Monday 2 September 2024
Weekly communication for staff
Building Futures Together
Dear colleagues,
Thanks for your contribution to a highly positive week. The school was buzzing with a wide range of activities that contributed to our ethos and reflected our purpose. Thank you to everyone for your input into Working Groups too. There were rich and helpful discussions across the groups. You will have identified your 'plus one' and be beginning to research best practice in that area. Remember we have a great professional reading library in the Strathendrick Suite that might be helpful.
Our collective observations last year highlighted that there has been less active learning than we would like. This will be a general focus for this year and is on our SIP. Michelle is also be running CLPL sessions that may help provide inspiration and ideas.
Building Futures Together - common purpose matters
I find this well known story inspiring as a reminder of the power that our collective understanding of our purpose can have on our sense of team, contribution and impact. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy visited NASA for the first time. During his tour of the facility, he met a janitor who was carrying a broom down the hallway. The President then casually asked the janitor what he did for NASA, and the janitor replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon.”
For me, Building Futures Together reinforces our collective influence on every Balfron High learner's experience, opportunities, support and outcome. For those who were not here or others (like me) who may easily forget, we reviewed our school values (May 2023) and sought input on our school motto (staff and focus groups of pupils) in May 2024. A more detailed overview can be found in the Archive (edition 28 May 2024).
An overview of our Vision, Values and Aims can be found here. This is us!
Team Meetings Matter
There has been much informal chat about considerations for assessment, tracking and learner conversations in the BGE around the school. I hope that you will discuss this at team meetings in advance of the Leadership Team meeting on 9th September where this, and improving our approach, will be a focus. It would be helpful to consider on how we might best respond to questions that will be asked to us and our young people (QI 2.3, below).
CLPL Matters
Thanks to Michelle for coordinating a fantastic pedagogy focused in-house CLPL programme. The first session will take place on Thursday lunchtime in C8. Please do scroll down to see more and link to the resources available.
Pupil Leadership Matters
It has been great to see a range of young people contributing to plans for the session. 44 seniors attended training to become paired readers. The sports council met with Active Stirling to plan their two key areas - mental health for boys and fit for girls. Our five Climate Ambassadors were in Stirling contributing to local authority plans. Four senior girls attended a Dance Leadership course. Plans are already in place to support BGE dance classes.
Back with a twist... Please do nominate a young person or colleague for a hot chocolate or fruit tea. The twist is that those nominating should tick the school value(s) that the person nominated has demonstrated.
Thank you for your hard work and professionalism.
Elaine
This week at Balfron High:
Team Meetings
Mon: S6 Assembly (UCAS)
Tues:
Wed: Pupil Council Meetings
Thurs: S5 Assembly
Fri: S4 Assembly
Notice Boards
Click the hot chocolate to nominate someone for a Thankful Thursday hot drink
Pics below include:
Sports Council plan for the session with Active Stirling
Climate Ambassadors at conference in Stirling
Inter-House Netball
Interhouse chess
Sports Leaders rugby training from SRU
Dance Leadership- Gabriella Treglia, Bethan Henley King, Ismay Mitchell and Naomi Irvine attended the Stirling Schools Dance Leaders event at The Peak in Stirling on Wed 28.8. As expected, the girls were great dance ambassadors for Balfron High, showing enthusiasm, kindness to others and creativity.
Outdoor Learning: Pupils in Flexible Learning learning about Creepy Crawlies by making a Pitfall Trap in an outdoor learning lesson
Please take photos and share with me directly or through Twitter (with pupils' permission). Let's recognise and celebrate all the good stuff. We will also share in the Parent Noticeboard. #wearebalfron #buildingfuturestogether
Theme 4: Effective use of assessment by staff & learners ensures young people maximise their successes & achievements
On inspection, we (and learners) may be asked:
How is assessment used in planning in the BGE?
How is this moderated?
Do learners know what level they are working at?
How is this recorded and reported?
How do we use tracking data to review and plan for target groups of learners?
Do learners know what their next steps are/ how to improve? How do you know?
Inhouse CLPL 24-25
Starts back this Thursday Lunchtime
active learners - active thinkers
CLPL 24-25 will be themed around our learners being more active in class and home study.
'memory is the residue of thought'
Dan Willingham
In other words, we learn what we've had to think hard about. We need to engage with ideas and manipulate them in our brain to form memories.
This session, we'll (re)visit and explore our toolkit of techniques and resources that help us to promote this, including: co-operative learning , making thinking visible, questioning techniques, show me boards, independent research & presentation, debating, retrieval practice, summarising and loads more!
Be ready to be active!
Relaxed and sociable, its a great way to meet up with staff form across the school, supporting mental wellbeing and developing our pedagogy in a fun and informal way. It's designed to be collaborative, and aims to have a 'take away and use' resource on each session.
Bring your lunch & hot drinks - sweet treats are provided!
Hit the link to register your attendance: I'm coming along on Thursday!
Sharing our Resources
Feedback from our festival was super positive, it was clear we all enjoyed sharing and learning from one another
Please share useful resources here
Accessing our digital resources
Professional Reading Library - Strathendrick Suite
More Digital CLPL
always available through the links below:
Education Scotland:
Professional learning modules
to work through at your own pace.on Scotland: Professional Learng Modules
Powering up our seniors for successful studying
Quick links for form and class resourcing
National supported study, free offer to all learners.
Teachers Guide to the BHS Study Planner - 3 min watch
BHS senior study planner
e-sgoil weekly online supported study timetable
Increased consistency in Learning & Teaching
Improved Wellbeing & Inclusion of all young people
Increased offer in Curriculum
Increased Attainment & Achievement
Increased influence of Pupil Voice on Improvement