Govan High School
Glasgow City Council

5 June 2007

Contents

1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. How well does the school raise achievement for all?
4. How good is the environment for learning?
5. Leading and 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?

1. Background

Govan High School was inspected in January 2007 as part of a national sample of secondary education. The inspection covered key aspects of the school’s work at all stages. HM Inspectors evaluated how well the school was raising achievement for all pupils, taking into account the extent to which pupils’ learning needs were met by the curriculum and teaching. They also analysed pupils’ attainment in national examinations (see Appendix 3), the school’s processes for self-evaluation and innovation, and its overall effectiveness and capacity for improvement. Inspectors focused particularly on English, mathematics, computing, and modern languages.

The inspection team also evaluated aspects of the school's progress in implementing national recommendations related to improving aspects of school meals provision.

Inspectors observed teaching, learning and achievement in lessons and other contexts and examined pupils’ work. They analysed responses to questionnaires¹ issued to a sample of parents² and pupils and to all staff. They interviewed groups of pupils, including members of the pupil council, parents and staff. Members of the inspection team also met representatives of a number of the organisations with which the school had partnership arrangements.

Govan High School is a non denominational school serving Govan and the surrounding area of south-west Glasgow. At the time of the inspection, the roll was 405. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals was well above the national average. Pupils’ attendance was well below the national average, but was improving, especially at the middle stages. There was a unit in the school to support pupils with autism.

There was no modern languages teacher in post in the mainstream school at the time of inspection.

2. Key strengths

HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.

• Opportunities for pupils to gain enriching learning experiences through study visits, extra-curricular activities and off-site educational experiences.
• The high quality of accommodation which was enhanced by well-organised displays of a wide range of pupils’ achievements.
• Development of leadership at different levels in the school.
• Effective teamwork of the leadership team.
• The headteacher’s success in developing partnership working with a range of organisations to secure additional resources for the benefit of pupils.

3. How well does the school raise achievement for all?

To evaluate how well the school was raising achievement for all, HM Inspectors considered the extent to which the learning needs of all pupils were met through the curriculum and teaching. They evaluated the effectiveness of the school in promoting the learning and personal development of all pupils in lessons and in other, broader contexts. They also considered the standards attained in specific aspects of learning.

Curriculum

The school had recently introduced major innovations to its curriculum, resulting in some encouraging signs of improved engagement in learning for pupils. It placed a clear emphasis upon the development of a range of skills and aimed to make the curriculum more relevant to pupils’ needs and to improve their motivation, achievement and employability. All pupils were taking five courses over S2 and S3 leading to Standard Grade or other National Qualifications (NQs) and most would sit their examinations at the end of S3, rather than at the end of S4. The decision to change the curriculum had been taken with the agreement of the education authority at the end of the previous session. The school had consulted parents, staff and other stakeholders appropriately. It was too early to evaluate the overall impact of this initiative.

A number of strengths in the curriculum were having a positive impact on pupils’ learning experiences. The school needed to take action to build on these strengths to make further improvements. Particular features of the curriculum included the following.

• A strong emphasis was placed upon providing pupils with appropriate vocational courses and developing useful skills for employment, including the use of information and communications technology (ICT).
• Pupils had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of enriching learning experiences provided by the school’s partner organisations, and through a variety of study visits. However, in some lessons the extraction of pupils interrupted learning and insufficient steps were taken to accommodate these valuable learning experiences.
• Good provision was made for physical education and religious and moral education from S1 to S4. At S5/S6, it was very good for physical education.
• At S1, the broad social subjects course did not provide sufficient time for pupils to develop suitable knowledge of people in the past.
• Few pupils elected to study sciences or modern languages beyond S1.
• Teachers were continuing to adjust pupils’ learning experiences at S1 to take account of the changes in middle school courses. Not all teachers were fully aware of the duration of courses and the possible routes pupils could take beyond S3.
• At S2/S3, pupils followed courses in English, mathematics and three other subjects leading to Standard Grade or other NQs. The school provided pupils at S2/S3 with additional time for these courses.
• Plans for pupils to have the opportunity to achieve up to ten NQ awards by the end of S4 were being developed, and for others there would be the possibility of taking Higher courses over S4 and S5.
• At the middle and upper stages, the personal and social education, enterprise and ‘Learning Game’ courses were each taught in isolation and insufficient attention was given to helping pupils to make links across these areas.
• Pupils were provided with curricular and vocational guidance from the careers adviser and senior staff.

