2 March 2010
We published a report on Lhanbryde Primary School and Nursery Class in March 2009. That report set out key strengths of the school and main points for action.
This follow-through report is based on an inspection visit which was carried out in January 2010. It tells you about improvements since the original inspection in the quality of education which the school1 provides. It also comments on how the school is getting on with the main points for action. First we focus on changes in the core work of the school. We explain how the school has got better at helping children to learn and benefit from being at the school. Next we look at the key processes which enable this to happen, including the involvement of parents2. Our report also describes developments in the ‘ethos’ of the school, by which we mean how well children are cared for and how much is expected of them in all aspects of school life. Finally we comment on improvements in leadership to help the school achieve its aims.
A copy of this report has been placed on the HMIE website www.hmie.gov.uk . Where applicable, you will also find descriptions of good practice in the school and analyses of questionnaire returns.
1. The school
2. Particular strengths of the school
3. How well do children learn and achieve?
4. How well do staff work with others to support children's learning?
5. Are staff and children actively involved in improving their school community?
6. Does the school have high expectations of all children?
7. Does the school have a clear sense of direction?
8. What happens next?
Attainment in English language and mathematics shows signs of improvement. Children now write using a wider range of styles for different purposes and know how to improve their writing. Their skills in using computers to handle information are developing well. Education authority staff have worked closely with teachers to develop the curriculum. Together they have been successful in improving children’s literacy and numeracy skills. Staff provide more opportunities for children to think for themselves, for example by explaining how they have tackled mental calculations. The acting headteacher has improved the arrangements to support, review and evaluate children’s individual learning needs. Children have more tasks and activities that meet their learning needs. The rate of learning is now better and most children are making suitable progress.
Communication with parents is now better. Staff and children have led stimulating workshops on the work of the school. As a result, parents now have a better understanding of how the school is developing Curriculum for Excellence and how learning is becoming more active. Parents in the primary classes now receive helpful, advance information about their children’s homework and how they can help. Any concerns or complaints are now resolved quickly and satisfactorily.
Children enjoy taking on more responsibilities. Every child from P4 to P7 is involved in groups which lead to improvements. These include promoting healthier food choices, making the school more eco friendly and providing more interesting library books. The pupil parliament is currently making helpful suggestions to improve the rewards system and lunch and playtime arrangements. Children use learning logs to provide helpful comments about what they have learned and what they need to improve. Children contribute well to reports which are shared with parents. Staff now have more opportunities to share ideas and good practice. As a result, learning and teaching approaches are now better. Staff are now fully involved in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school. By improving how they plan and assess what children learn, staff ensure that children are making better progress. The acting headteacher holds regular discussions with groups of children. This has resulted in improvements in children’s learning.
The school continues to make everyone feel welcome. Children have very positive relationships with their teachers and feel safe and fairly treated. Staff now have higher expectations of what children can achieve. Children respond well to the challenges set. Staff are making more use of assessment information from nursery staff to help younger children to achieve more success. All staff support the health and wellbeing of children very well.
Leadership of the school is much improved. Under the strong leadership and support of the acting headteacher, staff are now much clearer about how they want the school to improve. School staff now use more effective methods to assess and improve the school’s performance. As a result, children are making better progress in their learning. The planning and assessment of children’s learning is now better across the school. Staff are working together well to provide a better education for children. Overall, Lhanbryde Primary School has the capacity to continue to improve.
There is clear evidence of improvement and the school now performs well overall. Improvements in performance, meeting learners’ needs and self-evaluation are now at a satisfactory or better level. More remains to be done to improve attainment. With continued strong leadership, commitment of staff and support from the authority, the school is well placed to continue to improve. Our District Inspector will maintain contact with the education authority to monitor improvements in attainment. We will make no further visits in connection with the March 2009 report.
HM Inspector: June Graham, 2 March 2010
When we write reports, we use the following word scale so that our readers can see clearly what our judgments mean.
| excellent | means outstanding, sector leading |
| very good | means major strengths |
| good | means important strengths with some areas for improvement |
| satisfactory | means strengths just outweigh weaknesses |
| weak | means important weaknesses |
| unsatisfactory | means major weaknesses |
If you would like to find out more about our inspections or get an electronic copy of this report, please go to www.hmie.gov.uk.
Please contact us if you want to know how to get the report in a different format, for example, in a translation, or if you wish to comment about any aspect of our inspections. You can contact us at HMIEenquiries@hmie.gsi.gov.uk or write to us at BMCT, HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
Text phone users can contact us on 01506 600 236. This is a service for deaf users. Please do not use this number for voice calls as the line will not connect you to a member of staff.
You can find our complaints procedure on our website www.hmie.gov.uk or alternatively you can contact our Complaints Manager, at the address above or by telephoning 01506 600259.
Crown Copyright 2010
HM Inspectorate of Education
1. The term ‘school’ is used to include the work of the nursery class, where relevant.
2. Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff and carers who are relatives or friends.