Daliburgh School and
Nursery Class
South Uist
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
23 August 2011
We published a report on Daliburgh School and Nursery Class in
September 2010. That report set out key strengths of the school
and areas for improvement.
This follow-through report is based on an inspection visit which
was carried out in May 2011. 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
Daliburgh School and Nursery Class serves the village of Daliburgh
and the surrounding area in South Uist. Since the initial inspection the
school has had two acting headteachers. The current acting
headteacher will take up post of headteacher from August 2011.
There is no longer a secondary stage within the school. The Gaelic
medium nursery class now operates for morning sessions only. There
have been a number of changes to the nursery staff team.
1
2. Particular strengths of the school
•
Staff teamwork in improving the school.
•
Use of the local environment to enhance learning.
3. How well do children learn and achieve?
In the nursery class, children are content and settled. They play well
together and enjoy their outdoor play. They need to have more
experiences which assist them to develop their thinking. At the
primary stages, children are eager to learn. They appreciate
improvements, such as, more active approaches and practical work,
which have made their learning more interesting. Children now learn
together more often in pairs and in groups. They do not yet have an
effective enough understanding of their strengths and next steps in
learning.
Children are developing their confidence well through taking on
responsibilities for aspects of school life, such as, eco school activities.
In the nursery class, children continue to listen well and have an
appropriate understanding of the Gaelic spoken to them. At the
primary stages, children in Gaelic medium are using Gaelic more often
to talk about their learning. They review each other’s work and take
part in collaborative activities. Across the primary stages, children are
writing more regularly for different purposes. In mathematics, children
need much more practice in basic skills, such as, the recall of
multiplication facts. They are still not sufficiently quick and accurate in
mental calculation.
In the nursery class, staff still do not have a clear enough shared
understanding of the curriculum they are expected to provide. At the
primary stages, teachers are now providing children with a broad
range of curricular experiences. They have improved their planning
2
and are taking account of Curriculum for Excellence. Staff have taken
very positive steps to make learning more meaningful. For example,
they have engaged children well in learning about the local
environment. There is still scope to ensure that teachers continue to
build on children’s prior learning. In the Gaelic medium classes, the
school should continue to ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are
delivered consistently through the medium of Gaelic. Across the
school, approaches to ensuring that tasks and activities are at the right
level of difficulty for children still require further improvement.
4. How well do staff work with others to support children’s
learning?
More parents are now interested in becoming involved in the Parent
Council. The school has improved communication with parents, for
example, through helpful newsletters and earlier notice about school
events. The school does not have a system to record parental
concerns and note actions taken. Staff should ensure that a system is
put in place and that any concerns or complaints are followed up.
5. Are staff and children actively involved in improving their
school community?
Children now have more opportunities to be involved in the life of the
school. For example, the pupil council selected a range of outdoor
games for use at intervals. They take responsibility for ensuring these
games are available and kept in good order. The school has taken
positive steps to improve approaches to self-evaluation. Most staff are
now more reflective about their practice and engage in professional
discussion about learning with more confidence. All staff should build
on the recently introduced useful approaches to monitoring and
evaluating the work of the school. Staff should ensure that information
gathered assists in identifying areas for improvement.
3
6. Does the school have high expectations of all children?
Children are very well behaved and courteous. Staff’s higher
expectations of children’s attendance have resulted in improvements.
Attractive displays of children’s work now enhance the learning
environment and raise the profile of achievement. Teachers need to
increase their expectations of children’s achievement and work.
7. Does the school have a clear sense of direction?
The nursery and the school have experienced significant changes
since the original inspection. There is now a clearer sense of purpose
and better teamwork among staff. Staff are committed to improving
their practice and have visited other schools to learn from other
colleagues. The newly appointed headteacher should now work with
staff, parents and children to agree a vision for the school. The
continued support of the education authority is required in assisting the
school’s capacity for improvement.
8. What happens next?
The school has improved areas of its work since the original
inspection. There has not yet been enough improvement in key
aspects of provision. As a result, we will continue to engage with the
school and the education authority in monitoring progress. We will
carry out a further follow-through visit to the school within one year of
the publication of this report, and will report to parents on the extent of
the improvement that has been achieved.
HM Inspector: Noreen Connaughton
23 August 2011
4
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.
Text phone users can contact us on 01506 600 236. This is a service
for deaf users. Please do not use this number for voice calls as the
line will not connect you to a member of staff.
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 2011
HM Inspectorate of Education