Development Plan 2011-14

Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School

School Development Plan September 2011-2014 1


School Development Plan September 2011-2014

Our Mission

Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School aims to: • Assist all those who work in the school – staff and pupils – to flourish and to become a people fully human and fully

alive. • Proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ that the whole of creation, including every person in it, is a gift of God and

loved by God. • Nurture faith in Jesus Christ, through every aspect of the school’s curricular and extra-curricular programmes and

activities.

In addition, Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School aims to play its part in contributing to: • The Welsh Government’s School Effectiveness Framework and educational priorities • Bridgend County Borough Council’s Children and Young Peoples’ Plan, the Integrated Working Framework, the

4-5-6 Model, and ‘Families Together’. This Development Plan has been drawn up to meet these two sets of fundamental aims.



ESTYN key Question: How good are outcomes? Quality indicator : 1.1 Standards Focus Area: 1.1.3 achievement and progress in learning (KS3) Success criteria (focus on outcomes):

• Learners’ levels of attainment at KS3 are at least commensurate with ability and expectations. • Learners and parents at KS3 have a clear understanding of levels and of progress.

Planned action Timescale People responsible

SEF reference

PLC opportunities

Evaluation commentary (focus on outcomes)

Standards of learning at KS3 - Ensure all learners gain at least their predicted levels (based on CATs predictors):

• Maintain current programme of CATs testing to provide a secure base line for predictions

• Implement Building Learning Power (see SDP 1.1.N), building on BLP in the Church school cluster of Primary schools, to ensure learners continue to be provided with the tools to be effective learners.

• Continue with the self-evaluation programme (results analysis, daily learner drop-ins, formal observations, Learner work reviews, etc) to ensure monitor standards of learning and plan intervention and support strategies when required.

As required from Oct 2011f From Sept 2011 Cluster training day: 10/02/12 From Sept 2011 following MER calendar

SMT SMT and all staff SMT

p. 10 (i), (iv) p. 10 (iii) p. 10 (vii) p. 10 (i), (iv)

Church school cluster



• Ensure KS3 standards are a key element of the Head/Head of Dept review meetings, providing support and intervention as required.

Levelling at KS3: • Maintain programme of portfolio

building, sampling and moderation of learners’ work with the primary school cluster and in-house

• Provide intervention and support strategies were concerns exist regarding the robustness and rigour of KS 3 levelling

• Headteacher and senior staff monitor and review identified department’s progress in consistency and confidence of levelling, reporting to the SMT and link governor as required.

Target setting and communication: • Ensure all base line data is robust

and reliable (including KS2 Levels, CATS scores, NFER results, etc) and that all data is in SIMS.

• Ensure all staff are familiar and confident with the use of assessment data for planning and target setting.

• Continue to use SIMS to track progress and to provide support and intervention where necessary to ensure appropriate learner progress.

• As per SDP 2.n, implement a

Autumn Term meetings from Sept 2011 From Sept 2011-07-05 On-going as required On-going as required From Sept 2011-07-05 On-going

PM and Heads of dept Heads of dept and all staff SMT and all department heads SMT AK and SMT AK and all staff SMT and all staff,


Family of schools



programme, using SIMS Learner Gateway, for parental and student access to SIMS attainment records.

• Implement Parent Voice’ research into the use and effectiveness of the parent portal in SIMS and plan for improvement and development

• Ensure governors at all levels are fully involved and informed about standards at KS3 and relevant development plans,

On-going Governing Body approval 07/07/11 During 2011-2012 Ongoing Sept 2011 onwards

including Learning Coaches AK and Leaders of Learning AK, BD and SMT PM and governing body



ESTYN key Question: How good are outcomes? Quality indicator : 1.1 Standards Focus Area: 1.1.3 achievement and progress in learning (KS4) Success criteria (focus on outcomes):

• Learners’ levels of attainment at KS4 are at least commensurate with ability and expectations. • The school’s ‘headline’ figures, e.g., CSI and Threshold, continue to be above local and national averages, with a positive ‘value-added’ residual.


SEF reference

PLC opportunities


Maintain and improve GCSE results for individual pupils and for the school as a whole:

• Continue to use SIMS to track progress at KS4 and provide support and intervention where required to improve learner performance

• Ensure, through lesson observations, work reviews, results analysis and training, that all staff are providing the best possible learning experiences to maintain and improve standards of learning

• Monitor, review and evaluate results, identifying trends in success and areas of concern and implement appropriate strategies to ensure consistency and improvement

On-going from Sept 2011 On-going from Sept 2011 On-going from Sept 2011

SMT, all department heads and all staff SMT, all department heads and all staff SMT and all staff, including Learning Coaches


Church school cluster Family of schools, BCBC school cluster. Archdiocesan cluster



where necessary. • Ensure governors at all levels are

fully involved and informed about standards at KS3 and relevant development plans,

On-going from Sept 2011

PM and governing body



ESTYN key Question: How good are outcomes? Quality indi cator: 1.1 Standards Focus Area: 1.1.3 achievement and progress in learning (post 16) Success criteria (focus on outcomes):

• Learners’ levels of attainment post-16 are at least commensurate with ability and expectations. • The school’s ‘headline’ figures, e.g., A-A* results, A-C results and average points scores, continue to be above local and national averages, with a

positive ‘value-added’ residual. Planned action Timescale People

responsible SEF reference

PLC opportunities


Maintain and improve post-16 results for individual pupils and for the school as a whole:

• Continue to use SIMS to track progress at post-16 and provide support and intervention where required to improve learner performance

