SSP FUI: Fivemiletown HS

/ 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 Follow-up Inspection
Fivemiletown High School and
Community College
January 2006

SCHOOL SUPPORT PROGRAMME - FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION OF FIVEMILETOWN HIGH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE (521-0097)

Fivemiletown High School and Community College has been in the School Support Programme (SSP) for almost four years. In January 2005, the Education and Training Inspectorate (the Inspectorate) visited the school to monitor progress following a focused inspection carried out in October 2001. At the time of the January 2005 follow-up inspection, the most important improvements identified were:

· the more effective arrangements for pastoral care and child protection;

· the hard work and progress made by some of the SSP working groups; and

· the gradual improvement in the pupils’ achievements at key stage (KS) 3 and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level.

The inspection also highlighted the slow progress made by the school in addressing many of the key areas for improvement identified in the original baseline inspection in October 2001, and the subsequent follow-up inspections. In January 2005, the inspectorate identified the need for improvement in the following key areas:

· clear and effective leadership by the Principal in addressing, rigorously and systematically, the issues identified in the previous baseline and follow-up inspections, particularly in the area of provision for those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN);

· effective monitoring and evaluation of the work done as a result of the school’s involvement in the SSP, in order to assist planning for continued improvement; and

· a comprehensive programme of staff development on approaches to SEN provision.

In the interval since the inspection, the following changes, which affect the work of the school, have taken place:

· the number of pupils transferring to the school increased to 63;

· the first phase of the new building was completed, in September 2005;

· the SSP working groups were re-constituted; and

· the school established a collaborative partnership with a college of further education which provides an occupational studies programme to a group of year 11 pupils.

A team from the Inspectorate carried out a two-day follow-up inspection which commenced on 18 January 2006. The following are the most important improvements which have taken place since the previous SSP follow-up inspection visit in 2005:

· the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm of the members of the various SSP working groups;

· the improved action planning to support the school’s work in SSP, in collaboration with officers from the Curriculum Advisory and Support Service (CASS) of the Southern Education and Library Board (SELB);

· the programme of staff development for SEN; and

· the collection of relevant school policies into a comprehensive staff handbook.

The school is benefiting from the significant funding of the SSP. The majority of the staff are working extremely hard to promote and effect improvement and there is evidence that the pupils respond well to the high expectations of these teachers. There continues to be key weaknesses in the quality of leadership and management of the school. These include a lack of:

· clear and effective leadership by the Principal;

· adequate consultation with staff regarding the school development planning and SSP action planning processes;

· an enabling school ethos and culture; and

· effective structures to monitor and evaluate the school’s work in SSP.

There is evidence that these difficulties have contributed to a lowering of staff morale, a decline in the pupils’ behaviour, and a diminution in the focus afforded to the necessary improvements as part of the SSP.

The area’s which require further improvement include the need:

· for better strategic direction, and effective monitoring of progress by the Board of Governor (BOG);

· for the school’s progress in SSP to be a standing agenda item in meetings of the senior management team and the BOG;

· to address the key weaknesses in the quality and effectiveness of the leadership;

· to review the use and impact of the SSP funding allocation, in order to address more directly the issues raised in the original and subsequent follow-up inspections;

· to establish a process for school development planning which is underpinned by effective consultation with staff, parents, pupils and BOG, in line with the guidance provided by the Department of Education (DE);

· to address the decline in the pupils’ performance in public examinations; and

· to improve the standards of cleanliness and maintenance of the existing school building and re-instigate a culture of respect among the pupils for their school environment.

It is important that the focus of the original inspection, namely the provision for SEN, becomes the main priority area for development and that this is supported with an adequate share of the SSP funding. It is essential that all of the working groups are provided with the opportunity to contribute effectively to this major area for development.

A key part of the school’s current action plan includes a focus on establishing a culture of self-evaluation. In order to achieve this longer-term goal, it will be crucial that:

· clear and effective structures are created to enable monitoring and evaluation to take place; and

· targets for improvement are specified in ways that identify the evidence necessary for monitoring progress and evaluating outcomes.

The findings from this inspection show that the necessary work to effect improvement continues to move at too slow a pace to produce the changes required to improve standards. The employing authority, along with the DE as appropriate, need to be proactive in requiring the BOG and the Principal to set in motion the development of a programme of improvement which engages and motivates the staff, parents, pupils, BOG and wider community.

It will be important that the school continues to access the well-focused support from the CASS officers from the SELB in moving forward on the issues identified in this report.

The Inspectorate will continue to monitor the work of the school to ensure that the improvements which are needed are implemented.

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated.

Copies of this report may be obtained from the Inspection Services Branch, Department of Education, Rathgael House, 43Balloo Road, Bangor, Co Down BT19 7PR. A copy is also available on the DE website: www.deni.gov.uk