Information Bulletin
Very Good Report for Anderson High School
Inspectors visited the Anderson High School in September 2007 using their new 6 point scale to assess schools.
They found the following key strengths:
- Effective inclusion in the life and work of the school of all pupils, especially those with additional support needs
- The overall quality of pastoral care
- The very positive ethos and very good relationships between staff and pupils
- Many examples of high-quality teaching, particularly in developing pupils’ confidence and reactivity in suing information and communications technology
- The positive impact of the Schools of Ambition initiative on the curriculum for all pupils and the extensive range of opportunities for achievement in a variety of contexts
- The leadership of the Head Teacher and Senior Management Team
The report highlights that “the Head Teacher provided very good leadership with some excellent features. She knew the school very well and was highly regarded by pupils, parents and staff. She had a clear vision for the school which focused on improving the quality of pupils’ learning and raising further the already good standards of attainment and achievement.”
There are four main points for action:
- Continue to develop quality assurance arrangements with a focus on improving the consistency and quality of pupils’ learning experiences
- Continue to improve attainment at all stages, particularly that of boys
- Increase provision of religious education in the core curriculum for pupils from S3 to S6
- Address the security issues identified during the inspection. In addition, it was noted that “parts of the building suffered from water ingress. There were hot water and electrical problems at the time of the inspection.”
An action plan to take forward the main points for action is being finalised by the school working with the central Schools Service. This plan will be shared with parents and carers. Due to the high performance, the strong record of improvement and the very effective leadership of the school Her Majesty’s Inspectors will not make any further reports in connection with this inspection. The central Schools Service working with the school will provide a progress report within two years to parents and carers.
Helen Budge, Head of Schools, said that the hard work of all the staff and pupils at Anderson High School has been acknowledged in this report particularly the Head Teacher and the Senior Management Team. She added that she was delighted when, as a result of the recent inspection, HMI invited Valerie Nicolson, and two Principal Teachers, to lead workshops at three national good practice conferences, in November 2007.
Ends …….