Greenrigg Primary School IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2014-2015

Greenrigg Primary School
IMPROVEMENT PLAN
2014-2015
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Healthy
Achieving
Included
Active
Respected
Safe
Responsible
Nurtured
Learning
and
Teaching
Successful
Learner
Confident
Individual
Responsible
Citizen
Effective
Contributor
Vision
and
Leadership
Culture
and
Ethos
People
Partnership
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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:
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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.
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Factors Influencing the Improvement Plan
School factors
 School Staffing changes
 Whitburn Cluster Improvement Plan
 Working time agreement
Local authority factors
 Single Outcome agreement
 Corporate Plan
 Integrated Children’s Services Plan (Life Stages)
 Education Services Management Plan
 Moving Forward Together
 Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Guidance
 Raising attainment, including for those at risk of missing out
 Increased entitlement to early years provision
National factors
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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
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Our School Values, Vision and Aims:
Vision Statement
At Greenrigg PS, we strive to ensure that everyone feels valued, safe and happy. We are all encouraged to reach our full potential on a learning journey that embraces a wide range
of learning opportunities. Together we recognise and celebrate each other’s strengths and talents. We will strive to learn the skills and build relationships that will help us raise
attainment and achieve our future dreams and goals, for both our community and the wider world. We work together to promote children’s rights in line with the UN Convention of
the Rights of the Child.
School Aims:
1. Learning and Teaching
To have the highest quality learning experiences that help learners achieve to their fullest extent by
 Continuing to build a curriculum which is imaginative, creative, stimulating and challenging both and in and out of class
 Ensuring that opportunities for personal achievement are an integral part of our curriculum
 Developing pace and challenge through differentiation and extension
 Collaboratively, gathering a wide range of rich evidence of pupil achievement
2. Vision and Leadership
To have a shared vision and high quality leadership at all levels which ensures a common purpose and a focus on preparing young people for the future by
 Continuing to engage in distributive leadership and further develop leadership roles
 Ensuring leadership is shaped by current educational thinking and good practice
 Maintaining a high standard of self-evaluation and reflective practices which will positively impact on continuous school improvement
3. Partnership
To develop meaningful relationships with all stakeholders which enable them to be actively engaged in the life and work of the school
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Further developing communication with partners and to enlist their help, advice and support when appropriate
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Making best use of outside agencies to meet the needs of all learners
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Participating in enterprising activities and community projects
4. People
To value the whole school community; its contribution to and responsibility for the development and direction of the school by
 Actively engaging all members of the school in guiding and implementing strategic decisions that influence the school’s future
 Regularly seeking and collecting and acting upon the views of the pupils
 Maintaining high levels of collegiate development with all stakeholders
5. Culture and Ethos
To promote a culture and climate within our school which builds positive attitudes towards learning, life and work and supports ambition and achievement in every
learner by
 Continuing to share and celebrate the contributions and achievements of pupils, staff and the wider community
 Further developing opportunities for all staff to share and develop good practice
 Continuing to have high expectations for all learners and encouraging them to have high aspirations for themselves
 Ensuring that all stakeholders take a collective responsibility for building a school community that demonstrates and values achievement, safety and respect.
 Each class has a charter which supports Children’s Rights and the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child which is reflected in the planning.
 Pupil Voice Groups have a strong focus on ensuring the voice of every child in the school is heard and promote the values and principles of the CRC.
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Values
Our school is a place where everyone feels valued,
respected and safe.
Our children, staff and parents/carers strive to work
together to contribute to the ethos and life of the
school community.
Everyone is encouraged to do their best and achieve
in their learning. We celebrate our achievements and
encourage the wider community to help us take
pride in our school and its pupils.
Our curriculum is inclusive and we strive to provide
a relevant curriculum, which will develop life skills.
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Totality of the Curriculum
The curriculum is delivered through CfE subject areas.
Interdisciplinary learning is an area that staff are keen
to develop
We develop relationships with parents/carers enabling
them to be actively engaged in the life and work of the
school and develop partnerships with the community
and other agencies which help meet learners’ needs.
We promote a culture and climate within our school,
which builds positive attitudes towards learning, life
and work and supports ambition and achievement in
every learner.
