DUNEDIN SCHOOL Delivers unique education to individuals Standards, Quality Assurance and Improvement Plan Summary for Parents and Carers August 2014 – June 2015 Liberton Bank House Contents Introduction School Aims and Ethos Last Year’s Developments Progress in Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum ` Consultation, Evidence and our Overall Evaluation School Improvement Plan 2015-2016 Other Achievements Acknowledgements 3 4 5-6 7-8 9 10 11-17 18 Page |2 Introduction Every year, the staff at Dunedin carry out a whole-school evaluation to determine how well we think we are doing, and where we need to make changes and improvements. Questionnaires are also issued to all pupils, parents and staff. This leaflet is designed to provide parents and carers with a brief report on this evaluation, and on how we believe Dunedin School is developing. First of all, you are reminded of Dunedin School’s aims and ethos. The progress of last year’s developments is then detailed to keep you informed of the school’s achievements. This is followed by an outline of our overall evaluation of Dunedin School against the 5 key ‘Quality Indicators’ which are set by HMIe, and a brief summary of the School Improvement Plan (2015–2016) to indicate the priorities we have identified for the coming year. We conclude with a summary of our other achievements. We hope that you find this information useful. However, if you are unsure about any of the contents, please get in touch with us. Page |3 School Aims and Ethos The purpose for which Dunedin School is established is the advancement of education for the benefit of young people who, by reason of emotional, personality, learning or other associated problems, require a specialist educational service. Dunedin School’s prime concern is to care for the individual pupil and to educate him or her in a supportive and nurturing environment. We aim to provide structured, yet flexible, learning opportunities tailored to the individual, enabling each pupil to realise his or her potential, and to build his or her self-confidence and self-belief. Page |4 Last Year’s Developments Further detail of last year’s developments can be found in the School Improvement Plan (2014–2015). The progress made towards achieving the targets we set is summarised for you in the table below: TARGETS Continue to develop Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing across all aspects of learning Continue to develop the curriculum, programmes and courses EVALUATION There were opportunities to share and discuss evidence of Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing outcomes and experiences at scheduled points throughout the year Staff agreed a single aspect of Health and Wellbeing - respect and building positive relationships -upon which to focus throughout the year A range of activities outwith the classroom and two interdisciplinary events contributed to developing Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing Subject staff trialled Literacy record sheets kept in pupils’ folders, to give pupils a clearer insight into where they are using literacy skills across the curriculum Centrally-held Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing record sheets continued to be completed by staff, as and when appropriate The S1 to S3 report was amended to include a specific report on Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing for the first time Subject staff continued to attend numerous professional learning opportunities in order to embed the standards of the new National qualifications Pupils worked towards various new qualifications from N2 to Higher, with excellent exam results The new Higher was successfully delivered for the first time in Geography. Other subjects continued preparations to introduce the new Higher next session All teachers implementing N2 qualifications underwent successful verification by the SQA; Home Economics underwent successful verification for N3 Page |5 TARGETS Develop initial and ongoing assessment to identify the needs of specific students in order to improve pupils’ engagement in learning. Implement further measures to ensure consistency of standards across all teaching, and resulting quality of learners’ experiences Continue any necessary preparations for passing “The Charity Test” Continue with rolling plan for revision and updating of policies, evidence and documentation Update all relevant school information, literature and the school website EVALUATION A working group was established to determine ways to identify and record the needs of specific pupils in the school Alternative pathways were explored which might better suit the needs of some pupils Research began into strategies intended to put greater focus on developing essential life skills, independence and employability The school’s Professional Review document was amended and was fully endorsed by the General Teaching Council of Scotland, in line with new legislation The Quality Assurance document was updated to reflect the School’s current cycle of evaluation Dunedin has submitted the required information to OSCr, and continues to wait for further instruction. The school’s Equality Policy was completed