The document provides an overview of Stronsay Junior High School's standards and quality report for 2014/2015. It discusses the school's vision, aims, strengths, and areas for improvement. Some of the key points are: - The school aims to ensure all students achieve their full potential in a caring learning environment. - Attainment is excellent, with students achieving a wide range of qualifications. Data shows value added is above national expectations. - Areas of focus for improvement include continuing curriculum development, strengthening self-evaluation processes, developing leadership skills, and improving support for learning. - The school facilities underwent redevelopment to provide a learning environment fit for purpose. Enhanced staffing has improved

1. Standards and Quality
Report 2014 / 2015
Each year we have a duty to report on the work of the school, outlining the
developments and progress we make to improve the quality of teaching and
learning for all in Stronsay Junior High School.

2. About our School
Stronsay Junior High School provides education for the island’s children from pre-
school at age 3 to the end of compulsory schooling at 16. Pupils can then transfer to
Kirkwall Grammar School, if they wish to do so, or move on to further education,
training or employment. Pupils transferring to Kirkwall Grammar School stay in the
Papdale Halls of Residence, and supporting our young people at this time of transition
presents an additional challenge for the school.
The timetable for the Primary and Secondary Sector is in part dependent on the day
specialist teachers arriving and Loganair’s timetable. Itinerant teachers generally
spend less time in school during the winter as the planes cannot land in darkness. The
number and length of time each itinerant teacher is on Stronsay is decided centrally by
the Authority.
The number of pupils on the school roll in 2014/15 was:
Primary Sector - 20
Secondary Sector - 14
The learning and teaching team is ably supported by a committed group of non-teaching
staff including a Secretary/Office Auxiliary, Support for Learning Assistants, Janitor
and Kitchen staff. Cleaning roles are contracted out.
Vision Statement
Together our vision is to ensure that everyone achieves their full potential and enjoys being
part of a caring learning community.
Aims
Effective Contributors
To motivate everyone to participate with enthusiasm in the school community and wider world,
to be well organised, dedicated and open-minded.
Responsible Citizens
To encourage everyone to take care of the community and wider world. To do the best they can
in an honest and respectful way.
Confident Individuals
To inspire within everyone self-confidence, tolerance and high expectations.
Successful Learners

3. To develop a life-long enthusiasm for learning; to have the confidence and ability to work
independently or with others whilst knowing when to ask for help.
Cultural Identity
To see our island as a benefit not a barrier; to embrace and enrich our unique resources -
friendliness, community spirit, heritage, landscape and culture - to help maintain and develop the
island as a great place to live.
‘Proud to belong’. ‘Proud to be a Limpet’.
Vision and Aims – Key words
Respect
Trust
Honesty
Responsibility
Kindness
Manners
Positivity
Sensibility
Inclusion
Successes and Achievements
Strengths
The school aims to produce a learning environment which meets the needs of the
learners in its care. We evaluate their progress using a wide range of methods. We
believe that:
 Attainment at the end of S4 continues to be excellent with pupils achieving a
wide range of qualifications.
 Middle Years Information System data shows that the value added by the pupils
through the secondary sector is above the national normal expectations.
 The school has embraced the Curriculum for Excellence and adjusted the
teaching to attempt to fulfil the ethos behind the initiative. Our planning is in

