3 days ago
Gleniffer High School passes test after Education Scotland inspection
The school was visited in March and the findings have since been made public.
A Paisley high school's 'caring supportive relationships' have been praised by the education watchdog after a recent inspection.
A team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Gleniffer High School in March when they spoke with parents, carers and young people and worked closely with the head teacher and staff.
On a six-point scale where one is unsatisfactory and six is excellent, the Amochrie Road facility was rated as four – or 'good' – for its learning, teaching and assessment, and also rated as 'four' for its raising attainment and achievement.
During the visit, the inspectors commented on areas of strength which were outlined in their report. It noted the 'caring supportive relationships' between young people and staff.
The watchdog's report read: 'Across the school, positive relationships between staff and young people support a nurturing culture and strong ethos.
'In most lessons, young people are respectful, willing to learn and participate well in class discussions and activities. Most staff use praise effectively to build confidence and support the engagement of young people.'
Staff at the high school were praised for their ability to adapt and use new technology.
The report highlighted: 'Staff are improving their use of digital technology to engage and support young people with their learning through increased use of one-to-one devices and assistive technology.
'A majority of teachers in the senior phase use digital platforms effectively to share resources, support revision and completion of work.'
Gleniffer High School's values include acceptance, ambition, nurture, respect and trust.
A key strength of the school was noted in the inspectors report which stated: 'The strong focus by staff on providing a wide range of courses that meet the needs of learners who may require additional support.
'As a result, increasing numbers of young people are attaining qualifications at Scottish Credit Qualification Framework levels three and four.'
Following the inspection, areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the head teacher and a representative from Renfrewshire Council.
An area for improvement suggested management should 'continue to develop the 'Gleniffer toolkit' to support teachers in embedding greater consistency in approaches to learning and teaching through professional learning and collaboration.
'This will help to improve further the quality of young people's learning experiences.'
A second area for improvement was noted as staff should 'continue to improve approaches to the planning of learning.
'Teachers should make full use of all available information about young people to ensure that all learners make the best possible progress.'
And a final area of improvement was the school should: 'Continue to improve attainment at National 5 and Higher.
'This should include a focus on more young people achieving high quality passes.'
Education Scotland stated it was 'confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve' and will, therefore, make no more visits in connection with this inspection.
