Balfron Matters

29 November 2021

Weekly communication for staff

Dear colleagues,

December arrives this week, leaving us just 3 and 1/2 weeks until the end of term. I have seen staff working extremely hard to prepare our young people for prelims. Many pupils (particularly S5) are still struggling to make the jump to Higher and really need our support and encouragement. I have focused this week's CLPL corner on retrieval practice. I hope that will help us focus on helpful strategies. The Head Prefects have also recorded some revision tips for young people. It would be great if S3-6 FCLs found time to show these. I hope that hearing the same messages from peers might provide additional influence.

Here are the links:

Avoiding procrastination - Millie and Tom (2 minutes)
Retrieval Practice Strategies - Robbie & Sanshika (10 minutes)

Updated guidance on reducing risk in schools was shared by the Scottish Government last week. You can find the complete document on The Source along with other key policies. Here is the link. Not much has changed, you will find a summary of key points is below.

A big thank you to the Modern Languages Team who welcomed Anna Barrie and I into an Open Doors morning on Thursday. It was great to see so many young people engaged, focused and clearly enjoying languages. This week Deb Gormal and I will be in Technologies and Mark Young and I, in Maths. It has been really inspiring to see such great work across the school - a real privilege - thanks to you all.

The graphic on the right resonated with me so I thought I would share. It is a reminder to take care of yourselves first - you ar our most precious resource.

Have a great week.

Elaine

This week at Balfron High School:

Wellbeing Wednesday nominations

Thursday - Leadership Team Meeting

Scottish Government Guidelines - Update

The key points for staff to remember are:

Take regular lateral flow tests, including before socialising or shopping in crowded places (the previous advice was to take LF tests twice a week.)
Wear a face covering in all spaces
Open windows and doors
Wash/sanitise your hands regularly
Keep a safe distance from other people

Staffing Update

Welcome back to Oonagh Murray who returned last week from maternity leave. It was great to see her back! Thanks to Fiona Galloway who is going to stay on with us.

Congratulations to Ross Macintosh who secured the temp PT PS (Lomond) post. It will be great for Ross and Jenny to have some handover time.

Equity interviews will take place this week. Claire Appelquist is chairing the interviews and will be in touch with candidates.

Prelims 10 - 26 January 2021

The Final Draft Prelim TT is in the Staff Shared Google Drive here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZSH4bfLY7_zWZD2k7nYc4qDay60vqIuB/edit#gid=1399184587

There have been a handful of alterations made since the first version.
There will not be any significant changes to this version.
The venues are still tbc.
To avoid confusion, I have not included the ET times here, although all times have been planned to take account of ET arrangements, so you may wonder why certain exams start at a particular time – that will usually be why.
Some pupils have 2 exams in a day – AM and PM – this is okay.
My calculations have less than five pupils with actual coincident exams. If you are aware of any, send them to me asap.
Individual pupil timetables will be issued, once the AAA evidence has been submitted and the verification process complete.
Study Leave for all S4-S6 pupils will be scheduled from 10/01/21 – 26/01/21 (inc)
However, Art & Design pupils (N5/H/AH) are to get an extra day to catch up with folio work – this will take place on Friday 07/01/21.
N5 Cookery – practical exams will take place during the prelim diet – 40 pupils at 8 pupils per full day assessment. Individual arrangements tbc.
An email to parents was sent on Nov 4^th with the prelim weeks. I will send a new email with the dates for each subject-level.
N5 French/Spanish/German teachers – please can you address the usual National 5 Reading & Writing issue in class…ensure all pupils know that this is a single paper (despite being given 2 timeslots…see example below). This is an idiosyncrasy of SQA exam timetabling.

Spanish National 5, 1-Reading and Writing

19/01/2022 12:15 PM - 01:00 PM

19/01/2022 01:00 PM - 01:45 PM

Spanish National 5, 2-Listening

19/01/2022 02:45 PM - 03:15 PM

Let me know if you have any queries.

Phil

Aspiring Middle Leaders - CLPL Opportunity

Education Scotland are delighted that to announce that they are opening the Aspiring to Middle Leadership Programme in January 2022. Recruitment opens Monday 22^nd November 2021 and will remain open until 17^th December 2021. They will be keeping an eye on numbers and if places become full we may close the application form early.

The application form is below and is also available on our website along with further information on the programme.

