Hogwarts Ofsted Report

OFSTED REPORT 
School: HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
LEA: HOGSMEADE
Head Teacher at Time of Inspection: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE. SORT OF.About the School

Hogwarts is a larger than average, and slightly more eccentric than average, secondary school for boys who act like girls and girls who act like boys, aged 11-18. It is a boarding school, occupying a fine medieval building in large grounds. The school has a long history of which it is proud. Hogwarts is situated in an area of mainly private-owned accomodation. Parents tend to be professional in a flexible definition of the word.Inspector’s Findings Since the Last Inspection
The school has spiralled downwards since the last inspection. At that time it was deemed to be satisfactory, on the basis that the number of fatalties caused by jinxes and spells amongst the grounds was always offset by the number of corpses brought back to life as part of the Necromancy course in the Sixth Form. Since the arrival of a particularly disruptive pupil in 1997, fatalities have increased dramatically.

The school is generally led well, although at the time of inspection some exceptionally poor staffing decisions have led to pupils experiencing much instability. This culminated in a particularly tragic incident last year which will no doubt leave the school in turmoil. In one subject, there have been five teachers in as many years. Staff turnover is otherwise stable.

The premises itself is in need of urgent renewal. Space is not well-used, and in one case an entire floor was unused due to the presence of a 3-headed dog. Indeed the general attitude to Health and Safety is extremely lax. Inspectors were particularly concerned when using the stairs, finding their constant motion to be a severe hazard to children and adult’s welfare. Matters are further complicated by the presence of a number of poltergeists, who routinely smash windows, leaving broken glass strewn across corridors. In addition, the school has chronic trouble in keeping pupils safe. Escaped murderers and beings that suck all happiness out of souls have all been present. In particular, having your joy sucked out of your soul is not condusive to a positive learning environment.

The school provides barely adequate value for money.CURRICULUM PROVISION
Literacy, Numeracy, Science
None of these subjects appear to be taught in their own right. There was no evidence found to indicate use of the Primary Strategies, and when the topic of ‘Time’ was taught, pupils were mistakenly being taught that it was possible to go back in time and view your own arse from a different angle. In Literacy, pupils were seen to be writing diary entries in blank books. In Science, the teaching of reflection incorrectly teaches pupils that amongst the things one can see reflected in a mirror is one’s wildest dream. One pupil was seen to be seeking his future in a mirror- a major misconception. Pupils are also taught that it is possible to cause a feather to levitate and that stone contains life-extending properties. Subject knowledge of staff is highly questionable and the National Curriculum needs to be implemented.History, RE, Geography
Although the school’s own history is referred to at interminable length on a great many occasions, the teaching of world history is extremely limited. The only awareness of other countries seems to be derived from Quidditch teams. Pupils often visit the local village of Hogsmeade. Although in principle this is a positive experience, Hogsmeade itself is the magical equivalent of a Bracknell backalley and is of no educational merit whatsoever. Inspectors found that the only stimulating thing to do was get plastered at the local tavern, then high on sugar at the local sweet shop. This is of course not in keeping with the Healthy Schools Initiative. Not that the school has actually adopted it.

RE is poorly taught. Instead of being taught about other faiths, pupils are more often encouraged to think of themselves as God. At the other extreme, the Potions teacher clearly models himself on Satan. There is a balance lacking here.PE

The school has attempted to implement a new initiave for PE, called TopSpells. This has had limited success, however, due to the school’s extreme bias for the sport of Quidditch. There is no Gymnastics, no Dance and no Athletics. Quidditch itself is a poor game physically, as children are not required to run. The Health and Safety implications are significant, as the game is played at a high altitude and involves posessed balls pursuing children on broomsticks. Several players have injured themselves, and one had to have an arm regrown.ICT
Inspectors were forced to admit that in a school of wizardry and witchcraft, computers look somewhat pointless. Nonetheless, as a core subject, inspectors expected to find evidence of an ICT suite, which they did not. However, this also meant that there were no mobile phones playing incessantly irritating ringtones, which is something to be thankful for. We would recommend that the school’s ICT Co-ordinator (once one is actually appointed) liases with BECTA for advice on including ICT in Magic.DIFFERENTIATION
No provision was made for the less able. Those who did not attain high levels in lessons were insulted and ostracised. In the case of Transfiguration this did indeed involve being turned into an ostrich. However, challanges for the more able were certainly in evidence. In one excellent case, gifted and talented children were entered for a competition in which death was a high possibility. By involving able children in mortal games that risked drowning, asphyxiation and murder, motivation remained high.SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
SEN provision is on the one hand excellent. Given the range of powers that all children have, they are technically all SEN. However, by selecting only wizards and witches and not allowing ‘muggles’ to enter, the school is over selective and does not provide a fair education to all who apply. It is also highly ironic that although access to the school can be gained by boat, broomstick, flying car, non-existent train, poltergeist activity and time travel, there is no wheelchair access. Given the excessive rate of injury, this seems surprising.EAL

Provision for English as an Additional Language is again extremely uneven. While not one child has learned French, German, Spanish, Punjabi, Italian, Gaelic, Welsh, Danish, Dutch etc, many children can speak Latin, and in one case Parseltongue. OFSTED do not stipulate that speaking to reptiles should be compulsory and though is a damned useful skill, we recommend more emphasis on more common modern foreign languages.OVERALL SCORE: 4 (POOR) 


This originally links back to an article I found on the TES forums- see http://community.tes.co.uk/forums/p/87577/87577.aspx