Fresh new faces at grammar school
Starting a new school can be daunting at the best of times but taking the first steps into secondary education in the middle of a global pandemic must be particularly intimidating.
Campbeltown Grammar School has shared with the Courier some photographs of its first years, who joined the school in August and have taken the challenge in their stride.
Improvement plan
The school has also shared an improvement plan outlining the monthly steps in attainment; learning and teaching; health and well-being, numeracy and literacy and self evaluation which the school plans to take ahead of an inspection in January 2021.
It comes after an Education Scotland report said in January this year that the school had made ‘insufficient progress’ to tackle problems highlighted at its previous inspection.
The plan also outlines the following points/aims:
❚ Senior leaders should provide a more purposeful vision of how the school judges its own performance in driving further improvements.
❚ The Learning Support Department is well appointed and young people enjoy attending; staff know them and their needs well.
❚ Staff now have a clearer understanding of the priorities in improving young people’s learning successes and achievements.
❚ Most young people are better motivated and engaged in their learning.
❚ Almost all teachers provide clear instructions and explanations and the majority use questioning well.
❚ Staff have been developing approaches which involve young people more actively in their learning.
❚ Staff continue to make improvements to the curriculum in broad general education from S1 to S3.
❚ The school has increased the range of learner pathways and qualifications that young people can choose in the senior phase. Young people in S4 to S6 can now take six courses instead of five.
❚ The school has refreshed its vision, values and aims and has taken some early steps towards involving young people, parents, staff and partner agencies more purposefully.
❚ Senior leaders have begun to develop a positive working relationship as a team.