Abbotswell School
Aberdeen City Council
6 March 2007
Contents
Page
1. Background
1
2. Key strengths
1
3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?
1
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
2
5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
3
6. How good is the environment for learning?
4
7. Leading and improving the school
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Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
8
Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
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How can you contact us?
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1. Background
Abbotswell School was inspected in October and November 2006 as part of a national
sample of primary education. The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the
school at all stages. It evaluated pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of the school,
the environment for learning, the school’s processes for self-evaluation and innovation,
and its capacity for improvement. There was a particular focus on attainment in
English language and mathematics.
HM Inspectors examined pupils’ work and interviewed groups of pupils, including the
pupil council, and staff. Members of the inspection team also met a representative of
the parent-teacher association (PTA) and a group of parents 1. There was no School
Board.
The school serves part of the Kincorth area of Aberdeen. At the time of the inspection
the roll was 247, including 40 children in the nursery class. About a third of pupils
came from outwith the school’s designated catchment area by parental request. The
proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was above the national
average. Pupils’ attendance was below the national average.
The work of the nursery class was not included in this inspection.
2. Key strengths
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
•
The overall quality of pupils’ learning experiences.
•
Pupils’ high standards of behaviour and pride in their work.
•
The attention given by staff to the care and welfare of pupils.
•
Very successful inclusion of pupils with a range of backgrounds and needs.
3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?
HM Inspectors analysed responses to questionnaires issued to a sample of parents, P4
to P7 pupils, and to all staff. Information about the responses to the questionnaires
appears in Appendix 2.
Parents, pupils and staff were very positive about the school. Parents felt that the
school had a good reputation in the local community and that staff kept them well
informed about their children’s progress. Pupils spoke positively about their teachers.
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Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff and
carers who are relatives or friends.
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Most pupils thought that behaviour in the school was good. Almost all were confident
that staff would deal with any bullying effectively. Some felt that the playground
would be enhanced by some large-scale play equipment. Staff enjoyed working in the
school, but a significant minority felt they would benefit from more training and
professional development.
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
Most areas of the curriculum were well developed. Visiting teachers made important
contributions to pupils’ learning in the expressive arts, science and technology. Staff
had begun to develop a more continuous experience for pupils in the expressive arts.
They provided good enterprise activities for pupils and gave very effective emphasis to
their personal and social development. At the early stages, pupils had too few
opportunities to learn through play. Teaching was good overall and often very good.
Teachers focused pupils’ attention well and often used questioning effectively to
develop pupils’ understanding. They had made a good start to sharing the aims of
lessons more clearly with pupils. Occasionally, lessons were over-directed by the
teacher, or pupils were given tasks which were too repetitive. Teachers were
improving the quality of feedback to pupils about their writing. The quality of
feedback in some other areas of the curriculum was less good. Homework was regular
and varied and helped to develop pupils’ learning.
Overall, the quality of pupils’ learning experiences was very good. The atmosphere
was very positive in all classes. Pupils were hard-working and presented their work
neatly. They often showed a real enjoyment of learning, for example during lessons in
mental mathematics, music and science. In art and design, they produced lively and
interesting pieces of work. Pupils collaborated and contributed well in group
discussions, for example in religious and moral education and personal and social
education. They required further opportunities to make decisions independently of the
teacher.
The school took good steps to promote pupils’ wider achievements. Pupils were
friendly, courteous and respectful towards others. They acted responsibly when given
special duties, for example as classroom and corridor helpers or as members of the
pupil council. Older pupils looked after the younger ones during breaks. At the middle
stages, pupils had developed citizenship skills by entertaining residents in local care
homes, and interviewing them about life in the past. Pupils at P7 had developed
enterprise skills and raised funds for charity by organising a coffee morning for parents
and the community. With support from parents and the Rotary Club, pupils had helped
to fund a visit to the school by two children from an orphanage in Sierra Leone.
Football and netball teams competed in local school leagues. Last session, 11 pupils
at P6 had won bronze awards as Young Investigators in science.
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English language
Overall attainment in English language was adequate. Most pupils were attaining
appropriate national levels in reading and writing. Some were taking too long to reach
these levels, particularly at the upper stages. Pupils who were unable to reach national
levels were making good progress in work suited to their needs. The school was not
able to provide reliable assessments of pupils’ attainment in listening and talking.
Pupils at all stages listened and talked well to the teacher and to each other. At the
middle stages, they enjoyed reading and had a good understanding of familiar texts. At
the upper stages, pupils could identify features of different kinds of books and almost
all could reflect well on the writer’s style. However, some had difficulty in reading and
understanding texts that were new to them. Standards of handwriting and presentation
were high and pupils’ spelling and punctuation were good. By P2, pupils were
beginning to sound the words they needed for their writing. At the upper stages, most
pupils showed good understanding of the features of effective writing and used this
understanding well in their own work.
