30 August 2005
1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. What are the views of parents and carers, pupils and staff?
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
5. How well are pupils supported?
6. How good is the environment for learning?
7. Improving the school
Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
Appendix 3 Attainment in Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) National Qualifications
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Kingussie High School was inspected in April 2005 as part of a national sample of secondary education. The inspection covered key aspects of the school’s work at all stages. It evaluated the structure of the curriculum, analysed pupils’ performance in examinations (see Appendix 3) and assessed the quality of pupils’ broader achievement. It also evaluated the quality of learning and teaching and pupil support, the environment for learning, the school’s processes for self-evaluation, and its overall effectiveness and capacity for improvement. There was a particular focus on English, mathematics, biology and S1/S2 science and music.
HM Inspectors observed learning and teaching and examined pupils’ work. They analysed responses to questionnaires issued to a sample of parents and pupils and to all staff. They interviewed groups of pupils, including members of the pupil forum, and staff. Members of the inspection team also met the chairperson of the School Board, representatives of the parent-teacher association and a group of parents.
Kingussie High School is a non-denominational school serving the villages of Kingussie, Newtonmore, Aviemore, Laggan, Kincraig and Dalwhinnie. At the time of the inspection, the roll was 387. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals was below the national average. Pupils’ attendance was above the national average. In the current session the school had experienced shortages of staff in science and business education.
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
Parents and carers were very positive about the work of the school. They were proud of its reputation and the hard work of staff in supporting their children. They thought that the school was well led and that the new headteacher had already begun to improve key aspects of the school. Pupils were also proud of the school. They were particularly pleased that the new headteacher had made a point of speaking to almost all of them individually to find out their views. They also valued most of the teaching they received, especially in those departments that set high standards and supported them well. However, they expressed concern at the condition of toilets and the lack of social areas for them at intervals and lunchtimes. As a result of these problems, and their view of the way that some teachers dealt with incidents of inappropriate behaviour in class, a few pupils felt they were not treated fairly. Staff were overwhelmingly positive about the school. They felt that the new headteacher had made significant progress in improving their involvement in decision-making. They appreciated his highly visible presence around the school and his interest in their work. Staff and pupils overall had some concerns that standards of behaviour had been declining, and that the school was being faced with a growing level of challenging behaviour.
Further details about what most pleased parents and carers, staff and pupils, and what they would most like to see improved, can be found in Appendix 2 of this report.
The curriculum, learning and teaching
The curriculum was broad and balanced at all stages, and of good quality overall. It took account of the need to systematically develop pupils’ skills in information and communications technology (ICT) from S1 to S4. The course in thinking skills was helping pupils understand their different learning styles, and how they could study and revise more effectively. This course was well supported by the school librarian. Effective rota arrangements reduced the number of teachers that pupils saw in any week. In addition, pupils chose between studying home economics or technical subjects in S2. Almost all S1/S2 pupils studied French along with either German or Gaelic. The school needed to continue to monitor these arrangements to ensure that they met the needs of all pupils. In S3/S4 almost all pupils studied eight Standard Grade courses. A few S4 pupils spent a day at a college of further education, studying vocational courses. There was a good range of courses in S5/S6, including several at Advanced Higher level. The introduction of courses in hospitality and the performance unit in physical education had begun to widen this range further. There were clear plans to introduce rural studies, and travel and tourism to better meet the needs of pupils and the local economy. However, a few pupils were not able to continue in S5/S6 at an appropriate level with their previous subjects. This reduced the number of pupils who studied five Highers at S5. There was no provision for religious and moral education (RME) for S5/S6 pupils. Some weaknesses in the structure of the timetable reduced the effectiveness of the delivery of the curriculum.
Teachers organised lessons well and made good use of praise to create a positive learning environment. They provided clear explanations and support to individuals, and interacted well with pupils. In some subjects, including history, modern studies and RME, teachers used questioning well to extend pupils’ learning and make them think for themselves. Homework was set regularly in the majority of subjects, but the frequency and nature of it varied across the school. Pupils were well-behaved and conscientious, and worked steadily in class. They responded very positively when set high expectations and a suitably brisk pace of learning, for example in home economics, technical education and physical education. Teachers knew pupils very well and tried to take account of their prior learning in setting classwork to help meet their needs. In some subjects, including technical education, ICT was used successfully to enhance pupils’ experiences. Teachers provided helpful feedback to pupils on their work. A few were beginning to involve pupils more closely in identifying what they needed to do to improve and in setting targets for their future progress. However, pupils needed more opportunities to work together on tasks and take responsibility for their own learning. In a few lessons across the school, the pace was too slow or variable to maintain a high level of pupil motivation and interest. Tasks and activities did not always provide appropriate challenge, especially for higher attaining pupils. The school was beginning to develop the further use of ICT to support pupils’ learning.
