Dundee’s St John’s RC High School has been told to improve the quality of learning and teaching amid a drop in attainment at some levels.
Inspectors from Education Scotland rated the school as satisfactory – meaning strengths just outweigh weaknesses – following a visit in November, last year.
Their report of the inspection said senior leaders in the Harefield Road school recognised improving teaching quality was key to raising pupils’ attainment.
Leadership at St John’s High praised
It also said that high levels of absence need to be tackled as a “matter of urgency”.
But it praised the leadership of new head teacher Seán Hagney who was beginning to make changes and improvements since joining the school in August 2021.
Learning time was being lost by pupils being off school and wasting time out of class.
This was coupled with some lessons taking too long to start or not being paced sufficiently briskly.
I am sure that everyone connected with the school will be determined to make even more progress in the future.”
Councillor Stewart Hunter, Dundee City Council children and families convener
Pupils in S1 to S3 were not yet improving well enough in literacy and numeracy, the inspectors stated, with the latter possibly impacted by staffing challenges.
Attainment among S4 to S6 pupils was being hampered by several factors including high absence rates, a high percentage of pupils leaving in S4 and impact of Covid.
The quality and range of the curriculum on offer and availability of Advanced Highers were also detrimental.
Over the last year two years, attainment of the top performing 20% of S6 pupils was significantly lower than those of comparable schools, the inspectors said.
Inspectors’ key conclusions
St John’s High School has been advised to work with Dundee City Council to make several improvements.
These are:
- staff at all levels working together to improve quality of learning, teaching and assessment
- development by senior and middle leaders of a model for leadership of change at all levels that leads to positive outcomes for all pupils
- all staff continuing to develop and demonstrate inclusive practice to meet wellbeing and learning needs of young people fully
- as planned, staff should review approaches appropriately targeting pupil equity funding as those it is meant for.
The school’s key strengths were outlined as:
- Leadership of the new head teacher, who is beginning to change and improve structures and processes across the school and promoting collegiate working
- How strong Marist values influence the work of the school
- A growing range of opportunities to help pupils be healthy and active
- Senior school pupils acting as positive role models and demonstrating enterprising leadership, creative teamwork and active citizenship.
Hard work of staff and pupils at St John’s High
Stewart Hunter, the council’s convener for children and families services, said: “I am pleased to see that the hard work of staff, pupils and in particular the head teacher is reflected in this report.
“I am sure that everyone connected with the school will be determined to make even more progress in the future.”
