Education and Training Inspectorate
Report of a Focused Inspection
St Colman’s College
Newry
Inspected: November 2004

CONTENTS

Section Page

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ WORK 2

3. MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS 5

4.  CONCLUSION (ETI) 5

5.  QUALITY OF THE BOARDING PROVISION (H&SS RIU) 13

APPENDIX 1 15

APPENDIX 2 17

APPENDIX 3 19

APPENDIX 4 20

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 St Colman’s College is a voluntary grammar school for boys situated in the city of Newry. The school draws its pupils from the city and the surrounding rural area. The current enrolment is 861 boys, 36 of whom board on a weekly basis. Approximately 9% of pupils are entitled to free school meals.

1.2 The accommodation consists of the original 19th century building and several extensions, which have been added over time. There are a number of deficiencies in accommodation; the school is undergoing an extensive new build programme, which will lead to major improvements in the provision.

1.3 The inspection team comprised inspectors from the Education and Training Inspectorate (Inspectorate) and the Health and Social Services Registration and Inspection Unit (H&SS RIU).

1.4 The report is based on an inspection of the school’s work in the science and technology area of study and the procedures for pastoral care, including child protection. As part of the inspection of pastoral care, inspectors visited classes in a range of subjects, as well as science and technology. The joint inspection of the pastoral care arrangements in the school and in the Boarding Department by Inspectorate and H&SS RIU of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board (EHSSB), acting on behalf of the four H&SS boards, is in line with Article 176 of the Children Northern Ireland (NI) Order, 1995, which requires the regular inspection of schools with boarding provision in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the pupils.

RESPONSES FROM THE PARENTS AND GOVERNORS

1.5 The arrangements for the inspection of pastoral care and child protection included the completion of questionnaires by the parents as well as meetings with the Board of Governors (BoG) and groups of pupils. Prior to the inspection, the parents of 175 pupils were asked to complete a confidential questionnaire; 54% (94 parents) responded, and 23% (40 parents) took the opportunity to write additional comments. The responses from the questionnaire and the comments from the BoG indicated that the school’s distinctive ethos is highly valued. A very few parents expressed concern about a small number of issues such as: accommodation, travel arrangements, extra-curricular activities, links with other schools and discipline. These matters were brought to the attention of the President and the BoG. The pupils stated that they felt safe and secure in the school.

PASTORAL CARE AND CHILD PROTECTION

1.6 The high quality of pastoral care is a significant feature of the school’s work and makes a valuable contribution to the promotion of a positive atmosphere, which is conducive to learning and teaching. The school is committed to providing the best possible support for the welfare of the pupils and has compiled a range of relevant documentation on the provision for pastoral care and child protection. Policies on drugs, anti-bullying and child protection have been reviewed recently and the pupils, the parents, the BoG and the staff were involved in the process. The teachers have received appropriate training, and the school has provided the parents with a summary of the arrangements for child protection. Pastoral care systems are well developed and communicated to the staff to ensure a commonality of approach. The school is successfully developing systems that promote and reward positive behaviour. Effective partnerships with the parents and relevant external agencies are developing well. The school is implementing the procedures set out in the Department of Education (DE) Circular 1999/10, “Pastoral Care in Schools: Child Protection”.

EXAMINATION RESULTS

1.7 Over the last three years, the examination results at General Certificate of Education (GCE) A-level and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) are broadly in line with similar selective schools in NI. In recent years, the number of pupils achieving grades A*-C in seven or more subjects at GCSE level has increased steadily. The number of pupils achieving grades A-C and A-E at GCE A-level is also increasing. The school has identified appropriately the need to maintain this progress, and is making excellent use of the outcomes from a wide range of statistical information to set challenging targets for individual pupils. In the three year period, ending in 2004, in most GCSE subjects the number of pupils achieving A*-C was within, or above, five percentage points of the respective NI average for selective schools. At GCE A-level, the pupils’ performance at grades A to E - was in line with the corresponding NI average for all subjects and two-thirds of subjects at grades A-C. More details about the results for each subject are provided in Appendix 2.

2. THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ WORK

LEARNING AND TEACHING

2.1 The quality of the teaching in the lessons visited in science and technology, and in other subjects, varied from satisfactory to very good: most lessons seen were good or very good. In the best practice observed, in most lessons, the teachers had high expectations of the pupils and focused, in particular, on ways of improving their learning. The pupils were challenged by well-planned and purposeful tasks, engaged enthusiastically in the lessons, were aware of the learning outcomes and were encouraged to reach high standards. By contrast, in the weaker practice seen, in a minority of lessons, effective classroom management strategies were not in place.

LEARNING AND TEACHING IN SCIENCE

2.2 The biology, chemistry and physics departments are each managed by a separate head of department, all of whom are committed, conscientious and well organised. They have recently extended their role to promote, within their areas of responsibility, improved learning in science and have produced useful development plans for their departments. The detailed departmental handbooks produced by each of the science departments set out clear guidance on all aspects of their work.

2.3 The comprehensive schemes of work for science provide suitable guidance to inform learning and teaching; there is, however, undue variation in the teachers’ interpretation and application of this planning; ways of monitoring the extent to which the planning is implemented in practice need to be strengthened.

2.4 The ethos in science lessons promotes well the pupils’ learning; the relationships between the teachers and the pupils are generally good. The pupils are well behaved and they settle quickly to their work. The learning environment in the laboratories is enhanced by displays of commercial posters and examples of the pupils’ work.

