7 September 2004
1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. 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
How can you contact us?
Craigclowan Preparatory School was inspected in May 2004 as part of a national sample of education. The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the school at all stages. It evaluated pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of the school and the environment for learning. There was a particular focus on learning, teaching and attainment in English language, mathematics, science and music.
HM Inspectors examined pupils’ work and interviewed staff and pupils. They assessed the school’s processes for self-evaluation. They analysed responses to questionnaires issued to a sample of parents, to pupils in Forms 3 to 7, and to all staff. Information about the responses to the questionnaires appears in Appendix 2. Members of the inspection team also met the Chairman of Governors, a group of parents, including representatives of the Parents’ Association, and representatives of the wider school community.
Craigclowan School is a non-denominational, independent preparatory day school situated on the southern outskirts of Perth. It accepts boys and girls aged 3-13. Pupils come from the city of Perth, Perthshire, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee and Fife. At the time of the inspection the roll was 347, including 60 in the nursery. An integrated inspection of the nursery classes had been carried out separately in October 2003 by HMIE and the Care Commission and was the subject of a separate report. Pupils’ attendance was in line with the national average.
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HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
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Parents were very satisfied with almost all aspects of the school’s provision. In particular, they showed very strong support for the leadership of the headmaster and appreciated the wide range of extra-curricular activities provided for their children. Teaching and support staff enjoyed working in the school and indicated high levels of satisfaction with almost all areas of their work. Pupils enjoyed school and expressed positive views about their teachers. Some felt that pupils should have more say in deciding how to improve the school.
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
Pupils in Forms 1 to 4 were taught mainly by class teachers and followed programmes of work based on national guidelines for pupils aged 5-14. The curriculum at these stages was broad and balanced. French was introduced in Form 4. In Forms 5 to 7, pupils were taught by specialist subject teachers. At these stages the school aimed to prepare pupils for the Common Entrance and other schools’ entrance and scholarship examinations. The curriculum was very well designed, in line with the school’s aims. It included all the key areas of pupils’ learning, with particular emphasis given to examination subjects.
Significant features of learning, teaching and attainment in the subjects not inspected, and of pupils’ broader achievements, were as follows.
In most lessons teachers gave clear explanations and questioned pupils well to extend their learning. Interactions between teachers and pupils were positive. Some very good direct teaching was observed. Pupils were very well behaved and well motivated. They responded very well when given opportunities to work in pairs or in groups. A few lessons were teacher-led throughout and pupils had insufficient opportunities to work independently or collaboratively.
In French, pupils in Form 6 showed good understanding of grammar. Those in Form 7 showed very good skills in extended speaking. In Latin pupils in Form 7 collaborated very effectively to run a class competition focused on key aspects of language. In Forms 4 and 5 pupils showed good knowledge and understanding of the geography of rivers. In a drama lesson pupils in Form 6 worked well in pairs and interpreted their roles very well. The promotion of pupils’ broader achievements was a major strength of the school. Pupils at all stages were developing their confidence and self-esteem through a very wide range of sporting, drama and musical activities and outdoor education. They regularly achieved success in a range of competitions. Pupils had competed in a range of sports at national level. The school’s achievements in debating were of particular note.
English language
Learning and teaching
Teachers at all stages interacted very well with their pupils and encouraged their efforts through praise. They gave clear explanations and questioned pupils effectively. They shared the purpose of lessons with pupils and successfully helped them develop all the important skills. Almost all pupils were hard-working, well motivated and enthusiastic learners and contributed well to lessons.
Attainment and achievement
Attainment in English language was very good. At all stages almost all pupils reached appropriate national levels of attainment in listening, talking, reading and writing. Many exceeded these levels. At all stages pupils listened well and talked confidently. Pupils talked well at an assembly for the early stages. Pupils preparing for awards from the English Speaking Board were making good progress in developing and evaluating their talking skills. Pupils who took part in debating activities demonstrated very good communication skills. Pupils enjoyed reading and read a good variety of texts. They were skilled in reading for information and, at the upper stages, reflecting on the writer’s craft. At all stages pupils wrote well for a range of interesting purposes. By Form 7, the most able pupils produced very well structured essays and detailed studies of characters in literature.
Mathematics
Learning and teaching
Some very good direct interactive teaching was seen at the early stages. There was insufficient direct interactive teaching in most of the lessons seen at the upper stages. Teachers used praise effectively to encourage pupils. They set appropriate homework regularly. Work was marked carefully by staff at all stages. Pupils worked hard and behaved well. Although pupils’ learning needs were well met in most cases, the pace of work needed to be improved in some lessons.
