24 September 2013
Dear Parent/Carer
Halkirk Primary School
The Highland Council
Recently, as you may know, my colleagues and I inspected your child's school. During
our visit, we talked to parents and children and worked closely with the acting
headteacher and staff. We wanted to find out how well children are learning and
achieving and how well the school supports children to do their best. The acting
headteacher shared with us the school's successes and priorities for improvement.
We looked at some particular aspects of the school's recent work, including how well
children learn with each other and the support from parents and others in the
community. As a result, we were able to find out how good the school is at improving
children's education.
How well do children learn and achieve?
Across the stages, most children respond well to teachers’ instructions and questions.
Most children, and especially those in the early years, are keen to learn. When given
the opportunity, children work well together. Sometimes, lessons are led for too long
by the teacher and children would benefit from having greater independence in their
learning. Most children behave well in class and around the school. In some classes,
though, a few children find it difficult to maintain their concentration throughout
lessons. Increasingly, children are making effective use of information and
communications technology in their learning. For example, in P6/P7, children have
enjoyed learning how to make short films using a range of technology. Children
respond well to increasing opportunities to reflect on their own learning, including at
the end of lessons and in weekly learning logs. Learning Trails, organised annually by
the pupil council, encourage children successfully to reflect on what they have
particularly enjoyed learning about and how they like to learn. Children achieve well in
a wide range of activities. The Active Schools coordinator and other members of the
local community contribute strongly to children’s achievements in sport and the arts.
Children, particularly from P3 to P7, contribute to the school by participating in various
groups, including the eco committee and charities group. Children’s achievements are
celebrated well in the school and through the local press.
Most children are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. At the
early stages, children confidently share their feelings and ideas about books they
enjoy. At the middle and upper stages, children develop their reading skills well using
a wide range of texts. At P6/P7, children extend their literacy skills using movie clips
Education Scotland
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Transforming lives through learning
and in researching information on the Internet. In all classes, children have
opportunities to develop their literacy skills in writing a class blog. In a few classes, the
quality of presentation of children’s work is not of a consistently high enough standard.
Across the stages, children are developing confidence in using number and money. At
all stages, children enjoy developing their skills in numeracy through games and
practical activities. Most children are developing their skills in collecting and
organising data, including information gathered in a wide range of surveys, and have a
sound knowledge of shapes. Children at all stages are developing a suitable
awareness of how to keep themselves fit and healthy.
How well does the school support children to develop and learn?
In the majority of lessons, particularly in English language and mathematics, most of
the tasks are pitched at the right level for children. However, in a significant minority of
lessons, tasks were not well enough matched to meet the needs of all learners. As a
result, children are not challenged enough in their learning. Staff know children and
their families well. Teachers identify any children who need additional support with
their learning at an early stage. Pupil support assistants provide well-judged support in
classes. Staff receive strong support from a wide range of partners, including health
professionals, to meet the needs of children. Overall, though, there is considerable
scope to improve the school’s arrangements for managing the support for children with
additional needs. Staff need to plan and evaluate the support provided for all children
with additional needs more effectively to ensure that their needs are being fully met.
Learning targets in individual children’s plans need to be clearer and reviewed
regularly. Parents are very supportive of the school and their children’s learning. A
few parents, however, feel that any concerns which they may have are not always
resolved quickly enough.
Staff provide children with a broad range of learning experiences. Across the stages,
staff have developed opportunities for children to link their learning across different
areas of the curriculum. Children have good opportunities to choose what they would
like to learn about in topics. Overall, staff are becoming more confident in developing
courses which take account of the principles of Curriculum for Excellence. Parents
and other members of the community, including local artists, contribute to the
curriculum, for example, at out-of-hours clubs and activities. Children benefit from a
mathematics programme which staff have developed as an initiative involving several
local schools. Staff recognise that they need to develop some important areas of the
curriculum further, in line with national advice, to ensure that all children build on their
earlier learning more effectively. Strong links with the on-site playgroup help children
to make a positive start at P1. Children at P7 are helped to make a confident start at
Thurso High School as a result of productive curricular links in a number of subjects.
How well does the school improve the quality of its work?
The acting headteacher knows the school well. She has gained the trust and respect
of children, parents and staff and has made several important improvements to the
learning environment and the school’s approaches to self-evaluation. Staff are
reflective and keen to develop their professional skills. The acting headteacher
observes lessons, samples pupils’ work and provides staff with some helpful feedback
on their planning.
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These positive approaches are beginning to lead to some improvements but have not
yet had time to bring about consistently higher expectations and standards in every
classroom. Staff have identified the need to improve their confidence and skills in
tracking children’s progress.
This inspection found the following key strengths.
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Children’s achievements in a wide range of activities.
The support and involvement of parents and the community in children’s learning.
The care and commitment of support staff across the school.
The acting headteacher’s commitment to improving the school and its approaches
to self-evaluation.
We discussed with staff and the education authority how they might continue to
improve the school. This is what we agreed with them.
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Plan children’s learning experiences more effectively to ensure that they are
suitably and consistently challenging.
Improve arrangements for managing the support for children with additional needs.
Promote higher expectations for children and their learning.
Continue to develop approaches for monitoring children’s progress.
What happens at the end of the inspection?
As a result of our inspection findings we think that the school needs additional support
and more time to make necessary improvements. Our Area Lead Officer along with
the local authority will discuss the most appropriate support in order to build capacity
for improvement, and will maintain contact to monitor progress. We will return to
evaluate aspects of provision and the progress in improving provision within 12 months
of publication of this letter. We will then issue another letter to parents on the extent to
which the school has improved.
Alistair Brown
HM Inspector
Additional inspection evidence, such as details of the quality indicator evaluations, for
your school can be found on the Education Scotland website at
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/reports/school/primsec/Halki
rkPrimarySchoolHighland.asp.
If you would like to receive this letter in a different format, for example, in a translation
please contact the administration team on the above telephone number.
If you want to give us feedback or make a complaint about our work, please contact us
by telephone on 0141 282 5000, or e-mail: complaints@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk
or write to us addressing your letter to the Complaints Manager, Denholm House,
Almondvale Business Park, Livingston EH54 6GA.
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