Bannockburn Primary School Stirling
Bannockburn Primary School serves the Bannockburn area of Stirling. The
catchment area is diverse and includes areas with high levels of deprivation. The roll
is 356. Inspectors noted the following features of the curriculum which contributed to
the school receiving an evaluation of “excellent” for Q.I. 5.3.*
Evaluations take account of the context of the school and these features are just part
of the overall approach the school takes to improving young people’s learning
experiences and achievements.
Meeting learning needs
Class teachers plan appropriately differentiated tasks and activities to meet the
needs of children. There is a strong team approach to planning and this has
enhanced the quality of learners’ experiences. There is very effective direct
interactive teaching in almost all classes and well-structured lessons which include a
wide range of high quality tasks and activities which meet children’s needs very
effectively.
Children with additional support needs are supported within the classroom setting
and are made to feel part of the class group.
Information about children’s attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is
gathered through the use of standardised tests and the school is using this
systematically in conjunction with ongoing class assessment information to identify
where additional support is required for children.
The school uses a range of highly effective approaches to identify, review and
evaluate children’s learning needs including the “SHANARRI” indicators. Additional
needs are very well met through an effective staged intervention process. There is a
helpful overview of children who have additional support needs with an indication of
the supports they are receiving.
There is a focus not only on those children who have barriers to learning but also
those who require additional challenge to help them to achieve all they can. The
writing attainment groups led by the principal teachers are an example of this where,
at P2, P4 and P6, identified children in the middle of the class are receiving focused
additional support to improve their attainment.
Specific support groups help children to make good progress in learning. For
example, the Get, Set, Go group helps identified children to improve gross and fine
motor skills.
The support for learning teacher works in close collaboration with class teachers and
support for learning assistants to provide effective support to individuals and groups.
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The school reviews the deployment of this support on a regular basis to meet the ongoing and emerging needs of children.
Support for learning staff provide very high quality support to the school by working
with children across all age ranges to support them in their learning and
achievement. This takes place in different settings and in a range of ways, for
example in class, at the “Pit Stop”, and in the “Super Group” for children in early
years.
Children from across the school with a variety of needs are being well supported with
their social and emotional wellbeing through the Pit Stop facility. The flexibility of the
Pit Stop means that it can be a safe haven for children and can cater responsively
for a range of needs, including supporting children who have been bereaved. It
means that the children who access this support can have time out and then rejoin
their classes ready to learn. They are also able to go there during breaks and lunch.
Staff have daily morning check-ins with some vulnerable children to ensure they are
ready for learning. Work is also carried out with families. This is highly regarded by
staff and children as a valuable resource. The needs of looked-after children are
well met and their progress is kept under close scrutiny.
The school ensures that individual support plans contain appropriate targets and are
based on SHANARRI indicators from GIRFEC guidelines. There is a planned
programme of reviews and these take place as appropriate with the involvement of
parents and children where possible.
Staff are highly alert to the social and emotional needs of children and ensure that
these are supported very effectively. Overall there is a very strong emphasis on the
care and welfare of children.
The school has highly effective links and relationships with a wide range of agencies
supporting children who are experiencing barriers to learning. Partners consider that
staff are receptive to professional advice, that they are pro-active in seeking this, and
as a result they are developing as more resilient practitioners. Staff have built up
their capacity to deal with a range of needs in school better through work with
outside agencies.
There are effective arrangements in place to support children as they enter and
move on from nursery; as they move to the 'big playground' and as they move into
secondary school. There is a very effective early enhanced transition to S1 for
identified children in P6 and P7 which is planned in close conjunction with the
secondary school.
The recent work on ‘Working Memory’ is a good example of the solution-focused
approach adopted by staff to improve outcomes for children. In this instance, a group
of staff led by the Support for Learning teacher undertook a small scale research
project to identify effective strategies to address working memory in response to
reports of this difficulty becoming increasingly prevalent in classes across the school.
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* http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/HowgoodisourschoolJtEpart3_tcm4684258.pdf
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