6. How good is the environment for learning?

 

Quality of accommodation and facilities

The school had good accommodation. The education authority had done much to improve accommodation by refurbishing several areas throughout the school. The school had high quality facilities for sports and performances. The library had been extended to a good size in recent years, and was very well organised. The school made effective use of available space, including re-deploying rooms to bring most departmental staff together. Some rooms in the older parts of the school were small and restricted the range of teaching approaches that could be used. There were no designated social areas for pupils. Wheelchair access was generally good but security systems were not effective in preventing access through the many outside doors. The school buildings were kept in very good order. Facilities for ICT were very good in most respects. Computers were networked and pupils had good access to the Internet. Those in the library were slow and outdated. Resources throughout the school were good and staff organised them well.

 

Ethos

The school had a positive ethos. It had a welcoming atmosphere and the headteacher and the senior management team (SMT) were approachable and cared for the welfare of both pupils and staff. Pupil and staff morale was high. Pupils were very positive about the school and were proud to be part of it. Their behaviour around the school was very good, though in a few classes a small minority were allowed to disrupt the learning of others. The school had initiated effective systems to manage and improve the behaviour of some pupils, but some staff required further training in promoting positive discipline in the classroom. Pupils had very positive relationships with their guidance teachers, the SMT and many of their teachers. Senior pupils contributed effectively to the school's ethos through participation in the PTPA and by working on a number of school committees and groups. The pupil council did not meet often enough to effectively represent pupils' views.

 

The headteacher encouraged a strong culture of achievement and improvement. Teachers generally used praise effectively to motivate and inspire pupils. Assemblies and award ceremonies played important roles in celebrating achievement and in sharing the school's successes. The school operated an award scheme which promoted high expectations of behaviour and effort. Most pupils viewed the scheme positively but some staff did not apply the scheme consistently. Senior pupils had very good opportunities to take responsibilities.

 

Staff promoted a strong sense of equality and fairness in their dealings with pupils. The school had successfully integrated pupils from different ethnic backgrounds and some with disabilities. The ethnic diversity of the school was recognised but the education authority had not made adequate provision for the significant multi-lingual proportion of the school population to ensure that all barriers to their learning were removed. Programmes in religious and moral education and modern studies effectively promoted pupils' understanding and awareness of other cultures and religious groups. School chaplains contributed to adequate opportunities for religious observance.

 

Partnership with parents and the community

The school had encouraged good partnerships with parents, the School Board, PTPA and the wider community. It had a very good range of procedures for communicating with parents. These included newsletters, school newspapers, clear and informative reports on pupils' progress, a well-developed school website and a well-organised school handbook. Parents needed to be given more information on the school's priorities for improvement. Parents attended course choice interviews for their children, social events and various meetings to inform them about the work of the school. The PTPA was successful in raising funds to support additional aspects of school life. The school had helpful links with the education authority and support services. Partnerships with universities and colleges were productive and some useful links had been made with local industry.