Lochgilphead Joint Campus
Argyll and Bute Council · 5 June 2024
Back to Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Area Committee — 5 June 2024 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL SECONDARY SCHOOL ATTAINMENT REPORT AREA COMMITTEE Lochgilphead Joint Campus 5th June 2024
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School information/school context – include SIMD etc. Lochgilphead Joint Campus is a 3 - 18 school situated in Lochgilphead overlooking Loch Fyne. There are currently 410 secondary age pupils, 194 primary and 28 within Early Learning and Childcare. The school has Learning Centre provision for both primary and secondary age pupils. The current building was opened in October 2007. The school serves several communities in Mid Argyll, from Cairndow in the East, Achahoish in the South and Ardfern in the North and takes secondary school aged pupils from nine local primary schools. The vast majority of pupils enter high school from either Lochgilphead or Ardrishaig Primary Schools. Fewer than 10% of our pupils reside in Quintile 1 or Quintile 5 in the Social Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), around 40% of pupils reside in SIMD Quintile 3, 20% in Quintile 2 and 30% in Quintile 4. We know, however that these are data that need a local level of understanding as two people can reside in the same SIMD area and have vastly different levels of deprivation. The overall attendance rate for the high school was 89.1% last session (roughly the same as the previous year) and there were 0 exclusions. Like all schools, Lochgilphead Joint Campus continues to recover from the impact of COVID-19. The current head teacher of campus took up post in August 2022. After careful analysis of data from 2021/2022, a three year improvement strategy has been developed that focusses on key areas: - Well-being and engagement - Relationships and positive behaviour - Quality of teaching and learning - Assessment and moderation - Tracking and intervention based on robust data intelligence This has led to the school beginning to close the gap with national and Argyll and Bute statistics in key performance indicators (attainment versus deprivation, improving attainment for all – middle and lowest, attainment in literacy at SCQF levels 4 and 5 and attainment in numeracy at SCQF level 4) all of which have shown a year on year increase for the past three years. We remain behind the virtual comparator data for these key aspects and our next aim is to reach and overtake the virtual comparator in these areas over the next three years. The percentage of school leavers entering positive post- school destinations remains very high (98.68%) and above virtual comparator, national and local percentages as it has been for the past three years. A recent visit by HMIe will highlight key improvements needed and this will inform our next steps for school improvement.
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Section 1 S3 ACEL Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy School Level % Achieved Reading Writing L&T Literacy Numeracy Lochgilphead High School Third Level or better 85.0 83.8 91.2 79.2% 91.3 Argyll & Bute Third Level or better 88.5 86.9 89.0 83.9 86.0 Lochgilphead High School Fourth Level 46.2 31.3 51.2 31.3% 70.0 Argyll & Bute Fourth Level 54.4 51.4 53.8 45.9 56.4 Evaluative Comment – Areas of Strength in BGE Attainment: Improved approaches to moderation and clearer teacher understanding of the standards in the broad general education have led to improvements in literacy and numeracy. Performance increases in listening and talking (3rd level) and in numeracy (3rd and 4th level) have taken LHS above Argyll and Bute percentages. Evaluative Comment – Areas for Development in BGE Attainment: Improvements to tracking, monitoring and interventions that have been put into place this year will help bring third and fourth level attainment in reading, writing and listening and talking at fourth level in line with Argyll and Bute levels. These improvements were planned following the shortfall in these areas last year and following self-evaluation with colleagues in the English department.
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Section 2 National Qualifications 2023 – Percentage of Awards – A-C and A-D Evaluative Comment – Areas of Strength The percentage of passes overall increased to be broadly in line with national and Argyll and Bute levels last year. Performance at Higher led to coverage in the national press who highlighted Lochgilphead High School as amongst the most improved in Scotland for pupils achieving five Highers. There is still work to do to increase the breadth and depth of achievement for learners in the senior phase and this will form part of the new improvement plan. Evaluative Comment – Areas for Development We need to improve the quality of our passes at Nat 5, Higher and Advanced Higher. The number of pupils achieving a D award instead of a C or better requires to improve. Improvements to mentoring pupils, providing support for study and exam preparation and supports to challenge more able pupils have all been implemented this year and improvements to tracking, monitoring and intervention will be put in place next session to increase the percentage of quality passes. 89.00% 88.90% 91.30% 90.70% 92.10% 93.00% 90.50% 90.50% 92.70% NAT 5 Higher Adv H LJC % A-D Awards LJC A&B National 73.90% 75.10% 71.70% 76.93% 77.12% 79.44% 78.80% 77.10% 79.80% NAT 5 Higher Adv H LJC % A-C Awards LJC A&B National
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Section 3 Insight Data What is Insight Scotland? Insight is a professional tool, aimed at teachers and other staff. It is used to help secondary schools and local authorities identify areas of success and where improvements can be made for pupils in the senior phase. The dashboard has four measures: • Improving Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy (presented below as separate Literacy and Numeracy graphs) • Increasing Post-School Participation • Improving Attainment for All • Attainment Versus Deprivation The school’s data below is compared to what is termed The Virtual Comparator. The virtual comparator consists of a sample group of school leavers from schools in other local authorities who have similar characteristics to the school leavers from the school in question. This allows the most accurate and meaningful comparison of attainment data.
