcomes and early interventions for early years

Priority 2: Improving the employment position in West Lothian

Priority 3: Improving attainment and positive destinations for school children

Priority 4: Improving the quality of life for older people

Priority 5: Minimising poverty, the cycle of deprivation and promoting equality

Priority 6: Reducing crime and improving community safety

Priority 7: Delivering positive outcomes on health

Priority 8: Protecting the built and natural environment

The Corporate Plan informs Education Services Management Plan to ensure our work impacts positively on services for children and young people. Education Services focuses particularly on priorities 1, 2 and 3.

Education Services Management Plan

Education Services works towards achieving the key strategic aims of the council, in partnership with schools. In particular, Education Services aims to improve opportunities for children and young people by:

  • Raising standards of attainment and achievement
  • Improving employability and positive destinations for all school leavers
  • Improving the learning environment
  • Promoting equality of access to education
  • Developing values and citizenship
  • Promoting learning for life and encouraging a creative, enterprising and ambitious outlook.

Working with a range of partners, the key purpose of our work is to continuously raise attainment and achievement for all children and young people in West Lothian, ensuring that our young people succeed in securing a positive and sustained destination after school.

Factors Influencing the Improvement Plan

School factors

  • Newly Appointed Headteacher
  • New Autism Resource
  • Changes to Management Team – 2 new temporary Principal Teachers
  • Changes to school building – upgrades to classrooms and teaching spaces
  • Developments to playground and outdoor areas – car park
  • Changes within Nursery – Teacher on secondment
  • VSE carried out in April 2015 – areas for improvement identified

Local authority factors

  • Single Outcome agreement
  • Corporate Plan
  • Integrated Children’s Services Plan (Life Stages)
  • Education Services Management Plan
  • Moving Forward in Learning
  • Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Guidance
  • Raising attainment, including for those at risk of missing out
  • Increased entitlement to early years provision

National factors

  • Single Outcome agreement
  • Getting it Right for Every child (GIRFEC)
  • Curriculum for Excellence
  • National Qualifications
  • Child Protection Issues / Guidance
  • National Legislation: Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
  • GTCS revised standards and professional update

Vision Statement

(We plan to review and refresh Our School Values, Vision and Aims during 2015-16)

St Mary’s Primary School – Mission Statement

In St Mary’s Primary we aim to ensure that:

  • There is a welcoming atmosphere and a positive ethos throughout the school, and all children are educated in a safe, secure environment.
  • The whole child is developed in accordance with ‘A Charter for Catholic Schools in Scotland’.
  • We value the learning and achievement of all children and that high aspirations and ambitions are promoted.
  • All staff work in partnership with parents and the school community as we strive to enable our children to become valued members of our multi-cultural society.
  • Within our inclusive school, every child is given the confidence, attributes and capabilities to enable them to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

School Aims

St Mary’s Primary School has clearly defined aims which complement the five National Priorities for Education, identified by the Scottish Executive in the Standards in Scottish Schools Act 2000 and the four competencies expressed in A Curriculum for Excellence.

Our school aims to care for each child and strives to create an environment in which every child feels safe, happy, confident and valued as an individual. It also aims to co-operate with home and the larger community to provide a balanced educational programme with emphasis on the acquisition of basic skills. It is expected that when pupils leave St Mary’s, they will continue the long process of preparation for responsible citizenship.

Through our approaches to Health and Wellbeing, we aim to provide our children with relevant information, examples and experiences which will fit them to live in the changing world and environment in the most positive and healthy way possible.

Through our religious and moral training, St Mary’s Primary School aims to develop in the children a sense of responsibility to themselves, their community and their environment.

We aim to develop natural skills and significantly raise levels of attainment and achievement, where each pupil learns to appreciate their talents and are prepared to use them in future life, be they intellectual, physical or artistic.

Strategic Curriculum Plan (Three Years)

