School Improvement Partnership Programme

19th June 2014

Aims and objectives of our partnership:

• Identify key groups of young people with low tariff scores who are at risk of missing out.

•Review, evaluate and develop strategies which may help to close the gap between the bottom 20% of pupils and their peers.

• Use the 3 step Improvement Science methodologies as a key principle of this action research.

•Evaluate the impact of a caring, significant adult in improving outcomes for individual young people.

•Provide opportunities for key staff to develop their professional learning, engage in leadership opportunities and to develop enquiry/action research learning, skills and knowledge.

Expected outcomes:

•Improve the attainment, attendance, exclusions and leaver destinations for young people.

•Increased engagement with relevant partners to support young people.

•Evaluate the impact of identified strategies to support wider achievement.

•Enhanced staff knowledge and skills.

What we are trying to achieve:

•Enable them to establish the essential skills for lifelong learning.

•Address barriers to learning arising from social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

•Provide a significant, caring adult to support learners.

•Evaluate the impact of Nurturing approaches in improving opportunities for young people.

How we identify our target group

•Transition from primary to secondary staff meet to discuss new intake/pupils needs

•Informed by data (information from Social Work; Home School Partnership)

•Often pupils attending additional transition events

•Settling in phase until September/October

•Pupils are assessed using the 'Boxall Profile‘ – developmental progress

•Used in conjunction with other assessment methods

Who is ideal for a nurture group?

It depends entirely on the child and their resilience!

- Ongoing health issues

- Looked after away from home

- Abuse/neglect

- English as an additional language

- School refusers

- Self harm

- Learning support

- Behavioural challenges

Things we like to keep in mind

Staff respond to pupils in terms of their developmental age/stage.

The environment is safe and secure with structured and predictable routines.

We are trying to boost self-esteem. Lots of reciprocal activities between adults and young people.

Improving communication skills. Lots of opportunities for talking, sharing and encouraging their input.

All behaviour is communication. Understand the young person and their situation.

Change can be challenging for vulnerable young people.

The pupils we work with are the ones most likely to:

•Leave school unqualified and unskilled

•Educational ability below that of their peers

•Most at risk of suspension and exclusion

•Are constituent members of the bottom 20%

•Often have multiple deprivation hits (5+)

•Pupils who haven't grown up in a nurturing

environment

What we’re striving to achieve…

•Self awareness

•The ability to managing feelings

•Motivation

•Empathy

•Social skills

Our nurturing environment

We recognise that it is essential that the room is warm and welcoming

with aspects of both home and school: areas to eat, relax, work and

play.

Our nurturing environment

Our nurturing environment

Our nurturing environment

Activities for pupils

oHomework checks

oGroup discussion

oHot drinks- social routines

oGames

oVerbal games

oFormal curriculum tasks

oFeelings tree

oEnterprise projects

oReading stories

oWord games

And many more!

Case study 1.

Case study 1.

The impact of a significant caring adult

•Staff comments

“Helpful and polite… a pleasure to teach”

“A joy to teach and will be missed in the department next year”

“Could have more self belief”

•Boxall profile – huge improvements noticed

•Attendance much the same as S1

The impact of a significant caring adult

Achievements:

- Attended a residential trip to Spain

- Attended school prom

Subject Level Target grade

Art and design Int 2 B

Geography Int 2 C

Hospitality Int 2 B

Engineering Craft Skills Int 2 B

English Int 1 C

The impact of a significant caring adult

“The nurture group helped me in a number of ways in school. It

helped my with my behaviour. It also helped me control my

feelings and helped me get over my dads death. Finally, it helped

build my confidence because I met new people and made new

friends.” - June 2014

Comments from staff:

“A diligent pupil who wants to succeed”

“Working steadily… all work completed to the best of his ability”

Attendance increased from 89% - 95%

The impact of a significant caring adult

Achievements -Part time employment

-Attended school prom

Subjects Level Target grade

Physical Education Higher B

Biology Int 2 C

Business Management Int 2 B

English Int 2 C

Mathematics Int 1 B

Context

Passion-values to practice-Support-Progressive Plan

Develop practitioners/enhance resources

Flexible with certain constants (Boxall over time)

Micro/macro= big pictures… Poverty and attainment/ grappling

with most stubborn 20%

BUT many factors contribute to this success.

Brailsford -cumulative effect of small improvements

Lotman- simplest and most easily repeatable form for his biggest customer

Nurture 1H/3H/5H Pathfinder

TOLLE Website Pupil Study Guide Helping Parents With Study Skills

Teacher’s Packs on Study Skills

Pupil Support Behavioural Support Learning Support

Peer Mentoring

Learning and Teaching Committee

S4 Groups Supported Study & Earlier Revision

Home School Partnership

Tutor Time Wider Achievement Group

Next Steps Ongoing efforts alongside effective complementary activity

Become accredited nurture school

Share good practice

“The nurture base provides a highly supportive and effective

environment in which young people with additional support needs are

gaining confidence and developing as successful learners”

Act As a “Hub” or “Linked Champion” for the Schools

Develop a compendium of strategies which may assist in closing the gap

Develop links with SIPP ‘partners’ to make better use of 3 step Improvement

Science Methodologies.

Evaluate the impact of Nurture and a caring significant adult