Achievement
The following comments are based on Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) data, using the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)1 for the three year period (2002-2004).
The overall quality of attainment at S1/S2 was good. By the end of S2, most pupils were reaching appropriate national levels of attainment in mathematics, reading, listening and talking. The majority reached appropriate levels in writing. Attainment in all these areas had significantly improved recently. In other subject areas, most pupils were making good progress with their coursework. However, some weaknesses in the quality of curricular links with associated primary schools limited the continuity and progression of pupils’ learning across most subjects.
The overall quality of attainment at S3/S4 was good. The proportions of pupils achieving five or more awards at SCQF levels 3, 4 and 5 were above national averages. While overall performance had been static, girls’ performance had been declining and was now significantly below that of boys. The school’s performance at SCQF level 4 was better than that of schools with similar characteristics, and in line with their performance at SCQF levels 3 and 5.
The overall quality of attainment at S5/S6 was good. The proportions of pupils achieving five or more awards at SCQF levels 3, 4 and 5 or better in S5/S6 were above national averages. The proportions achieving one or more, or three or more, awards at SCQF level 6 or better were also above national averages. The proportion of pupils achieving five or more awards at SCQF level 6 or better, or one or more award at SCQF level 7, fluctuated from year to year, but was around the national average overall. S5 performance showed some signs of improvement, but there had been no clear improvements in S6 performance. The school’s performance by the end of S5 was in line with or better than that of similar schools for SCQF levels 3, 4 and 5. However, it performed less well at this stage for three or more and five or more awards at SCQF level 6 or better. Overall performance by the end of S6 was below that of similar schools for most measures.
Information on the subjects inspected is given later in the report. Significant features of attainment in the subjects not inspected were as follows.
Pupils benefited from a wide range of opportunities for wider achievement. Individuals and teams had gained notable successes in sports such as skiing and football. Many pupils contributed positively to the school and community through public performance in music. S1 pupils developed their team-working and personal and social skills on a trip to Shetland. All year groups had opportunities to be involved in enterprise activities, including an S2 problem-solving day, an S1/S2 mini-enterprise in technology, and the S6 Understanding Industry day. These activities had given pupils experience of working with others, and improved their awareness of future career and employment opportunities. The school had achieved the Motorola Award for Enterprise in 2004. All S3 pupils had received training in hospitality through the Welcome Host programme. Their skills were used and developed through their responsibilities for welcoming guests and visitors to the school. The citizenship skills of around 30 pupils were developed well through involvement in the UCAN club, which had been awarded the Princess Diana Award for Citizenship. This group had been sending backpacks to Africa and the areas of India affected by the tsunami, to support pupils’ education there. Eight pupils from the school had achieved the John Muir Award for understanding the environment.
English language
Learning and teaching
In almost all lessons, teachers set high expectations for the amount and quality of pupils’ work. They questioned pupils very effectively to develop their thinking. They were responsive to pupils’ ideas and used praise well to motivate them. Almost all pupils worked conscientiously in classes, and behaved well. They collaborated productively on paired and group tasks. Most responded positively when asked to think and work independently. Teachers provided well-focused written feedback on pupils’ work to help ensure that they met their needs very well. They used regular homework to reinforce classwork. However, a few pupils relied too much on their teachers and were not sufficiently independent.
Achievement
Pupils at S1/S2 were making good progress in their classwork, especially in writing. By the end of S2, most pupils achieved appropriate national levels of attainment in listening, talking and reading. The majority of pupils attained these levels in writing. At Standard Grade, almost all pupils attained grades 1-4, and around half attained awards at Credit level. Performance at Credit and General was above national averages overall. At Intermediate 1, the majority of pupils achieved grades A-C. At Intermediate 2 and at Higher, the proportion of pupils achieving grades A-C was well above national averages. All of the small number of pupils at Advanced Higher in recent years had achieved a B grade.
