29 October 2013
Dear Parent/Carer
Lady Lovat Primary School
The Highland Council
Recently, as you may know, I inspected your child’s school. During my visit, I talked to parents and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. I 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 me the school’s successes and priorities for improvement. I looked at some particular aspects of the school’s recent work, including developing ‘learning journeys’, and traditional music in the school. As a result, I was able to find out how good the school is at improving children’s education.
How well do children learn and achieve?
Your children learn and achieve well. They are very proud of their school, are happy and enjoy learning. Children engage in their learning particularly well as a result of strong teaching, support and motivating experiences. Children support and encourage each other to do well. They talk with enthusiasm about their learning and interact very well with each other and with adults. Children should now be given more opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning . Children set their own learning targets and regularly review their progress. Further development of the ‘learning journeys’ should ensure that all children are more fully aware of their strengths and progress as learners and what they need to do to improve. Older children enjoy helping younger children. Children show responsibility in their roles in the recently-revived pupil council and Eco committee. Children are very aware of the importance of keeping safe and healthy. They enjoy taking part in the many opportunities for physical activity and outdoor learning, including swimming and skiing.
Almost all children are developing their literacy and numeracy skills well, making good progress in English and in mathematics. Children are good at expressing their ideas confidently and explaining things to others. Almost all children have very good listening and talking skills and use questioning well. For example, children can analyse information in their reading activities and question each other, while at the same time responding to challenging activities from their teacher. By P7, children can read and write well for a range of purposes. Across the school, children enjoy solving mathematical problems and explaining how they arrive at the answers. The school has taken action to improve children’s skills in mental calculation. Across the school, children achieve extremely well in traditional music. They are developing a good understanding of science and nature.
Education Scotland
Longman House
28 Longman Road
Inverness
IV1 1SF
T 01463
F 01463
E inverness@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk
Textphone
01506 600236
This is a service for deaf users. Please do not use this number for voice calls as this will not connect. www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Transforming lives through learning

All children enjoy school and feel they are achieving success. Their achievements are praised and celebrated throughout the school.
How well does the school support children to develop and learn?
Support assistants, visiting teachers, parents and volunteers all work very well with teachers to help children develop and learn. Staff are caring and responsive to children’s varied needs. They provide interesting activities and tasks for learning.
They now need to make sure that all learning activities are planned to challenge all children fully. Staff work well with other professional partners, to ensure that children who require additional support with their learning make good progress. The curriculum is broad and takes good account of Curriculum for Excellence. Staff plan meaningful and relevant contexts for learning which encourage children to follow their interests.
Through high levels of fundraising from parents and the community, a range of experiences contribute very positively to children’s social and emotional wellbeing, including residential trips and many visits out of school. Visitors to the school, including members of the community, contribute very positively to the curriculum and life of the school, for example in art, crafts and traditional music. There is a strong culture of promoting and experiencing traditional music throughout the school.
Commendably, children from Primary 1-7 have very good opportunities to undertake instrumental tuition in violin, cello, guitar, recorder and tin whistle. Children’s learning experiences are enhanced through links with children in neighbouring mainland and island schools. The school now needs to explore how this practice can be extended, particularly through the use of information and communications technology. School grounds provide attractive, stimulating environments for outdoor play and learning.
Appropriate steps are taken to ensure that transitions are smooth for pre-school children moving to primary school, and for P7 children moving to secondary school.
How well does the school improve the quality of its work?
The new headteacher has quickly grasped the strengths in teaching for effective learning within the school, and areas across the school requiring development. She is highly respected by staff, pupils and parents. Parents are very positive about the school. Class teachers are very reflective and evaluate their own work in order to make improvements for children. Support staff play a very important role in the life of the school, impacting very positively on the lives of children. Views of parents and children are sought in a variety of ways and are responded to. With consistency in leadership, there is now a need to implement more structured, systematic and rigorous procedures for evaluating all aspects of school life, to ensure continued improvements in children’s learning experiences and achievements.
This inspection found the following key strengths.

Commendably positive attitudes and behaviour of all children in the school.

The caring, nurturing and inclusive environment for all children to learn and achieve.

Positive experiences offered for children led by the leadership of the headteacher, teamwork and commitment of highly reflective staff.

Strong partnerships with parents and the local community, particularly through enhancing opportunities for developing and achieving success through music and sporting activities.
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I discussed with staff and the Highland Council how they might continue to improve the school. This is what I agreed with them.

Strengthen approaches to self-evaluation across the school to ensure children’s experiences and achievements continue to improve.

Continue to develop and improve the curriculum.
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, the Highland Council will inform parents about the school’s progress.
Sally Fulton
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/Lady
LovatPrimarySchoolHighland.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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