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Mrs A Wilson |
HM Inspectorate of Education Our ref: WSM/SJR |
Dear Mrs Wilson
FOLLOW-UP TO THE INSPECTION OF ST NINIAN’S RC PRIMARY SCHOOL AND NURSERY CLASS, DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL
The report on the above school was published in August 2001. HM Inspectors visited the school in April 2003 to evaluate progress made in responding to the main points for action in the report.
Under the very effective leadership of the headteacher and depute headteacher, and with very good support from the education authority, the school has made very good progress towards meeting the main points for action. As a result, HM Inspectors will make no further visits to the school in connection with the August 2001 report.
I attach an evaluation and brief account of the response made by the school and the education authority to the main points for action in the report.
I am sending a copy of this letter to parents and carers of children currently in the school and the other recipients of the inspection report.
Yours sincerely
Dr Bill Maxwell
HM Chief Inspector
Northern Division
Main points for action
1. The school should improve procedures for forward planning, assessment and recording across the curriculum.
The school had made very good progress in addressing this main point for action.
The school had made major improvements to forward planning, assessment and recording procedures. Teachers and nursery staff had worked hard to produce new forward plans which enabled them to plan work that built appropriately on pupils’ previous learning in all areas of the curriculum. They now used assessment information more effectively when planning next steps in learning. Throughout the school, staff had developed more consistent approaches to assessing and recording pupils’ progress.
2. Teaching programmes in English language and mathematics should be improved.
The school had very effectively addressed this main point for action.
Teaching programmes in English language and mathematics had been improved. A team of teachers had prepared helpful guidance for staff. Additional emphasis had been given to those aspects of English language and mathematics where improvement in pupils’ attainment was most needed. Very good progress was being made in improving pupils’ attainment.
3. The school should fully implement the education authority’s scheme for staff development and review.
The school had made very good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
The school had fully implemented the education authority’s scheme for staff review and development. All members of the teaching staff had had their work reviewed and their staff development needs had been identified. Teachers had benefited from a good range of staff development activities. There were appropriate plans to begin reviews for clerical and support staff.
4. The headteacher should improve approaches to quality assurance and development planning.
The school had very effectively met this main point for action.
The headteacher and her depute had made major improvements to the school’s approaches to quality assurance and development planning. They had introduced rigorous and well-focused methods of monitoring and evaluating the quality of learning and teaching, pupils’ classwork and their overall progress. Overall, staff had very effectively planned and implemented a number of key improvements in approaches to self-evaluation which were having a positive impact on the quality of education they provided. Under the very effective leadership of the headteacher and depute headteacher, and with very good support from the education authority, the school has made very good progress towards meeting the main points for action. As a result, HM Inspectors will make no further visits to the school in connection with the August 2001 report.