Rainey Endowed School

School Development and Improvement Plan

2016-2019

This School Development and Improvement Plan highlights the strengths, priorities and areas for development for Rainey Endowed School pupils, staff, Board of Governors and parents and external providers for the academic years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. Extensive consultation has taken place with pupils at all levels, with parents and with staff working with governors and SLT colleagues. Chairs and Vice-chairs of the Task Groups set up to review the current provision were drawn from the school’s middle management. An external consultant (Learnspark) was been appointed to work with Rainey Endowed School SLT and Middle Managers, pupils and Board of Governors to ensure that a rigorous whole-school approach is in place as the school moves forward.

The Principal and SLT will report to the Education Sub-Committee, which in turn will report to the full Board of Governors on the effectiveness of SDP and Action Plans five times per annum. The SDP and Action Plans will be reviewed annually.

Vision Statement: Making the Best even Better

We want our pupils to become:

Successful Learners… who enjoy and understand their own learning and who know what they need to do to make progress and fulfil their potential.

Confident Individuals...who are equipped with the skills to adapt to and cope with an ever changing global society.

Responsible Citizens… who demonstrate a commitment to themselves, friends, family, their local community and the wider world.

Aims

Provide a relevant, broad and balanced education for each child within the Northern Ireland curriculum.

Be a caring community centred upon mutual respect, tolerance and respect for others.

Extend our culture of self-evaluation by stimulating a desire to learn, raising aspirations and increasing opportunities and participation.

Promote health, well-being, happiness, enjoyment and independence in a safe, secure and caring school, catering for the

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physical, emotional, spiritual and moral and cultural needs of our pupils.

Value and respect everyone, recognise their strengths and differences, encourage them to develop their skills and abilities and have a positive attitude to each and every member of our community.

Improve the three way partnership (parent-pupil-school) to enable our pupils to attain their full potential.

Develop communications, leadership and interpersonal skills through language, literacy and communications –the use of ICT to improve/engagement, and learning and teaching, maximise independence.

Prepare our pupils for challenges and opportunities of a complex and technologically advanced 21st century society through creativity, innovation and motivated approach to teaching and learning.

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1. A Statement and Evaluation of the Ethos of the School

VISION STATEMENT

As a caring school, committed to excellence in all areas of its service to the local community, Rainey Endowed School desires to educate its pupils to be Global Citizens of the 21st Century.

The Rainey community is characterised by the excellent relationships which exist between teachers and pupils, both inside and outside of the classroom, a fact recognised by the ETI report in 2014. The pupils show an interest in their learning and respond well to effective teaching, consistent with their abilities. Teachers are committed and enthusiastic; they have a strong sense of loyalty to the school and its goals; relationships among them are very strong and they work well together in a constructively self-critical manner.

Pupils show a strong sense of belonging to the school community and surveys of both parents and pupils confirm that there is a strong sense of community and wellbeing throughout the whole school. There is a wide range of opportunities for the pupils to have interest in, and involvement with, the well-being of the wider community at a local, national and international level.

‘The unique and well-established tradition of education young people from differing religious and cultural backgrounds’ (ETI 2014) encourages pupils to value one another and to express their own views while appreciating the views of others. There is, furthermore, a commitment to involve young people in discussions and decisions on school life which directly affect them and to listen to their views. Furthermore, a range of well-developed extra-curricular activities exists for pupils which aims to improve pupils’ confidence and self-esteem, whilst at the same time motivating pupils and raising their expectations.

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High standards of pastoral care and child protection are in place; arrangements for pastoral care are integrated with, and reflected in, day-to-day teaching and learning. The pupils take a pride in their work; they recognise the importance of high standards of presentation and behaviour and they are courteous and attend regularly, with attendance rates having improved since the last ETI visit.

Pupils achieve high levels of success in examinations (see appendices) and, as a result, the pupils and the teachers are encouraged in their efforts and expectations.

The school is highly esteemed by the local community; its standing is reflected in the number of pupils seeking admission each year.

