Annual report

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCY (IQAA)

In February 2008 IQAA were contracted to do an evaluation of the six selected schools. The purpose was to report to the Historic Schools Restoration Project on the state of education in each of them. Messrs KPMG would be assessing their financial situations and the condition of their buildings and facilities. The reports by KPMG and IQAA, inevitably overlapping in some respects, would assist the HSRP to determine what needed to be done and contributed in order to improve the schools where necessary and to make of them beacons of achievement, aspiration and hope.

THE PROCESS

IQAA undertook this evaluation using the followed process:

• Adapted and modified the evaluation model as set out in their school in a mirror guideline instrument to suit the nature of the commission from the HSRP;
• Appointed six of their highly experienced mentors, each to work with an internal team from one school,who would guide, contribute, validate and report on the findings and make recommendations for further investigation, discussion, decision and action – all aimed as much at improvement as assessment;
• Conducted a training workshop on 18 and 19 February at Western Province Preparatory School, Claremont, and invited three representatives from each school together with the mentors to attend.
• Sent out to each school three sets of opinion surveys – for learners, staff and parents – which were returned and scored and the results sent to the schools and mentors;
• Received preliminary reports from the mentors by the end of March on their contacts with the schools, including visits to the schools and the plans being set in place for the intensive visit in the period 21-25 April 2008. The schools received the mentors warmly and were keen to be part of the process;
• Received final reports from the mentors by 9 May, which form the basis for this summary.

AREAS OF OPERATION

The following areas of operation were covered in the evaluation of each school:

• Teaching and learning;
• Attainments and progress;
• Functioning of the school;
• Governance and management;
• Values and social involvement.

MEANS AND METHODS

Working together, the mentors and the school internal evaluation teams made use of the following means and methods of obtaining evidence, in the form of facts as well as opinions and perceptions. They investigated further and discussed fully many points that came to light.

• Opinion surveys and the responses to them;
• Focus group discussions with various levels of the school community, based on the opinion survey responses and other sources of information and/or concern;
• Interviews with individuals – especially those in key positions, but also some randomly selected;
• Classroom observation visits. Teaching and learning are central to a school’s existence. Here it should be emphasised that it was not the teachers as individuals who were being evaluated or assessed but rather the quality and characteristics of the teaching in the school as a whole;
• Observation beyond the classroom – extra-murals, playgrounds, expeditions etc;
• Examination of documentation – policies, publications, reports, mission statements, prospectuses, examination results, learners’ work, minutes etc;
• The debriefing meetings held at the end of each day of the intensive period were important in defining and articulating the team’s and mentor’s findings and recommendations. They were essential for the compilation of the final reports. The principal was kept in touch with all that happened during the evaluation.

OPINION SURVEYS

The opinion surveys were administered, as described above, to three school constituencies: learners, staff and parents. Learners from Grades 9 to 12 responded, with Grade 8 included in some schools. All staff (not only teachers) were asked to respond, though not all did. A limited number of parent forms were sent out and about 14% of parents sent in responses. There is, however, no reason to regard the scores as anything but reliable reflections of the community’s perceptions. It is important to remember that the responses are indeed only perceptions, but perceptions are what people act upon.

The opinion surveys showed the following general perceptions. No conclusions should be drawn from these until they have been interpreted in the light of the full report on each school:

Strengths

• Learners are happy at school
• They are experiencing good progress
• They respect their teachers
• Their teachers respect and care for the learners
• Homework is appropriately set and responded to.

Satisfactory but needing attention in some cases

• Academic standards
• Discipline.

Areas of concern in several schools

• Lack of extra-mural activities
• Safety and security of people, places and possessions
• Too much bullying (whatever definition of bullying is understood)
• Inadequate and unsatisfactory cultural opportunities and activity (bound up with difficulties with transport, distances, time and staff involvement)
• Sport – facilities, coaching, variety, time
• Classes too big
• Facilities poor (especially boarding).

RECOMMENDATIONS

These are, in summarised form, the recommendations made in the mentors’ full reports together with some to be inferred from comments in the text of the reports. As with the previous lists, no specific moves beyond this general picture should be made without reference to the full reports themselves.

The overall and overriding verdict of the mentors in all five schools evaluated was the strong recommendation, substantiated and deeply felt, that the schools are thoroughly worth supporting along the lines outlined by the Historic Schools Restoration Project. It was noted that in each of the schools evaluated, a very tangible sense of pride existed in the school’s origins, history, traditions and achievements, in particular of the alumni of each school.

In the recommendations for development in the reports, the importance of people is paramount, and the right kinds of people, with the necessary training, enthusiasm, integrity and sense of purpose, are essential for change to take place. Without such, all the material help and organisational change will be to no avail.

ADAMS COLLEGE

HEALDTOWN COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL

LEMANA HIGH SCHOOL

ST MATTHEW’S HIGH SCHOOL

TIGER KLOOF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION