6 February 2007
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
How can you contact us?
St Joseph’s Primary School was inspected in October 2006 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 School Board, representatives of the parent-teacher association (PTA) 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 Joseph’s is a denominational school serving the Faifley area to the north of Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire. At the time of the inspection the roll was 169. The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was well above 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 were very positive about all aspects of the school. They felt that the school took account of their views, dealt effectively with any concerns they might have, and was well led. Pupils were very positive about almost all aspects of the school. They said that teachers explained things well in classes, had high expectations of what pupils could achieve, and gave help when they had difficulties. A third of pupils, mainly from P5 and P6, expressed concerns about the behaviour of a few pupils, but stated that this had improved this year. Staff were very positive about all aspects of the school. They said that they enjoyed working there, and valued the support and leadership of senior managers.
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
The curriculum was broad and balanced and of good quality overall. It was effective in promoting the development of pupils’ skills in writing and mathematics, as well as pupils’ personal and social development (PSD). Staff currently allocated most of this flexible time to mathematics and English language. This approach was improving attainment in these areas, particularly in writing. Teachers regularly took opportunities to develop pupils’ skills across other subject areas. The school had begun to improve the way it developed of pupils’ skills in reading, listening and talking. It was about to consider how to extend the provision of physical education to meet the national requirement of two hours per week of physical activity. The overall quality of teaching was good. In most lessons, teachers shared the intentions of lessons with pupils. They used a range of teaching approaches, including the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) where this was available. They motivated pupils and maintained very positive relationships through the use of praise. Most teachers questioned pupils well to check their understanding and to encourage them to think hard about ideas and concepts. They did not always use the results of questioning to ensure that tasks were appropriately challenging.
Pupils were almost always well behaved and hardworking in class. They were often enthusiastic about their learning, particularly when working together on challenging and creative tasks in technology, science and problem-solving. On these activities, and in other lessons such as PSD, they had to develop their own views and think deeply about their learning. Pupils used ICT in a few lessons, including exploring French language websites and researching on the Internet for information on the solar system. Pupils at P6 were using an ICT learning package to improve their basic skills in English language and mathematics. Opportunities for pupils to work independently, such as through the use of ICT and in homework tasks, were limited. The overall quality of pupils’ learning was good.
The school successfully promoted pupils’ wider achievement, particularly in the expressive arts and in citizenship. Pupils’ creativity was very well developed in art and design, music and drama. Pupils in P1/P2 were exploring and learning the properties of colours, and linking this activity to their science topic. Those in P5 used chalk and charcoal to create effective pictures in the style of Claude Monet. These skills were further developed in a range of after-school activities, including the production of the two school shows each session. Other after-school activities included sports and games. These were delivered with support from the active schools coordinator, sports development officers and the Faifley Community Partnership. Pupils who took part in the Fairtrade committee were learning about the problems faced by farmers in developing countries. They were helping staff to spread this understanding across the school through enterprise activities such as organising a stall for fund raising. Pupils who served on the eco committee were beginning to develop an understanding of issues of sustainability. Through the school, pupils developed a good appreciation of their local environment and its history. As part of this study, P5 pupils had visited the Clydebank Museum to help them understand the development and decline of industry on the banks of the River Clyde. Pupils in P7 took part in a residential visit to an outdoor centre, which helped them develop skills in living away from home.
English language
The quality of pupils' attainment in English language was adequate. The majority of pupils were achieving appropriate national levels of attainment in reading and writing. A few pupils at the early stages and at P6 were exceeding these levels. In recent years, pupils' attainment had begun to improve, particularly in writing. The school did not yet reliably assess pupils’ progress in listening and talking. Pupils who were not achieving appropriate national levels of attainment made good progress when they were given additional support, but made little progress on some tasks within classes. Pupils listened well and followed instructions effectively. Most talked confidently in groups and a few expressed their opinions well about texts they had read. While most pupils at P1 and P2 were developing good skills in reading and writing, appropriate progress was not maintained throughout the school. By P7, most pupils read with fluency and expression. Only a few pupils in the upper stages had a clear understanding of how writers achieved their effects. A significant number of boys did not read regularly for pleasure and had a very limited knowledge of authors and their books. Across all stages, pupils wrote well for a variety of purposes. They made very effective use of descriptive language. Standards of spelling and presentation across the school were variable.
Mathematics
The overall quality of attainment in mathematics was good. Attainment levels had begun to improve significantly at the upper stages. Almost all pupils at the early stages, most at the middle stages, and the majority at the upper stages, were achieving appropriate national attainment levels in key aspects of mathematics. Almost all pupils at the early stages, and almost a third in P6, were reaching these standards earlier than might normally be expected. Pupils’ progress from P1 was improving. Most pupils who were not achieving appropriate national levels were making good progress in their learning. Throughout the school, pupils had carried out simple surveys. By the upper stages, they were able to interpret accurately a range of graphs. They could use spreadsheets and databases effectively to organise information. At all stages, pupils could carry out appropriate written calculations in a range of situations, including working with measurement and money. From the early stages, pupils were developing good skills in quick and accurate mental calculations. They knew the names and main properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes. By the upper stages, pupils could work together skilfully and enthusiastically to solve mathematical problems.
