INSPECTION REPORT WOOLMER HILL SCHOOL Haslemere LEA Area: Surrey Unique Reference Number: 125251 Headteacher: Susan Bullen Repor
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INSPECTION REPORT WOOLMER HILL SCHOOL Haslemere LEA area: Surrey Unique reference number: 125251 Headteacher: Susan Bullen Reporting inspector: David M Bain 3258 Dates of inspection: 10-14 September 2001 Inspection number: 611001 Full inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 © Crown copyright 2001 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Type of school: Comprehensive School category: Community Age range of pupils: 11 to 16 years Gender of pupils: Mixed School address: Woolmer Hill Haslemere Surrey Postcode: GU27 1QB Telephone number: 01428 654055 Fax number: 01428 644338 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Susan Stathers Date of previous inspection: May 1997 Woolmer Hill School i INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Team members Subject Aspect responsibilities responsibilities 3258 David Bain Registered English as an What sort of school is it? inspector additional language. How high are standards? How well are students taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9619 Bob Miller Lay Pupils’ attitudes, values and inspector personal development; Links with the community; How well does the school care for its students? How well does the school care for its students? Accommodation and learning resources. 1578 Maureen Team Business education; Spiritual, moral, social and Sinclair inspector Religious education. cultural education. 30198 Reg Chick Team Physical education. Work related education. inspector 15075 Bryan Team Modern foreign Stephens inspector languages. 12336 Malcolm Team Geography. Assessment. Overend inspector 8076 Terence Team Design and Bendall inspector technology. 11672 Peter Harle Team Art; inspector Music; Drama. 7084 Jack Haslam Team Information and inspector communication technology. 31441 Maggie King Team Science. inspector 22958 Terence Team English; Bailess inspector Literacy; Special educational needs. 13122 Stephanie Team History. How good are the curricular Matthews inspector and other opportunities offered to pupils? Equal opportunities. 10782 Henry Team Mathematics; Personal, social and health Moreton inspector Numeracy. education. Woolmer Hill School ii The inspection contractor was: Westminster Education Consultants Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division The Office for Standards in Education Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Woolmer Hill School iii REPORT CONTENTS Page PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1 Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school PART B: COMMENTARY HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 6 The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT? 16 HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS? 21 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 25 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN 28 PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 29 WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 37 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 39 PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN 44 AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES Woolmer Hill School iv PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Woolmer Hill School is a small, mixed comprehensive situated on the edge of Haslemere, a generally very advantaged area. Although in Surrey, it is very close to the borders of Hampshire and West Sussex. There are currently 617 pupils on roll. The school is under- subscribed and, consequently, takes pupils from a fairly wide catchment area, including surrounding villages, and some late entrants who have experienced difficulties in their previous school. Whilst the intake to the school is comprehensive, pupils’ prior attainment is above average, although many children in the area attend independent schools or travel to neighbouring specialist and beacon schools. About a quarter of pupils are identified as having special educational needs, mostly with specific or moderate learning difficulties. This is above the national average. However, only about 2 per cent have statements, slightly below the national average, including a small number with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Almost all pupils come from a white UK heritage background, with only a handful speaking English as an additional language and none at the early stages of learning English. Less than seven per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the national average of 18 per cent. About three quarters of pupils continue in education when they leave Post 16 in local colleges and sixth forms. The school has experienced difficulties in recruiting teachers. Six posts were covered by temporary teachers at the time of the inspection. HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS Woolmer Hill is a school with great potential. It has many strengths, not least in the commitment of staff and pupils to bring about improvements. There has been a significant improvement in the quality of teaching and learning, which is now good and led in 2001 to much improved results, well above national averages at both key stages. Weaknesses in aspects of the school’s leadership and management, issues related to inclusion and the school’s partnership with parents are recognised by the new head, who has a clear vision for the school, supported by an able Governing Body. Strategies for performance management and induction of teachers, and the provision for pupils’ personal development and for those with special educational needs are good. Relationships are very good. Teachers and pupils enjoy working in a happy school. The school gives sound value for money. WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL · Enabled pupils, in 2001 to achieve high standards, both in National Curriculum tests and in GCSE, especially in art and design, history, geography, drama, music and English. · Provides good quality teaching and learning experiences in most subjects. · Has a shared commitment to improvement, amongst staff, pupils and governors, and the capacity to succeed under a new head, who has a clear vision for the future. · Supports pupils’ personal development well, especially their social and cultural development, resulting in very good relationships, the development of initiative, personal responsibility and enthusiasm. · Provides good support for pupils with special educational needs through the learning support department. · Inducts new teachers well and has enabled the staff that work together well as a team. · Has provided excellent facilities for physical education on an attractive school site. WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED · Aspects of equality of access and opportunity related to inclusion, particularly with regard to curricular organisation, behaviour management and the achievement of girls. Woolmer Hill School 1 · Aspects of leadership and management, including development planning and curricular and behaviour management. · Procedures for monitoring and promoting pupils’ academic performance, including the use of assessment, and aspects of personal development. · The school’s partnership with its parents. · Staffing, including recruitment of teachers, the staffing structure and greater inclusion of support staff. · Exploiting the potential of the site. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION Overall, the school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection in 1997. However, whilst improvement in pupils’ performance is good, improvements, overall, in areas identified in the previous inspection are unsatisfactory. There has been good progress in raising the quality of teaching, including some good monitoring by senior managers of practice. However, although some heads of department monitor their departments well, effective monitoring by middle managers is unsatisfactory, with limited academic monitoring of pupils across the curriculum. There is still little longer term strategic planning and weaknesses remain in the quality of reports and use of assessment. Good progress has been made in implementing the National Curriculum, except in reporting information and communication technology (ICT) levels at the end of Year 11, but there has been little improvement related to health and safety issues. However, many of these weaknesses are recognised by the new head and were already beginning to be addressed at the time of the inspection. STANDARDS The table below shows