Education Scotland
Foghlam Alba
Education Scotland, Europa Building, 450 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8LG
t 0141 242 0100
f 0141 242 5757
Textphone 01506 600236
e glasgow@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk
w www.educationscotland.gov.uk
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7 February 2012
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Dear Parent/Carer
Yester Primary School and Nursery Class
East Lothian Council
In December 2010, HM Inspectors published a report on your child’s school. Recently, as
you may know, we visited the school again. During our visit, we talked to children and worked
closely with the headteacher and staff. We heard from the headteacher and other staff how
the school has continued to improve. We looked at particular areas that had been identified
in 2010 and at aspects of the school’s work, as proposed by the headteacher. As a result, we
were able to find out how well children are now learning and achieving and how the school is
continuing to support them to do their best. This letter sets out what we found.
How well do children learn and achieve?
Children continue to learn and achieve well in primary school. In the nursery, children are
now more able to make choices about their learning and develop their independence.
Children are forming friendships and learning to cooperate. They now share and take turns
well. Children are highly engaged as they explore, discover and investigate in their new
‘forest’ area at the bottom of the school grounds. Staff have begun to consult with children
about their interests and involving them in planning future learning. Children listen and follow
instructions very well. They listen well to one another and will negotiate rules for games or
roles in imaginary play. Staff recognise they need to review the range of literature on offer in
the book area and around the playroom. Almost all children recognise their name in print and
a few are showing interest in print around the playroom. Increasingly, children enjoy
attempting to ‘write’ in their own way during play. A few children are able to write their name.
Children are becoming confident counting when playing games. They are beginning to
understand other aspects of early mathematics, such as, volume and measurement. They
are confident naming colours and simple shapes and are now increasingly able to use this
information to sort and match objects.
How well does the school support children to develop and learn?
The school supports children well in their development and learning. Improvements in the
nursery mean children now receive a broad and balanced curriculum. The layout of the
playroom has been reviewed and changed. As a result of a better learning environment,
there is now an increasingly purposeful learning atmosphere in the playroom. The school
now has a more strategic approach toward shaping and developing the curriculum. Staff are
increasingly confident in using the experiences and outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence to
effectively plan and evaluate children’s learning. Staff now take better account of children’s
prior learning. As a result, they have successfully introduced opportunities for children in
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nursery and P1 to share learning experiences. Staff know children well as individuals.
Children who need additional help with their learning or development now have appropriate
plans in place. Nursery staff now work more effectively with other agencies. Parents have
more information and feel more welcome and involved in the nursery, and staff have begun to
develop home learning links. They recognise that listening effectively to children and the use
of questions needs to be consistent.
How well does the school improve the quality of its work?
Throughout the school and nursery class, staff reflect well on their practice. Nursery staff feel
well supported by the headteacher. The new team in the nursery have worked well to ensure
that children’s and parent’s views are now helping to shape priorities. Staff feel they have
benefited from opportunities to visit other establishments and attend training courses. They
continue to increase their confidence and develop further their knowledge and skills in
working with young children. The headteacher needs to build on the informal monitoring
approaches. Staff should receive an appropriate balance of support and challenge to ensure
high-quality learning experiences for all children.
What happens next?
Since the original inspection, the school has made significant improvements in the nursery
class. As a result of improvements to curriculum and better learning experiences for children
Education Scotland will not make any further visits in connection with the inspection report of
December 2010. The nursery class is well placed, with ongoing support from the authority, to
continue to improve.
Mary Ann Hagan
HM Inspector
Please contact us if you want to know how to get the report in a different format, for example,
in a translation. You can contact us at enquiries@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to us
at BMCT, Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale
Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
If you want to give us feedback or make a complaint about our work, please contact
01506 600200, or write to us at the above address or e-mail:
feedback@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk.
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