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Education Scotland, Greyfriars House, Gallowgate, Aberdeen AB10 1LQ t
01224 642544 f
01224 625370 e
aberdeen@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk
Textphone
01506 600236
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24 April 2012
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www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Dear Parent/Carer
MacDiarmid Primary School and Nursery Class
The Highland Council
Recently, as you may know, my colleagues and I visited and inspected your child’s school.
Throughout our visit, we talked to many parents and children and we worked closely with the headteacher and staff. We wanted to find out how well children were learning and achieving and how well the school supported 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 how it was improving children’s achievement in the early level and writing at all stages. We also looked at approaches to enterprise and to learning which links different subjects. As a result, we were able to find out how good the school was at improving children’s education. I would now like to tell you what we found.
How well do children learn and achieve?
Children learn and achieve well. In the nursery class, children are very eager to participate in activities. They are confident in following their own interests and, with skilful adult support, often become absorbed in their learning. Children in the primary classes are also highly motivated. They are enjoying the improvements to learning and teaching that are taking place. Children respond well to opportunities to reflect on their own work, to make decisions and to be independent. Most children understand how, by knowing their learning and personal targets, they can improve aspects of their work. All children enjoy working with children in other classes. Shared learning across nursery and P1 helps children to develop confidence and learn new skills. Children develop confidence and citizenship skills through taking part in the many events and competitions in the community and after-school clubs.
Children benefit from taking part in the pupil council, eco committee and as junior road safety officers.
Nursery children are developing their early literacy and numeracy skills very well. Almost all talk confidently about their ideas and experiences. They enjoy looking at books, listening to stories and are beginning to recognise sounds and printed words. They are confident using appropriate mathematical language when measuring, counting, identifying and matching shapes. In the primary classes, children are making good progress in language and mathematics. They listen well and many are articulate and confident speakers with strong presentation skills. Children read very well throughout the school. Staff have been taking steps to improve children’s writing and, as a result, writing is getting better in all classes. For example, children are now writing for an increased range of purposes. In all classes, children carry out written calculations neatly and effectively. They are developing confidence, speed
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and accuracy in mental calculations. Across the nursery and school, children manage and interpret information well and, by P7, use information and communications technology effectively to present their findings. Children are very motivated and are achieving well in music and sport. All children learn Gaelic language. Children in the nursery and P1-2 get together every week to learn songs in Gaelic and can use simple words and phrases purposefully. Children in P5-7 are also gaining language skills in French.
How well does the school support children to develop and learn?
Staff provide a welcoming, purposeful and supportive learning environment. Because they know children very well and encourage them to be themselves, children are confident in expressing their ideas, opinions and individuality. All staff have worked very well to improve the curriculum by taking account of Curriculum for Excellence. These developments are helping to improve children’s skills in literacy and numeracy and to apply their learning in real-life situations. We are confident that teachers are now better placed to make necessary improvements to the way they plan and assess children’s learning and to link learning across different subjects. Staff recognise they need to ensure children progress their skills more effectively in several subject areas, including health and wellbeing and science. Learning support is well organised to provide specific support to children when they need it. Support assistants work very well to provide help for all children in a variety of settings. Children with additional support plans need to be enabled to contribute to reviewing their own learning and support needs in more suitable ways. Parents have a very active role in the nursery and school. They provide very strong support in fundraising, enterprise activities, eco work and in supporting learning activities. Parents have undertaken training to be coaches to provide additional clubs for children.
How well does the school improve the quality of its work?
The school uses an effective range of approaches to improve its work. Teamwork in school is very strong and staff are reflective practitioners who strive to improve learning and teaching.
Approaches such as class visits by teachers to each other’s lessons, moderation of writing with other schools in the cluster, and regular staff discussions about how to improve, are all helping to improve learning and achievement. Commendably, children work with staff in a shared learning partnership in which staff also see themselves as learners. Children recognise when lessons are of high quality and provide teachers with helpful feedback, which, because of the culture of the school, is valued. Overall, these sound approaches should now be built on to give children a more active role in improving learning and having a stronger say in school developments. For parents, it would be useful to show more clearly how they are contributing to school improvement, for example by clarifying what action is taken following consultations with them. The headteacher has established a very open and welcoming ethos where everyone feels valued and included. Building on this, she now needs to work more closely with staff to lead and secure these ongoing developments. We are confident that the school is well placed to continue to improve.
This inspection of your school and nursery class found the following key strengths.
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Children’s experiences in the nursery and primary classes.
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Polite children who are enthusiastic, confident and motivated to learn.
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Staff’s commitment to improving learning and teaching.
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Positive and supportive relationships within the school community.
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We discussed with staff and the education authority how they might continue to improve the school and nursery class. This is what we agreed with them.
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Continue to develop Curriculum for Excellence ensuring continuity and progression in children’s learning from stage to stage.
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Develop further the way everyone leads improvements in learning, including more opportunities for children to lead and take responsibility.
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. The local authority will inform parents about the school’s progress as part of the authority’s arrangements for reporting to parents on the quality of its schools.
Mary Ann Hagan
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.hmie.gov.uk/ViewEstablishment.aspx?id=7928&type=2 .
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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