Stronsay Junior High

School

Standards and Quality

Report 2013 / 2014 Each year we have a duty to report on the work of the school, outlining the

developments and progress we make to improve the quality of teaching and

learning for all in Stronsay Junior High School.

About our School

Stronsay Junior High School provides education for the island’s children from pre-

school at age 3 to the end of compulsory schooling at 16. Pupils can then transfer to

Kirkwall Grammar School, if they wish to do so, or move on to further education,

training or employment. Pupils transferring to Kirkwall Grammar School stay in the

Papdale Halls of Residence, and supporting our young people at this time of transition

presents an additional challenge for the school. Pupils also have the option of

transferring to Kirkwall Grammar School at the end of Secondary 2, although few

pupils do so.

The timetable for the Primary and Secondary Sector is in part dependent on the day

specialist teachers arriving and Loganair’s timetable. Itinerant teachers generally

spend less time in school during the winter as the planes cannot fly in darkness. The

number and length of time each itinerant teacher is on Stronsay is decided centrally by

the Authority.

The number of pupils on the school roll in 2013/14 was:

Primary Sector - 19

Secondary Sector - 20

The learning and teaching team is ably supported by a committed group of non-teaching

staff including a Secretary/Office Auxiliary, Janitor and Kitchen staff. Cleaning roles

are contracted out.

Vision Statement

Together our vision is to ensure that everyone achieves their full potential and enjoys being

part of a caring learning community.

Aims

Effective Contributors

To motivate everyone to participate with enthusiasm in the school community and wider world,

to be well organised, dedicated and open-minded.

Responsible Citizens

To encourage everyone to take care of the community and wider world. To do the best they can

in an honest and respectful way.

Confident Individuals

To inspire within everyone self-confidence, tolerance and high expectations.

Successful Learners

To develop a life-long enthusiasm for learning; to have the confidence and ability to work

independently or with others whilst knowing when to ask for help.

Cultural Identity

To see our island as a benefit not a barrier; to embrace and enrich our unique resources -

friendliness, community spirit, heritage, landscape and culture - to help maintain and develop the

island as a great place to live.

‘Proud to belong’. ‘Proud to be a Limpet’.

Vision and Aims – Key words

Respect

Trust

Honesty

Responsibility

Kindness

Manners

Positivity

Sensibility

Inclusion

Summary of progress made on the 2013/14

School Improvement Plan

Priority 1 To continue to develop the Curriculum for Excellence.

1. We have achieved the following:

This was the first year of the implementation of the new National 4 and

National 5 courses in S4. The staff worked hard to develop the courses

to ensure they met the SQA requirements. Samples of pupils course

work were externally verified by the SQA, and this moderated work was

deemed to be at an appropriate level.

The school continued to refine the Curriculum for Excellence across the

school including the delivery of interdisciplinary approaches between

subjects achieved through theme days which included; Aims and Ethos

Day and Armistice Day. As a staff, we carefully monitored the learning

experiences the learners undertook to ensure we provided a broad and

balanced education.

To carefully monitor the progress of the learners we have enhanced our

monitoring procedures and have developed a whole school tracking

system. This system allows us to monitor each individual learner’s

progress against national expectations. This includes PIPS (Performance

Indicators in Primary Schools) in the primary sector, Midyis (Middle

Years Information System) in the secondary sector and also spelling and

reading ages.

2. Impact on Learners

Attainment by learners by the end of S4 exceeded national predictions

Learners across the school experienced a curriculum which met

expectations of the Curriculum for Excellence

Learners’ progress has been tracked and where necessary, intervention

has occurred to support a learner’s progress. This process enhanced

attainment and resulted in a significant increase in reading and spelling

ages of targeted learners

3. What we plan to do next

Refine courses from lessons learnt through the delivery of the new

qualification courses in the first year of their implementation

Review the staggering of coursework, to prevent hotspots for learners

Investigate immersion days, prior to the examination (an immersion day,

is a day just prior to the examination in which students are invited to

work with their subject teacher.

Further develop tracking system to include numeracy and HWB

Moderation of writing becomes embedded and includes moderation

exercises with Sanday School

To further review coverage of E’s and O’s to ensure a broad general

education up to the end of S3.

Priority 2 Continued development of self-evaluation across the school

1. We have achieved the following

Learner profiles have been developed from P2 to S4, also achievement logs

have been developed across the school

There has been a whole school focus on pupil’s managing their own learning,

setting their own individual targets across the primary and secondary sectors.

The school staff have implemented the new Professional Review and

Development process and all staff are actively involved in the GTCS

professional update process.

