Murroes Primary School
Duntrune
Angus Council
13 March 2007
Contents
Page
1. Background
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2. Key strengths
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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?
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7. Leading and improving the school
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Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
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Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
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How can you contact us?
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1. Background
Murroes Primary School was inspected in December 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 the
chairperson of the School Board, and a group of parents 1.
The school serves the Duntrune area of Angus. At the time of the inspection the
roll was 99, including 14 children in the nursery class. The proportion of pupils
who were entitled to free school meals was below the national average. Pupils’
attendance was above the national average.
The work of the nursery school was not included in this inspection.
2. Key strengths
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
•
The headteacher’s positive shared vision for the school.
•
The quality of teamwork.
•
Productive partnerships with parents and the local community.
•
The concern shown by all staff for pupils’ care and welfare.
•
Pupils’ learning experiences in English language.
3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?
HM Inspectors analysed responses to questionnaires issued to all parents, P4 to
P7 pupils, and to all staff. Information about the responses to the questionnaires
appears in Appendix 2.
Parents expressed a high level of satisfaction with the school and thought it had a
good reputation in the community. They particularly enjoyed a recent assembly
given by P3 and P4 pupils. They thought that teachers made them very welcome
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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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and that their children enjoyed school. A few parents would have welcomed more
consultation about decisions which affected their children. Pupils were very
positive about the school and thought it an enjoyable place to learn. They knew
that teachers expected them to work hard and helped to keep them safe and
healthy. Staff were also very positive about all aspects of the school. They felt
that teamwork was effective and that the school was well led.
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
The overall quality of the curriculum was good. Staff provided pupils with a
broad and balanced range of learning activities. Visiting staff enhanced the
quality of the curriculum in art and design, music and physical education. The
Active Schools Coordinator provided good support to staff and pupils. Staff had
recently made improvements to the writing programme. They had made a good
start to developing pupils’ skills in enterprise education and citizenship. Class
teachers did not always have sufficient guidance on developing pupils’ knowledge
and skills in mathematics. They did not make effective use of information and
communications technology (ICT) to support learning. Teaching was good
overall. Teachers planned lessons carefully and gave clear explanations.
Interactions between teachers and pupils were very positive. Teachers had started
to share with pupils what they expected them to learn. In English language,
teachers used a varied range of teaching methods, including working with the
whole class, small groups and individuals. There were a few examples of the use
of very skilful questioning which encouraged pupils to think and extend their
learning.
Across the school, pupils were positive about learning, were on task and very well
behaved. Pupils worked well with each other, for example during physical
education and drama activities. Throughout the school, pupils had a good
understanding of the need for a healthy lifestyle. P7 pupils could discuss the
issues surrounding alcohol abuse with confidence. During environmental studies
lessons, pupils were actively involved in practical learning activities. However,
there was an over-emphasis on textbook exercises in mathematics. The pace of
learning did not always take pupils’ learning forward in a sufficiently brisk way.
Pupils were not yet sufficiently involved in setting personal learning targets.
Pupils demonstrated good levels of confidence and self-esteem. They showed
caring and responsible attitudes towards each other and staff. Older pupils served
as playground helpers, ran the school tuck shop or helped younger pupils in the
dining hall. Representatives from all stages developed valuable citizenship skills
by serving as members of the pupil council. All stages were involved in
important planning and design decisions about how to spend a grant received to
build an outdoor classroom. To celebrate success, P7 pupils produced an
achievement letter which they sent to parents. Many pupils had achieved success
in a range of sporting activities, including football and netball. Recently, the
school choir had won the Webster Challenge Quaich. All pupils were sensitive to
the needs of
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others and had organised a range of fundraising and enterprise activities. Their
appreciation of culture was enhanced by a range of theatre trips and the use of
visiting theatre groups.
English language
The overall quality of attainment in English language was good. Most pupils were
attaining appropriate national levels in listening, talking, reading and writing.
Pupils’ attainment in reading had improved in the previous three years. Those
experiencing difficulties with learning were making appropriate progress. Pupils
listened well to each other but did not always listen well enough to instructions
from staff. Most were confident when talking and were keen to offer ideas and
opinions in class. At the early stages, pupils were making good progress in
developing early reading and writing skills. Almost all pupils read widely for
pleasure and could read well for information. Those at P7 talked well about texts
they had read and expressed interesting opinions on the writer’s style. Pupils at
the middle stages wrote interesting and varied imaginative stories. Pupils’
presentation of work and spelling was not of a consistently high enough standard.
Mathematics
In mathematics, the overall quality of attainment was adequate. Most pupils were
attaining appropriate national levels in mathematics but too many pupils did not
work confidently at the level they had attained. Pupils’ progress in coursework
was too slow. Pupils in P1 and P2 had made a good start to developing early
mathematical skills. Pupils from P3 to P7 could interpret information from a
range of graphs and had experience of gathering, analysing and displaying data
themselves. They required more opportunities to use ICT to handle information.
Pupils from P3 to P7 showed a good understanding of addition and subtraction but
were less secure with multiplication and division. Almost all pupils’ skills in
mental calculation were generally good but many worked too slowly. They had
developed good skills in written calculations but did not always work accurately.
A few pupils at the upper stages were not sufficiently secure in their
understanding of measurement, fractions and decimals. Throughout the school,
pupils showed a good understanding of the properties of shape. At all stages,
pupils were able to describe and report on strategies they had used to solve
problems.
5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
Arrangements to meet pupils’ learning needs were adequate. Teachers used a variety
of approaches to maintain pupils’ interest and to motivate them. They set an
appropriate range of tasks to meet individual learning needs. The support assistant
made a very positive contribution to supporting individuals and groups of pupils
throughout the school. The part-time learning support teacher gave good support to
pupils who were experiencing difficulties in their learning. However, she did not
work alongside teachers in the classroom to ensure continuity in pupils’ learning.
