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Alloa Academy
School Handbook
Session 2014-2015
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Contents
Section Description Page No 1 General Information and Contact Details 04 2 Policies & Procedures: 05 Pupil Absence School Uniform Complaints Procedure Pupil Enrolment 2 School Ethos 07 3 Parental Involvement 12 4 Achievement 13 5 Assessment 16 6 Reporting 16 7 Curriculum 17 8 Support for Pupils 19 9 Transition Information 22 10 School Improvement 24 11 Practical Information 26 School Day Term Dates School Meals Activities, Groups and Clubs Pupil Council 12 Staff Structure - staff list 28 13 Feedback 30
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Alloa Academy is a six year non-denominational comprehensive school serving the town of Alloa in the heart of Clackmannanshire. Our roll is slightly rising with over 750 pupils. The school serves the town of Alloa and has four associated primary schools. They are:
Claremont Primary Sunnyside Primary Park Primary St John's Primary The school also welcomes pupils from St Mungo's Primary.
The school has 65 teaching staff and currently does not have provision to teach by means of the Gaelic language.
The school is truly comprehensive and pupil intake varies from a very middle class area to an area of severe deprivation. Alloa is an industrial town, and while the amount of industry has receded in the past, there is substantial industry still in the area including glass making.
Alloa Academy has always adopted a positive approach to its pupils, is happy to praise them at every opportunity and is in the forefront of development of positive discipline structures. There is an assertive discipline policy to all classrooms which combines known and agreed standards with praise and reward. This policy has been responsible for the school winning several awards including the CBI Celebration Bus 2001, Barclays New Futures Awards 2001 and the Scottish Schools Ethos Award 2002/03 and highly com-mended in the Scottish Education Awards 2005.
The school moved to its current location in February 2009 and everything in the building is brand new including all computers, desks and chairs.
Contact Details
Alloa Academy Bowhouse Road Alloa FK10 1DN
Tel: 01259 452311 Fax: 01259 211022 Email: [email protected]
Headteacher: Mrs J E Ebsworth
Parent Council
Email: Parent [email protected]
http://www.alloa.clacks.sch.uk/school/parentcouncil/
Chair: Mr Neil McFarlane
Our Vision Statement Our school will be a centre of excellence, promoting high achievement within a safe, caring and inclusive environment. Through reflection and employing an enterprising
philosophy, we will develop happy and responsible citizens, Our collegiate approach will ensure that learning and teaching provide challenge and fun for all
School Information
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Policies and Procedures
Attendance
1. The proper place for pupils to be on a school day is at school. If a pupil is unable to come to school, then there must be a good reason. We expect 100% attendance unless an absence is explained.
2. A progress file will record a pupil’s attendance and this can be given to future employers.
3. Good attendance gives pupils the best chance of obtaining good examination results.
4. Excellent attendance is something employers find very attractive and will improve pupils’ chances of future employment.
5. If a pupil must leave school for any reason they must obtain a pass from the school office before leaving. An appointment must be confirmed by a letter or call from their parent/guardian.
If a Pupil Is Unwell
1. If possible, a parent/guardian should phone the school attendance line on 01259 452235 giving the reason and likely length of any absence. Please note that this number is available 24 hours a day 7 days per week.
2. On return to school pupils should bring a letter/note signed by a parent/guardian to their House Group Leader explaining the reason for the absence and including the dates of the first and last day of absence (even if they have phoned up).
Groupcall Messenger
GroupCall is our preferred method of communication for pupil attendance, reminders about school events, excursions, SQA exam dates etc. We have been using GroupCall SMS and Voicemail successfully for over 6 years.
This session we have expanded our use of GroupCall to incorporate Email as a preferred method of contact. Currently over 80% of our parents/carers have signed up to this and have provided us with Email addresses. We are now transitioning to Email and it is our target to send most of our communications in Email form by the end of this session. This is not only a great cost saving, but also increases our Eco Footprint.
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Policies and Procedures
Uniform
The school is proud of its uniform. All pupils own and wear school uniform. Privileges are given to those wearing uniform. This includes being allowed in the ground floor corridors before school and at interval and lunchtime and gaining priority at lunchtime.
Various items of uniform can be ordered from the school office, as well as directly and online from our supplier LogoXpress Ltd. An Order Form with prices is available from the main School Office and on our website.
http://www.alloa.clacks.sch.uk/school/uniform/
To order Uniform online directly from LogoXpress please use the following link:
http://www.logoxpres-schoolwear.co.uk/
The formal uniform consists of a maroon blazer, white shirt and tie. This is frequently worn by senior pupils. All prefects are expected to wear this. Many pupils however, opt for the school sweatshirt, or a maroon cotton jumper (fitted for girls). A white polo shirt is also available.
All items worn on top must have the school badge displayed.
All shirts must be white.
All trousers must be plain black.
All skirts must be black.
All shoes must be black.
Variations to this are not acceptable.
Complaints Procedure
Information on Clackmannanshire Council Complaints Procedures and Information for Parents can be found on our website at the following address:
http://www.alloa.clacks.sch.uk/index.php
Pupil Enrolment
Enrolment Forms\Placing Requests
Enrolment Forms/Placing Reuqests can be downloaded from Clacksweb on the link below:
http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/learning/schoolenrolment/
Placing Request Forms can also be picked up from Clacks Council offices at Kilncraigs, Alloa.
