EDUCATION & CHILDREN’S SERVICES
IMPROVEMENT PLAN
2015 - 2016
FOR
UDNY GREEN SCHOOL
Aberdeenshire Council Education & Children’s Services
“Our vision is for an Aberdeenshire in which everyone is able to develop the skills and
confidence needed for learning, life and work.”
Udny Green School
Udny Green School Learning Community is ambitious for the young learners it serves. Our
shared vision and values outline our purpose and these together with our unique location and
features inform our curriculum design.
Our vision is ….
"to enable our learners to actively challenge themselves to achieve and attain their best
on their journey to becoming successful learners, confident individuals, effective
contributors and responsible citizens through planning, teaching, talking about, sharing
and gathering evidence of excellent learning experiences."
In Udny Green School our vision is the driving force behind all our improvement activity.
Education & Children’s Service’s Quality Improvement Framework, is the overarching
strategic management tool which directs and supports school improvement in
establishments across Aberdeenshire. At the heart of the framework is the belief that self
evaluation in each school drives improvement and all improvement is aimed at delivering
positive outcomes for children and young people.
“Self evaluation is a reflective, professional process through which schools get to know
themselves well…Improvement Planning builds on that self knowledge by involving us in
understanding and valuing the best of that which already exists, deciding how good we
can really be, and identifying the best way forward.
The Journey to Excellence Part 4: Planning for Excellence, HMIe, 2007
Self-evaluation is an on-going process and involves all stakeholders, including our pupils.
It is reported annually to parents/carers in our Standards and Quality Report.
Education & Children’s Service Improvement Cycle
Self evaluation to find out
where you have to go
Review/
Re-affirm vision
Identify
priorities and
specify
outcomes
Self evaluation to
ensure
stakeholders
commitment
Self evaluation to
determine impact
Check to
ensure impact
Take action
Self evaluation to monitor
and determine progress
The priorities for improvement contained in the Improvement Plan for 2014 – 15 reflect this
process and the priorities identified locally and nationally.
Page 2 of 8
Improvement Plan
Improvement Priority No.
Curriculum – Mathematics - numeracy
1
Intended Outcome (s) / Impact
Actions / Lead member of staff
Timescales
Raised levels of achievement and attainment in
numeracy among all learners
Analyse baseline assessment data to determine areas of
numeracy for improvement.(HT)
Review numeracy groups, planning and timetabling
approaches to improve coherence, maximise time and
staff expertise more effectively (HT)
Use of Big Maths CLIC approach and Aberdeenshire
numeracy champions training approach to plan, teach
and assess numeracy progress and attainment (All
teaching staff with support from PSAs)
Attend Aberdeenshire Numeracy Champion training
twilights and inservice day.
Use of learning logs, blogs, Glow school newsfeed to
gather and share evidence of progress, reflect upon
learning, plan next steps and report on progress.(HT)
Use of Aberdeenshire Numeracy Framework to moderate
learners’ progress individually, as groups and as a school
against the benchmarks.(HT)
Sep 2015
Increased staff skills and confidence in teaching
numeracy
High quality learning, teaching and assessment in
numeracy across the school
Learners are provided with maximum opportunities to
acquire, understand and apply numerical skills effectively
and with confidence
Improved assessment and moderation processes to
ensure coherence, effective progression and continuity
Sep – Dec 2015
How will you measure success?
Summative assessment data will be gathered using the New Zealand IKAN assessment in June 15, March and June 16
Track individual learner ‘Big Maths’ progression steps in October, March, June
Aberdeenshire summative assessment data from InCAS will be analysed
Moderation of progress and attainment with central Aberdeenshire numeracy champions using the Aberdeenshire numeracy benchmarks
Group and individual learning conversations
Parent teacher meetings and open morning (dates to be confirmed)
Learning log evidence
Progress Check / Comments / Next Steps
Page 3 of 8
Improvement Plan
Date:
Date
Page 4 of 8
Improvement Plan
Improvement Priority No.
2
Reporting Progress and Achievement to Parents/Carers
Intended Outcome
Actions

Working as part of the Authority group, Developing
Improved Approaches to Reporting


An improved process of reporting learners’ progress
and achievement to parents/carers implemented in
school.
ie an identified and clear, on-going process with
regular information sharing.

Increased pupil involvement in the reporting process.

Increased parental involvement in their children’s
learning.


Liaise with Year 2 schools and Development Officer
Sep/Oct 2015 HT

Review the current process of reporting learners’
progress and achievement to parents/carers.
Sep/Oct All staff

Audit parents/carers to gather views and proposals.
(Start and during pilot year)

Consider and design improved ways of sharing
information of learners’ progress and achievement
within the curriculum for excellence.
(ref: BtC5 Recognising Achievement, Profiling and
Reporting)
Oct – June2016
HT, All Teaching
Staff and Parent
Reps

Create annual calendar to reflect the reporting year.
Oct – June 2016

Implement calendar, trial new, agreed improved ways
of working which ensure that pupils and
parents/carers are more actively involved.

Evaluate and review progress throughout the year.
(including parents and pupils)
Implementation of reporting calendar with majority of
staff commitment
The improved reporting process would be spread over
the whole school year and replace the annual written
report in Term 4.
An increased understanding for parents of their
child(ren)’s progress and achievement.
Timescales
Regularly update Reporting pilot group.
Oct 2015 HT
“
“
Ongoing HT
Page 5 of 8
Improvement Plan
How will you measure success?



Dialogue with learners re their progress and achievement
Dialogue with parents re improvements in reporting process and their children’s progress and achievement
Dialogue with staff re improved process
Through
 an audit/survey of parents and pupils at end of reporting year
 an audit/survey of staff – ongoing and at end of reporting year
Progress Check / Comments / Next Steps
Date:
Date
Page 6 of 8
Improvement Plan
Improvement Priority No.
3
Restorative Practice – Meldrum Cluster Improvement
Intended Outcome
Actions
Increased understanding of leading the implementation of Restorative
Practice
Awareness raising event led by international speaker Marg Thorsborne
Awareness raising event led by Educational Psychology Team
Staff to look at recommend suitable resources that support Restorative
Practice.
Staff to look at Glow Group where resources such as video links, book lists,
activity ideas are stored (incl. details of shared resources and their
locations).
Awareness raising and training
All teaching and support staff within the Meldrum network attend Restorative
Approaches (RA) day. Meldrum Network Steering Group to deliver this
training with support from RA Facilitators November in-service. ALDO
training also available.
Increased parental and pupil awareness
Work with pupils to create videos that can be used to show RA scenarios
and pupils’ views on the change of approaches. Use lesson plans and
resources created by the group to work towards the creation of an event
where a video is shown of pupils acting out a scenario, explaining how RA
work, RA posters on display.
Timescales
HT Feb 2015
PSAs and Teaching
Staff Feb 2015
November 2015 All staff
November 2015
February 2016
Continue to raise awareness amongst staff, parents and other interested
parties
Develop a suitable leaflet that schools can use / adapt for use in their own
schools (staff, parents).
Policy development.
Review and update behaviour policy to reflect changing practice from
training.
June 2016
Evaluate the process alongside other Meldrum Cluster schools.
June 2016
Evaluate success within our schools and network.
February 2016
How will you measure success?
Feedback from parents / pupils / staff
Quantity of incidents
Monitor quality of restorative practice conversations using key question format
Monitor the impact of any changes that are made to our Behaviour Policy
Page 7 of 8
Improvement Plan
Progress Check / Comments / Next Steps
Date:
Date
Page 8 of 8