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.

Chapter 3 Personal and social education
[pages 37 - 39]

3.1 All the schools were concerned with the personal and social education of pupils as well as with the development of academic knowledge and skills. Most children spent the greater part of their school day with their class teachers who were important influences on this aspect of their education. Good relationships were fostered between teachers and children and among the staff of the schools. Corporate activities, particularly assemblies, games, outside visits and extra-curricular activities provided opportunities outside class through which children could develop cooperation, responsibility for themselves and others, consideration and fair-mindedness.

3.2 The quality of pastoral care was good at all age levels in three quarters of the schools; in all but a very few of the remaining schools it was satisfactory. Although written policies for pastoral care were not common, concern for the welfare of children was evident in day-to-day practice. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between standards of work and standards of pastoral care. The quality of work in those schools characterised by above average standards of pastoral care was higher than in schools with below average standards of pastoral care.

3.3 Schools were generally successful in creating working relationships and in achieving high standards of behaviour. The behaviour of children towards one another and towards teachers was good in almost all the schools. Where poor behaviour occurred, it was usually associated with the slow pace of work which led to boredom and poor work habits.

3.4 In all the schools the children responded favourably to opportunities for cooperation when these were offered, though in a fifth of the schools there were too few such opportunities. Good examples of cooperation were most frequently found in group practical work in science, physical education, games and music.

3.5 There were some examples of children assuming responsibility in all the schools. Very often the pupils took some responsibility for the use and care of equipment in sports, team games and other activities in physical education. The welfare of animals, assistance with the library and the supervised preparation of materials, equipment and practical group work in science were other areas where children were sometimes given specific responsibilities which they carried out reliably. Occasionally the pupils helped to organise assemblies, school banks, tuckshops and house events.

3.6 Very few of the schools were good at providing opportunities for children to exercise choice or initiative but about half provided some, more often for older pupils than younger ones. Children displayed initiative more often in the context of craft subjects than elsewhere. In these subjects they were sometimes encouraged to make choices in the selection of tools, materials and fabrics and on occasion, they had to engage in problem-solving.

3.7 Consultation between teachers and parents about the children's progress was regarded as important in the majority of the schools. All the schools had arrangements for contacting parents about pupils' personal difficulties. An 'open door' policy which enabled parents to consult the head was operated in many cases. All the schools had arrangements for passing information about children's progress to parents either through annual written reports or through discussion at parents' evenings. A large majority of parents took advantage of such opportunities. Some of the schools were concerned that some non-English speaking parents were not able to take advantage of such arrangements; in one school this had been overcome, in part, by a teacher of English as a second language visiting these homes to ensure that parents were informed about their children's progress. Approximately four fifths of the schools contacted parents prior to their children starting at the school. The most common practice was to invite parents to visit the school on an open day or evening in the term prior to their children being admitted. In a similar proportion of the schools there were arrangements by which parents were informed of the procedures for transfer to the upper schools.

3.8 In the majority of the schools, especially denominational ones, links were established with the local community, though these varied in strength and frequency. Religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter or Divali provided opportunities for activities in the community such as carol singing or the distribution of gifts for the elderly. In some cases music and plays were performed for the community, and efforts made to collect money for various charities. In addition some children were encouraged to contribute to the community by, for example, planting bulbs in the local park or arranging displays of their paintings in the public library.