1.INTRODUCTION

1.1Methodist College Belfast is a voluntary grammar school, situated in a pleasant suburban area on the south side of the City, opposite Queen’s University. Currently there are 1,833 pupils at the school of whom 159 board on a full-time basis; almost one-third of the boarders come from overseas. (See Appendix 1)

1.2The inspection team comprised inspectors from the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) and the Health and Social Services Registration and Inspection Unit (H&SS RIU). The inspection focused on assessing the fitness for purpose of the school’s arrangements for the pastoral care, including child protection, of all the pupils, as evidenced through the work observed in classes, and on the arrangements in place to secure the health, safety and welfare of the boarders. The joined-up inspection of the pastoral arrangements in the school and boarding departments by ETI and the H&SS RIU of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board (EHSSB), acting on behalf of the four H&SS boards, is in line with Article 176 of the Children (NI) Order, 1995, which requires the regular inspection of schools with boarding provision in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the pupils.

1.3In reaching its judgment, the ETI took account of the guidance set out in the Department of Education’s (DE) document ‘Evaluating Pastoral Care’ and the H&SS RIU assessed the school’s boarding arrangements against standards two, four and five (See Appendix 2) in the document ‘Quality Living Standards for Services: Children accommodated in schools with boarding departments’.

1.4While the Board of Governors has statutory responsibility for the school, including the boarding departments, the headmaster manages the arrangements for the pastoral care of all the pupils. In his work, the headmaster is assisted by the members of staff with specific responsibilities for the pastoral care and welfare of the pupils in the school, and for those resident in the boarding departments.

1.5Prior to the inspection, a random sample of the parents of day pupils and boarders received a confidential questionnaire seeking their views on the school. Almost half the sample returned the completed questionnaires to the Department of Education (DE). Most of the parental views expressed in the responses were very positive about the life and work of the school, and of the arrangements for the care and welfare of their children; in particular, the parents valued the thoughtful induction arrangements for new pupils and the extensive range of extra-curricular activities provided for all the pupils. The boarders also completed a questionnaire related to their residential experiences; these pupils spoke very positively about the personal advice and academic support available to them from the staff of the boarding departments, and of the opportunities they have to develop friendships with their peers from other countries. Two members of the inspection team met with groups of parents of the day pupils and of the boarders, and with representatives of the Board of Governors. Each group expressed its strong support for, and confidence in, the staff and the work of the school; the parents valued the academic tuition and pastoral care provided for their children, the sensitive approaches of staff when dealing with matters of concern about individual pupils, and the
successful efforts made to help the new pupils adjust to life in this large school. The groups of pupils from year 8 and year 12 who met with the inspectors spoke positively about their school experience and made several references to the opportunities provided for them to take part in a very broad range of extra-curricular activities, on and off the school campus. A small number of issues, relating mainly to the project work set during the autumn term for the year 8 pupils, and to the supervision of study time,were raised by the parents; these views have been shared with the headmaster and the representatives of the Board of Governors. The inspection findings confirm the positive views expressed by the Board of Governors, the parents and the pupils.

2.SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS

2.1In the school and the boarding departments there are comprehensive structures in place to ensure the care and welfare of all the pupils.

2.2The staff know the pupils well, and there is a strong sense of family and community spirit in the school and the boarding departments.

2.3The school has excellent facilities and arrangements in place for caring for boarders and other pupils who are unwell.

2.4Good relationships and mutual respect are features of the interaction between and among the staff and the pupils.

2.5The behaviour of the pupils is exemplary in class and as they move around the campus.

2.6The extensive range of extra-curricular activities enriches the experiences of the pupils, supports their social and cultural development, and is appreciated by the pupils and their parents.

2.7The principal and the teaching and ancillary staff of the school are fully committed to the academic, pastoral and social welfare of the pupils.

2.8The quality of teaching is always satisfactory; the majority of it is good, and in a minority of instances it is excellent. On occasions, the predominant style of whole-class teaching does not meet fully the learning needs of all the pupils.

2.9The school’s provision for careers is comprehensive, and carefully matched to the age and needs of the pupils.

2.10The school maintains regular written and oral communication with the parents of the day pupils and the boarders.

2.11The Board of Governors and the parents are very supportive of the ethos and the work of the school.

2.12The school’s arrangements for Child Protection are in line with the guidance in the Department of Education’s Circular 1999/10.

2.13The school’s arrangements for the care and welfare of the boarders take account of the requirements of the three standards (See Appendix 2) inspected from the document, ‘Quality Living Standards for Services: Children Accommodated in Schools with Boarding Departments’.

2.14.1The school has a number of important strengths which include: the commitment of the headmaster, senior managers and the teaching and ancillary staff to the academic, pastoral and social welfare of the pupils; the good relationships and mutual respect that are features of the interaction between and among the staff and the pupils; the mainly good quality of the teaching observed; the extensive range of extra-curricular activities and the strong links with the parents of the pupils. A few areas for development have been identified during the inspection. These relate to: the modification of lesson content and teaching styles to match the ability level of the pupils, including those with special educational needs; the marking and correction of the pupils’ written work in a way that helps the pupils learn from their efforts and improve their performance, and the further development and monitoring of the role of the form tutors.

2.14.2The standards examined were either fully or partially met and there was evidence of a commitment to continue to improve the facilities for boarders within the constraints of existing ageing buildings. The arrangements for ensuring the health of boarders, the richness and breadth of activities, and the provision for their spiritual care are all notable. Attention to the following areas for improvement will ensure that standards will continue to develop in line with best practice:

  • the guidance for both staff and boarders should continue to be developed to include specific policies in relation to access to bedrooms for staff and boarders, and expectations in relation to personal care;
  • the procedure for progressing any concerns/complaints of boarders should be promoted within the boarding facilities, eg by displaying on the boarders’ notice boards;
  • the system for the maintenance of required records should be standardised across boarding facilities for ease of reference.

QUALITY

OF

PASTORAL CARE

IN THE SCHOOL

Education and Training Inspectorate

3.QUALITY OF PASTORAL CARE IN THE SCHOOL (ETI)

3.1The staff know the pupils well, and work hard to implement effectively the comprehensive structures that support their care and welfare. The procedures for securing the health, safety and welfare of the pupils are enhanced further through the excellent lines of communication that exist throughout the school, and are used effectively and efficiently at all times. There is clear evidence of the mutual respect and good relationships that exist between and among the staff and the pupils, and of the development of an empathy with the overseas pupils who represent many different cultures. The spiritual needs of the pupils are given a high level of attention. A particular feature is the strong family and community ethos that is developed successfully among all who work in or are pupils at the school. The pupils’ behaviour is exemplary in class and as they move around the campus. The head boy and head girl take pride in, and are committed to, carrying out their responsibilities in a mature and sensible manner. They provide excellent role models for their peer group and for the other pupils in the school. Sixth-form pupils act as prefects to all the classes in the school, are actively involved in the year 8 induction programme, help the tutors during morning registration time, and support the teaching staff with their supervisory duties. The responsibilities of the prefects are clearly detailed, and provide very good opportunities for the senior pupils to develop personal qualities such as commitment and reliability. On many occasions, in the school and further afield, the pupils’ academic, sporting and creative arts successes are celebrated enthusiastically and with pride. Through the extensive range of extra-curricular activities that are provided on and off the school campus, the pupils have frequent opportunities to develop their cultural and social skills. In addition to their personal gains from the extra-curricular activities, the pupils raise significant amounts of money for charities, and work regularly with disadvantaged groups at local, European and international level. The school’s arrangements for Child Protection are in line with the guidance in the Department of Education’s Circular 1999/10.

3.2The teachers are committed to the promotion of the pupils’ academic achievements. In the lessons observed, the quality of teaching was always satisfactory, the majority of it was good, and in a minority of instances it was excellent. The relaxed atmosphere in the classes encouraged the pupils and gave them confidence to offer opinions about their work and to respond to the teachers’ questioning. In the best practice, the work was challenging, engaged the interest of the pupils, was matched to their age and ability and provided good opportunities for oral discussions. This good practice was usually supported by constructive marking which praised the pupils’ efforts and showed them how they could improve the quality of their written work. In a minority of lessons, the work was less well focused on the individual learning needs of the pupils. The predominant use of whole-class teaching methods did not meet the needs of all the pupils and resulted in a significant minority of them being unduly passive in class. The quality of marking and the presentation of the pupils’ work vary greatly. The teachers should consider how best to mark and correct written work in a way that helps the pupils learn from their efforts and improve their achievements. While there were examples of well-presented pupils’ work, too often their work was presented carelessly and accepted by the teachers.

3.3The school has identified some 80 pupils in need of additional learning support. A variety of strategies is in place to address these learning needs including the organisation of smaller class groups, and the provision of additional English lessons where appropriate. The teachers make good efforts to ensure that the pupils learn in a supportive environment and are included, for example, in whole-class discussions. The vice-principal with responsibility for the special educational needs (SEN) provision, is strongly committed to supporting the pupils, and has established appropriate arrangements to ensure that the staff are informed of the learning needs of the pupils they teach. The Belfast Education and Library Board’s psychology service is used regularly, and provides relevant information and advice to the school for those pupils with more diverse learning needs. Ten pupils have statements of SEN, and they are carefully and suitably incorporated into class groups. Four classroom assistants, who are sufficiently skilled and experienced to encourage the pupils to take control of their own learning and to work as independently as possible, provide valuable support for the pupils. The classroom assistants work well under the direction of the class teachers and, where appropriate, prepare work for the pupils in advance of specific lessons. As yet, there is no formal system in place to monitor and share information with the staff about the effectiveness of the in-class support provided for the pupils’ learning. The teaching staff would benefit from further in-service training (INSET) in the area of SEN.

3.4The induction programme for the year 8 pupils is effective. Before the start of the academic year, the new pupils and their parents meet the relevant form tutors and key members of staff. The form tutors spend time with the new pupils to help ease their transfer to the school, and to give them information about the school’s procedures, and the range of opportunities available to them. The year 8 pupils speak very positively about the induction arrangements, and are very clear about the structures available to them if they have any concerns.

3.5In key stage 3 (KS3), the pupils have a taught programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE). The year 8 pupils have a weekly timetabled period for their PSHE programme, and the year 9 and year 10 pupils have 12 sessions of PSHE during each of these years. The content of the PSHE programme for the year 8 pupils is appropriate. While the content of the taught PSHE programme in years 9 and 10 has been carefully chosen, the extent of coverage of key topics is constrained by the limited time available. In KS4, the time available for the taught programme of PSHE is modest. The sixth-form tutorial period focuses on topics relevant to the needs of the pupils. All the sixth-form pupils have the opportunity to engage in a work shadowing programme, and to think about and plan carefully for their future career aspirations. The school also uses a range of complementary PSHE documents on drugs education, health education and anti-bullying. Given the new arrangements in place for the pupils to meet with their tutors each day, the school should consider how the role of the tutor might be developed further, and how the pupils’ daily contact time with the tutors might be used to extend the taught element of the PSHE programme. The school has established useful links with outside agencies and speakers; when appropriate, members of these agencies visit the school to work with the staff and pupils on specific pastoral topics.

3.6The school’s provision for careers is comprehensive and matched carefully to the age and needs of the pupils. The documentation made available to all the pupils, from their first year in the secondary school through to their final year in the sixth-form, is excellent, and has key elements in it to support the formative and summative completion of the pupils’ Records of Achievement. The pupils’ careers booklets are complemented by the equally comprehensive teachers’ guidance booklets. The quality of the information provided to the pupils and their parents on option choices at the end of KS3, on choosing subjects for AS and A level, and to aid thinking through the implications of taking a year out from studies after Alevel examinations, is thorough and up-to-date. Currently, the time available for the pupils to work with the careers documentation is inadequate. Through the annual careers convention, medical symposium and sixth-form law conference, the year 12 and lower-sixth pupils of the school, as well as pupils from other schools, benefit from having access to an extensive range of careers information, and from meeting with representatives of the providers of third level courses and work opportunities.

3.7The school recognises the need for regular INSET in relation to pastoral care and child protection matters. There is a specific school document setting out the planning and arrangements for staff training in pastoral care and child protection. The staff are encouraged to attend external INSET, and to engage in relevant professional development courses specific to pastoral care. Further school-based INSET opportunities are provided regularly on exceptional closure and training days for groups of staff. The positive effect of the INSET is reflected in the pupils’ stated confidence in the school’s pastoral care provision.