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3a Improving Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy
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Evaluative Comment – Areas of Strength There has been a three year trend of improvement in the percentage of pupils attaining SCQF level four and five in literacy and level 4 in numeracy. This has been brought about by improvements in tracking at departmental level as well as our increasing opportunities for pupils who are not on rack for Nat 4 or 5 English, to attain level four or five literacy through alternative methods (e.g. alternative courses such as travel and tourism, or literacy units). Evaluative Comment – Areas for Development
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Though we have increased year on year, we are still behind the virtual comparator for literacy (SCQF level 4 and 5) and numeracy (SCQF level 4). Further, numeracy performance at SCQF level 5 has dipped in each of the past two years. Improvements in school wide tracking, monitoring and intervention with more timely quality assurance processes will now be put into place to ensure earlier intervention and support for pupils who are at risk of falling behind or under-performing. We will also introduce more ambitious approaches to target setting from primary school onwards to ensure pupils enter the senior phase with stronger foundations in literacy and numeracy. This year, we are introducing applications of maths as another alternative pathway for pupils to achieve SCQF level 4 and 5 numeracy. 3b Increased post-school participation
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Evaluative Comment – Areas of Strength Our continued positive performance in this area is due to a number of factors. Our vocational and partnership links with Argyll College and local employers, as well as our use of flexible learning plans for those who require them in the senior phase, all help us to support pupils into positive post-school destinations. Our guidance team and other colleagues in school get to know our pupils aspirations and skills very well and this enables good advice (in collaboration with SDS and DYW colleagues) to provide the best advice for pupils as they move through school and then prepare for post school destinations. Programmes such as Working Right and Foundation Apprenticeships offered in partnership with local organisations helps us to create bespoke senior phase pathways for learners. Evaluative Comment – Areas for Development We now need to ensure that the positive post-school destinations that pupils enter are truly the best for them. Each year the number of young people going to university can vary and we need to balance the needs of the local community and workforce with the aspirations of our young people and families so that the sustained positive destinations our young people enter set them up well for life in the future.
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3c Improving attainment for all Evaluative Comment – Areas of Strength Attainment for the lowest, middle and highest attainment cohorts has increased year on year for the past three years. This year, it has overtaken Argyll and Bute and Northern Alliance for the lowest 20% and middle 60% for the first time and the national cohort for the lowest 20% for the first time.
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Though this graph shows total tariff points, the same graph for complimentary tariff pints also shows that the highest 20% have overtaken Argyll and Bute, Northern Alliance and the National Establishment as well. Complimentary tariff points takes into account different curricular models and levels attainment by using Evaluative Comment – Areas for Development Attainment in all areas is still significantly lower than virtual comparator data. We need to address this by improving the quality of SQA passes as well as increasing the number of accredited passes for all pupils. This will be done by improvements tom whole school tracking, monitoring and interventions and using al the data available (including SIMD and other factors that impact on attainment) to support and challenge learners. We will continue to focus on providing additional challenge to more able learners and to providing more and wider opportunities for all learners to gain accredited qualifications throughout the senior phase. 3d Attainment versus Deprivation
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Evaluative Comment – Areas of Strength Attainment for those pupils in all deciles has increased year on year (with the exception of decile 4 which has dipped slightly). This means that our graph of best fit has moved much closer to the national establishment and that for Deciles 3 and 5 pupils achieve higher than national and for 6 and 7, in line with national data. Evaluative Comment – Areas for Development Though we have seen an overall year on year improvement, we are still slightly behind national and significantly behind virtual comparator – especially for decile four. This year this led us to target pupils in this decile form the October tracking period onwards to ensure that teachers
