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“Working together to inspire learning and achievement in Highland
Communities”
Dingwall Primary School Improvement Plan
2009 –
2010
Our
vision, values and aims
Our
Vision Statement
To
provide a positive environment to enable the children within our care to be
successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and
effective contributors.
Our
aims reflect the 5 National Priorities :
Attainment and Achievement
Framework for Learning
Inclusion and Equality
Values
and Citizenship
Learning for Life
Aims:
1
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To plan and deliver an appropriate and effective curriculum using a
variety of learning and teaching strategies for all pupils.
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To improve the standard of attainment within the school by enabling each
pupil to work to the best of his /her ability.
Through:
Developing a Curriculum for Excellence, continuing to develop formative
assessment strategies, and providing pupils with a stimulating and
encouraging learning environment.
2
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To improve the quality of education service to all pupils through the
professional development of the staff team.
-
To improve the quality of the learning and teaching experiences for all
pupils through the effective management of resources.
Through: Ensuring that all staff are provided with C.P.D. opportunities to
acquire the skills and knowledge to address the learning needs of all pupils.
3
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To work together to provide a positive, safe and tolerant learning
environment which takes account of cultural and social backgrounds, and in
which each pupil is valued and supported.
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To work in partnership with pupils, parents and the wider community for
the benefit of all.
Through: Ensuring that all pupils have the opportunities to learn
appropriate to individual needs, and encouraging parents to be active
partners in their child’s learning.
4
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To work with parents to equip pupils with the foundation skills, attitudes
and expectations to prosper in a changing society and to encourage
creativity, ambition and healthy living.
Through: Increased respect for self and others by working collaboratively
and learning to value other’s strengths and opinions
Emphasising positive attitudes towards work, behaviour and social
interaction.
5
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To create an ethos of achievement and celebrate success to encourage a
sense of identity, fairness, pride and good morale in the school.
Through: Celebrating success and fostering pupils’ self esteem.
Improving each pupil’s capacity to participate in the learning process.
Date of last review of aims: April 2008
Aims developed by, and shared with staff, pupils, parents, Parent Council
and Friends of Dingwall Primary.
During the lifespan of this plan the school will consult pupils and involve
them in the decision-making process in the following ways:
Through the pupil council process of consultation.
Regular audit of pupils’ views on areas of particular relevance.
Listening and respecting pupils views during circle time,.
Respecting feedback from pupils on any aspect of school life.
and will involve parents by:
Keeping parents involved through regular communication, including sharing of
the school’s improvement agenda.
Consultation with the Parent Council and Friends’ of Dingwall.
Regular cyclical audits of parents’ views on a wide range of aspects of
school life.
Maintaining an open door policy and welcoming parental involvement in the
work of the school.
Identifying our priorities
School priorities for improvement
From our self-evaluation, we have identified the need to develop the
following aspects to improve the learning experiences of all children and
young people:
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Quality of the curriculum – Engaging with CfE
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Quality of learning and teaching – Developing the four capacities
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Effectiveness of self-evaluation activities in order to better meet
children’s learning needs
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Continue to develop transition arrangements and liaison Nursery – P1 and
P7 – S1
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Nursery to develop new Council Planning Format to hep embed CfE
Highland Council education improvement objectives
Our
improvement plan must take account of the authority’s annual objectives. We
will take account of these as detailed below:
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Highland Council education objectives: |
No
action |
Maintenance |
2008/9 |
2009/10 |
2010/11 |
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Improvements in learning and teaching |
|
|
x |
x
|
x |
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School Group planning for ACE developments in literacy |
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|
x |
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Associated School Group planning for ACE developments in numeracy |
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|
x |
x |
|
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Associated School Group planning for ACE developments in health and well
being |
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x |
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Getting it right – working with partner agencies |
|
x |
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|
|
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ECO
school status (by 2011) |
|
x |
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|
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Highland Council Gaelic Plan |
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x |
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Taking
action to ensure impact
Each improvement project will be evaluated and its impact incorporated into
the school’s profile and reported in the next Standards and Quality report.
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Improvement project
1: Quality of the curriculum : Engaging with CfE
outcomes |
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Quality Indicators for evaluations: 1.1, 2.1, 5.1,
5.2, 5.3, 8.3 |
Outcomes for
learners:
An enhanced curriculum as staff increase awareness
of a CfE
A wider range of literacy activities and texts
based on the CfE outcomes.
