Aim
Higher
Headteachers’ Update Briefing
Ofsted and Sixth Form Funding Briefing
Monday 1st December 2014.
Hertfordshire Development Centre, Stevenage
Raymond McGovern
Headteacher
St George’s School, Harpenden
Aim
Higher
Section 5 Inspection
(new framework introduced 1 September 2014)
Tuesday 9th September (Academic Year - day 7)
11.00 – Head’s PA takes ‘The Call’
• Head on training course in Stevenage. Deputy takes the initial briefing
call. Head contacted to inform and returns to school.
14.14 – Senior Leadership Meeting
•
•
•
•
Letters to parents organised for distribution
Staff Meeting to inform staff
Letters distributed end of last lesson via pupil post and email
Notification put on school website
16.30 – Leadership meeting
• Programme planning, task allocation, additional evidence gathering
Aim
Higher
Section 5 Inspection
The Team
Richard Sutton,
Paul O'Shea
Susan Bullen
Rosemarie McCarthy
Ann Short
Lead inspector
Additional Inspector
Additional Inspector
Additional Inspector
Additional Inspector
Plus an inspector in training (attached to Paul O’Shea whose focus was
6th Form).
Aim
Higher
Section 5 Inspection
The initial Plan
Day
Time
Activity
Wednesday
10 Sept
08:00
Ofsted Team Arrive
08:20
Introduction of OFSTED team to staff (Assembly Hall)
08:30 – 08:50
OFSTED team to meet with Leadership Group
15:20
LI and HT ‘Keeping in Touch Meeting’
15:50
Feedback to staff in various location
16:30
Meeting with OFSTED & Leaders
17:30
OFSTED team meeting plus HT and Deputy
DAY 2
Thursday
11 Sept
14:15
Final Team Meeting plus HT and Deputy
15:45 – 16:15
Feedback to Governors and Leadership (Outcome)
Aim
Higher
Section 5 Inspection
General Points
• First meeting with Inspection Team and Senior Leaders was positive.
However the initial plan was revised considerably – the limited time
available makes this initial meeting a negotiation to match the
inspection team’s requirements and the resources available.
• The LI was open about areas to be explored (perceived areas of
relative ‘weakness’) – at this point there was no indication about what
the teams’ hypothesis was about the school (Outstanding, Good, RI,
Inadequate?)
• Consider reframing the Inspectors hypothesis
• Joint observations were offered – we could have declined but we
didn’t.
• Lesson observations were not graded – staff were offered feedback at
the end of the day.
Aim
Higher
Section 5 Inspection
General Points
• Evidence of assessment, marking and feedback (consider how you
evidence this so early in the year).
• Additional Funding – Pupil Premium, Maths and English Catch up, 6th
Form Bursaries – How do governors monitor the effective use of this?
• British Values – Explicit expression of these
• SMSC – Evidencing impact/outcomes important.
• Staff Pay progression decisions (including Governors Involvement)
• Assessment without Levels – How is the school planning for this?
Aim
Higher
Section 5 Inspection
Lessons learned (6th Form Specific)
• Leadership and Management
• Ensure Student Progress is being regularly monitored and reported to
Governors.
• Leadership includes every level – not just SLT, Governors and Head of 6th
but Heads of departments, subject leaders and pastoral heads (and can
include students).
• Student Progress
•
•
•
•
Evidenced based (data, data, data).
Students know what they need to do to improve (make more progress).
How are particular groups preforming relative the rest and nationally.
Support strategies for underperforming groups.
Aim
Higher
Section 5 Inspection
Questions we asked ourselves following the
inspection
1. What data should we collect on a routine basis and how can
we do so without creating an administrative monster?
2. What evidence relating to quality of teaching or pupil progress
should we collect on an ongoing basis as examples of good
practice – how do we collect and archive in a sensible manner?
3. From our recent experience what 4 or 5 things should we work
to improve in our practice?
4. How could we manage the inspection process and inspection
team better (for us)?
Aim
Higher
What the report said.
Only four
paragraphs
in the
report
covered
the 6th
Form.
Aim
Higher
6th Form (Inspection Team final meeting notes)
1. Monitoring Progress - The data the staff has is used effectively to move
students forward, and VA shows this.
2. Teaching over time is outstanding, and is never less than good. There is
lots of evidence of how staff impact on student progress. Achievement is
improving over time, and strategies are in place.
3. VA is improving: A*/B has been improved significantly in 2014. They
concluded that pupils are making rapid and sustained progress.
4. Outcomes are outstanding in A1 and A2 Programmes
5. Inspectors mastered the unusual leadership structure!. But the really
impressive thing is the total package: the ethos of the school is replicated
in the 6th form and driven by it.
Aim
Higher
6th Form con’t…
6.
Students go to an impressive range of destinations, be it Russell group or
appropriate vocational type degrees.
7. The retention rate is very high. Only three students dropped out of A1 courses,
and it was for the right reasons.
8. The Friday 5 programme is excellent (Enrichment programme – impact on
learning not just for its own sake – SMSC, British Values, Safety of pupils).
9. Behaviour and safety in the 6th form is excellent, but they also support B and S in
the rest of the school.
10. Role modelling is done through the house system. The House staff use 6th
formers in leadership roles, and they relish it.
11. The 6th form is not an elitist factory for passing exams. The school looks after
everyone, inc. those who have not got A-C in English and Maths.
12. “Staff will walk the extra mile and a half to help the kids”
Aim
Higher
And finally…
“There is a real love of learning, the school
could do more to promote this by handing
the learning over to the students more.”
Final inspection team meeting.
Aim
Higher
Headteachers’ Update Briefing
Raymond McGovern
Headteacher
St George’s School, Harpenden