4. line with the experiences and outcomes and departments have continued to
develop ways of assessing and recording in line with this.
 Learners’ evaluations show they are engaged meaningfully with their learning.
 The school and the community of Stronsay work hard together to provide a wide
range of opportunities to broaden achievements and these include:
o Music lessons in a range of instruments, enhanced by opportunities on the
Island, with musical events in school and in the community to entertain
and celebrate their efforts.
o Sporting activities including after school clubs and athletics training
supported by the Stronsay Development Trust.
o The development of interdisciplinary projects/ activities has enabled
learners to embrace new ideas and skills and has resulted in a real
enjoyment of learning. This year interdisciplinary activities have included
World war One Remembrance, and World Migratory day in which the
community were actively encouraged to be involved.
o We have also tried to enhance the partnership between the school and
parents/ community by the development of a school blog which celebrates
achievement and also informs parents on the activities their children are
undertaking.
o Stronsay Parent Council continue to support Stronsay Junior High School
through applications to the Stronsay Development Trust.
o The Parent Council also actively participates in the development of the
school through involvement in Open Days and Fund Raising Events.
o The Parent Council also support the work done in progressing the School
Improvement Plan and has included this year the development of the new
facilities and the transition and hostel arrangements for students
leaving at the end of S4.
o The Parent Council also works with the Community Council and other
bodies on the Island to ensure travel arrangements for pupils and
itinerant teachers are appropriate to the needs of the school, pupils and
community.
o A member of the Pupil Council attends Parent Council meetings and feeds
back to the Pupil Council of decisions made. Pupils have a voice with the
Parent Council and their views and opinions are carefully considered and
respected.
As a small school on a small Island we know our learners extremely well and aim to
support them as fully as possible. The health and wellbeing of our learners is
therefore fundamental to all we do. We always strive to meet their individual needs.

5. Summary of progress made on the 2014/15
School Improvement Plan
Priority 1 To continue to develop the Curriculum for Excellence.
How well do young people learn and achieve?
1.1 Improvements in Performance.
2.1 Learner’s experiences
Strengths
We have achieved the following:
 The teachers and staff continued to embed and adjust the new examination
courses to meet the needs of the individual learners and the revised
recommendations from SQA. These recommendations have been developed after
the first year of implementation of the new National 4 and 5 courses.
 The school has worked with its partner schools to undertake moderation and
verification activities to ensure learners in Stronsay are working at appropriate
levels and making good/very good progress.
 Midyis data is shared with parents and staff and used to inform target setting.
 Secondary Sector timetable has been revised with staff and pupils to provide a
better balance of subjects.
 Majority of teaching staff have developed Glow sub sites for their subjects to
ensure the continuity of learning even through periods of extreme weather.
 Individual support was provided to the S4 students to ensure they made good /
very good progress whilst reducing their anxieties.
 Planning has been reviewed across the Early, First, Second, Third phases of the
Curriculum for Excellence and new rolling programmes developed in the primary
sector.
 The School continues to refine its tracking procedures to ensure individual
learner’s needs are accurately known and are addressed.
 Stronsay School has continued to develop closer links with Sanday School,
though joint training, planning, moderation and learner activities to enhance the
experiences for all.
 The School has had a focus on emotional wellbeing to ensure all members of the
school community feel valued and their needs are met. Targets embedded in
learning logs.
Impact on Learners
 The individual needs of learners within the school are known and
addressed, with the majority of students achieving good to very good
progress.
 Strategies were successful in supporting the S4 students through their
final year at Stronsay School, ensuring they achieved beyond their
original Midyis expectations.
 Assessment is for Learning (AifL) techniques developed/ refined across
the school in line with authority tapestry project resulting in learners

6. across the school becoming more actively involved in the assessment of
their progress and the developing their next steps in their learning.
 Interdisciplinary days stimulate whole school learning experiences, which
not only provided meaningful learning but also developed the whole
school ethos.
 Glow subsites enable students to access learning resources outwith
school and allows access to subject teachers to support their learning.
What we plan to do next
 To further refine the tracking system developed to assess learner’s progress
to ensure we effectively support the needs of all students in our care. This will
include the purchase of a new numeracy tracking system, which will highlight
individual student’s strengths and areas of development. The joint purchase of
assessment tools with Sanday School to allow greater cohesion between the two
schools tracking/ moderation systems.
 Continue to develop the Governments initiative on languages (2+1) with the
development of Spanish as the third language
 Development of National 3 and 4 courses to meet the needs of individual
students.
 The development of Higher courses to meet the needs of the community of
Stronsay.
 Review of the use of technology to aid the opportunities available for learners
to develop new skills and experiences.
 To further review coverage of Experiences and Outcomes to ensure a broad
general education up to the end of S3.
 To implement the new primary rolling programme.
 Application to the Stronsay Development Trust to enhance the resources of
the school to meet individual learner’s needs.

