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INSPECTION REPORT ON |
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THE HULME GRAMMAR SCHOOL |
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Full Name of the School |
The Hulme
Grammar School |
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DfES Number |
3536012 |
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Address |
Chamber Road, Oldham, OL8 4BX |
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Telephone Number |
0161 624 4497 |
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Fax Number |
0161 652 4107 |
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E-mail Address |
KEJones@hulmegrammarschools.org.uk |
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Name of Principal |
Mr K E Jones |
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Chairman of Governors |
Mrs R Brierley |
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Age Range |
7 - 18 |
Gender Male |
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Number of Pupils |
674 |
Number of Boarders Nil |
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Inspection Dates |
February 25th – March 1st, 2002 |
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This inspection report is based on a framework laid down by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and agreed with the DFES and OFSTED for the purposes of ensuring that standards are maintained and that the school complies with relevant legal requirements. Recommendations are included to help the school improve. The report will be lodged with the ISI, the Head of the School, the Proprietors, the DFES and OFSTED. A summary will be provided by the school for all parents free of charge and the full report on request. Other interested parties may have the summary or full report, subject to a charge for copying and postage. The report may not be selectively quoted in the school prospectus or other promotional literature but may be used selectively within the school. The
inspection does not examine the financial viability of the school or
investigate its accounting procedures.
The inspectors check the school’s health and safety procedures and
comment on any significant hazards they encounter: they do not carry out an
exhaustive health and safety examination. |
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1.1 The Hulme Grammar School for boys has the ethos of a happy, purposeful community, whose pupils are smart, well behaved, considerate and have a strong sense of pride in the traditions and achievements of their school. There are very good relationships between pupils of all backgrounds and between pupils and staff. It is a very well integrated community, where pupils are respected and valued as individuals.
1.2 The school has a number of major strengths:
· Pupils are very well cared for and they are given very good guidance and assistance at all the key decision-making stages of their school careers.
· Pupils are taught and looked after by very dedicated teaching and non-teaching staff.
· Pupils acquire a good, rounded education and some pupils achieve highly in academic work and in extra-curricular activities.
· The range and quality of provision for sports are high and make very good use of the facilities available.
What the School Should Do Better
1.3 The school has no major weaknesses but a number of matters merit improvement in order to enhance the school’s present provision and the educational standards and progress of its pupils.
1.4 They include the need to:
· make fuller use of data from assessment
· teach more lessons in a stimulating manner
· develop the effectiveness of subject co-ordinators in the Junior Department and the heads of subject departments in the Senior School.
Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects
1.5 In the Junior Department, pupils’ overall attainment is good and in line with their ages and abilities. Attainment was judged to be sound or better in nine-tenths of lessons seen, with attainment in over half of those deemed to be good or better. Progress was appropriate or better in four-fifths of lessons observed and in one half of lessons was judged to be rapid.
1.6 In the Senior School, attainment in GCSE examinations over the last three years has generally been sound - comparable with, or just below, that in maintained selective schools, and reflecting the range of ability in the year groups. At A level, standards have improved steadily over the last three years to reach overall attainment in 2001 that was in line with that in maintained selective schools. The results in the new AS examinations, taken for the first time in June 2001, were sound overall, with a 100% pass rate in thirteen of the nineteen subjects offered. Attainment and progress in lessons are at least in line with pupils’ ages and abilities, and mostly higher. The attainment and progress of pupils of different ethnicity and backgrounds are comparable with others in the school.
The Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour
1.7 The overall quality of pupils’ learning, attitudes and behaviour in the Junior Department is good. In four-fifths of lessons observed it was judged to be sound or better and in just under one half of these lessons it was deemed good or better. Pupils are competent learners but their learning skills could be extended and developed if teachers presented work in a more stimulating and challenging way. Behaviour in class and around the school is generally good and pupils act in a responsible manner.
1.8 There are high standards of learning and behaviour in lessons in the Senior School, although those standards are less marked in older pupils. Pupils were observed as passive learners in many lessons, with too much direction from teachers and too few opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. Pupils behave in an orderly manner in lessons, in activities, and when moving around the school. Behaviour in the vicinity of the school is also good.
1.9 In the Junior Department, the quality of teaching in the vast majority of lessons was at least sound, and it was good or better in half of the lessons. In the majority of lessons, teachers’ management and control of pupils were very good. Teachers work very hard and are conscientious in their work. The predominant teaching style is exposition and, although it is used effectively, it limits the scope for pupils to be presented with more stimulating and challenging learning opportunities. Although teachers are aware of weaker pupils in their classes and devote considerable extra time to them, no screening procedures are used to identify pupils with special educational needs.
