2 September 2003
1. Introduction
2. The school
3. How well are pupils performing?
4. How good is the curriculum?
5. How good is learning and teaching?
6. How well are pupils supported?
7. How well is the school managed?
8. How well does the school perform overall?
Key strengths
Main points for action
Appendix
Indicators of quality
Quality of lessons observed
How can you contact us?
Burghead Primary School was inspected in May 2003 as part of a national sample of primary education. An integrated inspection of the nursery class was carried out by the Care Commission and HMIE at the same time and a separate report published.
The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the school at all stages. It evaluated how well pupils were performing, the effectiveness of the school and how well the school was managed.
HM Inspectors evaluated learning, teaching and attainment, examined pupils’ work and interviewed staff and pupils. They assessed the school’s processes for self-evaluation and development planning. There was a particular focus on attainment in English language, mathematics, and physical education in the expressive arts.
Members of the inspection team analysed responses to questionnaires issued to all parents, and to samples of staff and pupils. A member of the inspection team also met the chairperson and representatives of the parent teacher association (PTA).
The school serves the town of Burghead in Morayshire. At the time of the inspection the roll was 161, including 33 in the nursery class.
Parents’ views
Parents who responded to the questionnaire were generally very positive about the work of the school.
Almost all thought that:
Most felt that:
A significant minority of those who responded felt that the school did not deal effectively with bad behaviour.
Ethos
Relationships between teachers and pupils were mostly very good. Visitors were made welcome in the school. Almost all pupils were well behaved and staff morale was high. A minority of pupils occasionally caused disruption in classes. The school’s discipline system was clear and well understood by pupils. In almost all cases the school dealt successfully with inappropriate behaviour. Staff had created a supportive and helpful environment for learning by setting appropriate expectations and promoting achievement. The school used a range of methods very well to celebrate success. These included displays of pupils’ work and achievements, and recognition in assemblies. The school worked hard to ensure that all pupils were treated equally and fairly. Pupils learned to appreciate other peoples’ cultures and customs through their contacts with Japan and France. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, were treated equally and with respect. Religious observance occurred regularly. Pupils’ attendance was above national averages.
School and community
Partnership with parents and the school’s links with the local community and other relevant agencies were good. Notable features included:
Accommodation
The quality of accommodation and facilities was good. There were attractive displays of pupils’ work. There was no secure entry system and the rear entrances to the playground had no gates. The playground was limited in size, rough in parts and had only a low wall between it and the adjacent main road.
Staffing and resources
The school was very well staffed. Visiting teachers provided valuable specialist teaching and advice. Non-teaching staff contributed effectively to the life of the school.
The level of resources was good. They were very well organised and easily accessed. The headteacher had made very good use of the school’s devolved budget to support professional development for staff, enhance resources and improve attainment.
English language
Attainment in English language was good. Most pupils coped very well with coursework which was generally well matched to their needs. Those in the early stages read very well. From P2, almost all pupils read fluently and with understanding. Pupils wrote accurately, generally at good length and expressively. Imaginative writing and the recording of personal responses about World War II and major world figures were particular strengths in P6 and P7. Most pupils listened attentively in class and talked confidently about a good range of topics. At P7 most were meeting national levels of attainment appropriate to their stage in listening, talking, reading and writing. In a number of classes, some pupils exceeded these levels.
Mathematics
The overall quality of attainment in mathematics was good. Most pupils coped very well with their classwork which was well matched to their overall needs. Throughout the school pupils made good progress in developing skills in mental calculation. They constructed and interpreted graphs well but lacked sufficient skill in organising and displaying data using computers. Pupils’ knowledge of shapes, angles and number, money and measurement was generally good. Almost all pupils in the early stages, the majority in the middle and most in the upper stages were achieving national levels in information handling, number, money and measurement and shape, position and movement. A majority of pupils had good skill in problem solving and enquiry.
Physical education
The overall quality of attainment in physical education was very good. Almost all pupils participated enthusiastically and were making appropriate progress in games, fitness exercises and athletics activities. Pupils at the early stages were developing ball skills at a good pace. In the middle stages most displayed good ball skills, and some could evaluate their own skills and the performance of others. A significant number of pupils at this stage showed very good athletics skills such as sprinting. By the upper stages many pupils could explain and demonstrate good techniques for such aspects as relay running and over-arm throwing.
The overall quality of the curriculum was generally very good and well-designed to meet the needs of pupils. The headteacher skilfully managed the curriculum to respond to pupils’ varying needs in the course of the year. Teachers made very good links across the curriculum to develop a range of contexts. Pupils in P6-P7 had opportunities to study French. The school provided a range of additional activities to develop pupils’ social skills and promote good behaviour.
English language
The English language programme was good overall. It gave very good attention to reading and writing. There were good opportunities to talk for a variety of purposes in the upper stages. Further emphasis on listening and talking for a variety of purposes was needed, particularly at the early and middle stages.
Mathematics
The mathematics programme was good overall. It provided good balance and progression in number, money and measurement, and shape, position and movement. It placed good emphasis on developing skills in mental calculation and on problem solving and enquiry. There were too few opportunities for pupils to use computers to organise and display information.
Physical education
The programme for physical education was of very good quality. It gave appropriate attention to all key aspects, and was well balanced. Pupils had suitable opportunities to develop skills progressively.
Expressive arts
The overall quality of the programme for the expressive arts was good. It had been improved over the previous two years. Further work was planned to enhance it even further, for example by developing pupils’ skills of evaluation and appreciation more consistently. Visiting teachers made a helpful contribution in art and design, music and physical education. The programme gave pupils good opportunities to develop skills progressively in almost all key aspects. Work in expressive arts, particularly in drama and art and design, was often linked very effectively with studies in other areas.
