School+Case+Study+2

=School Case Study 2 - Dumbarton Academy Roll 650= This case study was developed through processes which include consultation with staff, pupils (via the Pupil Council and additionally through focus groups with year groups), and parents (through the Parent Council), as well as with the support of the Local Authority ** Description of School ** This school is a non-denominational comprehensive school serving the town of Dumbarton in West Dunbartonshire. Its catchment is very mixed, supporting some leafy suburbs and some high deprivation areas. The intake has historically been 4 form entry – around 120. However, a falling roll will challenge our ability to deliver a coherent, relevant and broad curriculum to all pupils, especially in the Senior Phase. ** Junior Phase - Summary ** It is our belief that S1-3 should be a three year programme with a Broad General Education. All pupils in S1 and S2 will study __all__ curriculum areas across the breadth of outcomes and experiences. It is hoped that all pupils, as far as possible, will access the full range of outcomes and experiences and that the greater majority of pupils will be “secure” at the Level 3 outcomes by the end of S2. S2 pupils will be offered a choice of elective subjects (2 periods per week). In S3 pupils will continue with a Broad General Education, but with an element of personalization and choice within four curricular areas. There will be a limited school-based Skills for Work programme  The school has an established pattern of Inter-Disciplinary Learning in S1 (see LTS website). Since 2007, S1 pupils have participated in 3 thematic projects. We discuss how we will build on this during the next two years in both S2 and S3. Literacy, Numeracy and Health & Wellbeing will be the responsibility of all and whole-school working groups have been developing policies for departments to put into practice. In session 2010/11 the school moved to Vertical Registration (VR), after a process of consultation with staff and pupils, to try and create the foundations for improved personal support. We are now considering through consultation developing registration time into a 30 minute daily mentoring period from 2012-13. Assessment developments are being taken forward. We are using the Seemis //Click and Go// Tracking and Reporting system for the Junior Phase. The Senior Phase reports will be enhanced to take account of wider achievement. The school is currently developing various systems to ensure pupil progress is tracked from Primary school to Senior Phase. ** Implementation of Senior Phase Curricular Structure ** The process of arriving at an agreed Senior Phase has taken nearly two years, and has involved all staff, pupils, parents and the Local Authority. We agreed the new structure would need a holistic, inclusive approach to pupils’ education and include personalization and choice, personal support, health and well being, personal achievement and IDL in some format, but in the context of a projected falling through to 2015/16. The following parameters were agreed: * the timetabling of S4-6 as a block allowing viability of classes Progression pathways for Level 2, 3 and 4 students have been considered including: * Courses at all levels including free-standing units and alternative certification Pupils will be encouraged to continue with Literacy and Numeracy in the senior phase, predominantly through studying of English and Maths. In addition, the Academy has a tradition of offering pupils opportunities for inter-disciplinary learning and personal achievement. It is planned to widen these opportunities through the Health and Wellbeing column in the Senior Phase. The vertical registration (VR) system will provide senior pupils with support to improve their own learning and achievement and allow them to support their younger peers in a number of roles, such as leadership, peer support and mentoring. ** Staffing, Rooming and Timetabling ** Planning for the Senior Phase has included the following:  * A spreadsheet showing the loads and capacities for each session from 2010-11 to 2015-16, with a falling roll and resultant reduced staffing. They also the show the savings and deficits and the FTE required to run the timetable. ** Leading Whole-School Transition in the period 2010–2016 ** Dumbarton Academy embraced //Curriculum for// Excellence at a very early stage. We have as a team developed: * 6-year strategic plan from 2010-2016 for the implementation of //CfE// Concerns for the use of available finance and resources are also discussed, particularly in the present climate of budget cuts. The setting up of a Development Fund and an IT “Refresh” fund, are flagged up. We also look at the implications for Promoted Post Structure in the short and longer term. ** Development of Assessment, Reporting and **** Qualifications ** Many of the aspects of this area are still not clear from a national point of view and will be subject to on-going development. The school is already participating in a pilot regarding E-Portfolio and will participate gladly in any processes involved in the development of assessment and reporting S1-3 and the Senior Phase, and with the development of S3 profiles. ** Appendices ** * High level curriculum plan Download by clicking on each and Save to your desktop:
 * ** Executive Summary - **//download the full report [|here]//
 * pupils in the Senior Phase to choose either 5, 6 or possibly 7 courses.
 * a basic six column structure with all pupils having a H&W / Elective input either in one column (5 courses – Higher or AH) or by extraction one period from each column (6 courses – mixed level 3/4/5 and H)
 * pupils in S4 required to study RME and PE (3 periods in all).
 * Strong focus on pupil support: 5 X 30-minute periods for mentoring per week.
 * 30 X 50-minute periods, maximizing efficiency of staff
 * IDL projects integrated into S1-6 curriculum
 * Vocational pathways via the Local Authority’s Skills for Work programme
 * Baccalaureate and Advanced Higher provision through consortia arrangements
 * Rooming and accommodation issues, particularly with the move to the new school building, scheduled for December 2012, and the transition requirements for this move in 2011-13.
 * A timetable schematic for S3-6 Session 2015-2016, when the full //CfE// programme will be in place, showing how the columns will work for S3-6.
 * A number of Transition issues leading to 2015-2016 timetable.
 * A strategic timeline for the overall implementation
 * A strategic plan for the phased introduction of the mentoring period (support)
 * An overview of interdisciplinary learning, S1-3 and Senior Phase
 * Dry run course choice forms were processed, using pupils currently in S4-6 to allow likely pupil choices to be assessed
 * A fully-fleshed and robust policy on Self-Evaluation
 * Training requirements for staff
 * Sample course choice forms
 * Indicative Pupil pathways from “dry runs”
 * Sample loading matrix (spreadsheet)
 * Sample timetable schematic (S3-6)
 * Strategic timeline for overall implementation. || //**Appendices**//

[|Appendix 1] Senior Phase Option Structure [|Appendix 2] 2010-2016 loads and capacities [|Appendix 3] CfE Timeline [|Appendix4] Curriculum Plan [|Appendix 5] Learner journeys [|Appendix 6] S3 Options [|Appendix 7] Schematic S3-6 2015-2016 ||