Wider Achievement
2016-17
Wider Achievement & Attainment Period Policy
What is Wider Achievement and Attainment?
Achievement [goes] beyond formally assessed learning in the classroom can take a range of forms. For
example:
- some young people will achieve through formally recognised awards or programmes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which provide opportunities for young people to develop their Potential
- some young people will achieve through arrangements which do not lead to an accredited award but which are formally organised, for example while undertaking voluntary work or while undertaking leadership roles in the school
- some young people will develop skills and capabilities through achievements in the school, home or wider community – for example, through participation in sport, the arts or activities in the community or through being placed in positions of responsibility, such as young carers.
variety of contexts. BtC5
Rationale
In line with the purposes and ethos of a Curriculum for Excellence curriculum, the Wider Achievement and Attainment Period is designed to allow our young people, as part of their Broad General Education phase of learning, to develop a variety of skills and experiences that will further enrich their school experience. The Wider Achievement Period allows for personalisation and choice for the young people to develop skills or particular fields of interest within the Wider Achievement curriculum. All S1-3 pupils have the chance to personalise their curriculum by choosing an elective to study per academic term. A positive aspect to the Wider Achievement and Attainment Period is that it helps create a wider sense of community within the school as pupils across different year groups work together.
Each elective is designed to provide our pupils with extra opportunities for achievement and to build skills for learning, life and work or to contribute to ensuring our young people’s health and wellbeing. We offer sporting courses that encourage pupils to take part in a greater degree of physical activity or to take up other hobbies which they may not otherwise have had access to. Many of the electives offer pupils the opportunity to complete individual certificated courses such as the Duke of Edinburgh, Swimming and Eco Schools. Electives will fall under 4 categories:
- Adventure
- Get Active Stay Active
- My Interests
- Me and My World
Each year, all S3 pupils will be involved in the Youth & Philanthropy Initiative which is an exciting competition where pupils investigate a local charity and make presentations about why that charity deserves the £3000 donation. This course covers aspects of Citizenship as it develops skills in becoming an active global citizen as pupils will have informed views on local and wider community needs.
During Personal Support periods and daily Personal Support contact at agreed points in the school calendar, pupils will reflect on their experience of the wider achievement period. This will focus on personal achievement within their chosen electives and the skills they have developed as a result of their participation in each elective. This will be formally recognised in their transitional S3 profile.
Our Vision
At Saint Roch’s Secondary we aim to raise the achievement and attainment of all pupils through the WAAP by seeking to effectively develop a wider range of skills through participation in various activities and experiences. At Saint Roch’s we actively promote Wider Achievement and Attainment by recognising the hard work and effort of the pupils during their Broad General Education Phase of Learning. As such the school has developed a clear strategy that will reward this effort and participation with certificated individual awards from particular electives and activities but an overall completioncertificate. As a result, pupils will gain valuable skills and confidence that can be directly applied to their subjects.
This will be achieved by
- Establishing a wide range of electives that provide a choice for pupils within the 4 categories
- Keeping a record of pupil participation and evidence (this will be done throughout each elective semester and at personal support)
- Having a more co-ordinated approach to wider achievement during this WAAP allocation
- Monitoring and evaluating the pupil progress at regular intervals
- To raise the profile of the Wider Achievement and Attainment Period by recognising achievement at awards ceremonies
S1/S2/S3 pupils at St Roch’s Secondary will:
- Be physically more active as part of the WAAP
- take some ownership of their own record keeping over the BGE phase of learning
- develop the 4 capacities (successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors)
- have achieved some degree of wider achievement
Senior Leadership Team
- Oversee the implementation of the new Wider Achievement and Attainment Period
- Overall responsibility of the day to day running of the Wider Achievement and Attainment Period
- Liaise with the Junior Award Scheme for Scotland
- Quality assurance for the activity period
- Establishing award system for the Wider Achievement and Attainment Period at the end of year ceremonies
- Up skilling of staff to be able to support pupils record keeping over the course of the BGE.
- Liaising with external agencies
- Offer and deliver or support electives
- Support pupils during allocated time for record keeping
- Establish a Quality Assurance Calendar with agreed dates for the completion of pupil records