12 February 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 Mun’s Primary School was inspected in October and November 2007 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 spoke with the chairperson of the Parent Council, representatives of the parent-teacher association (PTA) and a group of parents1. The inspection team also evaluated aspects of the school’s provision related to improving aspects of school meals provision.
St Mun’s Primary School is a denominational school serving Dunoon and the surrounding rural areas of Sandbank, Lock Eck, Glen Lean, Ardentinny and Toward. At the time of the inspection the roll was 161. The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was 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 all parents, P4 to P7 pupils and to all staff. Information about the responses to questionnaires appears in Appendix 2.
Parents were very pleased with the school. They thought that it was well led and had a very good reputation in the community. All thought that staff showed concern for their children’s care and welfare. Parents also felt that the school had explained to them how they could support their children with homework. Pupils were very positive about their school. They expressed particular appreciation for the supportive and friendly atmosphere and the range of activities provided by staff. Staff were also very positive about all aspects of the school.
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
The very good curriculum was appropriately broad and balanced. Teachers were making effective use of flexibility within their planning to introduce more cross-curricular approaches and provide pupils with stimulating learning experiences. They also made very good use of visits and visitors to enhance pupils’ learning. The development of enterprise and citizenship skills was fully embedded. Additional time allocated to enhance the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills had led to very good levels of attainment in these aspects. Pupils at P1 and P2 had well-organised opportunities to be actively involved in learning through play. The well-planned programme for physical education (PE) included swimming lessons for P5 to P7. All pupils in P7 had two hours of PE each week, in line with national recommendations, and the school was planning to increase the time allocated at other stages. Staff gave very good attention to pupils’ personal and social development through the well-planned programme as well as through the broad range of informal activities. The overall quality of teaching was very good. There were examples of outstanding practice. Teachers made effective use of approaches designed to enable pupils to develop as independent learners. All provided clear instructions and explanations, increasingly supported by good use of information and communications technology (ICT). They introduced lessons very well, revising previous work and setting clear expectations for pupils’ learning. Effective questioning involved pupils in thinking and discussion, and teachers encouraged and valued pupils’ responses. They gave pupils very constructive feedback on their work, identifying strengths and also areas for improvement.
The quality of pupils’ learning was very good. Pupils were very well motivated and enthusiastic learners. They listened carefully to instructions and explanations and almost all were able to work well with minimum supervision. Pupils responded very well to activities set in meaningful contexts and to those designed to develop cooperative approaches to learning. They were fully involved in assessing their own work and that of others in their class or group, and in discussing ways of improving further. Pupils were confident and articulate when discussing their classwork. They worked very productively with each other in groups to find solutions to problems.
Staff took very good steps to help pupils develop their wider achievements, including involving senior pupils in recording and publicising pupils’ successes. Pupils were developing good levels of self-confidence and self-esteem. They showed confidence, for example, when presenting the results of investigations to others in their class. Two pupils had represented the Cowal area in the final of an annual public speaking contest. Many pupils participated successfully in sporting, musical, dance and drama activities. Senior pupils demonstrated good citizenship skills when acting as buddies for younger ones. All pupils showed their awareness of the needs of others through commendable fund-raising for various charities. Led by the school’s ‘PlayForce’ team, they had gained an Eco Schools (Scotland) silver award for improving and sustaining the environment and were working towards achieving a green flag. Completion of the long-term art and enterprise project to improve the railings around the school grounds had been a major achievement. Pupils had benefited from working with a local artist and blacksmith, with support from local businesses and the community.
