25 January 2005
1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. What are the views of parents and carers,
pupils and staff?
4. How good are learning, teaching,
attainment 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
How can you contact us?
Dumfries Academy was inspected in September 2004. Subjects included in the inspection were English, mathematics, history, physics and S1/S2 science. The school is a non-denominational school which serves the town of Dumfries and surrounding area. At the time of the inspection the roll was 870. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals was well below the national average. Pupils’ attendance was above the national average.
Members of the inspection team analysed responses to questionnaires issued to samples of pupils, parents and carers, and to all staff. They also met the chairperson of the School Board and other members of the local community. They interviewed groups of pupils and staff.
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
Overall, parents and carers, pupils and staff were very positive about the school. Around one third of the parents and carers returned their questionnaires and most were highly appreciative of the work of the school. Parents and carers were proud of the school and its traditions. They believed that it achieved good examination results, provided a very caring environment and was well led. Many had concerns about the quality of the accommodation. Some would have liked a clearer idea of the school’s priorities for development and of how they could help their children with their homework. A minority of parents and carers felt that there was not enough mutual respect between pupils and teachers. Almost all pupils enjoyed school and felt that teachers told them when they had done something well. About a third of them were concerned about the behaviour of some pupils. Almost all staff liked working in the school and felt that the school was well led. Some would have liked more staff discussion about how to achieve school priorities. Further details about what most pleased parents, carers, staff and pupils and what they would most like to see improved can be found in Appendix 2 of this report.
In evaluating the overall quality of learning, teaching, attainment and achievement HM Inspectors observed aspects of learning in the inspected departments and more widely across the school. They also reviewed the extent to which the structure of the curriculum addressed pupils’ needs, and they analysed pupils’ performance in examinations (see Appendix 3).
The curriculum, learning and teaching
Overall the quality of the curriculum was good. The current S1/2 curriculum was broad and balanced. The school was reviewing the links between pupils’ previous primary experience and several courses at S1 and S2, in line with the education authority’s priorities. At S3/S4, pupils currently undertook nine Standard Grade subjects or their equivalent. Pupils followed a balanced curriculum with a good range of choices. Strong features included a clear link between the provision of social and vocational skills for all with personal and social education, education for work and education for citizenship, and the provision of Intermediate and Access courses. Alternative provision for some pupils with additional support needs included work experience and college placements. At S5/S6, pupils could select from a very wide range of subjects at Intermediate, Higher and Advanced Higher levels. The school made use of the Dumfries burgh network of secondary schools to extend the range of subjects available for pupils. Current provision for personal and social education at S1/S2 and S5/S6 and for religious and moral education and physical education at S3 to S6 was too limited. The school had begun a review of its curriculum, to address these shortfalls and to increase the flexibility of provision in order to meet the needs of pupils at all stages more effectively.
Overall, teachers made good use of an appropriate range of teaching approaches to provide pupils with effective learning experiences. In most lessons, teachers provided clear explanations and used questioning well to involve pupils and check and develop their understanding. Some teachers were very skilful in enhancing pupils’ learning through giving stimulating insights into subjects, providing helpful practical demonstrations, or relating work to pupils’ experiences and interests. A number were increasingly making good use of information and communication technology (ICT). In some very effective lessons, pupils were highly motivated through participation in group discussion or by taking responsibility for their learning by note-making, researching, designing investigations or evaluating their own work. Sometimes, however, teachers relied too much on a particular teaching style, and did not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to co-operate with others or to develop skills of independent learning. Use of homework was inconsistent. Most pupils responded well to their teachers and worked steadily, but in some classes they were not fully engaged with their learning and a few presented challenging behaviour. Class teachers gave valuable help to pupils experiencing difficulties in learning, often through very good co-operation with learning support staff. In some classes, especially at S1/S2, they did not take enough account of pupils’ differing learning needs or ensure sufficient pace and challenge for higher attaining pupils.
Attainment and achievement
The overall quality of attainment at S1/S2 was fair. The pace and challenge of learning did not always make sufficient demands on abler pupils. By the end of S2 pupils’ attainment was in line with the national average for reading and well below it for writing. It was below the national average for mathematics and had fallen recently.
The following comments are based on Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) data for the three-year period from 2002 to 2004.
Attainment in SQA examinations at S4 to S6 varied over the last three years.
The overall quality of attainment at S3/S4 was good. The proportion of S4 pupils who achieved five or more Standard Grade awards was above national averages at Credit and General levels and in line with them at Foundation level.
The overall quality of attainment at S5/S6 was good. The proportion of pupils in S5 who gained three or more A-C grades at Higher had fallen in 2004 but the proportion of them who gained five or more A-C grades had risen in the same year. Over the last three years, however, the proportion of pupils who gained three or more and five or more A-C grades at Higher by the end of S6 was above national averages. The proportions of pupils gaining five or more A-C grades at Intermediate 2 and at Intermediate 1 by the end of S6 were above national averages. The proportion of S6 pupils gaining one or more A-C grades at Advanced Higher was well above the national average over the last three years but had fallen to just above the national average in 2004.
Information on the subjects inspected is given later in the report. Significant features of attainment in examinations in the subjects not inspected were as follows.
Pupils engaged in a very wide range of extra-curricular activities and experiences related to education for citizenship, work and enterprise. They participated with significant success in a wide range of team and individual sports at local, regional and national level. They were involved in an equally wide range of art, music and dance presentations and performances for the school and the community more widely. They were developing their appreciation of and care for the environment through the school’s participation in the ‘Eco Schools’ initiative. They had participated successfully in the national ‘Equal Futures’ event as a response to challenging racism. They helped to raise money for local and national charities and to improve facilities and the quality of life for community groups including the elderly and vulnerable. These included the S1 ‘Good Citizens’ programme through which pupils investigated employment opportunities, community safety, ethical trade and facilities for the disabled in the local community. Some pupils had extended their political awareness through the medium of the Dumfries Youth Parliament. S3 pupils had developed through their own initiative, a Fair Trade Tuck shop, in response to issues raised in their programme of religious and moral education. Senior pupils provided important support for younger pupils through buddying, paired reading and in-class support.
English language
Learning and teaching
Teachers introduced new work clearly and varied their teaching approaches well. They often used direct teaching methods very effectively to engage their pupils in their learning. Homework was used inconsistently. Almost all pupils worked hard. They co-operated well in groups. They had insufficient opportunities to take responsibility for their learning by, for example, researching using ICT. Teachers grouped pupils by prior attainment from S3 to S6 to meet pupils’ different needs effectively. However, the pace and challenge of learning did not always make sufficient demands on higher attaining pupils in S1/S2.
Attainment and achievement
At S1/S2, the majority of pupils achieved appropriate national levels of attainment in reading. Less than half attained them in writing. The department did not provide reliable evidence of attainment in listening and talking. At Standard Grade, the proportion of pupils achieving grades 1-2 and grades 1-4 was in line with national averages. At S5/S6, the proportion of pupils gaining A-C awards at Higher was in line with national averages. At Intermediate 2 and Intermediate 1, the proportion of S5/S6 pupils gaining A-C grades was above national averages. Most pupils presented for Advanced Higher gained A-C grades.
Other features of pupils’ attainment and achievement included the following.
Mathematics
Learning and teaching
Some lessons were of a high standard but overall the quality of lessons varied too much. Some staff used whole class teaching approaches well, providing effective questioning and making good use of ICT. The pace of learning was often too slow. Many pupils were not sufficiently involved in their learning. Some good steps were taken to meet pupils’ needs by setting them in classes organised by prior attainment and targeting lessons at an appropriate level. However, low-level disruption by a minority of pupils in some classes from S3 upwards inhibited teachers from always meeting pupils’ needs effectively.
Attainment and achievement
At S1/S2, the proportion of pupils achieving appropriate national levels of attainment was below the national average and showed some deterioration over the last three years. The proportion of S4 pupils presented for Standard Grade was below the national average. The proportion of those presented who achieved Credit awards was in line with the national average. Over the last two years, most pupils entered for Access 3 had achieved an award. The proportion of S4 pupils who continued to study mathematics in S5 was below the national average. Performance was in line with the national average at Higher and above the national average at Intermediate 1 and 2. Almost all pupils presented for Advanced Higher mathematics or equivalent had achieved A-C grades.
Other features of pupils’ attainment and achievement included the following.
History
Learning and teaching
Lessons were well prepared and delivered at a brisk pace. Teaching approaches were appropriate and in some cases imaginative and challenging. Pupils found work in the department stimulating and motivating. Purposeful questioning of pupils generated interest and perceptive responses. Pupils participated well in lessons and were given an appropriate level of responsibility. Increased opportunities for co-operative learning and for the use of ICT would improve courses further. Intermediate 2 courses had been introduced in S3 and S4 to provide challenge for higher attaining pupils. In some aspects of the remaining Standard Grade courses, lower attaining pupils required more suitable materials and tasks.
