18 March 2008
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
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St Ninian’s RC Primary School and Nursery Class were inspected in December 2007 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 the chairperson of the Parent Council and a group of parents1.
The inspection team also evaluated aspects of the school’s progress in implementing national recommendations related to improving aspects of school meals provision.
St Ninian’s Primary School is a denominational school serving the Dedridge and Murieston area of Livingston. At the time of the inspection the roll was 342, including 38 children in the nursery class. 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. Over the past year, St Ninian’s Primary School had undergone significant staffing changes.
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 were very positive about almost all aspects of the nursery and school’s work. Parents thought their children enjoyed being at nursery and were treated fairly by the staff. They felt the nursery knew their children well and staff dealt well with any concerns. Parents of pupils at the primary stages felt the school had a good reputation in the community and pupil reports gave helpful information about their children’s progress. They thought the school set high standards for pupils’ attainment. Pupils enjoyed being at school and thought the staff told them when they had done something well. All staff enjoyed working in the school and thought there was effective communication. They thought the school was well led.
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
The overall quality of the curriculum was good. The school provided children in the nursery class and pupils in the primary classes with a broad curriculum. Children in the nursery had successfully attained a silver award for enterprise activities. Although children were appropriately active in their learning, they did not consistently sustain concentration on their chosen activity. They required more challenging experiences in investigation, experimentation and in using their senses. At the primary stages, pupils had good opportunities to develop an appropriate range of skills. Staff made good use of environmental studies contexts to provide links between different curricular areas. At all stages, pupils were developing good enterprise skills. They benefited from a variety of approaches to promoting healthy lifestyles. For example, pupils’ opportunities to develop their fitness had been improved through increased time being allocated to physical education. Staff did not ensure sufficient continuity and progression in the development of pupils’ skills in technology and aspects of expressive arts. Visiting specialist teachers made valuable contributions to pupils’ learning. Staff made good use of information and communications technology (ICT) to enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum. The overall quality of teaching was good. Staff in the nursery class had established warm relationships with children and encouraged them to share their ideas and their own experiences. There were some very good examples of questioning to challenge children’s thinking and learning. Across the primary stages, most teachers were well organised, planned their lessons carefully and gave clear explanations. Teachers used an appropriate variety of teaching approaches, including whole class and group work. In the most successful lessons, teachers shared the purposes of lessons with pupils and reviewed learning at the end of each lesson. They used questioning effectively to develop and extend pupils’ understanding. However, this practice was not consistent across the school. Teachers provided pupils with a suitable range of appropriate homework activities.
The quality of pupils’ learning experiences was adequate overall. In the nursery, children’s learning had some significant strengths. Children were finding out about the work of the post office and persevered well when wrapping presents. Children were beginning to develop skills in using ICT by, for example, directing a programmable toy. Children made prints with a ball and happily explored colour mixing. They freely used their imagination in the home corner. They explored sound with musical instruments and sang seasonal songs with great enthusiasm. Children participated in a progressive programme of activities which included daily energetic activity. They confidently balanced and played games outdoors and in the gym hall. In the primary classes, most pupils were well behaved and keen to learn. Most were hard working and responded positively to teacher’s instructions. Pupils at the early stages benefited from opportunities to learn through play. Across the school, pupils were capable of completing tasks without close supervision. When the pace of learning was brisk, pupils responded well and learning was effective. Pupils were enthusiastic when they were given responsibility for aspects of their own learning and were able to work together in pairs and small groups. For example, at P7 pupils collaborated well with each other when researching information about Japan. Overall, however, pupils’ learning experiences across the school were too variable and the pace of learning was not sufficiently challenging for all pupils. Pupils did not always have a clear understanding of what they had to do to improve their work.
Across the school, pupils demonstrated achievement in a wide range of contexts. In the nursery class, children were happy and responded well to each other. They had developed friendships and were able to share and take turns. They demonstrated independence when accessing their own snack and in dressing for outdoor play. Across the primary stages, pupils had developed a very good knowledge of healthy lifestyles. For example, pupils were learning about diet and nutrition through a well-planned programme of practical cookery sessions. Pupils were involved in a wide range of enterprise activities which encouraged team work and problem solving and as a result had achieved a gold award. A significant number of pupils participated in a variety of after-school activities including football, athletics and choir to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Across the school, pupils were developing a sense of citizenship through regular opportunities to be involved in the pupil council. Junior road safety officers promoted road safety and recently highlighted ways of being safe during winter. Pupils were developing a good awareness of sustainability through developing a school garden and using it grow fruit and then make jam. A residential experience for pupils in P7 developed their personal and social skills and gave them the opportunity to work as part of a team.