English language
The overall quality of pupils’ attainment in English language was very good. High standards of attainment had been maintained in recent years. Almost all pupils achieved appropriate national levels of attainment in reading and in writing. At all stages, a number of pupils achieved these levels earlier than might normally be expected. Pupils with additional support needs, including pupils with English as an additional language, were also progressing well towards their learning targets. Across the school pupils’ skills in listening and talking were very good. Pupils talked confidently to adults and each other about a range of topics. They listened well to instructions and delivered interesting talks and presentations in class, at assemblies and at other school events. At all stages, pupils demonstrated enthusiasm for reading for enjoyment and tackling challenging texts. By P7, pupils could talk knowledgeably about the books they had read. At the early stages, pupils had made a good start to developing early reading and writing skills. At all stages, pupils wrote well for a variety of purposes, structuring their work well and making good use of punctuation. They presented their work neatly and accurately.
Mathematics
The overall quality of pupils’ attainment in mathematics was very good. Standards of attainment had continued to improve in recent years. Almost all pupils were achieving appropriate national levels of attainment. Many pupils achieved these levels earlier than might normally be expected. All pupils coped well with their classwork, and their understanding was developing through use of relevant contexts. Those with additional support needs were well supported and were making very good progress. Pupils were able to make good use of ICT to collect and display information. For example, pupils in P5 had used graphs to display the results of their market research prior to setting up their healthy eating café, and used spreadsheets to record their expenditure and income. Pupils at all stages performed well in mental calculations, and showed enthusiasm for sharing and discussing their methods of calculation. Those in P1 had developed a good understanding of early number work. At all stages, pupils were developing their skills in measurement. They had a good knowledge of shapes and could discuss their properties. Pupils in P7 showed a good understanding of angles. Across the school, pupils were confident in using a range of strategies to solve problems.
The school had very effective arrangements to meet pupils’ learning needs. Staff knew their pupils very well and used that knowledge to target support for individuals and groups. Tasks and activities were generally well chosen to match pupils’ learning needs. Staff took positive steps to ensure that factors which might hinder pupils’ learning and progress were identified promptly and addressed effectively. Pupils were fully involved in setting targets for their learning. Teachers gave them regular and constructive feedback and pupils were clear about what they needed to do to improve. Pupils with additional support needs were well integrated and supported in class. Staff had worked hard to ensure that pupils with English as an additional language (EAL), and their families, were well supported and integrated into the life of the school. Systematic procedures were in place for early identification of children with additional support needs, and the school had well-organised procedures for maintaining pupil support plans. Support assistants worked very effectively with teachers and pupils and provided valuable support in classes. Very good arrangements were in place to support pupils transferring from P7 to Dunoon Grammar School. The school liaised well with the adjacent nursery and was working with its staff to further enhance the transition from nursery to P1.
Aspect |
Comment |
Pastoral care |
All staff were strongly committed to pupils’ care and welfare and were sensitive to their individual needs. Pupils with EAL had been particularly well supported and welcomed. Staff had a clear understanding of the school’s arrangements for pastoral care, including child protection and anti-bullying procedures. Pupils felt safe and secure in the school. The programme for personal, social and health education included an appropriate emphasis on alcohol and substance misuse and personal relationships. The school had established very strong partnerships to address the specific needs of potentially vulnerable children and they were achieving well. It was very successful in promoting healthy lifestyles. Pupils benefited from their involvement in various activities to promote healthy eating, including growing potatoes which were used for school lunches and preparing bramble jam for their healthy eating café. They enjoyed the good quality school meals and the overall lunchtime experience. |
Quality of accommodation and facilities |
The overall quality of accommodation was good. Staff had created a bright and welcoming environment, with very good displays of pupils’ work and achievements. Provision of ICT was very good. The spacious outdoor area included an attractive garden as well as the unique feature of the impressive railings and gate, which were enjoyed by the school and the community. The school had appropriate security arrangements and good access for people with restricted mobility. While the building was kept very clean, aspects of maintenance needed attention. These included water penetration in the roof and wet and muddy areas in the school grounds. |
Climate and relationships, expectations and promoting achievement and equality |
Climate and relationships within the school were excellent. Pupils, staff and parents were all very proud of their school. Relationships among staff and pupils were outstandingly positive and pupils’ behaviour was exemplary. Staff had created a positive, purposeful climate, underpinned by Catholic values and characterised by mutual respect, trust and confidence. Pupils were actively involved in making decisions about the school’s work, and responded very well to opportunities to take on responsibility, such as running the healthy eating café and acting as buddies. The school had a well-established ethos of achievement. Staff expected all pupils to achieve their full potential, and placed a strong focus on enabling pupils to develop their skills and capabilities as learners. They exemplified high expectations and professional standards in all their daily routines. Pupils’ achievements were celebrated in attractive displays, through awards, at assemblies and at the end of year review. Staff placed a strong focus on inclusion and on equality of opportunity for all pupils. They promoted diversity and anti-racism within lessons and through a range of activities. Well-established links with the parish and the local priest helped to ensure well-planned opportunities for religious observance and worship. |
Partnership with parents and the community |
The overall quality of partnership with parents and the community was outstandingly positive. The school communicated very effectively with parents about their children’s progress and about how they could support their children’s learning. It provided a very good range of well-presented information on its work, and had secured the support of many parents in the life of the school. Staff consulted parents about sensitive health issues, and actively encouraged them to support healthy eating. The previous School Board had provided significant support for the school, and a similar productive partnership was being established with the new Parent Council. Staff and pupils also valued the wide-ranging support from the very active PTA. The school had been outstandingly successful in forming very effective partnerships with its community. The school choir, for example, performed regularly within the local community. Community involvement in the major railings art project had reinforced the school’s important role in its community. Strong and productive partnerships with other schools and external agencies supported the curriculum and underpinned the school’s arrangements for pastoral care of its pupils. |
Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.
St Mun’s Primary School was providing a very effective education for its pupils. Staff had established a stimulating, supportive and caring environment, which was successful in developing pupils’ potential and their enthusiasm for learning as well as celebrating their achievements. The quality of learning and teaching had major strengths, and pupils’ learning needs were very well met overall. Pupils enjoyed school, the overall quality of their attainment was very good, and they were developing well as confident individuals and responsible citizens.
The headteacher provided very good leadership. Her clear vision and very strong commitment had resulted in a school with a stimulating and inclusive environment for learning and a very good reputation in the community. She had established very good relationships with pupils, parents and staff, and was strongly committed to ensuring that all pupils achieved their full potential. She encouraged staff to be innovative and gave them good opportunities to lead initiatives aimed at enhancing pupils’ learning experiences. Very strong teamwork among staff was sustained through a sense of ownership of developments within the school. The principal teacher gave very effective support to the headteacher and staff. Her teaching was a model of good practice. The headteacher regularly monitored teachers’ plans, observed classroom practice, sampled pupils’ work and discussed their progress with staff. These activities resulted in constructive feedback to staff and some sharing of good practice. The views of pupils and parents were actively sought and, together with evaluations by staff, were used to identify priorities for improvement. The school’s standards and quality report, however, was descriptive rather than evaluative. Teachers’ work on developing as reflective practitioners offered scope for introducing more rigour into their involvement in self-evaluation and more systematic identification and sharing of good practice. The school was very well placed to take forward priorities for further improvement.
Main point 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. Within two years of the publication of this report the education authority, working with the school, will provide a progress report to parents.
Marjory Robertson
HM Inspector
12 February 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 |
very good |
The teaching process |
very good |
Pupils’ learning experiences |
very good |
Pupils’ attainment in English language |
very good |
Pupils’ attainment in mathematics |
very good |
How well are pupils’ learning needs met? |
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Meeting pupils’ needs |
very good |
How good is the environment for learning? |
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Pastoral care |
very good |
Accommodation and facilities |
good |
Climate and relationships |
excellent |
Expectations and promoting achievement |
very good |
Equality and fairness |
very good |
Partnership with parents, the Parent Council and the community |
excellent |
Leading and improving the school |
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Leadership of the headteacher |
very 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 Community 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.
1. Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff and carers who are relatives or friends.