Evie Primary School
and Nursery Class
Orkney Islands Council
11 May 2010
We published a report on Evie Primary School and Nursery Class
in May 2008. 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
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
Evie Primary School and Nursery Class serves the communities of
Evie, Costa and Rendall on mainland Orkney. Since the original
inspection, there have been significant changes in staffing.
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2. Particular strengths of the school
•
The positive ethos.
•
Children’s increased involvement in their own learning.
•
Strong partnerships with parents and the community which
effectively support children’s learning.
•
The success of the headteacher and staff in improving children’s
learning and achievement.
3. How well do children learn and achieve?
Children are now more active and creative in their learning. In the
nursery, children take part in a wider range of tasks. They readily
explore and investigate more regularly. Across the primary stages,
children are now more involved in their own learning. They have a
better understanding of what they are good at and what they need to
do to improve.
Children’s progress in English language and mathematics has
improved. Children are better at talking and listening in groups. They
talk confidently about their favourite author and the types of books they
like to read. Children now write well for a wider range of purposes and
audiences. They use their skills to create extended pieces of writing,
including books for others to read. In mathematics, children are now
developing useful skills in carrying out calculations involving
measurement. They are faster and more accurate when doing
calculations mentally. Children use information and communications
technology more effectively to create graphs and charts.
The school has improved its curriculum. Staff are continuing to
develop the curriculum in line with Curriculum for Excellence. Children
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now have at least two hours of good-quality physical education each
week. Staff plan activities which now take more account of children’s
different learning needs. The school has implemented new
approaches to supporting children who require extra help with their
learning. These children now have appropriate learning targets.
Overall, children are making better progress in their learning.
4. How well do staff work with others to support children's
learning?
Support staff are now deployed more effectively to help children. The
school has strong links with agencies including occupational health
and speech therapy. These links are helping children to make good
progress in their learning. The Parent Council continues to be highly
supportive of the school. Parents receive helpful information about the
school, including details about what their children will be learning each
week. Information is given in a variety of ways, including by e-mail.
Staff deal effectively with any concerns from parents and the
community. They have effective links with the local community to
enhance children’s learning.
5. Are staff and children actively involved in improving their
school community?
Children are now able to give their views on how to make their school
better. Staff are highly committed to improving the work of the school.
They discuss learning and teaching and explore ways of making
lessons more interesting for children. Staff have improved learning
and teaching successfully by introducing more active approaches. As
a result, children are now more enthusiastic about the way they learn.
Staff have started to visit each other’s classrooms to share good
practice and further develop their own skills. They talk about their
work and share their ideas with staff at Firth Primary School. The
headteacher is improving approaches to monitoring and evaluating the
work of the school. As a result, information about children’s attainment
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is now much more reliable and children are attaining and achieving
more. The headteacher now needs to continue to ensure approaches
towards self-evaluation are thorough.
6. Does the school have high expectations of all children?
The school has a positive ethos. Children continue to be proud of their
school and are polite and very well behaved. Staff promote an
inclusive ethos within the school successfully. As a result, children are
kind and considerate towards each other. Children have a secure
understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, at P3/P4 children
devised healthy menus which are now used as part of school lunches.
Staff use praise well to encourage children in their learning. They are
raising their expectations of what children can achieve. Children’s
achievements are celebrated throughout the school, including as part
of attractive displays. The school has improved building security.
7. Does the school have a clear sense of direction?
The education authority has provided valuable support to the school.
The headteacher continues to be well respected by parents, children
and staff. He has a clear vision for how the school can continue to
improve, and has shared this effectively with parents and staff.
Together with the education authority, the headteacher has improved
significant aspects of the school’s work. The principal teacher
supports the headteacher well. Staff work effectively as a team. They
are improving learning and teaching by working together and, as a
result, children’s learning experiences are now better. Staff readily
take on leadership roles to develop aspects of the improvement plan.
The school is now very well placed to improve further.
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8. What happens next?
There is evidence of significant improvements since the original
inspection. The school now performs better overall. Arrangements for
meeting learning needs and self-evaluation are now at a satisfactory
level or better. We will make no further visits to the school in
connection with the inspection report of May 2008. As part of ongoing
liaison between HMIE and the education authority, our District
Inspector will continue to monitor the school’s progress.
HM Inspector: Janie McManus
11 May 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