Mathematics
Overall attainment in mathematics was adequate. Most pupils were attaining
appropriate national levels in key aspects of mathematics. However, progress across
the stages was uneven. At the upper stages, particularly, some pupils were taking too
long to progress between successive attainment levels. Pupils who were unable to
reach national levels were performing well in tasks suited to their needs. Across the
stages, pupils were good at collecting information and displaying it as graphs. They
used computers well to process and display information. At the early to middle stages,
most pupils were developing good skills in working with numbers. The majority of
pupils at the upper stages coped well with mental calculations and measurements. A
significant minority, however, found difficulty with tasks involving fractions and
decimals, and with calculations involving time and volume. Most pupils showed good
knowledge of three-dimensional shapes, angles and symmetry. The majority could
solve mathematical problems systematically and explain their answers.
5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
Overall, the school’s approaches to meeting pupils’ learning needs were adequate.
Class teachers supported pupils effectively although they did not always ensure that
pupils made appropriate progress. In English language and mathematics, teachers
generally matched tasks well to pupils’ differing needs. They used a wide variety of
resources in mathematics to support pupils’ learning. In other areas of the curriculum,
including information and communications technology (ICT) and science, some tasks
lacked challenge for some pupils or were too difficult for others. Effective procedures
were in place to identify pupils who required additional support. Pupils with
individualised educational programmes (IEPs) were making good progress. A few
pupils at the early stages were benefiting significantly from a recently-introduced
scheme to improve their reading skills. A few others who had experienced social,
emotional and behavioural difficulties at other schools were well settled and making
good progress. Support staff were not deployed flexibly enough to provide maximum
support to pupils who experienced difficulties with their learning.
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6. How good is the environment for learning?
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Aspect
Comment
Pastoral care
Staff provided a high level of care for pupils. Pupils felt
confident that staff would look after them. The headteacher
informed staff effectively about child protection procedures.
The programme for personal, social and health education gave
very good attention to issues covering pupils’ health, safety
and personal relationships. Staff actively encouraged healthy
lifestyles by organising a Health Week and Walk-to-School
Week. They had also involved the local Active Schools
coordinator in providing an increased range of sports and
physical activities for pupils. Very good arrangements were
in place to support the transition of pupils from the nursery
into P1 and from P7 to Kincorth Academy.
Quality of
accommodation
and facilities
Accommodation was good overall. The exterior was drab and
austere. Inside, however, the school had a wide range of
bright and spacious facilities. These included a welcoming
foyer, well-appointed classrooms, large hall, gymnasium and
parents’ room. Assets for learning included a dedicated
classroom for science and technology and a well-equipped
ICT suite. The phased replacement of windows was only
partially complete, and pupil toilets required upgrading.
School security was good. Access for disabled users was very
limited. There were extensive grassed play areas.
Aspect
Comment
Climate and
relationships,
expectations
and promoting
achievement
and equality
The school was very welcoming. Pupils related positively to
staff and each other and behaved very well. The morale of
pupils and staff was high. The pupil council had an increasing
role in gathering and responding to pupils’ views about the
school. Pupils took pride in their work. Regular assemblies
were held for religious observance and to celebrate pupils’
achievements. Staff set high expectations of pupils’
behaviour, ensuring a very sound basis for effective learning.
At P7, pupils set personal goals for self-improvement. Staff
used praise effectively to build pupils’ confidence, and
displayed pupils’ work prominently. Pupils with a variety of
backgrounds and needs were very well included, and ethnic
and religious diversity was effectively promoted as a positive
feature of the school. The school’s close links with the
orphanage in Sierra Leone helped to develop pupils’
understanding of others’ needs.
Partnership
with parents
and the
community
Partnership with parents and the community was good.
Parents showed a high level of confidence in the school and
supported it well. Home-school communication was effective
but would be improved by more frequent newsletters and an
updated prospectus. Written reports for parents provided
helpful information about their children’s attainment,
particularly in English language and mathematics. However,
they did not always explain clearly enough how their children
could improve their work. Parents received very good advice
on ways to support their children’s learning at P1, but
relatively little advice at later stages. The PTA was very
supportive in fundraising and organising school events. The
school had close links with the support services, the local
church and care homes for the elderly. It recognised that
better contacts with local businesses could enhance pupils’
enterprise activities.
7. Leading and improving the school
Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.
Staff at Abbotswell School provided a high level of care for pupils. They ensured that
pupils behaved very well, worked hard and took pride in their achievements.
Standards of teaching were good overall and often very good. However, teachers did
not always ensure that pupils made appropriate progress in line with their needs. This
restricted attainment, particularly at the upper stages.
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The headteacher provided good leadership overall. He was highly regarded by parents
and pupils, and staff found him approachable and supportive. He had played a key role
in developing the school’s very positive ethos, and had begun to raise teachers’
expectations of pupils’ progress. The depute headteacher was highly competent in
managing the nursery and early stages. She was beginning to develop her skills in
contributing to the management of other stages in the school. She played a strong role
in supporting pupils and staff and in nurturing very positive relationships with parents.