Other features of pupils’ achievement included the following.
Mathematics
Learning and teaching
Almost all lessons consisted of very effective interactive teaching, with good use of graphics calculators where appropriate to help explain ideas and concepts. Teachers’ relationships with pupils were positive. Pupils responded to the high quality of teaching by working hard and behaving well. They made good progress in their learning. However, they had few opportunities to work together on tasks. Resources and activities were well-chosen and varied. Teachers prepared pupils very well for examinations, including giving additional support at lunchtime and after school. Arrangements for setting classes by pupils’ prior attainment helped teachers towards meeting pupils’ needs. However, within classes there was scope for teachers to match tasks more closely to pupils’ abilities, especially in S1/S2, and to use more relevant real-life contexts, and computers, to enhance pupils’ learning.
Achievement
Most pupils were reaching appropriate national levels of attainment by the end of S2. At Standard Grade, performance was above or well above national averages, with all pupils achieving grades 1-6 in most years. Pupils consistently performed better in mathematics than in their other subjects. At Higher, the proportion of pupils achieving A-C grades was well above national averages. At Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2, pupils performed better than would have been predicted from their prior attainment, and their performance was consistently well above national averages. Of the few candidates presented for Advanced Higher, less than half achieved A-C grades.
Other features of pupils’ achievement included the following.
Biology and S1/S2 science
Learning and teaching
Teachers provided pupils with good explanations and clear instructions, and used praise effectively. They revised the previous day’s work through helpful interactive questioning of pupils. Homework was given on a regular basis to consolidate classwork. Pupils were well-behaved and completed tasks in the time given. Whilst the pace within lessons was brisk, most pupils were not being sufficiently challenged to extend their thinking. Almost all pupils worked well together and independently when carrying out practical work. However, they were given too few opportunities at other times to take responsibility for their own learning. They were insufficiently aware of what to do to improve their own performance.
Achievement
In S1/S2 science, most pupils were performing well in their coursework. In Standard Grade biology, the proportion of S4 pupils achieving Credit and General awards was below national averages. At S5/S6, the proportions of pupils who achieved grades A-C at Higher and Intermediate 2 were well below national averages. Around half of those presented for Higher did not achieve A-C grades. Pupils performed notably less well in Intermediate 2 biology than in their other subjects at this level.
Other features of pupils’ achievement included the following.
Music
Learning and teaching
The sole teacher was well organised and gave clear and purposeful explanations. Most lessons included careful use of praise and effective use of ICT to enhance pupils’ experiences, particularly at S5/S6. Lessons did not always involve pupils in a sufficiently varied range of activities, such as lively whole-class questioning and group performances. Pupils approached their work with enthusiasm but some at S1-S3 lacked motivation where the pace of learning slowed towards the end of lessons. Pupils’ work was carefully assessed and they received some helpful feedback on how they had performed. However, teaching did not link listening and inventing tasks closely enough to provide pupils with appropriate support and challenge in their creative activities. Some inventing tasks were too simple.
Achievement
Most pupils at S1/S2 performed well in coursework when playing a range of classroom instruments and listening closely to music. Their inventing skills lacked depth. At S4, presentations for Standard Grade were often above the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving Credit levels had been above the national average but had declined to below that level in 2004. At S5/S6, presentations for Higher were well above the national average. All pupils attained grades A-C, although the proportions of grades A and B were below national averages. At Advanced Higher, all pupils had attained grades A or B in recent years.
Other features of pupils’ achievement included the following.
The school’s arrangements for ensuring the care, welfare and protection of pupils were very good. Guidance staff had twice-yearly formal pastoral reviews with all the pupils allocated to them, and knew them well. Effective arrangements allowed staff to raise concerns about individual pupils. Procedures for responding to child protection issues were very well established and, as a result of recent training, well known by staff. The school effectively promoted a healthy lifestyle through canteen menus and extra-curricular sporting activities. Pupils knew how to make personal concerns known to staff and how to make a complaint. Pastoral arrangements for pupils transferring from P7 to S1 were very good. The school operated an effective ‘buddy’ system which provided good support to pupils in S1. Vulnerable pupils and those new to the school were very well supported and effectively helped to settle in. The pupil support base provided a quiet refuge at intervals and lunchtimes for those pupils with additional support needs who needed it.
