New Timetable

Dear Parent/Carer

New Timetable

As you may be aware, we start our new timetable on Monday 2nd June 2014. At this time we will be moving to a new 40 period week. Start and finish times of the school day will remain the same and there will be no alteration to transport arrangements.

Period Times will be as follows:

Registration: 9.00-9.15
Period 1: 9.15-9.55
Period 2: 9.55-10.35
Interval: 10.35-10.50
Period 3: 10.50-11.30
Period 4: 11.30-12.09
Period 5: 12.09-12.48
Lunch: 12.48-1.28
Period 6: 1.28-2.07
Period 7: 2.07-2.46
Period 8: 2.46-3.25

These times will avoid the need to have one period shorter than the others.

Other changes taking place at the start of the new timetable include:

PSE – this will now be known as Health & Well-being and will usually be delivered by your child’s Pupil Support Teacher.

Interdisciplinary Learning – A slot has been made available in S1 & S2 to allow pupils to do work which is not specific to one subject area. This will include study & research skills as well as the opportunity to take part in non subject specific projects.

In S3 one period per week will allocated to ensuring that pupils receive their entitlement within Curriculum for Excellence in covering as wide a range of curricular areas as possible.

HMIe – Inspection

The HMI report is available on-line, both at the Education Scotland Web-site and our own Web-site – http://www.stranraeracademy.org.uk.

We are currently working with staff from both Dumfries & Galloway Council and HMI to produce an improvement plan to meet the recommendations in the Inspection Report. This will be made available, via our web-site, before the end of term.

Parent Council

A reminder that the next meeting takes place in the Conference Room on Thursday 12th June at 7pm. All parents and carers are welcome to attend.

Yours faithfully,

Norman R. Dawson
Headteacher

S2 Curriculum Based Assessment

Dear Parent/Carer

S2 CURRICULUM BASED ASSESSMENT

Education Services are committed to raising the attainment of pupils in our schools in order to improve life chances for all our young people. As part of this ongoing process, all second year pupils in secondary schools throughout Dumfries and Galloway will, between Tuesday April 22th and Friday May 16th 2013, take part in an assessment called the Scottish On-Screen Curriculum Assessment (SOSCA). SOSCA considers pupils’ abilities in reading, maths and science; each part of the assessment taking a maximum of 45 minutes. The assessments are designed by the University of Durham, and are used by many authorities in Scotland and across the world. Pupils cannot and should not “study” for these tests as their purpose is to provide additional information to support the core task of learning and teaching in our schools.

SOSCA results are produced in a form that, along with other sources of information, allows schools to identify pupils’ strengths and also areas of learning where additional support might be required. The data obtained can also contribute to the pupil target setting and tracking process.

Parents can have access to the outcomes of the assessment in summary form on request to the school but again I would stress that the information provided is primarily for learning and teaching purposes and must not be viewed in isolation. The assessments themselves are undertaken on-line and are adaptive, meaning that the computer programme adjusts the level of difficulty to each child’s needs. Experience has shown that most pupils find these tests are “fun to do” as they are on the computer and are fast paced and interesting.

Yours sincerely

Claire Dougan
PT Pupil Support

S2 in to S3 Options

26 February 2014

Dear Parent/Carer
The plans for the current curriculum in Stranraer Academy were implemented for sessions 2012-2014 to allow for the development of the Broad General Education (S1-3) and the Senior Phase (S4-6) of Curriculum for Excellence.
Discussions have taken place with pupils, staff and Parent Council to review the current model for delivery of the curriculum for session 2014.
Currently, the curriculum allows pupils to experience a broad range of subjects in S1/2 with an opportunity of some specialisation in S3 and further subject specialisation in S4 leading to National Qualifications. In S5/6 pupils would be able to select up to 5 courses each year at appropriate level to meet their needs.
The revised curriculum will continue to follow this model however; there will be a reduction in the number of subjects that pupils will be able to take in S3 and S4. This will allow pupils and staff additional time to ensure increased depth in the delivery of the subjects.
Broad General Education (S1-3) – In S1/2, pupils will continue to experience the same curriculum areas.
In S3, pupils will select English and Mathematics along with eight other subjects; the core subjects of Physical Education and Personal and Social Education/RMPS will be delivered.
Senior Phase (S4-6) – In S4, the core subjects of Physical Education and Personal and Social Education/RMPS along with English, Mathematics and five subjects from their S3 curriculum. This gives a total of seven subjects which may be taken at National Level 3, 4 or 5.
In S5/6, the curriculum will remain as before. This continues to give pupils the opportunity to make further individual progress with their subjects, whether that is developing at National 3, 4 or 5 or taking their subjects, to new levels, at Higher or, in S6, to Advanced Higher. Experience of taking a new subject may be available to pupils. Pupils will take five courses in S5 and up to five courses in S6.
Implications for Subject choice
The subject choice programme has been taking place through the PSE programme; pupils will have been interviewed and they will have indicated the subject in which they wish to progress. PT Pupil Support will be meeting again with your child to select the final ten subjects that they wish to specialise in in S3.
Should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours Sincerely

A G Benson
(DHT)

S3 Option Choice

Dear Parent/Carer,

 All S2 pupils have recently received the “S3 Option Booklet 2013” and I am sure that this has been discussed at home. I am writing to outline the planned process for option choices over the coming weeks.