• Ensure, through lesson observations, work reviews, results analysis and training, that all staff are providing the best possible learning experiences to maintain and improve standards of learning

• Monitor, review and evaluate results, identifying trends in success and areas of concern and implement appropriate strategies to ensure consistency and improvement

On-going from Sept 2011 On-going from Sept 2012 On-going from Sept 2011

SMT SMT and identified heads of dept SMT and all staff, including Learning Coaches


Inter-departmental Family of schools and other groups



where necessary. • Ensure governors at all levels are

fully involved and informed about standards at KS3 and relevant development plans,

On-going from Sept 2011

PM and governing body



ESTYN key Question: How good are outcomes? Quality indicator : 1.2 Well-being Focus Area: 1.2.1 Participation and enjoyment in learning 1.2.4 Social and life skills Success criteria (focus on outcomes):

• A culture of Learner Voice opportunities established • Learners actively involved in decision-making • An improved service to learners and improved learning opportunities for learners


SEF reference

PLC opportunities


To improve opportunities to listen to learners to help inform planning, development and provision (continued from previous plan).

• Establish a working group to prepare a new revised policy and guidelines on Learner Voice, based on recent research

• Maintain and develop the existing School Council programme

• Implement the Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS) evaluation programme and ensure findings are acted upon.

• Implement a programme of training for staff on using Learner Voice effectively, focusing on specific learning areas of departmental practice.

September 2011. Policy by Dec 2011 September 2011 As identified throughout the year in ‘Directed Time’

AK AK and Leader of Learning 14-19 AK and all staff AK and all staff

p. 10 (i), (ii), (iii)

Learner Voice PLC



• Implement the prepared programme of Learner Voice opportunities, particularly in departments, ensuring that findings are acted upon and feedback is provided

• Oversee, monitor, evaluate and review the Learner Voice programme

• Ensure governors are involved in, and informed by, Learner Voice reports to assist them in their work.

• Ensure the head boy and head girl and other senior prefects if required, attend the statutory meetings of the governing body.

September 2011f Ongoing PM and governing body PM, governing body and senior prefects

AK and all staff SMT PM and governing body PM, governing body and head boy/girl



ESTYN key Question: How good is provision? Quality indicator : 2.1 Learning experiences 2.2 Teaching Focus Area: 2.1.1 meeting the needs of learners 2.1.2 provision for skills 2.2.1 range and quality of teaching approaches Success criteria (focus on outcomes):

• The implementation of Building Learning Power • The restructuring of classes to include Learner Coaches and Learning Coach time


SEF reference

PLC opportunities


To improve the quality of learning through the introduction of Building Learning Power (BLP):

• Continue the provision of training to prepare for the introduction of BLP, particularly during the INSET Days from Sept 2011 and Directed Time.

• Provide a Learning Coach programme to support the introduction of BLP, particularly with learning skills and support for literacy and numeracy

• Monitor the delivery of BLP and provide training and support where required.

• Monitor, evaluate and review the

From Sept Summer Term 2011 From Sept 2011 From Sept 2011 Summer

AK All staff All staff Heads of Dept and

p. 10 (i), (iii), (iv) p. 10 (i), (iii), (iv)

Whole school



impact of BLP and the Learning Coach programme on standards of achievement and use to inform future planning.

Term 2012 SMT



ESTYN key Question: How good are leadership and management? Quality indicator : Leadership Focus Area: 3.1.2 Governors Success criteria (focus on outcomes):

• Governors maintaining stronger links with specific departments • Governors confident in making judgements about the school on the key questions • Governors fulfilling their statutory duties


SEF reference

PLC opportunities


• Ensure link governors meet with their designated heads of department at least once a year for a progress report

• Ensure governors have full access to the Moodle self-evaluation warehouse

• Provide detailed self-evaluation reports to governors in the headteacher’s termly reports

• Ensure that relevant governors attend the annual cycle of ESIS and BCBC reviews, including the ADAR review and that a report is given to the full governing body

From September 2011 f Continue Continue

PM and all governors PM PM and relevant governors

p. 10 (v)

Whole school



ESTYN key Question: How good are leadership and management? Quality indicator : Improving quality Focus Area: 3.2.1 self-evaluation, including listening to learners and others 3.2.2 planning and securing improvement 3.2.3 involvement in networks of professional practice Success criteria (focus on outcomes):

• A revised policy (including guidance) on self-evaluation (following ESTYN 2010 guidance) approved and implemented • The electronic warehouse for the storage of all monitoring, evaluation and review reports and evidence established • Governors, SMT , middle managers departments, staff and learners implementing a robust school self-evaluation programme


SEF reference

PLC opportunities


• Revised self-evaluation policy and guidance documents developed, approved and implemented, ensuring that the principles and practices of the 2010 ESTYN inspection framework and guidance documents are implemented

• Ensure all departments implement the self-evaluation programme, storing development plans, development plan reviews, student work review reports, Learner Voice reports, progress reports, examination analysis reports, etc in the appropriate Moodle warehouse

• Training for the above for both staff and governors provided as required

For the Autumn Term 2011 governors’ statutory meeting Autumn Term 2011 From Sept 2011

PM and all governors Middle managers and SMT All staff, link governors, ESIS advisors

p. 10 (i), (ii), (v)

Whole school BCBC network of schools via moodle



• Ensure whole school

comprehensive reports on all aspects of school life are completed, hyperlinking to electronically stored evidence to substantiate judgements, including examination results analyses, reports on standards of learning and teaching, Learner Voice summaries and reports, link governor reports, ESIS review reports and subsequent development planning

PM, governors, SMT

Documents

Development Plan 2011-14