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School Ethos
The school motto – ‘Learning to Inspire’ sets out our broad aims. Our motto is a statement of fact
in that inspirational learning is taking place on a daily basis. It is a statement of intent to create a
genuine learning community and a statement of hope that our young people will use their learning
to go on to inspire others in the future.
Alloa Academy has a positive ethos which draws its inspiration from the school’s vision statement.
‘Our school will be a centre of excellence, promoting high achievement within a safe, caring
and inclusive environment. Through reflection and employing an enterprising philosophy,
we will develop happy and responsible citizens. Our collegiate approach will ensure that
learning and teaching provide challenge and fun for all’.
To fully achieve this vision the complementary values below act as the central guide.
Endeavour, Integrity, Compassion, Justice and Ambition
We aspire to develop our young people by imparting knowledge, developing skills and fostering
values to equip our young people for their journey in life. To this end we aim to ensure that our
pupils achieve the best they can during their time with us. Successful achievement allows for the
creation of as many opportunities as possible and thus gives our young people the widest possible
choice of a variety of pathways to follow.
Our core values of Endeavour and Ambition are reflected in the high expectations we have of our
young people in terms of behaviour, effort and performance. We believe that it is important to
celebrate pupil success and we do this on a formal basis at the Junior and Senior Awards
Ceremonies and also at Year and House Assemblies.
Junor Prizewinners 2012
In addition we make extensive use of praise postcards and merits. We routinely publicise the
achievements of our young people through the school website, monthly newsletters and publicity in
the local press. A rewards system based on merits exists in school which adds to the motivation of
our young people and acts a visible reminder to all of what is required to achieve. In an informal
sense the routine use of positive language and the value of praise in an individual setting is used
and encouraged by all staff.
Head of education Belinda Greer presents
the Dux Medal to Dorottya K’ovacs
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Partnership Working The school sees itself as being at the heart of the community. To that end partnership working is vital in terms of meeting the needs of the community we serve. We encourage our young people to think of themselves as Global as well as National citizens and we are an accredited International School proud of our links with educational establishments in other countries. The school works closely with a variety of agencies and part-ners to enrich the experience of our young people and assist them in developing as responsible citizens ready to take an active role in their local and national community. Below is a selection of the outside agencies and bodies with whom we work in partnership.
Amey Forth Valley College Clackmannanshire Works
Stirling University
Psychological Services Youth Services Skills development Scot-
land
UCAS
Scottish Rugby Union Blood Transfusion Service Gatore Partnership School
Rwanda
Forth Valley health Board
Social Services Sports Development Central Scotland Fire and
Rescue
Central Scotland Police
Scottish Qualifications
Authority
Saltire Award Scotland LEAPS John Muir Trust
CAMH Women’s Aid Rotary International Construction Industry
Training Board
Arkwright Scholarship
Foundation
SSERC Scottish Courts Admini-
stration Service
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Countryside Ranger Ser-
vice
Giddeons International
Pupils conduct experiments when
the ‘Lab in a Lorry’ visits
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In addition to outside agencies and bodies we have very close co operation and collegiate working with our associated Primary schools and partner Secondary schools across the joint Authority. These links enable us to enhance the curriculum widen opportunities and ease the transition between Primary and Secondary school.
Some P7 pupils attempting a puzzle at the Maths Challenge
The compassion of our young people is demonstrated through their commitment to support a wide range of local, national and international charities throughout the year. Over the last eighteen months pupils have been actively involved in fundraising supporting Children in Need, Macmillan Cancer Research Larbert Hospital Neo natal Unit, Comic Relief, Start Up Stirling, Royal British legion, Sport relief, Yorkhill Hospital, CHAS, Jeans for Genes, Mary’s Meals and the Make a Wish foundation. We also have a highly successful Interact club which is run by the pupils in co operation with Rotary International and over the last three years has raised several thousand pounds for a range of charities including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Eradicate Polio, Pakistan Flood appeal etc.
Children In need
Aerobics for ‘Jeans for Genes’
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In school, pupils’ spiritual needs are met by our team of chaplains who regularly visit the school and conduct Assemblies each term for all our pupils in line with Scottish Government recommendations. We also work closely with Gideons international who come to visit the school on an annual basis. Any parent who has concerns about arrangements for Religious Observance or participation in the Curriculum for Excellence Religious and Moral Education outcomes and experiences is welcome to meet with a member of the Senior Management Team at any time for a discussion of the options available.
