6 September 2005
1. The inspection
2. Continuous improvement
3. Progress towards meeting the main points for action
4. Conclusion
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HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) published a report on Standards and Quality in Langlees Primary School in September 2003. Working with the school, the education authority prepared and made public an action plan in December 2003, indicating how they would address the main points for action identified in the original HMIE inspection report published in September 2003.
An inspection team revisited the school in September 2004 to evaluate progress made in responding to the main points for action in the initial report. HM Inspectors agreed to remain in contact with the education authority and the school and revisit the school for a further follow-through inspection and report to parents and carers on progress made.
To maintain the school buildings a number of windows had been replaced and phase one of a rewiring programme completed.
Over the last three years, pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics had improved steadily. Although there had been a slight decline in attainment in writing in 2004, it had improved in 2005. At the early stages, most pupils now achieved national standards of attainment in reading earlier than expected and a majority did so in mathematics.
The school continued to provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities for broader achievement. Pupils had been involved in planning the development of a local sports facility.
In 2004, the school won a bronze Eco school award and was well placed to gain a silver award. The ‘Tidy Team’ gained first prize last session and second prize this session in the Falkirk Council/Rotary Club Tidy Playground Competition. Pupils had raised a significant amount of money for local and international charities.
Significant steps had been taken to strengthen the school’s approach to promoting pupils’ health and well-being. A whole-school health education programme operated successfully. A programme of Personal Safety for P1-P3, involving the local Community Police Officer, helped raise pupils’ awareness of how to keep themselves safe. An enhanced programme on personal relationships and sexual health had been introduced for pupils in P6 and P7. Anti-bullying workshops helped raise pupils’ awareness of the impact of bullying and ways of dealing with it. Partnerships with the local Health Board and retailers helped support a range of initiatives to promote healthy eating, including a healthy tuck shop and healthy options at lunch time.
The initial inspection report published in September 2003 identified six 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 The school should improve programmes of study in line with the recommendations in this report.
Very good progress had been made towards meeting this recommendation.
A set of new policies and guidelines had been introduced in a number of curricular areas. This now successfully provided pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum showing progression from stage to stage. Staff now displayed an increased confidence in delivering the curriculum and ensuring that the new programmes were impacting on pupils’ learning. The programme in problem solving in mathematics had been developed further and pupils were able to identify and use relevant strategies when solving problems. The policy in mental mathematics was in place and staff were using this very well to develop pupils’ mental calculations. The development of information and communications technology (ICT) to support teaching in mathematics had further increased. Pupils’ were able to use ICT to handle data and produce a variety of graphs and charts.
A new reading scheme had been introduced as part of the new policy on English language. This gave pupils at P1 to P5 a more structured approach to the development of reading. The teaching of reading for pupils at P6 and P7 was centred around using novels. Pupils were able to identify the different genres of reading on which they had been working. Staff had continued to develop a new programme for writing. There had been an emphasis on sharing learning targets with pupils at the start of a piece of writing. Teachers and pupils then evaluated the targets at the end of the work to check learning. This had impacted positively on pupils’ writing skills in the early and middle stages. It had not yet fully impacted on pupils’ attainment in writing at P7 which remained low. The use of ICT to support learning and teaching in English language was developing well.
A number of appropriate developments had taken place in expressive arts. A new art and design programme had been put in place following whole-school staff training. Pupils’ skills in art and design were developing very well with art work of a good quality on display around the school. A new programme for drama had been introduced successfully. This gave greater progression in the development of pupils’ skills in drama. The programme still had to be extended to include pupils working at Level D.
3.2 The school should improve its arrangements for assessing pupils’ progress to provide clearer information on their attainment and to inform future planning of learning and teaching.
Overall, very good progress had been made towards meeting this recommendation.
Detailed profiles of pupils’ attainment in English language and mathematics had been developed. They were being used effectively by staff to track pupils’ progress and inform next steps in learning. The headteacher and depute headteacher met with staff every term to monitor and review progress made by individual pupils. This provided a good level of challenge and support in increasing the pace of pupils’ learning and assisted the planning of future learning. Evidence from assessments was now being used more effectively to identify next steps in learning. However, there was still scope to involve pupils further in understanding what they needed to do to improve their work.
3.3 The senior management team and class teachers should ensure that the pace of lessons is increased and pupils are challenged more consistently.
Good progress had been made towards meeting this recommendation.
The new programmes of study in English language and mathematics had successfully helped staff increase the pace and challenge of lessons. Greater emphasis had been placed on sharing planned learning targets with pupils, particularly in writing. Staff were also sharing with pupils at the start of a lesson what they expected them to learn and checking their understanding at the end. The setting of classes in mathematics continued to help staff provide appropriate challenge to pupils and enable them to make good progress in course work. Senior staff monitored teachers’ plans, classroom practice and pupil assessment files. They provided clear feedback which helped staff maintain pace and challenge in pupils’ learning. Senior managers should continue to monitor the quality of learning and teaching to ensure that the pace of lessons was appropriate in all classes and share best practice.
3.4 The senior management team, with support from the education authority and in partnership with all staff should review the school development plan. There should be particular focus on the Integrated Community School initiative and developing strategies to improve standards of attainment.
Good progress had been made towards meeting this recommendation.
Processes for school development planning had been reviewed and improved. Annual plans provided a clear focus for improvement related to the action points in the HMIe inspection report and on priorities identified by staff. Targets, tasks and timescales were clearer and action points were more achievable. There had been a clear focus on improving learning and teaching, and pupils’ attainment. Staff had been successful in meeting targets set and improving the quality of provision for children and their families.
The education authority’s Integrated Learning Community programme was being reviewed. As a result, further developments in the school had been limited. Nevertheless, staff had made good progress in working with parents to enable them to support their children’s homework in mathematics and English language. Parents were fully involved in the development of pupils’ Personal Learning Planning in P4-P7. Joint work with other agencies continued to be effective in supporting individual children and their families.
3.5 The length of time pupils in the support facility spend in the school should be increased in line with that of their peers in the primary school.
This recommendation had been met.
In October 2003, following appropriate consultation with parents, the time spent in school each day by pupils in the support facility had been brought into line with that of pupils in mainstream classes. This had increased pupils’ opportunities for learning and inclusion.
3.6 The education authority should review the needs of those pupils experiencing significant learning difficulties and ensure that documentation relating to pupils including their Record of Needs is complete and up-to-date.
This recommendation had been met.
The school and the education authority had reviewed the needs of pupils with significant learning difficulties and opened Records of Needs where appropriate. Records were reviewed and, where necessary, updated annually. Documents held in the school for pupils experiencing significant difficulties in their learning were maintained well, suitably organised and stored securely.
The education authority and school had made very good overall progress in addressing the main points for action identified in the HMI report of September 2003. The capacity of the school to improve had been strengthened and levels of pupils’ attainment and achievement had been raised. In view of this very good progress, HM Inspectors will take no further action in connection with the report of 2003.
Ian Ronald
HM District Inspector
6 September 2005
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, 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, T1 Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH11 3XD or by telephoning 0131 244 2917. Copies are also available on our website: www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you wish to comment about follow-through inspections
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.
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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