This Year at St Aloysius' College

“A journey of discernment, a fulfilling adventure...”

ST ALOYSIUS’ COLLEGE

BORN FOR GREATER THINGS

THIS YEAR AT ST ALOYSIUS’

Company Limited by Guarantee No. SC405951. Registered Charity No. SCO42545

2013-14 YEAR IN REVIEW

Contents

Head Master’s Welcome

Structures and Objectives

Christian Formation

Academic Excellence

Co-Curricular

Safeguarding and Pastoral Care

Development Office

Networks and Parterships

4 - 5

6 - 7

8 - 9

10 - 13

14 - 15

16 - 17

18

19

“The College community is friendly and open, a place where everyone is

welcomed. The sense of belonging lasts for the rest of your life.”

Head Master’s Welcome

St Aloysius’ College educates just over 1,100 boys and girls from the ages of 3 to 18. As a school, our learning and teaching is delivered within the context of the Jesuit philosophy of education. As such, the College shares in a worldwide tradition of academic excellence dating back more than 500 years and strives to develop the God- given talents of its young people.

As you will learn from this, our first Annual Report to parents, Jesuit education is not so much about what we teach and learn, but how we teach and learn. Accordingly, our pupils are part of a strong and vibrant community in which they are nurtured and inspired to uncover their full potential.

The College has a distinguished academic record, with the majority of pupils moving on to university and entering the professions. Our results this year are testament to the hard work and dedication of our pupils, as well as the immense effort of parents and staff in guiding their studies throughout the year.

Balancing an academic foundation is the wide variety of activity-based opportunities, such as drama and outdoor education. Investment in sport has begun to reap its rewards, with the Under 16 rugby team reaching the final of the Scottish Schools Cup. Meanwhile, the Schola, an innovative choral music programme, is also blossoming, with the Junior Schola performing for 12,000 people at the Hydro with world-famous tenor, Andrea Bocelli.

Through the numerous College charities, our pupils are encouraged to use their talents for the common good, in keeping with our charitable ethos ‘in the spirit, from the heart, practically’.

“Our pupils are nurtured and inspired to uncover their full potential.”

4

Safeguarding has been a particular focus, with the introduction of an external Safeguarding Commission, as well as an internal Committee, to review and monitor all aspects of safeguarding within the College. More has been done to encourage wellbeing in the College, which you will read about later in this report.

A Development Office has also been established to re-connect with Old Aloysians and establish stronger links with former pupils outside the UK. A series of exciting projects have been identified that will not only improve facilities for the College, but also extend our reach for those who would benefit most from a Jesuit education.

On the subject of outreach, we have established greater links with the community via partner projects and initiatives. International links have also been strengthened with our twinned schools on a number of exchanges and visits.

As I am sure you can tell, it has been an incredibly productive year for the College, both in terms of teaching and learning and strategic vision. Thank you, as always, for your help and support as we look forward to the year ahead.

John BrowneHead Master

5

Structures and Objectives

Charitable Objectives and Activities

The aim of Jesuit education is the formation of people of competence, conscience and compassion, men and women of faith who are men and women for others. It promotes academic excellence, allowing each pupil to develop to the fullest, his or her own intellectual gifts.

Central to Jesuit tradition is the idea God is found in all things and that all things are worthy of attention, curiosity and study. We provide a co-curricular programme which helps develop life-long pursuits, builds self-confidence and a desire to be ‘men and women for others’.

St Ignatius Loyola defined Jesuit education as “improvement in living and learning to the greater glory of God and the common good”.

Embracing the meaning of ‘Catholic’ as universal, families from all faiths are welcomed to share the values and ethos of the school and its Jesuit foundations.

Governance Structures

St Aloysius’ College was created as a new legal entity in 2012. As a result, Bursary, Nominations and Audit and Governance Committees were established, as well as an independent Safeguarding Commission. The St Aloysius College Charitable Purposes Fund is being removed, however, the St Aloysius Charitable Fund remains active as well as the St Aloysius College Children’s Fund, which exists as a separate charity.

