Pathways to Excellence

PATHWAYS TO EXCELLENCE The guide for school development planning

CONTENTS School Culture..........................................................6 Behaviour Management........................................................................8 Parent and Community Engagement...............................................10 Child Protection.........................................................................................12 Learner Engagement and Welfare.....................................................14 Staff Engagement and Retention ......................................................16 Inclusion and Special Educational Needs .....................................18

School Management...............................................20 Clean and Safe Environment for Learning......................................22 Teacher Recruitment...............................................................................24 Finance and Business Management................................................26 Marketing and Branding........................................................................28 School Leadership and Governance................................................30 Teacher Development and Oversight..............................................32

Teaching and Learning...........................................34 Teaching and Learning Resources....................................................36 Lesson Planning and Delivery.............................................................38 Assessment of Learning........................................................................40 Learner-Centred Teaching and Learning........................................42 School Curriculum....................................................................................44 Early Childhood.........................................................................................46

School Self Assessment Profile.............................48 School Development Planning Guide...................49 Glossary.....................................................................55 5

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SCHOOL CULTURE. • Behaviour Management • Parent and Community Engagement • Child Protection • Learner Engagement and Welfare • Staff Engagement and Retention • Inclusion and Special Educational Needs

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School Culture

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Behaviour Management To develop well-behaved learners, your school should focus on positive approaches to behaviour management and ban corporal punishment. A behaviour management policy should be developed that clearly states how learners are rewarded for good behaviour, and the consequences learners receive for misbehaving. Consistent use of a behaviour management policy is vital, and all school leaders and teaching staff should be trained to follow it. The behaviour of learners should be monitored, and interventions planned for learners who need extra support to behave well. Finally, the school should work closely with parents as they are crucial in supporting learners to behave well.

Self Assessment Criteria LEVEL 1 * There is no consistent whole school approach to behaviour management. * Teachers decide on their own consequences for learners often using harmful or embarrassing consequences such as hitting, whipping and pinching. * School rules do not exist or are not written positively. * Establishing good classroom routines is not a priority at the start of the school year.

LEVEL 2 * Corporal punishment is banned. * Positive behaviour is promoted through a school-wide list of desired pupil behaviour. * Consequences for negative behaviour are clearly defined and followed by all staff. * Teaching time is used to focus on positive behaviour at the start of the school year.

LEVEL 3 * A behaviour management policy that includes clear steps to positively manage behaviour is in use. * Teaching staff are trained every year on the school’s behaviour management policy, including new staff who arrive. * The senior leadership team support teachers to establish and reinforce discipline procedures and help to resolve conflicts between learners. * Learning and behaviour expectations are regularly communicated to learners to ensure uniformity across the school. * The behaviour management policy is shared with parents at the start of the school year; behaviour strategies and the reasons for banning of corporal punishment are explained. * Parents are communicated with regularly and work together with teachers when there are concerns about pupil behaviour.

LEVEL 4 * Teachers, governors and the school community are involved in the ongoing development and review of the behaviour management policy. * Behaviour management strategies are regularly shared in teaching staff meetings. * Behaviour management training is held for parents and other school community members where strategies that match the school’s behaviour management policy are demonstrated. * Behaviour management is monitored through lesson observations by the senior leadership team. * Interventions are planned for learners who need extra support to behave positively in school. * There is a system to document and record pupil behaviour data. * Teaching that encourages positive behaviour by learners is regularly timetabled; including social and emotional learning. * Experienced teachers’ mentor, share best practice, and work one to one with colleagues to help them improve behaviour management.

School self-evaluation: Date:

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Date:

Date:

Action Points Well-behaved learners achieve more academically, are happier at school and help to create a positive school culture, which all help to promote a school. Follow these steps as you make behaviour management a focus for your school.

1–2

Beginning - As you start:

❖ Ban the use of corporal punishment. ❖ Promote positive behaviour by having a list of desired pupil behaviour and expectations for the

whole school.

❖ Create a clear list of consequences for negative behaviour; ensure everyone follows so all

learners are treated fairly.

❖ Use teaching time at the start of the year to focus on behaviour expectations and establishing

clear classroom routines.

2–3

Improving - As you progress:

❖ Write a behaviour management policy that includes clear steps for how behaviour is positively

managed at school.

❖ Train teaching staff every year on the school’s behaviour management policy and guidelines;

ensure new staff arriving also receive this training.

❖ Ensure the senior leadership team support teachers to establish and reinforce discipline

procedures and help to resolve conflicts between learners.

❖ Communicate learning and behaviour expectations regularly to pupils to ensure uniformity

across the school.

❖ Share the behaviour management policy with parents at the start of the school year explaining

clearly the strategies and why corporal punishment is banned.

❖ Communicate regularly with parents and work together when there are concerns about

pupil behaviour.

3–4

Excelling - As you succeed:

❖ Involve teachers, governors and the school community in the ongoing development and review

of the behaviour management policy.

❖ Regularly share and explore behaviour management strategies in teaching staff meetings. ❖ Run behaviour management training for parents and other school community members;

demonstrate strategies that match the school’s behaviour management policy.

❖ Monitor behaviour management through lesson observations by the senior leadership team. ❖ Plan interventions for learners who need extra support to behave positively in school. ❖ Develop a system to document and record pupil behaviour data. ❖ Regularly timetable teaching that encourages positive behaviour by learners; consider social

and emotional learning practices.