Teaching and meeting pupils’ needs

Teaching had important strengths. Most teachers shared the aims and content of lessons, gave clear explanations and made effective use of praise to encourage their pupils. In many lessons, teachers used a good range of tasks and activities, including suitable use of ICT, to motivate pupils. In a minority of cases a more structured, teacher-led approach was adopted to manage challenging classes. Many staff emphasised the skills which pupils would practice in their lessons. Most teachers were successful in engaging pupils and extending their learning through effective questioning. Homework did not consolidate and enhance pupils’ learning effectively throughout the school.

Important weaknesses limited the extent to which pupils’ needs were met. In some classes, teachers grouped pupils according to their prior learning or provided programmes of study at more than one level. However, they did not then always ensure that pupils received the right amount of support and challenge to allow them to make suitable progress. Following recent changes to the curriculum, classes at S2/S3 contained pupils with a wider range of prior learning than before. Consequently more effective planning was required to meet pupils’ learning needs across the school. The homework club and after school supported study sessions provided good opportunities for pupils to obtain additional help with their learning. Many senior pupils acted successfully as mentors by assisting younger pupils with reading. Pupil support staff collaborated well with transition workers and the educational psychologist to identify pupils with additional support needs when they moved from primary school into S1. The learning and behaviour support teachers and assistants worked well with pupils. Additional Support Plans (ASPs) had been designed for some pupils with specific needs. Targets in ASPs helped pupils improve their behaviour, but it was not always clear how these pupils were to improve their learning. Target setting for pupils without ASPs was not developed adequately to enable them to make suitable progress in their learning. A number of pupils, who would have benefited from additional, specialist assistance, including pupils with English as an additional language, did not receive sufficient support.

In the unit for pupils with autism, teachers ensured that pupils had access to a broad curriculum, tailored to meet their individual needs. Some teachers had developed materials around the special interests of individual pupils which proved to be highly motivating. Approximately one third of pupils from the unit joined mainstream classes at some point during each week. Teachers and support staff in the unit gave clear directions and used praise effectively to motivate pupils. They dealt sensitively with the different learning needs of pupils. In a few cases, they gave more assistance than was needed and did not encourage pupils to be as independent as they could be. All pupils had suitable ASPs. Pupils were making good progress towards targets and their progress was carefully monitored by staff. Pupils in S4 were being presented for the first time for a range of subjects at Standard Grade and were making good progress. Staff in the unit and from a number of partner agencies provided pupils with very good pastoral care.

Learning and personal development

In the majority of lessons, pupils were well behaved, worked well and showed good motivation to learn. In a minority of lessons teachers worked hard to motivate pupils who were not fully engaged. Pupils responded well when given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning and work independently. The learning resource centre provision contributed to the development of pupils’ ICT skills. However, pupils’ skills as active and independent learners were not sufficiently developed. The pace of learning was too slow in some lessons. Overall, the quality of learning was adequate.

The school was successful in fostering pupils’ personal development, and worked hard to provide a wide range of opportunities for them to raise their wider achievement. It consulted pupils and sought their views through questionnaires on proposed new developments. Members of the pupil council were developing citizenship skills by participating in projects to improve the school. Pupils had developed leadership skills by taking advantage of opportunities provided by a number of organisations including Columba 1400, Scottish Power and Your Turn. They were able to use these skills when helping younger pupils and at parents’ evenings and awards ceremonies. Programmes in personal and social education were well designed to develop self-awareness and self-esteem. Pupils actively participated in and exercised varying roles in a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as homework clubs, supported study, music and the very successful school show, basketball, football, cheerleading, dance and chess club. A significant number were developing a broad understanding of global citizenship and confidence through study visits to the United States of America for the Culinary Excellence Programme, to Malawi though the comprehensive international education programme and through other study visits.

English

In almost all classes, teachers shared the lesson content well with pupils and gave clear explanations and instructions. They used questioning effectively to encourage pupils to reflect and think for themselves. Teachers used a variety of approaches well, including ICT. They praised pupils’ efforts effectively. Appropriate texts were used in class but teachers did not always adapt tasks and activities to meet the needs of all pupils. Staff in support roles in classes gave effective help to learners. The school had deployed additional staffing to improve attainment. In some lessons, pupils took responsibility for their learning. However, the pace of learning was sometimes slow and pupils did not always work well together.

Overall, the quality of teaching was good, and of learning and meeting pupils’ needs was adequate. The overall quality of attainment was weak. Particular features included the following.

• By the end of S2, fewer than half of pupils were attaining appropriate national levels in reading and writing, listening and talking.
• By the end of S4, the proportion of pupils attaining grades 1-4 was well below the national average.
• At S5/S6, most of the pupils entered for Intermediate 2 gained an A-C grade. The proportion of pupils attaining an A-C grade at Higher was well below the national average. Pupils performed less well in Higher English than in their other subjects.

