Portlethen Primary School
Aberdeenshire Council
19 February 2008
Contents
Page
1.
The inspection
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2.
Continuous improvement
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3.
Progress towards meeting the main points for action
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4.
Conclusion
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How can you contact us?
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1. The inspection
HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) published a report on the inspection of
Portlethen Primary School in January 2006. The school, working with the education
authority, prepared an action plan indicating how they would address the main points for
action identified in the original HMIE inspection report.
HM Inspectors revisited the school in November 2007 to assess the extent to which the
school was continuing to improve the quality of its work, and to evaluate progress made in
responding to the main points for action in the initial report.
2. Continuous improvement
Following the inspection report of January 2006 staff had worked very effectively together to
secure school improvements in a number of areas in addition to those identified as main
points for action. Improvements had been made in the nursery. Across the school, pupils’
attainment in reading, writing and mathematics had improved. The school had made
significant progress towards achieving health promoting school status and had already
received a commended award. The school was in the process of achieving green flag status
for its Eco School work. In each of these areas staff had taken a lead and worked effectively
with groups of pupils, parents and partners from the wider community to ensure success.
3. Progress towards meeting the main points for action
The initial inspection report published in January 2006 identified four main points for action.
This section evaluates the progress made with each of the action points and the resulting
improvements for pupils and other stakeholders.
3.1
Review the use of available teaching time to rectify shortcomings in the
curriculum and raise pupils’ attainment, particularly in mathematics.
The school had made very good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
Staff had reviewed their use of teaching time and improved the weaknesses in the curriculum.
They had also successfully improved pupils’ attainment in mathematics. The time allocation
for physical education had been doubled. Pupils had access to a range of additional physical
activities at break times and at clubs. Staff had greatly increased pupils’ skills in information
and communications technology (ICT) and enterprise education. All classes now undertook
enterprise education and took part in a regional Enterprise Week. Pupils were very
enthusiastic about their achievements in enterprise education and the school had very recently
won the education authority’s gold award for enterprise. Staff had reviewed the amount of
time given to each curriculum area to ensure that pupils benefited fully from the available
teaching time. This was particularly evident in mathematics where teachers and support
assistants used a wide variety of approaches and activities to support and enhance pupils’
learning. Pupils displayed a high level of competence and confidence in mathematics. They
made good use of computers for information handling and problem solving activities. At all
stages, pupils demonstrated good skills in mental calculation. Overall attainment had
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improved over the past two years with most pupils now attaining at expected national levels.
Staff were committed to further improvements in this area.
3.2
Meet pupils’ needs more effectively by improving the pace of lessons,
challenging able pupils more consistently and encouraging pupils to
become more independent learners.
Staff had made very good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
The review of teaching time for each curriculum area had enabled staff to improve their
approaches to planning and teaching lessons. The overall pace of lessons had improved and
able pupils were challenged more consistently. In mathematics, for example, staff had moved
away from the over-use of commercial materials and an over-reliance on worksheets. They
were now more responsive to the learning needs of individual learners. In the development
of early reading skills, staff had successfully increased the pace of learning for pupils. Pupils
were developing good skills as independent learners. They confidently discussed aspects of
learning and could describe clearly what they were expected to learn. They could set their
own targets and evaluate their own progress. Pupils were developing good research and
problem solving skills and could use these effectively to complete class and homework
activities. Staff encouraged pupils to work independently and to think for themselves. They
provided good opportunities for pupils to work together and learn.
3.3
Improve self-evaluation, planning and assessment to enable pupils’
progress to be monitored more effectively.
Staff had made good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
The senior management team had improved their approaches to monitoring and evaluating
the quality of learning and teaching. They made effective use of classroom observation and
assessment information to track and monitor pupils’ progress. They were more focused on
areas for improvement and provided a greater degree of support and challenge where it was
specifically needed. Staff had a better understanding of the links between effective planning,
learning and self-evaluation. They regularly reflected on the quality of their own teaching.
Pupils could reflect on their own progress and knew what they had to do to improve their
work. Parents had the opportunity to evaluate the work of the school and, more recently,
their children’s work during an open evening. Staff had plans to develop this parental
involvement further.
3.4
Review the remits and deployment of promoted staff.
Staff had made very good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
Following the original inspection, the remits of the senior management team had been
reviewed. Each team member had a clearly stated remit with core areas of responsibility and
whole school responsibilities for aspects of the curriculum. For example, the depute
headteacher with responsibility for nursery and the early stages had the remit for developing
enterprise education across the school. The depute headteacher with responsibility for the
upper school had the remit for mathematics, science and mapping skills across the school.
The depute headteachers had teaching commitments, but in session 2006/07 they had been
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allocated additional non-teaching time. This had enabled them to carry out their remits and
increase their role in monitoring the quality of learning and teaching. The depute
headteachers worked closely with the headteacher and staff to identify improvement priorities
at class and whole school level.
4. Conclusion
Staff at Portlethen Primary School had successfully addressed each of the main points for
action. They had improved the quality of the curriculum, increased pupils’ attainment levels
and extended the range of learning experiences at all stages. Pupils were developing a range
of skills across the curriculum. They made effective use of ICT to extend their learning and
had been involved in a wide range of successful enterprise activities. The school’s
approaches to self-evaluation had improved. Staff were actively involved in evaluating the
work of the school. Members of the senior management team had clearly stated remits. They
had improved their approaches to tracking pupils’ progress and monitoring the quality of
learning and teaching. They were committed to further continuous improvement.
As a result of the progress made and the school’s clear capacity for improvement, HMIE will
make no further inspection visits in relation to the report of January 2006.
Joan Mackay
HM Inspector
19 February 2008
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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
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.
HMIE Feedback and Complaints Procedure
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of follow-through inspections, you should write
in the first instance to Annette Bruton, HMCI, HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm
House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to our
Complaints Manager, HMIE Business Management and Communications Team,
Second Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way,
Livingston EH54 6GA. You can also e-mail HMIEcomplaints@hmie.gsi.gov.uk. A copy of
our complaints procedure is available from this office, by telephoning 01506 600200 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 (SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to investigate
complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to the SPSO,
Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330,
fax 0800 377 7331 or e-mail: ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the
Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.spso.org.uk.
Crown Copyright 2008
HM Inspectorate of Education
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