By Sarah Robinson

Last updated at 13:26, Thursday, 03 May 2012

WHITEHAVEN School has been given a ‘notice to improve’ by Ofsted inspectors.

Out of the five areas covered in the report, three were deemed inadequate – the worst grade schools can receive – and two were satisfactory.

A number of improvements need to be made and inspectors will revisit the school to see if these changes have been implemented.

Head teacher Lynette Norris says “everyone in school is committed” to making the improvements it needs to.

This is the second time in five years the school has been given a ‘notice to improve’ by Ofsted. Staff were told in December 2007 that major improvements needed to be made. By March 2009, inspectors ruled the school provided a satisfactory quality of education and it was improving.

This latest report says: “The school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. Significant improvement is required in relation to the achievement of students and the quality of teaching and learning.”

The report said the quality of teaching overall is inadequate.

Inspectors said: “The majority of lessons do not present sufficient challenge and are not suitably matched to the needs of all students. As a result, students makes inadequate progress.”

They added: “In the best lessons students have opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning, lessons are well planned and tasks are appropriately matched to the needs of all students.”

The report said students behaviour is satisfactory.

Inspectors noted: “Most students respond positively to the school revised systems for managing behaviour and improving attendance. The rate of attendance continues to be low but it has improved this year. Learning is sometimes slowed by low-level disruption caused by a small minority if students.”

The report said the sixth form is inadequate, because students’ attainment at A and AS level and students’ progress in the applied course are below that of their peers nationally.

The report added that “the head teacher’s clear vision for the school is focused on raising students’ achievement”. It noted changes to the management structures and new systems which have been established to help improve students progress and further improvements could be made.

The report said the school needs to raise students’ achievements by improving the quality of teaching so the large majority is good or better and embed the work, of leaders and managers, to improve the quality of teaching and learning by sharing regularly across all departments.

Lynette Norris said: “The staff and governors would have all preferred to have been given a satisfactory, or better, judgement in recognition of the hard work and improvements that are already in existence; but we do acknowledge that the ‘Notice to Improve’ category is an opportunity for the school to prove how quickly it can expand its areas of excellence and translate these into successful student outcomes.”

She added: “We understand that we have some more work to do and very quickly, but everyone in school is committed to this and believes that we are on the very edge of achieving our goals.

“We want to offer and invitation to anyone who is interested in any aspect of school to make an appointment so that we can show off the things that we do well.”

The school says Ofsted inspections changed in January and inspections are now more rigorous than ever before, making it harder to maintain the same grading.

First published at 11:09, Thursday, 03 May 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk