New 33 Period Week Timetable for Dundee Secondary Schools Beginning Tuesday 31 May 2016

Parents, carers and pupils are reminded that the new 33 period weekly timetable begins with effect from Tuesday 31 May 2016 in the following Dundee Secondary Schools:St John's RC High School, Baldragon Academy, Morgan Academy, Braeview Academy, Craigie High School and Grove Academy. 

I am informed that Menzieshill High School and Harris Academy will not be running a 33 period week until August and that St Paul's Academy will be running with one or two small modifications to the new timetable (see above) between now and August for transport purposes.

If in doubt, I recommend that parents and carers check with these schools for the details of the specific arrangements that will apply.

The new School Day for the six secondary schools making the change immediately begins Monday to Friday at 08:45. 

School ends at 15:40 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 

On Thursday and Friday school ends at 14:50

Lunch times are also staggered.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lunch will run 13:10-14:00. 
On Thursday and Friday the lunch break will be 12:20-13:10.

Education Committee Decisions Last Monday

At the Education Committee last week (Monday 23rd January 2012) we took three key decisions.

The first was to approve the school holidays for the 2013/14. This follows the new pattern of holidays which incorporate the October holiday in the second and third weeks of October. It is helpful to declare school holidays a long time ahead as these days many parents and carers make holiday arrangements a long time ahead. This allows them to do so with the confidence that they know when they can arrange their family holidays without compromising the education of their children.

Secondly, the committee approved the four classroom extension to Kingspark School at a cost just exceeding £1m. I was fully behind this expenditure but had previously voiced concern that the council had put the cart before the horse by seeking planning permission for the proposed building work in advance of seeking approval from the Education Committee. The inclusion of architectural drawings at the Education Committee and the City Architect available on hand to answer questions, provided reassurance that a development was appropriate to the needs of the children with multiple and profound disabilities that attend Kingspark and the short timescale had not compromised proper preparation of the proposal.

Thirdly, the Education Committee were advised that following a period of consultation, the proposal for a standardised 33 period week in each of our nine secondary schools had been dropped because it had failed to persuade parents, carers and teachers of its merit. Incorporated in this design was a proposal for a daily twenty minute period of Tutor time where pupils would met their, Tutor or Key Adult. This is defined as follows in the documentation for Curriculum for Excellence: 'All children and young people should have frequent opportunities to discuss their learning with an adult who can act as a mentor, helping them to set appropriate goals for the next stages in learning.'

I asked for reassurance that the provision of each pupil's entitlement for a Key Adult would be honoured in each of our secondary schools notwithstanding the 33 period week proposal falling.

Most importantly I extracted a commitment from the Director of Education, that he would report to an early meeting of the Education Committee about the Council's proposals for the senior phase (S4-S6) and the new S3 running for the first time from August 2012. Most controversial in these changes is likely to be the restriction to six subject choices in the new National 4 and 5 exams to be taken at the end of S4. This is 25% fewer choices than the maximum number currently available with Standard Grades which are to phased out. We were also promised that, before the middle of February, parents and carers would be invited in to their child's secondary school for a briefing on the latest phase of implementation of curriculum for excellence. It is curious that the really important decisions about plans for what will takes place in the classroom, are kept at arms length from the Committee by the Convener of the Committee and the Director of Education. 

32 Period Week Proposal to be Withdrawn but Parents Still Require Urgent Answers

At the next Education Committee (Monday 23rd January 2012) there is a report about responses to the consultation about the 33 period week. This consultation was about a proposal to standardise the school week across the 9 secondary schools in Dundee. 

It is clear from the committee report that this proposal neither persuaded parents and carers nor teachers. With such a mixed response, it is not surprising that the proposal has been withdrawn.

There is however a crucial question which is not contained within the report and requires answers at the Education Committee.

In the presentation which was used at the consultation events, the preferred timetable had thirty one periods of 50 minutes with the addition of one daily twenty minute period, called Tutorial, which combined the functions of registration and some roles connected with guidance. Attenders at the consultation were all told that Tutor Time was necessary as part of meeting the new pupil entitlement in the Curriculum,for Excellence. More specifically, that each pupil should have one teacher that knows her/him particularly well. How will this entitlement now be met for every one of our pupils in her/his secondary school?

It is long overdue that the Education Committee are informed about the next steps the Education Department are proposing for the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence in our schools, not merely providing a report telling us what it isn't going to do.

