Acharacle Primary School and Nursery Class
The Highland Council

20 May 2008

Contents

1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
6. How good is the environment for learning?
7. Leading and improving the school
Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
Appendix 3 Good Practice
How can you contact us?

1. Background

Acharacle Primary School and Nursery Class were inspected in February 2008 as part of a national sample of primary and nursery education. The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the school at all stages. It evaluated nursery children’s and pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of the school, the environment for learning, the school’s processes for self-evaluation and innovation, and its capacity for improvement. There was a particular focus on attainment in English language and mathematics.

HM Inspectors examined the quality of the children’s experience in the nursery, pupils’ work and interviewed groups of pupils, including the pupil council, and staff. Members of the inspection team also met a group of parents¹.

The school serves the village of Acharacle and the surrounding rural area. At the time of the inspection the roll was 72 pupils, including 16 children in the nursery classes. The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was above the national average. Pupils’ attendance was in line with the national average.

Evaluations in this report, except where otherwise indicated, apply equally to the Gaelic-medium and English-medium classes.

2. Key strengths

3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?

Overall, parents expressed a high level of satisfaction with almost all aspects of the work of the school. Parents in the nursery were very positive about the quality of care and education provided for their children. A small number of parents stated that they would like more information on their children’s progress and the work of the nursery. In the primary classes, all parents felt that there was mutual respect between pupils and teachers and all thought that their children were happy at school. Almost all pupils were satisfied with all aspects of the school. They thought teachers knew them well and helped them with their work. Staff expressed a high degree of satisfaction with all aspects of the school.

4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?

Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements

In the nursery classes, the curriculum was broad and balanced and children had access to an appropriate variety of activities and experiences. Nursery staff planned appropriately for key aspects of children’s development and learning. The quality of the curriculum in the primary classes was good. The curriculum was appropriately broad but the programme for English language required more attention to be given to improving children’s writing. Staff gave pupils insufficient opportunities to learn through play in the early stages classes. The interactive whiteboard was used appropriately to support learning in the infant classes. Flexibility time was used by teachers to respond to pupils’ interests but the school needed to do more to monitor the impact of additional time allocated to specific aspects of learning. Visits to local churches were effectively linked to the religious and moral education curriculum. Transition from nursery to P1 was enhanced by the P1 teacher and pupils joining the nursery once weekly. The school had achieved Health Promoting School status. Staff ensured all pupils experienced two hours of physical education (PE) each week, in line with national recommendations. The quality of teaching was good. Teachers actively sought contexts for mathematics development at P5-P7 which had a positive impact on pupils’ mathematical understanding. Teachers effectively shared learning intentions and success criteria with pupils. Pupils were encouraged to reflect on their own learning and to share these reflections with parents. Staff effectively developed pupils’ skills in using ICT. For example, pupils in the P5-P7 class had created imaginative presentations using graphics and text. They had also developed well constructed pod casts and devised effective animations using computers. Staff used ICT well to support homework for a few pupils.

Pupils’ learning was good overall. In the nursery classes children were happy and motivated. They learned well through a range of well planned activities, including the library, writing, a café role play, science, ICT and painting. In the primary classes, pupils were keen to be involved in learning and concentrated well on tasks set for them. Those at the middle and upper stages had successfully undertaken a potato growing project. Active steps were being taken by staff and pupils to involve others in the local and wider community to support pupils’ learning. Pupils were not confident in discussing next steps in their learning. Teachers did not consistently offer higher attaining pupils sufficient challenge in the tasks set for them.

The school successfully helped pupils to develop their wider achievements and this contributed to the confidence of the pupils. Pupils were actively involved in the Pupil Council and the eco committee. Pupils responded well to the Community Stars programme, which gave an effective focus for celebration of good behaviour, attainment and achievements. Pupils had experienced success in local and national Mods. They had learned skills in listening and talking through engaging in interviews on a Gaelic children’s radio programme. At P5-P7, pupils had improved their citizenship skills through a helpful visit to the Scottish Parliament. All pupils had been effectively involved in successful school shows and concerts. Those at P5-P7 from both English and Gaelic medium classes took part in a successful computer based link up to discuss questions linked to their topic work on Europe.

English language

Children in the nursery were making good progress in communication and language. They were confident when talking to adults and to each other. Children were interested in books and the written word and they listened well to stories. Nursery children were beginning to be able to write their own name and they all recognised their own names. In the primary classes, the overall quality of attainment in English language was adequate. Most pupils were achieving appropriate national levels of attainment in reading and writing. Some pupils were attaining these levels earlier than might normally be expected. Pupils with additional support needs were making good progress in their learning. Most pupils listened well to instructions and spoke confidently with the teacher and other adults. A few were not skilled at listening to others. Pupils’ skills in group discussion were insufficiently developed at all stages. Most pupils read with fluency and expression. At P6 and P7, pupils talked confidently about features of the books they had read. Across the school pupils read extensively for pleasure. Pupils wrote for a range of purposes and in a number of styles but this was not consistently of a high standard. Pupils’ skills in writing at length were not sufficiently developed. Pupils had insufficient opportunities to engage in extended writing and progress in writing was not consistently good across the school.

