1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. What are the views of parents and carers, pupils and staff?
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
5. How well are pupils supported?
6. How good is the environment for learning?
7. Improving the school
Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
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East End Primary School was inspected in June 2005 as part of a national sample of primary education. The inspection covered key aspects of the work of the school at all stages. It evaluated pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of the school, the environment for learning, the school’s processes for self-evaluation and capacity for improvement. There was a particular focus on attainment in English language and mathematics.
HM Inspectors examined pupils’ work and interviewed groups of pupils, including the pupil council, representatives of the parent-teacher association (PTA), a group of parents and staff. There was no School Board.
The inspection team also evaluated aspects of the school’s progress in implementing national recommendations related to improving aspects of school meals provision.
The school serves part of the eastern side of Elgin. At the time of the inspection the roll was 199. The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was in line with the national average. Pupils’ attendance was in line with the national average.
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
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HM Inspectors analysed responses to questionnaires issued to a sample of parents, P4 to P7 pupils, and to all staff. Information about the responses to the questionnaires appears in Appendix 2.
Parents and carers were very pleased with the work of the school. They felt that it had a good reputation in the community and that they were made very welcome in the school. They thought that staff and pupils respected each other and that if they had a concern the school would take action quickly. Pupils felt that the school helped them to keep safe and healthy and that their views on improving the school were listened to. Many pupils commented positively on the quality of the school meals on offer. All teachers liked working in the school and all felt that the pupils were enthusiastic about learning. All felt that the school was well led and that there was effective teamwork and communication. Support staff were very positive about all aspects of the school. They were in particular very appreciative of the training opportunities offered to them and their involvement in the running of the school.
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
The very good curriculum was broad and balanced. Pupils’ experiences were enhanced by a well-developed thinking skills scheme and effective approaches to personal and social development. Pupils at all stages participated successfully in enterprise activities. They benefited from broad and progressive experiences in art and design, physical education, drama and music. The school had successfully developed fresh approaches to teaching English language and mathematics through using inter-active computerised white boards. The quality of teaching was frequently very good and there were numerous instances of highly stimulating lessons. Teachers were careful to share with pupils what was to be learned. In many lessons they made very good use of information and communications technology (ICT) to enhance their teaching and stimulate pupils’ imaginations. They made very good use of praise and frequently used pupils’ contributions as a stimulus for further learning.
At all stages, pupils took responsibility for and were active in their own learning. There were many instances of very effective cooperative working. Pupils were often encouraged to lead lessons and demonstrate their work by using inter-active computerised white boards. They were very good at thinking independently and almost all were aware of how they could improve their work. Almost all were highly motivated and worked enthusiastically. Pupils knew class routines well and followed these carefully. They responded very well to teachers’ questions which ensured that almost all were fully active in their learning. Very good access to ICT enabled pupils to research widely and to explore ideas relating to their work in environmental studies.
Almost all pupils were involved in lunchtime or after-school clubs which included table-tennis, football, chess and ICT. They sang tunefully and enthusiastically and enjoyed the weekly sessions of community singing. The pupil council was an effective means of conveying pupils’ views and helping to improve the school grounds. Membership of the council helped them to develop positive attitudes to taking responsibility. Pupils showed good creativity skills in numerous instances of attractive art work. The emphasis which the school had placed on developing healthy lifestyles was helping improve pupils’ eating habits and fitness. The tuckshop, run effectively by the pupils, was successfully promoting healthy food choices. Senior pupils actively supported those in P1 or who were new to the school with school routines and at lunchtimes. Outwith the school day pupils competed successfully in sports and enterprise activities.
English language
The overall quality of attainment in English language was good. Levels of attainment in reading had improved steadily over the last three years and in writing they had remained static. Most pupils attained appropriate national attainment levels in reading and the majority did so in writing. In the early and middle stages a majority of pupils achieved these levels earlier than might normally be expected. In P1-P3 almost all pupils displayed a high level of skills in listening and talking. They had very good skill in giving reports to the whole class and as a result other pupils asked extended and perceptive questions. In reading, pupils read fluently from P2 and showed a good comprehension of what they had read. At P7, pupils showed a very good understanding of how poets and authors used certain words and phrases to convey feelings and create atmosphere. At all stages, pupils showed very good skill in extracting information from a wide range of sources, including the Internet. From P2 onwards, pupils wrote on a wide range of topics. By P6/P7, pupils delivered well crafted extended imaginative pieces, including poems of a high standard.
Mathematics
The overall quality of attainment in mathematics was very good. Over the last four years the school had made very good progress in raising attainment. Almost all pupils were achieving appropriate national levels in key aspects of mathematics. A majority were exceeding these levels. At P6/P7, pupils had developed good skills in information handling, using ICT. Pupils’ skills in mental calculation were very good. At P1/P2 they were developing a very good understanding of number and money. At P3/P4/P5, pupils had made a good start to learning how to measure area. In P6/P7 pupils had a very good understanding of triangles and their properties. They were competent at identifying 2-D and 3-D shapes. At all stages pupils could identify strategies to use in solving problems and discuss their solutions clearly.
The school had very good arrangements in place for ensuring the care and welfare of pupils. Staff knew pupils well and responded sensitively to their social, emotional and behavioural needs. The school’s procedures for dealing with child protection issues and for preventing bullying were appropriate and well understood by staff. Arrangements for supervision of pupils and for identifying and responding to pupils’ concerns about bullying were very good. Pupils’ personal and social education covered important aspects of healthy and safe living, including personal safety and fitness, relationships and substance misuse. The school made clear links between the health education programme and the provision of food and fruit in the school. Pupils having school lunch enjoyed a good quality of social experience and catering staff encouraged them to make healthy choices.