and the policy was successfully signed off. The Quality Assurance cycle was amended to take account of requirements for completion of the GTCS Professional Update The parents’ handbook and information leaflets were revised work will begin on updating the school’s website next session Page |6 Progress in Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum Dunedin continues to strive to promote these three key areas of Curriculum for Excellence in a variety of ways. Here is a brief report on what we have achieved over the last session: Health and Wellbeing For 2014-2015, the Health and Wellbeing (HWB) strategy was revised in line with Education Scotland guidance. The focus was on the identification and delivery of one key Experience and Outcome at a whole school level. The E&O chosen was: “I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others.” Activities included a whole school code of conduct drawn up by all pupils; a workshop where pupils wrote an advert for a friend, and then applied for the “position”, and sessions on different religions, respect and bullying in PSE. During a whole-school “Friendship” week, pupils learned about friendships in WWI, food and friendship during war and famous friendships in science. The annual charity coffee morning was held in October, this year in aid of Asthma UK, and another highly successful residential trip was held in Glencoe in June. In addition to this, the outdoor education programme was carried out with high levels of pupil participation. Highlights included a trip to Craigie Farm and a visit to see an exceptional documentary entitled That Sugar Film. All pupils who took H.E. this year were given the opportunity to study nutrition. Finally, a report on Health and Wellbeing was included, for the first time, in the March reports for all pupils. Literacy This session, the Literacy Strategy document was amended to try to further reinforce our shared understanding of what literacy is within the context of CfE, and so that this area of responsibility can be delivered more efficiently. Subject teachers trialled simple literacy record sheets in pupils’ folders to give pupils a clearer insight into where they are using literacy skills across the curriculum. This made it easier to record the variety of literacy activities going on around the school, and helped inform new reports on literacy for all pupils in S1 to S3, including Levels achieved, in the March reporting schedule. Page |7 Whole-school and interdisciplinary events continued to provide excellent opportunities for pupils to develop literacy skills. As always, the annual charity coffee morning encouraged research into the causes and impact of asthma, writing activities in the form of invites, detailed planning and schedules of work, reports and posters, and listening experiences when we welcomed a speaker from Asthma UK to give us more information about the condition and the charity. And, once again, one pupil was able to deliver a very good vote of thanks to a packed room of guests. Other opportunities to listen and develop critical thinking arose throughout the year, but particularly successful were two trips to the cinema – one to watch an adaptation of The Book Thief and the other to watch the thought-provoking Australian documentary That Sugar Film – and access to Authors Live events. That Sugar Film, in particular, encouraged much discussion amongst pupils. Pupils and staff were also fortunate enough this year to see the National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, an experience enjoyed by all those who attended, and which, again, was the impetus for discussion. Numeracy During 2014-15, Dunedin implemented a revised approach to meet the Curriculum for Excellence’s Numeracy goals. Teachers trialled a more subject-led approach where if/when numeracy work could be incorporated into a topic, it was, with the teacher then handing details on to the Numeracy Coordinator to assess and record levels. Each subject teacher was given a summary of the numeracy outcomes, and a booklet giving examples and suggested areas within their subject in which numeracy experiences could be delivered. The subject teacher then noted any outcomes covered and passed these details on to the Numeracy coordinator to collate and assess. Crosscurricular projects also provided opportunities for experiencing numeracy. Reporting on numeracy across the school went well last session, with new students’ numeracy ability being assessed when they started at Dunedin and all students’ levels being distributed to departments twice in the school session. This new strategy has gradually been embedded in the 2014-15 session and has been more successful and manageable than the previous topic-led approach. It will therefore be continued, with some amendments, and reinforced over the coming session to ensure that Dunedin is promoting Numeracy across the school at every available opportunity. Page |8 Consultation, Evidence and our Overall Evaluation The school has a robust self-evaluation process involving every member of staff. The annual whole-school self-evaluation takes place in May, using the HMIe document How Good is Our School 3. This self-evaluation, along