2. Impact on Learning

Learners are actively involved in their own learning, understanding their

strengths and their areas for development.

There is clear evidence of learners having enhanced organisation and taking

greater responsibility for their learning across the school. The focus on

managing their own learning has contributed in raising attainment.

Staff professional training is focused on meeting the needs of the learners in

our care and thus is having an impact on the progress made by the learners.

3. What we plan to do next

Learner’s parents and staff to evaluate the pupil profiles and to refine their

design to ensure they are meaningful to all

Target setting needs to be embedded across the school, with a focus in the

forthcoming year on Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and Numeracy.

The school will further refine the PRD process to ensure evidence obtained

from self-evaluation helps inform further training needs across the whole

staff.

We also aim to undertake peer observation between staff in Sanday and

Stronsay schools.

Priority 3 Development of Leadership skills across the school

1. What has been achieved?

The school continues to develop leadership opportunities across all

sectors. These have included; Outward Bound Trust expedition,

Fundraising, Pupil Council, Sports Leadership, Sports Ambassadors, one

learner is a member of the National Steering Group for Sports

Ambassadors, Debating Competition, Troot in Shed, Junior Road Safety

Officers, Primary 5’s organising the Book Fair. Interdisciplinary days.

Staff have also undertaken enhanced leadership opportunities, these

have included; supporting staff through the new SQA verification

processes for National 4 and 5 qualifications, resident staff taking

responsibility in the HT absence, mentoring other staff undertaking

examination courses and also undertaking examination courses to develop

their roles.

2. Impact on learners

These opportunities for leadership have given the learners the skills to

work as a team and enhanced confidence in undertaking a task.

The learners see that the skills of leadership are valued within the staff

and also they are part of a learning community in which they see adults

also undertaking learning to enhance their skills.

3. Next Steps

To further develop leadership opportunities for staff and learners

including the introduction of a leadership award in the secondary sector.

Priority 4 Review the effectiveness of transitions across the school

1. What have we achieved?

The school works hard in ensuring effective transitions between classes

and sectors occur. We have carefully reviewed the procedures in moving

from Nursery to Lower Primary, Lower Primary to Upper Primary and

moving from Upper Primary to the Secondary Sector.

Priority 5 Continued development of Support for Learning to meet the

needs of all learners across the school.

1. What have we achieved?

The school has had a focus of meeting the needs of learners with dyslexic

tendencies. This has included an in-service day run by Imogen Kerr the

Educational Psychologist on dyslexia (25th October) and how to support children

with reading and writing difficulties. Resource boxes have been purchased to

support learners and these are in the key classrooms. Staff across the school

have used these resources to support learning. Pupil specific strategies/ general

strategies have been used across the school including the use of acetates, word

banks, colour coding, and mnemonics.

2. Impact on Learners

Learners are valuing the new resources and using them regularly to aid their

learning. Analysis of progress made of learners with dyslexic tendencies shows

significant progress.

3. Next Steps

To continue to embed the use of these resources, ensuring that the boxes

remain complete. Alternative computer software packages and resources

purchased to further support learners.

2. Impact on learners

The impact on learners of effective transitions is we see them making the

moves effectively and without a negative impact on their academic

progress. Learners seem in the majority of cases, relaxed and excited by

the moves.

3. Next Steps

We aim to continue to review points of transition and not to take any

transition for granted. We will be focusing on the transition from S4 to S5

in the forthcoming year.

Priority 6 Continue to develop the Nursery provision

1. What have we achieved?

Our Early Year’s worker has undertaken her second year of the HNC in Early

Years. This has been an enormous task, which she has coped with superbly. The

Early Year’s Worker has also undertaken courses on food hygiene and infection

control.

1. Impact on Learners

All external agencies who have visited the nursery believe the Early Year’s

Worker is meeting the needs of the children in her care extremely well and it is

clear that they are enjoying and learning from their experiences in the Nursery.

2. Next Steps

To continue to develop the facilities in the Nursery to meet the needs of

the children in our care

Priority 7 To ensure that the facilities of the school are fit for

purpose and meet the needs of the Learners in our care

1. What have we achieved?

The school has been able to refine the staffing to ensure it can meet the needs of

the learners. This has included additional allocation of subject time in the following

manner;

0.2 FTE for Social Subjects to enable the teacher to teach qualification courses

in both Geography and History

0.2FTE for Art to enable the teacher to teacher qualification courses in Art and

also to provide additional art in the primary sector.

0.2 FTE for English this will enable us to have three days of English and put us in

line with the other two Junior High’s. These three days are being combined with

two days of Support for Learning to make a full time resident isle post.

