27 April 2004
1. Background
2. Key strengths
3. 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
How can you contact us?
West End Primary School was inspected in January 2004 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 and the environment for learning. There was a particular focus on attainment in English language and mathematics.
HM Inspectors examined pupils’ work and interviewed staff and pupils. They assessed the school’s processes for self-evaluation. They analysed responses to questionnaires issued to a sample of parents and carers, P4 to P7 pupils, and to all staff. Information about the responses to the questionnaires appears in Appendix 2. Members of the inspection team also had discussions with the chairperson of the School Board, a representative of the West End School Association and a group of parents.
The school serves an area of mainly private housing in the west end of Elgin and has a capacity of 250. At the time of the inspection the roll was 236. Almost a third of pupils were from outside the school’s catchment area. The proportion of pupils who were entitled to free school meals was well below the national average. Pupils’ attendance was well above the national average.
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HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
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Almost all parents and carers, pupils and staff were very positive about almost all aspects of the work of the school. A very small number of pupils, particularly at the upper stages, expressed concerns about bullying and the effect it had on them. Some support staff expressed some concerns about first-aid provision.
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
The overall quality of the curriculum was very good. Activities were sufficiently well planned to help pupils make appropriate progress in knowledge, understanding and skills. The school made good use of people and places in the local environment to extend pupils’ experience. Staff used their time well to provide a well-balanced curriculum, which also encouraged pupils to develop a range of interests.
The quality of teaching was good throughout the school and, at times, it was very good. The headteacher and staff had participated in in-school discussions on aspects of learning and teaching and this had resulted in improved methods of teaching in classes. These, in turn, had helped improve and maintain high standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers used direct teaching very effectively to develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. They were also careful to explain to pupils the purpose of lessons in order to help them improve. Teachers used praise well when appropriate and this helped motivate pupils to complete their work to the best of their ability. At the upper stages pupils were well organised into different sets in order to help teachers meet their needs appropriately. On a small number of occasions the pace of the teaching was too slow and some of the tasks set for pupils were too simple.
Throughout the school pupils responded positively to the efforts of all staff and worked hard. They were proud of their achievements and enthusiastic to do well. They responded well to encouragement and praise and produced work of high quality, which they were happy to discuss with adults. Overall, they were making very good progress in coursework which generally was challenging. Pupils enjoyed the opportunities to complete independent study, for example, at P4, in personal research studies on famous Scots. Pupils clearly benefited from the very enthusiastic teaching of music by the visiting specialist teacher, and gained a great deal from the many opportunities to make music. They sang very well and co-operated very well with one another when using a range of instruments. Pupils also showed very good attitudes to co-operating with one another when participating in role-play activities.
The school had paid good attention to the national priorities in education. They had improved and thereafter maintained high standards in literacy and numeracy and successfully included aspects of citizenship, creativity and enterprise into the curriculum. Progress, however, towards becoming a health promoting school was slow. Although all staff had been trained in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) and had begun to develop some pupils’ skills in this area, the use of computers as an integral part of learning and teaching was not yet well established.
English language
The overall quality of attainment in English language was very good. Over the last three years the school had improved and was maintaining very good levels of attainment. Almost all pupils were achieving or exceeding appropriate national levels of attainment in listening, talking, reading and writing. Almost all listened attentively and took part confidently during discussions. Pupils at the early stages showed through their responses that they had understood what they had seen and heard. Throughout the school most pupils were very articulate and were able to describe fluently activities in which they were involved. At all stages, pupils were keen to engage in and initiate conversation. At P7, pupils read widely and could discuss what they had read. Most pupils enjoyed reading for pleasure. At P7, pupils had very good opportunities for collaborative work in writing. Standards in writing would be improved even further if pupils at all stages had more frequent opportunites to write at length.
Mathematics
The overall quality of attainment in mathematics was very good. The school had maintained high standards in mathematics for a number of years. Following on from a very good beginning in P1 almost all pupils attained appropriate levels of attainment in information handling, number, money and measurement and shape, position and movement. At all stages many pupils were exceeding these levels. Pupils had become proficient in mental calculations and answered questions accurately and speedily. The practice in P5 in developing pupils’ skills in mental arithmetic was a very good example for others to follow. Overall, pupils had a good knowledge of their multiplication tables which helped them complete other mathematical tasks successfully. Pupils were involved in regular problem-solving activities in mathematics and were aware of the range of strategies which they could use to tackle problems. They would benefit more from being asked to use their mathematics to solve problems from real life.
All staff provided a good level of support for pupils and were sensitive to their needs and well-being. Senior pupils were encouraged to act as buddies for the new P1 intake. They also had opportunities to become Playground Peace Builders or train to be part of the KIC (Kids in Condition) team organising physical playtime activities for other pupils. Pupils at P7 benefited from a week-long residential experience at an outdoor centre, where they developed their social skills through having to work and stay with others. Staff had a good awareness of child protection issues which were reviewed with the headteacher annually. The headteacher was very committed to ensuring that pupils’ well-being was a high priority in the life and work of the school and dealt effectively with issues concerning the social and emotional needs of individual pupils and their families. However, the concerns of a small number of senior pupils had still to be addressed. Measures had to be put in place to ensure that staff dealt consistently with pupils when addressing sensitive issues.