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2 (a) A summary and evaluation, including through the use of performance and other data, of the school’s strategies for learning, teaching, assessment, and promoting the raising of standards of attainment among all pupils, in particular in communication, using mathematics and using ICT.

‘There is widespread agreement now that of all of the factors inside the school that affect children’s learning and achievement, the most important is the teacher – not standards, assessments, resources, or even the school’s leadership, but the quality of the teacher.’ (Professional Capital: Hargreaves and Fullan, 2012)

Improving the quality of Learning and Teaching and raising standards throughout the school have been prioritised in a significant number of ways over the last few years. A whole school Learning and Teaching Policy, which sets out the expected approach to Learning and Teaching, has been developed and shared with all staff. A summary diagram is displayed in all classrooms. This policy is supported by a common lesson plan template, used for all formal observations, which sets out the expected structure which all lessons will follow. Shared schemes of work and teaching and learning resources are regularly updated in light of new action plans.

The Principal routinely observes all teaching staff on an annual basis to ensure consistency of approach and for quality assurance; moreover, collaborative observations between principals and HoDs have also been established. Inter-departmental observations are also carried out each year and the school has begun to video lessons as a means of sharing excellent practice.

Action Plans arising from the School Development Plan place emphasis on promoting the highest levels of Teaching and Learning and all departments are required to identify teaching and learning as a key focus in all departmental minutes, which are shared monthly with the Curriculum VP. Furthermore, Staff Training Days are used to share best practice in the areas chosen for development, such as (in recent years): Assessment for Learning; Active Learning Strategies; Different Learning Styles; Critical Thinking; and Independent Learning.

The commitment of the staff to their own professional development is in evidence through the strong membership of the Teaching and Learning group which was established to encourage engagement with educational research, innovation in the classroom and further sharing of good practice. This group meets monthly to discuss their reading of educational literature and the extent to which new ideas have been

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successfully embedded in their own classrooms. Findings are then disseminated through all departments and are shared during staff training sessions.

There is a clear emphasis on the cross-curricular skills in the schemes of work of all subjects. Literacy and Numeracy policies have been shared with HoDs and all staff and audits have been conducted. Action plans identify key priorities on an annual basis. Nominated departments report on Communication, Using mathematics and Using ICT (as well as Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities) and have developed suitable tasks for assessment. In response to feedback from ETI (2014), a whole-school approach to mental mathematics was developed and reinforced in both pastoral and academic settings; work on this continues in line with a new action plan on independent learning. Building on existing good practice in literacy, a whole school focus on writing is now in place and will be further developed over the next three years. Progress has also been made in Using ICT through the implementation of Fronter and also through regular staff training and sharing of good practice. Improved staff and pupil access to ICT facilities has also been improved in the last few years.

Assessment is an integral part of the learning and teaching process and is used both formatively and summatively to inform teaching, develop learning, promote target setting and bring about improvement. SIMS Assessment Manager and whole school target setting are used to promote the raising of standards of attainment among all pupils and relevant data, such as MIDYIS, Yellis and Chance Analysis, is used effectively in order to make this process meaningful. Whole school INSET is regularly conducted to support staff in the use of SIMs to track pupil progress. Book scoops and learning walks are used to ensure that assessment approaches are consistent across the school.

Strengths

1. The school’s provision was judged to be Very Good during the ETI visit of 2014. The Principal has observed all teaching staff during the 2015-16 school year and has judged that the quality of teaching and learning is good or better in all lessons, with 70% of all lessons being very good or better and around 30% being outstanding. A visit by the ETI District Inspector in December 2015 validated the criteria used for such evaluations through a series of joint lesson observations, when 70% of lessons observed that day were deemed to be outstanding and 90% good or better.

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2. Staff development and the sharing of good practice are at a highly developed stage. SDDs are consistently used to disseminate good practice and share resources and all staff training and departmental meetings focus on the same. A bank of resources has been built up in a shared area and the school has begun to video lessons to exemplify excellent practice.

3. Results at GCSE and A level have been consistently above the NI average for grammar schools (see appendices). Consistently top 10 in NI @GCSE and A level.

