Inverallochy School
Aberdeenshire Council
31 August 2004
Contents
Page
1. Background
1
2. Key strengths
1
3. Views of parents and carers, pupils and staff
2
4. How good are learning, teaching and
achievement?
2
5. How well are pupils supported?
3
6. How good is the environment for learning?
4
7. Improving the school
5
Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
7
Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
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How can you contact us?
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1. Background
Inverallochy School was inspected in April 2004 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 and the
environment for learning. There was a particular focus on attainment in English
language and mathematics.
HM Inspectors examined pupils’ work and interviewed staff and pupils. They assessed
the school’s processes for self-evaluation. They analysed responses to questionnaires
issued to all parents and carers, pupils at P4 to P7, and to all staff. Information about
the responses to the questionnaires appears in Appendix 2. Members of the inspection
team also met the chairperson of the School Board, a representative of the parent-staff
association (PSA) and a group of parents.
The school serves the coastal villages of Cairnbulg and Inverallochy and the
surrounding area. At the time of the inspection the roll was 184. This included
36 children in the nursery class and a number of pupils who attended as a result of
placing requests. The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was
well below the national average. Pupils’ attendance was well above the national
average.
2. Key strengths
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
•
The strong ethos of achievement supported by high quality teaching and very
effective learning experiences.
•
Pupils’ very good behaviour, confidence and maturity and their positive and
friendly attitudes.
•
High quality attainment in mathematics and English language.
•
The ethos of mutual respect and teamwork including the contribution made by
all staff.
•
Partnerships with parents and the local community.
•
The high expectations of staff and pupils and the quality of self-evaluation
procedures.
•
The quality of leadership provided by the headteacher and the commitment of
all staff.
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3. Views of parents and carers, pupils and staff
Parents and carers, pupils and staff indicated high levels of satisfaction with all aspects of
the school. All parents and carers felt that staff set high standards for pupils’ attainment,
encouraged children to work to the best of their ability and showed concern for their
children’s care and welfare. They found parents’ evenings helpful and informative and
considered school buildings were kept in good order.
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
Pupils experienced a very broad and balanced curriculum. Staff made very effective use of
well constructed programmes of study in both English language and mathematics. Very
good attention was given to developing pupils writing skills in English language and to
numeracy and investigations in mathematics. However, greater emphasis on improving
pupils’ problem solving skills was needed. The very good emphasis given to health and
personal and social education contributed effectively to the confidence and positive
attitudes of almost all pupils. An extensive range of play activities in P1/2 successfully
contributed to developing pupils’ imagination, creativity and social skills. Teachers
planned very effectively to link curriculum areas in a way that enhanced teaching and
learning. Pupils’ research skills were successfully developed in a range of situations, and
pupils applied them across the curriculum. Staff provided very good opportunities for
pupils to use information and communications technology (ICT). Pupils in P6 were
learning French and those in P7 German.
The quality of learning and teaching was very good. All teachers, classroom assistants and
support for learning auxiliaries had very good working relationships with pupils, and made
learning an enjoyable and challenging experience. The quality of teacher-pupil interaction
was high and teachers used questioning very effectively to extend pupils thinking and
assess their understanding. Lessons were well structured. Teachers were well organised
and worked conscientiously to provide pupils with a stimulating learning experience. They
used a broad range of effective teaching approaches, gave clear explanations, and indicated
the objectives of lessons to pupils. Teachers made very good use of homework. The school
provided high quality advice to parents on how to support their children’s learning.
Teachers’ plans made very good use of assessment information to inform the next steps in
learning. The pace of learning was brisk allowing pupils to make very good progress in
their classwork. Pupils were encouraged to extend their thinking through appropriate
feedback, and learned effectively during collaborative activities. Pupils listened attentively
and participated enthusiastically. They responded positively to the responsibility for
working independently, and used computers with confidence to extend and enrich their
learning.
Almost all teachers used praise effectively to motivate and encourage pupils. The school
had introduced systems to promote positive behaviour and attitudes. At weekly assemblies,
the headteacher reminded pupils of their potential and celebrated their achievements.
Classes also participated by exhibiting their classwork to others. These measures had a
positive impact on developing pupils’ confidence, self-esteem and social skills. At all
stages, teachers took care to ensure that all pupils were included in activities and worked
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hard to meet their needs. Pupils were encouraged to realise they were unique, to accept
differences, and be tolerant of others. Pupils’ attitudes towards fairness and equality were
very well developed through comparing life in Scotland with that in other parts of the
world. The health education programme paid appropriate attention to all the needs of
young people. In their studies of religious and moral education, pupils learned about the
need for rules and increased their awareness of citizenship and religion. Pupils undertook
rotas of responsibilities, including playground and classroom duties. The school organised
an appropriate range of extra-curricular activities, including educational visits. The pupil
council was valued by pupils and had been successful in improving aspects of the school’s
work. Senior pupils were mature and responsible.
