The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Make lessons ‘exciting’
Teachers at Arbroath High School have been urged to make lessons more “exciting” after an inspection.
Education Scotland visited in January. A report into its findings, published yesterday, found two areas – leadership of change and learning, teaching and assessment – to be “weak”.
Further areas – ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion, and raising attainment and achievement – were “satisfactory”.
Inspectors have called for improvements to the way lessons are delivered.
The report said: “In a few lessons, learners benefit from staff setting high expectations and appropriate challenge to meet the needs of all learners.
“In the majority of lessons, the pace of learning and level of challenge do not meet the needs of all learners.
“As a result, young people are not challenged in their learning.
“There are too many lessons that lack stimulation and excitement with undemanding experiences.
“Senior leaders and teachers must address the underlying issue of expectations that are too low.
“All staff need to develop an ethos of self-challenge for young people along with a culture of ambition characterised by higher expectations of young people’s progress and attainment.”
Education Scotland highlighted several areas of improvement for Arbroath High School, including:
Senior leaders need to provide clearer strategic direction and streamline school priorities to ensure school improvement;
Middle leaders should ensure that all staff monitor and evaluate their work so that the attainment of young people improves as a result;
Classroom teachers should plan and deliver more engaging, varied and interesting tasks and activities set at the right level of difficulty for all young people;
Senior leaders should improve staff’s understanding of their roles and responsibilities in supporting the wellbeing of all young people
Teachers should review the curriculum for S1-S3 to ensure that young people can build upon their prior learning more effectively.
However, officials say the school’s head teacher, Karen Thomson – who was appointed last April – is making progress by developing a “culture of teamwork”.
They found both staff and pupils demonstrated “commitment and respect”, with youngsters also described as “respectful and caring”.
The work of the library was deemed “very effective” in celebrating equality and diversity across the school.
Education Scotland says it believes the school needs additional support to make the improvements.
A further inspection will be carried out in a year.
A spokesperson for Angus Council said: “The school has plans in place to make the necessary improvements.”