Attainment and achievement
At S1/S2 most pupils performed well in coursework. The proportions of S4 pupils achieving grades 1-2 and grades 1-4 were in line with national averages. In 2003 and 2004 the proportion of pupils gaining A-C grades at Intermediate 2, including S4 pupils, was well above the national average. The proportion of S5/S6 pupils presented for Higher was consistently well above the national average, as was the proportion gaining A-C grades. The proportion gaining a grade A award was above the national average.
Other features of pupils’ attainment and achievement included the following.
Physics and S1/S2 science
Learning and teaching
Teachers explained ideas clearly, making effective use of demonstrations and, in some cases, ICT to enhance pupils’ learning. They used questioning well to involve pupils in discussion and to check their understanding. They set regular homework. Almost all pupils participated well in class, group and individual tasks. They responded positively when given opportunities to take responsibility, for example in planning investigations or designing experiments. A few were not well motivated. Sometimes the pace of lessons was too slow. Class teachers and learning support staff often gave good help to pupils experiencing difficulty. However, tasks were not always matched closely to pupils’ differing learning needs, especially in S1/S2.
Attainment and achievement
Most pupils performed well in their classwork in science at S1/S2. Some tasks did not sufficiently build on pupils’ previous knowledge and skills. In physics, at Standard Grade the proportion of pupils gaining Credit awards was above the national average. At S5/S6, the proportions of pupils achieving A and A-C grades at Higher and at Intermediate 2 were above national averages.
Other features of pupils’ attainment and achievement included the following.
The school gave very good attention to the care and welfare of pupils. Staff were caring and responsive to pupils who required help and support. The school had effective procedures for child protection and use of the Internet. It actively promoted a healthy lifestyle including supporting the pupils’ nutrition group. It had a clear anti-bullying policy and dealt appropriately with any incidents which arose. Pupils had good opportunities to develop knowledge and skills to help them deal with personal safety. They felt safe and secure.
Pupils were making very good progress in developing their personal and social skills. Their experiences were enhanced through an extensive range of extra-curricular activities including sports, music and drama. Many pupils benefited from participating in trips, locally and abroad. Pupils with additional support needs had developed their personal and social skills through enterprise activities, a lifeskills programme and a residential stay. Senior pupils had developed positive relationships with younger pupils as buddies, paired readers and through peer support. The programme in personal and social development (PSD) addressed health and welfare issues well. The school was reviewing the time allocated to it at specific stages. The programme was particularly effective at S3/S4, where it led to awards at Standard Grade in social and vocational skills and developed pupils’ skills in enterprise and citizenship.
Pupils received very effective curricular and vocational guidance. Arrangements to support them at key stages enabled them to make appropriate curricular choices. Senior pupils had very good opportunities to attend careers conventions and college and university open days. At S4 to S6, pupils with additional support needs followed a well-structured programme which provided a range and choice of vocational experiences and opportunities to develop social awareness. Careers advisers made a broad and valued contribution to vocational guidance. Pupils at all stages were not always clear on the next steps they should take to improve their academic progress. The school was developing its arrangements for monitoring the progress of pupils and setting them attainment targets.
The school had very effective procedures for meeting the needs of pupils with additional support needs. Support teachers identified their needs very well. They provided subject teachers with a high quality of information on the strengths and areas for development of pupils, including advice on effective learning and teaching approaches for specific conditions. They worked very effectively with them in co-operative teaching enterprises and provided pupils who needed them with good programmes in basic and specific skills. Pupils who displayed challenging behaviour were well supported by behaviour support staff in the support base. High quality individualised educational programmes (IEPs) were provided appropriately for pupils, including those with behavioural difficulties. Pupils with IEPs made good progress in their learning. The needs of pupils with a Record of Needs were well met.