Positive behaviour Our last inspection report noted one of the key strengths of the school as being:- ‘The courteous, friendly young people who co operate well with each other in learning’. The encouragement and management of positive behaviour is key to developing a purposeful positive and productive learning environment. Our values of Justice and integrity are enshrined in our approach to behaviour management and are reiterated by our staff in the course of their teach-ing. Alloa Academy is a rights respecting school and is a place where the use of restorative practice is embodied in our culture. Research shows that almost all pupils are capable of sus-tained good behaviour in the classroom and in and around the school. To achieve this, the right conditions for learning have to be created and maintained as the norm. Young people welcome recognition and praise for their willingness to act in a socially responsible manner as well as for their academic effort. The principal aim of our Promoting Positive Behaviour policy is the establishment of a positive and constructive atmosphere with feelings of mutual respect between teacher and pupil and the nurturing of a culture of praise. Young people are generally very willing to accept that, in the pursuit of teaching and learning, there is a need for rules and procedures. Pupils are likely to accept rules that are clearly and simply stated, apply in every classroom and in the greater school community, and are obviously necessary for good order. We recognise however, that disagreement and conflict are part and parcel of everyday living. It is our aim to give our young people the understanding and skills to minimise and manage disagreements successfully. On occasion it is necessary for staff to intervene and when this occurs a restorative approach is employed to ensure that as positive a resolution as possible is reached. Staff are encouraged to regularly award merits to pupils for their efforts and co operation and these
are monitored on a weekly basis by House group Leaders and the team of PT’s and House Head.
Where pupil’s behaviour has not met the expected high standard a demerit is issued. If a pupil’s
behaviour is disrupting the learning and teaching in the class to the extent that the teacher cannot
continue without the learning experience being adversely affected, then the pupil is removed from
the class and placed in another room. Having been isolated from their peers the pupil is
encouraged to complete a reflective restorative exercise. Before returning to class the pupil and
the member of staff should have a brief discussion about what happened, the effect it had on others
and how it can be avoided in the future.
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Pupils who receive demerits and /or referrals are encouraged and supported to get back on track by the House Team and parents. It is important that positive behaviour is encouraged and rewarded. To that end the school has put in place a number of short and long term measures to reward and motivate pupils. Those pupils who have regularly co operated and have worked well receive a range of rewards at regular intervals throughout the session, including a special breakfast or an invitation to view a film. At the awards ceremony Gold, Silver and Bronze School Commitment awards are given to pupils with high levels of co operation, effort and timekeeping. Certificates are also issued and postcards issued when pupils reach certain number of merits throughout the session.
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Parental Involvement It is the aim of Alloa Academy to work in partnership with all parents and carers. Educational research shows clearly that outcomes are greatly improved for children when parents and carers feel involved in the work of a school and able to support their children positively.
We hope to foster an ethos of openness and approachability and all parents/carers should feel able to contact the school at any time to discuss matters of concern. Appointments can be made by phoning the school and asking for your child’s PT Pupil Support or a member of the Senior Management Team. We will do our best to meet with you at a time that suits you. There are regular Parents’ Evenings scheduled on the school calendar when individual appointments can be made to speak with teachers and information on school events is listed on the website and in the local newspaper. The calendar also shows when you can expect to receive a school report on your child. A text will be sent to you when reports or monitoring letters are issued, so please ensure that we have current mobile contact details for you at all times. A reply slip is included with each report and we welcome any comments from parents/carers. Each report also comes with a report reflection page which can be used to help focus discussion about your child’s progress and means of improvement.
We also issue regular tracking reports which show whether your child is progressing as expected and reports on his/her effort, behaviour and homework. We have been working on improving the content and accuracy of these reports. Information on making the most of tracking reports is con-tained on the school website.
Tips on how to support your child’s learning are also contained on the website.
Our school has a Parent Council and new members are always welcome. Meetings take place in the school on a monthly basis. The current chairperson is Neil MacFarlane. He can be contacted at Parent [email protected] Please contact him if you would like more information.
There are also opportunities across the school year to volunteer for specific activities or to help out
in general ways e.g. supervising lunchtime library sessions with the librarian. If you would be
interested in offering help of any kind or, if you have a skill which you would be willing to share,
please contact us via the school website.
Parental Involvement Act
For further information on parental involvement please find below a link to the Parental Involvement
Act on the Learning and Teaching Scotland website.:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/getinvolved/parentalinvolvementact/index.asp
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Achievement The first part of our school vision states that:-
‘Our school will be a centre of excellence, promoting high achievement
within a safe, caring and inclusive environment.’
Our aim is therefore to enable as many of our young people to achieve at the highest possible level. Examination Results Examination results are being looked at in many different ways now and what we are trying to measure is the value that Alloa Academy adds to our students. In order to support this we look at comparing our results with virtual comparators in several areas, using the Scottish Government Benchmarking tool Insight Literacy/Numeracy This table compares Alloa Academy pupils with pupils with similar characteristics from across Scot-land.
Overall total tariff points achieved in examinations 2014
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Attainment versus deprivation This table compares the attainment of Alloa Academy’s pupils with pupils from similar back-grounds across Scotland.
Positive destinations This table shows the pathways for students leaving Alloa Academy.