Teachers were well involved in policy-making and improving the curriculum, and some
took good responsibility in leading development tasks. The contributions of support
staff required better coordination by senior managers. Self-evaluation was adequate,
but improving. Staff were reflective and eager to improve their skills. The school had
recently improved its approaches to quality assurance. It gave good attention to
consulting parents, pupils and teachers. Teachers systematically evaluated key aspects
of their work. The headteacher and depute monitored aspects of classroom practice,
providing positive feedback to teachers. Their monitoring was too limited in scope,
however, to bring about significant improvements to learning and teaching. Further
work was necessary to monitor pupils’ progress effectively. The headteacher had
begun to take better account of the professional development needs of staff. Staff now
required more focused advice on best practice. With continued support from the
education authority, the school showed a generally sound capacity for improvement.
Main points for action
The school and education authority should take action to improve attainment, the
curriculum, support for pupils, and aspects of school management. In doing so
they should take account of the need to:
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•
continue to develop teaching programmes for the expressive arts, and
introduce more structured opportunities for learning through play at the early
stages;
•
ensure steadier progress by pupils in English language and mathematics to
raise attainment;
•
ensure that all tasks set for pupils across the curriculum are appropriately
challenging and matched to their needs;
•
deploy classroom support staff more effectively to meet pupils’ needs; and
•
strengthen the professional development of staff by identifying and promoting
best practice.
What happens next?
The school and the education authority have been asked to prepare an action plan
indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share that plan
with parents. Within two years of the publication of this report parents will be
informed about the progress made by the school.
Tom Straiton
HM Inspector
6 March 2007
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Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
The sections in the table below follow the order in this report. You can find the main
comments made about each of the quality indicators in those sections. However,
aspects of some quality indicators are relevant to other sections of the report and may
also be mentioned in those other sections.
How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
Structure of the curriculum
The teaching process
Pupils’ learning experiences
Pupils’ attainment in English language
Pupils’ attainment in mathematics
good
good
very good
adequate
adequate
How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
Meeting pupils’ needs
adequate
How good is the environment for learning?
Pastoral care
Accommodation and facilities
Climate and relationships
Expectations and promoting achievement
Equality and fairness
Partnership with parents and the
community
Leading and improving the school
Leadership of the headteacher
Self-evaluation
very good
good
very good
very good
very good
good
good
adequate
This report uses the following word scale to make clear judgements made by
inspectors:
excellent
very good
good
adequate
weak
unsatisfactory
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outstanding, sector leading
major strengths
important strengths with some areas for improvement
strengths just outweigh weaknesses
important weaknesses
major weaknesses
Appendix 2
Summary of questionnaire responses
Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires
are listed below.
What parents thought the school did
well
What parents think the school
could do better
•
•
•
•
•
•
The school had a good reputation
in the local community.
Staff made them feel welcome in
the school.
The school made it clear to parents
what standard of work it expected
from pupils.
Staff encouraged their children to
work to the best of their ability.
Parents’ evenings were helpful and
informative, and school reports
gave them helpful information
about their children’s progress.
There were no significant issues.
What pupils thought the school did
well
What pupils think the school could
do better
•
•
•
They enjoyed being at the school
Teachers explained things clearly,
helped them when they found work
difficult, and checked their
homework.
• They were expected to work to the
best of their ability.
• Teachers told them how they were
getting on with their work and
when they had done something
well.
Less than a quarter felt that
pupils did not behave well.
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What staff thought the school did
well
What staff think the school could
do better
•
•
•
They liked working in the school.
Teachers set high standards for
pupils’ attainment.
• Staff showed concern for the care
and welfare of pupils.
• Staff set consistent standards for
pupils’ behaviour, and there was
mutual respect between staff and
pupils.
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A quarter of teachers wanted
better use of their time for
continuous professional
development.
How can you contact us?
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Head of
Service, Culture and Learning, local councillors and appropriate Members of the
Scottish Parliament. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of
charge from HM Inspectorate of Education, Greyfriars House, Gallowgate, Aberdeen
AB10 1LQ or by telephoning 01224 642544. Copies are also available on our website
www.hmie.gov.uk.
HMIE Feedback and Complaints Procedure
If you wish to comment about primary inspections
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of primary inspections, you should write in
the first instance to Chris McIlroy, Acting HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education,
Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston
EH54 6GA.
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to
Hazel Dewart, Business Management Unit, HM Inspectorate of Education, Second
Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston
EH54 6GA. A copy of the HMIE Feedback and Complaints Procedure leaflet is
available from this office or by telephoning 01506 600258 or from our website at
www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints
procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman (SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to investigate
complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to the
SPSO, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330,
Fax 0800 377 7331 or e-mail: ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the
Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.spso.org.uk.
Crown Copyright 2007
HM Inspectorate of Education
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or
in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date
thereof are stated.
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