Mathematics

Teachers provided clear explanations and involved pupils actively in discussing the key aspects of lessons. In the majority of classes, they made effective use of ICT to enhance pupils’ learning. Teachers consistently shared the purposes of lessons with pupils, which included the skills to be developed. Teachers had started to review courses to improve the continuity of pupils’ learning. The majority of pupils were well behaved and stayed on task for most of the lesson. A significant minority were not well motivated. Pupils did not always complete homework regularly.

Overall, the quality of teaching was good, of pupils’ learning was adequate, and of meeting pupils’ needs was weak. The overall quality of attainment was weak. Particular features included the following.

• The presentation of pupils’ work was generally untidy.
• At S1 and S2, most pupils were making good progress in their coursework. By the end of S2, less than half were attaining appropriate national levels.
• At S3 and S4, the majority of pupils were making good progress in their coursework. By the end of S4, the proportion of pupils attaining grades 1-4 at Standard Grade was well below the national average.
• By the end of S6, the proportion of pupils gaining A-C grades at Intermediate 2 was declining and less than half of the small number presented for Intermediate 1 attained A-C grades.

Computing

Teachers gave clear and concise instructions. They explained new work well with individual pupils. However, they provided a limited range of teaching approaches. They did not use homework to consolidate learning. The introduction of new courses in S2/S3 met most pupils’ learning needs. Pupils were well behaved and generally on task. Most of the time, pupils worked individually with too few opportunities for them to work together. The pace of lessons was generally too slow.

Overall, the quality of teaching and meeting pupils’ needs was adequate. The quality of learning and of attainment was weak. Particular features included the following.

• By the end of S2, pupils could create simple graphics, present statistical data in graphical form, create reports using a word processor, use e-mail to communicate and carry out research using a search engine.
• Most S4 pupils presented for PC Passport at Beginner level passed all three units.
• By the end of S4, all pupils gained 1-4 grades at Standard Grade last year. This was an improvement on previous years where the proportion gaining grades 1-4 was well below the national average.
• At S5/S6, fewer than half of those pupils entered for Higher computing gained an A-C grade.

Modern languages

As a result of there not being a modern language teacher in post, most pupils from S1 to S3 who had been studying French had been temporarily reallocated to other subjects. Around a fifth of pupils in S1 were taught a small amount of basic French by a teacher of learning support. The education authority had taken effective action to deploy two teachers from other schools on a part-time basis to teach the S4 Standard Grade French class.

In these circumstances, the overall quality of teaching, learning, meeting pupils’ needs and attainment was not evaluated.

Particular features of pupils’ achievement included the following.

• Pupils in the S2/S3 class showed good levels of motivation. They had benefited from participating in the Ibrox Languages Project. Supported by the French assistant, some had produced good extended writing in French.
• By the end of S4, the proportion of pupils who gained grades 1-4 in French showed a declining trend over the last three years.
• In S5/S6 in the current session, the uptake of a school-based course in conversational Spanish was encouraging.

Attainment

Information about the subjects inspected has been given earlier in the report. Across the school, particular features of pupils’ progress, results in examinations and other qualifications, including those awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) within the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)³ for the three year period 2004-2006, are included below.

By the end of S2 attainment was weak. Particular features included the following.

• In mathematics, reading and writing, less than half of S2 pupils were attaining appropriate national levels and the proportions were decreasing. The school was not building successfully on pupils’ prior learning across most of the curriculum.

By the end of S4 attainment was weak. Particular features included the following.

• By the end of S4, the proportions of pupils gaining five or more SCQF awards at levels 3, 4 and 5 were much poorer than similar schools. These results were well below the national average.
• Pupils performed better in administration and music but not as well in biology in comparison with their other subjects.
• Pupils attending college courses gained a few unit awards.
• A significant proportion of pupils left school at the end of S4 without any qualifications.

By the end of S5/S6, attainment was weak. Particular features included the following.

• The school had established an improving trend in successfully helping pupils to find employment or continue with education and training after they left school.
• Two thirds of S5 pupils who undertook the Culinary Excellence course gained five units in customer care for the hospitality industry at Intermediate 2.
• The majority of pupils presented at Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 gained A-C grades. Approximately one third did not gain any award and fewer than half of those entered at Higher gained A-C grades.
• By the end of S5 and by the end of S6, the proportions of pupils attaining one or more, three or more or five or more awards at SCQF level 6 were poorer than in similar schools. These results were well below the national average.