Session / Area for Development / Desired Outcomes
2014-2015 / Curriculum Development / To refine and embed frameworks for learning in language and maths. This will include progression pathways and assessment guidelines which are in line with those being developed in cluster schools.
Context for Learning / To develop a planning, tracking and monitoring framework which can assist in the delivery of a curricular experience based on the principles of curriculum design.
2015-2016 / Curriculum Development / To implement and embed OTWL (On Track With Learning) as a planning and assessment tool from P1 to P7 and to engage with curriculum pathways for all areas of the curriculum to ensure breadth and depth in learning.
Self-Evaluation / To develop, implement and embed a self-evaluation framework for all pupils, staff and partners that reflect national and local guidelines and updated expectations.
2016-2017 / Curriculum Development / To further implement the 1 + 2 Modern Languages Strategy
Raising Attainment / To meet the needs of all and address the ‘attainment gap’ through effective differentiation in all classrooms and learning environments, and identifying and setting individual targets.
Priority: Raising Attainment / 2015 – 2016
Area for Development 1:
To implement and embed On Track With Learning (OTWL) as a planning and assessment tool from P1 to P7 and to engage with curriculum pathways for all
areas of the curriculum to ensure breadth and depth in learning.
School’s current position:
The school has been through the positive process of Validated Self-Evaluation (April 2015). The following areas of development were identified:
To fully develop Curriculum for Excellence, teaching staff should ensure learning is progressive across the 4 contexts. Planning and assessment should take account of the significant aspects of learning and principles of curriculum design. Active learning should be further developed and the staff need to work together to implement a consistent approach to AifL to ensure pupils are more engaged and have a good understanding of their own progress in their learning.
Desired Outcomes
All staff to use a progressive approach to planning using the curriculum pathways to ensure pupils experience breadth and depth of learning.
All staff use OTWL (On Track With Learning) to assist with planning and tracking, resulting in appropriate learning experiences for pupils.
A collegiate approach to planning will support and facilitate professional dialogue, ensuring quality learning and teaching for pupils.
Greater scope for pupil involvement in the planning of their learning, using OTWL.
Information gathered promptly results in action which provides interventions to support and challenge pupils.
Rigorous and robust tracking of pupil learning will lead to raised attainment and achievement for pupils. / Implementation Process (Actions)
Identify opportunities for staff to become familiar with the new curriculum pathways
Identify specific curriculum areas as an initial focus and build on this
Identify a lead learner to support learning
Raise awareness of OTWL to enable staff to become familiar with the new planning approaches
Increase staff confidence and readiness to use OTWL through professional dialogue
Pilot phase of using the planning tool in curricular areas and inter disciplinary learning
Introduce pupils to OTWL to assist in target setting
Evaluate the effectiveness of OTWL and the impact on pupils’ learning experiences through professional dialogue with SMT
Analyse CEM data to identify areas of strength and areas for development / By whom
All staff
All staff
PT
PT / All Staff
PT / All Staff
All Staff
All Staff
HT / PT / All Staff
HT / PT / All Staff / Time Scale
Aug – Sept 2015
Aug – Sept 2015
Sept 2015
Sept 2015
Sept – Dec 2015
Sept – Dec 2015
Jan – Mar 2016
Apr – Jun 2016
Jun 2016 / Resources
Staff meeting time / Inset days
Staff meeting time / Inset days
Staff meeting time / Inset days
Staff meeting time / Inset days / Working Time Agreement
Quality Assurance Timetable / Professional Dialogue
Classroom Management / Working Time Agreement
Quality Assurance Timetable / Inset day / Professional Dialogue
Quality Assurance Timetable / Inset day / Monitoring
HT / PT
HT / PT
HT / PT / Lead Learner
HT / PT / Lead Learner
HT / PT / Lead Learner
HT / PT / Lead Learner / Staff / Pupils
HT / PT / Lead Learner
HT / PT / Lead Learner / Staff
Evaluation:
  • Have collegiate CPD sessions raised awareness of OTWL and helped staff to familiarise themselves with the tool?
  • Does OTWL help teachers plan, track and monitor pupil progress and attainment in inter-disciplinary learning?
  • Are pupils more aware of their learning journey and how they can influence their learning experiences?
  • Does OTWL help teachers plan, track and monitor pupil progress and attainment in all areas of learning?
  • Have we avoided planning, tracking and recording being overly bureaucratic?
  • Does the use of OTWL lead to raised attainment and achievement for all?
  • Has information gathered by teachers resulted in relevant and timely interventions to support and challenge learning of individual pupils?
/ Evidence (How do we know?)
  • Minutes of CPD sessions and staff feedback
  • Planning and attainment meeting feedback
  • Professional dialogue
  • Pupil teacher discussion and QA observations
  • Planning and attainment meeting dialogue
  • Assessment data through SEEMIS and tracking sheets
  • SMT monitoring

