Head Teacher’s Report June 2011Good afternoon honoured guests, parents, pupils and colleagues.
What an eventful session this has been – not least for me – and this event is a celebration of our pupils who continue to impress with their many involvements and achievements which have helped them to develop not only as learners, but also as effective and responsible contributors to this school and our community.
The prizes which will be presented shortly are for outstanding achievements but they are only a snapshot of the enormous number of activities and opportunities which are offered every year at Doon Academy, far too many to mention now but here is a flavour:
• Morgan Davis of S1 was commended in the prestigious RSA art competition
• Senior Hospitality pupils worked with a well known local chef in a programme of events over this session
• The Library organised the Spring Read festival and author visits and the Rapid response engineering Challenge
• The Literacy group comprising a number of departments led two whole-school reading weeks
• Our Supported Learning Centre was awarded grant of £1400 to promote healthy living and this enabled pupils to take part in activities such as Taekwondo, football and swimming throughout the session and the pupils gained medals in competitive sporting events
• In Technologies, pupils visited GE Caledonian and the Science Centre and piloted new courses
• The Music department organised our first ‘Young Musician of the Year’ which was won by Tazmyn Hearton; and our pupils were able to attend and participate in a variety of shows, concerts and masterclasses.
• The PE department’s netball team was second in all the Ayrshire’s. Lauren Shaw, Jade Scott and Claire Boyd were selected for Ayrshire netball. Lauren Shaw has had a trial for the Scotland netball team
• Our Comenius group have been active and pupils and staff visited Poland and Belgium
• The Guidance Department organised specialist bereavement and detachment training; an Oral health programme; pupil councils; a variety of careers preparations including mock interviews and work experiences; football teams competed in Ayrshire competitions and pupils went to Aviemore to ski.
• Our Leadership Academies continued to inspire.
• The cricket team won the 2010 West of Scotland Plate and this year our under-15s have reached the semi-finals of the Glasgow Schools Competition. Four S1 pupils are presently training with the Ayrshire County team and the captain of our first team is an S1 pupil, Colin McDonald.
I could fill the rest of this afternoon listing the opportunities and achievements of our pupils and I apologise to the many pupils and staff who could have been acknowledged if time allowed. Our Wider Achievement Group will acknowledge, in detail, the huge number of opportunities for achievement available to pupils at special assemblies in a fortnight’s time.
However I think it is appropriate now to record our appreciation for all those staff who enrich our pupils’ school experience by freely giving of their own time and energy. On behalf of the pupils and the whole community of Doon Academy, thank you all very much. Please give them all a round of applause.
Mr O’Rourke and interim arrangementsOur head teacher, Mr O’Rourke is due to retire at the end of this term. It is unfortunate that someone who devoted nearly three decades of his teaching career to Doon Academy has not been able to deliver his final prize-giving address today. We will try to rectify some of that situation next term and I know that he is keen to meet once more with the school community which he served and led, and which means so much to him. We will pay a full tribute to him at his retiral dinner after the holiday but for now we might ask which of Mr O’Rourke’s achievements as a teacher, principal teacher, depute and head master is his main legacy?
He was the architect of our School of Ambition plan 6 years ago; he led the school through two HMI inspections; and he successfully argued for improvements to the facilities and the fabric of the school.
However, I would argue that his biggest contributions were in championing the rights of less-privileged children and developing the caring, supportive relationships for which this school is renowned.
Some other dedicated and long-serving professionals are leaving us this session.
Mrs Norval is the devoted and popular historian in the Social Subjects Department. Mr Lynn’s humorous and quietly outspoken manner is a feature of the PE Department, the Comenius Project and our Citizenship programme.
Not so long-serving but also going to be missed are Mrs Gray in Chemistry and maths probationers, Ms Cooke and Mrs Mendy - able and talented teachers who are moving to new challenges.
College lecturers, Billy Tomlinson and Keith Johnstone have been with us for 6 and 2 years respectively. Both created excellent relationships with our pupils in classes and in the Citizenship project. Billy was one of the original college lecturers to be placed here and he also contributed to extra-curricular activities such as Leadership and the Ocean Youth Trust. His one-man crusade to improve our fire drill procedures is also appreciated – though not at the time (or times).
Alec Ferguson, our head janitor, retires as well after 14 years of service. Alec’s good nature and willingness to go the extra mile were as important as his ability to get on well with everyone – pupils, teachers and fellow support staff.
They will be sorely missed and these esteemed colleagues and friends leave with our thanks and our very best wishes for the future - Applause
Next sessionThere has already been discussion and speculation here – and beyond the school - about the direction that Doon Academy will take under my leadership.