with the collation of results from staff, pupil and parent/guardian questionnaires, identified the key strengths of the school as follows: Identifying individual learning needs Meeting learners’ needs through careful consideration of tasks, activities and resources The overall quality of learners’ achievements Commitment to self-evaluation How Good is Our School 3 uses 6 levels to evaluate how well a school is doing in 5 key areas. A guide to what these levels mean is given below: Level 6 Level 5 Level 4 excellent very good good Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 satisfactory weak unsatisfactory outstanding or sector leading major strengths important strengths with areas for improvement strengths just outweigh weaknesses important weaknesses major weaknesses Following our whole-school evaluation, we judged the performance of Dunedin School in each of the 5 areas as follows: Quality Indicator 1.1 Improvements in Performance 2.1 Learners’ Experiences 5.1 The Curriculum 5.3 Meeting Learning Needs 5.9 Improvement through Self-Evaluation Level 4.6 4.4 4.75 5.0 5.0 This evaluation helps us to set our targets for the next academic session. Page |9 School Improvement Plan 2015-2016 Our aim is to keep trying to raise the school’s achievements in the key areas of education. The annual School Improvement Plan sets out how we are going to do this. A summary of this Plan for the current session is outlined below: Q.I. 2.1 Learners’ 2 Experiences TARGETS Identify individual needs Continue to adapt the learning experiences of pupils, where necessary and where possible, to meet specific needs Improve the delivery of structured and skills-led out-of-school experiences and transitions for pupils Improve the learner’s experience for those pupils who struggle to engage with the mainstream curriculum 5 5.1 The Curriculum Further develop Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing across learning Continue to develop the curriculum, programmes and courses so that it remains relevant to current pupils 6 6.1 Policy development and planning Continue to implement the plan for revision and updating of policies, evidence and documentation 8 8.3Management and use of resources and space for learning 8.4 Managing information Maintain IT infrastructure Continue preparations for passing “The Charity Test”, as necessary. All relevant school information, literature and school website updated P a g e | 10 Other Achievements One of Dunedin School’s priorities is to encourage pupils to take part in a wide range of activities outwith the classroom. Staff support pupils to engage in activities which they may not have had the opportunity to experience before, or may in the past have been reluctant to engage with. This helps build their self confidence and self esteem and leads to many personal achievements and individual successes. Sporting and Recreational Activities Sporting and recreational activity sessions continued on Tuesday afternoons. Activities offered are always determined by the range of interests of the current pupils. This year, pupils had opportunities to participate in badminton, walks, football, art and tennis. On Friday afternoons, pupils were again offered blocks of golf and swimming, and some pupils worked hard to achieve accreditation at the local gym over the course of 10 weeks. Pupils also had opportunities to visit the local library during Friday afternoons, and were encouraged to use the mobile library. The school retains its membership with the local tennis club - a valuable resource which can be utilised when any pupil demonstrates an interest. Fundraising Coffee Morning The annual Dunedin School Coffee morning continues to be a highpoint of the year, for both staff and pupils, and this year’s event saw almost all pupils participate and contribute. The planning process began with pupils electing to support Asthma UK, with many pupils knowing someone affected by this condition. We welcomed a speaker from the organisation to give us more information about the charity, and pupils carried out a range of activities in various subjects to find out more about asthma and its impact. As always, the pupils impressed us with their ability to manage the coffee morning itself. In the run-up to the event, they worked both independently and collaboratively to create detailed planning timelines, design and create invites, create posters and information “cake toppers” about asthma, budgeted for shopping, and baked a wonderful selection of goodies for our guests to enjoy, including (for the first time) home-made ice cream. On the day of the coffee morning itself, several pupils arrived early in the morning to complete the baking and to set up, and throughout the morning, pupils offered hospitality, kept coffee and tea pots filled, delivered a vote of thanks, and washed and cleared up afterwards. It is fantastic to see them becoming so well practised at, and more confident in, running this substantial event. Once again, they took enormous pride in welcoming our numerous supporters. This continues to be a highly successful, and (for most) a highly motivating crosscurricular event which gives pupils an opportunity to exercise