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Mrs A Wilson |
HM Inspectorate of Education
Our ref: WSM/JWM |
Dear Mrs Wilson
FOLLOW-UP TO THE INSPECTION OF SIDLAW VIEW PRIMARY SCHOOL AND NURSERY CLASS, DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL
The report on the above school was published in June 2001. HM Inspectors visited the school in June 2003 to evaluate progress made in responding to the main points for action in the report.
The recently appointed headteacher and her staff, with support from the education authority, had worked very effectively together to make improvements to the work of the school. Overall, they had made very good progress towards addressing the main points for action in the report. As a result, HM Inspectors will make no further visits in relation to the June 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
Main points for action
1. The school should improve attainment in English language and mathematics as a priority.
The school had made very good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
The headteacher and staff had taken a number of steps to help raise attainment. They had developed new policies in English language and mathematics which gave teachers good advice on learning and teaching, and had improved the quality of some resources. The school had also drawn on the expertise of staff from the education authority and the University of Dundee in improving aspects of the mathematics programme. These initiatives had contributed to improvements in attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. The school was now well placed to make further improvements in these areas.
2. Staff should increase the pace of pupils’ work, and ensure that all are sufficiently challenged.
The school had made very good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
The headteacher and staff had evaluated their current approaches to teaching and learning with a view to ensuring all pupils were appropriately challenged. All staff were now well focused on improving the pace and quality of pupils’ learning. They had developed useful advice on the structure of lessons and had prepared materials which provided greater challenge for pupils. They had raised their expectations of pupils and were monitoring pupils’ progress against these expectations within agreed timescales. A major initiative to improve pupils’ self-esteem and behaviour was also helping to improve the overall quality of support for pupils.
3. The school should improve its programmes in English language and environmental studies.
The school had made very good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
The school had developed new programmes of study for activities in listening, talking, reading and writing. Effective assessment procedures had been developed within the writing programme, and were being extended to other aspects. Very good progress had also been made in constructing programmes in environmental studies. The authority had provided advice in science and technology, and school staff had developed new programmes in the social subjects. Staff had also devised an annual programme to ensure appropriate coverage of all aspects of environmental studies.
4. The school should improve its procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress and attainment.
The school had made good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
The school had established a new policy for assessment and recording, based on local and national advice. Clear procedures had been developed for recording pupils’ attainment in English language and mathematics, and for retaining samples of pupils’ work. Staff were also using a computer-based system to track pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. They intended to extend this system to other areas of the curriculum to ensure they had a secure knowledge of pupils’ overall achievements.
5. The headteacher should visit classes more often to support teachers and pupils, and monitor learning and teaching, behaviour and attainment.
The school had made good progress towards meeting this main point for action.
The headteacher and depute headteacher provided very good support for staff. They made regular visits to classes to work with pupils and teachers. They also made formal visits to classes to monitor learning and teaching and pupils’ progress. Teachers completed a professional support record prior to these visits, which involved them in self-evaluation of learning and teaching and other aspects of the work of the school. The headteacher had identified the need to further improve these and other approaches to quality assurance. All staff had been working very effectively together and had achieved considerable success in improving pupils’ behaviour.
The recently appointed headteacher and her staff, with support from the education authority, had worked very effectively together to make improvements to the work of the school. Overall, they had made very good progress towards addressing the main points for action in the report. As a result, HM Inspectors will make no further visits in relation to the June 2001 report.