What is my Vision for Doon Academy? Actually my Vision will only be one part of the Vision for Doon Academy which has been agreed by our pupils, staff and community. I will influence that vision but so should every person who has a commitment to improving the work we do for our young people.
Can we pretend that this school is working at its optimum of efficiency? Can we say that there is no area that cannot be improved? We can’t, obviously. So next session we will continue the processes of identifying and building on our strengths and addressing our weaknesses.
We will continue to look for opportunities to improve the ways that we work with our pupils and we will look for new opportunities for pupils to take responsibilities in line with Curriculum for Excellence and especially for their own learning and progress. With that in mind we will relaunch an improved progress tracking system as a high priority next session.
As a school we will continue to follow the best practices which are to be seen in other schools. We have shared our strengths with other schools in this Authority but we don’t have a monopoly on good ideas and practices – nor does anyone else – and when we look beyond our own school there is plenty for us to learn, for the benefit of our pupils. Last session some of our staff (at every level) visited other schools to observe good practices.
Let no-one say we are inward looking or unaware of what is best for our pupils.
This school has shown a commitment to looking outwards and bringing in new ideas and practices for our pupils.
Michael Fullan, an international authority on educational reform, writing about Educational Change said “We have found that collaboration across schools and districts …..pays enormous dividends in relation to new knowledge and wider commitments”. I know that commitment to sharing ideas for the benefit of pupils and staff is shared by the other newly appointed head teachers in our nearest secondary schools – and by our primary partners.
Recently we read about a Scottish school with a profile very similar to ours but this school is clearly outperforming our attainment. The head teacher listed key features of her school which impacted on their excellent attainment, but these are also in place here – school dress code, progress tracking, a focus on learning and teaching, listening to pupils’ voice, engaging with parents, etc. The difference, I think, is that some of these things are done better in that school and we have to raise our expectations, raise our targets and raise our game.
What differences will pupils see?I hope pupils will be in no doubt that they are the most valued members of the community of Doon Academy – that they are the reason for Doon Academy.
Last session some pupils complained that their opinions were not sought or acted on and action was taken immediately to correct that perception – or that reality.
In classrooms, pupils’ opinions have been sought. Here’s an example from a girl who is now in S3: “Lesson evaluations are a good idea because pupils can express what went well in the lesson and what didn’t work and teachers can improve them to make the lessons better”. The pupil went on to say that pupils shouldn’t always get to choose what is taught or how it is taught.
We find our pupils’ responses to be considered, informative and very supportive of teachers. That is borne out by international studies. A survey of teachers involved in a project on consulting pupils found that: consultation was having a positive impact on pupils’ self-esteem;
it was helping students develop a more positive attitude to schools and learning;
and it was helping students develop more positive attitudes to teachers.
The school already has strong links with this community – for example The Zone, Community Learning and Development, the Dalmellington Partnership, Craigengillan Estate, Doon Valley Museum, local businesses and businesses which are branches of big corporations. All of these - and others – are eager to work with us. Their expertise and their resources can improve pupils’ choice and enrich their learning. We will look for opportunities to further their involvement in our curriculum.
Let us not forget the residents of this community. They support us with great generosity and we must respect their friendship, their values and their property at all times.
What changes might staff see?Well, staff have already seen my commitment to distributive leadership. If things are going to get done they will be achieved through the creativity and commitment of teachers and staff - with the support and encouragement of senior managers.
We will collectively agree on areas for change, and staff will find or be given opportunities to lead improvement. The views and opinions of staff will be sought and welcomed. My pride will cope with any criticism that comes from sincere concern for the well-being or advancement of our pupils. Again, in my recent studies I read that teachers’ sense of empowerment is enhanced by head teachers “supporting an environment of among teachers, whom they consider professionals and experts”. This has been such an eventful session that we all feel the need of a restful and happy summer break, to recharge our batteries and to prepare ourselves for the new session and the continuing task of delivering a curriculum for excellence - in difficult economic circumstances.
I thank the Parent Council for their continued support, and we will urge all our parents to join us in ensuring that our pupils achieve their full potential.
I thank every member of staff in Doon Academy, whether they are cleaning, janitorial, support, administrative, catering or teaching staff, for all the hard work they have done for all our pupils this year. It is a privilege to be appointed to be the Head Teacher of a school with such a dedicated group of professionals on its staff.
It is an even greater privilege to be the Head Teacher of a school whose pupils give us great pride in their talents, their energy, their honesty, and their achievements. Our guest speaker, Kirsty Hill, typifies the spirit of ambition and achievement which has always been part of this community and we will continue to encourage that ethos through every aspect of the work of this school. I would like to wish the whole school community a restful and refreshing holiday in 2 weeks time but I also urge us all to maintain our focus and continue our preparations for another great effort in this new session.
Thank you.
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