GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, EDUCATION SERVICES
Progress Report
Drumchapel High School
JULY 2014
Education Scotland published a report on the standards and quality in Drumchapel High School on 28 May
2013, as a result of a follow through inspection of the school in March 2013.
This inspection of the school found the following key strengths.
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Positive school ethos which promotes and celebrates achievement.
Young people with a more positive attitude to learning and higher expectations of success.
The leadership of the Headteacher.
The commitment of staff in working together to improve the range and variety of learning activities to
engage and motivate young people.
Partnership with parents, other professionals and organisations.
The inspection team discussed with staff and the education authority how the school might continue to
improve. This is what was agreed.
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Continue to develop the curriculum from S1-S3 to ensure young people progress and experience
challenge in learning.
Continue to make improvements in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing.
Continue to develop tracking of young people’s progress in all aspects of learning.
Continue to increase recognition and accreditation of achievements.
Continue to strengthen leadership and direction to ensure improvement.
The school prepared an improvement plan indicating how it would address the main points for action
identified in the report. Staff from the council’s Education Improvement Service visited Drumchapel High
School to assess the extent to which the school was continuing to improve the quality of its work, and
evaluate the progress made in relation to the main points for action in the report.
How well do children learn and achieve?
Young people in Drumchapel High School feel safe and well cared for. They are encouraged to achieve
their best and their successes are recognised and celebrated regularly. Young people are motivated and
actively engaged in their learning, taking up the increasing variety of opportunities afforded to them for pupil
leadership. This has impacted very positively on levels of confidence and self-esteem and young leaders have
brought the school recognition both locally and nationally.
Staff are working well together to develop learning and teaching to ensure consistently high-quality
experiences for all learners. The school’s tracking system has been successfully introduced to S1-S3,
ensuring there are high expectations and that young people know how well they are progressing in their
learning. The school has continued its success in reducing the number of exclusions and has increased the
number of opportunities for accreditation in vocational skills. An increasing number of young people are
moving from school to positive destinations in employment, training, further and higher education.
How well does the school support children to develop and learn?
Young people with additional support needs are well supported by staff and a range of other partners. Staff
are working well to meet the learning needs of all young people through shared training sessions on skill
development, solution oriented training and a variety of learning approaches. These have been successfully
implemented. The school has further developed its approaches to literacy, numeracy and health and
GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, EDUCATION SERVICES 1
wellbeing and a range of whole school resources has been developed and shared with all departments. The
pupil booklet on joining up learning has been revisited and improved.
Interdisciplinary learning now focuses on skill development and the experiences and outcomes will be
tracked. Teachers are now more confident in planning using the experiences and outcomes of Curriculum for
Excellence and they continue to work together to plan learning with a focus on assessment. S3 profiling is
now in place and is being considered for S1/S2.
The school’s vision and values have been successfully consulted on and re-launched and there are new
faculty structures in place, including a post for wider achievement. To ensure learning pathways are coherent
and progressive, and there is sufficient depth of study for progression to the senior phase, a revised structure
for the broad general education in S1-S3 is being consulted on. There is greater consistency in how staff are
structuring lessons and this has supported young people to be clearer on what aspects of their learning need
to be improved on.
The school has very good links with associated primary schools and curriculum transitions are improving
steadily. There are many shared events such as those for health and wellbeing and the HT and DHT regularly
attend primary parents’ evenings. Communication with parents is positive and parents are increasingly
engaging well with the school and are supportive of changes to the curriculum. The school has successfully
developed its approaches to partnership working and has good relationships with partners who support
young people’s learning.
How well does the school improve the quality of its work?
The Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team have successfully led development of the curriculum and the
quality and consistency of learning in the school has improved. Staff have engaged well in observations of
teaching for effective learning and sharing practice sessions have led to more consistency in approach to
structuring lessons and to raising expectations. An increasing number of staff are taking responsibility for
leading on curriculum developments. Presentations to colleagues on good departmental practice have been
an effective method of sharing standards. Close links have been developed with similar schools in other
parts of the city and staff have engaged in dialogue with colleagues to support improvement by examining
alternative effective practice and systems which are supportive, progressive and inclusive. Quality assurance
procedures have been streamlined and are out to consultation with staff. New faculty structures will support
a consistent approach to evaluation of work and curriculum development. The new curriculum models
are encouraging greater collaboration and continued consultation is empowering staff. Young people are
consulted well, are involved in decision making, have a greater voice in the school and are contributing well
to the development of an ethos of pride and achievement.
Since the original inspection report, the school has made good progress in meeting the recommendations in
the report. Drumchapel High School provides children with a good, purposeful learning environment. It is well
placed to continue to improve.
Maureen McKenna
Executive Director of Education
Education Services
Glasgow City Council
City Chambers East
40 John Street
Glasgow G1 1JL
0141 287 5507
www.glasgow.gov.uk
GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, EDUCATION SERVICES 2