1.10 In the Senior School, the majority of teaching was good or better, and almost all was at least sound. Teaching is mainly by exposition, and whereas some of the teaching meets the needs of all pupils, there is passivity on their part towards some of the material. Teaching is generally safe, rather than challenging, and lacks expectation in some cases. The well-qualified staff have a very secure knowledge and understanding of the subject material they teach. They show genuine enthusiasm, engage the pupils with gentle firmness and support this with good use of humour. Pupils are very well managed in class.
1.11 The level of attendance is very high in both the Junior Department and the Senior School. In the Junior Department some of the procedures of registration and of handling registers should be improved. There too, records should be kept of pupils arriving late and of those going to, or coming from, such commitments as dental appointments. In both the Junior Department and the Senior School, pupils’ punctuality to school and to lessons is very good, except for the problems caused by delayed school buses.
1.12 Pupils’ routine work is generally marked frequently by teachers both in the Junior Department and in the Senior School. In the Junior Department the vast majority of marking is appropriate and thorough, and gives good guidance to pupils on the ways to improve their work. In the Junior Department no baseline verbal and non-verbal assessments are made, neither is there any diagnostic testing to identify pupils who may have specific learning difficulties. Pupils are assessed across their subjects each half term and grades are given for attainment and for effort, with grade cards sent home. Marking in the Senior School shows considerable variation and, although there are excellent exceptions, much of the marking could give more guidance to pupils on how to improve the standard of their work. The Senior School has a clear policy for assessing, recording and reporting pupils’ work. Subject departments use their own assessment systems but a common grade scheme is used and reported to parents. The Senior School is participating in nationally validated schemes for assessing pupils’ ability and attainment at different stages, but the school has not yet made full use of the resulting data for purposes of individual target-setting and monitoring of progress. In both the Junior Department and the Senior School, formal examinations are held twice a year (except for external examination year groups), with reports subsequently sent to parents, and these are effective in showing pupils’ level of attainment.
1.13 The curriculum in the Junior Department contributes to the intellectual, personal, emotional and physical development of pupils but it lacks appropriate breadth and balance for Key Stage 2 pupils, in that English and mathematics occupy over half of curriculum time, restricting the time for other subjects, and there is no provision for design and technology. There is an appropriate introductory course in information and communication technology (ICT) and pupils are well supported by the course in personal, social and health education (PSHE). There is no co-ordination of provision for pupils with special learning needs. There is little formal liaison over curriculum planning between the Junior Department and the Senior School. Pupils benefit from the enrichment provided by some extra-curricular activities, although these are limited. The Senior School curriculum is broadly based and balanced, and is appropriate for pupils of above average academic ability. It closely follows and builds on the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4, with option schemes which generally work well. Drama does not have a formal place in the curriculum and there is discontinuity of common courses in art, ICT, music, and design and technology. ICT is not provided as a common course in Years 10 and 11, or as a GCSE option, or as an optional non-examined course in the sixth form. Pupils’ development is supported by a thorough PSHE course and there is much enrichment from a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Teaching and Non-teaching Staff
1.14 Both the Junior Department and the Senior School are staffed by teaching and non-teaching staff who are appropriately qualified for their roles, who work very hard and who are very committed to the school. The level of teaching staff is barely adequate in the Junior Department, while it is generous in the Senior School. Any newly qualified teachers are inducted in compliance with the national scheme. Although in-service courses are readily available, a revised appraisal and staff development scheme for existing teaching staff is being finalised. There is no corresponding scheme for non-teaching staff but appraisal and development are carried out on the basis of perceived need. There are no classroom assistants for the younger year groups in the Junior Department, while the head of that department has very heavy teaching and managerial commitments with no on-site secretarial assistance. The level of other non-teaching staff is appropriate in the Junior Department and in the Senior School.