4. How good is the environment for learning?

5. Leading and improving the school

Govan High School was striving to provide its pupils with the skills and attitudes necessary for life and work through raising their overall achievement. It had been successful in improving the proportion of school leavers finding employment, education and training. Staff at all levels worked together to provide a caring, supportive environment and a wide-ranging educational experience for pupils. The curriculum was undergoing radical change to give more emphasis to the development of skills which would prepare pupils for the world of work. This was an appropriate innovation and the school and education authority needed to continue to monitor carefully its impact on pupils. Teaching was generally good and efforts were being directed to improve the overall quality and consistency of learning and the extent to which pupils’ needs were met. Overall, the school was working hard to address the considerable needs of its pupils by taking important decisions to meet their needs more effectively. Whilst it was presently at an important stage of this transition, staff had good cause to be confident about the direction the school was taking.

The school had effective leadership. The headteacher showed commitment and determination to improve pupils’ employment prospects. His ability to foster productive partnerships with a wide variety of groups enabled the school to secure resources to enhance the learning experiences of pupils. He encouraged and enabled staff and pupils to take on leadership roles to bring about improvements to the school and to develop their own skills. He had focused with a degree of success on a number of key areas, notably improving attendance and behaviour and introducing the development of a skills-based curriculum. He needed to improve the effectiveness of communication within the school to gain the fuller commitment and understanding of all staff for the school’s vision and to plan changes in a more rigorous way. He was supported by all of his promoted staff who formed a committed and effective leadership team. The two depute headteachers and the faculty heads had made a positive impact upon the school by supporting staff but they had not all been equally successful in evaluating learning and teaching and spreading good practice. The learning resource centre manager made an important contribution to supporting pupils’ learning, staff training and curriculum development. The business manager provided very effective support to the management team.

The school had a number of good approaches and procedures to evaluate its own effectiveness. These included reviewing examination results, monitoring learning and teaching and sampling the views of stakeholders. The good practice of teachers evaluating each others’ lessons was helping them to reflect on their own practice and bring about improvements. These approaches and procedures were not yet sufficiently consistent or rigorous, but they were beginning to impact on the school and help teachers to identify areas for improvement. The school had the necessary capacity to improve. Its effective leadership, strong quality assurance and the commitment of staff will help the school to develop further and more effectively meet the needs of its pupils.

As well as building on the strengths and addressing the issues raised throughout this report, the school and the education authority should address the following main points for action.

Main points for action

• Continue to develop the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Make better use of information on pupils’ strengths, achievements and interests to improve approaches to meeting their learning needs.
• Develop further the links with primary schools in the New Learning Community to enable teachers to build more effectively on pupils’ prior learning.
• Engage pupils more actively in taking responsibility for their own progress in learning.
• Develop more effective classroom strategies to meet the learning needs of all pupils to improve their attainment.
• Involve all staff in improving the rigour of self-evaluation to ensure a better quality of learning and to spread best practice.

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. HM Inspectors will continue to engage with the school and the education authority in monitoring progress, and will undertake a follow through inspection. This will result in a report to parents and carers, within two years of the publication of this report, on the extent of improvement that has been achieved.

Terry Carr
HM Inspector

5 June 2007

Appendix 1 Indicators of quality

The following quality indicators have been used in the inspection process to contribute to the evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the school in promoting learning and achievement for all pupils.

This report uses the following word scale to make clear the judgements made by inspectors:

Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses

The following provides a summary of questionnaire responses. Key issues from the questionnaires have been considered in the inspection and comments are included as appropriate throughout the report.

Appendix 3 Attainment in Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) National Qualifications

Percentage of relevant S4 roll attaining by end of S4

Percentage of relevant S4 roll attaining by end of S5

Percentage of relevant S4 roll attaining by end of S6

How can you contact us?

If you would like an additional copy of this report

Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Executive Director Education 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, 1^st Floor, Endeavour House, 1 Greenmarket, Dundee DD1 4QB or by telephoning 01382 576700. Copies are also available on our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.

HMIE Feedback and Complaints Procedure

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 Frank Crawford, HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education, Europa Building, 450 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8LG.

If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to our Complaints Manager, HMIE Business Management Unit, Second Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston, EH54 6GA. You can also email HMIEcomplaints@hmie.gsi.gov.uk . A copy of our complaints procedure is available from this office, by telephoning 01506 600200 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 (SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330 (fax 0800 377 7331) or e-mail: ask@spso.org.uk . More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.spso.org.uk .

Crown Copyright 2007

HM Inspectorate of Education

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Footnotes

1. See Appendix 2
2. Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff and carers who are relatives or friends.
3. 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
4. Comparator schools are the 20 schools statistically closest to the school being inspected in terms of the key characteristics of the school population.