23 April 2013
Dear Parent/Carer,
John Ogilvie High School
South Lanarkshire Council
Recently, as you may know, my colleagues and
I inspected your child’s school. During our visit, we talked to parents and young people and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. We wanted to find out how well young people are learning and achieving and how well the school supports young people to do their best. The headteacher shared with us the school’s successes and priorities for improvement.
We looked at some particular aspects of the school’s recent work, including how linked learning across subjects and skills for life and work projects are developing young people’s skills and capacity for learning. We also looked at the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to support learning and teaching and leadership opportunities for all. As a result, we were able to find out how good the school is at improving young people’s education.
How well do young people learn and achieve?
Young people in John Ogilvie High School learn and achieve very well. They are highly motivated learners. They listen attentively, are well-mannered, keen to participate and offer their views very effectively in class discussions. Their behaviour is commendable. They feel safe, well-cared for and respected. Relationships between staff and young people are very positive and there is an ethos of mutual respect . In most classes, young people use ICT very well to develop research skills and to support their learning. For example, young people use quick responses (QR) codes with their phones to access information related to their learning. Young people, particularly senior learners, contribute very well to improving the life and work of the school and demonstrate high-quality leadership skills. Building on this existing very effective practice, there is scope to enable all learners to take further responsibility for their own learning to gain a better understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement.
Young people are gaining confidence and skills for life and work through an extensive range of achievements. They are developing performance skills through a wide variety of arts events and their skills in sports are developing at local and national level. The school values the contributions of all young people and places a high priority on the celebration of their achievements. Young people gain personal and citizenship skills through their roles as prefects, leading charity work, and as pupil council members.
Lunchtime clubs, some organised by young people themselves, are providing young people with opportunities to apply social skills and act as very positive role models.
Education Scotland
1 st
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Dundee
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T 01382 576700
F 01382 576701
E dundee@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk
Textphone
01506 600236
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Transforming lives through learning

By S3, most young people are making good progress in their broad general education.
From S4 to S6, school performance is improving and young people’s attainment is in line mostly with those schools which serve young people with similar needs and backgrounds. Young people with additional support needs are making very good progress in their learning. The school has recognised that the attainment of boys in S4 requires improvement.
Most young people leave school to go on to further study, employment or training.
How well does the school support young people to develop and learn?
Across the school, young people enjoy outstanding relationships with staff who are helping them develop their confidence. Staff take account of individual needs in planning tasks, activities and resources used in classes. In almost all departments, there is a very high standard of additional support. The pace of learning in lessons is brisk and appropriate for almost all learners.
Lessons take place in a positive atmosphere of very high expectations. Young people respond well to this. Teachers are highly s killed at giving clear explanations and developing young people’s inquiry skills through very effective questioning. Young people who require additional support are very well catered for. This includes support sessions at break times and extra support to prepare for national examinations. ICT provides extra helpful information for young people with English as a second language. Learning support staff have an in-depth knowledge of young people’s learning needs. They use this to help improve the life chances of any young person with requiring additional support.
Staff are developing a very good broad general education within Curriculum for
Excellence for young people from S1 to S3. Young people in S2 experience meaningful opportunities to link their learning across different subject areas. In S3, young people enjoy developing skills for life and work in courses such as the cookery, film production and lego engineering. In the jewellery and metalwork projects, learners cut, solder and finish their design to a high quality finish.
From S4 to S6, the school provides very good opportunities for young people to progress in a range of skills-based courses which are very enjoyable, relevant and lead to qualifications.
There is an extensive range of flexible progression routes for young people, enhanced by the effective links with South Lanarkshire College. There is also a very wide range of out-of-class activities which broaden young people’s learning. The recent changes to the curriculum have been informed by careful long-term planning, discussion and consultation with staff, parents, young people and partners. Support at transitions from primary school to S1 is a particular strength of the curriculum. A very strong
Parent Council supports the work of the school. Staff promote the school well as a community of faith based on gospel values. The local parish priests and the school chaplain work well with staff to support religious observance. Young people are taught actively to understand other religions and cultures and there is a strong emphasis on social justice and equality.
Young people, parents and staff are very proud of their school.
How well does the school improve the quality of its work?
The headteacher is a highly effective leader who is held in very high regard by staff, parents, and pupils. Depute headteachers support the headteacher and staff very well. Their enthusiasm and readiness to encourage innovative practice help to drive
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the school forward. Across the school, faculty leaders and principal teachers are very skilled and many unpromoted staff also lead change and improvement successfully.
Young people influence school improvement well through pupil council meetings, the work of the pupil leadership team, and through regular questionnaires. Staff regularly evaluate their work and take action to improve where necessary. They show a very strong commitment to continuous reflection on the quality of teaching and learning across the school and young people benefit greatly from this. Staff share good practice and new ideas with great enthusiasm. They welcome opportunities to observe each other’s teaching and then put in place strategies to continue to raise standards.
This inspection of your school found the following key strengths.

Polite, courteous and well-behaved young people, who enjoy learning.

Relationships between young people and adults based on gospel values.

The h eadteacher’s vision and highly effective leadership to take the school forward.
 Pupils’ contributions to improving learning across the school.

The embedded culture of equality and inclusion.

The active contribution of all staff to the very positive school ethos.
We discussed with staff and the education authority how they might continue to improve the school. This is what we agreed with them.

Continue to raise attainment.

Continue to develop the curriculum, taking account of Curriculum for Excellence.
What happens at the end of the inspection?
We are satisfied with the overall quality of provision. We are confident that the school’s self-evaluation processes are leading to improvements. As a result, we will make no further visits in connection with this inspection. The local authority will inform parents about the school’s progress as part of the authority’s arrangements for reporting to parents on the quality of its schools.
Aileen Monaghan
HM Inspector
Additional inspection evidence, such as details of the quality indicator evaluations, for your school can be found on the Education Scotland website at http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/reports/school/primsec/John
OgilvieHighSchoolSouthLanarkshire.asp.
If you would like to receive this report in a different format, for example, in a translation please contact the administration team on the above telephone number.
If you want to give us feedback or make a complaint about our work, please contact us by telephone on 0141 282 5000, or e-mail: complaints@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to us addressing your letter to the Complaints Manager, Denholm House,
Almondvale Business Park, Livingston EH54 6AG.
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