4. As a result of rigorous target-setting, which is reviewed annually, pupils’ achievement levels in Communication and Using Mathematics consistently exceed whole school targets. (see appendices).

Areas for Development

1. Further develop pupil potential by implementing a focus on Independent Learning (to incorporate a focus on Gifted and Talented and Gender and Achievement)

2. Continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning by encouraging sharing of good practice through trusted colleague observations, learning walks and videoed lessons and extending the role of the learning and teaching group.

3. Further align the development of CCSs with the whole school focus on independent learning.

4. Review of pastoral/academic links to streamline approach to target setting

5. Maintain outstanding levels of achievement/progression over duration of SDP.

2 (b) providing for the special, additional or other individual educational needs of pupils

Current Practice

All pupils with a special, additional or other educational need are offered access to all areas of the curriculum and extra-curricular life of Rainey Endowed School. The Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO) works closely with pupils on SEN register, alongside their parents and teachers, to produce Individual Education Plans (IEPs) which are emailed to all staff and hyperlinked and available for staff in PA9. IEPs are reviewed twice a year and parents invited to attend termly review meetings. Annual Reviews are also held for all statemented pupils.

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A clear and comprehensive SEN policy is in place and has been shared with all staff; teachers have full access to all policies and resources on SEN and receive regular training on SDDs to support them in their teaching of pupils with special needs. The SENCO has devised a SEN Handbook (which is updated and re-distributed annually) for all staff containing policies, procedures and information relating to SEN pupils. IEPs are working documents which are kept in staff planners and are annotated and customised by staff to encourage a blend of pastoral & academic support. There is, moreover, regular communication between teachers, SENCO and Learning Support Assistants. Staff regularly share good practice regarding SEN pupils and each department has a SEN Link Teacher

The school also has established links with the relevant statutory agencies such as Educational Psychologist, EWOs, Transition Co-ordinators, Careers Officer on issues relating to SEN pupils and there is communication with these organisations when appropriate.

The school also has a Medical Pastoral Register for pupils with additional needs. This is updated regularly and given to all teaching staff. Pupils with serious medical conditions have Individual Medical Care Plans following consultation with the School Nurse or Doctor. Staff are trained annually in the use of epipens; other medical training is provided as necessary. Medication is administered to pupils as required and the Canteen has photographs of pupils with special dietary requirements. Pupils alert the Canteen staff regarding their dietary needs. A number of relevant staff have received First Aid training and strategic areas in the school have first aid kits.

Short term arrangements put in place for pupils who have a temporary need and there is liaison with the Home Tuition Service for pupils with longer term absences.

The building has recently been adapted to facilitate wheelchair access.

Strengths

1. The enthusiastic, committed and exemplary leadership of SEN across the school (ETI 2014)

2. The effective tripartite arrangement between pupils, parents and learning support staff (ETI 2014)

3. Effective arrangements for drawing up IEPs with parents and pupils and then for communicating and monitoring these with the involvement of all staff

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4. Outcomes for SEN and FSME pupils greater than predicted (see appendices)

Areas for Development

Review of existing practices for using data to support SEN pupils Review of the format and impact of IEPs Further training for Learning Support Assistants Further development of the links with primary schools in order to

deepen the understanding of Year 8 pupils’ social, behavioural and learning needs and to ensure a smooth transition to secondary school.

Maintain current very high performance and standards in external examinations

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2 (c) Promoting the health and well-being, child protection, attendance, good behaviour and discipline of pupils.

Current Practice

The school’s Pastoral and LLW programme promotes health and wellbeing and allows pupils to explore issues of personal development. Students’ mental health and wellbeing are highlighted and promoted in lessons and through special events, such as anti-bullying week. The pastoral mentoring programme is also an effective means of allowing pupils to share their concerns and pupils are also aware of the support offered by the counselling service available in school on a weekly basis. Pupils’ general well-being is also promoted through a wide range of other extra-curricular activities, including a full and varied programme offered by the PE department, which enhances our pupils’ experience while at Rainey Endowed School.