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were targeting intervention and support where it was most needed. This is an area that we will continue to develop next session. The fact that SIMD 5, 6 amnd 7 were lower than VC, but overlapped is in line with our general requirement to increase the quality of passes for all pupils (turn Ds into Cs, Cs into Bs and Bs into As). Section 4 Wider Achievement Qualifications National Certificates; Higher National Certificates; Scottish Vocational Qualifications; National Progression Awards; Skills for Work qualifications; Foundation Apprenticeships; Scottish Baccalaureate Overall evaluative comment/narrative on Wider Achievement Qualifications in your school: The Foundation Apprenticeships (FA) offer continues through FA Social Services; Children and Young People which is run by Argyll and Bute Council. Uptake continues to be steady with a cohort of 4/5 pupils each annually with some completing over 1 year while others choose to do so over 2 years in S5 and S6. Access to the Campus Primary department for placements has also allowed us flexibility in timetabling the placement element of the FA allowing us to align this with pupil’s timetables so they can attain maximum qualifications. Through Argyll College we now offer FA Level 4 Construction as part of our Skills for Work program instead of National 4 as it offers our pupils the opportunity to work together and produce projects for MAKI Pups; for example, they have helped to make mud kitchens for the Pre 5 pupils. By networking with other schools, the offer of SFW courses from Argyll College has significantly increased. The school and local employers have established level 4/5 Work Placement and level 4 Employability programmes which are offered to pupils from S4–6. Work Placement is offered to S4-6 pupils in May of each year for 1 week but some pupils can also do extended work placements throughout the year. Flexible Learning Plans (FLPs) - Over the session we had 17 FLPs running. This is a rolling programme based on pupil need. One of our FLP’s meant that a S6 student who was not yet ready to leave school due to social factors was able to be academically stretched and complete the one school subject he wanted to do and complete a HNC in Computing. Another FLP meant that a disengaged pupil became re-engaged and achieved a positive destination by doing a full time College course in Hairdressing through her S5 and continuing on this pathway after leaving. As a result of their FLPs, 4 pupils were offered and accepted employment/apprenticeships in 2022/23 Overall through FLPs, work placements and employer requests, several opportunities have come for pupils in employment and apprenticeships and some of these are pupils who had previously disengaged and then re-engaged in school. This has had a significant impact on the very positive rate of pupils who enter positive post-school destinations. Our positive destinations for 2022/23 was 98.26%
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We have been working in Partnership with Argyll and Bute Council Regeneration Carrs Project, Argyll College and Local Employers to deliver a Traditional Craft Skills event which is open to pupils S1–6 to be able to see and have a taster of some of the crafts related to the Construction Industry. We have also begun a partnership with YPI (Youth Philanthropy Initiative) and ran this programme for S3 pupils in the summer term of session 22/23. This was delivered through PSE sessions culminating in presentations to full year group with YPI representatives and members of the community present. The local charity which was awarded the funds in 2022/23 was Lochgilphead Dochas Centre. We have worked closely with partners from Argyll College and Live Argyll to develop girls’ and boys’ football teams and this session, our senior girls’ team reached a national final. We now have staff qualified to deliver Duke of Edinburgh awards and this programme was launched in session 2022/23 with plans to extend the offer in subsequent years. Pupils in 2022/23 achieved Bronze award with numbers increasing for 2023/24. Future Wider Achievement opportunities for 2023/24 Through University West of Scotland our S6 pupils will have the opportunity to do the Foundation Academy Program which last for 10 weeks and lets them gain a certificate at the end in addition to gaining useful skills to help with the UCAS process. Completion of the program also gains pupil the equivalent of a B at Higher - if applying to UWS. We are engaged in a Pilot Program through Working Rite called Rite to Work which is aimed at S4-6 pupils who are likely to leave but who have become disengaged. Its aim is to help to re-engage these pupils and assist them to gain as many qualifications as possible as well as a positive destination at the end of the program either through apprenticeship or entry to the full Working Rite Program.
