Balfron Matters
Monday 16 January 2023
Weekly communication for staff
Dear colleagues,
I hope that you have had a positive first week back. It was great to see you all. I would like to extend a warm welcome to Matt Harvey who joins us as PT Expressive Arts (acting) while Anna is on maternity leave. Please join me in providing the support he will need to find his feet and making him feel welcome.
Thanks to everyone for your contributions to ensure that the prelims are running smoothly. It has been a positive start. This is a particularly busy week - exams on the right. Pupils who come in to study or catch up with a member of staff should sign in and wear uniform. Parents were emailed and pupils told in advance. However there seems to be evidence of some amnesia! Please join us in reminding them if you see them.
Thanks also to Elaine Johnstone for creating the alternative programme for those who do not require study leave. Unless a plan has been made with a member of staff to complete assessments, these pupils should only be in school to take part in the programme. Just a reminder that the pupils are:
James Smith, Kieran Thomson, 4C1; Erin Irvine, 4C2; Stephen Boag, Shannon Gilchrist, 4L2; Nicholas Gold, Archie McFadzean, 4E1; Dylan Hunter, 4E2
Harris McMillan, 5L2
Lewis Roberts, 6C1; Rosie Haggerty, 6E2; Campbell Curtis, Nathan Henderson, 6L1
I have posted a link to the programme beside the prelim information.
The S3 Parents Night is online tonight (Monday). Please let David know if you are accessing the parents' night from school. This will allow him to check that ICT is working and let Bellrock staff know who is in the building.
With a small group of parents, I have been working on a resource to help the wider parent body with social media and use of phones. It is called SMART with your smartphone and this month's focus is Snapchat. Here is a link. I am keen to get some help and feedback from any interested colleagues who are more skilled in use and understanding of social media to help me. Please reach out if you have ideas.
I am delighted to share that Susie Gill had a baby boy on Tuesday. Both are well. I have included a pic of baby Jamie Ryan Gill in the 'last week at Balfron' section.
Thank you for your hard work and professionalism.
Have a great week.
Elaine
This week at Balfron High:
Mon: S3 Parents' Meeting (online)
N5/H/AH Geography
N5/H/AH Music
Tues: H French
N5/ H Graphic Communication
Wed: N5/H AH History
N5/H/AH Design & Manufacture
Thurs: H English
N5 French
Fri: H/AH (Human) Biology
N5 Drama
N5 Engineering Science
CfE: Lomond 1 Languages
Prelims 10 - 27 January
What does the tracking data tell us and what should we do about it?
The purpose of tracking is two-fold:
Information on progress for parents and learners
Data to support planning for teachers, PTs and SLT.
While on inspection last month, a key focus on the QI 2.3 was looking at the extent to which assessment influences planning and decision making. This includes:
talking to teachers about classroom practice & observing the impact of formative assessment in real time. There was focus on watching learning.
talking to teachers, PTs and SLT about the influence and use of tracking on raising attainment strategies and curriculum development & decision making
So what does our tracking tell us?
Below is data on levels taken from recent (December) tracking from S2 (left) and S3 (right). This should be used to help young people and their parents make best decisions for most positive outcomes. The data is in alphabetical order by surname.
Form class leaders should use this to help pupils and their parents navigate decisions that will lead to the highest possble attainment.
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
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Important points from the data to support decision making
We should consider these as teams and as a s school
According to our tracking data, in S3 there are 21 pupils who are likely to be N3/4
How confident are we on the accuracy of BGE levels?
How are curricular areas catering for these young people?
Are our learning pathways flexible enough to allow choice and progression for all of our learners?
Does our curriculum offer meet their needs?
According to our tracking data, in S2 there are 41 pupils who are likely to struggle with some N5 courses.
Their names are on a tab on the spreadsheet on the right.
We should consider the same questions from above at team and SLT level.
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
Last week of term at Balfron
When people outside your walls know what you are doing, it gives value to those inside.
Pictures from last week include Baby Jamie Ryan Quinn, some baking in HE, and the peer reading programme at Drymen Primary School.
One portal to hold all information
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Powering up our seniors for successful studying
Don't forget, we have an abundance of useful resources to support study skills
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=/
![](https://www.google.com/images/icons/product/drive-32.png)
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
CLPL corner
What's available?
It's that time of year when we get some breathing space for our CLPL interests
Have a look at what's coming up in house, resources available to look at and external opportunities available
In house Opportunities
Sessions will be delivered through whole school inservice training and voluntary twilight
This term:
Increasing challenge in our classrooms
Working memory and it's classroom applications
Moving information into Long Term Memory
Adaptive teaching using the working memory model
BHS L&T Resource Links
There has been so much shared over the last few sessions
Did you know you can access these resources here?
Have a browse, read, listen, learn and enjoy!
BHS Professional Reading Library
We have an amazing library with loads of new books
There is a variety of topics including behaviour management, cognitive science, ASN, pastoral care and leadership.
It's good to keep a book on your desk for a reading brain break throughout the week.
Please ask for recommendations!
External Opportunties
Education Scotland and FVWL RIC have lots of opportunities to engage with live and pre recorded sessions. Click on the links on our BHS CLPL opportunities
BHS CLPL
Click to link
STEM and Learning for Sustainability CLPL Opportunities
This fab new all-in-one-place CLPL calendar has just been published by Education Scotland.
The list of opportunities to book into events is excellent. Many are free and online as well. Have a look by click here
Read, Listen, Watch
Tips for teachers
Check out this great website from Craig Barton, author of 'How I wish I'd taught Maths:
Blogs
Shorter podcasts (5-10 mins)
Longer listens
Pupil Council Meetings
Tuesday 6 December
Wednesday 1 February
Tuesday 28 February
Wednesday 15 March
Tuesday 18 April
Here is the link to our school improvement plan. It is a real, working document that will be updated and amended as we go through the session. Thanks to everyone for input. If there is anything that you would like to add or ask, let me know.
Calendar 2022-23
16 January S3 Parents Meeting (online)
S2/3 FCL interviews begin
24 January HT drop-in (parents/carers)
27 January S1 Tracking due
1 February Pupil Council
3 February S4/5/6 Tracking due
13 February Inservice Day
14 February Inservice Day
28 February Pupil Council
15 March Pupil Council
18 April Pupil Council
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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How effective is our challenge in the classroom? Some reflections
Are we ambitious enough for all of our young people?
Do pupils know what level they are at?
Success criteria links to BGE benchmarks or SQA course assessment criteria?
Would they be confident about stating what they have to do to improve?