STATISTICAL INFORMATION
1.1 i.School: St Patrick’s Grammar, Armagh v.Date of Inspection: W/C 9/10/00
ii. School Reference Number: 542-0268 vi.Area of Study: General
iii.Age Range: 11-18
iv.Status: Voluntary Grammar
1.2Intake/Enrolment
Year 8 Intake / 109 / 112 / 112 / 111 / 114
Total enrolment / 798 / 788 / 780 / 755 / 745
1.3Attendance
1999/00 / NI Average
1998/99
% Attendance / 96.97 / 96.37 / 96.86 / 95.45 / 96.04 / 94.29 / 95.59 / 96 / 95
1.4 / i. / Total Number of Teachers: / 49.7 / iii. / Contact ratio (percentage of
timetabled time in direct
class contact): / 0.73
ii. / PTR (Pupil/Teacher Ratio): / 15.2 / iv. / Numbers of Teachers
involved in Area of Study:
(Focused Only)
Year 1999/2000 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / TOTAL
Enrolment: Boys / 114 / 118 / 117 / 109 / 111 / 93 / 83 / 745
PTR / 16.6 / 17.2 / 17.1 / 14.3 / 14.6 / 13.1 / 13.6
1.5Staying On Rate (1999/00) (Current year 13/14 as proportion of year 12 from 1/2 years previously)
Year 14 / 85.3 / NI Av / Year 14 / 81
1.6Leavers’ Destinations (1998/99)
Total Number of Leavers / 2 / 109
Employment / 0 / 0% / 5 / 4 / 4% / 5
Another School / 2 / 100% / 12 / 0 / 0% / 1
Full-Time Further Education / 0 / 0% / 71 / 14 / 13% / 14
Full-Time Higher Education / N/A / N/A / N/A / 88 / 81% / 78
Full-Time Training / 0 / 0% / 9 / 1 / 1% / 1
Unemployed / 0 / 0% / 1 / 0 / 0% / 1
Destination Unknown / 0 / 0% / 1 / 2 / 2% / 1
Total
1
INTRODUCTION
St Patrick’s Grammar School, Armagh, is a voluntary grammar school for boys and is situated within the grounds of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh. The school opened in 1988, following the amalgamation of the Christian Brothers’ Grammar School, Greenpark and St Patrick’s College. Over the last five years there has been a slight decrease in the enrolment, which currently stands at 745 pupils, of whom 176 are in the sixth-form. The pupils’ attendance is 96%, which is slightly above the average for grammar schools in Northern Ireland (NI); 12% of the pupils are entitled to free school meals. Over the last three years, an average of 70% of the pupils coming to the school achieved Grade A or B in the transfer test.
Prior to the inspection, a sample of parents received a confidential questionnaire seeking their views on the school. Half of these questionnaires were completed and returned to the Department of Education. Nearly all of the views expressed in the responses were very positive about the life and work of the school; in particular, the parents valued the emphasis placed on the pastoral welfare as well as the academic progress of their sons. Two members of the inspection team, which included a lay person, met with a group of the parents and members of the Board of Governors; both groups expressed their strong support for, and confidence in, the staff and the work of the school. The groups of pupils from year 8 and year12 who met with the inspectors spoke very positively about their school experiences.
2.SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
2.1There is a well-ordered and palpable work ethos throughout the school. The relationships among and between the staff and the pupils are excellent, and lessons are conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect. At all times, inside and outside of class, the behaviour of the pupils is exemplary; they are courteous and friendly to one another, to the teaching and ancillary staff, and to visitors.
2.2The teachers work hard and are very committed to the pastoral welfare and academic progress of the pupils. There are appropriate pastoral structures in place as well as a taught programme of pastoral and social education (PSE) for each class. The school’s arrangements for Child Protection are in line with the guidance given in the Department of Education’s Circular 1999/10.
2.3A particular strength of the life and work of the school is its extra-curricular provision. In addition to supporting a wide range of cultural and sporting activities, the teachers voluntarily provide supplementary lessons after school and supervise the study hall each afternoon. The parents value this additional support for their sons, who make good use of the extra provision.
2.4The school maintains regular contact with the parents of the pupils. In addition to the reports on the pupils’ progress which are issued twice a year, the parents have the opportunity to meet with the teachers at year group meetings and may arrange to visit the school at any time to discuss their son’s work and progress.
2.5The teachers prepare well for their classes and most lessons are conducted in a purposeful manner. The teaching varies in quality; for the most part it is good, in a significant minority of instances it is excellent, and in one instance it is unsatisfactory. In the best practice, the teachers use a range of teaching strategies, match their teaching to the learning needs of the pupils, and provide opportunities for the pupils to work independently and to share their views on their work.
