Whitecraig Primary School
and Nursery Class
Musselburgh
East Lothian Council
31 August 2010
We published a report on Whitecraig Primary School and Nursery
Class in October 2007. That report set out key strengths of the
school and main points for action. We carried out a
follow-through inspection in May 2009 and published a report on
that visit in August 2009.
This follow-through report is based on an inspection visit which
was carried out in May 2010. It tells you about improvements
since the original inspection in the quality of education which the
school1 provides. It also comments on how the school is getting
on with the main points for action. First we focus on changes in
the core work of the school. We explain how the school has got
better at helping children to learn and benefit from being at the
school. Next we look at the key processes which enable this to
happen, including the involvement of parents2. Our report also
describes developments in the ‘ethos’ of the school, by which we
mean how well children are cared for and how much is expected
of them in all aspects of school life. Finally we comment on
improvements in leadership to help the school achieve its aims.
A copy of this report has been placed on the HMIE website
www.hmie.gov.uk. Where applicable, you will also find analyses
of questionnaire returns.
1
2
The term ‘school’ is used to include the work of the nursery
class, where relevant.
Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to
include foster carers, residential care staff and carers who are
relatives or friends.
Contents
1. The school
2. Particular strengths of the school
3. How well do children learn and achieve?
4. How well do staff work with others to support children's learning?
5. Are staff and children actively involved in improving their school
community?
6. Does the school have high expectations of all children?
7. Does the school have a clear sense of direction?
8. What happens next?
1. The school
Whitecraig Primary School and Nursery Class serves the village of
Whitecraig and the surrounding area. The current headteacher had
been in post since February 2009.
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2. Particular strengths of the school
•
Children who are keen to learn and who are proud of their
achievements.
•
The progress made in raising children’s attainment in English
language and mathematics.
•
The quality of the curriculum and children’s learning experiences.
•
The success of all staff in improving the school.
•
The leadership of the headteacher.
3. How well do children learn and achieve?
Children in the nursery class now regularly enjoy stimulating activities
which help them learn and develop. Across the school, children are
now learning enthusiastically through well-planned activities. They
work very well in pairs and are developing skills in working in small
groups. They can talk about how well they are doing and know what
they need to do next. Children are more confident and achieve well
across the curriculum. In the nursery class, children are making better
progress in early literacy. Across the school, children’s attainment in
English language and mathematics has significantly improved. Most
children now attain in line with national expectations in reading, writing
and mathematics. Children talk with confidence and are better at
listening to their teachers and to each other. They are more secure in
tackling new texts in their reading. Children now write well at length
for a variety of purposes. In mathematics, children respond well to
more challenging activities. They demonstrate increasing speed and
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accuracy in mental and written calculations. They understand better
how they reach their answers and have improved skills in solving
problems.
The quality of the curriculum has improved significantly from the
original inspection. Staff are successfully taking forward
Curriculum for Excellence, resulting in improved learning activities for
children. They plan well, and skilfully link aspects of learning to
provide meaningful activities for children. As a result, children across
the school now experience a broader and more balanced range of
activities.
In the nursery class, staff support children’s learning well, ensuring
each child can progress at an appropriate level. Across the primary
classes, arrangements for meeting the needs of all children are much
improved. Teachers work very effectively with the support for learning
teacher to ensure they have appropriate approaches to learning for all
children. The support for learning teacher skilfully assesses children
who may need additional support. She works effectively with class
teachers, learning assistants and the nursery nurse to ensure they
have appropriate programmes to support their learning.
4. How well do staff work with others to support children's
learning?
Communication between school staff and parents has improved and is
now very effective. Parents are well informed about what their children
are learning in school and what they can do at home to help them.
They know how well their children are progressing and feel the school
addresses any difficulties quickly and sensitively. The Parent Council
works well in partnership with the school and has successfully
improved the school environment. The school now has strong and
productive relationships with the community centre. These
arrangements have recently been enhanced by the
Support from the Start initiative to support work in the early years.
3
5. Are staff and children actively involved in improving their
school community?
The school improvement team, made up of children from each class,
work closely with the headteacher to improve their school community.
The children are proud of what they have achieved. The headteacher
and staff have worked very well together to take the school forward.
They plan developments carefully, and evaluate the impact of what
they are doing. The headteacher regularly visits classrooms and
discusses children’s learning experiences with children and staff.
Teachers now work closely with the headteacher to monitor the
progress of all children and ensure they are progressing well. As a
result the quality of learning and attainment is now better, and
continues to improve.
6. Does the school have high expectations of all children?
Staff, children and parents all have significantly higher expectations of
what children can achieve. Children respond very well to higher
expectations. They are motivated in class and enthusiastic about their
learning. As a result, the school is now a calm and purposeful
environment in which everyone is valued and children are achieving
more. Staff continue to pay very good attention to the care and
welfare needs of children.
7. Does the school have a clear sense of direction?
The headteacher provides very strong leadership across the school
community. She has established a clear vision for the school which
has inspired staff, parents and children. Staff have taken on
leadership roles and work together to improve learning. The whole
school community now is committed to achieving the best for all
children. The school is very well placed to continue to improve.
4
8. What happens next?
The school has improved significantly since the original inspection.
Children are motivated by higher quality learning and are achieving
more. The curriculum, leadership, the quality of learners’ experiences,
their attainment and the school’s approaches to meeting needs are
now at a satisfactory or better level. As a result we will make no
further visits in relation to the inspection of October 2007.
HM Inspector: Christine Knight
31 August 2010
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When we write reports, we use the following word scale so that our
readers can see clearly what our judgments mean.
excellent
very good
good
means
means
means
satisfactory
weak
unsatisfactory
means
means
means
outstanding, sector leading
major strengths
important strengths with some areas
for improvement
strengths just outweigh weaknesses
important weaknesses
major weaknesses
If you would like to find out more about our inspections or get an
electronic copy of this report, please go to www.hmie.gov.uk.
Please contact us if you want to know how to get the report in a
different format, for example, in a translation, or if you wish to
comment about any aspect of our inspections. You can contact us
at HMIEenquiries@hmie.gsi.gov.uk or write to us at BMCT,
HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business
Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
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for deaf users. Please do not use this number for voice calls as the
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You can find our complaints procedure on our website
www.hmie.gov.uk or alternatively you can contact our Complaints
Manager, at the address above or by telephoning 01506 600259.
Crown Copyright 2010
HM Inspectorate of Education