Canberra Primary School
East Kilbride
South Lanarkshire Council
8 June 2010
We published a report on Canberra Primary School in May 2009.
That report set out key strengths of the school and main points
for action.
This follow-through report is based on an inspection visit which
was carried out in March 2010. It tells you about improvements
since the original inspection in the quality of education which the
school 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 parents1. 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
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
Canberra Primary School serves the areas of Hairmyres,
Newlandsmuir and Westwood in East Kilbride. Since the original
inspection, the school has had three acting headteachers. The
headteacher was appointed to the school on a permanent basis in
October 2009.
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2. Particular strengths of the school
•
Motivated children who are enthusiastic learners and are proud of
their achievements.
•
Partnerships with parents, support agencies and the wider
community to meet learning needs and broaden children’s
experiences.
•
Commitment of the education authority, the headteacher and all
staff to improving the work of the school.
•
The leadership of the headteacher.
3. How well do children learn and achieve?
Children are proud of their school and their achievements. They work
very well together in teams and achieve success in local events, for
example, football and athletics competitions. Teachers engage with
children effectively in well-planned, challenging and varied
experiences. Children now have more responsibility for their learning.
They are more confident and enterprising. They know their strengths
and what they can do to improve. Staff are taking increasing account
of Curriculum for Excellence. Children’s learning is improving in areas,
such as, science and information and communications technology.
Children’s progress in English language and mathematics is
improving. Children use literacy and numeracy skills well across
different areas of their learning and apply effective strategies to solve
problems. Staff have improved significantly the way they meet the
needs of learners, including vulnerable children. The new systems in
place are very well organised, rigorous and effective. Support and
teaching staff work well together to provide valuable support for
children and assist them with their learning and development.
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4. How well do staff work with others to support children’s
learning?
Children at all stages benefit from stronger partnerships with parents,
other agencies and the community. The school is successfully
encouraging parents to become more involved in their children’s
learning. Staff have made helpful leaflets containing activities which
parents could carry out at home to support their children’s learning.
Parents and other members of the community help children learn
about the world of work. Parents’ evenings, interesting newsletters
and progress reports keep parents well informed about their children’s
learning.
5. Are staff and children actively involved in improving their
school community?
Children are now more involved in decision making. They make
choices about aspects of their learning and have good ideas about
how to improve further the life and work of the school. They are
positive about the improvements which have been made. Staff work
together well and are involved in planning and evaluating
improvements. Teachers share effective practice with each other and
with staff from other schools. The management team have introduced
very good arrangements to monitor and evaluate the quality of
education. These include class visits, sampling children’s work and
tracking the progress of children.
6. Does the school have high expectations of all children?
Children, parents and staff show great pride in their school. They have
a sense of community, where everyone is valued. Children are polite,
well mannered and very well behaved. Overall, staff have suitably
high expectations of children’s attainment and achievements. They
assist children to do well and take appropriate account of children’s
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prior learning. As a result, children’s progress in English language and
mathematics is improving. Staff involve children successfully in setting
targets for their learning and in assessing their own and other
children’s work. Children now have higher expectations of their own
attainment and achievements.
7. Does the school have a clear sense of direction?
The school is making very effective progress. In a very short space of
time, the headteacher has established sound working relationships
across and beyond the school. She has gained the respect of staff,
children and parents. The quality of leadership for learning shown by
the headteacher is outstanding. She is knowledgeable, very well
organised and has a clear focus on securing improvements for
learners. She works very well with the depute headteacher and
principal teacher to support school improvement. Together, they have
a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for
improvement. Working together, staff take on additional roles which
deliver better learning experiences for children. School staff are
successfully taking forward school improvement priorities which
provide a higher quality of education and care for children. Canberra
Primary School now performs much better and shows a strong
capacity to continue to improve.
8. What happens next?
Since the original inspection, there is clear evidence of improvement.
Leadership, self-evaluation and the arrangements for meeting learning
needs are now at a satisfactory or better level. With continued
effective leadership the school is well placed to improve further. We
will make no further visits in connection with the May 2009 inspection
report. Our District Inspector will continue to engage with the
education authority in monitoring progress.
HM Inspector: Lesley A Allan
8 June 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.
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 2010
HM Inspectorate of Education