/ Providing Inspection Services for
Department of Education
Department for Employment and Learning
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Education and Training Inspectorate
Report of a Focused Inspection
St Comhghall’s High School
Lisnaskea
Inspected: February 2004
CONTENTS
SectionPage
1.INTRODUCTION1
2.THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ WORK2
3.MANAGEMENT5
4.CONCLUSION5
APPENDIX 17
APPENDIX 28
APPENDIX 310
1.INTRODUCTION
1.1St Comhghall’s High School is a maintained co-educational non-selective post-primary school situated in the town of Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh. Approximately two-fifths of the pupils are drawn from the town; the remainder come from the surrounding rural area within a radius of approximately ten miles. The enrolment has remained stable for a number of years, although there has been a decrease in the most recent intake of year 8 pupils. Over the last three years, just under one-quarter of the pupils have obtained a grade C or above in the transfer procedure. Approximately two-fifths of the pupils are entitled to free schools meals. The school has identified just over one-fifth of the pupils to be in need of additional help with their learning. Further statistical information about the school is included in Appendix 2.
1.2The inspection focused on the work in mathematics. During the inspection, one specialist member of the department was absent and non-specialists were teaching a number of mathematics classes. Elements of the school’s arrangements for pastoral care, including those for child protection, were also evaluated.
Board of Governors’, Parents’ and Pupils’ Responses
1.3The arrangements for the inspection of pastoral care and child protection included the completion of questionnaires by a sample of parents as well as meetings with the governors and groups of pupils. Prior to the inspection, 160 parents were asked to complete a confidential questionnaire on the school; 59% of the sample responded to the questionnaire, with 36% taking the opportunity to write additional comments. The responses from the questionnaire indicated that the parents are generally well satisfied with the way in which the school cares for the pupils. A few parents commented on their concerns about the careers provision in the school and a smaller number about bullying; these matters were brought to the attention of the school and the latter is referred to in paragraph 2.2.1. The governors were supportive of the work of the school, and of the principal and staff; they reported that they were well-informed about school issues and fully involved in the drawing up of policies relating to the welfare of the pupils. The pupils indicated that they feel secure and happy in school, and they acknowledged the help and support which they derived from the pastoral care arrangements.
Examination results
1.4In recent years, the results obtained by the pupils in public examinations have been of a high standard. For example, in 2003, almost all of the year 12 pupils achieved grades A*-E in at least five subjects at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE); over three-fifths of these pupils achieved grades A*-C in at least five subjects at the same level. These strong performances are well above the corresponding Northern Ireland (NI) GCSE averages for similar non-selective schools. Over the previous three years, in a majority of GCSE subjects, the proportion of pupils obtaining grades A*-C was more than ten percentage points above the respective NI average for non-selective schools. More details about the results for each subject are provided in Appendix 3.
1.5The school also offers a limited number of Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education (AVCE) and General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced(A) level subjects. In 2003 the results in these were also good with almost all pupils in year 14 achieving the equivalent of three A-E grades.
2.THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ WORK
2.1Ethos
2.1.1The school has a strong caring ethos. The quality of the relationships between the teachers and pupils and amongst the pupils is good. The pupils are courteous and friendly to visitors; around the school they are co-operative and well-behaved. A strong sense of loyalty and identity pervades the life and work of the school.
2.1.2In class, the pupils settle to their work quickly, are respectful of their teachers and show a willingness to learn. Lessons are conducted in a business-like but relaxed atmosphere in which the pupils feel able to ask questions and volunteer answers. The pupils take pride in their achievements and the presentation of their written work is of a high standard. The teachers have created a strong subject identity within the classrooms through the display of relevant materials. In general, this display consists predominately of teacher-produced and commercial material; there is a need to celebrate the pupils’ achievements by displaying more of their work in both classrooms and corridors. The buildings are well-maintained and the standard of caretaking is good.