many life skills and P a g e | 11 boost their confidence whilst raising money for a worthy cause. The grand total raised from this year’s event was an incredible £511.25 – the most we have ever raised! We look forward to welcoming everyone back again next year. Other Charity Fundraising and Enterprise Events As well as raising money for Asthma UK with the coffee morning, pupils organised some smaller events to help those in need. For Comic Relief, pupils and staff had fun painting each other’s faces, with some fantastic results! And, after the tragedy of the Nepalese earthquake, some pupils were moved to help. They raised money by making and selling cakes to other pupils and staff. Drake Music Four of our pupils have continued to work with Drake Music this year, with all sessions taking place within the studios. Attending Drake has been a highlight of their week, and both their motivation and their commitment have been impressive. As a band, the pupils have had opportunities to try out different instruments, as well as to provide vocals on the songs they have selected to play and record. They have made great progress, both in confidence and in ability, so much so that they were able to perform as a group at an event held at Edinburgh College, in front of a substantial audience. Drake provides us with great opportunities to enrich the curriculum, offers interested pupils a meaningful context in which to work creatively and collaboratively, and fosters the talents of some of our budding musicians. Visits and Visitors Once again, the school welcomed a number of visitors, and organised many trips, throughout the year, providing the pupils with valuable learning experiences outwith the everyday curriculum. A speaker from Asthma UK was our first visitor, giving us a valuable insight into this condition, and what the charity does to help people living with it. This was excellent preparation for the coffee morning. Cello-player Duncan Strachan also paid a return visit to the school, this time as part of a quartet. Pupils engage with him really well, and following his visit, a number of pupils chose to attend performances at St Mary’s Cathedral and the Usher Hall. Fast Forward, an organisation which works specifically with young people, also paid a return visit this year, to deliver two PSE sessions. Pupils worked well with the team, discussing issues of relevance to them. We were also delighted to welcome two Educational Psychologists from Antwerp, who visited the school to gain a sense of how we operate. There were many opportunities to take learning out of school too, as pupils undertook a number of visits themselves. P a g e | 12 A small group of pupils, who had worked on an interdisciplinary project focusing on the life and achievements of John Muir, visited his birthplace – now the John Muir Museum – in Dunbar, enjoying lunch on the beach afterwards, just as Muir himself might have done! Pupils were also given the opportunity to visit a working blacksmith, and watched as new work was created. This gave all staff and pupils an insight into a profession few knew much about. There was a particularly successful trip this year to Craigie Farm. Pupils were given a tour, with the focus on how the farmers there had diversified, and how successful this enterprise had become. Finally, the school welcomed back Russell Clink from Nairns factory. He came to the school to talk to pupils about the work of the company, before two groups of pupils toured the factory to see it in operation for themselves. Educational Visits Pupils have had opportunities to participate in subject–related learning activites outside of Dunedin on several occasions this year, sometimes engaging with other young people, students and teachers. Pupils studying photography went into town to find inspiration for a series of photographs. A selection of their work has been used to create a school calendar. One pupil who was working towards Advanced Higher English units attended Edinburgh Council’s intensive Creative Writing Conference alongside pupils from schools from all over the city. And finally, in November, all pupils attended a fantastic, hands-on Science Roadshow at Wester Hailes School. This event was run by students from Edinburgh University and was a lot of fun, with a wide variety of practical experiments and activities for everyone to try. These opportunities are invaluable in encouraging pupils to overcome some of their anxieties and to access the wider community. Cultural Trips This year, pupils were given the opportunity to attend another major theatre production, funded, in part, by money donated by Marminas Slippers, a company which uses some of its profit to support social enterprises. Several pupils came to an evening performance of the National Theatre’s award-winning production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. This really was a spectacular piece of theatre, enjoyed by all, and we hope the pupils will remember it for years to come. A wide variety of other cultural outings have also been enjoyed throughout the year. A trip to the National Museum’s Game Masters exhibition was particularly successful, and all the pupils (and staff) who attended