7. Priority 2 Continued development of self-evaluation across the school
5.9 Self-evaluation- Commitment to self-evaluation/ Management of self-evaluation/ School
Improvement
9.4 Leadership of improvement and change – Support and challenge / creativity, innovation
and step change/ continuous improvement
Strengths
We have achieved the following
 A review of the whole school self-evaluation timetable to ensure all tasks
occur at an appropriate time and provide meaningful information to aid
learning.
 Individual learner’s targets have been established in the following whole
school areas:
Literacy
Numeracy
Health and Wellbeing (these have been linked to emotional wellbeing).
 Self-evaluation timetable has included the monitoring of work, pupil groups,
visiting classes.
 The Head Teacher has visited all classes, and has sampled a variety of work
over the year. This has informed the improvement planning and has led to the
adjustment in teachers planning.
 Staff share good practice with each other within the learning community. The
primary staff were able to share good practice with colleagues from Sanday,
leading to moderation of writing activities.
 Revised Profession Review and Development (PRD) process implemented for all
staff. General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) on line system for
professional update used effectively by all teaching staff and formally
activated as appropriate.
Impact on Learning
 Learners are actively involved in their own learning, understanding their
strengths and their areas for development.
 Staff using the tracking data to meet the individual learner’s needs and then
to assess the impact on any intervention.
 Schemes of work revised through evaluation of effectiveness of existing
courses and feedback from learners resulting in the development of enriched
learning activities
 Staffs continue to be provided appropriate training developed through
evaluation of need.
What we plan to do next
 Continue to develop and refine tracking of learner’s attainment and
achievement.
 Closer links with Sanday school to develop initiatives e.g. to enhance
moderation and verification processes.

8.  To become familiar with the new How Good is Our School 4 evaluation
document.
 To encourage a greater opportunity for pupil voice within the self-evaluation
framework.
Priority 3 Development of Leadership skills across the school
9.4 Leadership of improvement and change – Support and challenge / Creativity, innovation
and step change/Continuous improvement
Strengths
We have achieved the following:
 The school continues to develop leadership opportunities across all sectors.
These have included; Fundraising, Pupil Council, Sports Leadership, Sports
Ambassadors, one learner is a member of the National Steering Group for
Sports Ambassadors, Debating Competition, Troot in the Shed, Junior Road
Safety Officers, Primary pupils organising the Book Fair and Interdisciplinary
days.
 Staff have also undertaken enhanced leadership opportunities, these have
included; supporting staff through the revised SQA verification processes
for National 4 and 5 qualifications, resident staff taking responsibility in the
Head Teacher’s absence, mentoring other staff undertaking examination
courses and also undertaking examination courses to develop their roles.
Impact on learners
 These opportunities for leadership have given the learners the skills to work
as a team and enhanced confidence in undertaking a task.
 The learners see that the skills of leadership are valued within the staff and
also they are part of a learning community in which they see adults also
undertaking learning to enhance their skills.
Next Steps
 To further develop leadership opportunities for staff and learners including the
introduction of a leadership award in the secondary sector.
 Staff to undertake ‘Moving to Headship’ training.
 Staff to undertake training in Prince’s trust, XL Scheme.
 Staff to become Nominees in their subjects for Orkney.