School
To
tal N
o o
f Leav
ers
Hig
her E
du
catio
n %
Fu
rther
Ed
ucatio
n %
Tra
inin
g %
Em
plo
ym
en
t %
Vo
lun
tary
Wo
rk %
Activ
ity A
gre
em
en
ts %
Un
em
plo
yed
Se
ekin
g %
Un
em
plo
yed
No
t Se
ekin
g %
No
t Kn
ow
n %
% P
os
% O
the
r
Alloa Academy 136 28.7 23.5 5.1 24.3 0.7 8.1 8.8 0.7 0 90.4 9.6
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Wider achievement The school experience is much more than achievements in examinations and Alloa Academy en-courages all pupils to take part in a wide range of activities. Individuals and groups of pupils have brought credit to themselves and the school with a variety of achievements. Our pupils have received national and local recognition in activities such as, cross-country, athletics, swimming, dance, golf, gymnastics, football, skiing, snowboarding, wrestling and rugby. In non-sporting activities, our pupils have acquitted themselves well in Art, Maths, Music, and Business Skills, with pupils representing us in competitions and in conferences at both local and national level. This year we entered a number of groups into the Micro Tyco event. It is important to widen the horizons of our pupils and to this end many educational excursions took place to theatres and conferences, field trips and places of interest, as well as visits over the last few years to Belgium, Italy, London and Paris. We also offer experiences and some certification in the following areas: Employability Sports Leader/ Sports Ambassador First Aid Food Hygiene Saltire Awards/ Academy Ambassadors National 1 and National 2 awards in EASN and for children with Additional Support Needs.
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Assessment A wide range of assessment is used depending on what is being assessed and the reason for the assessment, e.g.
Informal observation of a pupil’s work Formative Assessment of pupil’s work Marking of class work and homework Class tests Year group examinations SQA Examinations Middle Years Information System Test (MIDYIS)
No one form of assessment is used to the exclusion of all others. Pupils are assessed continuously to monitor progress, check on suitability of courses and provide information when considering future courses of study. Teachers keep detailed records of all these assessments within SEEMIS Tracking & Monitoring. In S1, S2 and S3 pupils are assessed against Curriculum for Excellence levels within the individual curricular areas across the Broad General Education. After making subject choices at the end of S3, students enter the Senior Phase of education and begin working on National Qualifications. In S4 pupils following National 3, National 4 and National 5 courses are assessed against nationally agreed standards in these courses. Senior Phase assessments are held across two blocks of time in December and February and the SQA Examinations follow the nationally produced timetable starting at the beginning of May. For Na-tional 3 and National 4 qualifications all assessment is internal. For National 5 courses there are both internal elements and an external exam. If a student fails the external exam in Naitonal 5 but has completed all National 4 units including the “Value-added unit”, then it is possible to achieve a National 4 qualification. No overall award will be made in a subject if insufficient class work is sub-mitted or the examination is missed. This means that ongoing effort and progress within each class is of the greatest importance. The same is true for courses undertaken by S5/6 students. Courses may include National 4 and Na-tional 5 as well as Highers and Advanced Highers. Under the SQA National Qualification awards, pupils must pass all unit tests (NABs) throughout the year as well as the final external exam or they will not gain a pass in the subject.
Reporting As well as the ongoing Tracking and Monitoring reports issued to pupils throughout the year, each year group of pupils has a specific Parental Report which contains a fuller report on how each child is progressing within each curricular area. The dates of Tracking & Monitoring Reports, full Parental Reports and Parents’ Evenings where teachers will meet to discuss progress are contained in a leaf-let which is issued to pupils at the start of the session. The information can also be found on the school website.
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Curriculum
Learning to Inspire In Alloa Academy our aim is to engage pupils at every stage in a curriculum which is coherent, challenging and fun and which encourages independent and active learning. House Groups and subject classes have a maximum number of 33, while practical classes have a maximum of 20 pupils. Broad General Education S1-S3 In our weekly timetable we have 32 periods and 10 minutes per day of House Group time. The time is split up in the Broad general Education as below:
In S1 learning across all subjects is organised under a different theme for each school term, which allows pupils to link their learning (e.g. Identity; Scotland in the World). One complete school day per term is dedicated to each theme and pupils follow a special timetable of exciting activities based on the theme for that day. This encourages them to think of learning in a joined up way. In S2 the two periods per week of IDL (Inter-disciplinary Learning) serve the same purpose, by exploring a variety of subjects through a single topic.
Subject No of Periods Additional Information
S2 S3 S1
Maths 4 4 Mixed ability classes until Christmas in S1 when broad banding takes place
4
English 4 4 Mixed ability classes in S1 Broad banded in S2
4
Science 3 4 General Science in S1 Rotas for Biology, Chemistry and Physics in S2 and S3
3
Social Subjects 3 4 Topic-based covering Geography; History; Modern Studies in S1 Rotas in S2; projects in S3
3
Modern Languages 3 3 Either French or German 3
Physical Education 2.5 3 A range of sporting activities with elements of choice to promote physical activity
3
Creative & Aesthetic 3 3 From S2 - Art 2 periods & Music 1 period to Christmas then swop From S3 by Option Choice
4
Technology 4 3 Computing; enterprise; business; workshop skills 4
Home Economics 2 2 Health Promotion through basic food preparation; safety; hygiene; cookery; sewing skills
2
RMPS 1 1.5 Study of major religions; philosophy; moral codes 1
PSE 0.5 0.5 Personal and Social Education 1
IDL 2 Inter-disciplinary Learning (Enterprise; Health; Environment)