College Structures

A number of committees have been created to bridge both Senior and Junior Schools in Safeguarding; Health and Safety; Health and Well-being and Professional Learning, as well as a new Development Committee. A policy review has also been undertaken and is ongoing in 2014-15, whilst three one-year staff leadership posts were appointed to promote innovation in teaching and learning.

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Christian Formation

Senior School

As a school, St Aloysius’ College provides an extensive programme of retreats, class Masses, whole school liturgies and assemblies. The majority of retreats are peer-led and in 2013-14, for the first time there was a 100% participation in the voluntary Kairos retreat.

Pupils take part in a broad range of charitable activities, such as the Lourdes Pilgrimage and Children’s Fund Holiday.

Service and Leadership programmes are a vital part of the College ethos. This year, four S6 pupils achieved the Caritas Award. A further two achieved the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award.

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Almost all S6 took on Christian Leadership roles, whilst a large number of senior pupils are involved in the Arrupe Voluntary Service programme. A number of S6 pupils attended a Global Student Forum to work with pupils from around Scotland on Justice and Peace issues, while S5 students participated in the Lessons from Auschwitz Programme. In the interests of outreach, the annual University Chaplains Day was extended to pupils from St Andrew’s Academy, Paisley and St Benedict’s High School, Linwood.

Public lectures provide a way of sharing our ethos and values with the wider community. A new lecture series was introduced in September by the Centre for Social and Environmental Justice (CSEJ), in addition to the well-established Lenten Gonzaga series.

A focus will be to promote further the virtues from the Jesuit Pupil Profile. Newly appointed Captains for Christian Formation will plan and lead regular assemblies. A project based on the Jesuit concept of examen will be undertaken through a one-year leadership post, while the Arrupe Programme will continue to be developed.

Junior School

The formation of a Chaplaincy Team provided better links with the Senior School. Older Junior School children explored new methods of prayer and reflection including lectio divina, prayer groups and reflective walks.

Initiatives for 2014/15

The creation of a Chaplaincy Coordinator for the Junior School will allow the development of a Junior School Christian Formation Programme including a retreat programme.Further opportunities for Christian leadership for pupils will be developed. A focus will be to promote and embed further the virtues from the Jesuit Pupil Profile.

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Academic Excellence

Senior School

As one of the highest achieving schools in Scotland, St Aloysius’ College provides a broad and balanced curriculum in which our pupils perform strongly across the board.

In 2013-14, the College’s exceptional Higher pass rate of 96.2% was the strongest in the West of Scotland.

Other highlights of this year include an A-rate of 60% for Higher pupils, which was a 2.2% improvement on the College’s previous record from 2012, whilst 38 pupils achieved five A grades and one pupil achieved six A grades.

At Advanced Higher level the pass rate improved by 3.2% on 2013 to 94.9%, whilst Fourth Year pupils sitting Intermediate 2 improved by 0.6% on 2013.


For 2014-15 we continue to prepare for the new National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses whilst maintaining our outstanding levels of attainment.

Most Fifth and Sixth Year pupils will sit the new Higher and Advanced Higher courses during 2015/16, however, those pupils studying Higher English and Higher PE will present for the revised Higher in May 2015.

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A Director of Digital Learning will be a new appointment for the College in 2014/15, prioritising the use of digital technology to develop deep and transformational teaching and learning.

Following the successful introduction of individual iPads for P7 to S2 in 2013-14, this has been extended to include S3 to S6. The use of an electronic planner in the Senior School has caused a dramatic reduction in missing and late homework and new initiatives will be introduced to compliment this for the new academic year.

The use of digital exam papers will be introduced early in 2014/15 to provide improved support for pupils with additional needs to develop independent learning skills.

This enhanced provision for learning support will afford these pupils the opportunity to sit SQA exams without having to rely on readers and scribes.

For the 2014-15 academic year, the College is also providing detailed, on-site training for teaching staff to allow more detailed tracking of pupil progress.