were highly enthused by their visit. A P a g e | 13 number of pupils also went to see the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition at the Modern Art Gallery, gaining an insight into the career of one of pop art’s most successful artists. We had two whole-school trips to the cinema, one during the Into Film festival where we saw The Book Thief, whose themes tied in with the Health and Wellbeing focus on respect, as well as simply presenting an engaging story adapted from a novel. Our second trip to the cinema was to see an Australian documentary – That Sugar Film – all about the effects of sugar on our health. This was a really fascinating film, full of serious facts presented in an interesting and entertaining way, and it encouraged much discussion amongst staff and pupils. Its themes also articulated well with aspects of Health and Wellbeing. Authors Live Events Two Authors Live events were enjoyed this year. The first was with the Children’s Laureate, Malorie Blackman, whose Noughts and Crosses series of books have been popular with a number of our pupils. She spoke about where she got her inspiration, the themes of her book, and about the many rejections she had had to cope with before becoming a published author! A small group of pupils also watched an interview with Anthony Horowitz, author of the Alex Rider series of books. This was excellent preparation for studying one of Horowitz’s novels, and he proved to be an energetic, passionate and witty speaker. The author spoke about his own experiences at school, where he was not considered a success, and how he turned to books as a source of comfort. Both authors’ stories were highly motivating, reminding pupils of the importance of having aspirations and of never giving up. These broadcasts continue to be an excellent means of encouraging pupils to listen to others, whilst giving them an insight into new literature, in a variety of genres. Fashion Show Several pupils demonstrated the range of their creativity by organising a “fashion shoot”, featuring a dress designed by one pupil as part of her N5 Art and Design course. Another pupil with a particular interest in makeup and beauty, designed a “look” to suit the dress, and made up our model for the day. Finally, the whole event was captured on film by one of our exceptional photographers. Friendship Week and Respect This year, we chose to focus closely on what the staff felt to be an important Health and Wellbeing strand - I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others. This provided many opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. One of the main events was “Friendship Week”, during which pupils participated in a number of activities intended to encourage them to reflect on the nature of friendship, and its P a g e | 14 importance in our lives. Pupils created, and responded to, adverts for a friend, and there were opportunities to investigate friendships through history and some of the benefits these had brought. For example, pupils in science learned about the friendship between scientists Watson and Crick, which led to the discovery of DNA. Investigation into the Christmas Truce during WW1 demonstrated the capacity for humans to reach out to one another even in the most difficult of circumstances. Throughout the year, there was also a firm focus on the need for respect. Pupils created a new school code of conduct around the principles of respect, and participated in RME sessions looking at different religions, with the aim of better understanding other people’s beliefs. PSE also delivered a number of sessions on bullying, in its various forms, and a community police officer visited to talk specifically about cyber bullying. Easter Revision Classes For the fourth year, Easter holiday revision classes were offered to pupils sitting exams in May. A number of pupils and staff gave up holiday time and made good use of these sessions, and all felt they were beneficial – evidenced, perhaps, by the really excellent set of exam results achieved by our pupils at the end of the year! Duke of Edinburgh Award One of our pupils who achieved the Bronze Award the previous year was motivated to go on to complete a Duke of Edinburgh leadership course this year, and begun to work towards the Silver Award. Two of the pupils who completed the Bronze Award last year also gave a presentation to the whole school about their experiences, with the hope of encouraging others to participate in the future. Outward Bound Gorge Walking Once again, several staff and pupils participated in a whole day’s gorge walking near Drymen. For some pupils, this was their first experience of this kind of challenge, whilst it was pleasing to see others return to participate again. All of the pupils were incredibly supportive of one another during what is a mentally and physically challenging activity, and it offers an opportunity for some of the more experienced pupils to demonstrate good leadership. This excursion encourages everyone – staff and pupils alike - to step outside of their comfort zone and to work as part of a team, and it leaves everyone with a well-earned sense of achievement. Rural Skills Pupils visited Newbattle