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Curriculum S3 subject choice At the end of S3 pupils will choose four subjects in addition to English and Maths for study at National qualification Levels 3,4 or 5 in S4. This session our S4 are completing the courses which they began at Christmas of the preceding year Senior Phase – S4, S5 and S6 From next session, students in S4 will have 5 periods per week of each chosen subject, 4 periods per week in English and in Maths, 3 periods per week of PE (where they will be encouraged to take a Na-tional qualification wherever possible) and a rotational period of RMPS and PSE. The National qualifications on offer include National 3,4 and 5. More information on National Qualifi-cations can be found in the “Nationals in a Nutshell” sheets on our website. In National 3 and Na-tional 4 there is no external exam—students need to complete internal assessments successfully and have evidence to show that they have reached the standards set out for each qualification. National 3 and National 4 are graded as Pass or Fail. National 5 courses include both internal and external elements. Students must pass all of the units included in the course as well as the external exam. Results in National 5 are graded A, B, C and D. All qualifications are quality-assured by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The exams take place in May, with the results delivered to homes at the beginning of August. Some pupils may leave school at the end of S4 to take up a place at college or enter training of some kind. A very high percentage of our students return to school for S5. For all those returning, the planning for S5 begins before the S4 exams take place and students return to a new timetable in May/June. However, changes may be able to be made to timetables after the summer holidays when results are known. Students in S5 choose five full courses at a variety of National qualification levels, including Higher. Highers are also graded A, B C and D and also require a pass in all internal units as well as in an ex-ternal exam. There is also an opportunity for some students to complete non-SQA courses such as the Certificate of Sports Leadership or to attend Forth Valley College to complete courses which will support the development of vocational skills. We encourage all students to give careful consideration to choices at this point and to maintain a sustained effort from the beginning of the courses. Students are expected to be well-organised and take responsibility for their own learning by revising after school and completing all class and homework tasks. In S6, students may take a mixture of National 5, Highers , Advanced Highers and other courses. For those students who are completing Advanced Highers, there is the possibility of undertaking Commu-nity Service for a maximum of 6 periods per week. This means that they will be allocated to a member of staff and help support the work of a faculty in a variety of ways, including in-class support for junior classes, preparation of materials for classes and organisation of events and displays. All S5/6 students have two periods per week of skills for Learning, Life and Work. Within the two peri-ods students follow a programme which contains some compulsory and some chosen elements such as First Aid, Relaxation, Student Cookery, Preparing for life after school, Charity Fundraising and Physical Activity. We have high expectations of all of our young people and this is strengthened in S5 and S6 by the Senior School Agreement, which is in place in all Clackmannanshire Secondary Schools. All students over 16 sign a contract, which is closely monitored through the year. Failure to meet the agreed standards can result in a student being asked to leave the school. A copy of the contract is available on our website.
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Pupil Support Mr John Bryce (D.H.T) has overall responsibility for Pupil Support. Ext number 3150 Pupil Support – Our vision “Pupil Support aim to be a centre of excellence celebrating diversity and difference, where we are truly inclusive identifying and meeting the needs of all young people and providing opportunity for all. Working together with the wider community we will provide a safe caring environment.” Support Structure Our structure is based on a vertical support system. Within this system there are three Houses, namely Bruce, Erskine and Schaw. Each pupil within our school is placed in a House group when they arrive from primary school and, ordinarily, they will stay in that House group throughout their time in our school. Each pupil has a House group leader (HGL) whom the meet each morning for 10 minutes during House group time who will, ordinarily, be their HGL for all their time in the school. They also have a Guidance teacher who will support them throughout their time in the school. As well as this there will be two Faculty Heads associated with each House who will also support the young person throughout their time in our school. We therefore have three Houses within our school and each house has several members of staff who will work as a team to support all of our young people. House System A great deal of research suggests that the House Group model has the potential to contribute to a greater sense of student well-being, a sense of student community, and higher student achieve-ment and educational attainment. This model seems to hold promise especially for disadvantaged students, who are affected posi-tively by smaller “schools-within schools” however we believe that there are major benefits for all of our young people within this system:
Improved Support for young people Sense of competitiveness between Houses Better communication between all stakeholders
House Group Time / Leaders (HGLs) House group time is a structured and planned experience for 10 minutes at the beginning of the day which has been organised to allow pupils to adopt a positive and focussed approach to each school day. House group leaders will ensure that young people are given the general information that they require via a pupil PowerPoint presentation. They will also spend time reviewing the pu-pils’ merits and demerits, praising where appropriate and offering support and challenge where required. They will also spend time getting to individually know each pupil building positive rela-tionships in order to support the young people to reach their full potential. They will also monitor absence and late coming working in conjunction with the Pupil Support Team. As well as this, HGLs will monitor attainment and achievement working with the House and Pupil Support Team to monitor, evaluate and support the progress of young people within the class.