“There is a

real sense of

community

among the

teachers and

pupils at the

College. I feel

valued and

respected.”

Lucas McMenemy, S1

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Academic Excellence

Junior School

One of the highlights of 2013/14 saw pupils from the P7 Italian bilingual programme achieve a 100% pass rate in the SQA Intermediate 1 Italian exam with an outstanding 65% A-rate. Building on these results, a new modern language programme for all children from P2 to P7 will deliver both curriculum and language through Italian or Spanish.

A weekly electronic ‘learning log’ for Kindergarten parents provides a coherent and progressive insight into curriculum content and learning, allowing them to watch their children expand their knowledge and understanding. This concept is extended throughout the school via portfolios, including e-portfolios for our P7s who use individual iPads for their learning and daily home school communication.

“St Aloysius’

College is a

wonderful

experience of

learning, fun,

friendships and

memories that

will last a

lifetime.”

Sean McCormick, P7

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A ‘Big Writing’ programme across the school enhances creative writing skills for children. The project aims to improve speaking, listening and writing across the Junior School. Religious Education is now delivered through the Archdiocese of Glasgow ‘This is Our Faith’ course including a new relationship education programme. This is the first religious education syllabus to be originated wholly in Scotland to meet the needs of young Scottish people.


Personalised learning will be further developed this year. The resources for the modern languages programme will be enhanced, while digital learning will continue as a key focus throughout the Junior School.

The introduction of a one-year leadership post also provides the opportunity to introduce a new humanities programme, which also adds depth to learning and teaching in the Primary years.

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Co-Curricular

Senior School

The College offers a large number of day and residential educational, sporting and cultural trips to pupils, including visits to London, Spain, France and the Lake District.

Outdoor Education, including rock climbing and canoeing is popular. The College is the largest sole provider of the Duke of Edinburgh Award in the West of Scotland.

National competitions, such as the Donald Dewar Debating Competition and Rotary Club Public Speaking Competition, allow pupils to use their knowledge from the classroom.

Pupils continue to participate in a wide range of sport. The College benefits from use of the National Hockey Centre at Glasgow Green and the 1st XI hockey team toured Holland. Meanwhile, the U16 rugby team were runners up in the Scottish Schools Cup at Murrayfield, whilst the 1st XV toured South Africa.

The College’s musical offering is growing year on year, with a new Director of Music appointed. Junior School

A wide range of weekly afterschool clubs is available for P4 to P7.

Regular sports training in climbing, golf, hockey and rugby is available, whilst P6 and P7 also take part in the John Muir Award Scheme.

As in the Senior School, trips and visits play a significant role in the curriculum and this year featured a ski trip to Italy and a history trip to the war memorials of Belgium and France. P6 students had a residential visit to Ardmay Outdoor Centre.


A new Director of Co-Curricular was appointed to coordinate and develop the existing provision in the school. Communication of information about co-curricular activities will be co-ordinated to pupils, parents and internally amongst staff and on the website.

Co-Curricular timetables will be introduced to allow parents to co-ordinate their child’s interests and to encourage increased participation in activities.

Pupil involvement will be more closely monitored via the school’s academic management system, 3SYS. Reporting on co-curricular activities will also be considered. Celebrating Success will continue to be a focus for Tuesday Assemblies in the Senior School.

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In addition to the external Safe-guarding Commission an internal Safeguarding Committee was established to review and monitor all aspects of Safeguarding within the College. Two subcommittees for Pupil Well-being and Relationship Education work on specific projects. A (male) Assistant Safeguarding Officer for the Senior School with a special remit for online safety was appointed in addition to the (female) Safeguarding Officers for the Senior and Junior Schools.

Senior School

Safeguarding and Pastoral Care has been a key focus for the College. We take great pride in our Pastoral Care provision and we seek to develop a partnership with pupils and with parents in providing a secure and supportive environmentin which pupils can continue to flourish.

