Young people deserve a curriculum which meets their needs, engages them and allows them to fulfil their individual potential. At Newbattle we built on a very successful platform of integrated learning called Newbattle Peak Performance and developed our Academies.
Looking ahead to the Senior Phase of Curriculum for Excellence, we sought to build personalisation and choice into the pathways available to our pupils. These young people have been able to pursue their interests and develop their talents on a scale never previously available. They have been able to develop star qualities and deep learning in individual subjects. They have used their knowledge from several subjects and put them together to make a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Their learning has become more relevant and more real, their aspirations are being realised and their success rates have risen dramatically as a result, delivering excellence.
How dramatically? Our pupils’ academic results have improved every year for the past five years, and last year they achieved the best results in the 42 year history of the school. That dramatically!
PLANNING / · a clear rationale, defined processes and focus on stakeholder needs· contributes to organisation’s goals and addresses current or emerging challenges
When we were awarded School of Ambition (SoA) status in 2006, we sought to do even more to meet the needs of our pupils and the community that we serve. Our families, our stakeholders, face the highest levels of deprivation and challenge of any area in Midlothian Council. Yet they, like us, are determined to provide the best opportunities possible for the young people who attend our school.
In consultation with senior officers in Midlothian’s education service and with HMIe the plan to improve the school was brought together. Our areas of focus were
1) to raise aspirations and develop leadership in pupils and staff
2) to improve academic attainment through excellence in arts and sports and
3) to enhance support for pupils to help them achieve their potential.
These goals were challenging, but given that ‘Challenge’ is our school motto, we did not shy away from this.
We were also acutely aware - through parental attendance at school events - of the need to engage our pupils’ parents more in their schooling. We aimed to improve our teachers’ abilities to deepen learning through inter-disciplinary approaches. We aimed to provide a bridge between transition points on pupils’ learning pathways.
We overtook all of these aims, and more, through Peak Performance.
That was not enough though. We did not want the success to fade. Sustaining the approaches and benefits well beyond SoA funding was vital. Leadership, aspiration levels and achievement have continued to grow significantly. But we also needed to build curricular systems into our school to respond to the most significant change in Scottish education in a generation – Curriculum for Excellence. The Scottish government and all councils are charged with implementing a complex set of changes to prepare young people for their future and to enable them to contribute to their local and national communities. From this challenge came our Newbattle Academies.
The Newbattle Academies are a pioneering feature of our curriculum, designed to allow for personalisation and choice. They enable pupils to set clear pathways for their future, in school and as adults in the community.
DELIVERING / · implemented in all relevant areas and across all the required stakeholders· carried out in a structured and logical way , using robust and sustainable methods
Traditionally, when school pupils reach the end of S2 they will choose up to eight subjects to take through to national qualifications with the SQA. Pupils needed to fit their aspirations and interest around the rigid structures set by their school. With the introduction of our Academies, pupils were able to select up to two subjects where they could attend classes for extra lessons. Choices were made with Guidance teachers, who had the full backing of parents.
All stakeholders are fully aware that by the age of 13 young people have a good idea of where their interests and talents lie. Extending choice has delivered flexibility and prevented young people from making restrictive choices too early. An old system which used to squeeze pupils through a one-size fits all system - and sometimes forced them to wait until it was too late - now can flex and enable youngsters to follow their star.
By taking account of pupils’ aspirations we increased our capacity to deliver subjects in a number of areas. The parental and carer community too had a say. The way that children were encouraged at home to pursue expertise in certain fields meant that the most popular choices for Academies were in the Expressive Arts and Physical Education.
Consequently these areas of the curriculum have been enhanced to meet the needs and aspirations of the pupils and their families.
We ensure that within this flexibility we provide the entitlements which develop pupils in the core areas of literacy, numeracy and health and well-being. We have also ensured that the breadth of provision which has made Scottish education so successful is preserved. These are all retained in the Academy structure.
INNOVATION + LEADING PRACTICE / ·Demonstrates leading practice, and is capable of replication elsewhere·Achieves genuine innovation or new ways of working
In assessing the level of demand for the Peak Academies, we tapped into our pupils’ desire to have a greater say in their education. Our innovative approach to Peak Performance choices at the start of S2 has led the way. Our pupils watch presentations given by Peak teachers outlining the benefits of their courses then make a choice based on what they see and hear.
In the five year existence of Peak there has not been a single ‘spoilt ballot paper’ as all pupils have made definite pro-active choices about where they want to develop both subject knowledge and their ability to use that knowledge across a range of disciplines. The responsibility for making a choice about their own curriculum prepares the young people for the crucial course choice experience at the end of S2.
From the teachers’ perspective they have welcomed the opportunity to promote the benefits of their subject area, linked to the activities within Peak Performance.
Teachers can be very subject-focused. Not surprisingly the profession tends to think about subjects because teacher recruitment and training home in very much on the detail of subjects. We are, after all, charged with helping pupils through exams and clearly those are based on subject knowledge. However, we also have to ensure that pupils are able to link parts of their learning together – even simple ‘real life’ tasks like making a phone call or going to the shops require the joining together of many parts of a school curriculum.
