Balfron Matters
Monday 12 June 2023
Weekly communication for staff
Dear colleagues,
Lewis Paterson (Insight, Scottish Government) ran two sessions for the Leadership Team on Friday. While the positive and high attainment overall of of our young people was recognised, there were two key messages from Insight training that have resonated strongly with me.
Lewis identified data demonstrating that on average in 2021, S4 pupils achieved 5.7 National 5 qualifications. The same cohort converted to 3.6 higher (level 6 full courses) in S5. This highlighted an area for attention as we move forward. Working closely with PTs, David (curriculum, QI 2.2) and Phil (attainment, QI 3.1) will lead us through a focus on tracking progression and curricular review in session 2023-24.
Perhaps not a surprise but certainly a priority, we will strive to improve curricular opportunities for our young people as we are genuinely committed to the success of all. These will be in our SIP for next year, with time protected to develop:
Increase curricular opportunities for our lowest 20%
Increase opportunities at level 6, using the SCQF framework.
I anticipate another busy week ahead. It will be positive to give our new S1 a warm welcome and get to know them as well as possible during the three transition days. Thanks to Claire for her work in creating classes, coordinating the programme and creating a bespoke timetable for the P7s. Thanks to all of you who are delivering fantastic induction activities over the three days. We are excited to add a STEM day to the programme. The schedule is below.
The week concludes with Sports Day and the forcast is great. Friday is a 'sports wear to school' day with a donation for school transport funds if pupils can (£1 suggested). Please reinforce the purpose of he fundraising in the context of increasing costs and the school aim to subsidise them. An overview of the day is below.
Thanks to Neil Macquarrie for pulling together the suggested themes document for Form Class time. If you lead on an area that benefits from a whole school input, please input your theme on the document - Form Class themes. This will help us to avoid overload while not missing important themes.
Have a great week.
Elaine
This week at Balfron High:
Mon: S3 Re-purposing Challenge trip
Tues: P7 Transition - bespoke timetable
Water SafetyTalks, S5/6 & S4
Wed: P7 Transition - Sports Festival
Thurs: P7 Transition - STEM Festival
Fri: Sports Day
CfE - Lomond 1, Languages
Primary 7 Transition - 13-15 June 2023 (C Appelquist)
Tuesday 13th June 2023
The P7s start their day in the theatre with Elaine and myself and then follow a bespoke timetable, see link below
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18sabxoO93E_EqYom6OzZ_hHui6z2avA-VPSo9WRklo4/edit?usp=sharing
Form Class Leaders – Please come and meet your Form Class in the theatre at the start of period 2. There you can collect the class along with their timetables for the three days.
Class teachers – please allow P7s out slightly early at breaks, lunch and the end of the day so we can get them away safely.
Wednesday 14th June 2023 - Sports Festival
P7s will meet in the theatre and use that as a base for the day. S6 Sports Leaders will be supporting the day.
Thursday 15th June 2023 – STEM Festival
P7s go to Form Class at the start of the day and then follow the following timetable:
1C1/1C2 1E1/1E2 1L1/1L2
Maths Technologies Science
Technologies Science Maths
Science Maths Technologies
Information about the P7s will be on the Magic Dashboard ready for Tuesday.
Prefects - Home Area PTs
Please could you organise Prefects to be helping show the P7s to class on Tuesday. It should be fairly straight forward this year as they will be going around as a Form Class. See timetable above.
Sports Day Plans - Friday 16 June 2023
Thanks to Neil and the PE team for all the work that goes on behind the scenes in the run up to Sports Day.
Pupils not involved in field events, should follow timetable as normal during periods 1-3.
Period 1 and 2 Field events (Shot, Long Jump, High Jump), prospective House Captains and all S6 Endrick pupils helping with the set-up.
Period 4 Early lunchtime. Hilary and her team will serve a BBQ on the grass pitches.
13:00 All pupils and staff to the grass pitches for the start of the track events.
S1 Stalls will be open from 1pm, please encourage pupils to bring money with them to take part. Proceeds for this will go to a School Transport fund.
15:00 Staff v S6 Tug of War
15:15 Clear up of all equipment, all pupils should collect at least one piece of equipment from the pitches and take it down to the school.
Behaviour Data (last 4 weeks)
The behaviour data for the last four weeks is below. In the stats by yeargroup, totals have been RAG rated to show an, at a glance, improvement or decline compared to the previous 4 week period. Note that new S3 and S4 (showing as S2 and S3) have had a small increase in total number of demerits. It will be important to follow up with the individuals who contribute most to this picture.
Key for behaviour data
Green - 10+ merits
Light Yellow - 6-10 demerits
Orange - 11-19 demerits
Red - 20+ demerits
FCLs/PTsPS: If a young person has 6 or more demerits, please ensure that contact has been made to parents/carers. I appreciate that this is likely to have already happened - thank you.
Young people with 10+ merits have been highlighted green. Please forward my congratulations.
On a fun/interesting note, Campsie House have the most pupils with more that 10 merits in this period (12), followed by Lomond (9) and Endrick (8).
Assemblies - June
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SIP 2022-23 Review and Priorities for 2023-24
Assembly Programme April- May 2023
Learning & Teaching Working Groups 23/24
** Notes of Interest close tonight**
*We are looking for Leaders of Working Groups*
This is an opportunity for whole school, curricular leadership experience for practioners keen to develop in this area. Groups will have more than one leader, if you'd be more keen to lead alongside someone else.
As a group leader, you will be supported by myself as Pedagogy lead, and Elaine B.
Through regular meetings, you will be supported in planning and resource the best way to take your group forward in the work you all plan to carry out - so you are by no means alone! Support will be available as much or as little as you want .
As a wider working group leadership team, we would have extended support from each other, and we will meet periodically, with a focus on developing leadership skills.