There were many strengths in the way the school enhanced pupils’ growing maturity and citizenship skills through a wide range of activities. These included the pupil forum, participation in a range of competitions, and involvement in enterprise, cultural and sports activities. S6 pupils had various duties around the school, including acting as prefects. The school captains represented the school at external events. Pupils regularly took part in school trips, theatre visits and charity events. However, the range of topics in the personal and social education (PSE) programme was too narrow and did not meet pupils’ needs effectively. In addition, there were important weaknesses in the arrangements for teaching PSE.
The quality of curricular and vocational guidance was good. Guidance staff provided good advice to pupils at key transition stages. Pupils had access to high quality careers information in the school library, including online materials. All S4 pupils participated in work experience. The school actively promoted the attendance of S5/S6 pupils at careers conventions. The school’s arrangements for tracking and monitoring pupils’ progress and attainment were good in S1 to S4 but they required improvement in S5/S6. There was no whole-school system for setting individual attainment targets for pupils. Guidance staff responded promptly and well if pupils were having difficulties, or were referred to them by subject departments. Their reports to parents were clear and supportive.
Staff in the support for learning department gave very effective support in a range of subjects to pupils who had difficulty in their learning, and to some higher attaining pupils. They provided strong support to pupils experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. A number of well-planned initiatives included home tuition to support those pupils who had long-term absence. Support for learning staff effectively helped raise the attainment of pupils with additional support needs through tutorials and in-class support. They gave very good advice to class teachers on strategies to support pupils with specific learning difficulties and helped prepare appropriate teaching materials. Although there were no behaviour support staff in post, the school had devised effective temporary support measures for pupils who had difficulty in focusing on their learning. Staff dealt effectively with the rare instances of inappropriate behaviour. A small number of pupils had individualised educational programmes (IEPs) which were well devised, and other pupils who received support had well-planned programmes. Learning support staff regularly reviewed the progress of pupils with a Record of Needs with parents or carers, pupils and outside agencies as appropriate. This ensured that these pupils made very good progress in their learning.
The principal teachers of guidance and support for learning fulfilled their remits very successfully. A member of the senior management team managed guidance and support for learning very effectively. He had initiated an integrated approach to providing support for pupils, including a wide range of outside agencies, and this was developing well.
Aspect |
Comment |
Quality of accommodation and facilities |
The overall quality of accommodation was fair. Some aspects were unsatisfactory, including provision for music. The school was attractively set in extensive grounds. Some departments had recently been refurbished to a high standard, and others had been redecorated. Temporary accommodation was of good quality. The school was about to install a lift to allow access to parts of the upper floors for persons with mobility difficulties. Weaknesses included the following.Some classrooms were very small or were affected by water penetration from the leaking roof. There was a lack of social areas for pupils, and some toilets were poorly ventilated. The school grounds were prone to flooding which prevented their use for sports for long periods of time. In addition, the games hall floor was in poor condition. The school did not operate a secure entry system.Poor fire exit signage, and traffic management arrangements around the school, posed significant risks to pupils’ safety. |
Climate and relationships, expectations and promoting achievement and equality |
The school was very welcoming to parents and visitors. Relationships between members of the school community were almost always very positive. Staff and pupil morale was high, and had recently improved further because of the work of the new headteacher. Assemblies were used well to celebrate pupils’ success. Expectations of pupil attainment were very high in most departments. However, some had not developed systems for setting and monitoring individual pupil targets. Too few pupils studied five subjects in S5. These weaknesses limited the overall expectations by pupils of what they could achieve. While the school had appropriate policies and statements on racial and religious equality, it was not implementing these effectively. As a result, it was not preparing pupils sufficiently well for life in a multicultural society. There were insufficient opportunities for religious observance. |
Partnership with parents and the community |
The school had a very good partnership with parents, the community, and other agencies. Regular newsletters and a school column in the local newspaper kept parents well-informed of the work of the school. The school’s very high quality website showed a wide range of information about the life of the school and its successes. Reports to parents on their children’s progress were detailed and informative. Parents were very well consulted on their views through the school’s established system of stakeholder questionnaires. The School Association was active in supporting the school through fund-raising, such as the recent race-night. The Association was effective in keeping parents informed of its work. The School Board had been focused recently on supporting the development of improved disabled access to the building. |
Teachers at Kingussie High School knew their pupils well, cared about them, and supported them effectively in their learning. Levels of attainment were high overall. In many subjects attainment and standards of teaching were very high and pupils responded positively to the expectations of their teachers. Pupils also benefited from a wide range of extra-curricular activities, many of which made use of the school’s local environment. Staff had demonstrated a long-standing commitment to trying to improve their practice and the effectiveness of the school. The school had now entered a period of considerable change with the appointment of a new headteacher and a new depute headteacher, and an ongoing restructuring of principal teacher posts. The new headteacher was energetic and committed. He had demonstrated a clear, strong and appropriate vision for the future of the school, and had won support from all members of its community. The school was very well placed to build on its many existing strengths and further improve the quality and consistency of the education it provided for its pupils.