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Pupil Support House Group Team The House Group Team consists of Depute Head of House, Principal Teacher of Guidance, three associated Faculty Heads and all House Group Leaders in that particular House. There are three House Group teams representing Bruce, Erskine and Shaw. There is a weekly House Team meeting to discuss any issues that young people have and support strategies to help with these issues. The meetings involve The Depute Head of House, the associated P.T Guidance and an associated Faculty Head who attends on a rotating basis. Minutes and actions are produced for this meeting and circulated to staff. Principal Teachers of Pupil Support - Guidance (PTPS) Principal Teachers of Pupil Support have responsibility for all classes within their house in a vertical guidance structure. They work together with the relevant DHT, Faculty Heads and House Group Leaders in relation to routine pupil support issues for their house as well as the more complex issues relating to “high tariff” support and interagency cooperative working. The Pupil Support staff are responsible for the pastoral care and development of the pupils in their house. Together with the Principal Teacher of Additional Support Needs they are responsible for ensuring that appropriate support for learning is available as required and where necessary identifying pupils for whom special exams arrangements may be necessary. They are also responsible for the planning, delivery and evaluation of the P.S.E programme. Principal Teachers of Pupil Support will interview each pupil in their caseload at least once every year and will be involved in all issues relating to course choice and review. Your child’s guidance teacher will be the first point of contact for you within the school. Further details including the name of your child’s particular Guidance Teacher and direct dial contact numbers, along with further clarification on Pupil Support/Guidance roles can be found in a leaflet entitled Pupil Support/Guidance which is on the school website. http:://www.alloa.clacks.sch.uk/ Principal Teacher of Pupil Support - Additional Support Needs The P.T of Support for Learning is Mr Roger McAdoo Ext number 3148 Alloa Academy as a learning community is committed to identifying and overcoming barriers to learning for all pupils. The ASN faculty is involved in early and detailed process of transition from primary to S1. This involves:
discussions with primary staff attending stage of intervention meetings class observations extra visits for pupils and parents and transition groups with primary support services
This process enables Alloa Academy staff to have a detailed profile for new S1 pupils and these profiles are updated through the pupils’ time at Alloa Academy. The process enables the ASN faculty to plan effective and targeted support to enable successful learning.
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Pupil Support Pupils learning needs are also identified through a number of processes throughout their career at Alloa Academy. This includes: classroom observations referral from members of staff concerns expressed by parents formal assessment for a specific learning needs e.g. dyslexia, dyscalulia.
The ASN faculty actively encourages partnership with parents and welcome the opportunity to talk about to parents about concerns. The Faculty has also ran parent information evenings on dyslexia and study skills Support for pupils is proactive and flexible. Support can be in small group settings, 1:1 or in class by Learning Assistants, depending on pupils’ needs. Examples of groups run by the ASN Department are:
English, Maths, Modern Language in S1 and S2 Nurture Group for S1 pupils that have difficulty with transition to secondary school Dyslexia and ASD groups S1-S4 Life in Another Country ( Mandarin) S3 A range of access 2 and 3 courses in S3 and S4 College Group in S4 English as a Second Language throughout year groups
ASN Faculty ensure/promote learning through:
preparing and chairing staged intervention meetings
college transition
collating and sharing information about pupils
designing and maintaining Individualised Education Plans (IEPs)
staff development
curriculum development
liaising with outside agencies
Extended Additional Support (EASN) Alloa Academy has an Extended Additional Support Faculty which provides support for the Authority’s young people with severe and complex difficulties. Entry into this provision is decided at a local au-thority level. The EASN provision is planned and designed to ensure that all young people within the faculty receive a wholly inclusive experience in line with the schools stated vision.
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Transition
Transition from Primary to Secondary School The move from primary to secondary school is an important event for our pupils and we do everything we can to make it as smooth as possible. We have excellent links with all of the schools across our Clusters and do a great deal of joint work throughout the year. Pupils at all of our associated schools take part in an extended programme of transition activities during P7 beginning with a visit to our Learning Festival in October where S1 pupils demonstrate to the Primary 7 pupils the activities and the learning in which they have been involved since coming to secondary school. Around the end of the Spring term each Primary 7 class has a visit from the Headteacher, accompanied by two first year pupils who attended that specific Primary school. The P7 pupils undertake a variety of activities and can ask questions about Alloa Academy within a familiar learning environment. During this time, the Primary 7 class teacher has the opportunity to meet with Pupil Support staff from the Academy to share information on individual children and their achievements. This information is passed on to the teachers at the Academy so that they can better meet the needs of each child within classes. This information also informs the making up of the classes for S1. Each class will contain a mix of pupils across the range of abilities from all of our associated primary schools. Consultation takes place between the PT Pupil Support and all Primary Headteachers to establish the classes for S1. Following on from that, an ambitious programme of visits by secondary staff from each of the faculties takes place allowing pupils to have a taster of some subjects with which they are not familiar and to ensure that they see some “known faces” when they come to Alloa Academy. There are also two activity-focussed events which take place in the summer term. All prospective S1s take part, in their school groups, in a half-day “CSI Alloa” where they use scientific methods to solve a “crime”. There is also a full-day programme of sports and creative activities, including drama, street dance, rugby skills and keyboard practice. A piece of written work is also collected from each child and passed to secondary staff to demonstrate the level of literacy attained by each individual. The transition programme culminates in a two-day visit to the school by all new S1s when they follow their own timetables with their new classmates, meet their House Group Leaders who will be with them for 10 minutes every day and will monitor their daily progress, and generally begin to find their own way around the school. These two days are preceded by a Parents’ Information Evening. We hope that, by putting all of these measures into place, we can ensure that our pupils make the transition from Primary with as little anxiety as possible, and with a sense of excitement and positivity. For pupils who have additional support needs, there is an enhanced transition programme with additional visits to the school and an extended series of meetings with Pupil Support and ASN staff.