We will kick start in August with a leadership session.
In addition, we are keen to further support professional development, and would encourage participation in the Education Scotland Educator Leadership Programme - again, providing support though collective meetings within school.
Please note, participation in this qualification is not compulsory to become a group lead, simply an extra bonus opportunity should you be keen.
Register interest in leading a group here - come talk to Michelle or Elaine about it anytime!
CLPL Corner
New Classes, Fresh Starts
The Value of Routine
Routines have always been thought to be integral to establishing excellent classroom management. The EEF state that learning routines support good behaviour and behaviour routines support good learning environments. While it doesn't solve all issues, it makes it less likely that issues will arise.
We set up routines for both instructional and behavioural activities, like how we might conduct ourselves in group work or how we might use mini white boards.
Consider the following for reflection:
(source: Making every lesson count, Teach like a champion)
Strong starts
Be around the door, welcoming in and directing activity 'hey, great to see you all, jackets off, starters on the boards'
Starter tasks that allow for independence gives us a chance to get register done etc.
Be explicit in how you want things done.
How learners move around the classroom, how questions are to be answered
how practical equipment is gathered, how mini white boards are used, how homework is collected,
how we listen and respond to each others ideas and suggestions.
Demonstrate expectations and practice them:
Whatever your expectations are, be relentless about this, insisting on these standards every time.
How do we collect show me boards, textbooks, borrow a pencil, pass out worksheets - demonstrate it all!
Keep pace moving and challenge high
Play around with responsive questioning techniques to improve participation and demand on thinking. Cold call questioning techniques keep learners waiting to see what happens next
Expect attentiveness and make this clear in your instructions:
'All eyes and ears on me now, thanks',
'What does it look like to be scholarly - excellent - that's great to see!'
'This class is working so hard, I'm proud of you'.
Well done for getting right into that task Sarah, oh I see you too Steven, and Rachel, this is great' - other pupils follow to earn the praise.
Use Positive redirection:
'Zara, what questions are you supposed to be doing at the minute?'
'I can hear that football ball game has been exciting, I'd be keen for you tell me about your goal when we're packing up, but for now, let's concentrate on Q5 (remember to ask about the goal!)
'Keep listening at the back, you've been doing so well'
Be present in their learning space:
Interact with their work as you move round the class, check jotters, give constant feedback, encouragement and set your expectations high: This is a very powerful way to build strong relationships.
'That's a big improvement on last time, I can see your confidence has grown'
'Your work is always so organised, that's a great life skill as well as helpful for learning your notes'.
'You've got it! Can I show it under the visualiser - I want to show the details of your working'
'You've made a mistake that lots of others have also made - would you be comfortable if I used it as an example for us all to learn from?
'You work really well as a pair, I like that you always like push each other for those extra details when you share your thinking'.
Our learners notice if we are present and investing in them and are eager to interact with us for that praise and encouragement.
Refer to our the school values regularly:
Remind our learners that we are a community by using a shared language:
'When we move classrooms, we need to keep quiet, its important to us to be respectful of other classes busy learning.
'I am disappointed that you made a mess with your water bottle. However, I am pleased with your honesty owning up, I feel I might be able to trust you now in the future to take more responsibility for your actions. What do you think?'
Ok, let's start the quiz, now remember, we are being fair to our classmates when we give everyone thinking time and don't shout out.
Watch - Read - Listen
Have a look at the collection of resources below.
Relationships are built most successfully in well managed classrooms where expectations are clear and learners feel invested in by teachers that care that they are challenged and learning. This is a strong theme through all these.
Watch: Establishing classroom behaviour and routines
CLPL opportunities
Leadership courses for session 23/24
Sign up now!
There are a number of fully funder professional learning programmes available from Education Scotland for next session. Applications are now open. Of particular interest, I wanted to highlight the Educator Leadership Programme (ELP):
Have a look at these enquiry posters from our 2022-23 ELP Cohort: ELP 22/23 | Flickr and our 2021-22 TLP Cohort: TLP 21/22 | Flickr
There is also a wee Blog post that tells you a bit more about the programme. So if these posters or the Blog inspired you then why not join our growing community by signing up here.
For aspiring middle leaders, applications are open to the Aspiring to Middle Leadership course.
For Middle Leaders, applications are currently open for Middle Leaders Leading Change – Education Scotland (Rona Grant) has written about the programme here and for even more inspiration; have a look at her brilliant February Blog post: Middle Leadership Glue (education.gov.scot).
Digital CLPL
always available through the links below
Below is a link to Dougie's Tech Tips Play list. Always worth a look - great tip on getting rid of adverts from presentations using YouTube this week.
External CLPL
BHS Professional Learning Notice board.
Search. Click. Book
Powering up our seniors for successful studying
Study Skills Resources
National weekly study sessions: https://www.e-sgoil.com/
BHS Study techniques website: https://sites.google.com/stirlingschools.net/bhs-study-skills/home
NeLO Learning Spaces: https://www.thinglink.com/card/1421866155961745410
Achieve: https://achieve.hashtag-learning.co.uk/user-start/?next=/
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Teachers Guide to the BHS Study Planner - 3 min watch
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BHS senior study planner
e-sgoil weekly online supported study timetable
One portal to hold all information
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Health & Wellbeing - Counselling for staff
Did you know counselling is available through Stirling Council?
Employee Counselling is available through our Occupational Health provider, People Asset Management (PAM)
There are a few ways employees can request Counselling.
Stuart Shaw on shaws@stirling.gov.uk
Contact hr@stirling.gov.uk
Call Ann at PAM on 0800 882 4102
If you want some more information about counselling, what to expect or looking for self-help resources then please pop in and see Karin Figliolini or drop her an email.
Useful Links
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