Sustainability

Our decision to link the Transformation Plan closely to the CfE agenda was to a great extent predicated upon the conviction that we could sustain the impact of our SoA initiative beyond the end of funding.

Successful implementation of SoA required

• An open participative management style with an emphasis on shared values.
• Consultation with pupil and parents/carers.
• An alignment between the SoA Transformation Plan and the School Improvement Plan.
• Transparency of SoA fund allocation, bids encouraged, projects evaluated by  Action Research.
• A broad based school SoA Core group.
• A SoA Steering Group - staff, pupils, parents.
• Leadership development - staff devolved management structure e.g. Columba 1400 training.
• Pupil Leadership development - Columba 1400 Leadership Academy extended within the school and networked throughout the Authority.
• Formative assessment within the AifL structure including self/peer assessment.
• Interdisciplinary learning e.g. Business Brains, Literacy across the curriculum, Poetry in Motion.
• Establishing and embedding a culture of Interdisciplinary Learning.
• Active Learning across departments.
• Effective transition P7-S1 initiative.  French/IT in primary schools.
• Peer led CPD in e.g. ICT, literacy.
• Confidence building, spending on equipment for school shows, trips, visits.
• Personal achievement.
• A culture of self-evaluation and reflection within the teaching staff on the value of SoA initiatives.
• Recognition of school achievement, Scottish Education Awards, International Education, Teacher of the Year (UK), Enterprise Awards, AMOPA Europe wide Languages award & The Laftas.

All of these initiatives resonate with the values, purposes and principles of CfE and their successful implementation undoubtedly prepared us for engagement with the CfE change agenda.  We are confident that our school is successfully addressing the 4 capacities and indeed is "a school fit to embrace change."  Second Annual Report on SoA, page 51

Are we different from 3 years ago?

2007-08           Attainment up eg 5 + Highers      Decile 1 from 3

                                                     3 + Highers   Decile 2 from 4

                                                     5 + Credits    43% from 38%

Attendance up

Punctuality up

Improved behaviour

Exclusions down

Extra-curricular involvement up

"Virtually all pupils were fully engaged with tasks across the curriculum."   

HMIe March 2008