18 February 2014
Dear Parent/Carer
Ibrox Primary School and Nursery Class
Glasgow City 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 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 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 active teaching approaches in
mathematics and numeracy, ‘Friday Sports’ and the effectiveness of team teaching.
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?
Children are very proud of their school. At all stages, children show respect for each
other and celebrate their achievements together. Those who are new to the school
and have English as an additional language are welcomed warmly. In the nursery
class, children are settling in and are learning to make friends. As they do so they
need to make a wider range of choices in their play. At the primary stages children are
confident and motivated to learn. They benefit from good discussions with their
teachers to help them set their own targets to improve their work. Teachers recognise
they can continue to help children to select the best targets to make these
improvements. Children work very well together in class. Many show leadership skills
when they cooperate in groups to complete tasks. Across the school there is a real
sense of community. Children like to receive recognition for their hard work and
positive behaviour through certificates and special activities. They have achieved
sporting success at individual and team level. Children communicate effectively
through sharing the work of the Eco Committee. The Enterprise Group have begun
organising events for children and their families. They understand the money they
raise can make a difference to others. Alongside teachers, children organise and run
lunchtime clubs which are very popular.
Children in the nursery class are making satisfactory progress in their early language
and literacy, mathematics and numeracy. They listen to others and are learning the
words they need to talk about what they are doing. Children are learning rhymes and
are interested in early writing. Through play, children use numbers and can sort and
match. Overall, children need more experience in developing and using their skills in
all areas of the nursery. Across the school, children are making good progress in
Education Scotland
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Transforming lives through learning
English language and literacy, mathematics and numeracy. They are gaining
confidence in taking part in discussions to express their views and ideas. Through an
active literacy approach, children are getting better at understanding the books they
read in school. Older children have been particularly successful at exploring
anti-sectarianism through a novel study. Across the school, children’s writing
continues to improve. In P1, children and their teachers are determined they will be
successful. As children move through the school, they can continue to build on the
feedback they receive from teachers to help them improve and write consistently well
in all areas of their learning. Last session the school reviewed learning and teaching
approaches in numeracy. As a result children say they are learning better and have
more confidence in using their skills. Teachers recognise children need continuing
support to help them apply number skills accurately. Children enjoy sharing their
learning about the past with their families. They know their local area well and are
able to compare it to other places around the world.
How well does the school support children to develop and learn?
Staff in the nursery class have welcomed a number of new children and their families
this session. They have created a welcoming environment in which they can get to
know each other. Staff have made a start to building ‛Learning Journals’ with children.
In doing so, they need to recognise children’s individual learning needs and engage
them in a broader range of activities which meet those learning needs more effectively.
Across the school, teachers use a range of interesting, well-planned approaches which
help children learn. They now need to use their knowledge of individual children to
ensure all learning activities meet children’s learning needs consistently well. Support
assistants provide a valuable contribution across the school. Children who need extra
help in their learning are supported well through nurturing approaches in all classes
and the contribution of visiting professionals. We have asked the school to continue to
improve its approaches to meeting the needs of individual children. Across the school,
children speak highly of their interesting class topics which are ‘brought alive’ through
the many visits by children to their local community and through visitors to the school.
Staff use Curriculum for Excellence to consult with children and plan these topics.
They want to develop these approaches further. Overall, teachers are providing a
broad, engaging curriculum for children. They now need to increase the pace of
curriculum development by considering how well children build on and apply their skills
in all aspects of their learning as they move through the school. Staff have worked
very well as a team to focus on what and how well children learn in literacy, numeracy
and health and wellbeing. The contributions of partners within health and wellbeing
and ‛Friday Sports’ are enabling children to pursue sporting interests within their
community. Arrangements to support children who are new to the school and as they
move on to Bellahouston Academy are well organised and enhance children’s
experiences.
How well does the school improve the quality of its work?
The headteacher knows the school and its wider community very well. Her dedication
to improving the outcomes for children and families over the years is recognised by all
those who work with her. Children benefit from the work of the principal teachers.
Staff across the school work hard to create a safe, caring school ethos. This is
reflected in the approaches to school improvement. There has been instability in
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leadership of the nursery class. A new team leader has been appointed recently and
staff have made a start to reviewing what is currently working well and what needs to
improve. Across the school, staff have recognised that approaches to tracking how
well children make progress in each class needs to be a continuing focus for
development. Staff share and discuss with each other the impact of their teaching on
children’s learning. There is scope to build on this and use the information to target
learning activities and approaches for individual children even better. Parents play a
key part in school life and speak very highly of their experiences. It would be helpful
for parents to know the outcomes of surveys they take part in to support school
improvement further. The Parent Council supports the school well and works closely
with children to plan events. In building on its strengths and in taking forward planned
improvements including improvements within the nursery class, the school is
well-placed to improve further.
This inspection found the following key strengths.
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Children who are motivated to learn and show respect for all those within their
school community.
At the primary stages, interesting and varied learning experiences which enable
children to learn within their local community and alongside partners.
Partnership with parents who feel very well supported by the school.
The work of the headteacher and staff in creating a strong community within the
school.
We discussed with staff and Glasgow City Council how they might continue to improve
the school and nursery class. This is what we agreed with them.
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Improve the approaches to meeting children’s learning needs in the nursery class
to ensure they make appropriate progress.
Build on the work underway with Curriculum for Excellence so that children’s
learning and achievements continue to improve.
Continue to build on how the school uses self-evaluation to ensure children make
suitable progress.
What happens at the end of the inspection?
We are satisfied with the overall quality of provision. We are confident that the
school’s self-evaluation processes are leading to improvements. As a result, we will
make no further visits in connection with this inspection. As part of its arrangements
for reporting to parents on the quality of education, Glasgow City Council will inform
parents about the school’s progress.
Shona ES Taylor
HM Inspector
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Additional inspection evidence, such as details of the quality indicator evaluations and
national care standards gradings, for your school can be found on the Education
Scotland website at
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/reports/school/primsec/Ibrox
PrimarySchoolGlasgowCity.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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