Balfron Matters


Monday 7 November 2022

Weekly communication for staff

Dear colleagues,

Thanks to everyone for your input last week. I appreciate everyone's help with cover - it was another very tight week. The support did allow the leadership team to get of of school and begin work on our learning & teaching toolkit. I am very pleased with the progress to date. I would like to extend a massive thank you to Michelle for her input, enthusiasm and passion. It has been really inspiring.

We are aiming to share a draft version with you at the end of the month and are looking forward to your observations and feedback. The purpose of the toolkit is to support our shared understanding of what great learning & teaching is, to provide a framework that can be used to help planning, evaluation, observation and PRDs.

Great to see two in-house CLPL offers this week. They focus on how to support senior learners with revision. It is available online on Tuesday if you would prefer to access from home, or in-person on Thursday, if you would prefer to access in the Strathendrick Suite. Thanks to Heather & Pam for organising this and for the revision support created directly for for S4 and S5 pupils. It has been helpful to have these delivered through Form Time - thanks to everyone involved. This week the focus is study planning. The video will be ready in the classroom on Wednesday/Thursday this week. lease use the checklist below to ensure all S5 pupils are up to date with what has been covered so far.

Thanks to David for coordinating our first S1 Family Learning Event on Thursday evening. Thanks to all colleagues who are delivering sessions to parents. The purpose is to support parents support their young people.

I have been extremely proud of all of our people as I have shown DHT candidates around. Candidates have relayed that they have been very impressed with the response and welcome for colleagues and pupils. It is great to be able to drop-in anywhere in the school and know that there will be a positive, welcoming, productive and professional response. There is strong evidence that our ethos of attainment and achievement is returning across the school. The interviews are on Wednesday, so thank you in advance for your patience and support with inevitable disruption.

It is fantastic news to hear that we have been shortlisted at the Scottish Sports Awards for School of the Year by the Sunday Mail. Like Neil, I would like to thank everyone for their contribution to sport over the year. I am both delighted and very proud. It is wonderfully positive for the school. A photo is being taken for the programme on Tuesday period 6 & 7. Pupils involved are here.


It is exciting to see Andrew Burns and Adam MacKay (S4) starting a Coding Club. S1 FCLs are asked to check on Monday during form if any would wish to take part so that rough numbers can be planned for.

Thanks again for all your hard work and commitment to Balfron. It is much appreciated. Have a great week.

Elaine

This week at Balfron High:

Team Meetings

Mon: S2 Assembly

Tues: S5/6 Assembly Parent Council, 7pm

Supporting Senior Study Online CLPL, 7 pm

Wed: S3 Assembly Lomond House DHT interviews

Thurs: S1 Assembly CLPL - Supporting Senior Study (Strathendrick Suite) S1 Family Learning Event, 6.30pm

Fri: S4 Assembly (Form) S5/6 Remembrance Assembly (period 1) CfE - SLT & Expressive Arts

Build Your Own Future

Thanks to Neil Cameron for liaising with DYW Forth Valley to offer a fantastic day of flying drones, thermal imaging, 3D imaging, and contruction work. Sixty of our S2 pupils enjoyed a day of participation and developing skill sfor work. There was a real buzz and it was great to see some of our harder to reach S2s engaged and enjoying the experience. There is a short video (right) with some highlights of the day.


STEM Success

Congratulations to Gabriela Anna Wojtyczka who has has been successful in her application to the Young WEIR-WISE: Discovering Engineering with S2 Girls outreach programme at the University of Strathclyde 23-24 January and 26-27 January 2023.

Newsletter November 2022 - Google Docs.pdf

Charity & Fundraising - Movember & Balfron's Easy Fundraising

As of 1 November myself and some other members of staff will be starting Movember. Here is the link to the GoFundMe page that we will be using to raise money throughout this month: https://gofund.me/a4d5aad2


Any donations would be greatly appreciated! Additionally, if anyone is able to share this link on their social media - that would also be a big help to raise more money and awareness.


If any of the pupils ask about making cash donations, instead of using the link - please send them down to the PE department where I am collecting all of the money.


I am also in the process of getting QR Codes printed out with a link to the page, which will be placed around the school for anyone to access.


Thank you,

Matthew Crawford - PE.

Balfron High School are registered with easyfundraising, which means you can raise FREE donations for us every time you shop online. Over 7,000 brands will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself!

These donations really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so we’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. It’s completely FREE and only takes a moment.

You can find our easyfundraising page at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/balfronhigh/?utm_campaign=raise-more&utm_medium=email&utm_content=rm-gs-e1

Thank you so much!

Last week at Balfron

When people outside your walls know what you are doing, it gives value to those inside.


This week we have pictures of our prefects helping at Parents' Night, our S3 Sports Leaders delivering a boccia session to primary pupils, some pics from Flexible learning in the polytunnel, some celebrating dyslexia awareness week,our netball and rugby squads.

Thanks for the pictures - keep them coming!

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.

Improvement Plan - Balfron High School

CLPL Corner


Rosenshine's - a reminder graphic

Retrieval Practice

Continuing our commitment to retrieval practice, here are two great resources, a blog and a short video from tom Sherington.

The National Discussion on Education is Live!


Scottish Government is inviting everyone who has an interest in the future of our education system to join the National Discussion.

Have your voice heard and help develop a vision for the future of education in Scotland. What kind of education, skills, knowledge and support do you think young people will need 20 years from now?

Professional Learning Opportunities

In-house CLPL: Supporting Senior Study and Resourcing Tips

Join the Project Leads to share good practice around supporting our seniors

Tuesday 8 Nov Online Session 7pm, or

Thurs 10 Nov 3.45-4.30 Strathendrick Suite


  • How to navigate the E-Learning offer and get to the best bits FAST

  • National Supported Study Offer

  • Supporting Seniors in class - a shared language and whole school approach

  • Supporting Seniors at home: Power up with Goggle Classroom

  • Maximising parental support

  • Senior form class time: maximising its potential

  • Sharing good practice

  • Tea & Biscuits

BHS Assembly Programme Oct-Dec 22

Calendar 2022-23

8 November Parent Council

9 November DHT interviews

10 November S1 Family Learning sessions

14 November S5/6 Parents Meeting

24 November S4/5 Drama practical prelims

S1 Parents Meeting

30 November Course Choice information evening

1 December S4 Retrieval, Recall and Remembering

2 December S5 Retrieval, Recall and Remembering

5 December Rotary Young Musician of the Year

12 December EB, HMIe deployment (all week)

14 December S2 Parents Meeting

14-16 Dec N5 & Higher Music Practical Prelims

16 December Christmas Jumper Day

20 December Christmas Concert

Collegiate Calendar 2022-23

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

Reducing+Risks+in+Schools+guidance+-+version+6.1+-+September+2021.pdf
BHS SIP & Recovery Plan 202-22.docx