Child Protection Policy & Procedures are in place and have been implemented in line with relevant DE Circulars and all staff are vetted in compliance with the same. Designated & Deputy Designated Teachers for Child Protection have been appointed and have attended recent CP Training. Pupils are made aware of the child protection policies through the pastoral programme, as well as posters displayed throughout the school. Furthermore, Designated Governors with responsibility for CP have established links with DT and DDT. Key staff liaise with Child Protection Support Services and make referrals using UNOCINI Forms when necessary.

Pupils and parents understand the important role good attendance plays in a child’s progress and achievement and strategies and policies are in place to encourage this, which have the full support of staff working at every level. The school attendance rate has improved from 94.3 % in 2013/14 to 96.5% for 2015/16. Furthermore, consultations with parents in a series of questionnaires revealed support and appreciation for the school’s procedures in this area.

The positive behaviour of our pupils is based on good relationships between staff and pupils and is founded on the principle of mutual respect, which is the basis of the school’s Behaviour Policy. Parents’ views on this policy have been solicited and have been both positive and supportive. Furthermore, pupils are encouraged to communicate their views through the school council and LLW

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and, more recently, through pupil consultations which were conducted for the SDP.

Strengths

1. The ‘strong pupil-centred ethos of the school’ (cited by ETI in school’s inspection report 2014)

2. Pupils’ willing engagement in a wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities (ETI 2014)

3. “The pupils feel safe and secure in their school and know who to speak to if they have any concerns about their safety and well-being” (ETI 2014)

Areas for Development

1. Respond to pupil feedback regarding areas of school life such as healthy eating.

2. Extend the role of mentors throughout the school to develop pupil leadership and to facilitate closer links between pastoral and academic structures.

3. Review of house system to offer students further opportunities for involvement in the school community (including sporting opportunities)

4. Maintain focus on sustaining high attendance rates through first day contact with parents and exploring the possibility of attendance certificates.

5. Review of Child Protection Procedures.

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2 (d) Providing for the Professional Development of all Staff

Current Practice

The primacy of the role of the teacher in the classroom and the prioritising of high quality teaching and learning are the focus of all professional development provided by the school, in line with the school’s staff development policy. Each Staff Development Day is planned and organised by the Senior Leadership Team in line with the School Development Plan and with a clear focus on current action plans. There is regular input from the Teaching and Learning Group and from departments across the school to facilitate effective and meaningful sharing of good practice. As a high performing and self-evaluating school there is the opportunity to reflect regularly on our provision (Kirkland Rowell Pupil Survey April 2015; School Self-Evaluation and Review Calendar; Task Groups 2015-16). A well-established programme of classroom observations has revealed the positive impact of such professional development.

An effective and well-received induction programme is provided for new members of staff by the teacher tutor. Teaching staff are offered opportunities to develop their expertise in leadership and management through initiatives such as short-term membership of SLT and the opportunity to lead task groups or chair learning areas. Procedures for PRSD afford staff opportunities to highlight training needs. Moreover, details about relevant courses and training are regularly

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communicated and the Board of Governors has shown support for the staff’s personal development through a willingness to offer financial support for these where possible.

Strengths

1. Well-established sharing of good practice in a variety of ways and positive staff evaluations of these training sessions.

2. Lesson observations carried out by Principal, HoDs and SLT reveal a very high standard of teaching and learning throughout the school and no inadequate teaching. Kirkland Rowell surveys of pupils and parental questionnaires confirm these findings.

3. Staff involvement in leading professional development and taking ownership of various initiatives.

Areas for Development

1. In line with findings from task group, develop the opportunities for distributed leadership and for staff to work-shadow a range of leadership roles(eg look at possibility of introducing ‘assistant’ posts for staff’s further professional development)

2. Extend professional development opportunities for Learning Support Assistants and non-teaching staff

2 (e) Managing the attendance and promoting the health and well-being of staff

Current Practice

Rainey Endowed School is fully committed to managing the attendance and promoting the health and well-being of all staff. The Senior Leadership Team actively seeks to offer support and care to all staff experiencing health or other difficulties. Part of this support may include enabling staff to access the support of health or counselling agencies.

