From the desk of the Headteacher - Issue 2 Hamilton

September 3rd 2021

Dear Parents,

I have been delighted to see all our learners getting into the full flow of our School routines over the course of the last two weeks. It has been a pleasure meeting some of our pupils who have achieved some wonderful accolades, learning more about them and sharing experiences. The eagerness and the positivity of the learners has been very evident during this period especially around our co-curricular clubs which have started this week. I am grateful to my colleagues for the time and effort they are putting into the clubs as they have been a vibrant addition to the School.

I have been working closely with my Senior Leadership Team and the Board during my transition to the role of Headteacher. I have been closely supported by these teams of staff and I have established a cohesive structure with the Senior Leadership Team to lead the School. As part of this structure, Katie Morton will be moving into the position of Chief Operating Officer. This is a position she held two years ago and will have responsibility for Facilities, Finance, Health and Safety, Administration, Catering and Compliance. I am grateful to all my team and the Board of Governors for the support they have provided as I have settled into the role of Headteacher.

Since my appointment I have been developing my knowledge of Hamilton College through my own process of gathering Data, Observations and most importantly Dialogue with all the stakeholders. At the start of term, I met with all staff to ask specific questions about Hamilton College. What are we good at? What areas do we need to develop and why? What opportunities do we have in Learning and Teaching? What opportunities do we have in building the School Community? The information gathered from this session along with our own self-reflection of recent improvement areas, has allowed me to form the basis of our School Improvement Plan for the coming year. The detailed School Improvement Plan, which aligns to the principles of regulation by Education Scotland will be shared on our website shortly, however, I do wish to share the main headings with you:

Learning and Teaching

We will be reviewing our delivery of Learning and Teaching from J1 to S2 to ensure our curriculum meets the needs of learners to ensure they are ready for the National Qualifications that follow. We wish to continue to develop our culture of academic rigour to ensure our learners are prepared for a changing examination programme following the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Review. The inclusion of Outdoor Education will continue from our previous improvement agenda.

Leadership and Management of Staff

I wish to review the leadership structure within the School to ensure that it correctly supports the needs of our learners academically, pastorally and in the co-curriculum. This area also links to the support of our learners in Learning and Teaching and meeting their needs through their Hamilton College Journey. As part of regulation, we will be updating our procedures surrounding Professional Learning and Development of staff and I will be leading strategies to grow the School roll.

Partnership Working and Learner’s Experience

Following the October break, I will be engaging with parents, learners and staff in a review of our co-curriculum. This will be establishing whether our current programme meets the needs of our learners and aligns with the current market. This will help formulate our vision for this area of the School and will support not only the learner’s experience within Hamilton College, but will also develop further provision of unique pathways which will support areas of inclusion and equality. Following feedback from parental questionnaires from the end of last session, we will be launching a parent portal during this academic session.

Development of Alumni Relations

Hamilton College will reach its 40^th Birthday in 2023 and we will be preparing the School for the celebrations and linked to this will be the development of our Alumni programme and fundraising for future developments.

The School Improvement Plan will be fluid over the course of the year and I will keep parents informed of our progress.

We have been providing updates with regard to the COVID-19 and I would like to send my best wishes to those members of our community who may be unwell or self-isolating. Please do adhere to the guidelines that are in place to keep us and the Hamilton College Community safe.

I know that the start of any academic session involves much preparation behind the scenes and I am grateful to my teams of staff preparing the School and getting us up and running, but also to parents who have taken the time to prepare our learners for the new School year. I am looking forward to all that is ahead of us and the positive energy and spirit that make it a successful one.

With very best wishes