5 star inspection report for Helensburgh’s Hermitage Academy

An official inspection of Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh has praised the school for every aspect of the education it provides.

The report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate (HMI) – published yesterday (24th August 2010) – found every area of school life to be either ‘very good’ or ‘good’. Not one single element was classed as ‘satisfactory’, ‘weak’ or ‘unsatisfactory’.

Among the particular strengths highlighted by the inspectors were:

• Young people’s very positive attitudes to their learning, and their sense of pride in the school and its achievements
• The contributions young people make to the local and wider community through the volunteering they do
• The high quality of engagement with an extensive range of partners
• The ways in which staff are taking a lead in developing the curriculum and improving learning, in line with Curriculum for Excellence
• The culture of self-evaluation and commitment to improvement which supports and promotes innovation
• The leadership and sense of direction provided by the head teacher and the senior leadership team

The inspectors also observed that staff know the pupils very well and that they are encouraged to work hard, behave well and develop positive attitudes.

The wider challenge

Before this positively stellar report causes mass migration to Helensburgh, realise that there is no reason why every school should not be as good as this. It’s not about money, it’s about attitudes, will and ambition – of the school, its teachers, its pupils, their parents, every aspect of the entire community in which it sits and which it serves – and the Council’s Education department whose contribution should also be recognised as part of this achievement.

Helensburgh has set the bar. Now make it happen in your school.

The responses to the report

Councillor Isobel Strong, Argyll and Bute’s spokesperson for Education and Lofelong Learning, nailed this in praising the efforts of everyone at the school, saying: ‘I warmly congratulate all those who have worked so hard to make Hermitage Academy the successful school that it is.

‘My ambition is for all Argyll and Bute schools to receive similarly positive inspection reports and Hermitage is showing just what can be accomplished through hard work and dedication.

‘Everyone associated with the school – staff, pupils, parents and the wider community – works extremely hard to ensure that Hermitage Academy is a happy and successful place in which to learn and teach and I’m very pleased that these efforts have been recognised’.

Academy pupils were identified as having high expectations of themselves both in and beyond school, and this was reflected in attainment at Higher, Advanced Higher and Intermediate levels, where they performed consistently above, or well above, national averages.

This is fundamentally important. If, from their earliest age, children are enabled to see themselves positively and to get satisfaction from meeting challenges they set themselves, we will see capable, confident and ambitious generations of Argyllachs come to the fore.

Hermitage head teacher,Geoff Urie, says: “I am delighted with the report, which highlights the many strengths of the school.

‘I am particularly pleased that it recognises the impact of the hard work and commitment of the staff in providing a first class education.

‘It is a report that the whole school and the community can be extremely proud of, especially the very positive statements about the pupils and their attitudes to learning and sense of pride in their school. I look forward to ensuring that Hermitage Academy builds on this report and continues to strive for excellence’.

The inspectors observed that the school has a clear vision based on preparing young people to be successful throughout their time in school and in later life, promoting high expectations and aspirations for all.

Councillor George Freeman, Chairman of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee, said: ‘As this is the first HMIE inspection at the new school, I would like to congratulate the head teacher and his staff for all the effort that they continue to put in and which has been recognised by the inspectors.

‘Congratulations should also go to all the pupils without whose efforts such excellent reports would not be possible’.

Two of those pupils are Fraser Baird and Heather York, both S6.

• Fraser says: ‘Being a part of Hermitage Academy fills me with pride.  The evaluations made in the HMIE report were outstanding and emphasise that our school truly is a school of champions’.
• Heather says: ‘As a pupil of Hermitage Academy, I feel the report from the HMIE inspectors was an accurate representation of the many strengths of our school, which I am proud to be a part of’.

And the well earned bonus

The report concluded by noting that as a result of the very good quality of education provided by Hermitage Academy, there will be no further visits in connection with the inspection.

Hermitage Academy, in the shining achievement that has been recognised so unequivocally in this report, has both polished Argyll’s image and drawn a line in the sand for other schools and their communities to leap to. Ready, steady…