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
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
Achievements:
- Attended a residential trip to Spain
- Attended school prom
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
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
Achievements
-Part time employment
-Attended school prom
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
S4 Groups
Peer Mentoring
Tutor Time
Wider
Achievement
Group
Learning and
Teaching
Committee
Home School
Partnership
Supported Study &
Earlier Revision
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