Balfron Matters
Congratulations to our S4 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award graduates
Congratulations to our S4 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award graduates
3 March 2025
Weekly communication for staff
Building Futures Together
Dear colleagues,
I hope you had a good weekend. We have another busy week ahead with an S5/6 Parents' meeting on Wednesday online. Thanks in advance for your input at this important time. The SLT have had a number of parents in touch highlighting their keenness to know how best to support our seniors in the run up to exams.
Congratulations to Lesley Smith and our S4 pupils Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award graduates who enjoyed a fantastic celebratory evening. Thanks to Lesley's organisation and chasing and Kirsty Black's attention and quick response verifying skills, we have increased numbers of young people completing within their S3/4:
43 full Bronze Awards
7 close to finishing & 4 partial awards
I am mindful that we need to consider the sustainability of this important wider achievement and we are keen to hear from staff who would like to be involved in Duke of Edinburgh, particularly the expedition side. If this is of interest, please see Lesley or me.
Please note the reviewed tracking deadline. As it stands, deadlines for staff completion are as follows:
S1/2 Tracking due: Phil has asked for 7 March (gives staff an extra week)
S3 Tracking due: 14 March
S4-6 Estimates due: 21 March
Apologies for any misunderstanding that may have occurred. The SNC meet and agree the front page of the collegiate calendar (coloured boxes). We will be sure to double check the dates on the 2nd tab when we next get together.
How does our work all link up?
At SLT we have been discussing at length how we better use tracking data to inform progression of learning and course choice from S2, as well as how we monitor and support the progress of target groups of young people (ASN, SIMD, FME, YC, CExp, EAL etc).
We all know that strong assessment and reporting in the BGE provides clarity around how that attainment best links to courses and progression in the senior phase.
This links entirely to learning and teaching as there is a tight relationship between standards for assessment and the core features of a great lesson.
Safety First
The Health and Safety Committee met last week to review our critical incident planning. One further meeting this week will finalise plans that we need all staff to sense check and feedback on. Also on safety, PC Barclay continues his assembly input this week with senior phase yeargroups.
Curriculum
One of Education Scotland's key priorities is to become the national curriculum agency of Scotland. If you haven't already signed up for Education Scotland updates on the Curriculum Improvement Cycle, you can access discussion pieces and subscribe to the eBulletin through this link.
Following feedback from the recent teacher focus group, I have begun to review how we Celebrating Success across the school as a starting point for review. I am keen to maintain the best of what already happens and build on it. If you haven't already, please could you complete this very short survey on what we capture. If you have ideas and suggestions, they would be most welcome.
Thanks again for your professionalism and hard work. It makes a massive difference. #buildingfuturestogether
Elaine
This week at Balfron High:
Post Prelim Review Meetings
S1/2 Tracking Reports
Mon:
Tues: Parent Council, 6.30pm
Wed: Health & Safety Committee, P5
S5/6 Parents Meeting
Thurs: HT Drop-in, 3.30-5pm
Fri:
Pics include:
Thanks to Sheena, The English Team (plus Connell) for their commitmemt to and love of the library. Thanks to all who have donated books for our new senior section. The pictures below are a small taste - do visit!
Thanks to Neil for organising the apprenticeship workshops with Aggreko. They are a fantastic local partner.
Thanks to Cara for coaching and taking the girls football team to Cumbernauld for the regional roundof the Spar Cup having qualified through the local round. Thanks to Amanda for driving buses and supporting our teams!
Flowers for Sarah from the young people as a big thank you for organising and leading the recent successful ski trip to Austria.
Susannah Stewart leads the lunch and learn workshop on adaptive teaching strategies.
Please take photos and share with me directly via email or Whatsapp (with pupil's permission). Let's recognise and celebrate all the good stuff. We will also share in the Parent Noticeboard. #wearebalfron #buildingfuturestogether
Inhouse CLPL 24-25
active learners - active thinkers
Coming up this term
We continue to discuss strategies around feedback, one of our most powerful drivers of improvement for learning
Have a look at our discussion so far on the slides and come join us for more sharing of great practice around feedback
Key Messages Around Feedback
Adaptive Teaching is simply our
Everyday Excellent
Scaffolds:
A temporary support to reduce
the complexity of a task
writing frames ◾word banks ◾ structured study mats ◾help sheet how-to◾ number lines◾ worked examples ◾graphical organisers
Scale:
Flexibility within the scale of output required
Can build this up over time
Challenge:
Meaningful ways to extend learning that isn't just 'more of the same'
All resources in the Classroom
code to join: 6a7mbjk
Promoting Study Skills
Head Prefects will be promoting all things
Good Study this week at lunchtime
Direct your seniors to the stall for:
BHS Core 4 steps to Study Success
QR links: How-to Techniques
QR links: e-sgoil support pages
Grab n Go Study Planners
Grab n Go Flashcards
Top tips on the best Study Apps
Positive physical & mental wellbeing
Powering up our seniors for successful studying
Quick links for form and class resourcing
This Week: Display in S4/5/6 Form Class
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
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