Learning Community Groups of Enquiry
Recognising Achievement
Final Case study Report
Composition of Learning Community Group: This is a cross establishment group within
West Dunbartonshire Council including St Andrew’s/St Columba’s (to
become St Peter the Apostle High School)
Introduction
The key purposes of our Case Study were to consider:
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Achievements should be as valuable as qualifications
The focus must be on learning and reflection, not activities
Learners must have ownership of their achievements and what they choose to
include
Recognition of achievement must involve talking with and supporting young
people
Any approach must support young people at risk of disengagement and in need
of more choices, more chances and must not widen the gap between the
advantaged and disadvantaged
There is a need to develop common understandings and language across wider
learning communities
The implications and practicalities of recognising achievement for schools and
learning communities need to be explored more fully.
Originally, the focus was on the formal recognition of achievement by extending St Andrew’s
system of providing leavers’ certificates for S6 students based on the four capacities of
Curriculum for Excellence. The aim of this project was for all S1 pupils to be awarded similar
certificates.
The driving force behind the project quickly changed from simply recording and recognising
wider achievement (important as this is), to using the project to enable pupils to understand
fully the four capacities, reflect on their own progress, consider their own targets and provide
opportunities for all pupils and to develop additional skills.
Development of skills
Planning: personal learning planning/personalisation through choice
Organising: pupils to fit achievements into personal learning programmes/ pupils given
responsibility for gathering evidence
Problem solving: pupils to identify which cognitive functions are involved in any learning
task/working in new situations
Communication: pupils to speak about achievements/develop leadership and
confidence/working in new situations
Teamwork: pupils to negotiate and agree next steps (collective/ communicating with others)
Personal skills: pupils to negotiate and agree next steps (individual)
Self-management: pupils to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning
Self-awareness: self-profiling
Self-assessment/evaluation: evaluate development of skills/relate skills to all four capacities
Self-reflection: engage pupils in the process, ie reflection on achievement/ reflect on
learning/learning to learn/linking different types of learning
Presentation: each pupil to articulate how achievements contribute to the four
capacities/interviews, video, pupils self-assess/ask pupils to speak about achievements
(possible interview?).
Links to Curriculum for Excellence
Originally we thought that it would be good to increase awareness of the four capacities and
how they relate to pupils’ lives in and out of school. This developed into a more personalised
approach where pupils were able to take responsibility in developing the four capacities
through assessing their own progress via their own achievement logs. Work had already been
done with S1 re self-reflection and self-assessment/evaluation by way of a number of rich
tasks carried out in the course of the year.
This project quickly became a cross curricular activity with a number of different departments
helping delivery eg the English Department delivered three lessons for every S1 class on the
four capacities and what they mean to pupils; the Computing Department took responsibility for
enabling pupils to record their progress through the school intranet.
Parents were informed and encouraged to participate through a parental newsletter.
Staff were involved through school insets, memos and a WDC presentation to all staff in the
authority.
Research and other materials used to inform thinking on recognising achievement, and
how this helped the inquiry developed.
Materials that were used to inform thinking about achievement include National Seminars,
Publications e.g. Amazing Things, WDC “How Good Is Our Raising of Achievement” and Goal
Attainment Scaling from East Dunbartonshire Psychological Services.
A major impact on the development of the inquiry came from pupil feed back on what they
thought was important. Their views on the importance of achievement outside of school and
the reason why teachers should be aware of this was crucial.
Feedback on success has come through parents, pupils and former pupils as well as staff.
Former pupils presented certificates. HMIE during INEA inspection also commented very
favourably on the project. Staff and pupils made a presentation at an LTS national seminar in
Dalkeith, which provided extremely positive feedback.
Impact on Young People
Pupil ownership has been extremely high – pupils complete their own logs, list their own
priorities, set their own targets, construct their own certificates by deciding what achievements
are included in them. This latter exercise with certificates is done during Computing classes
and through the school intranet. Evidence can be provided via comments in logs from parents
and staff. The project has also resulted in a system of positive referrals which has been
enthusiastically embraced by staff. Pupils have produced their own DVD of the project.
From the very outset the project was aimed at every child in S1. There was almost 100% pupil
involvement. Extra time and support was given to targeted pupils.
Staff are aware that this project will eventually cover every pupil in the school
Strengths of the project encountered so far include: The way we were able to adapt to pupil
demands for increased involvement. Involvement of parents is particularly important and
parental attendance at the ‘Graduation’ ceremonies has been helpful in increasing recognition
of the development of skills exemplified by pupil reflection and self-evaluation. The simplicity
of the project should make sustainability easier. The staff and resources are all that is required,
there is no great financial outlay required.