Braidhurst high HMI follow up report

March 2005

HM Inspectors of Education (HMIE) published a report on standards and quality in Braidhurst High School in April 2003. In June 2003 North Lanarkshire Council, in collaboration with the school, prepared and published an action plan indicating how they would address the main points for action in the HMIE report within a two-year period.

North Lanarkshire officers assessed the extent to which the school was continuing to improve the quality of its work, and evaluated progress made in responding to the main points for action in the original report.

The staff had worked as an effective team, led well by the headteacher and the senior managers. The strong emphasis on celebrating pupils' achievements and the focus on alternative course provision to meet pupils' needs had resulted in improvements in pupil attendance, achievement and attitudes. Staff were fully involved in taking forward the revised and improved guidance on learning and teaching in all departments. There was increased rigour in all aspects of monitoring across all departments. The school had raised attainment in S1/S2 through improved programmes, increased challenges and targeted planning.

The role of the support for learning staff had been extended and the number of teaching and non-teaching staff had increased to target specific pupils. An innovative programme of mentoring using support staff had been beneficial to pupils in the early years of their secondary education. A strong programme of personal and social education (PSE) had been established from S1 to S6. A review of learning support procedures had resulted in improvements in performance of pupils with additional support needs and had led to the development of clear support approaches. These made effective use of support personnel and resources.

The school was now well placed to sustain and build on its achievements.

3.  Progress towards the main points for action

The initial inspection report published in April 2003 identified four points for action. This section evaluates the progress made with each of these action points and the resulting improvements for pupils and other stakeholders.

3.1 The school should continue with its efforts to raise attainment in S1/S2.

The school had made good progress towards meeting this main point for action.

• Senior managers had implemented consistent approaches with departments to analyse important data about pupils' performance. A major programme had recently been introduced through the addition of two teachers with primary education training who were working in the mathematics and English language departments. This was having a positive influence on learning and teaching in S1 and improving liaison with the primary schools. Other departments within the school had very strong links with the associated primary schools enabling them to build on prior learning and increase expectations of attainment. A social inclusion initiative, managed by one of the deputes and a principal teacher, ensured that pupils received greater social and educational support. Staff had undertaken a range of training that had ensured consistency of learning and teaching approaches. This consistency had led to improvements in attainment through targeting and monitoring the progress of class groups and individuals. Information and communications technology (ICT) packages had been used with all S1/S2 pupils with the aim of raising attainment in mathematics and English language. Some departments had successfully piloted projects that focussed on raising attainment including the use of assessment approaches which helped pupils become more involved in their learning.

3.2 The school should extend the role of support for learning across the school, based on a clear overall framework, which integrates guidance and learning support.

The school had made very good progress towards meeting this point for action.

• The structure of the support for learning department had been changed and four principal teachers of pupil support had been appointed. Provision for support for learning had been enhanced and was managed very effectively by a member of the senior management team. The school had used funds in an innovative way to provide additional auxiliary support for pupils particularly in S1/S2. This had resulted in a lower number of exclusions and better pastoral care. The roles of all staff involved were clearly defined and all had an active part in evaluating the impact of their work and the strategies put into place.
• The guidance staff handbook gave good guidance and support and all staff had contributed to its production. The role of the registration teacher was clearly designed to ensure careful monitoring of pupils' progress and their welfare. Vulnerable pupils were well supported within the school and the involvement of other agencies was used to full benefit. The structure of individual educational programmes (IEPs) had been reviewed. Targets were now more focussed and procedures were carefully monitored by a senior manager.

3.3 The school should review the Personal and Social Education (PSE) programme.

The school had made good progress towards meeting this point for action.

• The PSE programme had been improved and the number of staff involved in the management had been increased to ensure more effective management and delivery. One of the depute headteachers had responsibility for the programme. Through staff involvement, careful monitoring and evaluation an improved programme was being offered to all pupils. Principal teachers had responsibility for particular year groups. They were also responsible for the guidance and support given to staff to enable them to meet the needs of all pupils. The school had ensured that all aspects of fairness and equality were considered in the programme. All subject departments ensured fairness and equality in their procedures and in their programmes. A coherent, progressive programme had been designed to ensure that all major aspects of Health Education, including drug and sex education, were delivered to year groups as appropriate to their age and needs. A good range of activities to develop citizenship skills was on offer. The school had taken part in careers activities and in the North Lanarkshire 'Diploma' awarded at the end of the secondary education stage. The diploma helped young people to recognise their strengths and explore possible appropriate career paths. Pupils were involved in the evaluation of all aspects of the PSE programme and their suggestions taken into account. A high quality programme was being delivered to all year groups, meeting the needs of all pupils.

3.4 The headteacher and senior management team should develop more rigorous and systematic monitoring and evaluation procedures. They should ensure that all staff are actively involved in policy development and quality assurance.

The school had made very good progress towards meeting this point for action.

• Senior managers used national quality indicators for self-evaluation at all levels of the school's work. All departments had produced an annual report on the standards and quality of their work. Senior managers and principal teachers had developed a consistent approach to the analysis of data and its relationship with learning and teaching. Departmental meetings had been used to focus on self-evaluation procedures and the management of improvement. A varied and effective range of strategies was impacting across departments, helping to address priorities which staff had identified. Staff had been encouraged to share good practice through mentoring and coaching. Rigorous processes had been established to support professional reflection and assist pupil tracking, with particular emphasis on supporting pupils who were thought to be underachieving. The extended management committees included principal teachers, making good use of specific expertise. Systems for developing and evaluating policies involved staff appropriately at all stages.
  
• Development planning was very effective in managing the process of change. Plans focussed effectively and strongly on learning, teaching and achievement. A school policy on monitoring, evaluating and development planning was having a positive effect on school improvement. The annual cycle of activities to improve quality and the departmental monitoring schedule supported whole school improvement. The senior managers' focus on systematic monitoring of developments had ensured a rigour and consistency in developing processes and evaluating procedures. The involvement of all staff assured quality and consistency of impact on learning and teaching and fairness and equality of opportunities for all in the school.

With effective support from North Lanarkshire Council, Braidhurst High School had responded very well to the recommendations of HMIE and had improved monitoring and evaluation procedures that focussed on attainment and school development. All staff had been fully engaged with senior mangers in establishing the rigorous and systematic procedures that enabled them to undertake the recommendations in the action plan. The school was well placed to continue the improvements achieved to date. North Lanarkshire Council will not publish further reports in relation to the 2003 HMIE report.

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