Priority: Raising Attainment / 2015 – 2016
Area for Development 2:
To develop, implement and embed a self-evaluation framework for all pupils, staff and partners that reflect national and local guidelines and updated expectations.
School’s current position:
The school has been through the positive process of Validated Self-Evaluation (April 2015). Self-evaluation in the nursery is robust and accurate and effectively improves the quality of the provision for all children. All staff should further develop robust systems for self-evaluation leading to school improvements. All staff to be involved fully in the self-evaluation processes with clear systems and structures agreed.
Desired Outcomes
Devise a self-evaluation framework reflecting national and local guidelines and updated expectations, focusing on improved outcomes for learners.
Reflect on current practice and evaluate new initiatives, ideas and professional responsibilities.
Share good practice and take a collaborative approach to continuous improvements to learning and teaching.
Establish Nursery collegiate teams across cluster, ensuring improvements for early learners.
Establish Autism Resource collegiate teams across cluster, ensuring improvements for learners who have specific additional support needs.
Review and develop a GTCS Professional Update Framework for all teaching staff, ensuring that everyone meets the Standards for Registration.
Implement a whole school and cluster self-evaluation programme which is rigorous, systematic and transparent. / Implementation Process (Actions)
Devise, agree and implement a framework for self-evaluation using a cluster approach, based on HGIOS4.
Establish self-evaluation teams / trios.
Develop action plans at each level to outline focus and plan for improvements.
Establish cluster teams / trio groups to promote sharing of good practice and planned, continuous improvements.
Conduct Learning Walks (peer HTs) at a variety of schools.
Establish a Nursery self-evaluation group across all cluster nurseries to share good practice at Early Level.
Establish an Autism self-evaluation group across a variety of ASD Resources / Establishments, to share good practice.
Update and refresh knowledge and understanding of Professional Update Process, allowing for improved self-reflection.
Develop ways of recording and evidencing self-evaluation, focusing on continuous improvement for teaching and learning.
Evaluate the quality of the whole school self-evaluation framework, focusing on quantitative data, direct observations and feedback, and stakeholders’ views. / By whom
EO
HT
HMI
Cluster HTs
Cluster HTs / All School staff
Cluster HTs
All School staff
Trio HTs
HT / Nursery Teacher and appropriate Cluster Colleagues
HT / PT of ASD Resource and appropriate ASD Colleagues
HT / All School Staff
HT / All School Staff
Cluster HTs / All School Staff / Time Scale
In-service day: Oct 2015
Sept – Oct 2015
Oct – Dec 2015
Sept 2015
Oct 2015
Jan 2016
Jan 2016
Feb 2016
Mar 2016
Sept 15 – May 16 / Resources
Cluster Self-Evaluation Framework / INSET time
Cluster planning meetings
HGIOS4 document
Cluster planning meetings
School visits by Cluster HTs
Child at the Centre & Building the Ambition documents
HGIOS4
Cluster Collaboration Days
Network Meetings
GTCS Professional Update Framework
PRD Timetable and programme of support
School / Cluster Self-Evaluation Framework and Programme / Monitoring
Cluster HTs / Senior Management Team (SMT)
Cluster HTs
Cluster HTs / SMT
Cluster HTs / SMT
Cluster HTs
HT / Nursery Teacher
HT / PT ASD Resource
HT / SMT
HT / SMT
Ongoing monitoring built in to Framework
Regular review of progress at Cluster HT meetings
Evaluation:
  • How has the school and cluster self-evaluation framework impacted on improvements in self-evaluation? How do we know?
  • Have staff promoted a culture of continuous reflection, evaluation and improvement?
  • Is our monitoring programme robust in school and across the cluster?
  • Has revised professional update process highlighted staff professional responsibilities and improved professional practice and CPD?
  • Has school and cluster moderation impacted positively on our improvement agenda?
  • Have pupils and staff improved their skills in evaluating learning?
  • Are pupils able to discuss their learning, strengths, next steps and areas for improvement?
  • How do all stakeholders know about the impact of their feedback on our improvements?
  • Has collegiate working created a climate of a school and cluster learning community?
  • What was the impact of staff training and development?
  • Are we in a strong position for further improvements in session 2016-17?
  • What is working and how do we know?
/ Evidence (How do we know?)
  • Cluster self-evaluation framework is in place is being implemented
  • Quality assurance and monitoring programme in place and
  • implemented
  • Records of staff meetings, professional dialogue and learning conversations
  • Learning conversations show improvement in pupil and staff knowledge and confidence
  • Pupils more aware of their progress and next steps
  • Stakeholders can identify improvements made
  • Feedback from parents and partner agencies indicates effective joined up working and collaboration
  • Regular feedback from staff, including PSWs with regards to improvements in performance
  • Our school and cluster has the capacity for further improvement

Additional Tasks 2015-16 / Responsibilities
1 + 2 Languages / HT / Acting PT / Lead Learner for Modern Languages, All Staff
New ASD Resource – set up and settle children in 2 classrooms / HT / Acting PT of ASD Resource / All Staff
Review and refresh Behaviour Policy / HT / Acting PT / Acting PT of ASD Resource / All Staff
Review and refresh the school’s Vision and Values / HT / Acting PT / Acting PT of ASD Resource / All Staff
To become an ASD Friendly School – ‘visualise’ the whole school / HT / Acting PT of ASD Resource / All Staff
To re-establish PEEP Groups within the nursery / HT / Acting PT / Nursery Class Teacher / All Nursery Staff
To review our use of Nurturing Approaches in all classrooms / HT / Acting PT / Acting PT of ASD Resource / All Staff
To develop further the Rights Respecting Schools / HT / Acting PT / Rights Respecting Schools Group

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