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Experiences & Outcomes
Staff are using the outcomes and experiences of
Curriculum for Excellence in all areas for planning,
teaching & learning and assessment.
Experiences are developed through discrete and
interdisciplinary learning opportunities, providing
meaningful learning contexts.
Staff are encouraged to work collaboratively to plan
challenging learning experiences and to moderate
progress through the Es & Os.
All staff are identifying opportunities for developing
numeracy and literacy across the curriculum.
Personal Support
Children are supported at points of transition. We
are developing transition processes to ensure clear
assessment information is available which takes
account of prior learning and ensures continuous
progression for all.
Individual needs are taken into account and
appropriate support is implemented.
Children have some involvement in self assessment
and setting their own targets and identifying next
steps.
A variety of After School Clubs are available to
provide opportunities for personalisation and choice.
Successful Learners
Confident Individuals
Children are enthusiastic and
enjoy being at school; They are
developing their ability to
independently and as part of a
group.
Children achieve and celebrate
success in a range of activities
in and out of school. They are
encouraged to make healthy life
choices.
Effective Contributors
Responsible Citizens
Children are encouraged to
develop enterprising attitudes
and problem solving activities.
Children are encouraged to
respect their local and wider
environment through Eco &
Rights Respecting Schools
activities.
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Principles
The learning experiences provide enjoyment, and we
are working towards providing appropriate pace and
challenge for all learners.
A mixture of discrete and interdisciplinary learning is
beginning to provide breadth and depth
Curricular progressions are used to ensure
appropriate coverage of outcomes and experiences and
relevant contexts for learning.
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Arrangements for Assessment
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Teaching & Learning
We are working towards providing the highest quality
learning experiences. There is a clear focus on
developing programme planning that helps learners
achieve to their fullest extent by using a wide variety of
teaching methods appropriate to the learning styles of
all children.
We are working to improve our capacity to provide an
appropriate curriculum to match the needs of all pupils
and encourage all pupils to reach their potential
through the promotion and recognition of achievement
and excellence.
Teachers are beginning to identify opportunities for
learning in other environments with an emphasis on
active and challenge based learning
Entitlements
Procedures are in place to identify children’s needs to
enable all to access to a curriculum appropriate to
their stage of development.
Tracking & monitoring of attainment ensures
appropriate support is provided where needed.
Opportunities are planned to enable children to
develop transferrable skills and skills for life through
contexts for learning and enterprising opportunities
throughout the school.
Teachers are becoming more confident in building
assessment into the teaching & learning cycle.
Assessment is part of the planning process and staff are
beginning to use a range of assessment strategies.
Staff are encouraged to work collaboratively in moderating
assessments to confirm professional judgement.
An Assessment & Progression Toolkit for writing has been
introduced to inform planning and target setting for all pupils,
Nursery – P7. This will be embedded in session 14 -15
Standardised testing (CEM/PIP) has just been implemented as
another diagnostic tool, to identify/confirm strengths/areas
for development.
Learners’ Journeys are used in Nursery-P1 to evidence
progress.
Reflection diaries are used in P2 – P5
On-going reflection diaries are used in P6 and P7 alongside
electronic personal profiles to develop effective transition to
6
secondary.
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Strategic Curriculum Plan (Three Years)
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Session
2013-2014
Desired Outcomes
Area for Development
Curriculum Development
To raise attainment through staff collegiate working and moderation of reading skills.
Learning and Teaching
To ensure ICT is being used effectively to enhance learning
Curriculum Development
To further raise attainment within maths and numeracy through systematic review of programmes of study and
rigorous, collaborative quality assurance.
Learning and Teaching
To ensure ICT is used effectively to enhance learning in literacy
Curriculum Development
To review and develop HWB programme of study
Learning and Teaching
To ensure 2+ 1 modern languages programme is fully embedded within the curriculum
2014-2015
2015-2016
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2014 – 2015
Priority: Raising Attainment
Area for Development 1:
To raise attainment within maths and numeracy through systematic review of programmes of study and rigorous, collaborative quality assurance
School’s current position:
The school continues to make progress in strengthening the curriculum. CEM results this year have shown an improvement on last year but there are still areas to be developed.
