Luss Primary School
Argyll and Bute Council
11 October 2005
Contents
Page
1. Background
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2. Key strengths
1
3. What are the views of parents and carers, pupils and staff?
1
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
2
5. How well are pupils supported?
4
6. How good is the environment for learning?
4
7. Improving the school
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Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
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Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
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How can you contact us?
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1. Background
Luss Primary School was inspected in May 2005 as part of a national sample of
primary education. The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the school at all
stages. It evaluated pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of the school, the
environment for learning, the school’s processes for self-evaluation and capacity for
improvement. There was a particular focus on attainment in English language and
mathematics.
HM Inspectors examined pupils’ work and interviewed groups of pupils, including the
pupil council, and staff. Members of the inspection team also met the chairperson of
the School Board, representatives of the parent-teacher association (PTA), and a group
of parents.
The inspection team also evaluated aspects of the school's progress in implementing
national recommendations related to improving aspects of school meals provision.
The school serves the village of Luss. At the time of the inspection the roll was 23.
The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was well below the
national average. Pupils’ attendance was above the national average.
2. Key strengths
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
•
Well-behaved, polite and friendly pupils.
•
Effective teamwork and high quality teaching.
•
The range and quality of learning experiences provided for pupils.
• Imaginative and highly effective use of the school grounds and local area.
• Partnership with parents and productive links with the local community.
• The leadership of the headteacher.
3. What are the views of parents and carers, pupils and staff?
HM Inspectors analysed responses to questionnaires issued to all parents, P4 to P7
pupils, and to all staff. Information about the responses to the questionnaires appears in
Appendix 2.
Parents, pupils and staff expressed a very high level of satisfaction with the school.
Parents thought that staff made them welcome and the school had a very good
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reputation in the community. They reported that their children enjoyed being at school
and they valued the strong sense of community in the school. Pupils were proud to be
at Luss Primary School. They thought that teachers explained things clearly and
expected them to work hard. Pupils enjoyed the many interesting outings. They
commented positively about the high quality of the school lunches. All staff were very
positive about the school. They particularly liked the sense of teamwork and felt the
school was an integral part of the local community. Staff felt they showed concern for
the care and welfare of pupils.
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
The school provided a good, broad and balanced curriculum. Staff used available time
effectively by focussing on activities to develop further pupils’ skills in English
language. Staff had recently improved pupils’ learning skills in reading, writing, art
and design and music by developing the programmes. Throughout the school, pupils
were developing their skills in information and communications technology (ICT).
They made effective use of their ICT skills in other curricular areas, such as
environmental studies. Teachers made very good use of enterprise education,
citizenship and creativity to increase pupils’ confidence and raise their awareness of a
wide range of global issues. Teachers paid very good attention to developing pupils’
skills in physical education through effective use of the outdoor environment. They
were developing pupils’ understanding of the need for healthy eating. For example,
growing vegetables and cooking food was included as part of topic work. However,
within the limited accommodation, pupils had insufficient opportunities to develop their
skills in gymnastics. Staff encouraged pupils’ to take responsibility and work together
to resolve minor conflicts by negotiation and discussion. The quality of teaching was
very good. Teachers were very well organised, gave clear explanations and made
consistent use of praise to develop pupils’ enthusiasm for learning. They made clear to
pupils the purposes of lessons and questioned them effectively to check their
understanding. Teachers provided opportunities for pupils to work together and learn
from each other. Teachers provided a varied range of homework activities for pupils.
The quality of pupils’ learning was very good. Pupils were very well behaved and keen
to learn. They responded well to a good level of challenge and a suitably brisk pace of
learning. They worked very well together in small groups to solve problems, in
dramatic activities and in discussions about their reading and writing. Pupils at all
stages used a digital camera effectively while those from P4 to P7 made good use of the
Internet to carry out research. Commendably, all pupils had very effective learning
experiences within the school grounds and the wider community. For example, the
recent construction of a willow dome in the school grounds and a project to redevelop
the local play park provided pupils with a range of stimulating learning opportunities.
These included surveys, working with the Countryside Ranger Service, artwork,
writing, talking to local councillors and contacting other schools.
At all stages, pupils were making very good progress to developing self-confidence and
self-esteem. The school had an effective system to identify and reward pupils’
achievements. Pupils readily expressed their views on school issues through the active
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pupil council. They were consulted regularly about food in school. Pupils
demonstrated their developing citizenship skills through a range of successful school
initiatives, such as taking part in the launch of the draft National Park consultation plan.
Senior pupils supported the youngest pupils in the playground and as buddies to new
pupils in P1. Pupils were aware of the needs of others through their support for a
number of charities. Pupils’ attitudes to healthy eating and the need for an active
lifestyle were being developed very effectively through themes and school events. In
the summer term all pupils developed personal and social skills by participating in a
programme of sports and activities as part of schools grounds week. These activities
further enhanced pupils’ awareness and understanding of sustainability and the
importance of maintaining their status as an Eco School. Pupils at P6 and P7 responded
well to opportunities to take part in residential events and extra-curricular activities
such as the nature club and a Heartstart initiative.
English language
The overall quality of pupils’ attainment in English language was good. In recent
years, the school had increased the level of pupils’ attainment in reading and writing.
Most pupils were achieving expected national levels of attainment in listening, talking
and reading. However, only the majority of pupils attained these levels in writing.
Most pupils listened attentively and responded very well to teachers’ instructions and
explanations. Teachers provided effective support for pupils with additional support
needs in aspects of reading and writing. At all stages pupils were learning to express
their views and listen to the views of others. Across the school, pupils read aloud
fluently and with expression. Most read for pleasure and enjoyed talking about books
they had read. Pupils in P6 were able to discuss themes and more complex aspects of
the writer’s craft when studying a poem. Steps had been taken to raise attainment in
writing and there were signs that standards were improving. Pupils from P4 to P7
wrote for a range of different purposes and they had begun to offer suggestions to each
other on how their writing could be improved. Overall, the standard of punctuation,
sentence construction and presentation was good.
Mathematics
The overall quality of pupils’ attainment in mathematics was good. The school had
maintained consistently good standards over recent years. All pupils at P3 and the
majority at P4 to P7 were achieving appropriate national levels of attainment in all
aspects of mathematics. By P7, pupils’ skills in information handling were well
developed and they could organise and interpret information using a wide range of
graphs. Pupils made good use of ICT to develop their learning in mathematics. At P6
and P7, pupils created spreadsheets as part of an environmental studies topic. Across
the school, pupils performed well in mental and written calculations. Pupils in P7 were
less confident in using fractions and decimals. At all stages, pupils could identify
two- and three-dimensional shapes and describe their properties. They could use a
range of effective strategies to solve problems.
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5. How well are pupils supported?
Staff provided a very good level of support for pupils and knew their pupils very well
as individuals. Pupils had a clear understanding of what they should do if they had any
concerns. Pupils felt safe in the school and were well looked after. The school’s
approaches to pupils’ personal and social development included an appropriate focus on
drug awareness, health promotion and personal relationships. Staff showed strong
commitment to promoting healthy food choices, including through the development of
a healthy tuck shop. School lunches were good quality. The school had effective
measures for child protection which were understood and shared by all staff.
Pupils were very well supported by staff. In addition to class teachers, pupils received
high quality support with aspects of their learning from the classroom assistant and
visiting learning support teacher. The headteacher gave very good support to groups of
pupils in areas such as reading, mathematics and art and design. Pupils who had
specific learning difficulties were making consistently good progress. Staff had begun
to share learning outcomes with pupils. Pupils had opportunities to set their own
targets for learning. There were effective arrangements in place to support pupils
transferring from nursery to P1 and from P7 to secondary school.
6. How good is the environment for learning?
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Aspect
Comment
Quality of
accommodation
and facilities
The quality of accommodation was good overall. The
school had recently been extended to provide an additional
teaching area. The school interior was bright, attractive and
well maintained. An appropriate security system was in
operation throughout the school. Staff made good use of the
available space, although the lack of a hall restricted the
range of energetic physical education activities. One
teaching area was also used as the dining room. The
inclusion of a separate space for staff to meet privately with
parents would enhance the facilities provided. Resources
were in good supply and were well organised. The school
had extensive grounds including tarmac and grassy areas.
Some areas had been recently developed by the pupils and
staff to include a seating area, willow dome, wildlife garden
and a shelter. Some areas were prone to flooding and access
across the sloping grass to the shelter was sometimes
difficult in inclement weather.
Aspect
Comment
Climate and
relationships,
expectations
and promoting
achievement
and equality
Staff had created a very warm and welcoming atmosphere in
which pupils, parents and visitors felt safe and valued.
Staff, pupils and parents were very proud of their school.
The quality of the teamwork among staff was very good and
their morale was high. Pupils were very polite and friendly
and behaved very well, both in class and in the playground.
Teachers had high expectations of pupils’ attainment and
achievements in the curriculum and in sports and arts and
crafts. The school celebrated pupils’ achievements at
weekly assemblies, house awards and through displays and
in newsletters. The school chaplain visited the school
regularly and provided good opportunities for religious
observance. Staff very successfully promoted a strong sense
of fairness and respect, through their teaching and by
example. Teachers were developing aspects of the
programme for personal and social development to further
increase pupils’ awareness of the importance of racial
equality.
Partnership
with parents
and the
community
The school’s relationships with the local community were
very good. It had a well established and positive partnership
with the School Board and the PTA. Parents, pupils and
staff were very active in the community and helped to
ensure the school’s central place in village life. They
worked closely together to organise community events and
support a range of charity appeals. Pupils made frequent
use of the computers in the Church Pilgrimage Centre to
complete homework and carry out research. The school
provided parents with helpful information through regular
newsletters, information sessions, curriculum workshops
and detailed annual reports on children’s progress. The
school had consulted parents on matters such as the after
school sports activities and the school’s health education
programme. The headteacher encouraged parents and
toddlers to meet in the school, use the facilities and to get to
know the school. Staff had good links with the local
secondary and the local school’s cooperative. The school
had joined with another school from the cooperative area to
take part in a Scottish Opera workshop. Local businesses in
the area offered very good support to the school, for
example in an enterprise project to make and sell healthy
cereal bars.
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7. Improving the school
Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.
Luss Primary School had many strengths. The school offered a secure and caring
environment where all were valued and where tolerance, fairness and equality were
successfully promoted. The quality of teaching was high and pupils’ attainment was
good and improving. Teachers had implemented new programmes in writing, reading
and art and design. These were having a very positive impact on the learning
experiences of pupils. Pupils were confident learners. They were achieving in a broad
range of areas such as in art and design and outdoor education.
The headteacher provided the school with very good leadership. She was highly
committed to the school and had earned the respect and confidence of parents, staff and
pupils. She had successfully established a very positive ethos and had taken good
account of staff strengths in building a strong team. She was an energetic and skilled
teacher who placed a strong emphasis on ensuring quality learning experiences for
pupils in the classroom and in the outdoor environment. The arrangements for
monitoring and evaluating the work of the school were good. The headteacher had
consulted pupils and parents about a range of issues such as the after school clubs and
the quality of school meals. Staff worked well together to evaluate what they were
doing and to plan for improvement. Teachers tracked pupils’ progress in English
language and mathematics and made good use of the information to set realistic targets
for pupils’ progress. The headteacher monitored teachers’ forward plans and pupils’
jotters and visited classes regularly to monitor the quality of teaching. However, she
needed to monitor pupils’ learning and attainment more rigorously. The school had
clear capacity to improve, given a more rigorous approach to self-evaluation.
Main points for action
The school and education authority should continue to provide high quality and
improving education. In doing so, they should take account of the need to:
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•
further improve pupils’ attainment in English language and mathematics;
•
continue to develop a systematic approach to self-evaluation; and
•
continue to improve aspects of the accommodation.
What happens next?
As a result of the high performance, the strong record of improvement and the very
effective leadership of this school, HM Inspectors will make no further reports in
connection with this inspection. The school and the education authority have been
asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of
the report, and to share that plan with parents and carers. Within two years of the
publication of this report the education authority, working with the school, will provide
a progress report to parents and carers.
Marion Burns
HM Inspector
11 October 2005
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Appendix 1
Indicators of quality
We judged the following to be very good
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The teaching process
Pupils’ learning experiences
Pastoral care
Climate and relationships
Expectations and promoting achievement
Equality and fairness
Partnership with parents, the School Board and the community
Leadership
We judged the following to be good
•
•
•
•
•
•
Structure of the curriculum
Pupils’ attainment in English language
Pupils’ attainment in mathematics
Meeting pupils’ needs
Accommodation and facilities
Self-evaluation
We judged the following to be fair
•
No aspects were found to be in this category
We judged the following to be unsatisfactory
•
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No aspects were found to be in this category
Appendix 2
Summary of questionnaire responses
Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires
are listed below. Where any one group had five or less respondees then, in order to
maintain confidentiality, the analysis is not provided.
What pleased parents and carers
most
•
•
•
•
•
Children enjoyed being at
school.
The school’s reputation in the
community.
Teachers set high standards.
The helpful and informative
reports and parents’ evenings.
The leadership of the
headteacher.
What parents and carers would like
to see improved
•
There were no significant concerns
raised by parents.
What pleased pupils most
What pupils would like to see
improved
• They felt they were treated
fairly by all staff.
• They had a say in deciding how
to make the school better.
• They felt safe and well looked
after.
• Teachers knew them and helped
them to learn.
•
Pupils were very satisfied with
almost all aspects of school life.
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How can you contact us?
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Director of
Community Services, local councillors and appropriate Members of the Scottish
Parliament. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of charge from
HM Inspectorate of Education, Ground Floor Suite, Unit 7, Blair Court, Clydebank
Business Park, Clydebank, G81 2LA or by telephoning 0141 435 3550. Copies are also
available on our website www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you wish to comment about primary inspections
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of primary inspections, you should write in
the first instance to Chris McIlroy, Acting HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education,
Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54
6GA.
Our complaints procedure
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to
Hazel Dewart, Business Management Unit, HM Inspectorate of Education, Second
Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston
EH54 6GA. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from this office or by
telephoning 01506 600258 or from our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints
procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to
investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should
write to The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4-6 Melville Street,
Edinburgh EH3 7NS. You can also telephone 0870 011 5378 or e-mail
enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s
office can be obtained from the website: www.scottishombudsman.org.uk
Crown Copyright 2005
HM Inspectorate of Education
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