Arrangements to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs were good. Pupils with additional support needs were very well supported by staff in a range of ways, and this helped them achieve well and improve their social skills. The recently appointed support for learning teacher interacted well with pupils in tutorial settings and assessed their needs carefully. The headteacher should now ensure that support for learning is more focussed on working with pupils and teachers in their classes. She consulted with class teachers effectively to provide appropriate support. Individualised educational programmes (IEPs) for pupils with additional support needs were written in consultation with class teachers and parents. Although these contained appropriate short-term learning targets, with criteria for success, they did not yet specify long-term targets. Procedures for dealing with Records of Need were well established.
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Aspect |
Comment |
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Quality of accommodation and facilities |
The overall quality of the accommodation was good. Although the school was almost at maximum capacity the headteacher had organised available space very effectively to meet the varying needs of the pupils and staff. Classrooms were bright and displayed pupils’ work well in order to praise their efforts and encourage them to improve. Resources were very well organised. The school had been well supported by the authority’s schools’ library service in its efforts to develop its own library. Plans were being implemented to improve the supply of books and other materials. The play area was very spacious and had been improved with the addition of play equipment and safety matting. The area of accommodation used for dealing with pupils who had experienced minor accidents was unsuitable. Parents used the school car park when taking their children to school and this constituted a safety hazard. The education authority also used a store in the car park and vehicles entered the area when pupils were present. |
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Climate and relationships, expectations and promoting achievement and equality |
The staff had created a very warm and welcoming environment for pupils and adults. Pupils were extremely courteous and almost all treated one another with respect. Standards of behaviour were very high. Pupils showed very good respect to all adults in the school and were proud to share their achievements with others. Older pupils cared for younger ones at the beginning of each school session and generally showed a good sense of responsibility. Pupils enjoyed their participation in the school council which met fortnightly. They felt that it allowed them to become more involved in some of the decision-making in the school which affected them. All staff made significant efforts to maintain the high standards in the school and improve them even further and, in these efforts, they had been successful. They set high expectations for their pupils who were encouraged to have high expectations of themselves. The school provided pupils with additional opportunities to develop in areas beyond the formal curriculum. This had proved to be effective in widening pupils’ interests and improving their skills in, for example, music and physical education. The headteacher and staff ensured that all pupils were included fully in the overall life of the school. When appropriate, specific arrangements were made to support pupils and parents where English was an additional language. Pupils enjoyed the regular assemblies, which provided very good opportunities for pupils to share their achievements. They also appreciated the weekly hymn singing assemblies where they were praised for their efforts in achieving the school’s focus for the week, in topics such as ‘good manners’. Arrangements for religious observance were good and the school was well supported by ministers from local churches. |
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Partnership with parents and the community |
The school had very good relationships with parents and the School Board. The school provided very useful newsletters for parents and a user-friendly handbook which contained valuable information. Progress reports to parents on their children’s progress were helpful. These were supplemented with two open afternoons and two evening meetings per year where staff could discuss their pupils. These meetings were very well attended by parents. The School Board was very supportive and had discussed a number of aspects of school provision, including the curriculum. The West End School Association had also been very supportive and had raised considerable funds to support the school. The school had good links with its associated primary schools and had co-operated in the development of some programmes of study. The school was very well supported by the authority’s educational psychologist and the schools’ library service. |
The headteacher provided very effective leadership and management in the school. He had a very good knowledge of what was expected of primary schools and had worked very effectively to ensure that high standards were achieved, and that pupils enjoyed their time in school. He showed a clear commitment to parents, pupils and staff and was very supportive of them. He willingly gave of his time, for example, to lead a number of extra-curricular activities. He had also implemented a very effective system of quality assurance in the school. He sampled pupils’ work and visited classes to monitor learning and teaching. The senior management team monitored forward plans, and discussions were held with staff to review individual pupils’ progress. All of these activities, together with an on-going analysis of the data available to the school ensured that pupils’ needs were well met.
He was well supported by the depute headteacher who took a positive lead in developing the school curriculum and teaching classes in mathematics and German. Her remit, however, was too narrow and this meant that she did not spend sufficient time in classes. Both the headteacher and the depute were very well supported by an able and committed staff. They knew what was expected and worked very effectively to ensure that pupils were taught well and their needs were met.
Over time the school had been successful in deciding what had to be done to improve, and thereafter had made the necessary improvements. Following staff discussion and training the staff had altered their teaching methods and this had had a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Clear links between the development planning process and the system of staff development and review ensured that in the main both school and individual staff needs were met. Overall West End Primary School provided a high standard of education.
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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 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 working with the school, will provide a progress report to parents and carers.
Dr Roddy Duncan
HM Inspector
27 April 2004
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.
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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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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 . Copies are also available on our website: www.hmie.gov.uk.
Should you wish to comment on or make a complaint about any aspect of the inspection or about this report, you should write in the first instance to Frank Crawford, HMCI at . A copy of our complaints procedure is available from that office and on our website.
If you are still dissatisfied, you can contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman directly or through your member of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government Departments and Agencies. She will not normally consider your complaint before the HMIE complaints procedure has been used. Instead, she will usually ask you to give us the chance to put matters right if we can.
Complaints to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman must be submitted within 12 months of the date of publication of this report.
The Ombudsman can be contacted at:
Professor Alice Brown
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
23 Walker Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7HX
Telephone number: 0870 011 5378
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 2004
HM Inspectorate of Education
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