Desired Outcomes
Implementation Process (Actions)
By whom
Time
Scale
Resources
Monitoring
Pupils will experience maths
learning that provides breadth,
depth and challenge
Teachers will plan for progression using a wide range of
resources and methodologies, including Heinemann Active
Maths
Teaching staff
June 2015
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QA procedures
Mental Maths will feature appropriately in weekly planning
and follow a progressive structure
Teaching staff
Reviewed
termly
HT/PT
First review–
Oct 14
Implementation of Blooms Taxonomy and SEAL training
across the school will ensure challenge in learning further
embedding active learning and Higher Order Thinking Skills
into practice
Teaching staff
June 2015
CAT sessions
Staff will engage in professional enquiry and collegiate
activities to develop own knowledge and understanding of
best practice in the teaching of maths
Teaching staff
June 2015
Cover provided with
the assistance of
HT/PT/McCrone
A cross school SLWG will collate evidence to develop pace
and challenge in maths and update the schools ‘quality
maths lesson’ criteria in line with findings
Teaching staff
April 2015
CAT sessions
SLWG feedback
Establish critical colleagues - stage partners working (in
partnership with cluster partners) together to share and
develop standards/expectations. Undertaking visits to each
other’s classes using the ‘quality maths lesson’ criteria as a
foundation for self-evaluation
Teaching staff
April 2015
Cover provided with
the assistance of
HT/PT/McCrone
CAT session feedback
Regular monitoring of daily plans and medium term plans
will ensure that experiences and outcomes in maths are
being covered
Common methodologies will
ensure consistent approaches to
learning and teaching increasing
quality of learning and teaching
Assessment will identify clearer
next steps in pupil progress
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Monitored through QA meetings with
staff
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Robust tracking and monitoring
will be ensured through self evaluation
Parents/carers can support their
child’s learning in mathematics
and contribute towards
evidencing pupil achievement
Teachers will plan termly benchmarking assessments
activities to ensure progression at CfE levels and identify
high/low attainers
HT/PT/Teachi
ng staff
Reviewed
through QA
termly
Pupils will identify termly targets in maths with teachers
and gather evidence of progress in Learners Journeys
Pupil/teaching
staff
Termly
Pupils will meet with SMT termly to discuss their progress
and share and provide feedback on maths learning
HT/PT
Pupils
Termly
Build on current curriculum open events to share:
-progression of pupil skills through Learners
Journeys (currently Parents’ Evenings – increase to include
Open Mornings/ Smart Starts)
-common methodologies and ways to support maths
learning
All staff/pupils
February
2015
Evaluation:
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Termly monitoring of pupil profiles and
assessment tasks
Parental feedback via comment cards,
blog etc
Evidence (How do we know?)
Is active learning embedded consistently throughout the school?
Has teacher use of blooms taxonomy and increased breadth, challenge and application in pupil learning?
Do revised planning formats enable clear tracking and monitoring of pupil progress, ensuring breadth, challenge
and application?
Does an increase in assessment approaches through moderation provide more robust and reliable judgements
and informed next steps in teaching and learning?
Common methodologies improve teacher pedagogical knowledge in teaching prioritised mathematical concepts,
including connections across mathematical concepts. Is there increased continuity in pupil learning?
Are parents better equipped to support their child’s learning?
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Improved pace and challenge is evidenced through quality assurance. Pupils
will have increased confidence when applying learning in new and unfamiliar
situations.
Increased staff confidence in judgements, and consistency in what constitutes
developing, consolidating and secure within Numeracy. Benchmark
assessments track pupil progress
Increase in pupil attainment and achievement in mathematics measured
through QA and tracking and monitoring pupil progress.
Increase in pupil enjoyment and confidence in learning maths.
Parent feedback, increased sharing of child’s achievements within planned
developments for personal learning planning
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Priority: Raising Attainment
2014 – 2015
Area for Development 2:
A) Raising Attainment through staff collegiate working and moderation of reading skills
B) To work collaboratively in school and with Stoneyburn to improve reading skills
C) To improve how we pass on and use attainment information to develop next steps in learning and at the point of transition
School’s current position:
The school continues to make progress in reading (demonstrated in CEM results). Children are motivated by the range of active opportunities offered to them
in reading. Further development now needs to take place to ensure all pupils are making very good progress from previous levels through consistent and
rigorous planning for teaching and learning across the stages.
