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Mr J Anderson
Director of Education
Angus Council
Education Department
County Buildings
Market Street
FORFAR
DD8 3WE
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HM Inspectorate of Education
Longman House
28 Longman Road
Inverness IV1 1SF
Telephone: 01463 253115
Fax: 01463 253075
hmi.inverness@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/hmie
Our ref: GDG/DS
12 June 2001
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Dear Mr Anderson
FOLLOW-UP TO THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY INSPECTION OF
WEBSTER’S HIGH SCHOOL
ANGUS COUNCIL
The report on Webster’s High School was published in June 1999. HM Inspectors visited the school
in February 2001 to evaluate progress made in responding to the main points for action in the report.
The school and the education authority had effectively addressed the majority of the main points for
action in the report. A number of recommendations had yet to be fully addressed. As a result,
HM Inspectors will ask the education authority to provide a report of further progress in these
aspects by December 2001
I attach an evaluation and brief account of the response made by the school and the education
authority to the main points for action in the report.
I am sending a copy of this letter to parents of children currently in the school and the other
recipients of the inspection report.
Yours sincerely
Dr G D Gray
Acting HM Chief Inspector
Northern Division
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HM Inspectorate of Education
Follow-up to the Standards and Quality Inspection
of Webster’s High School
Angus Council
Main points for action
1.
The time allocated to religious and moral education and physical
education should be increased to meet national guidelines.
The school had not fully addressed this recommendation.
The time allocated to physical education had been increased appropriately.
The time allocated to religious and moral education (RME) had not been
increased. Some steps had been taken to identify subjects in which aspects
of religious and moral education might be taught. However, the school
had not yet finalised appropriate arrangements for managing the delivery
of the programme and ensuring that the overall time allocated to RME was
appropriate.
2.
The school should implement a strategy to ensure that its computer
network and other ICT resources are used to enhance learning and
teaching and pupils’ attainment within all departments.
The school had made good progress in meeting this recommendation.
A major increase in the provision of information and communications
technology (ICT) had enabled departments to increase their use of ICT.
Many teachers were taking part in ICT training provided by the New
Opportunities Fund. An ICT course in S1/S2 ensured that all pupils were
taught a range of skills which they could use to enhance their learning in
different subjects.
3.
The school should improve the quality of S1/S2 courses by ensuring that
5-14 national guidelines are implemented rigorously in all subjects, and
full account is taken of pupils’ prior learning. National Tests should be
used in line with national guidance.
The school had made good progress towards meeting most aspects of this
recommendation.
The school had carried out an audit which indicated that good progress
was being made towards improving the breadth and balance of courses at
S1/S2. However, plans to give pupils the opportunity to study people in
society as part of the programme in social subjects had not yet been
2
implemented. Effective procedures for tracking pupils’ progress from P7
onwards in English language and mathematics enabled teachers to take full
account of pupils’ prior learning. National Tests in reading, writing and
mathematics were being used effectively. A number of departments had
still to improve their assessment arrangements in S1/S2 to ensure that
pupils’ strengths and next steps in learning were identified clearly.
4.
In order to improve pupils’ attainment, the school should implement fully
its strategy for improving quality assurance arrangements.
The school had made good progress towards meeting this
recommendation.
The school had taken forward its strategy for quality assurance effectively.
A teaching and learning group promoted effective practice by providing
staff development for teachers and by devising new procedures for sharing
good practice within departments. These procedures included illustrations
of effective teaching and learning which were to be used to help evaluate
practice within all departments. The school had plans to implement its
new procedures fully by the end of the current school session.
5.
Departmental development plans should be modified to include more
specific detail of action to be taken and clear targets for improving pupils’
attainment.
The school had taken some steps towards addressing this recommendation.
Departmental development plans had been modified to include more
specific detail of actions to be taken, but few contained clear targets for
improving pupils’ attainment. Further steps were required to ensure that,
where appropriate, development projects were firmly based on evidence of
pupils’ attainment and included clear targets for improvement.
HM Inspectors will ask the education authority for a report by
December 2001 on progress made in providing an appropriate programme
in RME and people in society in S1/S2, establishing appropriate assessment
arrangements in S1/S2, and modifying department development plans to
include clear targets for improving pupils’ attainment.