At the time of the inspection the headteacher had been in post for seven months. He had made a very effective start to providing leadership for the school. Through his personable and approachable style, he had formed effective working relationships with pupils and staff. They now felt more involved in the life of the school and in plans to move it forward. While the school already had many strengths, he had recognised that some improvements to its work were necessary. He had taken steps to increase teachers’ expectations of what pupils could achieve and to celebrate pupils’ success more fully. Senior managers worked well as a team with the new headteacher, and shared his vision. They had appropriate remits and effective links with their departments. The depute headteacher with responsibility for children’s services within the school carried out his duties very well. The other depute had only recently been appointed. He was hardworking and committed to his responsibilities, which included the curriculum and timetabling. However, staff shortages in the science department meant that he had a substantial teaching commitment. This had prevented him from becoming fully engaged with his new remit. At the time of the inspection the school had not yet implemented its planned new management structure at principal teacher level. This had contributed to the disruption of leadership in some subject areas. Almost all of the substantive principal teachers were leading their departments very well. They were supporting high quality learning and teaching, and producing high attainment.
The school had well-embedded approaches to monitoring the quality of almost all aspects of its work. These included a regular, comprehensive survey of all stakeholders. The rolling programme of self-evaluation by departments used published quality indicators. It included analysis of attainment, the quality of courses and programmes, and how successfully departments met pupils’ needs. The results of this were discussed with senior managers. However, they did not challenge departments sufficiently on the quality of the evidence behind their evaluations. Monitoring of the quality of learning and teaching had been carried out by promoted staff, but this was not as detailed as other aspects of self-evaluation. Overall, staff recognised that there was scope to improve aspects of the school’s work. They were positive and confident about future change, and of the ability of the headteacher and his senior management team to bring this about.
Main points for action
The school and education authority should continue to improve the quality of education offered by the school. In doing this it should take account of the need to:
What happens next?
The school and the education authority have been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share that plan with parents and carers. Within two years of the publication of this report parents and carers will be informed about the progress made by the school. In addition, within six months of the publication of this report, the District Inspector will ask the education authority for a report on how the identified health and safety issues are being addressed.
