Dunbar Grammar Standards and Quality Report 2019-20...SQA estimates and moderation Teaching and Learning in the BGE (ongoing evaluation of student workload, taking parent and carer

DUNBAR GRAMMAR SCHOOL Dunbar Grammar is a caring community where you can RISE to be your best RESPECT INCLUSION SUPPORT EFFORT

Dunbar Grammar Standards and Quality Report

2019-20


Context of the school

Dunbar Grammar School is a co-educational, non-denominational school situated in rural East Lothian approximately 25 miles from the centre of Edinburgh. The school has an increasing roll, currently at 1006. The school has excellent facilities for students and the local community. In November 2018, our £10 million extension was opened which includes an astro pitch, training kitchen, open-plan learning resource centre and a multi-purpose atrium as well as numerous new classrooms and learning spaces. We pride ourselves on being a caring community where all young people can RISE to be their best and our core values of Respect, Inclusion, Support and Effort permeate our school community.

How good is our leadership and approach to improvement? (QI 1.3 Leadership of Change)

Developing a shared vision, values and aims relevant to the school and its community Staff within our school have consistently high expectations of students. Pupils, staff and parents describe it as a happy place to be where every individual matters. During our ELC School Review in November 2019, visitors commented on the extremely positive and happy culture within the school observed in both classrooms and corridors. We are an ambitious community and expect the very best for and from, every student. This was evidenced in our School Improvement Planning surveys which were completed by staff, parent and carers. It is also reflected in the Student Experience Evaluation (SEE) surveys completed by S2 and S4 students. In 2018/19 we revisited our vision, values and aims in consultation with the whole school community. The values are Respect, Inclusion, Support and Effort (RISE) and accurately reflect the school’s ethos and practice. The values are regularly reinforced in assemblies and are evident in communication about school achievements e.g. through social media. Our RISE values have formed the foundation of our re-opening and re-connecting communications for staff and students.

Strategic planning for continuous improvement We have a strong Senior Leadership Team (SLT) composed of a Business manager, 3 Depute Head Teachers (DHTs) and 9 Principal Teachers Curriculum (PTCs) and the Head teacher. The 2019/20 session has saw numerous changes of staffing in the leadership team including a new permanent DHT and an acting PTC. We form a cohesive leadership team. The ELC School review recognised that ‘Senior Leaders know their school well and provide a clear sense of direction for school improvement. Middle leaders work alongside the head teacher and depute head teachers to form the school’s senior leadership team (SLT). Following changes in staffing in the SLT, there has been a period of self-evaluation and reflection to establish a shared vision for the team going forward. As a result, work has been undertaken to review remits and to further develop collegiate approaches to strategically lead school improvement’. Our SLT meet every two weeks and discuss a blend of operational and strategic matters. This is supplemented by line management meetings (between DHTs and trios of PTCs) to ensure ongoing dialogue, challenge/support. All of our PTCs have a substantial whole school remit. This year we have realigned SLT remits to allow them to have a more strategic focus on HGIOS4 QIs and improve clarity around which members of the leadership team are leading on different strategic areas.

Throughout the lockdown period, our SLT worked as a coordinated and cohesive team to ensure consistent approaches across the school whilst working remotely. This included our approaches to

SQA estimates and moderation

Teaching and Learning in the BGE (ongoing evaluation of student workload, taking parent and carer feedback into account)

Introduction of new courses for Senior Phase students

Tracking student progress and communication with families where we had areas of concern

Communication with parents, carers and the wider community through a detailed weekly newsletter

Staff wellbeing and support

Contingency planning for August

Implementing improvement and change

We are a school with a strong sense of community and have great pride in the achievements of our school. We can recognise our key strengths but are also aware of priorities for future developments. The senior leaders reinforce the positives regularly with whole community, consult on proposed changes and ensure rationale for any change is explicit. This year we have worked hard to manage pace of change. The SLT worked hard to ensure regular and effective communication with staff, students and parents/carers. We have received positive feedback from all stakeholder groups with regards to this. We have endeavoured to support staff through this period of change, putting in place appropriate supports and keeping their wellbeing as a priority. We believe we have managed this change this alongside a continuous focus on improving outcomes for students. It is important that we have a climate where all staff and students feel listened to and are active participants in the process of change. We have an active student council who contribute to decision making at all levels within the school. Following the ELC Employee engagement survey, we carried out a follow up survey to unpack some of the results. Following this, our SLT created a structured action plan which was shared with all staff. Feedback on this process has been positive. Future Developments