2.6Almost all of the pupils are well motivated to learn. They work conscientiously in class, apply themselves responsibly to the work they are given, are very supportive of one another and co-operate sensitively when involved in group activities. The pupils enjoy and respond enthusiastically to challenging work and frequently develop good oral skills in the process. In a minority of subjects the pupils are developing good subject specific vocabularies and a sensitivity to the meaning of language. Where the work is less challenging, or lacking in variety,the pupils become more passive participants in class.
2.7The school approaches the assessment of the pupils’ work in a variety of ways, including tests, target-setting, marking, feedback and, for the senior pupils, their involvement in self-assessing and discussing their efforts and progress with their teachers. The completion of the pupils’ Records of Achievement (ROAs) is well organised and the different strands of information are drawn together very efficiently.
2.8The development of information and communications technology (ICT) throughout the school has been hampered by the lack of appropriate hardware and software resources. There are a few examples of good and innovative developments in the use and application of ICT for a variety of purposes. Given the potential of the recently acquired and operational ICT resources to support the development of ICT, the school needs to prepare and implement a clear strategy for the development of the teachers’ expertise in using and applying ICT within their own subjects.
2.9The school has made a good start to developing its processes for continuous self-evaluation of its work. As part of its participation in the Self Evaluation Through Attitude Questionnaires project (SETAQ), the school sought the views of the staff, pupils and parents on a broad range of issues. The school has responded positively to the responses and, as a consequence, has introduced a number of changes, including the setting up of a forum for staff consultation and a students’ council. For the last few years the staff of the school have been analysing and following up the pupils’ results in the key stage 3 (KS3) tests and the GCSE and GCE examinations. Appropriate strategies for monitoring, evaluating, guiding and supporting the pupils’ progress are in place; these processes are helping to improve the pupils’ achievements in school and public examinations.
2.10The curriculum offered at KS3 and KS4 is broad and balanced, and in line with the requirements of the Northern Ireland Curriculum (NIC).
2.11The school’s curriculum documentation for year 13 and year 14 emphasises the rounded development of the sixth-form pupils through the formal curriculum, extra-curricular activities and other opportunities for personal and social development. Consortium arrangements with the nearby St Catherine’s College allow both schools more flexibility in offering subject choices to their pupils. The year 13 curriculum in is line with the Curriculum 2000 framework. Almost all year 14 pupils are taking three GCE subjects; consequently, they have a high percentage of time for private study. These pupils would benefit from having access to a broader curriculum than that which is being offered at present.
2.12The school has many important strengths including: the strong leadership and guidance of the principal; the commitment and hard work of the teachers; the excellent relationships among and between the staff and the pupils; the exemplary behaviour of the pupils; the good quality of much of the teaching and the culture of critical self-evaluation and improvement that is being cultivated sensitively throughout the school. The inspection has identified a few areas for improvement including, the further development of the school’s work on monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching, learning and standards of pupil achievement, and the preparation and implementation of a clear strategy for the development and integration of ICT within subjects. In order to take forward the work on the areas identified for improvement, the principal should seek to align the expectations that senior management has of the roles and responsibilities of the different post-holders with the teachers’ perceptions of what is expected from them. The school is well-placed to deal effectively with the areas identified for improvement.
3.THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ WORK
3.1There is a well-ordered and tangible work ethos throughout the school. Those who work in, or are involved with the school, are loyal and supportive of all that the school seeks to provide for its pupils. The school’s ethos, built on the strong culture of mutual respect that is evident in the daily life of the school, supports the pastoral and academic achievements of the pupils, and helps to promote close links with the parents and the community. The excellent relationships among and between the staff and the pupils, and the exemplary behaviour of the pupils, are further characteristics of the very positive tone that permeates the school.
3.2The teachers work hard and are very committed to the pastoral welfare and academic progress of the pupils. There are appropriate pastoral structures in place and the school has demonstrated its commitment to the pastoral welfare of the pupils by investing a considerable amount of scheduled time in a taught programme of PSE, which is in the early stages of development. In keeping with the school’s developing culture of self-evaluation and review, the pastoral leader, year heads and form teachers have already identified areas of the programme that need to be modified for the next cohort of pupils in the year groups. In the PSE lessons observed, there was good rapport between the teachers and the pupils, and the pupils engaged purposefully in discussions on relevant topics; in most instances the teachers
used appropriate active learning methods and there were discernible learning outcomes for the pupils. During their first term at the school the year 8 pupils take part in a residential programme which aims to help them settle into the school, make new friends and get to know their form teachers in an out-of-school environment. The year 8 pupils spoke very positively about their experience of the residential programme. A member of staff who is a trained counsellor provides a counselling service for any pupil who wishes to avail of it. The school’s Child Protection arrangements are in line with the guidance given in the Department of Education’s Circular 1999/10.