0.1 FTE Music. This post will enable examination courses to occur in Music in the

forthcoming year.

We have also increased our music tuition and now offer;

Accordion

Brass

Fiddle

Piano

The hope is that we will be able to have a music ensemble by Christmas 2014.

The timetable has also been revised initially from 8 to 6 periods and then after

careful evaluation to 7 periods for the forthcoming academic year. This will

ensure a broad and balanced curriculum will be delivered.

A plan has been developed by the authority and staff to develop the school site. This is

a coherent plan which addresses issues across the site. The first phase of this

redevelopment will occur this summer. Resources have been purchased across the

school, including new resources for Home Economics, Science, Music and the Primary

Sector. This will be enhanced in the near future by a generous donation from the

Stronsay Development Trust to purchase additional P.E equipment, ICT equipment and

new books for the library.

2. Impact on Learners

The additional staffing and resources is already having an impact on the

quality of teaching and learning at Stronsay School. Learners in the

secondary sector are having access to reliable ICT equipment and have

the use whilst in school of an individual laptop which is solely used by

them. The range of courses available at Stronsay Junior High School

remains varied allowing us to meet the needs of individual learners. The

enhanced staffing levels is also impacting positively on the opportunities

available to learners in the primary sector. The new equipment purchased

is also impacting on the quality of the learning experience.

3. Next Steps

To continue to optimise the use of the enhanced staffing

and resources to further enhance the learning experiences

of our learners.

To develop the school site to optimise the learning

experience of all learners in our care

Successes and Achievements

Existing strengths

The school aims to produce a learning environment which meets the needs of the

learners in its care. We evaluate their progress using a wide range of methods. We

believe that:

Attainment at the end of S4 continues to be excellent with pupils achieving a

wide range of qualifications. Middle Years Information System data shows that the value added by the

pupils through the secondary sector is above the national normal expectations.

The school has embraced the Curriculum for Excellence and adjusted the

teaching to attempt to fulfil the ethos behind the initiative. Our planning is in

line with the experiences and outcomes and departments have continued to

develop ways of assessing and recording in line with this.

Learners’ evaluations show they are engaged meaningfully with their learning.

The school and the community of Stronsay work hard together to provide a wide

range of opportunities to broaden achievements and these include:

o Music lessons in a range of instruments, enhanced by opportunities on the

Island, with musical events in school and in the community to entertain

and celebrate their efforts.

o Sporting activities including after school clubs and the enhanced focus on

this area of the curriculum has contributed to the school winning the

North Isles School Trophy, for the first time in over 10 years.

o The development of interdisciplinary projects/ activities has enabled

learners to embrace new ideas and skills and has resulted in a real

enjoyment of learning. This year interdisciplinary activities have included

Armistice Day and an Aims and Ethos Day in which the community were

actively encouraged to be involved.

As a small school on a small Island we know our learners extremely well and aim to

support them as fully as possible. The health and wellbeing of our learners is

therefore fundamental to all we do. We always strive always to meet their individual

needs.

Priorities for future development

The school, through the evaluations it has undertaken has produced a School

Improvement Plan and within this plan the following priorities have been highlighted:

Strategic Priority 1: Development of the Curriculum for Excellence

Strategic Priority 2: Continue development of Self Evaluation across the

school

Strategic Priority 3: Development of Leadership across the school

Strategic Priority 4: Continue the development of Support for Learning

for all learners throughout the school

Strategic Priority 5: Continue the development of the Nursery provision

Strategic Priority 6: Ensure the facilities of the school are fit for

purpose to meet the needs of the learners in our care

Gender, Disability and Race

GENDER When considering issues re attainment by boys and girls the small numbers of pupils

attending Stronsay Junior High mean that it is not possible to report on attainment

without identifying individual pupils.

DISABILITY

Because of low numbers it is impossible to disaggregate these figures on the basis of

specific types of support needed without risking identifying individual pupils. Figures

are therefore reported for the group as a whole.

RACE

Numbers of pupils from minority ethnic groups at Stronsay Junior High School are very

low and it is not therefore possible to report on attainment without identifying

individual pupils. The Authority has collected data on the achievement and attainment

of minority ethnic pupils for Orkney as a whole and will report on this in the Authority

equality report.

Exclusions. There were no exclusions this year.

Work and life of the School

In 2013/14 the following opportunities have occurred:

Visit from STEM representatives – Science Workshops

Upper Primary attend Tag Rugby Festivals

Young Ambassadors trip to Inverness (3 pupils attend)

Secondary trip to Loch Eil Outward Bound Centre

Visit from Road Safety Officer

Visit from Careers Officer

Armistice Day – whole school involved

School Photos taken

Children in Need Event – Pudsey Bear visits

Visit from Suzanne Hargreaves (L T Scotland) – focus of Health and

Wellbeing.

