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5.1 Newfield Primary School, Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire

Personal Improvement Chart PIC
Newfield Primary School

Project area for a partnership providing additional support for learning is a Personal Improvement Chart - PIC

My proposal area to take forward inclusive learning within the school community is a Personal Improvement Chart- PIC for P6 and P7 pupils which can also be used with SI pupils. The PIC has assisted in developing effective classroom management strategies for those pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour. This has been achieved by fully involving the families of those pupils who display challenging behaviour through consultation, collaboration, and in the planning and evaluation of their agreed weekly targets on the PIC by the pupils themselves

Pupil Participation in the PIC
I had wanted to involve and to increase the participation of these pupils' in the curriculum and the culture of their own school community. They are then expected to take on the ethos of the class and be part of that proactive, valued and interactive class culture of consideration and respect. They do so and are praised, as are the other pupils in the class. In doing so they are part of the 'team' and belong instead of excluding themselves by their challenging behaviour and negative attitudes.

SMT, Parent/guardian and Multidisciplinary team member involvement in the PIC
The senior management member discussed the PIC format with the family/guardian, as I did myself when they came up to school to agree their involvement in the PIC. The other multidisciplinary team members (School Learning Support Co-ordinator, Peripatetic Learning Support, Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist and Community Paediatrician) were also involved and regularly shared in the success of the PIC with the pupil (and myself) who was able to explain his/her present targets to the support member when appropriate.

Support for the Class teacher
Through using the PIC, other school staff have been able to look at the values which underpin inclusive practice in the school community. The parents/ guardians of the PIC pupils had remarked upon how supportive they had found the PIC to be at parents' night. I thanked the parents for their support and recognised that we were getting there! As the class teacher I had felt both valued and supported by my parents and that the pupils' improved behaviour had been recognized. That's what really matters, as well as the sharing of success and support recognized between the home and school. The Management Team have supported this initiative 100% and I can discuss with them a PIC pupil's progress and they will know what is happening in relation to this pupil's PIC, as they are regularly updated by myself and the pupil.