Individualised educational programmes (IEPs) were used to set learning targets but
these did not always take sufficient account of recommendations made by external
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agencies. IEPs were not shared sufficiently with parents and were not always used
effectively to support pupils’ learning in the classroom. There were good
arrangements for pupils transferring from nursery to P1 and from P7 to Monifieth
High School.
6. How good is the environment for learning?
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Aspect
Comment
Pastoral care
Staff knew pupils very well as individuals and provided a
very high level of care and welfare. All staff were aware of
their responsibilities in relation to child protection. The
school’s procedures for recording and reviewing incidents,
such as bullying, were systematic and rigorous. Pupils knew
how the school could help them if they had any concerns.
They felt safe and well looked after in school. All staff were
quick to respond to any instances of inappropriate
behaviour. Staff worked well alongside visiting specialists
to promote pupils’ health and wellbeing.
Quality of
accommodation
and facilities
The overall quality of accommodation was good. The
school building was very clean, and well maintained. Staff
made effective use of space to display pupils’ work. Pupils
had access to extensive grounds and good quality play
equipment. This was about to be improved with the addition
of an outdoor classroom. The building was suitable for
users or visitors with restricted mobility. The school had
appropriate security arrangements in place. Drop off and
pick up arrangements were about to be improved following
consultation on a school travel plan. The P1/P2 toilets were
in need of upgrading.
Aspect
Comment
Climate and
relationships,
expectations
and promoting
achievement
and equality
Staff, pupils and parents were very proud of their school.
The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and there were
very positive relationships amongst staff and pupils. There
was a strong sense of teamwork throughout the school.
Teachers celebrated pupils’ achievements well through
appropriate use of stickers and point systems. Staff made
good use of weekly assemblies to celebrate pupils’
achievements and for religious observance. However, their
use of praise was not always effective. Teachers had
realistic expectations of pupils’ behaviour but the
expectations of pupils’ work rate and progress were not high
enough. The way information about pupils’ learning and
progress was passed between teachers needed to be
formalised. Teachers encouraged pupils to develop positive
attitudes towards cultural and racial differences but were not
always effective enough in preparing pupils for life in a
racially diverse society.
Partnership
with parents
and the
community
The school had very good relationships with parents and the
local community. The headteacher worked effectively with
both the School Board and the parent-teacher association.
The school actively sought parents’ views in a number of
ways, including the use of questionnaires. Parents were kept
informed of school matters through regular newsletters,
information evenings and detailed reports on their children’s
progress. The school consulted appropriately with parents
on sensitive health issues. Staff made very good use of
parent helpers and encouraged all parents to take an active
part in the life of the school. The pupils benefited from links
with the local chaplain, community police officers and
woodland rangers. Staff and pupils developed community
links through taking part in activities, such as bingo nights,
book clubs and in providing entertainment for senior
citizens.
7. Leading and improving the school
Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.
Murroes Primary School provided a caring and positive environment where pupils
were happy, felt safe and were keen to learn. The school had established an
important role in the local community. The review of teaching approaches in
English language had been effective and attainment in reading was improving.
However, there were some weaknesses in the teaching of mathematics.
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Arrangements for transferring information between stages and for supporting
pupils with additional support needs were not systematic or rigorous enough.
The headteacher had been in post since August 2005. She had earned the
confidence and respect of parents, staff and pupils. Her own teaching was an
example of good practice. She had brought about a number of successful
improvements. These included improved classroom management and
organisation and revised approaches for planning pupils’ work. She had built a
strong sense of teamwork. She communicated well with staff, involved them in
all aspects of the school’s development and gave them extra responsibilities to
improve their own leadership skills. The school’s arrangements for evaluating its
own work were good. The headteacher had introduced systematic methods to
monitor the quality of learning and teaching which included reviewing plans and
commenting on the quality of work in pupils’ jotters. However, staff did not
always apply sufficient rigour when evaluating the quality of pupils’ learning, or
when assessing pupils’ individual potential. The headteacher tracked each pupil’s
progress but staff did not always plan clearly pupils’ next steps in learning. The
school had the capacity for ongoing improvement.
Main points for action
The school and education authority should take action to improve attainment in
mathematics and approaches to meeting pupils’ needs. In doing so they should
take account of the need to:
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•
have clear and appropriate outcomes for learning and share these more
effectively with pupils;
•
improve the school’s approaches to supporting and evaluating the quality of
learning;
•
improve the arrangements to transfer information between stages to support
the needs of all pupils; and
•
improve pupils’ attainment in mathematics.
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.
David Gregory
HM Inspector
13 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
good
good
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, the School
Board, and the community
Leading and improving the school
Leadership of the headteacher
Self-evaluation
very good
good
very good
good
good
very good
good
good
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
•
•
•
•
•
•
Their children enjoyed being at
school and found school work
interesting and stimulating.
The school had a good reputation
in the local community.
Staff made them feel welcome.
Parents’ evenings were helpful
and informative.
Teachers and pupils respected
each other.
A small number would like more
consultation on decisions which
affect their children.
What pupils thought the school did
well
What pupils think the school could
do better
•
•
•
•
•
Teachers explained things clearly
and helped them when they found
work difficult.
Teachers expected them to work
as hard as they could.
They had a say in deciding how to
improve the school.
They felt safe and well looked
after in the school.
There were no significant issues.
What staff thought the school did
well
What staff think the school could
do better
•
•
Staff were very pleased with all
aspects of the school.
There were no significant issues.
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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
Director of Education, 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
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source and date thereof are stated.
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