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Section 5 Equity and Attainment – Evaluation of Key Factors Factor in attainment Attendance School Ave. Att. 22-23: 89.1% This is very slightly up on last year’s figure of 88.35% Exclusion No. of Exclusion Incidents 22-23: 0 No. of Exclusion Openings 22-23: 0 Last session a new relationships and behaviour policy was implemented that placed a higher priority on alternatives to exclusion. This led to a dip last session. This session, we have experienced a small number of incidents that have led to an increase in exclusions that will show in next year’s data. Additional Support Needs 49.3% (including highly able pupils) 43.75% (not including highly able pupils) All pupils with ASN have a child’s plan, many of which include targets for literacy and numeracy. We have introduced tutorials for pupils with significant additional needs in literacy and numeracy as well as an S1 literacy intervention programme for those who joined S1 with a reading age below 9.0 SIMD SIMD Decile 1 = 0% SIMD Decile 2 = 0% SIMD Decile 3 = 11.5% SIMD Decile 4 = 22.7% SIMD Decile 5 = 19.2% SIMD Decile 6 = 11.5% SIMD Decile 7 = 35.1% SIMD Decile 8 = 0% SIMD Decile 9 = 0% SIMD Decile 10 = 0%
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This is not an accurate predictor for us. Many people in the same SIMD bracket have vastly different life experiences. We focus on engagement and barriers to engagement as the main factors (these might be caused by health issues, anxiety, rural isolation, young carer responsibilities, care experienced etc.) Free School Meal Entitlement 52 (13%) We have a relatively low FSM entitlement and it isn’t always the most accurate indicator of need. We know we have some parents who chose not to apply, even though they may be entitled. Care Experienced (and previously Care Experienced) 5 (1.25%) We have a small number of care experienced young people who are supported through the GIRFEC and child’s planning process. This includes regular reviews, 1:1 mentoring and supported interventions. Some care experienced pupils have flexible learning plans. English as Additional Language 9 (2.25%) Other (give details)
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Pupil Equity Funding Impact of PEF on closing the attainment gap Last year we used PEF funding to establish “The Den”, our well-being hub which is predominantly staffed by our three Family Liaison Officers. This supports pupils who fall into any of the following categories across the whole campus: - Pupils in need of additional nurture - Young carers - Ukrainian refugees - Pupils suffering from anxiety - Those with social / emotional difficulties - Bereaved pupils - Those disengaging, or at risk of disengaging with school - Trauma experienced young people - Care experienced young people - Those who require nutritional support - Pupils whose families are experiencing poverty Not all of the above pupils fall into our lowest SIMD brackets, but the categories above are over represented in the lower SIMD brackets. This has led to individual successes such as Pupil A, who was a complete school refuser in their last two years of primary school. Through engaging with the Den in S1, their attendance at school increased from a few hours per week in the Den through to full engagement with mainstream education by the start of S2. This pupil is now on track to achieve fourth level literacy and numeracy by the end of S3. Pupil B, who joined us form another high school where they had experienced trauma and suffered from selective mutism ad had completely disengaged with education. They access 80% of learning in mainstream and 20% in the Den receiving support from a Family Liaison Officer. This pupil has now been able to take SQA exams this year and is predicted to pass in all her subjects. These are two of many case studies. Overall around 20% of our pupils have benefited from the support of the Family Liaison Officers and the Den. This has helped support improving attendance and engagement in mainstream lessons, provide access to learning out with classes for those who currently can’t cope with mainstream lessons (hence limiting gaps in learning that might come about due to anxiety or trauma),
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supported improved behaviour in classes (due to developing strategies for self-regulation) and has supported well-beign outcomes for pupils experiencing a wide range pf difficulties in life. Section 6 Other information Last session saw the first trip abroad since COVID-19 and 42 pupils (mostly those studying Nat 5 or Higher history, RMPS or German) enjoyed the visit which included excursions to holocaust sites, museums, the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag and various other sites of historical, moral and cultural significance. Pupils represented the school perfectly and learned a lot. Our sports teams continued to punch above their weight with girls’ football team reaching national finals and successes in local competitions in football, Shinty, volleyball, badminton and rugby. We signed a partnership agreement with Mid Argyll Rugby which is now enabling more young people to link their in-school and beyond school experiences of rugby and to access the sport. Our stand out gala events through the year included the Hallowe’en disco, Snowball and Leaver’s Formal. All of these events are organised by senior pupils and, as well as paying for themselves, raise money for future events. Every single evening passed without incident and were very well attended by pupils who reported having a great time. Last session we introduced our summer ‘Red Ticket’ event. After consulting with pupils and staff, it was decided that the pupils would earn red tickets throughout the session for displaying the school values and for going ‘above and beyond’. This led to a big day out for around sixty pupils who went to Gigha and took part in bile riding, barbecues, beach games and many more activities. The Modern Foreign Language department continued its Pen-Pal scheme with pupils from schools in Europe and this has increased the interest, engagement and achievement of pupils in different languages (the school offers German as well as Spanish and French). The school continues to work alongside Live Argyll and established a Sports Mentor and a Well-Being Mentor programme where senior pupils were given leadership training and then helped to promote sports participation as well as advocate for well-being across the campus. The school remembered a much loved and missed member of staff when we awarded the Isobel Hamilton Award for Citizenship. The latest winner of this award was Kai Baxter for his support of fellow pupils and all round outstanding contribution to school life.
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Pupils and staff created a variety of celebration, days to raise awareness and money for local and national charities. In total, over £13,000 was raised by members of the school community in session 2022/23. The annual careers fair was very well attended by pupils from across various year groups. This was hosted at the school and involved local and national business and academic partners and helped many pupils to choose subject options that lead toward their chosen post-school destination.