Issues Arising From the Consultation About The Proposed 33 Period Week In Dundee Secondary Schools

The series of consultation meetings about the proposed thirty three period week kicked off at Grove Academy on Monday evening. 

About eighty parents and carers gathered to hear from Acting Head Teacher, Lesley Elder and Acting Head of Secondary Education in the City, Paul Clancy. The new Head Teacher of Grove Academy, Graham Hutton, (prior to taking up his new post at the end of the month) was also on the platform.

While many issues were satisfactorily clarified and the exchanges between parents and carers and senior teachers and school managers remained polite, a number of reservations remained at the end of the evening. These were particularly about the implementation of the proposed thirty three period week as it would affect Grove Academy.

Firstly, strong concerns were raised about the proposed closing time of 15:15 on the four shorter days - Tuesday to Friday. If left as it appeared on the template projected onto the screen, it would clash with the main closing time for pupils at Eastern Primary School. While alternatives were discussed, there appeared to be insufficient acknowledgement that a clash with the finish time at Eastern Primary School was not an option. It was mentioned that a differential start and finish time for the school day in Grove Academy and Eastern Primary School had been guaranteed at the Project Board meetings that David Dorward, the Council's Chief Executive, had chaired in advance of the move by Eastern Primary School to the 'old Grove' site.

Secondly, it became clear that no provision had been made to gather the opinions of parents who were not able to attend the formal consultation event. Is the opinion of Grove parents in this consultation restricted to the less than 10% that were able to attend the meeting on Monday night?

Thirdly, it was clear that some parents were shocked and disappointed at the related news that when the proposed new timetable begins in August 2012, pupils in Dundee Schools will apparently take 6 school subjects from S4 leading to the new national examinations in S4. This is a reduction from the eight choices currently available in our nine Secondary Schools at Standard Grade starting in S3 and examined at the end of S4. This was a matter of regret for some parents who pointed out that Grove had very recently been rated as the twentieth most successful state Secondary School in Scotland by the Sunday Times. 


Incidentally, this apparent reduction in subject choices has not yet been brought to the Education Committee.

Dates of Consultation Meetings About 33 Period Week

Yesterday the Education Director, Michael Wood announced the dates of the consultation meetings about the proposed 33 period week throughout our nine secondary schools in Dundee. 

Each meeting will begin at 7pm and is open to parents and carers of any child that attends the relevant secondary school and any of its feeder primary schools.

Secondary School	Consultation Date	Education Officer Attending
Braeview	22 November	Michael Wood
Baldragon	15 November	Paul Clancy
Craigie	17 November	Paul Clancy
Grove	14 November	Michael Wood
Harris	23 November	Danny Webster
Morgan	24 November	Kenny McKeown
Menzieshill	23 November	Tracey Stewart
St John’s	21 November	Iris Thomson
St Paul’s	16 November	Tracey Stewart

For more information about the proposed 33 period week see also my earlier blog report.

Please note that when the Education Committee considered this at its 27 September meeting it agreed that, despite misgivings, the proposal should go out to consultation with parents and carers, pupils and teachers.

Commenting on the Proposed Thirty Three Period Week in Secondary Schools in Dundee

Commenting on the item before the Education Committee of the City Council on Monday 26 September 2011, Consultation on the Implementation of the Thirty Three Period Week in Secondary School


I think a proposal that would lead to a change in the the start and finish time of the school day in all nine of our Secondary Schools will be of great interest to pupils and their teachers as well parents and carers.


In fact parents' and carers' first thoughts may be about the potential inconvenience of juggling working hours and out of school care and getting used to earlier finish times on two afternoons a week. 


I think we will all want to be convinced that the disruption from this change will have a worthwhile educational benefit. I met the Director of Education on Tuesday morning and gave him notice that at the Education Committee on Monday night I will have some questions for him about identifying the benefits and potential drawbacks of the proposed new timetable and its possible effect for good or bad on teaching and learning in our secondary schools.

I note that this is a proposal at this stage. The Director of Education is asking approval to go out for consultation throughout the Autumn with a report coming back to the Education Committee early next year. 

On Monday night, I shall also be proposing that we widen the consultation net. While I welcome the planned involvement of the City Wide Pupil Council, I think it would be unduly restrictive to exclude the voices of our 6000+ Secondary School pupils as well. I shall also propose the addition of a online survey for parents and carers.