TAVISTOCK College has been judged ?outstanding? for its poetry teaching in a new Ofsted report on the subject. Teachers have a passion for poetry and the subject occupies a central position in the English curriculum, said inspectors in the Poetry in schools: a survey of practice report which found the college to be one of the best in the country. Tavistock was one of 86 schools surveyed and the subject was said to be very well planned at the establishment. Units were well designed to inspire students and assessment criteria well used to track student progress in their understanding and writing of poetry. Teachers with a passion for the subject modelled their own poetry in their teaching. As a result, students were well motivated to read, write and study poetry. Enrichment activities such as poetry competitions, involvement in the National Poetry Day and having their poetry published also helped to motivate students. Headteacher Colin Eves said he was delighted that the work of staff and students had been recognised in this report. ?A considerable amount of thought and effort has gone into the planning of this work. It is very rewarding to see the high standards being achieved,? he said. Highlighting examples where schools have succeeded in enthusing and engaging pupils in poetry teaching, Ofsted?s report evaluated the strengths and shortcomings of poetry in schools. It also revealed that pupils often had a limited experience of classic poems and poetry from other cultures and traditions. Inspectors found that poetry teaching was at least satisfactory in all 86 schools visited and good or very good in around two thirds. However, the report also revealed that poetry was weaker than the other aspects of English inspected, suggesting that poetry remained an area for development in many of the schools surveyed.