2.2Pastoral Care and Child Protection
2.2.1The school has carried out a useful staff audit of the pastoral care programme. One of the outcomes of this audit was the identification of the need for training for staff on child protection issues; relevant training, which the teachers report as helpful, has been provided at the beginning of the current academic year. Changes in the organisation and management of the pastoral care system have been introduced recently. These include a “School Diary and Student Planner” which provides much information and a useful structure for self-evaluation and review for pupils, teachers and parents, and a “Class Prefect Card” system which monitors the behaviour and performance of each individual pupil throughout the school day. It will be important for the school management and the relevant pastoral work groups to review the manageability and effectiveness of these initiatives. There is a helpful “Bullying Policy” which outlines appropriate procedures and activities as part of the pastoral care programme; an outline of these procedures should be included in the school prospectus. A useful confidential counselling service is available for the pupils although there is evidence that they would benefit from a more effective emphasis on the communication of their concerns to an adult, for example, in a bullying situation. The school is meeting the requirements of the Department of Education Circular 1999/10: “Pastoral Care: Child Protection”.
2.3MATHEMATICS
Environment
2.3.1The dispersal of the rooms used for mathematics hinders the sharing of resources and does not promote departmental cohesion.
Planning
2.3.2The planning in the mathematics department is thorough, ensuring a broad and balanced coverage of the content of the NI Programme of Study and relevant examination specifications. It provides a secure basis for the progressive acquisition of knowledge and skills by the pupils. The department’s three-year action plan has identified appropriately the issues of mental mathematics, mathematical processes and information and communication technology (ICT) as key areas to be addressed. In addition, the teachers have developed aims and policies which emphasise the need for the pupils to think mathematically, to investigate, to test and prove hypotheses, and to develop their problem-solving skills. To address the action plan and to fulfil more closely the identified aims, there is a need to extend the planning to incorporate process-based activities, more detail of when and how ICT can enhance the teaching and learning, and occasions when the pupils’ mental mathematics strategies can be developed.
Teaching
2.3.3The teachers are hard-working and caring, and generally make considerable efforts to assist the pupils in achieving success. The quality of teaching ranges from weak to very good; a significant majority is sound or better, and on occasions it is very good. The predominant practice observed was characterised by the teachers working through explanations and examples and questioning the pupils to ascertain their understanding. In the best practice, the expositions were clear and concise, and included helpful presentation on the board; the teachers gave supportive and encouraging help to individual pupils; the intended learning outcomes were identified and shared with the pupils; and everyday contexts were used to make the learning meaningful. On the occasions when the teaching was less effective, the lessons were slow to start, the pace and content were not sufficiently challenging and there was no review by the teacher to assess or consolidate the pupils’ learning.
2.3.4When given the opportunity, in a few instances, the children talked about their mathematics with interest, enthusiasm and purpose. In general, however, the questioning was not sufficiently directed and required only brief responses; there were missed opportunities for the pupils to talk about their work in order to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts and methods. On a few occasions, incorrect answers were ignored, rather than being used to provide important teaching points and to clarify misunderstandings. The teachers need to take greater care in the correct use of mathematical vocabulary, especially in classes where pupils have difficulties understanding the exactness of mathematical concepts.
Learning
2.3.5Most of the pupils are well-motivated. They show interest, perseverance and respond to the high expectations of the teachers. They co-operate well with their teachers and, when given the opportunity, with one another. The pupils have insufficient opportunity to engage in open-ended and unfamiliar problems which would develop their mathematical reasoning and increase their confidence to cope with a wide range of mathematical contexts.
Standards
2.3.6The pupils make good or better progress in their mathematics commensurate with their ability. It is appropriate that all of the year 12 pupils are entered for GCSE mathematics. Over the last three years, over one-half of the year 12 pupils achieved grade C or above in GCSE mathematics; this achievement is over ten percentage points more than the corresponding average for non-selective schools.
Information and communication technology and the use of practical equipment
2.3.7At times during the inspection, pupils used calculators effectively and the teachers emphasised appropriately the importance of approximating and estimating. The pupils use ICT well when completing the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment’s (CCEA) Information Technology Accreditation Scheme at key stage (KS) 3 and their GCSE coursework tasks. The inspection confirms the department’s evaluation that ICT is under-developed to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics. Practical equipment was used to good effect in a number of lessons, although a greater variety of teaching aids will be needed when mental mathematics is developed further as outlined in the action plan.
Marking and assessment
2.3.8The pupils’ work is marked consistently and thoroughly. In the best practice, the marking includes suitable guidance for improvement and there is appropriate use of corrections to encourage the pupils to learn from their errors. The department uses regular tests and assessments to monitor the progress of the pupils in KS3. The pupils’ performances in these form the basis of the mathematics comment included in the biannual report sent to parents; there is a need to consider how the attainment target of processes can be incorporated into the assessment arrangements. There is insufficient use of the wealth of assessment information gathered about individual pupils in order to match more effectively their future learning to their identified needs. At KS4, the pupils take internal examinations that reflect suitably the style and standards of the GCSE examination.
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
2.3.9Appropriately, the main emphasis of the SEN support is on language and literacy. A small number of pupils have been identified as needing special help with their mathematics and a generic education plan has been drawn up for a group of pupils in each of the lowest ability classes in KS3. There is also one period during the week when an additional mathematics teacher provides support in one class. In general, the pupils receive good and sensitive individual support from their teachers within class. There is, however, insufficient evidence that the education plans are having a beneficial effect on the pupils’ progress.
Management of the mathematics department
2.3.10The head of department is hard-working and caring of the education of the pupils; the day-to-day running of the mathematics department is managed well. There are regular department meetings which include useful discussions about teaching and learning. This is particularly important when the mathematics classes are spread amongst six teachers, some of whom are non-specialists. Consequently, and also because of the undue variation in the quality of teaching seen, strategies for monitoring and evaluating the work of the department and the dissemination of good practice within the department need to be developed further.
Mathematics across the Curriculum and the Northern Ireland Numeracy Strategy (NINS)
2.3.11The development of mathematics across the curriculum and the school’s membership of the NINS have been interrupted and delayed because of changes and absences in the mathematics staff. A numeracy team, under the leadership of the principal, has been set up and the head of mathematics has taken on the role of numeracy co-ordinator. Some progress in identifying and clarifying the relevant numeracy content has been made in a number of subjects, although there is a need for further developmental work, involving appropriate collaboration, in this area.
3.MANAGEMENT
3.1The principal is caring and highly committed; he brings a meticulous attention to detail to all his work for the school. Under his leadership, the staff has recently embarked on a review of management structures and the development of new behaviour management procedures and practices. There is a need to develop the monitoring and evaluation within all levels of responsibility in order not only to review those changes already implemented, but also to improve the teaching and learning.
3.2There is insufficient monitoring of the standards achieved by the pupils through, for example, the effective use of appropriate computer software at senior management and department levels to analyse and review the examination results.
4.CONCLUSION
4.1Strengths of the school include:
- the strong caring ethos;
- the well-behaved and co-operative pupils;
- the hard-working and committed teachers;
- the presentation of the pupils’ work;
- the high standards achieved by the pupils, in particular, within mathematics;
- the much sound or better teaching.
4.2Areas for improvement include:
- the need to extend the pupils’ mathematical experiences to include the development of process-based work, the greater use of ICT and more opportunities for discussion and interaction;
- the variation in the teaching;
- the need for more effective monitoring and evaluation of the teaching and learning and the systematic analysis of examination results.
4.3The school has strengths in many aspects of the school’s mathematical and pastoral provision; the few areas for improvement need to be addressed if the school is to meet as fully as possible the needs of all the children.
APPENDIX 1
ACCOMMODATION AND HEALTH & SAFETY
The chairs in the computer rooms are unsuitable for working at the computer stations; the school reports that it is in the process of redressing this situation.