Desired Outcomes
Implementation Process (Actions)
By whom
Time
Resources
Monitoring
Scale
Teachers achieve a common
understanding of expected
standards in reading leading to
improved attainment and
achievement for all pupils
Staff work collaboratively with the Literacy Framework –
analysing and teasing out skills, impact, assessment and
moderation opportunities
Teaching staff
May 2015
Literacy Framework
Afe – materials
Principles and
Practice in Literacy
All teaching staff (with Stoneyburn
colleagues)
SMT
G Louden
Develop consistent approaches
in developing reading skills
across the school –
Children more able to
confidently apply reading skills
across their learning.
Second and third level (upper school staff) continue to
embed progressive literacy circle programme across
P4 - 7 impacting on attainment and achievement in
reading.
Teaching staff
PSW
February
2015
Literacy Circle
resources created
and further developed
by teachers
SMT and Upper School Staff (with
Stoneyburn colleagues)
Learning Rounds
Early and first level (infant and middle school staff) share
practice/engage in additional CPD re Alison Patterson
and Shirley Illman’s training
Teaching staff
PSW
Alison
Paterson
December
2014
March 2015
Dedicated handover
time
SMT, all teaching staff , Nursery Nurse,
(with Stoneyburn colleagues)
Nov 2014
April 2015
Blog
GLOW
365
SMT
All teaching staff
Laura Compton
Vowel House and Colourful Consonant training and
further collaborative sharing Nursery – P3 ensuring best
practice shared
Improved continuity,
progression and pace of
learning for all pupils – smooth
transitions at all points
Children moving into a new
stage in August will be
appropriately supported and
challenged
Provide regular opportunities for staff to plan and
implement and observe each other’s teaching practice
and evaluate progress and impact, professional dialogue
Training for all teachers in reading, analysing and
planning using CEMs, AfE and teachers’ assessments
Opportunities for collaborative/cross stage working
between classes
Teaching staff
Nursery Nurse
PSWs
ICT impacting positively on pupil
achievement and attainment in
literacy
Staff sharing good practice of ICT resources which
‘enhance’ learning and teaching; staff trialing and
evaluation sharing
CPD support for teaching staff to ensure P6 ad P7 pupils
plan/reflect using Didbook
Laura
Compton
All staff
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SMT and infant/middle school staff
(with Stoneyburn colleagues)
Learning Rounds
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Evaluation:
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Evidence (How do we know?)
How well have we raised staff confidence and understanding of developing, assessing and moderating
reading?
To what extent have we developed a consistent approach to teaching and learning in reading across the
school? And what impact has this had on learning and attainment?
How well have we tracked and monitored children’s progress in reading?
At the point of transition, do children experience consistent approaches in the development of reading?
How well to we pass on and use attainment information to develop next steps in learning?
Additional Tasks 2014-15
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Benchmark data
School Quality Assurance procedures
Pupil and staff evaluations
Monitoring pupil work
Moderation groups tasks and feedback
Agreed standards measured against success criteria
Parent feedback
Say, write, make and do (including ICT)
Responsibilities
All staff, with involvement of parents and pupils use GIRFEC self evaluation toolkit
RRS Accreditation
HT, all staff
Louise Monaghan and Mags Berginis and RRS Group leading and collaborating with staff and
pupils
Achieve second Eco flag
Sarah Bradley and Eco steering group leading and collaborating with staff and pupils
Continue to develop parental ICT capacity through links with West Lothian College
HT and PT and Derek Bonnar (Community Education Worker)
Review use of Reflection Diaries
All staff
Create clear progression information in key skills – grammar, punctuation from P1 – P7
All staff
Development of parent council
HT
Update School Child Protection materials ensuring procedures and practices are in line with
WL policy
HT
Data analysis, sharing and planning on ‘How effective is the teaching and learning of spelling
in Greenrigg Primary School?’
Build capacity amongst all staff in meeting the needs of all learners (classroom environment,
nurture, working with other agencies, sharing and embedding strategies to support and
challenge)
Jan Watson
HT, Hannah Brauer (Educational Psychologist)
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