School+Case+Study+6


 * Case Study 6 - St. Joseph's RC Academy 73 **** 0 Pupils **
 * ** Executive Summary - **//download the full report [|here]//

School staff have considered trends in pupil choice in recent years and qualifications which might complement existing ones or provide a more appealing alternative. Additionally, departments are discussing cross-curricular and IDL activities which provide a more joined-up experience. Parents have been consulted in focus groups about //Curriculum for Excellence// and about the school’s proposals for Senior Phase and the structure and format of options in the years ahead. Pupils have been taken through a series of options exercises to ascertain trends if a free(ish) choice was available. The information gleaned was used in successful discussions with the F.E. college and has led to significant change in provision for session 2011-12 particularly with regard to school-based, college provision. The Local Authority has supported these developments. Discussions continue about developing consortia arrangements which will facilitate better AH provision across the authority. ** Description of School ** St Joseph’s Academy is a 6-Year Comprehensive Secondary School serving the Catholic Community in East Ayrshire and additionally serving the immediate area in Kilmarnock. About 70% of the school population is entitled to school transport. There is a wide range of social and environmental contexts and St Joseph’s population profile reflects the authority-wide catchment mix of rural to town. The school show 16% FME, 43% Clothing Grant and EMA 40%. The mission statement for the school reflects the need to embrace differing needs in our young people. The projected roll for the years ahead shows a downward trend, affecting the level of flexibility we will have. Our roll will reduce from 733 this session to 635 in 2015-16. This represents a significant level of change. We moved into our new building in April 2008 as part of a Campus which includes St. Andrew’s P.S. and St. Andrew’s Nursery Class. The St Joseph’s Learning Community is an effective structure to support the development of our young people from 3-18. There are six partner Primary schools. We also have good relationships with our local parishes and there is a strong sense of community and shared values in our partnership.

** Junior Phase - Summary **

Curriculum Design for the BGE has been devised with a clear implementation strategy and with the following principles and considerations in mind:-

Ethos and Life of the School as a Community Aims and Strategic Direction

Learning and Teaching Principles of Design

Whole school Issues Literacy, Numeracy &HWB

Creativity, Enterprise and ICT

The curriculum will be organized around:-

Subject Areas Timetabled inter-disciplinary learning

Timetabled planning time for pupils Collaborative learning projects

Curriculum inserts Extra Curricular Activities/Experiences

Out of school learning and Achievement

The subjects/period allocations for S1, S2 and S3 represent a slight revision from the original version in terms of some times allocated. The final term of S3 will complete the BGE but is strongly focused on preparation for Senior Phase and will be the result of Options Choices made in March of that session. There will be a mixture of choice, compulsion, subject rota. Early presentation is absolutely ruled out. Choices will be made, in the main, for senior phase courses to run from S3-5/6 with an appropriate review of choices and progress at the end of S5. We will plan for pupils to be able to sit National 4/5 at the end of S4. Arrangements for Interdisciplinary Learning remain as before with a timetable slot of 3 periods plus one period of PLP per week. We will have three IDT’s in S1 and S2, two IDT’s in S3 after which (when choices have been made) the IDL time will provide space for a masterclass or similar. Subject departments are currently developing a cross-curricular task with a paired department which will use an existing element of a course, matched to another Subject’s work to combine to provide a joined up experience which provides more than the two separate parts but with minimal additional work. A PSE day will be used to showcase this work. ** Implementation of Senior Phase Curricular Structure ** Pupils and parents have been consulted in both large and small focus groups. Teaching staff have had opportunities to project ahead and focus on learning and teaching issues. The greater depth of focus on destinations for young people has also provided a much–needed revitalizing of vocational education and its currency for young people. Models have been discussed and tested to something like 70% confidence levels. There are still however, too many possible changes to what might eventually happen regarding SQA courses or cutbacks to staffing to be more certain. A key issue for us will be the diminishing flexibility allowed by our staffing quota.

The overall shape of the curriculum is really 3 + 3. It could be argued that it is 3+2+1. Our Enterprise Academy will continue the focus on creativity and leadership for young people and will be a direct route into work experience for a number of young people. There is a desire to work towards the baccalaureate in the longer term but as yet our priorities are such that it has not yet been taken forward. We have made great strides in our links with the local college, particularly in tapping into school-based support for specific areas. Recently announced cutbacks will mean a considerable re-think with that.

The senior phase will be a logical progression from S3 with an emphasis on informed choices and decisions towards lifelong learning. The basic premise will be that upper school courses will be taken over two years, in S4 and S5, but there requires to be flexibility to allow progression through National Qualifications levels through S4, S5 and S6.

** Staffing, Rooming and Timetabling **

There are no plans at present to change the timetabled week. The current commitment to IDL in the junior phase is 4 out of 30 periods or 13.5%.

It is possible to speculate that the balance of staffing may move in the following ways:


 * English will remain the largest department but with an enhanced role in IDL. The continued growth of LS360 in S1-3 could lead to ‘departmentalising’ of the course.
 * Junior and Senior teaching teams would require more staff to make up the latter
 * The role of the pastoral and senior management team in QA and development could mean a revision of their teaching commitment.

The options form is structured around pupils in S4 and above choosing a portfolio of qualifications (between 5and 10). Departments need to have the flexibility to offer multilevel classes with ‘nested’ qualifications, but must also be able to offer major/minor classes. The high level curriculum map drawn up in 2009 proposed that as well as offering (where possible) the Scottish Baccalaureate, we also develop our own interdisciplinary qualifications either in collaboration with the SQA or through another provider or partnership with a university.

The proposed structure for the senior phase offers plenty of scope for sustainable partnership working. The proposed model offers possible savings through reduction of senior school sections (in some subject areas), planned, sustainable use of external providers and formation of teaching teams but the proposed model also presents possible deficits through the range of interdisciplinary experiences and enrichment options in the senior phase and the need to have dedicated major/minor classes.

There will be a need to ensure that staff are able to deliver any restructured curriculum. If a less departmental approach to curriculum structures is adopted this will require CPD. Introducing new NQs alongside existing NQ courses will be a significant transition issue.

** Leading Whole-School Transition in the period 2010–2016 **

Leadership at all levels needs to become the norm. The overarching priority is to provide the type and quality of experience which will engage young people in their education in a way which takes their learning to new heights. Staff need the opportunity to continue to develop methodologies which allow children to learn effectively. In order to manage the crucial stage of implementation when dual systems are operating it is our intention to use a totally flexible column structure to provide flexibility necessary to accommodate radically different qualifications in the same specific subject It is not anticipated that the management structure of the school will alter from its present format as a major exercise was undertaken recently. It is anticipated that training and development will come from in-house sources more and more. It is my intention to set up our own leadership academy for staff and pupils to support this.

** Development of Assessment, Reporting and Qualifications **

There remains a degree of uncertainty around Assessment and Reporting. Reporting is being developed in the Education Authority in an effort to come up with an agreed format

The development of S3 Profiles would be greatly assisted by an e-solution which will support recording of achievement and e-reporting. It is anticipated that most pupils will achieve National 4 or better in Literacy and Numeracy. Whilst we plan to run courses over S4/5 we will make appropriate arrangements for pupils who intend to leave at end of S4 to sit National 4 or 5 as needed. National 3 will be accessed as needed. If additional exam diets are introduced then the situation would be completely reviewed. || //**Appendices**// Download by clicking on each and Save to your desktop:

[|Appendix 1] Building our Curriculum PPT [|Appendix 2] Curriculum map [|Appendix 3] Savings document ||