HM Inspectorate of Education
Europa Building, 450 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8LG
t 0141 242 0100
f 0141 242 5757
e hmi.glasgow@hmie.gsi.gov.uk
w www.hmie.gov.uk
24 May 2011
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Dear Parent/Carer
Neilsland Primary School
South Lanarkshire Council
As you will be aware, HM Inspectors of Education recently visited and inspected your child’s
school. Throughout the inspection we talked to a considerable number of children and
worked closely with the headteacher and staff.
How well do children learn and achieve?
We found that across the school, children are well motivated, engaged in and enthusiastic
about their learning. They are able to identify how they can improve their own work and are
able to use what they learned in new situations. Children are fully involved in setting targets
to improve their learning and in reflecting on how they can improve further. Across the
school, children are developing appropriate literacy and numeracy skills and learning how to
lead healthy lives. Most children read confidently and many are able to talk knowledgably
about a range of authors. Most write well for a variety of purposes. Across the school, most
children are making appropriate progress in their learning in mathematics. Staff make
mathematics interesting and meaningful by presenting work in real life contexts. However, a
few children in each class could achieve more in both English language and in mathematics.
Staff provide children with a wide range of out-of-school learning which helps them achieve
more widely. Staff monitor this well and change activities according to children’s interests.
How well does the school support children to develop and learn?
Teachers provide a range of high-quality opportunities for children to learn. Learning in early
stages is developed very effectively through well-planned play. In most lessons, there is a
very good range of tasks and activities which are adapted to meet the needs of almost all
children very well. Arrangements for children who need extra support in their learning are
very thorough. Children are learning to make good use of information and communications
technology to support and enhance their learning. They know about the need to conserve
their environment and have gained a third Eco-Schools Scotland green flag award. Regular
homework tasks help children to consolidate learning in school. Parents are kept informed
about their child’s learning, for example, through parents’ evenings and progress reports.
Children feel happy and safe in school.
How well does the school improve the quality of its work?
Children and parents are regularly consulted on how to improve the school. Staff know the
strengths of the school well and those areas requiring development. The headteacher and
principal teacher lead the school very well. They work well with staff to develop a strong
culture of achievement and improvement. The headteacher provides very good opportunities
for staff and children to take responsibility for developing aspects of the work of the school.
Teachers continually review their work and support each other well to try new ideas in their
classrooms. They should now work together to further improve how the school monitors
children’s progress in learning. The school deals well with any concerns or complaints.
There are effective arrangements in place to support children as they transfer from nursery to
P1 and from P7 to Calderside Academy. As a result of these effective arrangements the
school is well placed to improve further.
Our inspection of your school found the following key strengths.
•
Leadership across the school and the staff’s commitment to school improvement to
improve outcomes for children.
•
The use of information and communications technology to motivate learners in the school.
•
Very well-behaved children who are motivated by their learning and contribute to the
positive learning environment.
•
Staff teamwork in bringing about improvements in learning for children.
•
The strength of the school’s approaches to developing children’s health and wellbeing.
•
The approaches to assessment to improve learning which have helped children to assess
their work and that of others.
We discussed with staff and the education authority how they might continue to improve the
school. This is what we agreed with them.
•
To continue to develop the curriculum taking account of Curriculum for Excellence.
•
Improve further attainment in English language and mathematics.
•
Continue to develop robust measures to monitor and track children’s progress in learning.
As a result of the very good quality of education provided by the school we will make no
further visits in connection with this inspection. The education 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 school.
Yours sincerely
Sadie Cushley
HM Inspector
24 May 2011
Additional inspection evidence, such as details of the quality indicator evaluations for
Neilsland Primary School can be found on the HMIE website from publication date at
http://www.hmie.gov.uk/ViewEstablishment.aspx?id=8085&type=2.
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