The school had recently introduced an integrated structure for support for pupils including pupil support teachers and tutors. Senior managers responsible for the work of pupil support teams were skilfully developing a more coherent system for supporting pupils with additional needs, including those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Quality of accommodation and facilities
The accommodation of the school had a number of strengths, including the impressive, historical architecture of its two main buildings. The authority and the school had improved aspects of the accommodation, including providing an appropriate learning centre for pupils with additional support needs, a well furbished ICT room and renovated chemistry classrooms. Staff had enhanced the accommodation by mounting attractive displays in corridors and public places of pupils’ work and achievements. Staff and pupils had developed an attractive garden area in the quadrangle. However, there were important weaknesses in the quality of the accommodation. The dining hall was separate from the school and across a busy road. The physics, biology and home economics classrooms and the gymnasium needed renovation. Some classrooms, including those for modern studies and religious and moral education, as well as the drama studios and the library, were too small. The décor of many corridors and some classrooms was dark and dowdy. Social areas were limited, especially for S3/S4 pupils. Specific health and safety issues were brought to the attention of the headteacher. These included issues attaching to the security of some of the accommodation, to some roofs which leaked, to the steps at the back of the school leading down to the riverside which were potentially dangerous, to a lack of privacy for girls’ toilets in one of the buildings and to the lighting in one of the drama studios which created a safety hazard. Access for physically disabled pupils was inadequate. As part of the Council’s Public Private Partnership initiative, there were plans for the refurbishment of the accommodation.
Ethos
The school had a positive ethos. It welcomed visitors and had a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Pupils generally were proud of their school. Relationships between pupils and staff were often very good. Most pupils were open, courteous and well behaved. A small number of pupils presented staff with challenging behaviour in mainstream classes. However, the school was making good progress in strengthening its approaches to promoting positive behaviour using a wide range of appropriate strategies. It had recently provided appropriate training for staff on managing behaviour and had engaged many staff in a review of its policy on promoting a positive ethos. Pupils at all stages participated actively in decision-making through school councils. Assemblies provided them with good opportunities for religious observance.
Pupils valued achievement in sports and cultural activities and had had considerable success in them. The school encouraged and celebrated these successes at assemblies and award ceremonies and in newsletters for parents. Staff had high expectations of attendance and behaviour and most pupils responded positively to them. Teachers generally used praise well to encourage pupils to produce their best work and recognised and rewarded good effort. A good system of setting targets for pupils from S4 to S6 was being developed further to support staff and pupils in sustaining a high expectation of pupil attainment. This should be extended to other stages.
Staff treated pupils fairly and equally and successfully encouraged pupils to be tolerant of others. Pupils were generally well prepared for their future lives in society. Vulnerable pupils and pupils with additional support needs were fully involved in the life of the school. The school encouraged pupils to value and appreciate diverse cultures. However, it did not yet have a race equality policy.
Partnership with parents and the community
Overall, links with parents and the community were good. The procedures for communicating with parents were effective. Parents were provided with an informative prospectus, regular newsletters and a valued annual report of the school’s achievements. Reports for them on their children’s progress appropriately provided them with the next steps in their children’s learning. Relationships were very good with the School Board and an active Parents and Friends Association. The school responded very well to parents’ enquiries and concerns. However, it did not provide them with the annual standards and quality report or information on its main priorities for improvement. Parents had been consulted recently on proposed changes to the configuration of the school day. However the range of consultations with them had been limited.
The school had very good links with the local primary schools to support pupils’ transition and was currently strengthening its curricular links with them. It had strong links with support agencies and the local community. These included links with churches and the prison service, as well as a wide range of employers and other community agencies through subject departments and a range of education for work and enterprise activities. The school made very good use of the local community as a learning environment.
Dumfries Academy provided a good education for its pupils and successfully encouraged their wider achievements. Staff gave a high priority to pupils’ care and welfare and provided very effective support for vulnerable pupils and those with a range of needs. The headteacher, with the co-operation of staff, was currently taking good steps to improve learning, teaching and attainment further. For example, he had devised new remits for promoted staff to focus their work more closely on ensuring a consistently high quality of learning and pupil support and on raising attainment.
The headteacher provided good leadership. He was highly regarded by the school community. He was strongly committed to creating an inclusive school, in which all pupils were encouraged and supported to achieve their potential, and he had had good success in so doing. He had engaged many staff effectively in appropriate development work to take forward a major policy review. Overall, he was managing aspects of change with assurance, including a review of the curriculum and the introduction of a new management structure. A challenge for him, which he can face with confidence, is to implement these changes fully. Further work was needed to develop the partnership with parents and bring greater rigour to the system of quality improvement.
The headteacher worked very closely with other members of the senior management team. He had drawn on their strengths to devise for them very good remits within a new management structure. These gave clear emphasis to their roles in managing the quality of pupil support and the quality of learning and teaching. They had made a confident start to their new duties, drawing on their experience and effectiveness within their previous range of duties. The recently appointed school support manager, responsible for a range of administrative matters and the line management of administrative staff, had made a good start to her new duties. The newly appointed principal teachers of the curriculum and pupil support had a very good grasp of their new roles. They were working well with the senior management team to identify and implement strategies for their effective contribution to the management of the school.