The staff attendance policy is set out in the staff handbook and is as described by TNC 2008/2. The principal conducts back to work interviews for staff and absences are reported to the Board of Governors. The bursar offers the same level of support to non-teaching staff. Planned absences are reported to the Cover Strategy Manager and a

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sympathetic and supportive approach aims to accommodate family and personal commitments during the school day.

Staff are committed to the school and its aims and it has not been necessary to impose directed time for meetings and staff development. Staff are consulted over school holidays and all staff have an annual one-to-one interview with the Principal which affords them to opportunity to share any concerns they may have. Recent action plans have focused on staff wellbeing in a variety of ways, including wellbeing sessions on SDDs. A Staff wellbeing group was established to facilitate these initiatives and a task group reviewed our provision in 2015-16.

Strengths

1. Strong working relationships which exist between members of staff at all levels.

2. Improved facilities for staff throughout the school.3. Flexible working environment which facilitates staff ability to

attend appointments and fulfil personal commitments during the school day.

4. High attendance percentage of teaching and non-teaching staff (see appendices)

Areas for Development

1. Further development of staff wellbeing provision (set up committee)

2. Further improvements to staffroom and general staff facilities3. Curriculum review and audit to ensure consistency and fairness in

allocation of staffing and additional responsibilities.4. Provide emotional well-being opportunities for staff and pupils.

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2 (f) Promoting links with the parents of pupils at the school and the local community, including other schools, the business community and voluntary statutory bodies.

Current Practice

Rainey Endowed School fosters close links with parents through regular communication between school and home. Parents are informed of their child’s progress through annual school reports, interim reports & Annual Parents’ Meetings and this communication has been further encouraged through Sims Learning Gateway. Social media, such as the school’s website and facebook page, are also used to good effect to inform parents and the local community of important events and to celebrate pupils’ achievements.

The school seeks opportunities to develop strong links with local primary schools and ensure that pupils enjoy a smooth transition to post primary school. To this end, the principal makes annual visits to potential feeder schools and each new Year 8 pupil receives a visit from their Year Head before joining RES. Local primary schools have also been invited into school to participate in specially created worskshops run by departments such as Music, Modern Languages and Mathematics.

In conjunction with neighbouring schools we work to develop joint courses to extend curricular opportunities for all students. We are members of the Magherafelt Learning Partnership and this link has also been exploited by collaboration on literacy and numeracy initiatives. Alongside our neighbouring schools we have collaborated on several joint initiatives such as the annual careers fair and a mental health awareness campaign.

The Careers Department, through its well-established Year 13 Work Experience Programme, has established a network of contacts in the local business community and with other relevant agencies. Members of the local community also make a valuable contribution to the annual sixth form Interview Skills Day. Furthermore, in conjunction with other MLP schools, we have facilitated a variety of special careers conventions. In addition, Young Enterprise visits the school each year to work with our KS3 pupils. We have also hosted work experience opportunities for graduates and participated in the Teachers into Industry Bursary Schemes to improve links with schools and businesses.

The school enjoys strong links with the local community which have been further enhanced in recent years by the formation of the sixth form community group (which currently has over 80 members.) There is also a

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well-established sixth form charities committee which organises and hosts a range of events each year to raise money for the pupils’ chosen causes. For the last ten years we have also had an ongoing commitment to a project in Dehli, facilitated by the charity, ASHA.

Strengths

1. Excellent three way partnership between parents, pupils and the school, evidenced by attendance at parents’ meetings and parental questionnaires completed on these occasions

2. Strong links with local communities through business links with various departments

3. High levels of pupil involvement in fund-raising and community groups

Areas for Development

1. Further development of the ‘Parents into Learning Group’ to facilitate parental feedback to key school policies and initiatives.

2. Promote & develop relationship with the former pupils’ association3. Develop global links through Erasmus, other international charities

etc

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2. (g) A summary and evaluation, including through the use of performance and other data, of the school’s strategies for promoting the use of ICT, including its use to support learning and teaching, continuing professional development and school leadership and management.

