Braes High School

What did we do?

Braes High School runs an extensive programme of in-house CLPL sessions. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic we moved our provision so that programmes were delivered online. Staff have led sessions virtually offering their expertise on a range of teaching strategies. Each programme we deliver includes between 5-10 sessions within a particular theme relevant to our ongoing improvement planning or as a result of our self-evaluation feedback. These sessions are recorded and uploaded to our whole staff Team page to reach a larger number of practitioners. This gives staff the flexibility to engage with the learning at their own pace. Furthermore, as part of our reflective practices, we have uploaded snippets of some sessions to our website with the aim of sharing good practice throughout our school community including partners, pupils and parents.

Cluster CPEGs (Cluster Practitioner Enquiry Groups)

At Braes High School we have used Teacher Learning Communities as part of our ongoing improvement model for the past decade. The focus for these learning communities has shifted over the past few years to concentrate on individual Practitioner Enquiries the progress of which is shared with colleagues within Practitioner Enquiry Groups. These groups operate as critical learning communities where staff can share their progress with regards to their enquiry and where quality reflective conversations can take place. The natural progression for this enquiry approach was to share this with our primary cluster colleagues as a way to further develop the strong working links already in place. (In the preceding three sessions cluster colleagues had worked together as firstly Working Groups and then as Professional Reading Groups). Cluster Practitioner Enquiry Groups or C-PEGs were created under the broad Cluster Improvement Plan drivers.

As a cluster, we appreciate and understand the importance of career-long professional learning as a cornerstone of an improvement methodology which has a positive impact on pupils from both an achievement and attainment perspective. We have been immersed in methodologies which engage and motivate learners with a strong focus on what makes the difference in a classroom setting. In the secondary sector we have observed the impact this approach has had on our pupil achievement over a number of years. We have held a long-standing research approach which includes research from experts such as Dylan Wiliams and John Hattie which have helped to focus our approaches to improving learning and teaching methodologies. As a cluster, we have used this research alongside national policy including the NIF, HGIOS4 and the updated Professional Standards (2021) to highlight the importance of ongoing professional learning including the importance of professional reading which has helped to embed this approach as an ethos and culture across the cluster.

TLCs, PEGs and now C-PEGs have long been a standing focus in our school-based working time agreements.

Due to these strong working relationships, we believe the following has been achieved:

• Staff are engaged in personally identified, self-motivated approaches to CLPL
• Staff are given the opportunity to self-evaluate, share and critically converse around their practice and any methodologies they have tried within the classroom
• Staff have built strong connections with cluster staff with the shared aim of improving outcomes for pupils within our shred community
• Pupils are reaping the benefits of this professional development through the service they receive in the classroom

At Braes High School we will continue to strive to fulfil our vision philosophy and core beliefs to further improve the outcomes of all of our learners through critical self-evaluation measures, consideration and implementation of pupil voice findings and teacher efficacy through a rigorous approach to lifelong learning.