peebles high school
Peebles High aims to do everything we can to ensure a positive experience and
outcome for our young people while they are here with us. To do this we
published a very ambitious document in 2106 entitled “ Vision 2020”. This
captures the how and why we hope to do this for every member of our school.
Please download this pdf or continue down this page to read more fully about our
ambition and commitment. phs_about01 phs_about02 phs_about03 phs_about04
phs_about05 phs_about06 phs_about07 phs_about08 phs_about09 phs_about10
phs_about11 phs_about12 phs_about13 Our Values Our values are taken from the
mace of the Scottish Parliament: Justice, Wisdom, Compassion and Integrity. We
aim to exemplify these values in our actions and encourage each other to live by
these values. Our decision making and strategic planning are founded on these
values. Mente et Manu. Compassion We care about each other, the wider school
community, and the whole of society. We see ourselves as global citizens with a
responsibility to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We try our hardest
to understand those who hold different values and beliefs and celebrate our
differences. Integrity We promote and practise our values in our actions and
reflect these values in our policies. We aim to face our challenges, identify
areas for improvement and focus on meeting learners’ needs by applying these
values with honesty and transparency. Justice We treat everyone fairly and
always strive to provide equal opportunities. The safety and happiness of our
school community members will be prioritised as we aim to deliver the very best
opportunities for all to achieve and surpass their ambitions. We believe in, and
are committed to, being an inclusive school. Wisdom When making decisions we
will apply our knowledge, experiences, understanding, common sense and insight.
We understand that at times the rights of our community members may be
conflicting and we will always consider our values to help us arrive at the
right decisions. We are all committed to learning every day. Our Key Aims To
improve the lives and the life chances of all of our students. To promote
respect and positive behaviour in all of our relationships. To ensure every
student is included, participative and takes advantage of the wide range of
activities on offer. To deliver the highest levels of attainment and achievement
possible for every individual. To deliver positive and aspirational destinations
for all of our students as they leave school. Self-evaluation for
self-improvement Evaluating the quality of learning and teaching to ensure it is
of the highest standard is given priority in our school. We ensure everyone
involved in school life understands their responsibility to evaluate their
performance and all stakeholders take an active role in identifying what the
school needs to do to improve outcomes for learners. Using a variety of
strategies, we involve different groups of parents, pupils and staff to lead,
plan, implement, monitor and evaluate our improvements while avoiding overly
bureaucratic approaches. We are committed to our School Improvement Partnerships
with other schools, looking for and learning from best practice within Scotland
and further afield. We listen carefully to advice from SBC, Scottish government
and international sources, while also considering the best available research,
to reflect on our practices and when planning new initiatives. Gathering and
analysing data, information and views underpins our approach to identifying what
we need to do to improve and we are always mindful of the impact of our
approaches on workload for young people and staff. Learning, Teaching and the
Curriculum 7 Principles At every stage of learning all of our students will
benefit from their entitlement to a curriculum that is… challenging and
enjoyable, broad in scope, progressive, deep, personalised by genuine choice,
coherent and relevant Dialogic Teaching We harness the power of talk to
stimulate and extend students’ thinking and advance their learning and
understanding. Staff are skilled at using dialogic teaching to diagnose
students’ learning needs, frame their learning tasks and assess progress. This
empowers students for lifelong learning and active citizenship. Active Learning
Providing active learning experiences is a priority for all of our staff. Our
students are eager and active participants in all lessons. We engage all of our
students in collaborative learning activities, outdoor learning, and provide
learning experiences that are meaningful to a digital generation. Assessment for
Learning We are committed to using assessment to aid the learning process. We
believe that making and learning from mistakes is a vital aspect of learning and
formative feedback, peer assessment and AifL strategies are at the heart of our
approach to Learning and Teaching. 3-18 Experience We are committed to
partnership working across Tweeddale to ensure that all of our students benefit
from a coherent experience that builds on learning at every transition point.
Across Tweeddale there is a consistent approach to pedagogy, a commitment to
cross sector working/CLPL and a commitment to prioritise Literacy, Numeracy,
Health and Wellbeing and Skills for Learning, Life and Work.