English language
The overall quality of pupils’ attainment in English language was very good. In recent
years, there had been noticeable improvements in the standards of attainment in reading and
writing. In all classes, pupils listened attentively to teachers and each other. They
responded well to teachers’ questions and participated enthusiastically in small group
discussions. The local dialect was celebrated. There were very good examples of younger
pupils developing spoken language through play activities. Older pupils were able to
convey information and express their views confidently and clearly. Most pupils read
regularly for pleasure and were able to discuss books they had enjoyed. Pupils had very
good opportunities to write at length, in a range of styles and for a variety of purposes.
They produced high quality pieces of writing in the context of topic work.
Mathematics
The overall quality of pupils’ attainment in mathematics was very good. The school had
made very good progress in raising attainment in mathematics to a very high standard.
Almost all pupils were achieving appropriate national levels in key aspects of mathematics.
At all stages, some pupils were exceeding these levels. Pupils were developing very good
numeracy skills and performed mental and written calculations quickly and accurately.
They interpreted graphs and charts accurately and had good experience of using computers
to handle information. Pupils in the upper stages had very good understanding of grids and
co-ordinates and very good knowledge of the properties of shapes. Although pupils at most
stages showed good skills in investigating mathematical problems, some pupils at all stages
were insufficiently aware of the range of strategies they might use to solve problems.
5. How well are pupils supported?
The school had very good arrangements for ensuring pupils’ care and welfare, including
effective procedures for child protection. Staff had a good understanding of how and when
to implement appropriate policies and procedures. Suitable safety and security
arrangements had been made. Approaches to health education and promotion were very
good. The school had become a health promoting school and, in becoming an eco-school,
pupils were encouraged to care for the environment. Arrangements for supervision of
pupils and for identifying and responding to pupils’ concerns about bullying were very
good. A race equality policy had been developed in line with authority guidelines.
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Teachers identified pupils’ learning needs early in P1 and took good account of the
comprehensive information provided by the nursery at the time of transition. Recently staff
had introduced a tracking system which set targets to ensure pupils undertook assessments
at appropriate times and monitored and encouraged their progress. The visiting teacher of
support for learning provided additional support for pupils experiencing difficulties with
their classwork. However, there was insufficient liaison between class teachers and the
support for learning teacher and pupils were extracted from class too frequently. Individual
educational programmes (IEPs) had been drawn up for pupils receiving extended learning
support but their long and short-term targets were too vague to measure pupils’ progress.
Class teachers, classroom assistants and support for learning auxiliaries provided very good
support for individual pupils and groups in class. The school had effective arrangements to
support parents, and 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 accommodation was spacious and very well maintained.
However, the accessibility of parts of the building for users
with disabilities was difficult. The school office was small
and inconveniently sited for visitors. Classrooms were very
well organised and pupils’ work was displayed attractively
throughout the school. The spacious outdoor area, which
included a large grassed area and a variety of play equipment,
provided attractive social and play areas for pupils.
Climate and
relationships,
expectations
and promoting
achievement
and equality
Relationships between pupils and staff were very good. Staff and
pupil morale was high and teamwork among staff was excellent.
Staff had successfully created a happy and secure environment in
which mutual trust and respect were evident. Pupils were
courteous and well behaved. They were encouraged to do their
best and achieve success through positive thinking and good
application and effort. Enterprise projects gave good experience
of working together, management and citizenship. Older pupils
had good opportunities to exercise responsibility through running
the tuck shop, constructing a website and helping to look after
younger ones. Pupils were involved in making decisions through
the pupil council. Staff regularly celebrated pupils’ achievements.
They set high standards for pupils’ behaviour and attainment. All
pupils were treated fairly and they treated others with respect.
Pupils had very good opportunities for religious observance. All
were immensely proud of their school and wore school uniform.
