Parent Newsletter

Parent Newsletter Archive

HMI Report: 29th August 2006
Newspaper Article

Many of you will have read the report on the above in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald published on 20th September 2006. I regret to say that this article is inaccurate, sensationalist and biased. I will explain my reasons for this description below.

Firstly, let me say that the Garnock HMI Report overall, in my opinion as Headteacher, is good. Clearly there are areas which we need to work on, but equally there are areas of great strength and good practice. The fact that two HMIs have recently visited the school to observe excellent practice in Music and PE highlighted in our April inspection, is evidence of this good practice. We have very good relationships with Parents, School Board and Community, very good Support for Pupils as well as excellent results in many departments. In particular our strength in music & drama is nationally recognised. The article in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald fails to recognise any of these strengths whilst focusing almost entirely on negative areas of the report.

The newspaper article is inaccurate in several areas.
The statement that NAC have come up with more than two dozen steps that Garnock must take before HMI return – unannounced – some time over the next two years, is simply wrong. HMI will not return “unannounced”. It is standard practice for HMI to make a follow up inspection within two years, and all North Ayrshire secondary schools have had a follow up inspection within two years of a major inspection. The follow up inspection time is intimated well in advance to the school and the local authority. In this matter we are exactly the same as any other secondary school, which is not the impression given by the newspaper article.
In addition, the “steps” referred to, are the measures drawn up by the school itself in its school plan to address the action points in the HMI report. They were not drawn up by NAC Educational Services department, as incorrectly reported in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald. This again is standard practice for all schools after inspection, and not something unique to Garnock Academy.

The newspaper article is sensationalist in several areas.
“Education Chiefs have vowed to take action after inspectors’ report” is sensationalist for effect. The newspaper article had already been written and published before the Garnock HMI report was discussed at the educational services committee on the afternoon of Wednesday 20th September. The article is therefore conjecture at this point. It is normal practice for all school HMI reports to be discussed at Educational Services committee meetings and action points approved. The action points drawn up by the school and agreed by Directorate staff were accepted as a reasonable course of action. I have not read “chiefs vow to take action” reported in any other newspaper report concerning Educational Services Committee decisions about other school HMI reports, but this comment could be applied to all schools with action points highlighted by HMI. The use of the above phrase is sensationalist in the extreme.

The newspaper report is also biased in comparison to reporting recent HMI reports from other secondary schools in the local area.
If you still have a copy of the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald of 24th May 2006, you will see a report in the newspaper entitled “Supportive Academy is praised by Inspectors”. Another secondary school in North Ayrshire, closer to the circulation centre of the newspaper, received a newspaper report which clearly highlighted the strengths of that school. The HMI quality indicators from both schools are in the public domain and can be compared by looking at both reports on the HMIe website under Secondary School reports. Both are almost identical. The fact that the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald chose to highlight mainly the positive aspects in one school report and mainly the negative aspects in another, is clear evidence of a territorial bias which only the newspaper can explain.

I regret having to write the above. However, the inaccuracies, sensationalism and bias contained within the above article needs to be brought to your attention. The article is a thoroughly poor example of irresponsible reporting simply for effect. On occasions when things go wrong and the school receives bad press, we have to accept it and get on with our work. This is not such an occasion. The negative spin on our report in the Ardrossan and Salcoats Herald is undeserved and does severe injustice to pupils, parents and secondary staff in the Garnock Valley. For the above reasons I am referring the matter to the Press Complaints Commission.

Please treat the newspaper report in the appropriate manner with the above in mind.

For the North Ayrshire Council press release Click here

SQA Results
Following on from the above, I am pleased to say to parents that in the 2006 examinations the percentage of S4 pupils achieving five or more Credit passes in Standard Grade in S4 is at the highest level in the school’s history. This is a credit to the pupils, parents and staff of last session’s S4.

NAC Young Chorister of the Year
I am also pleased to say that Kirsty Williamson (S5) won this prestigious award on Wednesday 13th September. The award is competed for by pupils from North Ayrshire secondary and primary schools

Winter Weather Arrangements
We are now closer to the time of year that the school may be closed because of bad weather. The decision to close is only taken after consultation with the police, bus contractors and North Ayrshire Council. Therefore it is vital that you discuss with your child where they should go if there is no one at home. Perhaps there is a relation, neighbour or friend they could go to until your return.
Every effort will be made to keep you up to date with school closures using Westsound Radio and the school website, but sometimes in our climate it is necessary to close the school at short notice.
This information is also very important if your son/daughter is ill and has to be taken home. Please ensure that we have your contact details - especially remembering the school should be informed if you move or change a mobile phone number.

e-Learning
Pupils preparing for certificate examinations (Standard Grade, Intermediate, Higher, Advanced Higher) can access a huge amount of excellent study materials on our school website. This can be reached from the homepage by clicking onto the link “Revision and Essential Study”.
This is a very effective way of learning the content and skills required for examinations. Please encourage your son or daughter to use this facility which is targeted on preparation for examinations.
In Higher Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computing, all pupils have been given passwords to the “Scholar” materials prepared by Heriot-Watt University to assist their study in these subjects. The material on “Scholar” is first class and the school recommends it very strongly. Please encourage your son or daughter to use this resource at home. (http://scholar.hw.ac gives access to the site).
Parents should be aware that pupils can gain a tremendous amount of excellent preparation from Internet based learning, and I would recommend that you discuss and possibly look at the material together initially. Any pupil experiencing technical difficulties i.e. having problems logging in, or getting onto links, should see Mr Crocker, our ICT technician in school.

 

Brian McNaught Rector September 2006

Garnock Academy
School Road
Kilbirnie
KA25 7AX5
Telephone:01505 682685
Email: contactus@garnock.n-ayrshire.sch.uk


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