This report Values account of information gathered from:

Quality Assurance procedures:

  • Class observations formal / informal
  • Teachers weekly / daily / termly plan monitoring
  • Sampling children’s work / tracking and monitoring procedures / data monitoring (summative)
  • Jotter monitoring
  • Professional Review Meetings: teaching / support staff
  • Collegiate meetings
  • Additional Support Needs monitoring
  • Self evaluation information

-Parent Questionnaires

-Sample Pupil Questionnaires

-P1-7 HT and Pupil focus groups

-Cluster evaluation / planning

-Balfron Community Partnership evaluation / planning

-Nursery – P1 P7-S1 transition evaluation planning

-School self evaluation data

-Feedback from professional agencies / partnerships e.g. Lead Teachers of Literacy and Numeracy, Balfron High School.

KIPPEN PRIMARY SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2012

Kippen Primary has made very good progress in achieving the priorities from this session’s School Improvement Plan.

SPECIFIC TARGETS AND IMPACT

SPECIFIC TARGET 1
Assessment
To implement new approaches to assessment and reporting by developing the skills of teachers in using electronic reporting systems and data analysis at school and cluster level to monitor progress and plan learning and teaching to meet the needs of pupils and raise attainment / achievement.
IMPACT
  • HT and PT were trained in administration of new online assessments (INCAS) adopted by Stirling Council.
  • All teachers attended training to raise awareness of the new assessments and how to effectively use analyse data for reporting, monitoring and tracking purposes. As a result staff were confident in administering assessments and analysing data which was used to track the progress of children in class, inform discussions with children and parents about learning progress and needs and pinpoint more effectively areas for development or consolidation when planning learning and teaching.
  • New assessments were introduced across P3, 5, 7 and analysis of the resulting data was used to discuss emerging strengths and development needs across the school, classes, specific cohorts of pupils and individuals.
  • As a result staff have engaged in professional discussion about trends in school and in class and under achieving children were matched to the staged intervention process in school.
Strengths
  • The confidence of staff in administering INCAS online assessments
  • All children at P3, 5, 7 are assessed in the areas of reading, general maths, mental maths and developed ability and attitudes.
  • Analysis of data by class teacher confirmed professional judgement of individual children’s strengths and development needs.
  • Children achieving in the lowest 20% were already being supported by the Staged intervention process in school confirming that children with additional support needs have been highlighted appropriately by staff and were supported by a range of strategies in school / class.
  • Information from assessment data informed teachers planning for next steps for individuals, groups and classes.
  • Staff used data analysis information to assess areas of strength and for further development across the school and this information informed aspects of our School Improvement action plan for 2013 – 2014.
Future Priorities
To further extend use of online INCAS assessments to P2 as well as to use information from data analysis to inform professional discussion of school / class:
  • Strengths and areas for development
  • Review teaching approaches / strategies
  • Planning for learning and teaching
  • Supporting the lowest attaining 20% effectively
  • Challenging more able children effectively
  • Developing the skills of teachers
Staff will use online reporting formats when the broadband speed at Kippen Primary School can support this.
SPECIFIC TARGET 2
Pupil Engagement
  • To further enhance opportunities for children’s involvement in the school website and effectively use this tool to communicate school values and promote our ethos of achievement.

IMPACT
The school website is a highly successful and effective communication tool which enables our children and school to celebrate achievement in the broadest sense.
A team of parents in partnership with Mrs. Logan (PT) keep the website regularly updated through effective partnership working. Parents / friends of Kippen Primary can register for email alerts when new posts go on the site. The majority of parents have signed up to this. A survey undertaken last year by the website team indicated that this means of communication was highly effective and easy to access. It also highlighted that parents would be interested in finding out more about individual classes via the website. As a result this was discussed with the Parent Council, children and staff and the website was updated.
Strengths
  • The highly effective website promotes good communication and promotes our ethos of achievement.
  • The engagement of parents, staff and pupils in sharing information and achievement on the website through partnership working.
  • The aim to eventually attain paperless communication is another step closer for Kippen Primary which holds 2 ECO Green Flags. This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to maintaining ECO status.
  • Children’s participation in the website across all stages of the school via the ‘Roving Reporters’. who apply for the position of Reporter in September each year and once appointed undertake regular gathering of information and report writing for the website thus developing their confidence, literacy and capacity to discern what is appropriate for the website.
  • Class involvement has been enhanced with the newly added class pages and children have responded positively to the further opportunity to share achievement with a wider audience.
Future Priorities
  • To continue to involve children in the school website to ensure our values and achievements are shared and promoted.
  • To engage the PC staff representative in training class teachers and children on how to post to the website directly.

SPECIFIC TARGET 3
CfE
  • To develop teacher knowledge and skills in using, implementing and assessing the outcomes and experiences of Expressive Arts and Sciences and review current programmes to reflect Curriculum for Excellence.

IMPACT
  • As a result of self evaluation & professional discussion staff agreed that to undertake a quality review of practice and principles for the teaching of science as outlined in CfE and updated programmes and resources would have significant time and financial implications which would be better met in less financially constrained times and not while staffing allows no flexibility. Science will therefore be reviewed at a later more suitable date.
  • Staff reviewed the schools approach to Expressive Arts across P1-7 using CfE guidance and Practice and Principles documentation. A full day of In-service was given to undertaking an audit across music, drama, art and design and dance linked to opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, using the experiences and outcomes across the four capacities of CfE: Responsible Citizens, Effective Contributors, Confident Individuals and Successful Contributors.
  • Learning and teaching approaches were evaluated as were the range of opportunities for children to apply what has been taught / learned across their learning in P1-7.
Strengths
From evidence gathered over the last few years including records of trips, visits, events, topic work, teachers plans, children’s work and professional discussion we noted our strengths in providing a broad general education in expressive arts across P1-7 were:
  • The range of opportunities and activities across CfE levels early, to second which centres on expressing ideas, thoughts and feelings through creativity and self expression e.g. role plays collaborative and individual art / craft tasks. Membership of school groups e.g. Pupil Council, ECO, website etc. Recitals, Think Dance, Services, assemblies.
  • Opportunities to present and perform e.g. school show, nativity, and assemblies.
  • The activities planned to enable the children opportunities to present to an audience e.g. Scots Poems, Burns Supper, Church Service, Open Afternoons etc.
  • Partnership with professional performers, artists and other creative adults e.g. Active Stirling Dance Partnership, specialist teachers, musicians, Tapalsterie Theatre, Smith Gallery, Celtic band etc.
  • Opportunities for collaborative and independent learning which encourages children to analyse explore and reflect e.g. Individual projects and profiles design folios, role play, recitals, Group design projects e.g. P7-S1 Transition Project, shared performances, school choir, planning and executing events like Burns Supper, Open Afternoon etc.
  • Opportunities to establish links with the wider curriculum e.g. Dance with Health and Wellbeing Think Dance, Art & Craft with Technology making 3D lighthouse with electrical lights etc.
  • A broad, varied curriculum across P1-7 which offers children a motivating range of opportunities to develop skills and knowledge and apply these across curricular areas while developing their own capacities in time with CfE.
  • Our children are notably growing more confident over time as they are exposed to and encouraged in the broad and varied range of opportunities available across P1-7. Personal achievement in celebrated across expressive arts and a number of children who require support in academic subjects and for social and emotional difficulties have had opportunities to shine in aspects of expressive arts.

SPECIFIC TARGET 4
Supporting Children
To develop the knowledge and skills of all staff in understanding and applying the principles and practices of GIRFEC Policy (Getting It Right For Every Child) at school level and across the cluster.
IMPACT
HT attended a range of multi agency training courses which outlined the practices and principles of GIRFEC Policy.
All class teachers undertook four training sessions after school with Mrs. Fiona Edward Smith, Principal Teacher of Additional Support Needs Stirling Council. Training ensured consistent messages were shared and all staff developed good knowledge and understanding of the GIRFEC policy in Stirling Council.
Strengths
  • All staff are now aware of the principles of GIRFEC policy.
  • Staff have reviewed current approaches to supporting children with additional support needs and all children in the lowest 20% of attainment are supported by Staged Intervention and have multi agency partnership support as required to meet their needs.
  • Kippen Primary has adopted current Stirling Council guidance to proceed with a ‘soft start’ using new GIRFEC paperwork. As a result any child starting on the Staged Intervention process form this year will have GIRFEC paperwork and policy applied.
  • As a cluster we have agreed to undertake an annual review of additional support needs across the cluster to engage our associated nurseries / schools to plan training collectively to ensure staff have the appropriate knowledge and skills required to meet the range of needs across schools.
  • Arnprior / Croftamie Nursery have agreed to use GIRFEC paperwork as a P1 transition document. Thus ensuring the process of fully implementing GIRFEC over time has started on entry to school. This information will ensure children’s academic, social and emotional needs are shared in a consistent approach on entry to P1 and information highlighting ‘need’ can be used at the earliest stage of P1 to inform planning for learning and teaching and pastoral support.
Next Steps
  • To proceed with soft start until staff is fully confident and competent in applying GIRFEC principles and practice and using associated paperwork.
  • To continue to engage effectively with other agencies / professional, using GIRFEC policy to support children effectively, according to their needs.
  • To continue to work in partnership with our associated nurseries, primaries and BHS to plan opportunities to further develop the skills and knowledge of teachers in supporting a broad range of ‘needs’.

KIPPEN PRIMARY SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2012-2013

SPECIFIC TARGETS

1.1Improvements in Performance

5.2 Teaching for Effective Learning

To continue to develop the knowledge and skills of teachers. To develop learning and teaching methodologies which enhance children’s learning experiences and focus on raising attainment and achievement for all.

5.4 Assessment (BTC5)

To agree an assessment policy and protocol for P1-7 which outlines key learning milestones in literacy and numeracy and agree procedures for the use of assessment information – summative and formative to identify needs and plan learning.

5.1 CfE Curriculum (BTC3)

To further enhance our approaches to the teaching of reading by:

  • Introducing real books approach
  • Agreeing a range of strategies to support the lowest attaining 20% and challenge more able readers.

2.1 Learners’ Experiences

To review our approaches to encouraging ‘Pupil Voice’ and enhance our range of opportunities for children to be actively involved in decision making and their own learning development.

5.8 Care Welfare and Development

As an accredited Health Promoting school, to review our approaches to and provision for meeting the emotional. physical and social needs of our children by:

  • Reviewing and updating Sexual Health and relationships programme.
  • Participating in cluster plan to research mental health of our children and young people.

Improvement Planning/revised 2008 plans