We will endeavour to manage the pace of change in session 2020/21. We have plans to make significant progress to improve our learning culture across the school and enhance our approaches to improving teaching and learning. This must be carefully assessed on an ongoing basis as the national landscape may continue to develop and change in terms on Covid. Dunbar Grammar Evaluation of QI 1.3 Leadership of Change – Very Good

How good is the quality of the care and provision we offer? (QI 2.3 Learning, Teaching and Assessment)

We have continued to develop approaches to self-evaluation including a learner experience VSE and increased SLT drop in observations. Data from observed lessons has been collated in a quantitative manner using a Google Form (see Appendix 1). Each Faculty has also completed a 2.3 Standards and Quality Report which is used to inform their Faculty Improvement Plans.

Learning and engagement The learning environment in our school is built on positive, nurturing and appropriately challenging relationships which lead to high-quality learning outcomes. Visitors to the school have frequently commented on the extremely positive, caring and respectful relationships between staff and students. Class observations reveal that almost all students are positively engaged with their learning in class (94% of lesson observed) and there is a positive classroom ethos in almost all classes (98% of lessons observed)

Quality of teaching In most lessons both the purpose of the learning and teacher explanation is clear (86% of lessons observed). In most lessons, students have the opportunity to work in groups and in the majority of lessons, feedback is offered. In the majority of lessons there are opportunities for active learning. Our digital resources across the school have improved with the expansion and all new/refurbished rooms have a Promethean panel. Approaches to digital learning are good and there are some examples of excellent practice. Digital technology is used in the majority of lessons. Google classroom is widely used, and staff expertise increased in his area during lockdown. Google Classroom was an essential platform and the whole G-suite range was used to support teaching and learning. Continuing to develop and share practice in terms of digital learning is an identified priority for next session.

Effective use of assessment Assessment is integral to planning learning and teaching in all facilities. We have developed strong Faculty approaches to moderation but there is scope to work in a more collaborative/consistent manner across the BGE. Students receive regular feedback and have an accurate understanding of their progress in learning and what they need to do to improve. In the S2 SEE survey 94% of students agreed that ‘I know what I am good at and what I need to work on (or develop)’.

Robust approaches to assessment in the senior phase meant that teachers had a wide range of evidence when completing SQA estimates.

Planning, tracking and monitoring Staff have a very good understanding of learner needs. Our Pupil Support Team share extensive information on the learning needs of young people and work hard to support teachers in meeting those needs. Our links with ASG Primaries are extremely strong and we share extensive transition attainment, learning and pastoral information to ensure young people are well supported as they move into S1. We offer a wide range of in class and out of class support. Our Pupil Support faculty has three support bases which support students in their learning in different ways. As a school we make good use of our available data in both the BGE and Senior Phase. This is analysed, shared and use tis to inform our whole school planning. Future Developments

The 2020/2021 School Improvement Plan (SIP) outlines our plans for developing our learning culture across the school and enhance our approaches to improving teaching and learning.

Development of a teaching and learning policy for DGS which is visible across the school and contributes to a shared language of learning.

Develop a new approach to classroom observations that is focussed on sharing of good practice and supporting teachers to identify and address their own professional learning needs.

Dunbar Grammar Evaluation of QI 2.3 Learning, Teaching and Assessment – Good

How good are we at ensuring the best possible outcomes for all our learners?

(QI 3.1 Ensuring Wellbeing, Equality and Inclusion)

Wellbeing The whole learning community (including students) have a shared understanding of wellbeing. Caring for ourselves and each other, links in with our school vision and values and is visible throughout the school. The S1 HWB course looks at wellbeing indicators and as a result students have a good understanding of these. This is evidenced in our SEE surveys each year.