❖ Train experienced teachers to be mentors who share best practice, and work one to one with

colleagues to help them improve behaviour management.

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SCHOOL MANAGEMENT. • Clean and Safe Environment for Learning • Teacher Recruitment • School Leadership and Governance • Finance and Business Management • Marketing and Branding • Teacher Development and Oversight

School Management

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Clean and Safe Environment for Learning To create a clean and safe environment for learning, ensure the school building is completed and complies with legal safety requirements. Schedule regular cleaning of the school site and perform regular building maintenance. Make sure access to the school is controlled. Provide separate washrooms for males and females and teachers and learners.

Have separate classrooms available for each age group. Finally, plan to improve the school by adding new facilities such as a library or ICT room.

Self Assessment Criteria LEVEL 1 * The school is located in a noisy or polluted area. * The school building needs finishing or repairing. * Cleaning of the school is irregular and there is a shortage of dustbins. * Washrooms are shared by all learners and staff and there is a lack of clean water.

LEVEL 2 * The school is located away from hazards and pollution to make the school site as safe as possible. * The school building has solid floors, secure doors, windows and desks and complies with all legal safety requirements. * There are separate washrooms for males and females with clean water to wash hands. * Clean drinking water is available and food is prepared in a clean environment.

LEVEL 3 * Each grade has its own classroom and is equipped with age appropriate furniture and materials, for example desks are the correct size. * Issues with the building and environment are recorded in a log book and repairs are prioritised based on importance. * Access to the school is controlled to keep learners safe. * Daily cleaning procedures are timetabled to keep the school continuously clean. The importance of keeping the school clean is understood by staff and learners. * There are separate washrooms with clean and reliable water for both male and female learners, and male and female staff. * The school has policies to support a safe environment for learning; including a child protection policy, anti-bullying policy and fire safety policy.

LEVEL 4 * A nutritious and varied school menu that supports learners to have a healthy and balanced diet is provided. * The school is built, cleaned and maintained to a high standard. * The school has a range of well-equipped facilities such as libraries, ICT rooms, science labs and playgrounds. * Staff consistently follow agreed policies and procedures to keep the school clean and safe. * Designated members of staff are trained in first aid and fire safety and everyone knows who they are; first aid equipment and fire extinguishers are available. * The security of the school, and the policies and procedures designed to keep the school environment clean, safe and secure are continually reviewed. * Learners’ opinions about the school environment are listened to by a school council where class representatives share ideas with teaching staff. * The community support with creating a clean and safe environment and there are pupil environmental clubs that plan projects to improve the local environment, and encourage recycling and reducing rubbish.

School self-evaluation: Date:

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Date:

Date:

Action Points A clean and safe environment protects the welfare of learners and enables teachers and learners to focus on quality teaching and learning. Parents will also prefer to send their children to a school that is clean, safe and well set up for learning. Follow these steps as you make having a clean and safe environment for learning a focus for your school.

1–2

Beginning - As you start:

❖ Aim to locate the school away from hazards and pollution to make the school site as safe

as possible.

❖ Ensure the school building has solid floors, secure doors, windows and desks, and that the school

complies with all legal safety requirements.

❖ Create separate washrooms for males and females with clean water to wash hands. ❖ Highlight the importance of keeping the school clean to all teaching staff and learners.

2–3

Improving - As you progress:

❖ Provide one classroom for each grade and equip the classroom with age appropriate furniture and

materials, for example desks should be the correct size.

❖ Record issues with the building and environment in a log book; prioritise the issues to address first. ❖ Control access to the school to keep learners safe. ❖ Timetable daily cleaning procedures to keep the school continuously clean. ❖ Create separate washrooms with clean and reliable water for both male and female learners, and

male and female staff.

❖ Write policies collaboratively with teachers to build a safe environment for learning; include a child

protection policy, anti-bullying policy and fire safety policy.

3–4

Excelling - As you succeed:

❖ Provide a nutritious and varied school menu that supports learners to have a healthy and

balanced diet.

❖ Build, clean and maintain the school to a high standard; have well-ventilated classrooms and

insulated ceilings, if needed; provide electricity in classrooms and staff areas.

❖ Consider how to improve the school building; facilities such as libraries, playgrounds, ICT rooms

and science labs can be built to enhance the school.

❖ Ensure staff consistently follow agreed policies and procedures to keep the school clean and safe. ❖ Train designated members of staff in first aid and fire safety. Ensure everyone knows who the

designated people are. Make first aid equipment and fire extinguishers available.

❖ Constantly review and audit the security of the school, and the policies and procedures designed

to keep the school environment clean, safe and secure.

❖ Listen to learners’ opinions about the school environment; establish a school council where class

representatives share ideas with teaching staff.

❖ Engage with the community to support and create a clean and safe environment and set up pupil

environmental clubs to plan projects to improve the local environment, and to encourage recycling and reducing rubbish.

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School Self Assessment Profile Write the self-assessment score for each domain into the box above the domain name. Then, colour in the applicable box in each column that matches this score.

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Behaviour Management Parent and Community Engagement Child Protection Learner Engagement and Welfare Staff Engagement and Retention Inclusion and Special Educational Needs

Clean and Safe Environment for Learning Teacher Recruitment School Leadership and Governance Finance and Business Management Marketing and Branding Teacher Development and Oversight

Teaching and Learning Resources Lesson Planning and Delivery Assessment of Learning Learner-Centred Teaching and Learning School Curriculum Early Childhood

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