Inch View Primary School
and Nursery Class
Perth and Kinross Council
1 November 2011
We published a report on Inch View Primary School and Nursery
Class in April 2010. That report set out key strengths of the
school and areas for improvement.
This follow-through report is based on an inspection visit which
was carried out in June 2011. 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
Inch View Primary School and Nursery Class serves an area of the city
centre and South Perth district including Friarton. Since the last
inspection the acting headteacher has taken up post on a permanent
basis.
1
2. Particular strengths of the school
•
The positive start made by the headteacher and senior
management team in involving parents, staff and pupils in
improving the school.
•
Improvement in achievement, particularly in children’s writing.
•
The quality of support for children experiencing difficulty in their
learning.
•
Work of staff at the early stages to develop continuity in learning for
children moving from nursery to primary one.
3. How well do children learn and achieve?
In the nursery class and early stages children are settled and take part
enthusiastically in a wide range of activities. Children in the nurture
class are developing skills which help them to work together and focus
on tasks. Across the school children listen well to adults and each
other. In most lessons they work well together to carry out tasks in
pairs and groups. When appropriate, children work well without close
supervision. In almost all lessons teachers explain tasks and activities
clearly. In a few lessons tasks are too teacher directed and lack
challenge. Children are increasingly being involved in planning and
making decisions about their learning. Children’s learning experiences
are enhanced by visitors to the school and visits to the local
community.
Across the school, children are making good progress in their learning
and are attaining well. There have been significant improvements in
the quality of children’s writing. In the nursery class and at the early
stages children are progressing well and developing good skills in
early writing. They are learning to count and use numbers as part of
2
their topic work on fairytales. At the middle stages, children are able to
identify the main points in newspaper and television reports and use
these effectively when writing reports on animal charities. In the upper
stages children are able to write extended pieces of descriptive writing.
Across the school children are making good progress in mathematics.
Children use information communications technology very well to
support their learning particularly in mathematics.
Staff are now developing a shared understanding of the principles of
Curriculum for Excellence. Teachers are developing confidence in
using experiences and outcomes to plan in most curricular areas.
Activities build on children’s learning and ensure continuity in areas
such as language development and physical education. Staff now
need to take forward plans to develop the mathematics curriculum in
line with Curriculum for Excellence.
4. How well do staff work with others to support children's
learning?
Parents are now involved more fully in their children’s learning. The
school provides information through newsletters and information
evenings. The Parent Council provides a high level of support for the
school. Parents are consulted on aspects of the work of the school
including communication and homework. They have been involved in
the development of personal learning planning. Staff continue to work
with a range of agencies to support children experiencing difficulties in
their learning. Support for learning assistants provide high-quality
support for individuals and groups.
5. Are staff and children actively involved in improving their
school community?
Children now have more opportunities to take responsibility for
developing aspects of the work of the school and improving the
community. They are able to offer suggestions for improving the work
3
of the school through the house system. Children have also worked
with community police to promote road safety. Staff now contribute
more to improving the work of the school. They visit each other’s
classes in order to learn from each other and to improve their practice.
Individual teachers have led staff development sessions on topics
such as planning, cooperative learning and active mathematics. The
headteacher and depute headteachers visit classes and provide staff
with feedback to help them improve. The local authority has made a
number of changes within the campus and this has improved road
safety. They should now take forward plans to construct a more
permanent barrier between the P1 playground and the car park.
6. Does the school have high expectations of all children?
Almost all staff have raised their expectations of children’s
achievements. The school now has procedures in place to track
children’s progress in English language and mathematics and this is
helping staff to increase the pace of children’s learning and attainment.
Children’s achievements are celebrated in bright wall displays, with
certificates, during assemblies and in the media.
7. Does the school have a clear sense of direction?
The headteacher is highly committed to the school and has
successfully worked with the management team and staff to improve
performance and self-evaluation. Most teachers have a shared
understanding of the strengths of the school and what needs to
improve. The headteacher should take forward plans to work with
staff, parents and children to develop a revised vision for the school.
This will help all teachers to clarify their responsibilities in supporting
inclusion. With the continuing support of the authority the school has
the capacity to improve further.
4
8. What happens next?
Under the leadership of the headteacher the school has improved
various aspects of its work since the original inspection. The school
now performs better overall. Staff now need to build on this work to
ensure consistently high-quality experiences for children at all stages.
The school, with support from the education authority, has the capacity
for further improvement. We will make no further visits in connection
with the inspection report of April 2010.
HM Inspector: Jacqueline Horsburgh
1 November 2011
5
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 2011
HM Inspectorate of Education