A Dundee high school is facing more calls for improvement – despite showing progress a year on from a scathing inspection report.
Inspectors branded some areas of Baldragon Academy “weak” and “unsatisfactory” after a visit last year.
Concerns were raised about teaching and assessment, as well as about efforts to raise attainment.
There were also issues with attendance and some pupils not turning up for lessons.
Inspectors to return to Baldragon Academy in 6 months
Education Scotland has now released the outcome of a follow-up visit to the Harestane Road school.
It shows progress in some areas – particularly on attendance – but calls for further changes at the school to improve pupil behaviour, attitudes and attainment.
A spokesperson for Education Scotland said: “The school has made some progress since the original inspection.
“We will liaise with Dundee City Council regarding the school’s capacity to improve.
“We are maintaining contact with the school and will carry out a progress visit within six months of the publication of this letter.”
The new report focuses on four key areas where improvements are still being sought.
Findings of latest inspection at Baldragon Academy
1. Attendance improves but ‘stronger’ approach needed on behaviour issues
The report states: “Senior leaders have introduced stronger arrangements to monitor young people’s attendance by undertaking detailed analysis of pupil absence on a more regular basis.
“They are contacting parents more promptly and promoting good attendance.
“Although attendance rates are higher than previous years, overall attendance rates remain significantly behind the national average and therefore continued action is required.”
It says school leaders recognise they need to address the attitudes and behaviour of a “significant minority” of pupils.
“Too often, young people do not settle quickly to work, continue their own conversations, or seek ways to bring attention to themselves,” the report says.
Education Scotland is calling on senior leaders and the council to “significantly strengthen their approaches to responding to behavioural issues both within and
outwith classes”.
2. ‘Greater consistency’ across teaching but pupils need challenged more
The report says: “Staff have worked well with senior leaders and Dundee City Council officers to outline the features of high-quality learning and teaching through the creation of the Pupil Voice Classroom Commitment.
“As a result, there is a greater consistency across the school in teachers sharing the purpose of learning and what successful learning looks like.”
However it says the use of learning intentions and success criteria is “not of a consistently high enough quality across the school”, which is “impacting on young people having an understanding of how to progress their learning”.
The report adds there are too many lessons where pupils would benefit from greater levels of challenge in their learning and says teachers should plan tasks and activities that are relevant, motivating and set at the right level of difficulty for young people.
3. Early signs attainment is up in some areas but ‘declines evident’ in others
Education Scotland says staff at Baldragon have been “working well” to improve pupils’ progress
As a result, “there are a few areas where attainment has shown early signs of improvement”.
This includes improvements in literacy and numeracy attainment for leavers.
However, standards of attainment remain low in several measures “with some declines evident”.
The report adds: “There are a few departments that are performing well but the
number of young people presented for National 5 and Higher needs to increase.
“Senior leaders acknowledge that attainment still requires significant improvement, and should work with staff to improve attainment as an immediate priority across the school, especially in S4, by S5 and by S6.”
4. ‘Stronger and consistent’ stance on bullying as pupils feel safer
Inspectors say senior Baldragon leaders “have prioritised child protection and re-launched the school’s approaches to child protection”.
Overall, young people have reported an “improved sense of safety within the school building as a result of improved supervision and security”.
The report adds: “Senior leaders and principal teachers of guidance have worked closely with staff to adopt a stronger, consistent stance in relation to promoting anti-bullying and in dealing effectively and timeously with incidences of bullying.”
There are also now more effective approaches across the school in reviewing pupils’ progress in their senior phase.
After the first inspection report was leaked in March last year, Labour MSP Michael Marra said the pupils of Baldragon “deserve better than this”.
He added: “Numerous crises have taken a difficult situation at Baldragon and made it critical with no real solutions on the table.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The school has been working with staff from the children and families service to take forward the areas for improvement detailed in June’s inspection report.
“This latest report recognises some of the impact of this work, including reducing the number of late comings, improvements in literacy and numeracy attainment for leavers, including those who require additional support, and the stronger and consistent stance in relation to promoting anti-bullying and in dealing effectively with incidences of bullying.
“We will continue to work with the school to ensure that progress continues at pace.”
The Courier revealed last week how there will be no jobs for newly qualified primary teachers at Dundee schools next year.
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