West Dumbartonshire Council

West Dunbartonshire Council

Consultation on the Secondary School Timetable and School Day Pattern

Proposal

Content

1. Rationale - why consider timetable structures at this point in time?

2. The 32 Period plus Registration School Week - Introduction

3. Proposed Day and Week Pattern for West Dunbartonshire Secondary Schools.

4. Common Timetable – Consortia Working.

5. Summary

1. Rationale

Planning for further development of the Broad General Education in S1-S3 and for the transition of the CfE cohort from S3 into the Senior Phase in 2013/14 provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the current arrangements for secondary school timetabling and school day patterns. In this process there is an opportunity to consider an alternative arrangement to the current 30 period week that may be more effective in supporting a CfE curriculum and a combined S4-6 Senior Phase.

The drivers in this process will be the needs of learners throughout West Dunbartonshire secondary schools and the delivery of the New Qualifications, together with the developing of the four capacities and skills for learning, life and work. In particular there are a number of key features of the CfE curriculum delivery that are impacted on by timetabling structures and school day patterns, particularly in the Senior Phase.

These include:

· S4-S6 as a single entity to enhance personalisation and choice for learners.

· Equity of access for learners across schools

· Co-operative curriculum delivery and consortia working among and between schools.

· The New Technologies and increased opportunities for shared delivery of the curriculum across schools.

· More flexible approaches to learning and increased flexibility and personalisation of ALL learners’ experiences.

· Appropriate time blocks for learning.

· Collegiate activities – personal and curriculum development

· Partnership working and the needs of partners - eg vocational programmes.

· Extra curricular activities

· Viability and sustainability - developing a model we can continue to afford and staff.

· The two “extra” periods in the 32 period week provide additional flexibility. The delivery of, for example, PSE and RME, particularly in denominational schools, will be facilitated.

2. The 32 Period plus Registration Week.

All five West Dunbartonshire schools currently operate a 30 period week. School senior managers are very familiar with, and aware of, the strengths and weaknesses of the current structures, particularly in planning CfE delivery and more recently the needs of the Senior Phase.

Following discussions between secondary school senior managers and officers it was decided that the 32 period + registration asymmetric week best suited the requirements of West Dunbartonshire secondary schools in developing the Broad general education in S1-3 and the Senior Phase in S46.

This provides an asymmetric week structure with variable school day length (6 or 7 50 minute periods). The 32 period + registration week typically provides 32 periods of 50 minutes in length with a 10 minute registration/pastoral period each day.

The day pattern for the 32 + Registration is represented diagrammatically below.

Days 1,2,3

Period / Length (mins)
Registration / 10
1 / 50
2 / 50
3 / 50
4 / 50
5 / 50
6 / 50

Days 4,5

Period / Length (mins)
Registration / 10
1 / 50
2 / 50
3 / 50
4 / 50
5 / 50
6 / 50
7 / 50

This structure is not new or untested. It has been operating in schools and Authorities across Scotland for a number of years and indeed in a number of Authorities it has also supported a senior phase of S4-S6 and consortia working.

There is merit in considering this structure at this point in time as a move to it would not be a step in the dark, but a move to a well tested and evaluated structure.

The 32 + registration week also increases efficiency and will enable schools to offer a curriculum that maintains and increases the breadth of choice for learners.

The proposed structure also provides more flexibility for curriculum design in a CfE context as an additional 2 periods become available. This is of particular significance in addressing the delivery of the senior phase and the core curriculum in the senior phase.

3. Proposed Day and Week Patterns.

In deciding on the optimum school day and week pattern for West Dunbartonshire secondary schools, the following are the key issues that were considered and debated:

· Starting and finishing times for the school day.

· Length of intervals and lunch breaks.

· Positioning of intervals and lunch breaks and the period pattern across the school day.

· Registration

· The positioning of the 6 and 7 period days in the week.

Following discussion it was agreed that the proposed day and week structure for West Dunbartonshire secondary schools should be :

Tuesday/Thursday/Friday (Six period days)

Period / Time / Length
Registration / 8.50 am / 10 min
P1 / 9.00 am / 50 min
P2 / 9.50 am / 50 min
Break / 10.40 am / 15 min
P3 / 10.55 am / 50 min
P4 / 11.45 am / 50 min
Lunch / 12.35 pm / 45 min
P5 / 1.20 pm / 50 min
P6 / 2.10 pm / 50 min
School Day Finishes / 3.00 pm

Monday/Wednesday (Seven period days)

Key factors considered in proposing the adoption of this structure were:

· The closeness of existing starting and finishing times across the five schools, and the lengths of morning break and lunchtime.

· The standardisation of the school day pattern across schools being a major facilitator of co-operative working between schools and the development of consortia.

· A four period morning supporting the likely needs of FE College links.

· The 2 period afternoon on the six period days providing flexibility to facilitate effective consortia working throughout the school week.

· The opportunities the asymmetric week pattern provides for CPD delivery, extra curricular activities, and working group meetings and collegiate activities (i.e. at 3.00 pm on the 3 six period days).

4. A Common Timetable – Consortia Working.

When within an Authority schools have a common timetabling structure, co-operative delivery of the curriculum can be facilitated. In a Senior Phase context it opens up a wide range of possibilities for shared delivery of courses, better linking arrangements with partners (e.g. FE) and greater efficiency in the delivery of the senior curriculum.

There are a number of issues which impact on the opportunities for co-operative delivery (e.g. for Advanced Highers, Highers that struggle to get viable numbers and other options with criteria that require co-operation).

These are:

· The number of periods in the school week.

· The pattern of the school week – common lunch and break times

· School starting times.

· Local factors – the need for flexibility to address different local priorities (eg in denominational schools).

· The potential of New Technologies in supporting innovative delivery of the senior curriculum

The proposed move to a 32 plus registration week structure and the associated move to a standard day and week pattern for all 5 secondary schools will significantly facilitate consortia working, both among schools and with external partners.

More specifically, it will be important to ensure that certain columns in the Senior Phase timetable take place at the same time in the school week across the 5 schools. This enables learners to access curricular options across all schools at these times.

It is proposed that detailed consultation takes place with the 5 secondary schools, in parallel with this consultation on the school day, to address in detail and in depth the timetabling implications of effective consortia working in West Dunbartonshire.

5. Summary

Key aspects of the proposals.

· By working collaboratively to develop S4-6 as the Senior Phase, and engaging in effective co-operative curriculum delivery, equality of access will be promoted and facilitated.

· The 32 plus registration period week structure is very flexible, allowing blocks of 50/75/100 minutes to support learning and teaching and the delivery of the CfE Entitlements. The structure is capable of evolving and being adapted, as CfE and the Senior Phase continue to develop in West Dunbartonshire secondary schools.

· Opportunities for the delivery of extra curricular activities are created on the afternoons of the six period days.

· Opportunities are created to improve partnership working with FE, HE and CLD by using the flexibility provided by the common timetabling structure.

· Evidence from other authorities who are already operating the S4-6 senior school on 32 periods is that the structure is more efficient.

· The opportunity for collegiate working on the 6 period days, within the working time agreement, will potentially even out the working week of teachers.

West Dunbartonshire Council

Secondary School Timetable and School Day Pattern

School Response to the Proposals

School:______

Please comment on the sections of the proposal document in the boxes below and return to Ann Crawford () by Wednesday 26 September 2012.

Section / Comment
1. Rationale
2. The 32 Period plus Registration Week.
3. Proposed Day and Week Patterns.
4. A Common Timetable – Consortia Working.
5. Summary - Key aspects of the proposals.
Any Additional Comments

Consultation on Secondary School Timetable/ac