 Curriculum for Excellence means that there is a change in the traditional option choice process. The broad general education followed by all S1 to S3 pupils means that at the end of S3 pupils will choose which subjects they will continue with into S4 and on to National Qualifications.

Opportunities for discussion about this will be offered nearer that time. 

 We aim to give pupils and parents/carers as much information as possible to help in the option process and over the coming weeks the following programme is planned:-

 PT curriculum are visiting S2 PSE classes giving information about their subjects, starting 31^st January.

• PT’s support and the pupils’ register teacher will be talking to pupils about option choices in register time and in PSE lessons.
• S2 reports will be out to parents/carers on the 15^th February giving information on current progress and recommended level of study in S3 and S4.
• On 21^st February there will be a careers evening to which all S2 pupils, parents and carers are invited. Employers, universities and colleges will be in attendance.
• There is an S2 information evening scheduled for 4^th March where parents/carers and pupils can talk through progress in different subjects.

 This process will give pupils and parents/carers more understanding about the content of each subject area. PT support and register teachers will then begin meeting with individuals to complete the option forms.

 If, following this process you would still like to meet with pupil support teachers to discuss anything this can be arranged. Please contact the relevant pupil support teacher to arrange a meeting. (I have included contact details at the end of this letter and contact by email is welcomed.)

 Below are the details and dates of each stage of the process.

 

Option booklets	Out Jan 21st
Letter to parents/carers	Out Jan 31st	Outlines process, information and deadlines
PT subject talks in PSE	Start Jan 31st	Finish Feb 21st
S2 reports	Out Feb 15th	Subject information and recommended level of further study
Careers evening	Feb 21st	Information for S2/S4 and parents/carers
PT support and register teacher option interviews with S2 pupils	Feb 25th onwards	In register time and PSE lessons. Offer for parental interviews with PT support
S2 Information evening	Monday 4th March	Opportunity for final discussion
Return of option choice forms to PT Support	Option forms returned Wednesday 6th March

 In the meantime if you have any questions or require further information please contact the appropriate PT support listed below.

 Contact details:

 Dunskey House

D. Hyslop – dhyslop708@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

A. Irvine – airvine872@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

 

Glenapp House

C. Dougan – cdougan501@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

R. McCulloch – rmccullo628@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

 

Inch House

J. Whalen – jwhalen366@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

 

Logan House

P Livingstone – plivings095@ea.dumgal.sch.uk

 

Yours sincerely,

A Law

Depute Head Teacher

Use of 3G Pitch / PE kit

 

From Tuesday 13^th November 2012, I am delighted to inform you that the P.E department will have use of the new 3G pitch facility for curricular and extra-curricular use. We are fortunate to be only one of two schools in the Dumfries and Galloway region to be receiving this new facility.

The surface is suitable for a range of sporting activities, but the major benefit is that it will be suitable for all-weather usage. This will allow me to timetable P.E. classes onto this new facility for the majority of periods in the week over 2012-13 and beyond.

By doing so, this will enable P.E. staff and pupils to gain maximum benefit of the new facility.

It is therefore extremely important that you encourage your son/daughter to come suitably prepared for outdoor P.E. lessons on the 3G pitch.

This means bringing appropriate P.E kit i.e. a complete change of kit and footwear.

N.B. Recommended footwear is moulded studded boots, plastic blades or training shoes. No boots with metal studs or blades are allowed on a 3G pitch.

Additional clothing may be worn e.g. rain jacket, as pupils will now be expected to go outside in most weather conditions.

In the cases of extreme weather an alternative indoor working area will still be provided.

 

For any pupil who persistently forgets P.E kit and refuses to wear alternative P.E. kit,

a range of sanctions will be applied, initially by class teacher and then by P.T.

 

If you have any concerns regarding the above, please do not hesitate to contact me

at the school.

 

Yours sincerely.

Stuart Binnie (Principal Teacher)                      Norman Dawson (Headteacher)

S2 and S3 Tracking Reports

Dear Parent/Carer

Tracking reports for S2 and S3 are due to be sent out this week. Please

note that, due to absence, there will be no entries for Mr Hollands Music classes or Mr Cameron’s Science classes. If you have any questions about progress in these classes, please contact Mr Munro (Music), Mrs White (Science) or your son or daughter’s Pupil Support teacher.

Yours sincerely

Mr M Warren

Depute Head Teacher

S2 Reports – Home Economics

Dear Parent/Carer

S2 Reports – Home Economics

It has come to my attention that there was a fault in the layout of the recent S2 reports, affecting Home Economics.

The name of the Home Economics teacher, and the grades for homework, effort and behaviour, appeared in the Technologies curriculum area. The comments, however, appeared under Health and Wellbeing.

Apologies for any confusion this may have created.

Yours sincerely

Mr M Warren (Depute Head Teacher)