By participating in Peak, teachers at Newbattle have been part of the breaking down of subject compartmentalisation and have been working collaboratively for the benefit of pupils. In relation to Curriculum for Excellence the Scottish Government sees Inter-disciplinary Learning (IDL) as one of the four key contexts for learning. In Newbattle, both pupils and teachers have paved the way for meaningful IDL which brings richness and relevance to learning.
One of the major challenges within CfE is that schools have to find a way to offer more choice within the same number of hours without losing depth of learning. We must also ensure coverage of the nine curriculum areas up to the end of S3 then take only one year to prepare pupils for exam presentation at the end of S4. This is a tough task, with schools around the nation having to think carefully about meeting these demands and the needs of their cohort. At Newbattle we have found a way, based on the Academies, themselves formed from the platform of successful introduction of Peak Performance.
Our S3 curriculum then, must be both forward and backward facing. It must tie together the strands of learning up to S3 but also prepare young people for the challenges of exams in S4. By offering pupils a choice of Academies, we believe we have come up with an excellent solution. Our S3 pupils will select their subjects on this basis:
-One subject each from the eight CfE curriculum areas, plus Religious and Moral Education (compulsory for all school pupils)
-Two further Academy subjects to provide the personalisation, choice and progression that CfE demands.
Whilst this kind of approach would require a sea-change in structures and more importantly in working culture in many schools, Newbattle has already tested the framework and released the untapped potential through the existing Academy structure.
RESULTS + IMPACT / · a convincing mix of customer and internal performance measures· clear line of sight to the delivery of better outcomes for communities
· a full range of relevant results– either already achieved or with potential to deliverover time
In some cases, through the Newbattle Peak Academies, pupils have gained extra SQA qualifications whilst taking the extra Academy lessons. Teachers and pupils together negotiate when appropriate exams can be taken (end of S3 or S4), and the extra qualifications can prove very useful for those who wish to seek employment, apprenticeships or further education outwith school when they reach 16.
In the majority of cases, however, it is the deepening of learning and preparation for future challenges which has stood out. Academy pupils have moved onto their senior school phase and achieved superb results. Every year for the past five years our S4 and S6 results have reached new levels and broken all previous records. The Academies have been one very productive factor in this ongoing dramatic improvement in attainment.
Newbattle Peak Performance has enabled pupils to work in groupings consisting of S2 pupils and S5/6 pupils, with the seniors expected to take a leadership role, thus enhancing their own development and preparation for adult contribution to their community. These groups have included Planet Art, Music and Drama, Basketball, Football, Rugby, Dance, Fashion House, Technical and Business Promotions. The tangible learning that pupils have gained have been crystallised through very high quality events and performances, played out to sell-out audiences of proud parents and families.
Peak Performance and our Academies have brought together fantastic performances from pupils, one attended and described by our District HMIe inspector as “a Level 6 (excellent) production”: two fashion and dance shows, sponsored by local and national businesses;musical theatre productions including ‘Back to the Eighties’ and ‘Trapped’ based on flashbacks to the era of coalmining in the local community; and multi-media events called ‘1000x1000 Exhibitions’ named because they celebrate the work of every single pupil in the school.
This is our way of showing our belief that every single young person has something worthwhile to contribute to our shared community. Whilst it is not unusual for schools to celebrate their pupils’ talents, we believe that by producing these events, written by pupils, choreographed by pupils, performed by pupils on stages constructed by pupils we have a unique way of harnessing what young people have to offer to wider society.
The Academies do not need extra funding. They do not need extra staffing. They need great teachers seeking out opportunities for pupils. They need great pupils looking to make the most of their learning opportunities. We have those teachers and those pupils in abundance, both enhanced by the Newbattle Peak Academies.
Some dramatic results of the initiative can be accessed from the following webpage. I would urge the reader to access this information to enable replication nationally.
To summarise, the Newbattle Peak Academies have brought the following enhancements to the pupils and community that we serve:
Pupil attainment at record levels in history of the school:
- 5 or more passes at level 5 (Credit/ Intermediate 2) by the end of S4. This is a vital measure related to employability and readiness for further education. Between 2007 and 2011, we achieved a 75% increase in passes.
- 3 or more passes at Level 6 (Highers) by end of S6. This is a crucial level for gaining entry to Higher Education. Between 2007 and 2011 we achieved a 50% increase in passes.
Pupil staying-on rates at an unprecedented level
- Numbers of pupils staying on beyond S4 in 2007 was 200. In 2011 it is231. A 16% increase.
- Numbers of pupils staying on to S6 in 2007 was 64. In 2011 it is 85. A 32% increase.
Parental levels of involvement in school events at record levels.
- Peak events have been so popular that we now hold two public performances rather than one, doubling the capacity to 400 for families to get involved. These are sell-out events.
Pupils participating in extra-curricular clubs and study programmes at record levels.
- 196 more pupils attending after school clubs in 2010 compared with 2006
Increased levels of personalisation from Peak Academies
Increased levels ofchoice from Peak Academies
Increased levels of progression from Peak Academies
Joining-up of areas of knowledge through learning and teaching – for pupils and teachers
Deepening of learning, preparing pupils for challenges ahead
Raising pupils’ levels of ownership and enjoyment of learning
Readiness for full implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2012 Page | 1
COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2012 Page | 1