9. Priority 4 Continued development of Support for Learning to meet the needs of
all learners across the school.
2.4 Personalised Support
Strengths
We have achieved the following:
 An experienced Support for Learning teacher was appointed to the school during
the academic year 2014/15 and undertook an induction process with support from
the linked Educational Psychologist.
 The school received an enhanced number of visits from the Educational
Psychologist, which enabled the school to;
o Provide training to staff to build capacity within the staff to support
individual learner’s needs.
o Provide additional support for learners with more complex needs.
 The whole staff undertook training on developing an ethos of emotional wellbeing
within the school.
 The school investigated ways to support the senior phase pupils to reduce
perceived pressure and look at mechanisms to provide additional support to them.
 Continue to embed support for learners with Dyslexic tendencies.
 A review of effectiveness of Individual Educational Plans (IEP’s) and the
development of Child Plans.
Impact on Learners
 Tracking system was used within the school to identify individual learner’s needs
and appropriate interventions occurred, which through further tracking and the
review of IEP’s proved successful in the majority of cases.
 A wide range of training was provided to staff to address the needs of individuals
with complex needs, which impacted positively on individual’s progress.
 Senior phase students successfully undertook examinations and were provided with
support appropriate to their needs, resulting in them achieving well in the final
examinations.
 Child Plans were introduced which allowed a more coherent support package to be
developed for children with support needs where a range of multi agencies were
involved.
Next Steps
 The piloting of video conferencing facilities to enable a more focused support from
the Educational Psychologist.
 Focused training to support children with complex needs, and to further build on
the capacity to support children within Stronsay.
 To work with Sanday School on the development of two projects to develop
emotional wellbeing, these are Mindset and Mindfulness.
 Consider the effectiveness of Child Plan meetings, their format and their
regularity and refine as appropriate.
 Further development of whole school emotional wellbeing targets.

10. Priority 6 Continue to develop the Nursery provision
1.4 Personalised Support
2.2 Curriculum
Strength
We have achieved the following.
 The staff with support from Catherine Diamond and Gillian Tait the architect
designed a new Nursery and outdoor area to meet the needs of the children in our
care, and also to provide appropriate facilities for 2 year olds.
 The staff within the nursery continue to develop their skills and training, they have
undertaken the following courses:
 BA Childhood Practice
 Video Enhanced Reflective Practice
 Solihull Approach
 Support Autistic behaviour
 Studio 3 training
 Building the Ambition
 First Aid
Impact on Learners
 All external agencies who have visited the nursery believe the Early Year’s Worker
is meeting the needs of the children in her care well and it is clear that they are
enjoying and learning from their experiences in the Nursery.
 New facilities have been developed and the nursery has moved into them, providing
a stimulating environment for the children and also aiding transition by the ability
to free flow into the Lower Primary classroom.
Next Steps
 To continue to develop the facilities in the Nursery, focusing on the
development of the outdoor learning environment. To provide additional
funding from Stronsay Development Trust to further enhance the facilities.
 To continue to support the staff within the Nursery by providing further
training to meet the needs of individual children within the facility.

11. Priority 7 To ensure that the facilities of the school are fit for purpose and
meet the needs of the Learners in our care
1.5 Management of resources to promote equity
Strengths
We have Achieved the following:
 The school has embedded the enhanced staffing of the school, which clearly has
impacted on the quality of provision and also the opportunities available for the
pupils.
 Music tuition has been further enhanced with opportunities to learn to play the;
o Accordion
o Brass
o Fiddle
o Piano
o Harp
o and also music theory.
 The school site has undergone a significant redevelopment, although at times this
may have resulted in some disruption, the end result is a school with facilities fit
for purpose and comparable to those on the Mainland Orkney.
Impact on Learners
 Enhanced teaching facilities and teaching levels have resulted in improved
opportunities for learners throughout the school. It has also resulted in
higher attainment as students move through the secondary sector.
Next Steps
 To develop the new external learning area for the Nursery and
Primary Classrooms.
 To finish the library facilities and complete the new entrance to the
school.
 To work with other agencies including the Stronsay Development Trust
to source other forms of funding to enhance the resources and
opportunities available for the children in our care.


12. Priorities for future development
The school, through the evaluations it has undertaken has produced a School
Improvement Plan this has been revised from an annual document to one which now
encompasses a three year plan of development. This plan is reviewed biannually and
adjusted following school’s evaluation of the progress made in each area. The following
priorities have been highlighted:
 Strategic Priority 1: Development of the Curriculum for Excellence
 Strategic Priority 2: Continue development of Self Evaluation across the
school
 Strategic Priority 3: Development of Leadership across the school
 Strategic Priority 4: Continue the development of Support for Learning
for all learners throughout the school
 Strategic Priority 5: Continue the development of the Nursery provision
 Strategic Priority 6: Ensure the facilities of the school are fit for
purpose to meet the needs of the learners in our care.