The quality of teaching in almost all lessons was good or very good. Most pupils made good progress in their learning and engaged happily with their work. Some had difficulty in concentrating for longer periods of time. Activities were generally well suited to pupils’ interests and teachers frequently praised their efforts. Many pupils in the later stages were developing good skills of independent working.
Reports to parents prior to 2001 had been detailed and informative. Thereafter, in response to the education authority’s guidance, reports had been restricted to English Language, mathematics and personal and social development. Recent improvements through using an electronic system for completing reports now ensured that reports covered all curricular areas. The school now needed to ensure that the next steps in pupils’ learning were always clearly shown.
Care and welfare
Arrangements for the care and welfare of pupils were very good. Teachers knew their pupils very well and supported their social and personal needs as appropriate. Teachers and support staff strongly encouraged good relationships and positive behaviour. Almost all pupils responded positively but, on occasion, a few persisted in disrupting the learning of others. The school had very good procedures to prevent bullying and to deal with incidents where children’s health might be at risk. The instances of bullying that did occur were quickly and effectively dealt with.
Personal and social development
Teachers introduced pupils to a wide range of topics to develop positive attitudes to school. They had used a number of imaginative approaches to promote pupils’ personal and social development with considerable success. These included classroom experiences and responsibilities, appropriate awards for displaying positive attitudes and involvement in extra-curricular activities. Throughout the school most pupils treated one another and adults respectfully. Older pupils had an annual residential trip which helped to develop their self esteem. The health education programme was good and paid appropriate attention to personal safety and relationships.
Support for learning
Class teachers gave very good support to pupils experiencing difficulties with their learning. In P6 and P7 the organisation of groups of pupils ensured that different learning needs were well met. Classroom assistants successfully worked with groups and individuals to support pupils with learning and behavioural difficulties. The teacher of learning support provided very high quality support for pupils with specific learning difficulties. Arrangements to support pupils with Records of Needs were very good. Very good quality Individual Educational Programmes had been prepared and effectively implemented. A range of external agencies provided the school with specialist support and advice as required.
Overall management and leadership
The headteacher provided very good leadership. She was highly committed to the school and to the inclusion and personal development of all pupils. She advised and guided her staff very well and had successfully promoted very effective teamwork amongst all staff. She ensured that her colleagues’ individual skills were harnessed to the benefit of the school and its pupils. She projected a clear strategic direction for the school which had the central aim of improving children’s achievements.
The senior teacher provided very good support to the headteacher and other colleagues.
The school’s aims were very good. They appropriately emphasised the development of pupils’ full potential and the fostering of their personal and social skills. School policies were regularly updated and provided helpful guidance to staff.
Staff review and development
Arrangements for staff review and development were very good. The work of the headteacher had been reviewed and she had reviewed the work of all her teaching and non-teaching colleagues. All staff had undertaken staff development activities to further improve their classroom skills and pupils’ experiences.
Planning for improvement
Planning for improvement was very good. The improvement plan was clear and informative. Priorities for development were based on clear evaluation which included surveys of parents’, staff and pupils’ views. The appropriate areas for development included further improving attainment in English language and mathematics, and extending the use of ICT. Very good progress had been made in addressing priorities in previous plans.
Approaches to improving quality
Procedures for quality assurance were good. The headteacher regularly visited classes to observe learning and teaching. She provided her colleagues with helpful and informative evaluations of the learning activities she had observed. The headteacher made very good use of information from assessment to monitor the progress and achievement of pupils and give advice to teachers. National quality indicators were used systematically throughout the school. The school’s own standards and quality report contained clear and accurate evaluations based on sound evidence. It had not yet linked these evaluations to progress towards achieving the national priorities.
Overall, the school had many strengths. The headteacher and her staff had placed a high priority on ensuring that all pupils were encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability. They had successfully improved programmes of work and pupils’ attainment. The inclusion of all pupils in the life and work of the school was notable. The school’s systematic approaches to planning for improvement and staff development provided a basis for further progress.
The school and education authority should act on the following recommendations.
HM Inspectors have asked the school and education authority to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share that plan with parents and carers. In liaison with the education authority, HM Inspectors will monitor progress to ensure improvements in line with the main findings of the report. They will arrange for further progress reports and visits to the school if necessary and will inform parents and carers of the outcomes of these when they occur.
D MacQuarrie
HM Inspector
on behalf of HM Chief Inspector
Northern Division
2 September 2003
See Quality Indicator data below.
We judged the following to be very good
We judged the following to be good
We judged the following to be fair
We judged the following to be unsatisfactory
HMI also evaluated the quality of the lessons observed. The overall quality of lessons was very good in 42% of cases, good in 50% and fair in 8%. There were no unsatisfactory lessons.
Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Director of Educational Services, 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, Inverness, IV1 1SF or by telephoning 01463 253115. Copies are also available on our web site: www.hmie.gov.uk
Should you wish to comment on or make a complaint about any aspect of the inspection or about this report, you should write in the first instance to Bill Maxwell, HMCI at HM Inspectorate of Education, Wellgate House (Level 5), The Wellgate, Dundee, DD1 2DB. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from that office and on our website.
If you are still dissatisfied, you can contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman directly or through your member of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government Departments and Agencies. She will not normally consider your complaint before the HMIE complaints procedure has been used. Instead, she will usually ask you to give us the chance to put matters right if we can.
Complaints to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman must be submitted within 12 months of the date of publication of this report.
The Ombudsman can be contacted at:
Professor Alice Brown
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
23 Walker Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7HX
Telephone number: 0870 011 5378
e-mail: enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk
More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.ombudsmanscotland.org.uk
Crown Copyright 2003
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.