The school’s approaches to meeting pupils’ learning needs were very good. Teachers were aware of the range of their pupils’ needs and worked closely with staff involved in support for learning. They selected tasks and developed materials and activities that met the needs of pupils effectively. Well-judged approaches to supporting pupils’ behaviour had had a positive impact across the school. Both learning support teachers provided well-targeted and very effective support to individual and groups of pupils. Classroom assistants worked very well with class teachers in meeting pupils’ needs and provided well-judged support to pupils. Interactive white boards and other forms of ICT were used effectively to support the learning of those pupils experiencing difficulties. The school had very good arrangements in place to support pupils at points of transfer from nursery into P1 and from P7 into secondary. Although the school had taken appropriate action, some external agencies had yet to support it fully in meeting the very specialised needs of a few pupils.
Aspect |
Comment |
Quality of accommodation and facilities |
The quality of the accommodation and facilities was very good. The school buildings were well-maintained. Classrooms were bright and spacious and well-organised for learning. The school was set in extensive grounds which gave the pupils ample space for ball games and other sports. Security arrangements were appropriate. The provision of ICT and book resources were major strengths. Appropriate access arrangements were in place for pupils with disabilities. |
Climate and relationships, expectations and promoting achievement and equality |
Both staff and pupils identified very strongly with the school. The reception of visitors was well organised and welcoming. Pupil and staff morale was high. Staff had very high expectations for pupils’ achievements. The very good approaches to planning the next steps in pupils’ learning and the sharing with pupils of their learning targets helped pupils fulfil these expectations. At all levels, relationships were very positive. Staff used a good range of effective strategies to motivate pupils and reward positive behaviour, including an effective reward system for pupils. Standards of pupils’ behaviour and discipline were very high. Staff handled any incidents of untoward behaviour very well. All members of the school community were treated in a fair and just manner. In line with the school’s racial equality policy, religious diversity was regularly celebrated. Assemblies were very well used to foster good relationships and celebrate success. There were regular opportunities for religious observance. |
Partnership with parents and the community |
The school produced regular, informative newsletters for parents and provided opportunities for parents of nursery children about to enrol in P1 to learn about the school’s curriculum and routines. The school’s prospectus was very effectively enhanced by a digital slide show of its work on compact disc. Parents valued highly the school’s open-door policy. Reports to parents on their children’s progress were perceptive and detailed. Well-attended evening meetings provided parents with helpful information on curriculum developments. The school consulted parents regularly on potentially sensitive aspects of its health education programme. In line with a national initiative, the school had started to develop a Parents’ Forum. The PTA and parent volunteers supported many activities additional to the formal curriculum and had arranged a number of very successful fund-raising activities. The school played a significant part in its community through visiting residential homes for the elderly and by staging public musical performances. |
Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.
East End Primary School provided a happy secure environment in which all pupils were valued and respected. Pupils attained good standards in English language and very good standards in mathematics, often exceeding national expectations. Higher-attaining pupils were well-supported to achieve their potential, particularly in the upper stages. Very good support enabled almost all pupils, including those with learning and behavioural difficulties, to participate fully in the work of the school. The range of activities organised outwith the formal curriculum and enterprise activities contributed significantly to pupils’ personal and social development.
The headteacher provided very good leadership. He and his depute headteacher were very committed to the school and its community and had served both for many years. The depute headteacher provided very good support and contributed extensively to the running of the school. As a team, they had a clear vision for the school and had been successful in improving key aspects of attainment. They had placed a wholly appropriate emphasis on developing learning and teaching and had provided all staff with a wide range of well-chosen training opportunities. They had very good relationships with, and were very well respected by staff, pupils and parents who all found them easily approachable and responsive to their concerns. Teachers had effectively ensured that all pupils’ learning was enhanced through the use of ICT. Staff had been very successful in developing an inclusive school. Strong teamwork had arisen from staff’s extensive involvement in policy development. Arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school were good. Parents and pupils were regularly consulted on how to improve the school’s provision. The headteacher and his depute visited classes on a regular basis to monitor learning and teaching and sample pupils’ work. They regularly consulted pupils through the school council and involved them in improving the school. However, they did not yet give staff sufficient guidance on the use of information from national assessments to confirm pupils’ attainments and effect improvement in key aspects of attainment. Staff had had their work reviewed as part of the education authority’s programme of staff development and review. The school had identified appropriate priorities for improvement, including further improving reading and writing, and was systematically implementing these. East End Primary School was well placed to continue to improve.
Main points for action The school and education authority should continue to provide high quality and improving education. In doing so, they should take account of the need to:
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What happens next?
As a result of the high performance, the strong record of improvement and the very effective leadership of this school, HM Inspectors will make no further reports in connection with this inspection. 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 and carers. Within two years of the publication of this report the education authority, working with the school, will provide a progress report to parents and carers.
Duncan MacQuarrie
HM Inspector
4 October 2005
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
Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires are listed below.
What pleased parents and carers most |
What parents and carers would like to see improved |
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What pleased pupils most |
What pupils would like to see improved |
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What pleased staff most |
What staff would like to see improved |
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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 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 website www.hmie.gov.uk .
If you wish to comment about primary inspections
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.
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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