Staff met the very wide range of pupils’ needs well. Within classes, most tasks and activities were appropriate to pupils’ needs, and many were very challenging. The school had clear and effective procedures to identify the needs of pupils who required additional support in their learning, including pupils for whom English was an additional language. Around 10% of pupils had individualised educational programmes, which were regularly reviewed by staff and parents. Support staff, including specialist staff, gave very effective additional support to pupils, both in class and in separate small groups. When these staff were not present in class, pupils’ progress in English language and mathematics was sometimes limited.
Aspect |
Comment |
Pastoral care |
The school had very good approaches to ensuring the care and welfare of pupils. Pupils had no hesitation in approaching a member of staff, particularly the headteacher, if something concerned them. Staff took effective action on any issues that arose, and were consistently very caring of their pupils. All staff were aware of arrangements for child protection, and monitored pupils’ attendance carefully. Pupils were aware of the dangers of smoking and drugs, including alcohol. The school and catering staff’s joint working practices were improving and promoting healthy, good quality school lunches. The breakfast club gave around a third of pupils a healthy, active start to the day. Most pupils were aware of the benefits of healthy eating. The school now needed to ensure that its health promotion messages were consistently applied to all school initiatives. |
Quality of accommodation and facilities |
The overall quality of accommodation was good. The building was spacious. Spare rooms were very well used for activities such as using ICT, and for working with groups of children. The extensive school grounds were well used for sports and games. Security arrangements were appropriate. While the interior of the building was very well decorated with displays of pupils’ work, the exterior fabric was in need of attention. Access to the building was limited for any persons with mobility difficulties. |
Climate and relationships, expectations and promoting achievement and equality |
Relationships among all members of the school community were very positive. Pupils were polite, courteous and almost always well behaved. The school regularly celebrated pupils’ success in class, and at weekly assemblies and the annual prize-giving. Staff had high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, and set attainment targets for groups and individuals. Pupils were generally unaware of these targets. Staff took great care to treat all members of the school community equally and fairly. The school had a clear policy on ensuring racial equality, and for reporting any incidents of racial abuse. It was mostly effective in giving additional support to pupils who needed it to access the curriculum. The school took some steps to celebrate the cultures of other countries, particularly through its work on Fairtrade and links with Malawi. It needed to build on this more fully. Arrangements for religious observance and worship were appropriate. |
Partnership with parents and the community |
The school had very good partnerships with parents and the community. Reports to parents on their children’s progress were informative and included information on pupils’ personal development. The school was welcoming to parents. Staff gave parents valuable help, such as through information leaflets, to enable them to support their children’s homework and learning. They gave parents important information about the school’s sex education programme. The School Board was very supportive of the school, particularly in trying to improve the fabric of the building. The school had effective links with the Catholic church, such as for sacramental preparations. It also had links with other local churches, and other primary schools. The Faifley Community Partnership supported the valuable holiday activities programme and after-school events. Community police gave useful support to the school’s PSD programme. Arrangements for transfer between local nurseries and the school, and to the secondary school, were effective, particularly for vulnerable pupils. |
Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.
Staff at St Joseph’s Primary School had successfully established a positive, caring environment for their pupils. They consistently worked hard to develop pupils’ social and personal skills. Pupils almost always behaved well in the school and were often very enthusiastic about their learning. In recent years, the school had begun work to improve pupils’ attainment through setting targets and monitoring pupils’ progress more effectively. There were clear signs that attainment was improving. Staff now needed to ensure that the challenge and support for all pupils was consistently appropriate.
The very committed headteacher led the school well. In her years in post she had successfully led the establishment of the very positive ethos in the school. She consistently demonstrated her care and concern for all pupils. She worked tirelessly with staff to identify the varying needs of all pupils and to organise support for them. The headteacher demonstrated a clear vision for the future of the school through continuing to improve the quality of pupils’ learning and their achievement. She was now focusing on improving the attainment of pupils. The depute headteacher and principal teacher worked very well with the headteacher. They had successfully improved the school’s curriculum, and the quality of teaching, through their work on developing writing and mathematics. They now needed to play a larger role in improving learning and achievement. The school had good approaches to evaluating its work. These approaches had improved in recent years following monitoring visits by education authority officers. Senior managers monitored teachers’ plans. The headteacher gave valuable feedback to staff on their teaching and discussed with them pupils’ progress towards attainment targets. These measures were resulting in improvements in the quality of teaching and in pupils’ attainment. Senior managers now needed to ensure that classroom tasks presented pupils with a consistent and appropriate level of challenge. Overall, through the commitment of senior managers and staff, the school was well placed to continue to improve.
Main points for action The school and education authority should take action to improve the way they meet pupils’ needs. In doing so they should take account of the need to:
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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.
Brian Stewart
HM Inspector
6 February 2007
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 |
good |
Pupils’ attainment in English language |
adequate |
Pupils’ attainment in mathematics |
good |
How well are pupils’ learning needs met? |
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Meeting pupils’ needs |
good |
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 |
good |
Partnership with parents, the School Board, 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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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, 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.
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of primary inspections, you should write in the first instance to Chris McIlroy, Acting 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, 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 2007
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.
1. Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff and carers who are relatives or friends.