Rainey Endowed School continues to build a significant and effective C2K infrastructure. At present there are five dedicated ICT PC suites, as well as Mac facilities available in departments throughout the school. Each classroom is equipped with a desktop computer and a number of new IWBs were recently installed so that every classroom in the school now has access to this resource. A wifi network is now operational throughout the school and sixth form pupils are now encouraged to bring their own devices to school. The Head of ICT, ICT co-ordinator and Curriculum VP work effectively to support both staff and pupils in their use of ICT to support learning and teaching.

Sims modules are used to good effect for a variety of purposes, such as pupil and staff records, financial management, attendance, behaviour, assessment and reporting, staff cover, timetabling and performance analysis. Assessment and other data are used effectively to inform teaching and learning across the school and in the classroom and to promote improvement. Tracking Mark sheets, Yellis and Chance Analysis data are routinely used for academic and pastoral intervention. Furthermore, pupils are increasingly involved in using meaningful data to set personal targets and to review them, with the support of their teachers. This work is overseen by the assessment and data co-ordinator, as the school continues to work on using data to meet both the academic and the pastoral needs of the pupils.

The school has recently prioritised the use of Fronter to support pupils’ learning and each department has appointed a link member to work with the ICT co-ordinator to exploit the potential and possibilities for their own subject’s needs. Staff training has also supported teaching staff in this regard.

Strengths

1. Staff competence and confidence in the use of ICT in the classroom, which have been developed in last two years through focus on ICT through introduction of Fronter and new IWBs and training received for the same

2. Well-developed use of Sims and SLG3. Recent investment in ICT infrastructure in response to ETI

feedback (2014) made possible through bequest to the school.

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Areas for Development

1. Further investment in ICT infrastructure, including provision of IWBs for all departments and to develop promotion of BYODs with senior pupils

2. Further promotion and development of Fronter3. Review of provision for ICT at KS3 and A Level 4. Further provision for BYOD5. Wireless network enhancement3 (a) An assessment of the school’s current financial position

and the use made of its financial and other resources.Current Practice

The school’s budget is prepared by the bursar in the context of a 3 year plan. An annual budget is then prepared, taking into account spending decisions, incremental progress and inflation and is profiled to reflect spending patterns. There is an agreed budget for each department, which is reviewed and monitored by curriculum vice-principal.

The resources at the disposal of the school are managed properly and effectively, with appropriate arrangements in place for financial management, attendance management and working relationships. Good relationships and clear channels of communication are in place between the school and the education agencies that support it. The school’s governors understand their responsibilities and provide clear strategic direction as well as support and challenge to the principal in carrying forward the process of improvement.

Rainey Endowed School has addressed the deficit with efficiency initiatives, cost reductions and fund-raising activities ie compulsory and voluntary redundancies, part-time working, natural wastage and all other opportunities to ensure Rainey Endowed School remains viable and sustainable eg increasing pupils on the roll at KS3 entry and KS5 and curriculum options.

3 yr financial statement attached

Income 15/16 = 3.236 millionCosts= 3.370 millionDeficit= 134k

Income 16/17 = tbcCosts= tbcDeficit= tbc

Income 17/18 = tbcCosts= tbc

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Deficit= tbc

Strengths

1.Rigorous monitoring of department budgets prevents overspend, where increases are required a business case needs to be provided, such decisions are agreed by the Finance Sub-Committee of the Board of Governors and ratification is sought at full Board.2. Increased KS4 and KS5 offer3. SEP works, DDA works, EA – very productive relationships.4. Budget reports are prepared termly for each Board of Governors’ meeting, for Principal and SLT indicating financial position, taking into account any adjustments.5. School is externally audited on an annual basis – resources, results.6. Financial planning with BOG / school’s financial statement / relevant decisions in collaboration with Finance Committee7. Attendance at Governor training / programme of training / schedule of meetings / subcommittee structure8. Potential outsourcing of services9. Budget prepared in context of 3 year financial plan10. Budget prepared annually taking account of spending, incremental progression and inflation and reflects spending patterns11. Agreed budgets are granted to departments

3. (b) An assessment of the planned use of the school’s projected resources during the period covered by the plan in support of actions to bring about improvement in standards.

