Haldane Primary School
Balloch
West Dunbartonshire Council

2 September 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

Haldane Primary School was inspected in May 2008 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 innovation, and its 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, and staff. Members of the inspection team also met the chairperson of the Parent Council, a group of parents¹ and representatives of the local community with links to the school. 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 the Haldane area of the small town of Balloch. At the time of the inspection the roll was 134. The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was well above the national average. At the time of the inspection, as part of a national initiative, all pupils in P1 to P3 received a free school meal. Pupils' attendance was below the national average.

2. Key strengths

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

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 the work of the school and believed it had a good reputation within the community. They valued the care and concern shown by staff. They were happy with the quality of information they received about their children’s progress in reports and at parents’ evenings. They believed that their children were encouraged to work to the best of their ability. A few parents had concerns about the condition of the school building. Pupils enjoyed being at school. They felt that teachers explained things well and were good at letting them know how to improve their work.

Most pupils felt that the school was good at dealing with bullying. Staff enjoyed working in the school and were very positive about the leadership of the new headteacher. They felt communication within the school was effective and that they were included in the decision making processes.

4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?

Learners’ experiences

The overall quality of the curriculum was satisfactory. Teachers provided a broad curriculum and had recently extended the use of the local environment to enhance pupils’ learning experiences. For example, pupils at P4 were involved in the Forest School Project. At the early stages, teachers had begun to provide more opportunities for pupils to be actively involved in their learning through planned play activities. Visiting specialists provided good support to deliver music and German in the curriculum. Recently enhanced provision was helping pupils to improve their skills in information and communications technology (ICT). An effective health education programme was in place and pupils’ health and wellbeing was benefitting from two hours of physical education each week. Aspects of the curriculum had been updated and a new approach to developing writing had recently been introduced. However, across the school, pupils did not yet have sufficient opportunities for imaginative cross-curricular work and they had limited opportunities to develop their skills in enterprise education and citizenship. Use of additional time to support the development of literacy and numeracy skills had not, as yet, resulted in improvements to pupils’ attainment. The quality of teaching was good. Teachers had good interactions with pupils, using praise to encourage and motivate them. They used a range of approaches to engage pupils in their learning. They were developing their use of ICT to support and enhance their teaching. In a majority of lessons, teachers shared the purpose of the learning and gave clear explanations and instructions. Teachers carefully planned their lessons, but they did not always provide enough opportunities for pupils to be active in their learning.

Overall, learners’ experiences were satisfactory. Most pupils were motivated and keen to learn. When given the opportunity, they actively engaged in progressing their skills. For example, a small group of senior pupils eagerly learned the skills for animation and then shared these with younger pupils. Pupils were growing in confidence and felt teachers valued their opinions. Through improved feedback and discussion of learning targets, pupils at the upper stages were becoming more aware of their progress and how to improve in some curricular areas. However, across the school, pupils were not sufficiently active in progressing their own learning or developing skills for more independent learning. While pupils had increasing opportunities to work collaboratively, they were not yet sufficiently skilled as cooperative learners.

Improvements in performance

Overall, the school was making satisfactory progress in improving its performance.

Standards in English language were satisfactory. In recent years, levels of attainment had started to improve but there had been a dip in the current session. Overall, a majority of pupils were achieving appropriate national levels in reading, with a significant number of pupils achieving these levels earlier than might normally be expected. Most pupils at the early stages were achieving appropriate national levels in writing but attainment was much weaker at the upper stages, with less than half of pupils in P6 and P7 achieving national standards. The majority of pupils with additional support needs were making appropriate progress in their learning. The school had recently introduced a more structured approach to developing and assessing pupils’ skills in listening and talking. A majority of pupils were achieving appropriate national standards in listening and talking. Most pupils at P4 to P7 listened and responded well to teachers but had not fully developed these skills when working in groups. Most pupils talked confidently to each other and to adults but were less confident in talking to larger groups, for example at an assembly. While most pupils from P4 onwards could read fluently, many did not display an interest or enjoyment in reading and were unable to talk about favourite authors or features of books they had read. At the early stages most pupils could write very simple stories. From P3 onwards, pupils were writing for a range of purposes. At the middle stages, they were developing their writing skills in other areas of the curriculum. Pupils at the upper stages, however were not writing extended pieces of work. The quality of spelling and punctuation was very variable.

Across the primary stages, standards in mathematics were satisfactory. The majority of pupils were attaining appropriate national standards but attainment was showing a decline in

the current session. The early gains made at P2 were not sustained as pupils moved through the middle and upper stages. Several pupils at all stages were capable of achieving even higher standards. The pace of learning in mathematics was too slow. Most pupils with additional support needs were making appropriate progress with their learning. At a number of stages, pupils were learning to collect and organise information and were able to construct and interpret graphs appropriate to their level. Pupils had an appropriate knowledge of number, money and shape. At all stages, pupils were not yet quick enough with mental calculations. At P7, pupils were not sufficiently confident about their knowledge of practical measurement and properties of angles and triangles. Pupils’ skills in practical aspects of mathematics were not consistently well developed across the school.

