2020Vision

 

More Choices More Chances Curriculum     MCMC Support

 

LEADERSHIP

  • Total leadership graduates now:  145+ pupils, 29 staff, 4 parents (represents over 62% of the school (S3-S6)
  • Next Leadership Academy will be held in May 09 at Dalguise
  • DHT working with Kilmarnock College, accrediting centre – SCQF Leadership Int 1/2
  • Leaders hold workshops for the P7s during the Doon LP Literacy and Numeracy Day in May each year
  • Leaders in the Community Group meet in the Area Centre with the CLD workers and are involved in ‘The Glennie’ newsletter
  • S4 leaders are planning their ‘Doon Values’ input with all the Mentoring groups

INTEGRATION

 

  • The Integrated Team are planning for the Easter programme now.
  • Sports Leaders/ D of E participants are continuing to work in weekly primary sports activities – football, netball and cricket
  • They are also assisting in the inter-primary games competitions
  • Duke of Edinburgh award group- has increased to 26
  • DofE Bronze award expedition planning/training is well underway
  • EMHN’s funding has been extended to June 2009
  • Although our School Nurse has been absent due to illness, the Drop-in Centre has continued to run.  Due to its popularity the NHS decided to bring in cover in the interim to assist our EMHN
  • EMHN is continuing to make a significant contribution to the PSE programme at all stages
  • As our CLD Link Worker (Teenagers) has left for a permanent position in Kilmarnock we have employed a retired primary teacher who lives locally to cover some of the work he did e.g. re-engaging pupils, linking community projects
  • Lifestyle Development Officer has left for a permanent position elsewhere but some of the work she started has been continued through our enthusiastic Active Schools Coordinator
  • HE facilities in school are being used for family cooking classes in the evenings

Click here for more information about Extended Integrated Service Delivery.

 

ENGAGEMENT & PARTICIPATION

  • ASDAN groups are continuing to work well – good uptake again this year following on from successes of candidates last year
  • Extra staffing in Pupil Support working effectively (classroom assistants, retired PS teacher) – individualised curriculum to facilitate reengagement of disaffected pupils.  Doon has received an couple of very high tariff cases recently
  • Volunteer is accompanying SLC pupil to work placement on a weekly basis
  • Citizenship Group focus is now on S2 underachieving boys- continued attendance at group is dependent on number of weekly demerits/referrals: weekly counselling session with Year Head
  • Mentoring Evenings are proving popular with parents
  • Parents accompanied participants in the EA Health & Wellbeing Showcase in Kilmarnock
  • Buses have been arranged to transport the primary pupils to the various competitions that have been organised by the Active Schools coordinator and other members of the integrated team

ATTAINMENT & ACHIEVEMENT

 

  • Flexible curriculum is effectively increasing opportunities for attainment by individuals
  • All associate Pr Schools have embraced Accelerated Reader programme from P5
  • Closing the Literacy Gap programme is proving successful in S1 with improvements ranging from +1yr to +2.4yrs in Reading Age: Comprehension
  • A number of staff have attended the A Neil literacy training in school
  • Opportunities for enterprising education have increased in many departments and through the elective periods
  • Departments are exploring ‘Employer Engagement’ opportunities
  • C for Ex week for S1 in December – theme of ‘Community’ was explored by departments
  • College provision within school is having a significant impact on pupils’ positive destinations
  • CAT testing has been introduced and is being used effectively in mentoring periods
  • Assertive Mentoring established now with S3 and S4
  • Assertive Mentoring in S5: 2 groups – 3+Highers; Int2/Higher
  • Statistics:

From baseline 2004/5 to present 2007/8

Entering HE + FE: 36% increasing to 42%
Entering Employment & Training: 26% increasing to 38%
NEET: 24% decreasing to 20%
Discrepancy of 14%         -             nil

 

Doon Curriculum for More Choices More Chances

 

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Our curriculum allows students to study a traditional 8 Standard grade model but also has the flexibility to allow:

  1. Vocational education for over 50% of year group in S3/4 delivered in the school by college lecturers
  2. A mentoring programme that allows daily contact via registration, weekly contact via mentoring period and 3 mentor parents’ evening each session.
  3. Individualised curriculum for a few students who have difficulty in sustaining contact with the mainstream curriculum
  4. Extra Support for LAAC students
  5. Increased PE provision for all
  6. Tracking and support for students and former students for up to a year after students leave school (sometimes longer)
  7. ACTIVATE programme for S5 winter leavers and S4 summer leavers
  8. Curricular and extra curricular courses to support this group include:
  • ASDAN
  • Citizenship course
  • Duke of Edinburgh Award
  • Work with partnership agencies eg ZONE
  • Community projects
  • John Muir Award
  • Youth Sports Leaders Award

Support for this group includes:

  • Early intervention in Literacy and Numeracy across the Learning Partnership
  • Learning and Behaviour Support
  • Emotional and Mental Health Nurse
  • Social Work assistant
  • Community Link worker
  • School Nurse
  • Active Schools Coordinator
  • College placements and Volunteer work for SEN students

 

Here are strategies/resources we have used to raise the self-esteem/confidence of our young people - thus More Choices, More Chances