Brian Stewart
HM Inspector
30 August 2005
We judged the following to be very good
We judged the following to be good
We judged the following to be fair
We judged the following to be unsatisfactory
What pleased parents and carers most |
What parents and carers would like to see improved |
Almost all parents and carers thought that:the school was welcoming and had a good reputation in the community;their children enjoyed being at the school and staff showed great care and concern for their welfare; andthe school was well led. |
Around a quarter of parents wanted more information on the school’s priorities for improvement. |
What pleased pupils most |
What pupils would like to see improved |
Almost all pupils thought that:teachers encouraged them to work to the best of their ability, helped them with their classwork, and checked their homework carefully;they had good relationships with other pupils; andthe school had improved recently. |
A significant minority of pupils thought that:they were not treated fairly by teachers;the behaviour of some pupils was not good; andtoilets were poor, and there was a lack of social areas. |
What pleased staff most |
What staff would like to see improved |
All staff thought that:the school was well led;communication with members of the senior management team was very good;staff showed care and concern for pupils’ welfare, and ensured they received good feedback on their work; andpupil success was well celebrated.All teaching staff thought that they were well involved in decision-making. |
A significant minority of staff thought that:pupils did not show enthusiasm for their learning;standards of behaviour were too low; andthere was not enough respect between pupils and staff.A significant minority of non-teaching staff felt that they were not sufficiently involved in decision-making in the school. |
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) levels: 7: Advanced Higher at A-C/CSYS at A-C |
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by end of S4
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
||
English and Mathematics @ Level 3 |
Kingussie High School |
93 |
97 |
99 |
Comparator Schools2 |
96 |
96 |
96 |
|
National |
91 |
91 |
91 |
|
5+ @ Level 3 or Better |
Kingussie High School |
94 |
99 |
96 |
Comparator Schools |
96 |
95 |
96 |
|
National |
91 |
91 |
91 |
|
5+ @ Level 4 or Better |
Kingussie High School |
89 |
87 |
85 |
Comparator Schools |
87 |
85 |
85 |
|
National |
77 |
76 |
77 |
|
5+ @ Level 5 or Better |
Kingussie High School |
41 |
40 |
45 |
Comparator Schools |
44 |
41 |
43 |
|
National |
34 |
34 |
35 |
|
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by end of S5
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
||
5+ @ Level 4 or better |
Kingussie High School |
90 |
89 |
88 |
Comparator schools2 |
88 |
89 |
86 |
|
National |
78 |
78 |
78 |
|
5+ @ Level 5 or better |
Kingussie High School |
54 |
56 |
56 |
Comparator schools |
56 |
56 |
56 |
|
National |
45 |
45 |
45 |
|
1+ @ Level 6 or better |
Kingussie High School |
49 |
52 |
53 |
Comparator schools |
50 |
50 |
51 |
|
National |
39 |
39 |
39 |
|
3+ @ Level 6 or better |
Kingussie High School |
33 |
22 |
28 |
Comparator schools |
29 |
30 |
30 |
|
National |
23 |
23 |
23 |
|
5+ @ Level 6 or better |
Kingussie High School |
12 |
7 |
12 |
Comparator schools |
12 |
15 |
13 |
|
National |
9 |
10 |
9 |
|
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by end of S6
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
||
5+ @ Level 5 or better |
Kingussie High School |
54 |
56 |
58 |
Comparator schools2 |
59 |
58 |
58 |
|
National |
46 |
47 |
47 |
|
1+ @ Level 6 or better |
Kingussie High School |
53 |
51 |
56 |
Comparator schools |
59 |
56 |
55 |
|
National |
44 |
44 |
44 |
|
3+ @ Level 6 or better |
Kingussie High School |
38 |
42 |
38 |
Comparator schools |
42 |
41 |
40 |
|
National |
31 |
31 |
31 |
|
5+ @ Level 6 or better |
Kingussie High School |
14 |
28 |
20 |
Comparator schools |
29 |
27 |
26 |
|
National |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
1+ @ Level 7 or better |
Kingussie High School |
11 |
15 |
13 |
Comparator schools |
18 |
18 |
17 |
|
National |
12 |
12 |
12 |
|
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Director of Education, Culture and Sport, local councillors and appropriate Members of the Scottish Parliament. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of charge from HM Inspectorate of Education, Argyll House, 3rd Floor, Marketgait, Dundee DD1 1QP or by telephoning 01382 349999. Copies are also available on our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you wish to comment about secondary inspections
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of secondary inspections, you should write in the first instance to Dr Bill Maxwell, HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
Our complaints procedure
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to Hazel Dewart, Business Management Unit, HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from this office or by telephoning 01506 600258 or from our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4-6 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7NS. You can also telephone 0870 011 5378 or e-mail enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.scottishombudsman.org.uk.
Crown Copyright 2005
HM Inspectorate of Education
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated.
1. Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) levels:
7: Advanced Higher at A-C/CSYS at A-C
6: Higher at A-C
5: Intermediate 2 at A-C; Standard Grade at 1-2
4: Intermediate 1 at A-C; Standard Grade at 3-4
3: Access 3 cluster; Standard Grade at 5-6
2 Comparator schools are the fifteen schools immediately above and the fifteen schools immediately below the school being inspected in terms of the percentage of pupils entitled to free meals (FME).