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Alexandra House 33 Kingsway WC2B 6SE |
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01 November 2007
Miss P Williams
Headteacher
Whitburn CE School
Whitburn
SR6 7EX
Dear Miss Williams
Ofsted survey inspection programme – Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC)<= o:p>
Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your
staff, during my visit on Tuesday 30 October 2007 to look at the way that
learning outside the classroom contributes to your school’s curricul=
um
and to pupils’ achievement and personal development.
The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to o=
ur
national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the
names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will no=
t be
identified in the main text. All feedback letters are published on the Ofs=
ted
website at the end of each half-term.
The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: intervie=
ws
with staff and pupils, scrutiny of relevant documentation, analysis of pup=
ils’
work and visits to some lessons and activities, seeing the school at work.=
The overall effectiveness of the
contribution made by learning outside the classroom to the curriculum was
judged to be outstanding.
Achievement
and standards, including personal development
· The majority of pupils enter the school with average attainment. They then make outstanding progress and attain excelle= nt results which are well above the national average at both Key Stage 3 and at GCSE. Provisional results for 2007 indicate that standards have risen again at b= oth key stages.
· Pupils are polite and well mannered. They clearly enjoy school: their behaviour observed on my visit was excellent a= nd they are well-motivated.
· Pupils talk enthusiastically about the impa= ct LOTC has upon their learning and personal development. They particularly e= njoy the Enterprise Days and can say how LOTC activities have helped improve th= eir self- confidence, as well as their ability to work on their own and in gro= ups. They also noted how LOTC activities had broadened their horizons in relati= on to career opportunities.
· LOTC activities are formally evaluated by s= taff who lead them. Through pupil questionnaires and staff evaluations, you can= point to the way in which LOTC has enhanced the personal development of pupils a= nd identify the contribution LOTC makes to learning. The monitoring and evaluation of = the impact of LOTC upon achievement and standards is well developed in some fa= culties but this good practice is not universal.
Quality
of teaching and learning within LOTC
· In the lessons visited, pupils displayed ex= cellent attitudes to learning. Teaching was engaging and pupils were responding we= ll.
· The planning, preparation and follow up act= ivities for LOTC are thorough, as seen in lessons linked to GCSE coursework in geography and business studies. In personal and social education, for exam= ple, the contribution of visiting speakers is well integrated into schemes of w= ork and the presentation by the former soldier to pupils in Year 9 helped them= to appreciate more fully the text they were studying in English. In modern fo= reign languages, pupil feedback questionnaires on LOTC activities help staff to develop future plans.
· Displays around the school and in the meeti= ng room reveal the wide range of LOTC activities. The poster you produced encapsulates the importance of LOTC to learning. Pupils think LOTC helps t= heir understanding and they enjoyed the ‘practical’ and ‘refreshing’ nature of many of the activities. They also spoke= of how these activities helped them become independent learners, improved the= ir motivation and raised their expectations. As one pupil put it, ‘I’ve learned in this school that there are no limits to my ambitions’.
Quality
of the contribution made by LOTC to the curriculum
· You have a clear rationale that places LOTC= as an integral and essential part of the curriculum. All pupils are involved = in a range of LOTC activities in each year group. There is no differentiation b= etween learning outside and inside the classroom; the emphasis is just upon learn= ing and upon encouraging your staff to use the most appropriate strategies, be= they inside or outside the classroom. This helps to explain the outstanding pro= gress made by the pupils.
· The curriculum is carefully designed and developed to meet the needs and interests of the pupils. The range of opportunities is extensive and the pupils appreciate this. The ASDAN cours= e is making an effective contribution to raising achievement at Key Stage 4. You carefully monitor the quality of off-site provision.
· LOTC activities are meticulously planned and thoroughly evaluated with any lessons learned and further improvements nee= ded being quickly implemented.
· There is an extensive and successful range = of clubs and opportunities for pupils outside school hours. The pupils greatly value these activities and especially the more recent additions, notably c= heer-leading and pilates.
Leadership
and management of LOTC
· You are passionate about improving learning= and raising achievement. This enthusiasm and commitment is shared by your seni= or leadership colleagues and by your middle leaders who display a belief and commitment to LOTC.
· You and your colleagues are aware of the possible barriers to participation but you work effectively to deal with t= hese, ensuring, for example, that costs do not prohibit involvement.
· The administration of LOTC visits is compre= hensively managed by the educational visits co-ordinator. Planning is thorough and procedures for health and safety and for risk assessment are followed assiduously. Parents are well informed and you adhere closely to the local authority’s policy and guidelines.
Inclusion
· You lead an extremely inclusive school in which= the needs of all pupils are a priority for you and your staff. On a daily basi= s you and your staff live the school motto of ‘Excellence for all’.<= o:p>
· Pupils are encouraged to participate in the= wide range of extra-curricular activities which are on offer and their involvem= ent is carefully monitored.
· The pupil voice is strong, with pupils from= both key stages feeling that they are consulted and listened to.
Areas
for improvement, which we discussed, included:
· continuing to develop and refine the monito= ring and evaluation of the impact of LOTC on pupils’ achievement and pers= onal development in all faculties.
I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop the
school.
As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be
sent to your local authority and will be published on Ofsted’s websi=
te.
It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspecti=
on.
Yours sincerely
Michael
Maddison
Her Majesty’s Inspector=