Attainment and achievement
The overall quality of attainment in mathematics was good. Pupils performed well in their coursework. Most were achieving appropriate national levels in number, money and measurement, information handling and shape, position and movement. They made good use of computers to support their work in information handling. Computer-generated graphs were used in relation to work in other topics, particularly at the upper stages. Over the past few years a number of pupils had entered for various mathematical competitions, with a considerable degree of success.
Science
Learning and teaching
Science was taught within environmental studies in Forms 1 to 4 and as biology, chemistry and physics for Common Entrance examinations in Forms 5 to 7. Teachers generally interacted well with pupils and made science relevant to their everyday experiences. They provided clear explanations and often involved the pupils well through questioning. In some lessons, high quality interactions between teachers and pupils were observed. In some others, however, teachers did not intervene sufficiently to check pupils' understanding, or develop their skills in investigation and independent learning. Pupils were well focused on their work and showed good or very good levels of motivation and interest. Coursework was often challenging, and the pace of progress brisk. However, the learning needs of lower-attaining pupils were not always well met.
Attainment and achievement
Most pupils were performing well in their coursework in science. In Forms 1 and 2, pupils were making good progress in learning about forces and the birth and growth of animals. Practical skills at these stages could sometimes have been better developed. In Form 3, pupils were developing very good skills in practical investigation, including carrying out a controlled experiment and recording their findings. Many pupils in the upper forms showed high levels of knowledge and understanding. Some, however, had difficulty in explaining key terms and ideas and in making appropriate observations during experiments. Pupils had achieved success in a range of science competitions.
Music
Learning and teaching
Individual instrumental lessons and the school choir rehearsal were of a high standard. Pupils were fully and actively engaged in learning, and were well motivated. However, the overall quality of class lessons was variable. The classroom atmosphere was friendly and teachers' explanations were clear and helpful. Pupils were well motivated when lessons provided a good range of activities and opportunities for active engagement in music making. In some lessons the pace of learning was generally too slow and pupils were less well stimulated and motivated.
Attainment and achievement
Many pupils who participated in extra-curricular activities and who received additional instrumental lessons attained high standards in performing music. Pupils regularly gave well-received performances, won awards in music competitions and had opportunities to perform abroad with the school choir. At the upper stages, class lessons focused mainly on musical appreciation. Pupils who did not receive additional music tuition had not developed a broad enough range of musical skills.
Staff provided very good pastoral care for pupils and ensured their welfare needs were very well met. Clear procedures were in place to deal with any incidents where pupils might be at risk, including any bullying. Staff knew pupils very well and were sensitive to their needs. All staff had received recent training on child protection.
The school had a range of measures in place to support pupils and to challenge them in their learning. These included small class sizes and additional teaching support in Forms 1 to 3. In order to meet pupils’ needs better in Form 3, pupils were taught English language and mathematics in groups organised according to their ability. The school was considering whether to extend this approach to other stages and curricular areas in the junior school. Pupils in Forms 5 to 7 were taught in groups organised according to their ability in most subjects. This arrangement meant that the ablest pupils were well challenged. However, teachers did not always ensure that the learning needs of lower-attaining pupils were well met. Staff had recognised the need to improve how they addressed the learning needs of lower-attaining pupils. Some teachers catered well in lessons for the varying needs of their pupils. This good practice was not yet in place throughout the school.
Around a quarter of all pupils received individual tuition to support their learning in a range of curricular areas, especially English language. Able pupils also received special tuition according to their needs. Individual action plans provided staff with a useful framework for planning for individual pupils. There was scope for more formal meetings between learning support teachers and class teachers to allow collaborative planning of support for pupils. At the start of the current session, a member of staff had been employed to support pupils with English as an additional language. Helpful links with specialists provided support for pupils with particular needs.
