Copy of School Report by H.M.I. Mr. Vaughan Taylor. Inspected on 4th. April & 9th May 1939.
The Head Teacher has given much time to out-of-school activities, and he has sought to widen the childrens' interests by organising educational visits. He has been well supported in these activities by the majority of his staff.
The scholars in the top class work diligently under the direction of the Head Teacher who has planned their courses of study carefully: they show keen interest in their various projects. It is to be regretted that the children in the other senior classes are not better prepared for this type of study: they are not self-disciplined but require constant supervision by the teachers, and they get no opportunity for individual effort in History and Geography. An attempt is made to encourage personal observation in Science but the value of this is minimised by the unsuitable grading of the work from year to year, and by the unsystematic treatment which the various aspects of the subject receive.
Extensive specialisation is employed in junior and senior classes. The Head Teacher may wish to reconsider the practice since no obvious benefit has resulted except in the teaching of History to the Juniors: the teacher responsible for this has employed dramatisation effectively, and the scholars are keenly interested in the subject.
In English, the children in all classes write with reasonable fluency on a variety of topics, but in many cases their work is marred by poor handwriting. It is obvious that there should be uniformity of style throughout the school, and a common policy for teaching should be formulated.
Excellent provision is made in the junior rooms for the teaching of Arithmetic on practical lines: the results of tests given to Class S2. suggest the need for revision of tables and for further practice in mental calculation at this stage.
The senior children render a good range of songs expressively and they enjoy their physical activities. Swimming is well taught and makes an obvious appeal to many scholars.
10/6/1939. 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111. W Dunford, Correspondent
Blunt reports like this must make us wonder if Ofsted is so bad after all!
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1