Fulfilment of statutory duties Staff have a sound awareness of GIRFEC, Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy. Training has been included throughout the year. Wellbeing indicators are routinely used by staff and are highlighted in referrals and pastoral notes

Inclusion and equality

Staff and partners have created an environment where children and young people feel listened to and are secure in their ability to discuss personal and sensitive aspects of their lives because they feel cared about. Our Pupil Support Faculty has an open door policy as do the Head teacher and DHTs. Students feel comfortable approaching staff to discuss concerns, worries or just for a chat. Our school office also offers a caring front line of pastoral support. Throughout the school staff have an excellent shared understanding of students’ individual circumstances and needs and can respond to these in a sensitive and supporting manner. Our Pupil support workers and learning support assistants work creatively to support each individual student and foster extremely positive and caring relationships. The school positive relationships policy has been reviewed and has a staff focus group who meet regularly to discuss any arising issues. This year, some observations highlighted that expectations across the school were not always consistent. Therefore, to respond to this, the group have developed a shared expectations leaflet. We work hard to maintain a respectful and inclusive community and to celebrate diversity. We have an active LGBT+ Group who meet weekly and also run events throughout the year. Intergenerational work with members of the local community is planned throughout the curriculum. As a community we take a proactive approach to address issues in an appropriate way. School assemblies which take place each week are planned around our RISE values with various members of staff and students leading these. However, we have also adapted these, when appropriate, to responds to any current/community issues.

With inclusion being a core value, we work extremely hard to support students and their families facing challenges such as financial hardship, disability, social and emotional issues. We build and sustain strong and positive relationships with families to ensure we have good awareness of our students’ lives. We offer care packages for students in need, provision of breakfast for those who need it. We have also improved our stock of uniform which is available to borrow or issue to students in need. We offer bespoke curriculum options for students who require this to ensure that they are ready to learn and achieve. Our Learn to Succeed programme is highly successful in working with young people in developing confidence and skills for life and work. We have worked in collaboration with our ASG primaries and in response to need, planned a different S1 approach for a small group of young people in session 2020/21. To support young people we work with a range of partners such as CLD, Educational Psychologists, Community Partners (such as the Problem Solving Partnership and the Dunbar Fashion School, Rotary Club and the Ridge), Community Police and Fire Service and Social Work. Wellbeing is actively promoted amongst staff and students. We have a Friday mile (which staff and students participate in) and also before and after school fitness and sports clubs. We have continued to showcase talent at lunchtime open mic sessions which are organised by a student Music Technology team. This promotes a positive atmosphere in our Atrium but also adds to the culture of celebrating achievements and offers valuable performance opportunities to students in all year groups. We also offer supported break and lunchtime which benefits around 30 students each day. Other wellbeing supports which we offer include; Pupil Support Spa days at the end of term 1 and 3, a weekly breakfast club, a weekly after school film club (which also includes healthy food) and Intergenerational DGS dinners which is open to all. Future Developments

We will be moving into year 2 of the Rights Respecting Schools Programme to develop a shared understanding of children’s rights and a view to achieve the Silver Award.

We will continue to develop approaches to positive relationships (with a focus on nurture principles)

Introduction of a new Pupil Support data base which will update all staff on existing and new information relating to our students.

Dunbar Grammar Evaluation of QI 3.1 Ensuring Wellbeing, Equality and Inclusion – Very Good

What is our capacity for continuous improvement? (QI 1.1 Self-evaluation for self-improvement)

Collaborative approaches to self-evaluation We have designed our School Improvement Plan (SIP) to have three clear priority areas which are easily understood by all stakeholders;

Priority 1 - Excellence and equity in teaching and learning, to raise attainment and achievement for all.

Priority 2 - Develop our positive and inclusive learning community Priority 3 - Increased future opportunities for all

We carried out an extensive SIP review in February with all staff. As part of this process we identified progress, areas which still need to be developed and any new/emerging priorities for consideration in 2020/2021. This had to be adapted and reviewed during lockdown and a comprehensive staff survey allowed the views of staff to be included.

We have taken steps to improve the rigour of self-evaluation across the school to better inform improvements. A new self-evaluation calendar has been established to ensure a more comprehensive approach and a clear purpose for every self-evaluation activity undertaken. This includes increased data analysis, shared classroom experiences and validated self-evaluation. This information has been collated, analysed and shared with staff. It is building a more accurate picture of the school’s strengths and areas for development which are increasingly understood across the school. We have a small but highly committed Parent Council (DGSC) they have been actively involved in the review and development of the School Improvement Plan and also the Parental Engagement Survey. This group continued to meet via Google Meet during lockdown and played a supportive role in recovery planning. Our Student Council meet Monthly (and continued to do so during lockdown) and regularly discuss and evaluate SIP progress and have a direct impact on planning. Students are also involved in recruitment of all permanent members of staff. Our staff understand the need to be outward and forward-looking in their evaluation and improvement activities. Many staff work collaboratively with teachers in other schools and authorities to expand their experience and expertise. We are confident that the work of the South East Improvement Collaborate will help further develop this

Analysis and evaluation of intelligence and data We have increased the rigour in Faculty SQA results analysis and all PTCs produce a detailed report (which analyses results and also details a specific action plan) and also attend a results analysis meeting in October. This year, many Faculties invited class teachers to participate in these meetings. Information from these meetings was used to feed into Faculty Improvement Plans for 2020/2021.

We work collaboratively as an ASG to analyse data and identify areas where we can work together to plan improvements. Future Developments

Develop a new approach to classroom observations that is focussed on sharing of good practice and supporting teachers to identify and address their own professional learning needs.

Enhance our capacity to utilise data to understand the impact of our interventions and inform future self-evaluation and on-going improvement

Dunbar Grammar Evaluation of QI 1.1 Self-evaluation for self-improvement – Good

QI 3.2 Raising attainment and Achievement

Attainment in literacy and numeracy Data around Literacy and Numeracy indicates that the percentage of young people achieving their expected CfE level is increasing year on year. The data for expected levels of Literacy demonstrates an improving landscape across the BGE for all students.

Overall quality of learners’ achievement Transition into S4 through the coursing process is robust with almost all students being coursed at appropriate levels. Strong attainment data is evident in the senior phase. It is clear that staff know their students well and there is a strong culture of ambition. We pride ourselves of having a robust understanding of senior phase attainment data and analyse this throughout the year. We scrutinise attainment trends and also analyse the success of our Senior Phase curriculum on an annual basis. We can make confident predictions about SQA attainment. We have significantly improved our Senior Phase tracking and interventions to ensure students achieve the best possible qualifications.

Our 2015 – 2019 breadth and depth data is summarised below (VC figure in brackets)

Our leaver’s attainment data is extremely positive and is summarised below. Our initial destinations data (see below) shows a positive trend and our 16+ Hub team work collaboratively with SDS and other agencies to ensure any students who are at risk of note entering appositive destination are supported at as early a stage as possible.

Establishment Year % of Schools Leavers in a Positive Destination

Number in Cohort

Dunbar Grammar School 2014/15 93.65 126

Virtual Comparator 2014/15 95.40 1260

East Lothian 2014/15 91.81 1013

South East Collaborative 2014/15 92.80 10069

National 2014/15 93.02 52433



East Lothian 2015/16 93.52 1018


National 2015/16 93.33 52249



East Lothian 2016/17 94.11 1018


National 2016/17 93.72 51258



East Lothian 2017/18 95.37 1015


National 2017/18 94.40 49707

Future Developments

Strengthen our ability to identify those students in our attainment gap and work collaboratively to develop successful, targeted and timely interventions that raise the attainment and achievement of all.

Continue with the long term review of BGE Curriculum to ensure our learning pathways provide appropriate skills and progression for all.

Continue to develop wider opportunities through the School College Partnership

(SCP) including supporting students with online learning in term 1

Dunbar Grammar Evaluation of QI 3.2 Raising attainment and Achievement –Good


Overall Dunbar Grammar Self Evaluation Summary

HGIOS4 Quality Indicator Dunbar Grammar Evaluation

1.1 Self-evaluation for self-improvement Good

1.3 Leadership of Change Very Good

2.3 Learning, Teaching and Assessment Good

3.1 Ensuring Wellbeing, Equality and Inclusion Very Good

3.2 Raising attainment and Achievement Good

Appendix 1 – Collated Feedback from SLT Classroom Observations

Documents

Dunbar Grammar Standards and Quality Report 2019-20...SQA estimates and moderation Teaching and Learning in the BGE (ongoing evaluation of student workload, taking parent and carer