  • All S3 pupils participate in a Leadership activity for a week: our own Leadership Academy, Kilmarnock College Leadership, Fire Reach or Ocean Youth Trust
  • Lifestyle development officer offered alternative physical activities for non-participants in PE. She also offered Sports Leadership courses at Junior and Senior levels - some the participants have found part-time leisure jobs
  • Activate Group (Careers Scotland) have an input with the Christmas leavers: CVs, interview skills, communication skills etc
  • Duke of Edinburgh award programme has been established in Doon: participation in activities such as journalism, police, enterprise
  • ASDAN is included in S3 Option Sheet and is also offered as part of an alternative curriculum for some vulnerable young people. It is also part of the curriculum for the SEN pupils in the Supported Learning Centre
  • The Guidance Dept include Careers in each year group's PSE programme and arrange Work Experience placements for every student before their statutory leaving date.
  • LANTRA have offered our students a work skills programme
  • Motivational workshops are organised by the school for some year groups at crucial times
  • Personalised curriculum is arranged by Pupil Support department to support the disengaged students, increasing levels of achievement
  • Pupil Support also supports low-achieving pupils so that equality of opportunity is for all.
  • LAAC pupils have an identified mentor
  • Active Schools coordinator has increased levels of physical activity offering a wider choice of activity.
  • Attendance of students at FE/HE Open Days
  • Involvement of S2 pupils in U Can Do It workshops
  • Integrated Support Team (SW assistant, 2 CLD workers, Emotional & Mental Health Nurse, School Nurse, Active Schools coordinator, Lifestyle Development officer) meet on a weekly basis to support the most vulnerable individuals and their families.  Effective and efficient support given to the most vulnerable with careers input included
  • Electives and mentoring were introduced into the curriculum when we made the changes to the length of our school day.  Electives were offered from S1 - S4 with 2 periods/wk being given over to 'enjoyment/more depth' activities, again widening the experiences and opportunities being afforded to our students - favourite areas were; Music, football, dance/drama, HE & Technical.
  • Dads & Lads club is being offered out of school hours in the Technical Dept by college staff - offering the opportunity to increase the employability skill level of the wider community.

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More Choices More Chances Targeted Support

Several strategies have been introduced to support the MCMC group, including:

  • Reading Recovery programme has been implemented to use with bottom 20% in S1 and S2. Members of staff from several departments have been trained in its delivery and Rainbow Reading scheme has been purchased to use with S1. Pupils enjoy this programme as they make rapid, measurable progress.
  • Lexia computer program is used to develop literacy skills in bottom 20% and their performance and progress is monitored.
  • Word Wasp spelling books have been purchased for use in S1 literacy tutorials.
  • Support for Learning Staff are deployed flexibly in classes to support delivery of attainment targets- the focus of support is on literacy skills to bottom 20%. 2/3 S1 classes and ¾ S2 classes are supported in English.
  • A Literacy Lunchtime Club has been introduced. This was initially for S1 & S2 pupils, but, due to its popularity, it has been extended to include S3 & S4. A group of S2 boys attend regularly, with other students dropping-in occasionally. Activities include word games and literacy-based computer games. The recently acquired Nintendo DS consoles are also proving popular for Brain Training.

Several methods of assessment and monitoring of progress have been introduced to measure the impact of early intervention strategies:

  • There is baseline assessment of S1 & S2 pupils’ reading and spelling ages. Accelerated Reading scores are used to monitor progress.
  • Performances in 5-14 assessments are tracked on SEEMIS.
  • Folders on A-E examples of writing are available within the Pupil Support department.

The key factors in developing the Literacy Programme have included:

Resources

  • Reading Recovery and Word Wasp (synthetic phonics) are amongst several resources purchased by the Pupil Support department to support literacy developments. They have also purchased multiple copies of Barrington Stoke novels that are used by both the English and Pupil Support Departments.
  • Educationcity.com is used as a whole school resource.
  • Alpha Smarts and lap-tops are available for use by any student for extended writing work.

Staffing

  • A Literacy Tutor has been appointed who, along with Pupil Support Staff, is available to provide support to mainstream staff for delivery of writing lessons.
  • Students with dyslexia have access to a reader/scribe for assessments and may be given tutorial support if they require or request it. They are also likely to have in-class support in S1 and S2.

Training

  • In 2006-2007, a previous Literacy Tutor and PT Pupil Support attended ‘Leadership in Literacy’ meetings with Anne Neill and Literacy PTs from primary schools within the Learning Partnership throughout the session.
  • The current Literacy Tutor has attended CPD sessions on Closing the Literacy Gap and Reducing Poverty- Promoting Literacy
  • Staff are made aware of and encouraged to attend Literacy in-service training.

Whole school approaches

  • Extended reading programmes have been developed for S1 & S2, including Accelerated Reader.
  • Extended reading programme has been developed for P7 as part of the school’s transition programme.
  • There is collaboration between Pupil Support & English departments to support bottom 20% in S1 & S2.
  • Extended writing tasks have been introduced across subjects.
  • There is a centralised writing resource area in Pupil Support Department available for all staff to access for CPD/ development of lesson materials.
  • Pupil planners have information about literacy skills, punctuation and grammar.
  • Skimming and scanning skills are taught as part of the mentoring programme

 

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