Meaningful contexts and more opportunities for
active learning in maths, supported by new CfE outcomes
Meaningful links across the curriculum through
revised Social Studies topics.
Opportunities to exercise personal choice, and to
experience increased activities differentiated to meet their needs
Opportunities to explore topics and areas of
interest in more depth.
Quality feedback given on progress through
curricular areas. |
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Staff will engage with new CfE outcomes and
experiences for Social Subjects, Literacy and English, Literacy and
Gaidhlig, Mathematics and Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing |
From September 2009 |
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Audit literacy outcomes
and develop teaching activities and acquire resources for any outcomes
not presently covered |
September |
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Agree how to progress implementation of numeracy
outcomes in order to achieve progression, breadth and balance as well as
consistency across year groups. |
September |
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Use of ICT /Maths Whizz /
Games to support learning in maths / numeracy |
December |
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Agree and develop
planning formats to support cross curricular and cross cutting themes, |
October Inset |
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Working parties to form
CfE planning group and curriculum development group |
Ongoing |
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Staff familiar with
advice from Building the Curriculum 3 |
October Inset |
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Familiarisation with new
assessment framework and discussion of exemplification materials. |
Published July
October Inset |
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P1 Staff / Nursery visits
to improve transition and progress through early stage outcomes |
Ongoing |
5
Inset Days 26 / 27 / 28 October
16/17
Feb
Cap sessions
Maths Whizz 8 Dec
Personalisation and Choice 9 March
Funding for Literacy / Numeracy resources / Resources
for active learning
People
responsible for actions
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SMT
Provide time and materials to engage with outcomes and audit current
practice.
Support and sequence
implementation of CfE in line with national timetable
Monitor
forward plans and carry out observations of learning and teaching
Working parties Develop planning formats and support CfE
developments in literacy and numeracy
Nursery / P1 Staff Audit Early Stage outcomes
and ensure effective transition
All
teaching staff Attend development days on CfE and reflect on
current practice.
Implement new outcomes relating to numeracy , literacy and health and well
being
Contribute to curricular review activities.
Be aware of advice in Building The Curriculum 3
Engage with BTC paper on assessment
Evaluate and reflect upon implementation and share good practice.
Increase active and collaborative learning opportunities in class
Incorporate Maths Whizz into teaching of maths.
Q.I.O. Provide examples of
development work from other authorities.
External evaluation
of impact of development
Improvement project 2:
Quality of
Learning and Teaching : Developing the four capacities
|
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Quality Indicators for evaluations:1.1, 2.1, 3.1,
5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.9 |
Outcomes for
learners:
Successful
Learners
- Opportunities for active learning in relevant
and enjoyable contexts
- Increased pupil understanding of the purpose and
relevance of lesson outcomes
- Increased ability to transfer skills across
curricular areas
- Increased understanding of success criteria and
how to achieve them, and the ability to self and peer assess
- Build on feedback which supports improvement in
learning
- Develop skills for life through the use of ICT
- Experience better learning
conditions through better behaviour.
Responsible Citizens
- P7 pupils will have extended
opportunities for ‘buddying’ and increased responsibility for whole
school events.
- Take increased responsibility
in taking forward eco improvements within the school community, and
maintaining Eco school status.
Confident Individuals
- Increased participation
through the use of Aifl strategies
- Increased opportunities for
personalisation and choice
Effective Contributors
- Become increasingly skilled at collaborative
learning.
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Sharing Good Practice |
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Aifl Strategies |
Sept 22 |
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Collaborative leaning |
Nov 17 |
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Active Learning |
Feb 9 |
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Personalisation and
Choice |
March 9 |
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Behaviour Management
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Sept 15
Nov 10
Feb 2
March 2 |
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ICT |
Dec 8
Feb 23 |
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Visits to other schools
to observe good practice |
Ongoing |
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Buddying / Eco
opportunities |
Throughout session |
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P1 staff visits to
nursery to observe active play |
Throughout session |
ICT resources ongoing update
Time for reciprocal visits to other schools
People
responsible for actions
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SMT Monitoring and
evaluation.
Teaching staff Contribute to the sharing
of good practice
Trial relevant
good practice
Visit other
schools to observe good practice
Reflect on own practice
with regards to Aifl, collaborative and active learning,
personalisation and choice and behaviour management
P1 staff to observe active
play in nursery and extend into P1
Q.I.O Provide examples of
good practice.
External
evaluation of impact of development
Improvement project 3:
Effectiveness of Evaluation Activities in order to Better meet
Children’s Learning Needs
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Quality Indicators for evaluations:2.1, 5.2, 5.3,
5.9, 9.3, |
Outcomes for
learners:
Experience programmes of study amended through
teacher evaluation
Enjoy a range of teaching styles and activities
extended through the sharing of good practice.
Experience varied learning
styles and opportunities through sharing of good practice
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Learning communities of
teachers set up to share and reflect upon good practice, and to meet
once per session. |
September onwards
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Template drawn up to
provide feedback from these groups |
September
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Opportunities established
to visit other schools to share good practice. |
Ongoing
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New template agreed for
the observation of learning and teaching |
August
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All early stages staff to
use Q.I.’s from the Child at the Centre to collaboratively evaluate
provision. |
Ongoing |
Management time / time for visits
Funding for resources requested as a result of sharing
good practice
People
responsible for actions
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SMT Establishing
structure of sharing ‘good practice groups’
Design
template for disseminating good practice
Monitoring classroom practice
DHT Source and
purchase resource materials
Teaching Staff Identify and
share good practice
Reflect upon own classroom
practice and adopt good practice.
Complete termly self
evaluations of classwork.
Q.I.O External
evaluation of impact of development
Provide examples of good
practice
Improvement project 4:
Promoting Effective Transition
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Quality Indicators for evaluations: 1.1, 2.1, 5.1,
5.3, 5.4 |
Outcomes for learners:
Experience meaningful links
across the curriculum through the numeracy project
Benefit from consistency in
style and delivery of writing lessons across transition P7 – S1
Develop report writing skills
through a social studies report completed in P7 with guidelines and
success criteria supplied by social studies staff.
Enjoy a smooth transition from
nursery into P1 with previous skills and knowledge being built upon. |
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Numeracy project
continues into SI |
Autumn Term 2009 |
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Numeracy Project
evaluated and amended / extended in light of feedback. |
October 2009 |
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S1 teachers to observe P7
writing lesson,
and then team teach
writing lesson. |
June 2009 |
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S1 teachers to teach
writing developing on from primary observations |
Throughout S1 |
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Social Studies project –
pupils to take completed report to the Academy |
August 2009 |
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Social Studies to
evaluate project and impact on report writing skills. |
Autumn Term 2009 |
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Increased P1 / nursery
reciprocal visits |
Throughout session. |
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Resources
allocated to this aspect
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Cover costs from ASG budget
People
responsible for actions
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SMT Monitoring and
evaluation
Academy Staff Various departments involved in numeracy
project
English Department
observe / team teach writing
Social Studies department
evaluate project and use to inform teaching
Primary Staff Implement numeracy project and social
studies project
Prepare writing
lessons for observation
Nursery, P1 Increased liaison
opportunities throughout session
and P7 / S1 staff
QIO Provide external
evaluation of impact of development
Improvement project 5:
Quality of Nursery Provision through implementation of new planning
guidelines.
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Quality Indicators for evaluation: 1.1, 2.1, 5.1,
5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 6.2, 6.3 |
Outcomes for
learners:
Experience an enhanced and improved provision.
Enjoy a range of stimulating experiences based on
own personal interests and knowledge, and development needs.
Experience varied activities
including active, explorative tasks both individually and working
collaboratively.
Be provided with experiences and
an environment conducive to developing the four capacities. |
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Share planning formats
with staff |
August |
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Formats adopted and used
to plan provision |
Ongoing |
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Use formats to reflect on
changes needed to current practice |
Ongoing |
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P1 staff to visit nursery
and to discuss planning and assessment |
Ongoing |
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Management time / time for whole staff discussions
Time for familiarisation of documents
Funding for resources requested as a result of
implementation.
People
responsible for actions
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SMT Monitoring
plans and provision.
NCT Overviewing
implementation
Nursery Staff
Share assessment
information in order to inform planning
Share knowledge of pupils’ areas of interest to inform planning.
Carry out observations of individual pupils.
Care Commission External evaluation
of impact of development
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