3.3A particular strength of the life and work of the school is its extra-curricular provision, which includes opportunities for the pupils to take part in the arts, sports, community activities and business ventures. Every year, groups of pupils have the opportunity to travel within Ireland and Europe, and recently, a group of pupils competed successfully in a steel band festival in Barbados. As well as being actively involved in a wide range of cultural and sporting activities, the teachers voluntarily provide supplementary lessons and supervise the study hall after school. The parents value this additional support for their sons who make good use of the extra provision. A large number of pupils are involved in raising funds for specific charities each year, in working with disadvantaged groups of young and old, and in linking with other schools in Northern Ireland to provide help for the people of Romania.
3.4The school maintains regular contact with the parents of the pupils and issues an information bulletin to the parents six times a year. In addition to the reports on the pupils’ progress which are issued twice a year, the parents have the opportunity to meet with the teachers at year group meetings and individual parents may arrange to visit the school at any time to discuss their son’s work and progress. The parents are encouraged to use the recently introduced, pupils’ diary, as another means of communicating in writing with the teachers. A group of pupils in year 12 and year 14, together with their parents, are actively involved in the school’s mentoring programme which supports them as they prepare for their public examinations. The parents who met with the inspectors spoke highly of the regular contact they had with the staff of the school and of the caring nature of the support provided in specific circumstances.
3.5The school approaches the assessment of the pupils’ work in a variety of ways, including tests, target-setting, marking, feedback and, for the senior pupils, their involvement in self-assessing and discussing their work and progress with their teachers. There is wide variation in the quality of marking. A few departments have already identified the need to review their marking and assessment procedures. The teachers would benefit from sharing their views on the range of marking and assessment procedures already in use across the curriculum, and agreeing the key elements of good practice. In particular, the teachers need to make clear to the pupils how the information provided through the marking and assessment of their work may be used to inform the setting of individual targets for improvement. The completion of the pupils’ ROAs is well organised and the different strands of information are drawn together very efficiently. The office staff play a major role in the preparation of the completed documents. The parents should have the opportunity to see and discuss the content of the ROAs at the end of KS4.
3.6The teachers prepare well for their classes and, in the main, lessons are conducted in a purposeful manner. The teaching varies in quality; for the most part it is good, in a significant minority of instances it is excellent, and in one instance it is unsatisfactory. In the best practice, the teachers use a range of teaching strategies, match their teaching to the learning needs of the pupils and provide opportunities for the pupils to work independently and to share their views on their work.
3.7Almost all of the pupils are well-motivated to learn. They work diligently at their given tasks, are supportive of one another and they co-operate sensitively when working in small groups. The pupils enjoy and respond enthusiastically to challenging work and frequently develop good oral skills in the process. In a significant minority of subjects the pupils are developing good subject specific vocabularies and a sensitivity to the meaning of language. When the work is less challenging, or lacking in variety, the pupils become more passive participants in class.
3.8There is a documented register of the pupils who require special help with their learning. Educational plans are in place for each of the pupils on the register. Most of these pupils engage in a literacy programme which is supported by the Curriculum Advisory and Support Service (CASS) of the Southern Education and Library Board (SELB). There is a need to ensure that subject teachers are kept informed about the external support and are aware of other relevant information on these pupils, in order to provide suitable support for the pupils’ learning.
3.9The school offered 22 subjects at GCE over the last three years. The proportion of pupils achieving grade C or above in three GCE subjects fell over the period 1997-1999 but increased significantly to 55% in 2000, placing the school’s results in the upper quartile for grammar schools. This improvement is also reflected in a majority of individual subjects. Over the last three years, the GCE results in individual subjects, at grades A-C, have been more than 10% above the NI average in seven subjects, within 5% of the average in two subjects, within 5%-10% below the average in three subjects and more than 10% below the average in five subjects. Five subjects have not been included in these statistics either because the total entry for the three years was too small for reliable comparison, or pupils were not entered for the examination in all of the years.
3.10The school offered 18 subjects at GCSE over the last three years. The proportion of year 12 pupils obtaining grade C or above in at least seven subjects has increased steadily since 1994 and reached 90% in 1999 and 2000. When compared with the results for boys in selective schools over the last three years, the GCSE results in individual subjects at grades A*-C were more than 10% above the NI average in four subjects, within 5%-10% of the average in four subjects, within 5% of the average in seven subjects, within 5%-10% below the average in two subjects, and more than 10% below the average in one subject.