Pupils at the senior stages were making very effective use of maps of the local area to support their mathematics work when using coordinates. At several stages, pupils were using the school garden and their plants to support their understanding of aspects of science.

Pupils at P5 had produced a DVD based on their conservation project about Ben Lomond.

A small number of senior pupils had worked with the ICT development officer to create a very short animated video clip. Pupils’ art work displayed a range of techniques and knowledge of a range of artists’ styles. At all stages, pupils were developing their knowledge of healthy living and making appropriate use of ICT to research information.

The school had taken some good steps to promote pupils’ wider achievements, most notably in sport. Many pupils participated successfully in sporting activities, including a range of out-of-school clubs. Senior pupils had been successful in achieving success at local and authority wide cross-country championships. A number of pupils had made good progress in playing the flute and keyboard. Through regular school shows pupils worked well together and gained confidence through performing before an audience. Pupils supported several charities and had developed an understanding of the needs of others through, for example, carol singing at Lomond Shores to raise funds for nominated charities. Senior pupils had worked effectively with other local primary schools on an anti-sectarianism project. The pupil council had begun to enable pupils to develop their awareness of good citizenship by making recommendations for improvements around the school. Ideas put forward for changes to the lunch menu were adopted. An effective buddy system was in place and pupils also took responsibility in a number of other areas, as play leaders, junior road safety officers and members of the eco committee. There remained scope to give pupils increased responsibility for decision making across the school. At P7, pupils developed a range of important social and personal skills through participating in an annual residential experience.

The school had made limited progress in overtaking the priorities in its improvement plan. The new headteacher had taken positive steps in starting to address some of the areas for improvement in the plan but recognised the need to review and prioritise these.

Some of these changes were beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ learning experiences. For example, a revised staged intervention programme was providing more appropriate and effective support for pupils experiencing difficulties in their learning. Pupils’ writing skills were beginning to improve through the introduction of a new approach, initiated through the development planning processes. With the new headteacher in place and a clearer focus on priority areas, the school was now better placed to ensure greater impact of the improvement plan on positive outcomes for pupils.

5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?

Arrangements for meeting pupils’ learning needs were satisfactory. Teachers knew pupils well and planned to meet the needs of different ability groups within their classes. However, learning activities and teaching approaches were not always suitably matched to individual pupil needs. They did not always provide sufficient challenge for more able pupils. The school had clear procedures and processes for identifying and devising support plans for pupils experiencing difficulties in learning. Parents were consulted but pupils were not yet fully involved in drafting or reviewing learning targets within these plans. A range of specialist staff, including a support for learning teacher, provided effective advice and targeted support within the school to assist in implementing the support plans. Learning assistants also provided effective support for individuals and groups of pupils. Class teachers needed to be more involved in monitoring the progress of pupils with additional support needs. In P1 and P2, an early intervention teacher and a nurture group provided effective support for vulnerable children, helping them to progress in their learning.

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.

Haldane Primary School provided a supportive and caring environment for learning.

Teachers interacted well with pupils and provided well organised lessons. In the classrooms most pupils were motivated and keen to learn. They were experiencing success out with the classroom in a range of areas, most notably in sport. However, there were challenges in improving the quality of learners’ experiences and achievements. Pupils were not always experiencing exciting active learning. They were not all making sufficient progress in their learning. Pupils’ attainment in English language and mathematics needed to be improved. Opportunities for pupils’ wider achievement needed to be further extended. The school had experienced a period of instability over the past few years but the appointment of a new headteacher in August 2007 placed the school in a strong position to address these issues.

The headteacher provided good, effective leadership for the school. Although only in post for nine months, she had already had a very positive impact. Through her good interpersonal skills and more positive approach to managing pupil behaviour, she had improved the ethos within the school for staff, pupils and parents. She has gained their respect as well as that of others in the wider community. Staff had real confidence in her ability to lead them forward. She had a clear vision for the school and a good understanding of the challenges facing it. She had recognised the need to establish the right climate to initiate change. She now needed to share the vision and develop the leadership capacity of her staff to enable the school to move forward and bring about improvement. The school’s approaches to self-evaluation were weak. Within the school, there had not been a climate for effective self-evaluation involving staff working collectively or as individuals. Teachers were not skilled in examining the impact of their work on outcomes for pupils. They were not tracking pupil progress or measuring progress against national standards. Staff had not been sufficiently supported or challenged in these processes. The headteacher and staff needed to address these issues and put in place an effective system to support the drive for improvement.

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.

Mairi Timmons
HM Inspector

2 September 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 aspects of innovative and effective practice were 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 Executive Director of Education 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, Ground Floor Suite, Unit 7, Blair Court, Clydebank Business Park, Clydebank G81 2LA or by telephoning 0141 435 3550. 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.

Footnote

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