Gaelic language

In the Gaelic nursery, children were making good progress in learning Gaelic. They listened carefully to staff, showing understanding of what was being said. Children developed social skills by playing imaginatively and by taking turns at games. They enjoyed singing songs and listening to music. They were successfully developing their early writing skills. In the primary classes, the overall quality of attainment in Gaelic language was good. Almost all pupils were achieving appropriate national levels in listening, talking, reading and writing. At all stages, pupils listened attentively and responded appropriately. Most pupils were making good progress with their class work, and were developing effective oral skills in Gaelic. Pupils at the early stages were developing good skills in group discussion. They collaborated well in pairs but by P7, pupils were less secure in group discussions. At the early stages, most pupils were making good progress in developing their reading skills in Gaelic. Those at P6 and P7 read fluently and with understanding. Pupils at P2-P4 were developing effective skills in writing. In the upper stages, pupils were writing well for an increasing range of purposes.

Mathematics

Children in the Gaelic medium and English medium nursery classes were making good progress in early mathematics. Children could count to 3 and were beginning to recognise numbers. Children, however, were insufficiently challenged in dealing with mathematical problems. In the primary classes, the quality of pupils’ attainment in mathematics was good. Across the school, almost all pupils were achieving appropriate national levels of attainment. A minority of pupils were attaining these levels earlier than might normally be expected. Pupils at P1 and P2 were making good progress in learning aspects of mathematics through play. Upper primary classes were making good progress in dealing with mathematics in a range of contexts linked to other curricular areas, for example, problem solving in physical education and in environmental studies. Problem solving and enquiry could be further developed at other stages of the school. Pupils at all stages organised information well and displayed their findings appropriately. Most pupils were confident and accurate in written and mental calculations. Those at the upper stages were less secure when working with decimals, percentages and fractions. Pupils across the school were confident in calculations involving money. At P5-P7, pupils could describe the properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes and had an appropriate understanding of angles and coordinates.

5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?

In the nursery classes, staff knew children well and were sensitive to their needs. Children were happy and motivated and learned well in all contexts. Staff were aware of children’s needs and worked effectively with the learning support teacher. Nursery staff offered good support to children and their families. In the primary classes, teachers made adequate provision for meeting learners’ needs. Teachers differentiated tasks and classroom assistants were deployed appropriately to support teachers and pupils. Staff, however, did not consistently challenge higher attaining pupils in all classes. There were appropriate arrangements for the transition of pupils from the nursery classes to P1. Transition arrangements from P7 to S1 were satisfactory and included a day visit to an Outward Bound Centre. Effective individualised educational programmes, which had been shared with parents and pupils, were in place to assist teachers in planning appropriate support for pupils with additional support needs. The support for learning teacher was deployed appropriately to provide additional support. An effective programme of staged intervention had recently been put in place to identify and assist pupils with additional support needs.

6. How good is the environment for learning?

7. Leading and improving the school

Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.

Acharacle Primary School and nursery class provided a caring environment for learning. The quality of teaching and of pupils’ learning experiences was good. The headteacher and staff, working with the support of the education authority, had the clear capacity to improve the school.

The headteacher had been in post for just over one year at the time of the inspection and provided good leadership to the school. She had built positive relationships with nursery staff and worked in nursery along with staff and children. She had made good arrangements for P1 teachers to work in nursery. She has set an appropriate agenda for improvement based on a clear vision for the school and the nursery. She shares this vision with staff in the nursery and primary who had responded well. The headteacher had effectively involved staff throughout the school in aspects of policy development. Under her leadership an appropriate start had been made to a programme of self-evaluation. This included classroom observations by the headteacher and observations by teachers of each others’ classroom practices. This programme had not yet had significant impact in improving aspects of learning and teaching. The headteacher was ensuring an appropriate focus on learning, for example, through the prioritisation of a support for learning policy and regular discussion on teaching and learning with staff. There was evidence that this was having an impact on classroom provision but there remained headroom for improvement. As a priority, the staff now needs to improve pupils’ attainment in writing.

Nursery staff were aware of the implications of the Scottish Social Services Council’s Codes of Practice. At the last Care Commission inspection of the nursery class there were no recommendations and no requirements.

What happens next?

The school and the education authority have been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share that plan with parents. Within two years of the publication of this report parents will be informed about the progress made by the school.

Frank Adams
Managing Inspector

20 May 2008

Appendix 1 Indicators of quality

The sections in the table below follow the order in this report. You can find the main comments made about each of the quality indicators in those sections. However, aspects of some quality indicators are relevant to other sections of the report and may also be mentioned in those other sections.

This report uses the following word scale to make clear judgements made by inspectors:

Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses

Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires are listed below.

Appendix 3 Good practice

In the course of the inspection, the following aspect of innovative and effective practice was evaluated as being worthy of wider dissemination.

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, Culture and Sport, 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, Longman House, 28 Longman Road, Longman East, Inverness IV1 1SF or by telephoning 01463 253115. 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 primary inspections, you should write in the first instance to Chris McIlroy, HMCI, at 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

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated.

Footnotes

1. Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff and 1. carers who are relatives or friends.