English language
Children in the nursery class were making good progress in communication and language. They listened well to staff and were able to follow instructions. They were able to describe their own ideas and experiences through play activities. Children responded favourably to a well read story and a few happily shared books by themselves. A few children were confidently able to write their own name. Staff had yet to sufficiently promote early writing throughout the playroom to enable all children to make very good progress. In the primary classes, the quality of pupils' attainment in English language was good. Attainment levels had remained steady in the last three years. Most pupils achieved appropriate national levels of attainment in listening, talking, reading and writing. In reading and writing, a significant number of pupils had attained these levels earlier than might normally be expected. At the early stages, most pupils were making a good start to developing their skills in literacy. Most pupils who required additional support were making appropriate progress towards their learning targets. At most stages, pupils listened well to their teacher and each other. Most contributed well in class discussions and were developing skills in talking in small groups. They were less skilled at making oral presentations to larger groups. Most pupils read well from their class readers and many were becoming confident, independent readers. The majority at P7 read widely for pleasure though only a few showed good understanding of authors’ writing styles. Across the school, pupils wrote for a range of purposes and audiences but at some stages, pupils did not write regularly enough. At most stages, feedback was used effectively to help pupils improve their writing. Pupils showed limited knowledge of poetry and Scots language. Standards of handwriting and presentation were good.
Mathematics
Children in the nursery class were making good progress in mathematics. They counted confidently within ten and a few counted beyond ten. They compared the sizes of teddy bears and boxes using appropriate mathematical language. Children were able to identify mathematical shapes and a few were aware of their corresponding number of sides. All children would benefit from more opportunities to explore early mathematics through play activities. Across the primary classes, the overall quality of attainment in mathematics was good. Most pupils were achieving appropriate national levels of attainment. Levels of attainment had remained steady over recent years. A significant number of pupils attained these levels earlier than might normally be expected. Those pupils who had not yet attained national levels were making suitable progress in their classwork. Pupils at the early stages made a good start to the development of early mathematical skills. Across the school, pupils could interpret information from a range of graphs and charts. They did not have enough experience of using computers to organise and present information. Across the primary classes, most pupils could carry out written calculations accurately in a range of situations, including working with money and time. However, too many pupils lacked agility in mental calculations. At all stages, pupils had a good understanding of the properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes. At the middle stages, pupils could use directions to accurately describe journeys. Across the school, pupils were developing their understanding of problem solving. They were not confident in discussing the strategies they had used to solve problems.
Arrangements for meeting pupils' needs were adequate. Staff in the nursery class knew children well. They had developed detailed systems to plan for children’s learning and record their progress. Staff regularly observed children during play activities and had a structured approach to assessing children’s learning. They had yet to take full account of children’s interests and involve them in their taking forward their own learning throughout the playroom. In the primary classes, teachers were aware of the range of pupils' needs and worked effectively with support staff to provide relevant learning activities. However, learning activities and teaching approaches were not always suitably matched to pupils' differing needs and abilities. Teachers did not consistently challenge higher attaining pupils. The learning support teacher worked skilfully to provide very good support for pupils experiencing difficulties with aspects of their learning. The school had recently set up a Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) which provided a caring, purposeful and stimulating environment for pupils. Nurture groups had been set up within the TLC and these were highly successful in meeting pupils' personal, social and emotional needs. The learning support teacher worked closely with pupil support workers, external agencies and parents to develop individualised educational programmes, multi-agency support plans and coordinated support plans for pupils who required them. These included suitable short-term and long-term targets and were regularly reviewed to ensure pupils were making good progress. However, while the needs of pupils who required support were very well met in the TLC, their needs were not always so well met when they returned to their own classes. Staff provided effective support for pupils with English as an additional language.