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APPENDIX 2
STATISTICAL INFORMATION
1.1 i.School: St Comhghall’s High, Lisnaskea v.Date of Inspection: W/C 02.02.04
ii. School Reference Number: 223-0190 vi.Area of Study:Mathematics
iii.Age Range: 11-17
iv.Status: Secondary Maintained
1.2Intake/Enrolment
Year 8 Intake / 56 / 69 / 59 / 65 / 45
Total enrolment / 381 / 388 / 399 / 387 / 360
1.3Attendance
2002/03 / NI Average
2001/02
% Attendance / 95 / 94 / 94 / 94 / 95 / 96 / 95 / 94 / 90
1.4 / i. / Total Number of Teachers: / 28.42 / iii. / Contact ratio (percentage of
timetabled time in direct
class contact): / 0.71
ii. / PTR (Pupil/Teacher Ratio): / 12.67 / iv. / Numbers of Teachers
involved in Area of Study: / 6
Year 2003/04 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / TOTAL
Enrolment: Boys / 23 / 31 / 29 / 38 / 20 / 12 / 13 / 166
Enrolment: Girls / 22 / 35 / 35 / 40 / 39 / 12 / 11 / 194
Enrolment: Total / 45 / 66 / 64 / 78 / 59 / 24 / 24 / 360
1.5Staying On Rate (2002/03) (Current year 13/14 as proportion of year 12 from 1/2 years previously)
Year 14 / 41.0 / NI Av / Year 14 / 18.9
1.6Leavers’ Destinations (2001/02)
Total Number of Leavers / 65 / 18
Another School / 22% / 10 / 0% / 2
Employment / 9% / 14 / 6% / 21
Full-Time Further Education / 0% / 33 / 0% / 22
Full-Time Higher Education / N/A / N/A / 94% / 41
Full-Time Training / 69% / 35 / 0% / 6
Unemployed / 0% / 6 / 0% / 6
Destination Unknown / 0% / 1 / 0% / 2
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1.7NAME OF SCHOOL: / St Comhghall’s High School, Lisnaskea / SCHOOL YEAR: / 2003/2004GCSE & GCE /
2001 /
2002 /
2003
Percentage of Year 12 taking GCSE in at least 5 subjects / 97 / 82 / 100
Percentage of Year 12 obtaining Grades E or above in at least 5 subjects / 89 / 75 / 94
Percentage of Year 12 obtaining Grades C or above in at least 5 subjects / 70 / 60 / 63
Percentage of total exam entries obtaining Grades E or above in GCSE / 95 / 93 / 92
Percentage of total exam entries obtaining Grades G or above in GCSE / 97 / 98 / 96
Percentage of Year 14 obtaining Grades C or above in at least 3 GCE A level subjects / 6 / 6 / 44
Percentage of Year 14 obtaining Grades E or above in at least 3 GCE A level subjects / 41 / 78 / 94
Percentage of total subject entries obtaining Grade E or above at GCE A level / 88 / 92 / 99
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Within this report, when commenting on examination results of individual subjects, the respective CCEA average is used as a proxy for the corresponding average for all pupils in NI taking that subject.
APPENDIX 3
EXAMINATION RESULTS
Table 1 showing the GCSE subject results, over the three years ending in June 2003, in comparison with the respective NI averages
More than 10 percentage points above / Between 5 and 10 percentage points above / Within 5 percentage points / Between 5 and 10 percentage points below / More than 10 percentage points belowGCSE
A* - E / Business Studies, French, Child Development, ICT / Art, English, Mathematics, Single Award Science, Technology & Design / English Literature, Geography, Physical Education (PE), Religious Education (RE), Double Award Science
GCSE
A* - C / Business Studies, English, French, Child Development, Mathematics, Double Award Science, Design & Technology, ICT / PE / Art, Geography, RE, / English Literature, Single Award Science
History and Music have been omitted, as they have not been taken for the whole of the three-year period.