A Pastoral Handbook has been created for staff, parents and pupils, whilst the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is also on the College website for parents. There have been initiatives to strengthen links with parents through coffee mornings for Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)

The approach to well-being and provision for meeting the emotional and social needs of pupils has been reviewed, leading to new opportunities to promote pupils’ personal and social development. There has also been a renewed approach to the transition from the Junior to the Senior School to ensure the smooth integration of younger pupils into the Main Building environment.

Professional development for pastoral staff has also been a focus, with this year’s introduction of what is a more formalised development programme, including national and local training, work shadowing, peer coaching and mentoring.

A more transparent process for the selection of all Sixth Year Captains was implemented with interviews conducted on a more formalised basis. The expanded team of Captains (College, Christian Formation, Music, Pupil Voice and Sport) will have a more equitable share of responsibilities.


There will be a renewed focus on Student Voice with the appointment of new pupil Captains to Chair the Student Councils.

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Junior School

The principles of the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) initiative have been implemented throughout the school. A Pastoral Secretary provides additional support for pupils, staff and parents.

Positive behaviour is promoted through a range of Assemblies and classroom activities. Information sessions on digital safety were held for staff, parents and pupils.

Health and Well-being provision is audited through pupil questionnaires in P6 and P7.


A tracking system to support the progress, attainments and behaviour of our pupils will be developed. A new Behaviour Policy will be implemented following consultation with parents. As in the Senior School, there will be development of Student Voice.

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Development Office

The Development Office was established during 2013/14 to forge improved links with Old Aloysians. A key achievement has been the implementation of a new database and the subsequent re-connection with thousands of OAs. Events have been hosted in London and Sydney, Australia.

Four pillar projects have been identified for the future: Bursaries; a Sports Hall; a Library and an organ for St Aloysius’ Church to support the College’s Schola programme. Two major donors have generously provided the funding for the College contribution to the organ.


Plans include: establishing new alumni groups and extending the network; developing the case for support for the four pillar projects; meeting and forging lasting relationships with alumni; starting an annual fund and legacy club.

Planning is underway in enhancing College communications both internally and externally.

The aim is to cultivate lifelong relationships with the College and encourage a spirit of community and philanthropy.

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Networks and Partnerships

Schola Trust

During the year 2012/13, three auditioned liturgical choirs were created and a fourth, the Schola Nova, open to all pupils from S1 to S3, has been created in 2013/14.

The Schola Cantorum gave a concert in the Sacred Heart Church, Edinburgh and obtained Distinction at the Glasgow Music Festival. The two junior Schola choirs sang at the Hydro for the tenor Andrea Bocelli for an audience of 12,500 people. Five members of the Schola choirs were selected as members of the National Youth Choirs of Scotland, whilst 35 members gained the Bronze Award of the Royal School of Church Music - a record number of passes from one church or school. A Schola instrumental programme has begun.


A Schola Trust will be formed to develop musical opportunities for the choirs and musical partnership projects. A Music Leadership Course will be developed in collaboration with the Royal Schools of Church Music and accredited by SQA.

In March all four choirs will take part in a weekend event commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of St John Ogilvie.

This will involve students from the nine UK Jesuit schools. The Van Den Heuvel Organ from the Royal Academy of Music in London will be installed in the church.

Community Links

The College will continue to develop more collaborative working with St Aloysius’ Parish and the Ignatian Spirituality Centre. The College will continue to work with the Glasgow School of Art on a number of proposed partnership projects, whilst continuing to develop links with Garnetbank Primary School.

International Links

Links with Jesuit schools internationally were strengthened. Pupil language exchanges, a basketball tour, a joint pilgrimage and a language assistant exchange took place with the Colegio de la Inmaculada in Gijon, Spain. The Head Master visited St Aloysius’ College, Sydney and the Sydney Football team visited Glasgow.


The College seeks to enhance links with the Garnethill community. Formal links will be established with St Aloysius’ College, Sydney and a Jesuit school in Italy.

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BORN FOR GREATER THINGS

[email protected] | 0141 332 3190

45 Hill Street, Glasgow, G3 6RJ

This Year at St Aloysius' College

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Transcript of This Year at St Aloysius' College