NEI Inspection report - Woodford All Age School

Basic Information about the School

Woodford All Age School is located in the parish of St. Andrew in the rural coffee farming community of Woodford. It is an extra-small school with approximately 80 students. With four teachers including the principal, the student teacher ratio is 20:1. The average daily attendance is 82 per cent. Most of the students are from the immediate community with some coming from Papine. They are generally from a poor socioeconomic background, with many of the families being seasonally employed on coffee farms or in low income jobs. Approximately 46 per cent of students are beneficiaries of the PATH programme. Students are generally polite and welcoming. Some students and parents express concerns about poor students’ behaviour and some parents feel that there is a lack of support from parents regarding their children’s behaviour. The general perception of the school is improving and this is supported by the increased number of enquiries for admission in September.

Overall Effectiveness of the School

The overall effectiveness of the school is unsatisfactory

Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The principal has done a lot in a short time to improve the ethos of the school but he still has some way to go in moving the school from unsatisfactory to at least good. The school lacks effective instructional leadership, systems of accountability and reliable governance. It also lacks a school improvement plan to keep it focussed and to guide the process of moving the school forward. The quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory. Most lessons have a narrow range of activities and are not child-centred. Students are passive learners with little opportunity to apply their learning or to develop research and problem solving skills.

Students’ performance in English in national and regional tests is satisfactory and they make satisfactory progress in the subject from their point of entry to performance in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). In mathematics, students’ performance is good in relation to national and regional tests. However, when tracked from Grades 1 to 6, their overall progress in mathematics is only satisfactory.

The social and personal development of students is satisfactory. Most behave well, have good attitudes to school and keep their school environment clean
The school is adequately resourced but the resources are mainly underutilized. Curriculum and enhancement programmes are unsatisfactory. Although attempts have been made to modify the curriculum at Grades 4 and 5, this is not consistent across the school. For most of the students, work is not differentiated to meet their varying needs.

The safety, security, health and well-being of the school are unsatisfactory. Students feel safe at school but engage in potentially dangerous activities in the playground. The school lacks perimeter fencing and is a thoroughfare for some members of the community.

Although students’ emotional needs are catered for through guidance and counselling, there is insufficient monitoring of punctuality and attendance. The reported use of corporal punishment in one class is an inappropriate means of controlling behaviour.

The following key strengths are identified in the school:

• Performance of students in mathematics and English, especially with the additional support from the homework centre and a volunteer who teaches extra lessons in mathematics.
• A clean and tidy school compound with staff and students being proud of their school environment.
• Positive attitudes of most students