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Transition Transition from the Broad General Education to the Senior Phase The Broad General Education covers S1-S3 in Alloa Academy and details of the subjects covered are included in the section in this handbook on Curriculum. At the various points when children and young people make choices to personalise their curriculum, we aim to give as much support and advice as possible, in the form of written reports, Parents’ Evenings and Parents’ Information Evenings. Individual appointments with PTs Pupil Support or House Deputes are also offered and parents are invited contact us by phone to discuss concerns or indeed gain clarification about any issues. Transition from Alloa Academy to Employment, Further Education and Training Throughout their school careers, our pupils build up strong relationships with their House Group Leader, their PT Pupil Support and their House DHT. When planning future choices, a great deal of advice and support is available within school. Help can be given to complete college application forms or to prepare for interviews and it is our aim to ensure that each young person has a positive destination on leaving school. To support this, a regular Hub meeting takes place where the focus is on those young people who are on the point of leaving school. Career Management Skills are developed in every year group and Skills Development Scotland staff work alongside us to ensure smooth transitions from school. Applying for University Our staff have a great deal of expertise and experience in supporting students who apply for
university, advising them early on of the need for sustained effort and the best combinations of
subjects to choose. In S5 and S6, students apply through UCAS for places on the courses of their
choice and are well-supported in writing personal statements. From S3 onwards our young people
will have the opportunity to visit universities and find out what it is like to be a higher education stu-
dent, through the LEAPS programme. Over the last few years the numbers of our students success-
fully gaining places at university has increased.
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School Improvement For each session, we evaluate the progress made during the previous session and agree as a school what our priorities will be for the new session. These priorities match up with those in Clackmannanshire’s Plan and each Faculty then works to produce a plan which shows how the school priorities will be overtaken in each Faculty. This session’s plan is built around the Four Contexts of Learning as defined in Curriculum for Excellence, although we recognise that there is a great deal of inter-connectedness.
School Improvement Priorities 2014-15 Focus for session:
Raising attainment Building pupil responsibility and work ethic Preparing students for positive destinations
Curriculum Put into place the learning from Nat 3,4, and 5 and introduce new Higher courses Excellent Learning and Teaching includes AiFl techniques, co-operative activities and a
wide range of experiences Greater focus on exam technique and success guides Learning conversations focus students on the steps they need to take to achieve their target Option choice procedure operates successfully Develop employability skills for all Inter-disciplinary Learning Students learn “soft” skills to make them work-ready A range of focus weeks is successful—e.g. World of work; sustainability Links continue to be made increasingly across subjects and with current affairs and the
world of work Technology better supports learning across the school
Opportunities for personal achievement The range of activities on offer motivates students Making the right choices is rewarded Pride is taken in positive achievement Positive work experience improves employability
Life and ethos of the school Leadership opportunities for all of the school community are recognised and valued
Assemblies reinforce the key messages
Parents are engaged to support students
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Pupil Voice in Alloa Academy
2014-15 It is our aim to ensure that the pupil voice plays a role in decisions made across the school and this is supported in a variety of formal and informal ways:
All pupils are encouraged to build relationships with their House Group Lead-ers, PT Pupil Support, House DHT and class teachers and should feel able to raise issues of concern with a trusted member of staff.
All pupils are involved in the democratic election of Senior Prefects and House Captains.
Senior Prefects have a regular open surgery where any pupil can approach them and share ideas, opinions or concerns. Any issues which require support from the SMT will be discussed during the regular Senior Prefect/SMT meet-ings.
A suggestion box, managed by Senior Prefects, is available in the Library. Suggestions made are discussed at the three-weekly meeting with a member of the SMT.
During faculty or themed monitoring exercises, pupil focus groups which consist of two pupils from each House Group are conducted and the results fed back to the whole year group at assembly. This role rotates round the class and every pupil will have the opportunity to be part of a focus group during his/her S1-S4 experience within the school. During focus groups pupils have the opportunity to raise any issues or concerns from their class.
Each House Group also elects two class representatives who will represent the House Group at Pupil Council meetings, which will be chaired by Senior Pre-fects. Pupil Council meetings for each year group will take place at alternate 4-weekly intervals from the Pupil Focus Groups. Feedback from the Councils will be directly to a member of SMT. Minutes will be kept by Senior Prefects and made available to class reps to share with their classes. Class reps will be ex-pected to prepare for meetings by seeking the views of their class about issues to be discussed and by giving feedback about outcomes to their House Groups.
Each year group Pupil Council will also elect two representatives who will at-tend the whole school Pupil Council which will meet as deemed necessary by Senior Prefects or SMT.
Pupils will complete evaluation questionnaires about learning experiences at regular intervals within subject faculties. The information gathered will inform future planning within the curricular area.
By ensuring that these processes are in place we are confident that pupils’ views are taken into account across the school.
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Practical Information
School Day
School Term Dates 2014/2015
Autumn term begins (Staff): Monday, 18 August 2014 (In Service Day - see below)
Autumn term begins (Pupils): Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Autumn term ends: Friday, 10 October 2014
Autumn Break: Monday 13 October to Friday 17 October 2014
Winter term begins: Monday, 20 October 2014
Winter term ends: Friday, 19 December 2014
Spring term begins: Monday, 5 January 2015
Spring half-term holiday: Monday, 9 February to Friday 13 February 2015
Pupils Return from half-term: Monday 16 February 2015
Spring term ends: Thursday, 2 April 2015
Easter Holiday: Friday 3 April to Friday 17 April 2014 inclusive
Summer term begins: Monday, 20April 2015
May public holiday: Monday, 4 May 2015
Summer term ends: Friday, 26 June 2015
In-service days Mon 18 August 2014, Wed 26 to Fri 28 November 2014
Mon 9 & Tue 10 February 2015
Term Dates for 2015/2015 can be found at:
http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/learning/schooltermdates/
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Practical Information
School Meals
A nutritious meal is provided at lunchtime at a cost of £1.60 per meal. Individual items can also be purchased. Menus are displayed in school and are changed regularly. The Pupil Council has requested that all prices are displayed and this request has been made to the catering team
A variety of healthy drinks and snacks is served from 8:30am to 8:40am and during morning break from 10:30 to 10:45am. There are also vending machines selling healthy drinks, snacks and baked goods in the Social Area on the Ground Floor. The vending machines are in operation at fixed times.
A Cashless Catering system has been up and running in Alloa Academy for over 5 years and works very well. An Information Sheet and Consent Form can be accessed from the school website:
http://www.alloa.clacks.sch.uk/school/cashlesscatering/
The school must have consent in order to progress with the set up of this system for pupils.
If your child has not already been set up for Cashless Catering please download and
complete the Consent Form and return it to school as soon as possible.
School Clubs/Groups
There is a wide variety of opportunity for taking part in clubs within the school. Some clubs run at lunchtime and others after school. At the beginning of each session we hold a Freshers’ Fayre where all school clubs and local external clubs are able to advertise to the pupils. Pupils can sign up and get involved in the many different kinds of activity. An example of the clubs running this session is included below:
Book Club Movie Club Enterprise Badminton ECO Group Athletics Dance Interact (supported by Rotary) Football Hockey We update our website regularly with School Club Information including Dates and times for each club. Link below:
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Staff Structure Staff List (correct August 2014)
SCHOOL MANAGEMENT TEAM
Headteacher : Mrs J Ebsworth Deputes : Mr G Barnes (Bruce) Mr J Bryce (Erskine) Mrs E Thomson Acting (Schaw) TEACHING STAFF BY FACULTY Creative and Aesthetic (Music and Art) Mr J Jack (PT), Mrs F Young, Miss H Ferguson, Mrs G Alexander, Miss L Robertson Health and Fitness (Home Economics and PE) Mrs E Smith (PT), Mr G MacKenzie, Mrs E Abel, Mrs L McFarlane, Mrs S McKeich, Miss A Ramsay, Mrs H Stewart, Mr M White Literacy - English Miss J Adam (PT) Mrs H Ferguson, Mrs H Henderson, Mr D Hornsby, Mrs S Rankin, Mrs M Sykes, Mr E McGrouther Modern Languages Mrs S Shepherd (PT), Mrs L Miller, Miss Y Logan, Miss L Bowie Numeracy - Mathematics Mr W West (PT), Mrs L MacAskill, Mr H MacPherson, Dr Z Penman, Miss L Scotland, Mr J Smillie, Mr G English Pupil Support (Guidance) Mr S Barrett PT (Bruce), Mrs TA McNeill Acting PT (Erskine), Mr C Leppard PT (Schaw) Pupil Support (Additional Support Needs) Mr R McAdoo (PT), Mrs E Hensby, Mr A Moore, Mrs K Wilkes, Mrs M Macfarlane (Admin) Pupil Support (Extended Additional Support Needs) Mrs S McAuley (PT), Mrs F Hickford, Mrs J Knox, Mrs K Jefferson, Mrs C Nelson, Mrs A Johnstone (Admin) Science Mrs M D’Arcy (PT) Mr D Frankland, Mr A Gibson, Mr S Mitchell, Miss C Nimmo, Mr. G Wilson, Dr B Taylor Social Subjects and RMPS Miss S Walker (PT), Mrs K Boulton, Miss G Freeland, Mrs E Paterson, Mr J Veitch, Mrs A Wilkie, Mrs A Lunan, Mrs A Ruffles, Miss S McLaren Technology (Computing, Business Studies,Technical) Miss N Giuliani (PT), Mrs R Murray (Acting PT), Mr. J McEwan, Mrs H Watt, Mr F Boyle, Mr N Clark, Mr J Black, Mr G Brown
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Staff Structure Staff List (continued) SUPPORT STAFF Business Support (Administration) Mrs J Greenlees (Business Support Officer), Mrs Y Harvey, Miss S Fotheringham, Mrs S Grant, Miss K Laird, Mrs M McInally, Mrs M Rodger, Classroom Support Worker Mrs F Sneddon College Support Worker Mrs L McKinley Learning Assistants R Baker, S Ballantine, M Campbell, L Christie, S Clark, G Cooper, S Cummings, E Dick, A Dolan, M Fern, N Gothard, M Harrower, C Henderson, A Hume, J Hunter, T Kerr, W McIntosh, J McKie, J Rooney, V Sammels, K Whyte, S Woodward Librarian Mrs P Smith (MLOA) School Technicians Mr W Miller, Vacancy
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Feedback We always welcome feedback from parents/carers and the community in general. There are many ways this can be done including using the contact form on our website. Parents/carers can complete also our Parental Survey available on the front page of our web-site.
http://www.alloa.clacks.sch.uk/index.php
