OES Publishes Government High Schools Summary Report

The Office of Education Standards (OES) summary of the 2018 schools inspection reports for Clifton Hunter, John Gray and Layman E. Scott High Schools is now available online at http://bit.ly/SSRDEC2018

Full inspections reports for the Government high schools were published in October 2018 and inspectors noted some improvement since the last round of inspections in 2014-15.

Among the summary report’s findings are that:

• There remain important weaknesses in the quality of teaching and in students’ achievement, particularly in English, mathematics and science,

• There has been better progress in John Gray High School as a result of the effective leadership of that school and that

• Inspectors identified the breadth of subject choice available to students in Key Stage 4 as a key strength in all three schools. Notably, the choice of vocational courses prepared students well for the world of work and future academic pathways.

Inspectors also made recommendations regarding performance management of teachers, the curriculum at Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9), and aspects of health and safety at the three schools.

“Inspectors have found improvements in the Government high schools since the last inspections,” says the Chief Inspector and Director of the Office of Education Standards, Peter Carpenter. “However, there remain a number of important weaknesses including the fact that, in over one quarter of the lessons observed in the three schools, teaching was weak. Furthermore, regarding achievement in core subjects, namely English, mathematics and science, our students do not achieve as well as others internationally,” he adds.

Mr. Carpenter, who had taken part in inspections at all three high schools’, notes that the inspectors have provided a number of recommendations to promote improvement at a strategic level.

“These recommendations are in areas judged necessary to improve the rate of students’ progress and their subsequent success academically against appropriate international benchmarks,” he concludes.