Berwickshire High School Review Summary Report

Quality Services

School Review Summary Report

The Berwickshire High School

A team from Quality Services and two peer reviewers visited The Berwickshire High School in March 2005. The Review team used the level four illustrations from How Good is Our School (HGIOS? 2) as its frame of reference in order to make an evaluation of the review areas listed below. The team made their evaluation on the basis of evidence provided by the school, consultation with representative groups of students, staff and parents and their own reading and observations. The review team also focused on the work of a sample of 4 Departments in the school. These Departments were, chemistry, English, mathematics and physical education. The results of their findings are summarised below.

The review programme comprised four areas:

1 Self-evaluation

2. Planning for improvement

3. The use of information and communications technology (ICT) to support learning and teaching (the Authority’s choice)

4. The Integrated Framework for Support for Students (the school’s choice)

Strengths of the school

Of the areas reviewed the school demonstrated particular strength in the following areas: The:

innovative approach to ICT to support students through the use of portable computer suites (notebuses) and the enhancement to the ICT provision through the employment of an ICT technician

very good progress towards the development of an integrated framework for learning support, behaviour support and guidance

clear focus on teaching and learning in the improvement plan

Areas for development by the school

The SMT should implement a more rigorous, formal and evaluative whole school approach to self-evaluation using national quality indicators HGIOS?2 in a more systematic way. They should also implement a systematic programme to evaluate students’ classroom experiences through a variety of approaches, including a programme of classroom observations. They require to consider how students, parents and others can help identify school strengths, development needs and planning priorities.

The SMT and principal teachers should ensure that targets within the school improvement plan and departmental improvement plans have tasks and timescales clearly defined and that resources and staff development requirements are costed and that success criteria are specific, measurable and achievable.

The SMT should ensure that progress towards implementation of the school improvement plan is consistently evaluated across the school and that staff are fully engaged in each stage of the planning process and are fully committed to it. They also require to ensure that parents and students are consulted meaningfully during the school improvement planning process and are well aware of the plan’s content.

The SMT should, along with staff, update the ICT policy and continue to build on good practice and provide more opportunities for students to use ICT to support their learning.

The SMT and new Curriculum Leader Support for Learning should review the procedures for the placement of students with additional needs so that as, much as possible, their needs are met within mainstream classes with appropriate planned support.

What happens now?

Supported by the review co-ordinator and the school Quality Improvement Officer, the school will produce an action plan in response to the action points identified in the review report. This action plan will be incorporated into the school improvement plan for 2005-06.