HARRIS ACADEMY

September 2006

The Inspection

Harris Academy was inspected by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) in February and March 2004.

In the report published in June 2004, HMIE identified a number of key strengths including:

• the quality of learning, teaching and attainment in S5/S6;
• the provision and use of information and communications technology (ICT) in learning and teaching;
• aspects of self-evaluation, in particular the thorough analysis of SQA results and the subsequent action taken to improve attainment;
• the personal and social education (PSE) programme, particularly the peer education, peer counselling and training undertaken by senior pupils;
• provision made in the Resourced Location for the inclusion of pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder; and
• the quality of leadership provided by the Head Teacher.

Continuous Improvement

The Education Authority has worked closely with the Head Teacher and senior management team in Harris Academy since the publication of the HMIE report in June 2004. The departments involved in the inspection formulated action plans that carefully addressed the main points for action raised with each department. In addition the Head Teacher and senior management team in consultation with the staff formulated full development plans to take forward the report's main points for action.

The Education Authority has closely monitored these developments through the Quality Improvement Manager, who has met regularly with school management, and a number of Quality Improvement Officers who have worked directly with departments in supporting their individual action plans.

In addition to this Harris Academy was the focus of an extended school review as part of the Education Authority's quality improvement strategy, undertaken by a team led by an Education Services Manager.

Action Point 1:

Progress towards the Main Points for Action

Improve attainment, particularly in S1 and S2.

Good progress has been made here; there are signs that the steps taken are beginning to have an impact on published results in S1/2.

Very significant increases in attainment have been achieved in both Reading and Writing.  A number of positive strategies have been adopted in S1/2 to improve reading skills and to encourage younger pupils to read, including a reading certificate scheme, paired reading and a highly successful book fair.  The school can now work with confidence to consolidate these improvements.  Good progress also continues to be made in Mathematics.

SQA results in S004/2005 are very good with a significant reduction in incomplete awards.

The school made a strategic appointment of a new DHT to focus particularly on learning and teaching in S1/2 as a major element in raising attainment. As part of this strategic focus a whole school audit of learning and teaching was carried out through pupil shadowing exercises and departmental/whole staff discussion. A series of good practice visits was arranged with other secondary and local primary schools. The main focus in these visits was learning and teaching approaches. The findings from these visits, along with good practice in certain departments, have been shared with all departments in the school.

The results of all of this work were distributed to staff and plans were further developed through a series of learning and teaching in-service events for all staff.

This emphasis on learning and teaching is beginning to have an impact on attainment, pupil motivation and classroom behaviour.

To consolidate and secure these developments, the school intends to have Learning and Teaching as an ongoing project in the next School Development Plan, and each individual department will be asked to reflect this project in departmental development plans. To support staff further here the main principles of 'Learning Together in Dundee' (LTiD), are in continuing professional development plans of every member of staff. For example, groups of key staff have already started programmes in self-empowered learning.

Action Point 2:

Improve arrangements for meeting the needs of those pupils with challenging behaviour.

Very good progress has been made in this area.

Although 'Discipline for Learning' was introduced to the school over 8 years ago and staff were happy with this as the principal strategy for classroom behaviour management, it was felt that the existing behaviour system did not have the immediacy necessary to resolve some behavioural issues.

The Behaviour system has now been modified with staff approval and consultation, and the amendments to procedures have created a more immediately responsive system. Parents are now involved at an earlier stage, and specific behaviour targets are set with challenging pupils through an integrated pupil support system. This behaviour is further tracked and monitored through significant developments to the house system, where a vertical guidance system has been introduced, further enhanced by pyramid pupil councils.

As a result of these changes pupil exclusions have dropped and lengths of exclusion have decreased. Through discussions at staff and PT meetings staff morale and their view of the pupil support system has increased. This has impacted positively on the level of staff absences. The number and length of staff absences have reduced, and there has also been a significant reduction in parental complaints in relation to classroom disruption.

The school is currently carrying out a staff and pupil survey of support arrangements as part of the overall monitoring arrangements.

The school will be introducing shortly a more formal tracking system as part of the introduction of the vertical guidance system. Within this system, register teachers will be given timetabled opportunity for regular ongoing discussions with individual pupils, centred on general progress in school, vocational, social and other aspects of school life. This will operate as an integral part of the pupil support system, and will allow for early information on issues to be fed through the Guidance system. This tracking has been further facilitated by reducing the number of pupils per register class to between 20 and 25.

Action Point 3:

Improve the quality of Support for Learning

Very good progress has been made in this area.

As indicated in Action Point 2 behaviour support and support for learning are now more integrated within the overall pupil support system. All 5 roles of Support for Learning are now clearly evident in the work of the Support for Learning Department.

The newly appointed Principal Teacher has made a significant difference to the working of the whole department.

The school has transformed the use of Individual Education Plans, with each pupil working with an assigned key worker who is responsible for the continuity and coordination of the various support mechanisms. The coordinated strategy of pupil support allows for better targeting of support through flexible timetabling procedures, and importantly allows for different levels and types of support to be given to pupils at various key times in the school calendar.

Overall, these changes have created much stronger links between senior management team, support for learning department and the Autistic Unit.

It would be important to note in addition that Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) assessment arrangements for pupils with support needs are now being met in full and are fully endorsed by SQA through the SQA’s own quality assurance arrangements.

Action Point 4:

Extend the role of the Senior Management Team in quality assurance to further improve learning and teaching, and to promote greater use of homework.

Very good progress has been made in overtaking this point.

Classroom visits by the senior management team, supported by the introduction of 'Learning Together in Dundee' and the General Teaching Council’s Standard for Full Registration, have concentrated on monitoring the effectiveness of learning and teaching.  The next step will be for the school to introduce systematic classroom monitoring by departments themselves, as part of the school's strategy for self-evaluation.

There are, however, clear indications that the emphasis on learning and teaching is beginning to have an impact on attainment, pupil motivation and classroom behaviour at all stages in the school, as evidenced by performance levels in S1/2 and in SQA examinations.

Homework outlines for all departments are posted on the web and the school has sought to engage parents more fully in supporting homework.

To consolidate this work homework is now reviewed as part of the management calendar and senior management team members discuss homework outlines regularly at departmental meetings. The Homework Club has also been re-instated, and takes place twice weekly after school.

Whole school monitoring of pupil planners confirms that homework is now given and completed more regularly than before.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Overall Harris Academy has made very good progress towards meeting the main points for action. The school has continued to provide a high standard of education for its pupils. HMIE have no further plans to visit the school in connection with the original 2004 visit, but the Education Department will continue to monitor the school as part of its ongoing quality improvement strategy.