School uses funds to deliver school uses funds to deliver curriculum, pastoral care, provide suitable accommodation, implement SDIP, work towards meeting the entitlement framework, meet the needs of SEN, communicate with parents, provide extra-curricular activities and the minutes of all committees are kept and are open to scrutiny by auditors, CPD of staff

Ongoing review : The resources at the disposal of the school are managed properly and effectively, with appropriate arrangements in place for financial management; attendance management and working relationships.

School leaders monitor and evaluate effectively school outcomes, policies, practices and procedures and the School Development Plan itself. Good relationships and clear channels of communication are in place between the school and the education agencies that support it.

Governors understand their responsibilities and provide clear strategic direction as well as support and challenge to the principal in carrying forward the process of improvement.

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Areas for Development

Finance Committee to receive a quarterly, half-termly budget report.

Budget holders to receive a termly report. Evaluation from auditors – give substantial ………….. systems safeguard and protect public monies

Finance Sub-committee BOG / budget plan / LMS Outturn statement / SLT decisions on resources / INSET and staff deployment

Annual requisitions / coordinators audit to inform SLT decisions on allocation of budget to priority areas

Budget reports are provided to chair BOG and Head and Finance Committee indicating the financial position taking into account any accrued or prepayment adjustments that may be required BOG receives a budget report termly; dept budgets are reviewed at the start of term and at the end of the financial year;

Dept budgets are monitored and controls on purchase order processing system prevents overspends. A business case must be presented if budget overspend is sought and this is subject to finance committee approval

Proposals for changes to BOG structure and sub-committee have been produced.

Use of auditors. A register of pecuniary interest is kept.

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4. An assessment of the extent to which the school has met its key targets, or the progress that has been made towards these key targets in any school development plan which a school development plan supersedes or revises.

A key strategic target for the school was to work to improve the standard of teaching and learning across the school. Significant progress has been made in this regard. By the time of the ETI visit in January 2014, it was found that ‘most of the lessons observed ranged from good to outstanding; just over half of the lessons were very good or outstanding.’ By the end of June 2016, the principal judged the standard to have improved yet further, with 70% of all observed lessons being very good or better and around 30% being outstanding. The template used for observations was verified by the District Inspector’s visit in December 2015, when 70% of the lessons observed were judged to be outstanding on the day of the visit. Much work from 2012 through to 2016 has been done to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is the school’s first priority. Exemplary work has been done to share good practice in an effective and innovative way and a programme of lesson observations has been embedded for both evaluative and professional development purposes. Task Group Two, set up to review the SDP, undertook a full-scale review of teaching and learning throughout the school, considering, in particular, the extent to which the teaching and learning policy has been implemented. The issue of independent learning has been identified as an important priority for the next three years.

The improvement of pupils’ standards of achievement at both GCSE and A level was the second key target for 2013-16. While the ambitious targets set have not yet been fully met, there has been a steady improvement across the board at all levels.

The third whole-school priority was to improve the quality of ICT provision. Since this target was set, there has been significant investment in the ICT infrastructure, with a new suite being created and improved facilities for sixth form being provided. Furthermore, most classrooms have been equipped with new desktops and printers and all departments have now been provided with IWBs. The adoption of Fronter is a relatively new initiative (2015-16) and remains an on-going priority, as does further investment into the infrastructure.

Staff and student experience was another key objective and was addressed by associated action plans. A staff wellbeing group was set up and in its first year launched an annual staff wellbeing day (May 2015). The experience of both staff and pupils has been improved though the

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refurbishment of some key areas of the school and with the provision of a new suite of modular classrooms. Pupil experience has also been enhanced by prioritising the introduction of a wide range of new lunchtime clubs. This is an area of school life which continues to grow and flourish. Task Groups One and Six reviewed staff and pupil experience during 2015-16 and have identified a number of key priorities which will be addressed over the next three years. These include extending opportunities for pupil leadership in all areas of school life, a review of the current house system and further alignment of pastoral and academic structures, alongside structured support for staff implementing these new initiatives.

