Dear colleagues,

Thanks to Neil Cameron for setting up activities for our Senior Phase pupils who do not have exams. In the picture above, Fern, Oury Sow, Salman and Mahir have been presented with certificates awarded for creating podcasts.  They were working with Ryan Rocks at Stirling Community Radio - a great achievement for all four young people.

School Show 

The School Show, Disco Inferno, is almost upon us.  Let's all get behind our colleagues and young people who are putting a huge amount of work into making it a success.  Why not bring your family?  Tickets are available from the school office.  Here's a spoiler.

Recalibrating the Vision, Values & Aims for Balfron High 2024

As we are reflecting on progress and preparing for a new school improvement cycle, it is timely to pause and check that we are united in our vision, values and aims.

Last year at this time, I asked for feedback from all staff on your views of our school values.  I got a great response. Here is the staff feedback from last session: Responses

Here is a summary with the help of AI:

The current focus on Ready, Respectful, Safe is causing confusion regarding the school's values. Clarity is needed for learners to fully understand and embrace these values, which should be consistent across all aspects of school life. There's a desire to move towards simpler, clearer values that apply universally and reflect collective ideals. Suggestions include integrating behaviour expectations with values, using fewer words, and ensuring alignment between values and consequences. Pupil and parent engagement is seen as essential for refining and reaffirming the school's values, which should emphasize inclusion, respect, and well-being for all members of the school community. A vision statement may help encapsulate the overarching goals of the school, while a careful review process involving the entire school community is necessary for any changes to be successful.

This is an overview of how our vision, values and aims currently fit together: Vision, Values & Aims for Balfron High

Being pragmatic,  it is not sensible to change the school's core values - Fairness, Honesty, Responsibility, Respect and Trust - as they are built into the school badge, on kit and now built into the fabric of the school.  It is important that our vision, values and aims help give us direction and remind us of what is important.

I am keen to have a school motto that brings all this together, simply and have been researching a range of possibilities that reflect your responses.  Here are some:

• United in values; prepared for life

• Building futures together

• Strength through diversity

• Unity in diversity, excellence through effort

• Striving for greatness together

• With every effort, we build the future 

• Achieving together

• Preparing for tomorrow with effort today

• Inspiring minds, shaping futures

Following a discussion at SLT last week,  Building futures together was identified as the one that best encapsulates our overall mission and provides direction, as it is inclusive, aspirational and forward looking.   What do you think? Your feedback/views on all of this are most welcome!

Have a great week.

Elaine