Application Form

Programme Information

If you have any questions please contact EDSPLL@educationscotland.gov.scot

Project Lead (Recovery) Update

Clair, David and Heather have been working hard making plans to support our senior phase pupils and their parents through this recovery phase.

In the mean time, to help target pupils, please let the Project Leads know of pupils who are failing or close to failing. This can include National Qualification pupils who are performing below expected. For example, at a C, but you think are capable of an A.

Some PTs are sending Clair this as one collated sheets- that's fine. If not, please use the form below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4mH5xEgzIza4AIarwJA0nuEDE5FCQ96r11HuSGdd7XOnduw/viewform

Here is a link to the Government Paper on the impact of COVID on children, young people and families Evidence Summary

Respect Focus Groups and Working Group

31 pupils have asked to be part of focus groups. I will schedule these for the week beginning 6th December. Specific details to follow via email.

It has been good to see the issues raised in the assemblies being discussed at Team meetings. I have noted comments and suggestions as they have been shared.

Thanks for your support with this.

Respect Follow-Up Assembly.mp4

Update on progress with the ASN secondary specialist expansion for Balfron High

Following on from the public consultation between April and June 2020, where views were gathered from a wide range of young people, parent/carers, school staff and partners, a consultation report was published on the Stirling Engage Platform with the recommendation to progress with the preferred option i.e. to develop new secondary specialist provision at both McLaren High School and at Balfron High School in Phase 1 and to develop a city centre provision in Phase 2.

The outcome of the consultation was presented at the Children and Young People’s Committee at the end of September where committee members agreed with the preferred option and with progressing to a full business case. A capital bid to fund the expansion work will be made by March next year.

For Balfron High School:

Feasibility work is now complete. Based on an initial brief for the provision, space within the school will be identified by the design team. Where classrooms are to be moved, a like-for- like option has being requested.
A design team will now consider the brief and the potential options, working with staff and the ASN team to provide a detailed design by March.
With any proposed move of classrooms within the school, we will work closely with the design team to ensure there is limited impact on day to day functioning.
Our aim from January onwards is to work with staff, pupils, parent/carers and partners to consider how the new provision will become an integral part of Balfron High.

CLPL Corner - Read, Listen or watch. You choose.

Our L&T focus has been questioning and checking what young people have learned. Here are some resources to help shape our thinking and promote reflection and discussion.

Doug Lemov, known for the excellent book, 'Teach Like a Champion' also keeps a regular blog. Read about promoting long term memory by creating exit tickets recycled into entrance tickets and more.

Kate Jones, Exit Tickets, Performance and Long Term Learning

Or if you'd rather listen:

Listen to Jennifer Gonzalez talking to Pooja Agarwal about retrieval practice, what it is, what it isn't and key strategies we can use in the classroom Listen to Cult of Pedagogy

Or, if you'd rather watch:

Watch Daisy Christodolou talking about how you can remember anything forever Teaching so students won't forget

L, T, A TM Oct 2021

Learning & Teaching Follow-up

What have they learned?
How do I know?

These are the two key questions we are reflecting on.

Our questioning strategies are perhaps the most important thing we do to really force pupils to think.

"The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions." Claude Levi-Strauss

Here is a quick easy to access resource that is worth a look Ten Questioning Strategies

Secret Santa - last call!

Yo ho ho ho, it's that time of year

When Secret Santa is drawing near.

This year the elves have gone all high tech

Organising this event with email ...oh feck!

As per usual a tenner buys the gift

Buy something nice and nobody is miffed.

Wrap it up with festive paper and sparkly bows

And attach the name of the person you chose.

If you wish to be involved, then follow the plan

Click on the LIKE(or email me), I'm your middleman.

Please let me know by the end of tomorrow

You don't want to miss out and be full of sorrow.

Next week I will issue your Secret Santa

I know how much you still love my banter!!!

Grace

Calendar 2021-22

2 December Leadership Team Meeting (all PTs)

wb 6 December Respect Focus Groups

7 December Young Musician of the Year

8 December S2 Parents' Meeting

Calendar 2021-22

wb 13 December Team Meetings

wb 20 December S4/5/6 Tracking (2nd unit)

21 December School closes for holiday

Senior Phase Courses - Please ckeep encouraging pupils to stay in courses

I appreciate that you are working hard to keep young people in courses. More than ever, we are receiving requests to have pupils with draw from courses.

There is much at stake for young people, and it is important that we do all be can to support them through before we agree to them waithdrawing. Where possible the focus should be on building resilience. SLT will: