HMI Education 8-12 (1985)

Notes on the text
Preliminary pages Contents, Preface
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 The content of the curriculum
Chapter 3 Personal and social education
Chapter 4 Provision for children with special needs
Chapter 5 Planning, assessment, continuity and liaison
Chapter 6 The management and organisation of the teaching
Chapter 7 The main characteristics of the schools
Chapter 8 Some issues for discussion
Appendices Inspection procedures, background to the schools, Statistical notes, HMI schedules
Index

A survey by HM Inspectors of Schools (1985)

London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1985
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Contents
[pages iii - iv]

1 introduction

2 The content of the curriculum
Introduction
Language and literacy
Mathematics
Science and health education
French
Social and environmental studies
Religious education
Home studies
Arts and crafts
Music
Physical education

3 Personal and social education

4 Provision for children with special needs

5 Planning, assessment, continuity and liaison
Planning
Assessment and record keeping
Continuity and liaison

6 The management and organisation of the teaching arrangements
The allocation and discharge of responsibilities
The deployment of staff
Timetabling arrangements
The composition of classes and teaching groups

7 The main characteristics of the schools

8 Some issues for discussion

Appendices

1 Inspection procedures

2 Background to the schools
Introduction
Teachers and other staff
Accommodation
Resources

3 Statistical notes

4 Summaries of HMI schedules
Items common to all schedules
Items specific to particular schedules

Preface
[pages v - vi]

This report is based on a survey of sixteen 5 to 12 combined schools and thirty-three 8 to 12 middle schools chosen to illustrate the diversity of circumstances in which such schools operate. The focus of the report is an assessment of how appropriately the schools provided for the age group 8 to 12 and how well the children responded to the education offered. The survey did not seek to compare the educational provision in different types of middle schools, nor to assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of two and three-tier systems of schooling. It does, however, make an indirect contribution to the discussion of such matters by providing evaluative comment on provision in two types of school.

Almost all the schools in the survey were pleasant places in which to live and work. They were characterised by good personal relationships, positive attitudes and conscientious work by children and staff. Children were being introduced to a range of knowledge and skills and were achieving satisfactory standards in reading, writing and computation. The report makes a number of suggestions for the further development of their work, based on practice seen in the survey schools and in other similar schools.

Although the generalisations and the recommendations within the report do not apply equally to all 5 to 12 or 8 to 12 schools, many of the points raised will be of interest to those concerned with such schools or with the age group 8 to 12 more generally. They are intended to help schools appraise their policies and practices with a view to improving still further the education they provide an - aspiration shared by teachers, administrators, advisers, governors and those involved in teacher education.

As with other reports published by HMI, no assumption can be made about government commitment to the provision of additional resources as a result of the survey.