Harvest Festival

Book Fair

S4 pupils Work Experience Week

Orkney College deliver 1st Aid courses for S2/3

Christmas Dinner for pupils, staff and parent council.

Christmas Carol Service in Church

Aims and Ethos Day

Visit from KGS/Hostel/Careers staff

Rugby training for all pupils

P7 pupils attend Hockey Festival

S4 Leavers’ Ceremony

Puppet Workshop visit

Screen Machine visit (P1 – S1)

Instrumental Course

Bridge Building Competition

Primary Athletics Event in Kirkwall

AfYD fishing trip to Mainland Orkney

P7 Birsay Trip

Debating Competition in Stromness

School Sports Day

Also, Football Club, After School Athletics.

Regular visits from:

French Assistant

Catherine Johnson (Active Schools)

Catherine Diamond (PT, Early Years)

Imogen Kerr (Ed Psych)

Laura Cunningham (SLT)

Mrs Sullivan/Mrs Hamilton/Mr Hudson (instrumental instructors)

Copies of Limpet Articles for 2013-14 session:.

STRONSAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

On Monday 9th September 2013, Craig and Julia from STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics, not Steamed Tatties Earn Money as we guessed!) came

all the way up to Stronsay from Dundee to teach us ‘How to make the perfect poo’. You

will need:

fork/spoon

bowl

funnel

sealable bag

very long thin plastic bag tied at one end

sieve

porridge oats/weetabix

milk/orange juice

banana

vinegar

gravy browning

Method:

Put breakfast food into bowl. (The bowl represents your mouth.)

Add drinks and vinegar. (Vinegar represents saliva.)

Mash up mixture using fork (=your teeth) and place it in the bag (=your stom-

ach).

Seal bag and mash up further (=stomach acid).

Carefully pour mixture into the long tube through the funnel (=small

intestine).

Add gravy browning while pouring (=bile).

Mash up a bit more to get rid of lumps.

Sieve back into the bowl to get rid of water using spoon (=large intestine).

Dispose of mixture (=Go to the toilet)!

We found out about peristalsis (muscles squeezing food down your oesophagus to your

stomach) and that digestion takes about 12 hours. Your poo is very important be-cause

it can tell you about your health! Craig and Julia, if you’re reading this, thank you very

much. We had a great afternoon!

Upper Primary

Stronsay JH School

Stronsay Junior High School would like to invite the whole community to our:

Aims and Ethos Day

Join us and be part of celebrating our school

Open classrooms:

Creating and planning the outside area

Jolly phonics

Science

French

Social Subjects

Join us at 10am for Break time, Soup and Sandwiches, and our Celebration

Assembly

AIMS AND ETHOS DAY – FRIDAY 7TH FEBRUARY 2014

Our Aims and Ethos day began with a short assembly to share with everyone the

school’s new Vision and Aims which have been chosen by everyone. The key words are

Respect, Trust, Honesty, Responsibility, Kindness, Manners, Positivity, Sensibility and

Inclusion. Pupils were split into their groups and moved to their first activity.

The day was arranged into a circuit of four activities. These were Outdoor areas,

Dressing up, Phonics and Bridge building.

In the Outdoor area activity, Catherine Diamond first of all asked us what we liked to

do outdoors. e.g. jumping, swinging, climbing etc. She showed some pictures of out-door

areas. Then we had to design and make our ideal play area in a tray and make it as

creative as possible. Materials we used included green fabric (‘grass’), moss/heather

like material, stones, clay, cocktail sticks and wood. People started to make their

outdoor are-as. It was fantastic and a good chance to show off our skills and put

forward ideas.

Mrs Barber led the Dressing up activity. She asked us to look at the Smartboard. She

showed us some pictures and asked us if we knew what period in time they were from.

We picked somebody from each group to dress up as something we saw in the pictures,

for example, a caveman or a Roman soldier. We used all sorts of materials to make the

costumes. Finally, we got the S4s to judge our costumes with a mark out of 5.

Elizabeth’s group won with Amber dressed as a Flamenco dancer. It was educational,

interesting and fun.

Bridge Building – Mrs Rose led a quiz about Newtons and forces. If we got 6 or more

correct answers we could earn more materials to build our bridge. The materials were

an extra metre of tape, 10 extra art straws and 2 extra pairs of scissors. The bridge

had to hold at least one plank of wood. Some groups didn’t get to put wood on their

bridge. At the end, Mrs Rose put weights on the plank of wood to see how much weight

it could carry. It was excitingly enjoyable! John, Eoan, Millie and Andy’s group won.

Phonics – We learned the sounds of the alphabet with Mrs Evans and there was a song

to go with it. It was fantastically fun! We also played a spelling game where we had to

listen to Mrs Evans. She said the words, then we tried to make them. It was great fun

to do. We played another game which was like Corners. Someone was a frog. The frog

said a word, there were 4 lily pads with a certain amount of word endings and you had

to go to the lily pad that had the right ending of the words that the frog said. If you

went on the wrong lily pad you went out of the game.

Page 3 of The Stronsay Limpet - Issue 104 February 2014

To finish off the day a final assembly was held. The vision and aims key words were

represented by the Upper Primary acting out small sketches about responsibility and

the Secondary pupils producing ‘stills’. Mr King handed out Bronze, Silver and Gold

merit certificates to primary pupils. James and Matthew played a few tunes on their

accordions, ably assisted by Jack on guitar and Molly on fiddle. They then accompanied

the whole primary singing Edelweiss. It was all really good. Mr King then handed out the

secondary merit certificates. Some secondary pupils also received First Aid

certificates and certificates for the Loch Eil trip, from the Outward Bound Trust, for

their achievement and participation in the trip. Finally, it was announced that Diane had

been accepted as part of the new steering group for Scotland for Young Ambassadors.

We would like to thank Mrs Diamond, Mrs Barber, Mrs Rose and Mrs Evans for creating

the activities. We would like to thank the community for supporting the day and taking

part. We had a delicious lunch made by Arna and Wilma. Thanks to everyone who made

the day so educational and fun. We are ‘Proud to Belong, Proud to be Limpets!’

PRIMARY SCHOOLS ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

THURSDAY 29TH MAY 2014

Pupils were selected to represent Stronsay School as competitors in the annual

event held at the Pickaquoy Centre. We were lucky enough to land a beautiful, sunny

day! Pupils chose a run (100m or 1500m), a jump (long or high) and a throw (cricket

ball or shot putt). Everyone gave their best and performed really well. Congratulations

to John Smith who managed 7.06m in the 9-10 years boys’ shot putt, winning gold!

Well done to everyone!

M Dennison

NORTH ISLES SPORTS SANDAY, SATURDAY 28TH JUNE 2014

Stronsay triumphed at this year’s North Isles Sports event, held in Sanday, overall

winning the Schools’ Cup (including the netball), Men’s football and Tug o’ War! A HUGE

well done to all involved!

Team work is promoted through regular staff meetings. These take the form of whole

staff and departmental meetings. The school has used its available resources to the

best effect, ensuring specialists are available to teach the appropriate subjects.

Classroom Assistants have a weekly opportunity for consultation with the Support for

Learning teacher. This is used to provide guidance and training.

The school has also had a several changes in staff:

Miss Lorna Reid/Mrs Shona Firth covered Mrs Brown’s maternity leave

Mrs Vivia Leslie/Mr Angus Ross covered English

Mrs Bowen covered Support for Learning

Mrs Wishart covered Home Economics during Mrs Evans’ maternity leave

Inclusion and Equality—promoting equality

The school is aware of its duties, general and specific under the Race Relations

(Amendment) Act, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Equality Act 2006.

Equality issues are discussed and ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic diversity is

recognised, valued and promoted as a positive feature of the school. There is no

barrier to participation in activities through culture and language, disability, race,

religion, sexual orientation or additional support needs.

All staff are informed about the legal aspects of racial discrimination and are aware of

ensuring that there is no racial harassment or sexual discrimination. Equality issues are

addressed through the PSD curriculum. Circle time is used in primary classes and anti-

bullying/anti-racism are some of the topics for class discussions and assemblies.

We believe that the promotion of equal access to sport is an important priority.

Our Active Schools Coordinator plays a key role in our developments.

Access to the school buildings and classrooms for disabled pupils is assessed regularly

and necessary improvements identified.

Vision and leadership The school continues to embed its new aims and vision into all it does. These aims are

displayed throughout the school and are fundamental to the life of our establishment.

Leadership opportunities have been developed across the school as we continue to

develop as a learning community. The role of the Parent Council in supporting the

development of the school is fundamental to its success.

Conclusion

This has been an exciting year for the school, with many new developments. The

excellent achievements of the learners at the end of S4 are a testament to the hard

work of the learners, parents and staff throughout this challenging year. It has been

wonderful to see the support of the community of Stronsay in the life of the school. I

look forward to another exciting year ahead.

Andrew King , Head teacher