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Aspect |
Comment |
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Quality of accommodation and facilities |
The school was situated in extensive and attractive grounds. The very good facilities for sport included the large games hall, six tennis courts, an Astroturf sports pitch, and an artificial ski slope. Classrooms in the new blocks and the art room were bright and spacious. However, in the old building space was limited in some classrooms and in the staffroom. The school lacked additional, flexible areas for teaching. The use of the library and ICT suite as a classroom limited the use of these facilities overall. Plans to provide a new two-storey block of classrooms, including science laboratories, were at an advanced stage. Steep stone steps leading up to the old building lacked handrails and presented a safety hazard. The school had closed-circuit cameras in its grounds for provision of security. In order to ensure pupils’ safety, the school needed to keep under continual review its policy of open access to all school buildings except the nursery. |
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Climate and relationships, expectations and promoting achievement and equality |
The school's very positive ethos was a major strength. Pupils, staff and parents identified strongly with the school. Staff worked well with pupils and each other and morale was high. There was a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Pupils behaved well and spoke politely and confidently to visitors. Teachers had high expectations of their pupils. They were reviewing the school’s systems for rewarding pupils and dealing with any indiscipline, in order to further improve pupils’ behaviour. Assemblies and lunchtimes provided very good opportunities for pupils’ achievements to be recognised. Pupils in the upper school successfully took on an appropriate range of responsibilities. There was scope for them to be more involved in decision making, for example through a pupil council. The school’s approaches to promoting equality and fairness were good overall. The school’s policy on racial equality was insufficiently detailed to ensure that staff and pupils understood all the issues involved. There were suitable opportunities for religious observance. |
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Aspect |
Comment |
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Partnership with parents and the community |
The headmaster was committed to establishing and maintaining strong partnerships with parents. He was accessible and supportive to parents on a daily basis. Governors and the Parents’ Association were strongly supportive of the school. The school’s effective range of methods for communicating with parents included a colourful and informative school brochure, three helpful written reports on pupils’ progress and two parents’ evenings each year. The headmaster ran a helpful induction morning for the parents of pupils new to the school. Links with the local community and with schools in a number of European countries through a Comenius project extended pupils’ learning effectively. Staff development was also enhanced through successful international partnerships. |
In the course of almost 25 years in post the headmaster had created and developed Craigclowan’s strong sense of identity and purpose. He was highly committed to his pupils. He had successfully led staff in establishing the school’s very good curriculum, its strong ethos of achievement and extensive range of extra-curricular opportunities. He encouraged all pupils to do well academically, achieve in a broad range of areas and develop their confidence and self-esteem. His very effective personal approach to leadership had won the strong support of Governors, parents and staff. However, he recognised that at times he did not delegate duties sufficiently to other members of staff. This did not allow them to contribute fully to the continuous improvement of the school. The deputy headmaster and the senior teacher supported the headmaster effectively in the running of the school. They supported staff well and displayed significant strengths in their respective areas of responsibility which included curriculum development in the upper and junior schools. Both had substantive teaching commitments which limited the amount of time they could devote to management and quality assurance. Some effective measures were in place to monitor pupils’ progress and to improve key aspects of provision. The headmaster had not yet provided a strong enough lead for staff on the need to identify priorities for improvement through systematic self-evaluation. Priorities for improving learning, teaching and achievement were identified informally and often in response to issues raised by parents. Whole-school procedures were not in place to help identify good practice and areas for development, in order to ensure that learning, teaching and achievement improved from year to year. The senior teacher had introduced more rigorous approaches to planning for improvement in the junior school. These approaches now needed to be built on and extended throughout the school.
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The school and its Governors should seek to improve further the high quality education offered at Craigclowan. In doing so, they should take account of the need to:
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What happens next?
The school and its Governors 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.
Jane B Renton
HM Inspector
7 September 2004
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
Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires are listed below.
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What pleased parents and carers most |
What parents and carers would like to see improved |
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All thought that:
Almost all thought that teachers set high standards for pupils’ attainment. |
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What pleased pupils most |
What pupils would like to see improved |
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All enjoyed school.
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Just under a quarter of pupils:
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What pleased staff most |
What staff would like to see improved |
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Copies of this report have been sent to the headmaster and school staff, the Chairman of the Board of Governors and appropriate Members of the Scottish Parliament. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of charge from HM Inspectorate of Education, G1 Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH11 3XD or by telephoning 0131 244 8142. Copies are also available on our website: www.hmie.gov.uk.
Should you wish to comment on or make a complaint about any aspect of the inspection or about this report, you should write in the first instance to Chris McIlroy, Acting HMCI at the above address. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from that office and on our website.
If you are still dissatisfied, you can contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman directly or through your Member of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government Departments and Agencies. She will not normally consider your complaint before the HMIE complaints procedure has been used. Instead, she will usually ask you to give us the chance to put matters right if we can.
Complaints to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman must be submitted within 12 months of the date of publication of this report.
The Ombudsman can be contacted at:
Professor Alice Brown
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
4 Melville Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7NS
Telephone number: 0870 011 5378
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 2004
HM Inspectorate of Education
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