The School Guidance System
The main purpose of the Guidance System is to enable all pupils in the school to make the best use of their educational opportunities, and to provide help and support when needed.
In delivery of guidance to pupils, all staff should be involved at various levels depending on their specialised skills and areas of responsibility. All pupils in the school are organised into one of three houses - Moorfoot, Pentland and Lammermuir.
Aims of the Guidance System
The Guidance department aims to::
- Provide a point of personal contact with every pupil.
- Provide a point of personal contact with parents.
- Promote two-way liaison with colleagues in order to optimise pupil development.
- Monitor progress and achievement across the whole curriculum for all pupils.
- Offer support and guidance to pupils on any issue which affects their development and achievement.
- Help pupils appraise their strengths and weaknesses, and to review progress.
- Help pupils manage stress.
- Prepare pupils for adult life in respect of being responsible for their own educational and vocational progress, by defining their aspirations, reaching their own decisions, and negotiating the steps necessary to move forward.
- Involveme in developing curriculum organisation and teaching methods which suit the educational and vocational needs of all pupils.
- Liaise with the wider education and welfare network as appropriate.
- Promote and develop structures and processes to ensure the efficient achievement of the aims listed above.
Organisation
The provision of Guidance to all pupils in the school is achieved through the House and Homeroom pastoral system together with the Social Education (SE) programme, and is organised primarily through the promoted Guidance Staff.
The Promoted Guidance Staff, comprising six Principal Teachers, deliver the Social Education programmes. They, with the Homeroom Teachers, and under the leadership of three Depute Headteachers, also form the three House Teams charged with delivering pastoral care to all students.
House/ Homeroom System
Each pupil/student is assigned a homeroom (or registration) group in one of these houses under the charge of a teacher known as the group’s homeroom teacher. Each homeroom group stays together from the first to the fourth years.
The House/Homeroom system is seen as a very important part of the overall Guidance strategy, and is based on the allocation of a member of staff as Homeroom Teacher to every class in the school. The role of the Homeroom Teacher is to act as first line Guidance Teacher and member of the extended Guidance Team, who will be in daily contact with the pupils in their class, and will have constant links with the House Guidance Staff involved with their respective class groups.
Social Education (SE)
All pupils are allocated one period of Personal and Social Education (SE) per week. This lesson will be taught by their Guidance Teacher and allow for a regular point of contact. Newbattle’s Personal and Social Education programmes focus on a variety of topics which allow for natural progression from S1 to S6. These focus areas are include:
- Health Education (Alcohol Awareness, Anti-Smoking and S.H.A.R.E)
- Careers Education (Coursing, Monitoring, Tracking and Target Setting)
- Further and Higher Education (UCAS, College Links and Study Skills)
- Social and Vocational Education (Working with Others and Work Experience)
Furthermore, the course is linked closely with Curriculum for Excellence and incorporates the six Health and Wellbeing organisers:
- Mental, Emotional, Social and Physical Wellbeing
- Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood
- Planning for Choices and Change
- Substance Misuse
- Food and Health
- Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport
The aforementioned organisers have been highlighted by the government as a vital part of each child’s education and, at Newbattle, we have integrated them into our programmes of work for your children.
In S1 and S2, the SE course covers topics such as Settling In, Study Skills, Bullying, Smoking, Alcohol, Citizenship, Health, Sex Education and Disability.
In S3, pupils complete a Working with Others SQA unit to develop and enhance the personal skills necessary for success in
adult life and in the world of work. It starts by looking at the
basic interpersonal skills essential for good communication i.e.
telephone skills, letter writing skills, route planning skills.
Thereafter, the students work in groups on a project chosen by
themselves, through which they can practise and gain
confidence in their interpersonal Skills. Students are
encouraged to take full responsibility for the planning,
execution and presentation of the project. Out of school visits
give students the full opportunity to put into practice the skills
acquired during the skills course.
The S4 PSE programme is predominantly concerned with Work Experience. Pupils will focus on this topic from the outset of S4 and will engage in sessions on Health and Safety and The Importance of Equality and Fairness in the Workplace, alongside the familiarisation with the WorkIT database, which they will use to record their work and locate placements.
All pupils will complete their Work Experience placement in October. This experience is designed to give pupils a one-week taster of the world of work. Should they source their place of work personally, they will gain an Intermediate 1 qualification on successful completion of the placement, as this requires the pupil to show increased initiative and the process can be somewhat demanding. Should they opt for a placement advertised on the WorkIT system, they will gain an Access 3 qualification on successful completion. Either way, the qualification is acknowledged by employers and colleges and proves that pupils can cope with the demands of the workplace.
The S4 PSE programme also embraces many of the topics outlined in ‘PSE: An Overview’, such as Anti-Bullying, Alcohol Awareness, Creation of a Curriculum Vitae, Sexual Health and Relationships Education and Study Skills.
The S5 PSE programme continues to expand pupils' knowledge and develop their skills and values to enable them to make informed decisions in a range of situations concerning health, relationships, academic progress and careers. Pupils are encouraged to take an active participation in their learning. Methods used include group and class discussion, role-play, case studies, questionnaires and quizzes. Most lessons are delivered through PowerPoint presentations, supported by outside speakers.
The Social Education course in S6 deals with areas including work, careers and University and college applications. The school works closely with the Lothians Equal Access Programme for Schools (LEAPS).
Careers Advice
Careers advice provided by qualified Careers Scotland staff and our own Guidance Staff is available to pupils throughout their time in the High School. See our Careers page .
The Green Banana Programme
Green Banana is a programme run by the Y2K+ project in Mayfield. Green banana is aimed at high tariff pupils who are disaffected with school, pupils who have attendance issues, difficulties with social skills or pupils with poor or low self-esteem. The aim of Green Banana is to foster a team work approach, encourage commitment, develop social skills through the production of a DVD and build self-esteem/confidence. The pupils attending also receive 1 to 1 support from staff at Y2K+. Find out more about the Green Banana programme by downloading their leaflet. You can also visit their website.
The course last for six weeks and operates on a Monday and Thursday from 10:00am until 3:30pm. There are 3-4 sessions per year from September through to June.