Aspect
Comment
Partnership
with parents
and the
community
The school had established very good relationships with parents
and the local community. It had a high profile within its
community and regularly supported a range of local initiatives and
a number of charities. Members of the local community were very
supportive of the school and were encouraged to share their time
and expertise with staff and pupils. Parents felt welcome in the
school, and through helpful parents’ evenings and informative
workshops were confident about supporting their children with
their work. The School Board provided good support and together
with the PSA raised substantial funds for the school. The school
communicated effectively with parents through informative
reports on pupils’ progress, a school website, regular newsletters
and an informative handbook. Parents’ views were regularly
surveyed and responded to appropriately. The school had
developed beneficial links with educational support services.
7. Improving the school
The headteacher provided very good leadership for the school. She had clearly
communicated her vision for the school to staff and parents and had been successful in
gaining their trust and support. She had provided clear guidance for staff in developing
policies and programmes of work. Her inter-personal skills and personal qualities had
contributed to the creation of a strong team spirit throughout the school. Staff were highly
committed to the school and its pupils. Teaching and non-teaching staff took on additional
responsibilities to ensure pupils were safe, happy and achieved success.
Staff were deployed to ensure best use of their talents and were fully involved in
policy-making and planning for improvement. The school’s self-evaluation procedures and
improvement plans were of high quality and provided a sound basis on which to continue to
improve performance. The strong community spirit established meant parents, staff and
pupils were well placed to further improve the work of the school. The headteacher
regularly monitored learning and teaching and provided helpful feedback to staff. Teachers
had been reviewed within the authority’s scheme for professional review and development.
All non-teaching staff received annual interviews to discuss their development needs. All
staff had benefited from appropriate staff development.
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Inverallochy School was a very effective school that was highly valued by pupils, parents,
staff and the community. The quality management, the commitment of all staff and the
active support of parents meant the school was well placed to ensure pupils achieved their
full potential.
The school and the education authority should continue to provide high quality and
improving education. In doing so, they should take account of the need to:
•
improve and re-site the school office;
• increase the emphasis given to the teaching of problem solving strategies in
mathematics; and
• improve arrangements for pupils receiving specialist support for learning.
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.
Neil MacLeod
HM Inspector
31 August 2004
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Appendix 1
Indicators of quality
We judged the following to be very good
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Structure of the curriculum
The teaching process
Pupils’ learning experiences
Pupils’ attainment in English language
Pupils’ attainment in mathematics
Meeting pupils’ needs
Pastoral care
Accommodation and facilities
Climate and relationships
Expectations and promoting achievement
Equality and fairness
Partnership with parents, the School Board and the community
Leadership
Self-evaluation
We judged the following to be good
•
No aspects were found to be in this category
We judged the following to be fair
•
No aspects were found to be in this category
We judged the following to be unsatisfactory
•
No aspects were found to be in this category
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Appendix 2
Summary of questionnaire responses
Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires
are listed below.
What pleased parents and carers
most
What parents and carers would like
to see improved
•
Staff were approachable,
welcoming and helpful.
• Concerns they raised were dealt
with effectively.
• The school had high
expectations and successfully
raised pupils confidence and
self-esteem.
• The headteacher managed the
school effectively.
•
What pleased pupils most
What pupils would like to see
improved
•
They enjoyed their school and
were proud of it.
• They felt valued, were listened
to, and were treated fairly.
• Their teachers were very good,
kind, and kept them safe and
secure.
•
What pleased staff most
What staff would like to see
improved
•
•
•
•
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The school was a friendly,
happy and caring environment.
Teachers felt valued and were
fully involved in making
decisions.
They were well led and were
well supported both
professionally and personally.
Parents had no significant
concerns.
Pupils had no significant concerns.
Staff had no significant concerns.
How can you contact us?
Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Director of
Education and Recreation, 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, Greyfriars House, Gallowgate, Aberdeen AB10 1LQ or
by telephoning 01224 642544. Copies are also available on our website:
www.hmie.gov.uk.
Should you wish to comment on or make a complaint about any aspect of the inspection
or about this report, you should write in the first instance to Frank Crawford, HMCI at
HM Inspectorate of Education, Europa Building, 450 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8LG.
A copy of our complaints procedure is available from that office and on our website.
If you are still dissatisfied, you can contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
directly or through your member of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Public
Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints
about Government Departments and Agencies. She will not normally consider your
complaint before the HMIE complaints procedure has been used. Instead, she will
usually ask you to give us the chance to put matters right if we can.
Complaints to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman must be submitted within
12 months of the date of publication of this report.
The Ombudsman can be contacted at:
Professor Alice Brown
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
4 Melville Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7NS
Telephone number: 0870 011 5378
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 2004
HM Inspectorate of Education
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or
in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date
thereof are stated.
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