School Development Priorities
As a school leadership team, we are extremely dedicated to driving school improvement ensuring that our pupils receive the best education they can regardless of their background and individual needs. We set high expectations of our staff and pupils based on the findings from our research based ethos.
Our staff share this passion and understanding and are committed to delivering high levels of quality first teaching following the Dunkirk pedagogical approaches.
Ongoing priorities:
Once an improvement plan has been implemented, we continue to ensure that the learning, development and skills from that plan continue. These areas do not require specific attention in professional development meetings or inset days, but are still a key focus in our drive to ensure high levels of quality first teaching: Dunkirk models of teaching –maths / reading / writing / phonics Application of cognitive understanding across curriculum Use of AfL to inform next steps in planning Power Point planning / storage on teams for everyone Pink/Green/Blue marking feedback in high quality books as appraisal focus area ACT as theme driver with knowledge organisers / skills progression Calm environment and a neutral / very tidy / well-organised learning environment Safeguarding focus Well-being awareness Clubs / free or low cost trips
This year, our school improvement plan aims to address the following:
What we achieved in 23-24:
Priority 1 - Improving the quality of education
- Science – adopting Dunkirk models of science teaching and learning (process / pedagogy / cognition) and implementing practice to accelerate progress – what and when and how
Priority 2 - Improving the quality of education
- Curriculum-Development of curriculum assessment knowledge to ensure staff know where children are in their learning and can identify accurate gaps
Priority 3 - Leadership and management
- Leadership-subject leaders monitor the implementation of their subject and can articulate impact and next steps
Priority 4 - Leadership and management
- Governor monitoring enables them to have an up to date overview of learning / assessment in school
- Review all business management systems across team and update
Priority 5 - Improve effectiveness of school wide safeguarding through the local community and wider audience
- E-safety programme to enable our community to recognise the dangers of inappropriate use of mobile technology and social media
- Reduce persistent absence percentage through a structured and systematic approac
What we achieved in 22-23:
Priority 1 – English:
- The model for teaching writing has been implemented with clear planning expectations (using powerpoint) In addition, there is gap teaching, slide teaching and catch up work for those children who need it or who are new arrivals to school/country (unless TAS covering staff absence issue). Results have improved!
- Staff have had writing training to ensure a shared understanding and to ensure the implementation of the writing model is successful and consistently applied. Leaders evaluate that there are some differing levels of understanding of the writing model and some staff require some additional support with either cognition or grammar.
- Leaders have undertaken a full evaluation of phonics schemes and purchased FFT Success For All phonics programme and training for staff was completed and there was additional mastery phonics training. Results have improved!
- Leaders state that writing is where they wanted it to be by this point, with clear actions identified for next year in the English action plan.
Priority 2 – Curriculum:
- The ACT curriculum has been designed and next year needs to be fully implemented, following the progression documents prepared with subject leaders
- Following on from Covid 19, all subjects being taught leading to a broad and balanced curriculum
- ACT booklets trialled and successfully completed at ABC
Priority 3 – Subject Leadership:
- Progress has been made with subject leadership. Subject leaders now have clarity on what being a subject leader is and what the role entails, and they have accessed CPD to support with this.
- Subject leaders now need to drive and monitor their subject. There will be a cycle of guided monitoring with subject leaders and senior leaders next year.
- NST networks have been attended and have helped subject leader get to know their subject.
- Governors are gradually coming back into school to carry out monitoring visits but we now need to formalise link Gov visits/reports (using our subject powerpoints)
- Website reflects school ethos more effectively