Resources for Learning, Libraries, Premises and Accommodation
1.15 The Junior Department and the Senior School are both very well resourced with printed and electronic materials, and with equipment. There has been significant investment in ICT resources in recent years, which are at present at an adequate level, with a development programme being finalised. The Junior Department’s library is adequate and appropriate in terms of the stock, but the shared basis of the room does not lend itself to producing an encouraging environment for study or for leisure use. The Centenary Library on the Senior School site is an excellent facility, shared with the girls’ school and containing a very good junior section. The resources of this library, supplemented by the expertise of the librarians, make it an outstanding resource for learning, although currently under-used. The main building, which houses the Senior School (and the girls’ school) is attractive, suitable for purpose and very well maintained. There have been considerable extensions and modifications in recent years, which have greatly added to the accommodation for teaching and learning. Denton House, the off-site building which contains the departments of art, and of design and technology, is in very poor condition of repair and decoration and is unsuitable for its purpose. The accommodation in Hulme Court, the building which houses the Junior Department, has been extended in recent years to provide two good quality new classrooms. Several of the older classrooms are too full for good teaching and learning. Overall, the building is crowded, lacking in sufficient space for some elements of an appropriate curriculum, such as for art, design and technology and music, and has inadequate space for management and accommodation. The sports centre, behind the Junior Department, provides a sports hall, a gymnasium and a swimming pool, which are all suitable for purpose and well maintained. The sports pitches and pavilion on the main site are in better condition than the off-site grass pitches and the off-site all-weather pitch. The latter, in particular, needs resurfacing or replacement.
Links with Parents and the Community
1.16 Both the Junior Department and the Senior School have good links with parents and with the community. Parents are kept very well informed about the affairs of the school through the regular newsletters, which are readable and well-illustrated. A good record of the life of the school and of significant events is provided by a fine school magazine. There is an active parents’ association which raises funds for the school, gives assistance to school events, and provides some social occasions for both parents and pupils. Parents are provided with regular reports on the progress of their sons during the school year, and they receive formal reports, following examinations, twice each year. The school has a long history of congenial relationships with elements of the local community. All Year 12 pupils participate in a week’s work experience, with mainly local placements. A well-organised Community Action Group provides sixth form students with the opportunity to give worthwhile and much appreciated service. In view of the serious disturbances in some sectors of the local community during the last year, the school is taking initiatives to play a more active role in community affairs.
1.17
The school encourages sound personal development
through the influences of the curriculum, the specific PSHE programme and the
extra-curricular activities. The
personal development of pupils in the Junior Department is well fostered by the
form teachers, while individual development within the school community is
promoted by very good assemblies.
Corresponding provision is effective in the Senior School through the
work of the form tutors, supported by the heads of year, with the school
community dimension experienced in assemblies, some of them excellent and taken
variously by staff and pupils.
Pastoral Care, Support and Guidance; Pupils’ Welfare, including Health and Safety
1.18 A strong feature of the school is the quality of the systems of care, support and guidance extended to pupils in the Junior Department and in the Senior School by both teaching and non-teaching staff. Pupils are, and feel they are, valued as individuals. The care, support and guidance they receive are much appreciated by pupils, as they are by their parents. In both sections of the school, the role of form teacher or form tutor is well understood and well developed. In the larger, more complex, context of the Senior School, the heads of year play an important role in supporting both pupils and form tutors. They are also instrumental in putting the excellent guidance systems into effect at important stages in the school career of each pupil - such as careers guidance, or to assist with selection of, and application to, universities. The provision for pupils’ welfare is closely aligned with the provision of pastoral care and is supplemented by some special arrangements. All statutory requirements are met for health and safety and for child protection. The school’s catering is excellent, with special dietary provision as necessary. The school has an excellent health service, professionally staffed, and with the opportunity for pupils to receive confidential advice.
1.19 The governors set clear expectations of high standards for all aspects of the work of the school. They have ensured the existence of a very good ethos and a sense of purpose. They have also ensured that the school cares very well for its pupils, and that the work of staff in all roles is highly valued. Governors have been very effective in facing up to the challenges of recent years and taking strategic decisions which have ensured that the school remains viable, developing and forward-looking. Senior management is appropriate and effective. The headmaster has the confidence of governors and gives clear-sighted leadership to the school, ably supported by the expertise and dedication of the bursar. Overall management of the Junior Department and the Senior School is effected by the senior management team, which includes the head of the Junior Department. There is scope for responsibility for the curriculum to be represented in the senior management team. The role of subject co-ordinator is barely existent in the Junior Department and its development could create a channel for liaison with subject departments in the Senior School. The quality of leadership of the Senior School departments is variable, and there is considerable scope for its development – particularly to increase the range of effective teaching techniques in some departments, and the use of target-setting and tracking of pupils’ progress in order to raise standards of attainment.
Achievement and Quality in Activities
1.20 The Junior Department offers pupils some good quality activities, including some in music, although overall the number and range of non-sporting activities is limited. For pupils in the Senior School there is a range of good quality activities, which include those providing opportunities in music, drama, the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme - although the number of activities offering intellectual extension is limited. There is a very good range and quality of sports for pupils of all ages, provided by the physical education department with the support of many of the other teaching staff.
Progress Made by the School since its Last Inspection
1.21 The school has taken appropriate action on most of the recommendations made by an HMC inspection team in 1995. A small number of areas requires further development. A post of director of studies has been established, although redefinition of responsibilities is needed in the senior management team to give clearer oversight of the curriculum and other academic matters. A working group to explore the possibility of more co-operation over the curriculum between the boys’ and girls’ schools, especially in the sixth forms, has only recently been established by the governors and its work needs to be progressed, in association with overall strategic review.
2.1 The school has no major weaknesses but in the context of the school’s strengths the following recommendations are drawn to the governors’ and the headmaster’s attention. None of these should be taken to indicate anything other than the desirability of improving already good provision.
R1 Use assessment more thoroughly to establish pupils’ individual learning needs, to guide learning and attainment targets, and to monitor pupils’ progress, in order to raise individual standards.
R2 Develop more widespread use of a variety of teaching techniques, including those employing ICT, to stimulate pupils to meet learning targets and to achieve to their academic potential.
R3 Improve co-ordination of teaching of each subject within the Junior Department and develop effective consultation and curriculum planning between the subject co-ordinators and heads of subject department in the Senior School, so as to improve curriculum continuity between the two sections of the school.
R4 Develop the role of head of subject department in the Senior School, so as to discharge responsibility for teaching quality and for the development of pupils as effective learners of the subject.
3.1 The Hulme Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day school for about 600 boys between the ages of 11 and 18 in the Senior School and for about 120 boys between the ages of 7 and 11 in the Junior Department (Hulme Court). The school was founded in the early 17th century but in 1887 it was reconstituted under the Endowed Schools Act and subsequently became a Direct Grant School. When that scheme ended in 1976 it reverted to full independence. A single governing body is responsible for the school, its adjoining sister school and a recently acquired co-educational preparatory school. The school’s ethnic mix reflects the local area, with over 10% of pupils of Pakistani origin, nearly 5% Indian and small proportions of other ethnic groups. The school recruits from the town and from a wide surrounding area.
3.2 National Curriculum Assessments at Age 7 (Key Stage 1), Age 11 (Key Stage 2) and 14 (Key Stage 3): pupils are not entered for these national tests.
3.3 GCSE
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Most recently completed Year 11 |
Average for the last three Year 11s |
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Boys |
Girls |
All |
Boys |
Girls |
All |
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Entered for 5+ subjects |
100% |
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100% |
100% |
- |
100% |
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Achieved 5+ @ A* - C |
95.9% |
- |
95.9% |
96.4% |
- |
96.4% |
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Achieved 5+ @ A* - G |
100% |
- |
100% |
100% |
- |
100% |
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Average score per candidate (1) |
55.5 |
- |
55.5 |
56.9 |
- |
56.9 |
(1) Scoring is 8 for GCSE grade A*, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for grades A – G.
3.4 “New” AS Level in 2001
Pupils were entered in 19 subjects; grades A – E were achieved in 96% of the entries.
3.5 A Level and AS
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Most recent year |
Average for the last three years |
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Boys |
Girls |
All |
Boys |
Girls |
All |
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Average score per candidate |
26.6 |
- |
26.6 |
24.9 |
- |
24.9 |
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Average score per subject entry |
6.7 |
- |
6.7 |
6.2 |
- |
6.2 |
Scoring is 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 for A level grades A – E, and 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for AS grades A to E.
3.6 Attendance for school year 2000 - 2001
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Authorised |
Unauthorised |
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Percentage absence |
4.8 |
0.04 |
3.7 Exclusions Over the Previous 12 Months
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Temporary exclusions |
Permanent exclusions |
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9 |
5 |
4. Educational Standards Achieved by Pupils at the School
4.1 The Junior Department does not participate in the end of Key Stage 2 tests. Overall pupils’ attainment is good and in line with their ages and abilities. The level of the pupils’ attainment is tested upon entry and progress monitored through examinations and national standardised tests in English and mathematics.
4.2 Attainment was judged to be sound or better in nine-tenths of lessons seen with over half of those deemed to be good or better. Progress was appropriate or better in four-fifths of lessons observed and in one half was judged to be rapid.
4.3 In English the attainment of Year 3 pupils was higher than would be expected and in Year 6 the attainment was sound and in line with national expectations. Good spelling and handwriting are strong features of the pupils’ work, and progress ranged from appropriate to rapid.
4.4 In mathematics pupils are in line with national attainment levels in Year 3 but progress to above national levels by the end of Year 6. Progress was generally more than appropriate but more consolidation is needed for weaker pupils.
4.5 In science pupils displayed a good standard of attainment, and progress was never less than appropriate. These standards could be improved by the introduction of recording and writing up of practical investigations.
4.6
Attainment and progress in physical education are good,
with pupils being assessed using the school’s assessment criteria and end of
key stage descriptors. These also guide
curriculum planning.
4.7 Admission to the Senior School follows successful performance in mathematics and English in the entrance examination set by the school. Middle Years Information System (MidYIS) tests taken in Year 7 indicate that the intake is mainly comparable with maintained selective schools. However, in each year within this profile are some pupils of average ability. The ability of the intake has remained constant during the last five years.
4.8 Attainment in GCSE examinations over the last three years has generally been sound, comparable with or just below that in maintained selective schools, reflecting the range of ability in the year.
4.9 At A level, standards have improved steadily over the last three years to reach overall attainment in 2001 that was in line with that in maintained selective schools. The results in the new AS examinations, taken for the first time in June 2001, were sound overall, with a 100% pass rate in thirteen of the nineteen subjects offered.
4.10 Within the overall standards of attainment some fluctuations exist, with a small number of departments under-achieving. In particular, attainment at GCSE over the last three years has been below that for selective maintained schools in biology, chemistry, physics, modern languages and Latin. Attainment at A level in biology and physics is not always consistent with the expectations indicated by standardised tests and analyses. The school’s internal analysis of results, along with test results from MidYiS, Year 11 Information System (YELLIS) and A-level Information System (ALIS), highlight these fluctuations at GCSE and A level. Departments are recommended to use all this valuable information to assess results and fine-tune pupil performance wherever unevenness occurs.
4.11 Attainment and progress in lessons are at least in line with pupils’ age and ability and mostly higher. In lessons observed, progress was most rapid in Key Stage 3 and standards of attainment are at their highest in relation to ages and abilities. In Key Stage 4 and the sixth form they are mostly sound, with some examples of progress and attainment exceeding expectations for pupils’ abilities. Rapid progress is made whenever pupils are intellectually challenged and work is planned in ways to invite pupils to think and evaluate independently. Such examples were observed particularly in lessons in geography, English, philosophy, chemistry and biology. Progress is often limited by over-use of teacher-dominated lessons and the setting of undemanding tasks.
4.12 Pupils are good communicators. Their written work is well constructed and they are articulate, courteous and confident when speaking to peers and adults. Standards are good in numeracy, particularly mental arithmetic skills. Practical skills are well-developed in art, music and design and technology. Very good levels of physical skills are achieved in physical education but attainment in interactive creative skills is restricted by the absence of drama in the curriculum.
4.13 The attainment and progress of pupils of different ethnicity and backgrounds are comparable with others in the school. No ethnic bias was noted in this well-integrated school community.
4.14 Pupils gain qualifications and skills enabling them to move to their next stage of education or employment. In the last three years 95% of pupils went to university or higher education on leaving the sixth form, either directly or following a gap year. Nine pupils gained entry to Oxford or Cambridge and many gained places on very competitive degree courses.
4.15 Recommendation:
· Use the nationally validated comparative data, on a whole-school basis and within departments, to identify pupils’ needs and to set individual learning targets.
Quality of Pupils’ Learning, Attitudes and Behaviour
4.16 Overall the quality of pupils’ learning, attitudes and behaviour is good. In four-fifths of lessons observed it was judged to be sound or better and in just under one half of these lessons it was deemed to be good or better. The only exception to this was when staff from the Senior School taught Year 6 pupils - when a marked deterioration was seen.
4.17 The majority of pupils display good motivation and are very keen and enthusiastic to complete their work. They are able to sustain concentration well, work individually or collaboratively in pairs or in small groups. This was seen particularly in physical education, science and music.
4.18 Pupils are competent learners but their learning skills could be extended and developed if teachers presented work in a more challenging and stimulating manner. Pupils need opportunities to become more fully involved in the teaching and learning process, as at present they are often passive learners, being presented with facts instead of being allowed to become more actively involved and to seek answers and solutions for themselves.
4.19 Relationships between pupils in all year groups are good. They show consideration and respect for other pupils’ feelings, values and opinions. They play together well in their free time at breaks and lunchtime.
4.20 Behaviour in class and around school is generally good and pupils act in a responsible manner. They are usually polite, friendly and courteous towards one another and relations between pupils and their peers, and between pupils and their teachers are good.
4.21 Strengths of the school are the high standards of learning and behaviour in lessons. Although there is a decline in standards with age, learning and behaviour in lessons are rarely less than sound. In Key Stage 3, learning and behaviour were good or very good in the vast majority of les