Abbey again this year for two sessions. During the first of these, pupils undertook general gardening tasks such as weeding, potting up and watering etc. During the second session, pupils were taken on a guided walk in the P a g e | 15 surrounding woodland, looking at the various flora and fauna which thrives there, and hearing about some of the history of the college and its grounds. Wester Deans Placement One of our pupils continued a successful placement at Wester Deans Farm one day each week, until leaving school at Christmas. This placement helped him to develop important social and employability skills whilst also increasing his confidence and self-esteem. Outdoor Education As always, outdoor education was a high point of the year, and this year’s programme allowed pupils to participate in a range of activities. These included a trip to the swimming pool at Dunbar, climbing and abseiling at Ratho, tubing at Hillend, kayaking at Port Edgar and fishing at Markle Fisheries. There was a return trip to Transgression Park for BMX biking, skateboarding and ‘scootering’, since pupils had enjoyed this so much the previous year, and another successful trip to Fox Lake for the assault course over water. Our final activity was a trip to North Berwick, where pupils tried their hand at putting before enjoying a fantastic afternoon on Seacliff Beach before the rain set in! Pupils continue to engage really well with these activities, with many demonstrating real aptitude and skill. We finished the autumn and summer terms with ten pin bowling. At Christmas, each pupil was given a book as a gift from the school, whilst at the end of the summer term, staff and pupils returned to school for a barbeque, and a year of achievements by all of our pupils was formally marked by the presentation of certificates. Residential Building on the success of the school’s first ever one-night residential trip to Dunkeld last year (June 2014), pupils had the opportunity to take part in another trip this year, though no one was forced to go. Last year, the trip was run by Metro, part of the Outward Bound Trust, and over the two days, the pupils canoed down Loch Faskally and rock climbed near Crieff. Our accommodation was at Stanley Nairne, just north of Dunkeld, which was ideal as we had sole use of the building and the two days away were blessed with glorious sunshine. Numbers attending this year’s residential were similar to last year, with 8 pupils going in the end. This was the first time some of them had spent time away from home. The trip was run this year by Hebridean Pursuits, and we were based at the Glencoe Independent Hostel and once again had sole use of the building. We did all our own catering to reduce costs but also to encourage the pupils to be involved in the planning, and helping out with all the tasks necessary for being away for a night. P a g e | 16 On the first of our two-day trip, we canyoned (or gorge walked) down a river close to Glencoe. Then, on the second day, staff and pupils climbed the Via Ferrata at Kinlochleven. Once again we had two days of gloriously warm sunshine and the pupils all had a fabulous time. All were suitably challenged but rose impressively to these challenges. We have already re-booked with Hebridean Pursuits for June 2016 as it was such a success, and a highly rewarding experience for all. Leavers We said farewell to five pupils who left Dunedin this year, and wish to make special mention of them. They are moving on in a variety of different directions: one hopes to pursue further study of art, English and history; another has accepted a place to study photography at Edinburgh College; a third has a place at Oatridge College to study Small Animal Care, a first for Dunedin; our fourth pupil has secured a place on the Directions Course at Edinburgh college; and, last but not least, our fifth pupil has accepted a place at Queen Margaret University to study a B.Sc (Hons) in Nutrition and Food Science. Their different destinations demonstrate the wide variety of interests and passions amongst our pupils, and they are proof of what our young people can achieve, despite the challenges some of them face. We are extremely proud of each one of them, and they leave with our very best wishes and hopes for continued success. P a g e | 17 Acknowledgements Governors As always, we end by acknowledging how hard working and committed the governors have been since Dunedin became a charity in 2000. Their continued support of the staff, and of the school’s ethos and vision in general, is crucial. Dunedin would not have reached this point, and would not continue on its journey, without them. P a g e | 18 We hope you find this document informative. If you would like to have more details, both the full School Improvement Plan (2015–2016) and the full Standards and Quality Assurance and Improvement Report (2014–2015) are available to you on request. If you would like a copy of these documents, please contact the school. Dunedin School Liberton Bank House 5 Nether Liberton Lane Edinburgh EH16 5TY Tel: 0131 672 2638 Website: www.dunedin.edin.sch.uk Email: [email protected] P a g e | 19
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