The final strategic objective for 2013-16 focused on the school’s role and standing in the community. New links have been established with a number of bodies since then. The sixth form community group has fostered valuable links with a local nursing home, Food Bank and introduction of Gaelic sports and representative soccer.

Moreover, a number of community groups, such as Maghera Cricket Club, Bright Young Things, Parkour, bowling, PSNI, Sperrin choir, scouts, Christians in Sport and mixed martial arts are now making use of the school’s facilities.

Reviewed SDP Whole School Aims 2013-2016

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5. An assessment of the challenges and opportunities facing the school.

The school’s priorities remain to continue to raise standards and meet the needs of all of our learners. In the current climate, though, we are likely to encounter several challenges in the pursuit of excellence. We are currently experiencing and expect to continue to experience financial pressures which have already resulted in redundancies and deficits caused by superannuation, pensions, National Insurance.

The concerns raised by the Area-based Plan in 2012 still have not been resolved. The proposed merger with Sperrin Integrated School continues to be a concern, while RES remains convinced of the need for 11-19 non-denominational voluntary grammar school in the area between Ballymena and Dungannon. The number of under-subscribed schools in the area continues to have an impact and seems to be thwarting the Rainey Endowed School’s opportunity to grow as the outcome of the Area Based Planning consultations suggested we would be able to do.

The demands of the Entitlement Framework continue to be challenging as the school seeks to provide the broad and balanced curriculum we know to be in the best interests of our pupils.

There are, however, many exciting opportunities in prospect. The school hopes to be able to review the current leadership structure and to implement the many innovative and thoughtful suggestions made by the task groups in this regard. There are also plans to align pastoral and academic structures more effectively and to continue to build on the excellent work already being done in the teaching and learning arena. Furthermore, in the spirit of our school’s founding we want to be able to play a full part in our community and beyond.

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6. The arrangements made by the Board of Governors to consult and take account of the views of pupils, parents, staff and other persons or bodies in the preparation of the plan and to monitor, review and evaluate progress made against the SDP.

The Board of Governors delegated responsibility of the School Development Plan to the Principal, although Governors were fully involved in the consultation process. The Principal established six task groups in October 2015 to review six key areas of school life: Ethos; Teaching and Learning; Pastoral and SEN; Leadership and Management; Self-evaluation; Staff Development and Wellbeing. Key questions to guide the discussions were established by SLT, after consulting a number of key documents from DE and ETI. The leadership of the groups was drawn from the middle management of the school; chairs and vice-chairs attended training sessions provided by Learn Spark. Each group comprised a governor and a representative from SLT, working alongside teachers from different departments from across the school.

The groups met on three occasions during 2015-16 and then chairs and vice-chairs drew up a list of priorities based on their group’s findings. These were then presented, firstly to SLT and then to the whole staff, in May 2016.

Pupils were also consulted in registration groups over the course of one week. In addition, focus groups of senior pupils worked with the principal and then presented their findings to SLT. Account was also taken of parental questionnaires which had been conducted throughout the year.

At the end of the consultation process, the Principal and a member of SLT synthesised all of the findings and established key priorities for the next three years. It was found that these could all be addressed under the three headings of Successful Learners, Confident Individuals and Responsible Citizens. These findings formed the basis for the new SDP and associated action plans which were launched with all stakeholders in September 2016.

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7. Identification of the areas for development, which shall be informed by the school’s self-evaluation, which will include:

a) school’s key priorities for the period of the plan, based on the Department’s priorities for education

b) planned outcomes, including planned outcomes in teaching and learning and raising standards of attainment, which must include:

targets for raising standards of communication, using mathematics and ICT

c) the actions taken to achieve the outcomes mentioned at sub-paragraph (b) and final dates for completion.

Tables of quantative targets, three year-plans and one year plans are included within the pages which follow.

Reviewed Subject Targets

School’s 3 Year Priorities 2016-19

Action Plan 1 2016/17 Successful Learners

Action Plan 2 2016/17 Confident Individuals

Action Plan 3 2016/17 Responsible Citizens

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