The arrangements for quality improvement were well understood by staff. A calendar of quality improvement events had been prepared. The senior management team had conducted annual reviews of departments’ examination performance and their progress with their development work. Senior managers and principal teachers had conducted regular classroom observations which were linked clearly to the system of professional review. Staff were appropriately involved in using national quality indicators to evaluate whole school and departmental provision. A Standards and Quality report was produced annually but it could be more evaluative. While all of these processes were appropriate, they had not been implemented with sufficient rigour to impact fully on improving the quality of learning, teaching and attainment. The headteacher had focused the new remits of the senior management team and principal teachers on bringing greater rigour to these arrangements.
Overall, the school was confidently addressing a number of important changes designed to improve learning, teaching and attainment. It should continue to improve its work in line with the headteacher’s improvement agenda.
In taking the school forward, the school and the education authority 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.
Alan Stewart
HM Inspector
25 January 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 felt that:
|
About a third of parents and carers felt that improvement was needed in:
|
|
What pleased pupils most |
What pupils would like to see improved |
|
Almost all pupils felt that:
|
Nearly a third of pupils felt that improvement was required in:
|
|
What pleased staff most |
What staff would like to see improved |
|
All staff felt that:
|
About a quarter of staff felt that improvement was required in:
|
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Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) levels: |
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by end of S4
|
2002 |
2003 |
20041 |
||
|
English and Mathematics @ Level 3 |
Dumfries Academy |
92 |
92 |
95 |
|
Comparator Schools2 |
96 |
96 |
96 |
|
|
National |
91 |
91 |
91 |
|
|
5+ @ Level 3 or Better |
Dumfries Academy |
91 |
89 |
94 |
|
Comparator Schools |
97 |
96 |
96 |
|
|
National |
91 |
91 |
91 |
|
|
5+ @ Level 4 or Better |
Dumfries Academy |
85 |
77 |
85 |
|
Comparator Schools |
90 |
88 |
89 |
|
|
National |
77 |
76 |
76 |
|
|
5+ @ Level 5 or Better |
Dumfries Academy |
53 |
40 |
44 |
|
Comparator Schools |
47 |
47 |
49 |
|
|
National |
34 |
34 |
34 |
|
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by end of S5
|
2002 |
2003 |
20041 |
||
|
5+ @ Level 4 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
85 |
85 |
79 |
|
Comparator schools2 |
92 |
91 |
90 |
|
|
National |
78 |
78 |
78 |
|
|
5+ @ Level 5 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
55 |
62 |
49 |
|
Comparator schools |
65 |
62 |
62 |
|
|
National |
45 |
45 |
45 |
|
|
1+ @ Level 6 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
49 |
52 |
41 |
|
Comparator schools |
58 |
53 |
56 |
|
|
National |
39 |
39 |
38 |
|
|
3+ @ Level 6 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
32 |
32 |
24 |
|
Comparator schools |
39 |
34 |
34 |
|
|
National |
23 |
23 |
22 |
|
|
5+ @ Level 6 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
12 |
9 |
16 |
|
Comparator schools |
15 |
14 |
15 |
|
|
National |
9 |
10 |
9 |
|
Percentage of relevant S4 roll achieving by end of S6
|
2002 |
2003 |
20041 |
||
|
5+ @ Level 5 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
56 |
57 |
62 |
|
Comparator schools2 |
63 |
67 |
64 |
|
|
National |
46 |
47 |
47 |
|
|
1+ @ Level 6 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
55 |
51 |
56 |
|
Comparator schools |
61 |
61 |
57 |
|
|
National |
44 |
44 |
43 |
|
|
3+ @ Level 6 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
40 |
41 |
41 |
|
Comparator schools |
47 |
48 |
46 |
|
|
National |
31 |
31 |
30 |
|
|
5+ @ Level 6 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
30 |
27 |
26 |
|
Comparator schools |
30 |
35 |
30 |
|
|
National |
20 |
20 |
19 |
|
|
1+ @ Level 7 or better |
Dumfries Academy |
24 |
23 |
15 |
|
Comparator schools |
21 |
21 |
20 |
|
|
National |
12 |
12 |
12 |
|
1 Pre Appeal.
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).
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Corporate Director of Education and Community Services, 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
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