Aspect |
Comment |
Pastoral care |
The quality of pastoral care was very good. Staff knew children well and were sensitive to their physical, social and emotional needs. Suitable polices and procedures were in place for care and welfare, including safe use of the internet. Staff had received training in child protection procedures and were fully aware of their role in keeping pupils safe. Recently updated approaches for dealing with any instances of bullying were having a positive impact. There were effective arrangements in place for pupils entering P1 and for P7 pupils transferring to St Margaret’s Academy. For example, children transferring to primary one were well supported by primary school pupils acting as buddies. |
Quality of accommodation and facilities |
The overall quality of accommodation was good. Through use of attractive displays, staff had improved the appearance of the school and ensured a stimulating learning environment for pupils. In the nursery class, space for learning activities was reduced because of the lack of dedicated storage space. Classrooms were of a good size and the school had made effective use of available facilities to provide appropriate additional space for learning. The education authority had made recent improvements to the accommodation. Security arrangements were appropriate and the school was accessible to users with restricted mobility. |
Climate and relationships, expectations and promoting achievement and equality |
Staff, pupils and parents were proud of their school. The school provided an attractive and welcoming environment for pupils, parents and visitors. Relationships amongst staff were very positive and there was a strong sense of teamwork. Almost all pupils were courteous, polite and well behaved. The school promoted pupils’ achievements very well in class, at assemblies and around the school. Staff had high expectations of pupils’ attendance and behaviour. However, in lessons, the use of praise was variable and expectations of pupils’ progress were not always high enough. Staff successfully promoted equality and fairness in dealing with pupils. They had put effective arrangements in place to include pupils for whom English was an additional language fully in school activities. Staff effectively developed pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity through the programmes for religious and moral education and personal and social education. There were regular opportunities for religious observance and reflection through daily prayers, assemblies and special masses. The chaplain contributed to these events and prepared pupils for the sacraments. |
Partnership with parents and the community |
Staff in the nursery class and school had established very effective links with parents and the local community. The recently established Parent Council gave valuable support and the PTA had raised significant amounts of money for improvements around the school including, for example, interactive whiteboards. Parents received helpful information about the work of the school through regular newsletters. Pupil progress reports and parents’ evenings kept parents well informed about their children’s progress. Parents were appropriately involved in the life of the school and their children’s learning. For example, some helped regularly with activities in the nursery and primary classes. The headteacher consulted parents on the work of the school, including the teaching of sensitive health issues. There were strong links with the local community, including the community police. Pupils took part in a wide range of community events and members of the community participated in school activities including, attending school shows. |
Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.
St Ninian’s Primary School provided a caring and supportive environment in which most pupils were making good progress. All staff worked well as a team and had positive relationships with pupils, parents and the community. Nursery staff were fully aware of the implications of the Scottish Social Services Council and were awaiting confirmation of registration with the organisation. Standards of attainment in English language and mathematics were good. The quality of teaching was good and in some instances it was very good. However, teaching and learning lacked consistency across the school and there were weaknesses in meeting the learning needs of all pupils. Teachers needed to ensure that the pace and level of challenge was appropriate for all pupils.
The headteacher was highly committed to the school. She had earned the respect and confidence of parents, pupils and staff. She regularly consulted with staff, parents and pupils on the work of the school. She successfully encouraged staff to contribute fully to the process of school improvement and be involved in school development tasks. The acting depute headteacher and principal teacher provided a good level of support to the headteacher. Both had clear remits which they carried out well. The headteacher had developed an appropriate range of procedures for evaluating the work of the school. The headteacher and acting depute head monitored teachers’ plans, observed classroom practice and sampled pupils’ work. They gave helpful feedback to staff on their teaching and discussed pupils’ progress towards attainment targets. These approaches gave the headteacher a good knowledge of the work of the school. However, they needed further development to ensure more consistency in the quality of learning and teaching across classes. With continued support from the education authority, the headteacher and staff were well placed to ensure improvement.
At the last Care Commission inspection there was one recommendation and two requirements. All had been met.
Main points for action The school and education authority should continue to improve the quality of education. In particular they should:
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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.
Janie McManus
HM Inspector
18 March 2008
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.
How good are learning, teaching and achievement? |
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Structure of the curriculum |
good |
The teaching process |
good |
Pupils’ learning experiences |
adequate |
Pupils’ attainment in English language |
good |
Pupils’ attainment in mathematics |
good |
How well are pupils’ learning needs met? |
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Meeting pupils’ needs |
adequate |
How good is the environment for learning? |
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Pastoral care |
very good |
Accommodation and facilities |
good |
Climate and relationships |
very good |
Expectations and promoting achievement |
good |
Equality and fairness |
very good |
Partnership with parents, the Parent Council, and the community |
very good |
Leading and improving the school |
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Leadership of the headteacher |
good |
Leadership across the school |
good |
Self-evaluation |
good |
This report uses the following word scale to make clear judgements made by inspectors:
excellent |
outstanding, sector leading |
very good |
major strengths |
good |
important strengths with some areas for improvement |
adequate |
strengths just outweigh weaknesses |
weak |
important weaknesses |
unsatisfactory |
major weaknesses |
Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires are listed below.
What parents thought the school did well |
What parents think the school could do better |
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What pupils thought the school did well |
What pupils think the school could do better |
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What staff thought the school did well |
What staff think the school could do better |
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There were no significant concerns. |
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 and Cultural 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, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA or by telephoning 01506 600384. 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 the above address.
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
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