2.5  The teachers are industrious, conscientious and well prepared for lessons. The teaching in science lessons varied from satisfactory to very good; most of the lessons seen were good or very good. In the best practice, in most lessons observed, the pupils engaged in a wide range of learning activities which included a good spread of practical and theoretical tasks, they worked at a brisk pace, they were clear on the learning outcomes of individual lessons and they used well the helpful written materials, produced by the teachers, to guide their work. The teachers usually set challenging tasks that were well matched to the needs and abilities of the pupils. They employed a variety of strategies to ensure that the pupils develop the skills of initiative and independence; they encouraged the pupils to develop note-making skills as they, for example, wrote up experiments in their own words. In contrast, in a minority of lessons, where the pupils were less motivated, there is a need to provide a wider and more challenging range of learning experiences, which engage the pupils more actively in their own learning. In particular, the pupils need additional opportunities to make extended oral responses in lessons.

2.6 Most pupils can recall scientific facts well and they set about practical work in an organised manner with due regard for safety. The pupils have some useful opportunities to enhance their learning in science through the use of information and communication technology (ICT); for example, the pupils use the Internet effectively to research information. Further development of the use of ICT in science is required.

2.7 Most pupils present their written work well and the teachers supervise the work carefully. In the best practice, the teachers provide helpful feedback with suggestions for improvement. The departments are successfully encouraging the pupils to use self-assessment to improve their own learning. The content of the programmes of study are covered well in most lessons and reflects well the requirements of the Northern Ireland Curriculum (NIC) and examination syllabuses.

2.8 A sound start to monitoring the quality of the science provision has been made. For example, the teachers have access to a range of statistical data which is used to set individual learning targets for improvement. At present, the heads of department mostly monitor the work of pupils in years 11 to 14, within their areas of responsibility; they need to make more use of the evidence gained from monitoring all year groups, to inform and improve further the pupils’ learning. The school should review the management responsibilities within science. The heads of department also need to identify and disseminate more effectively the many examples of good teaching observed during the inspection.

2.9 The science departments have achieved much success in prestigious science competitions in recent years. The work is used well to stimulate interest in science, and displays of past successes encourage younger pupils to become involved.

2.10 The science accommodation, which has recently been refurbished, is well maintained. The resources available for science teaching are appropriate and well used. The majority of the science laboratories are standard sized; two of the laboratories are below standard size.

EXAMINATION RESULTS IN SCIENCE

2.11 Over the last three years, the GCSE examination results in the four science courses, for which pupils are entered, are within five percentage points of the NI average for boys’ selective schools. The GCE A-level results, at grades A-C, are good; the results in chemistry and physics are more than ten percentage points above the NI average, while biology results are within five percentage points of the NI average.

LEARNING AND TEACHING IN TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN

2.12 The technology and design teachers have created a warm and welcoming atmosphere that is conducive to learning. The positive ethos is underpinned by the good relationships between the teachers and their pupils. Interesting displays of the pupils’ work are evident in all the rooms, which are well maintained and organised. A number of health and safety concerns have been identified and detailed in Appendix 3.

2.13 The comprehensive departmental documentation takes adequate account of the long and short term planning for lessons and reflects generally the requirements of the NIC. In addition, there are useful teacher-generated resources, which provide the pupils with guidance on individual lessons and homework, and ensure that relevant information is available for examination revision.

2.14 The teaching observed in technology and design ranged from good in a few lessons to satisfactory generally. The teachers are caring and committed to the pupils’ welfare; they strive to achieve reasonable and appropriate standards in all classes. There are, however, a number of important considerations, which need to be addressed. Within the limited time available in years 8 to 10 much content is covered by all classes; the balance of time is too heavily weighted towards mechanical and electrical systems, to the detriment of design and manufacture. Consequently, by the end of key stage (KS) 3, the pupils are not well enough prepared for GCSE coursework. In KS4, the pupils’ learning would be more effective if the product design methodology pervaded the whole course rather than only the year 12 coursework element.

2.15 While the standard of the pupils’ work at the end of KS4 is satisfactory, their competence to generate and communicate information, and to manufacture products using wood, metal and plastics is not well enough developed. In order to improve standards, a much greater emphasis should be placed on the generation and development of design proposals and a much greater use made of ICT to research and consolidate information and to formalise, develop and present design proposals.

2.16 The uptake of, and the quality and standards of provision of post-16 courses, are good. The pupils enjoy the work, particularly the practical elements. The pupils’ project work reflects appropriately their interests, and is often related to their vocational aspirations. The enthusiastic technology and design teachers have achieved much over the past three years and are well placed to develop further the standards and quality of provision.


3. MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

3.1 The President and the senior management team (SMT) have a clear vision for the development of the school. The Mission Statement and the school aims underpin all aspects of school life. Evidence from the inspection confirms that good progress has been made in realising the aims in practice; for example, many instances of staff and pupils building positive relationships were observed in lessons. The President and senior staff have established effective communication channels with the teachers and the pupils; they actively encourage feedback on ways of improving further the provision in the school. They are committed to the school becoming both self-evaluating and self-improving. The core values, defined in the School Development Plan (SDP), which set out clear principles for school life, are shared by many in the school community; the importance of the links between learning and good relationships at all levels are strong.