HMIe Inspection Report on Lady Lovat Primary School
A very positive report by Inspectors for Lady Lovat Primary School highlights that the children learn and achieve well, are happy, enjoy learning and are very proud of their school.
In an HMI inspection of the Primary School the following key strengths were identified:
• Commendably positive attitudes and behaviour of all children in the school.
• The caring, nurturing and inclusive environment for all children to learn and
achieve.
• Positive experiences offered for children led by the leadership of the headteacher,teamwork and commitment of highly reflective staff.
• Strong partnerships with parents and the local community, particularly through enhancing opportunities for developing and achieving success through music and sporting activities.
The report highlights that the children learn and achieve well, are happy, enjoy learning and are very proud of their school. The children engage well in their learning as a result of strong teaching and the supportive and motivating experiences they gain. This also includes the children supporting and encouraging each other to do well and setting their own targets for learning. Children enjoy taking part in the many opportunities for physical activity, including outdoor learning, swimming and skiing.
Almost all children are progressing well in literacy and numeracy and making good progress in English and in mathematics, including being good at expressing their ideas confidently and explaining things to others. Almost all children have very good listening and talking skills and use questioning well. The school has taken action to improve children’s skills in mental calculation. Across the school, children achieve extremely well in traditional music. The achievements of children are praised and celebrated throughout the school.
The report goes on to highlight that support assistants, visiting teachers, parents and volunteers all work very well with teachers to help children develop and learn. Staff are caring and responsive to children’s varied needs and provide interesting activities and tasks for learning. They now need to make sure that all learning activities are planned to challenge all children fully. School staff work well with other professional partners, to ensure that children who require additional support with their learning make good progress.
The curriculum is broad and takes good account of Curriculum for Excellence. Staff plan meaningful and relevant contexts for learning which encourage children to follow their interests. The report goes on to state that high levels of fundraising from parents and the community, contribute to children gaining a range of experiences, including residential trips and many visits out of school. Visitors to the school, including members of the local community, contribute very positively to the curriculum and life of the school, for example in art, crafts and traditional music. There is a strong culture of promoting and experiencing traditional music throughout the school, including instrumental tuition in violin, cello, guitar, recorder and tin whistle. The school now needs to explore how this practice can be extended,particularly through the use of information and communications technology.
The report goes on to say that the new headteacher has quickly grasped the strengths in teaching for effective learning, and areas across the school requiring development. She is highly respected by staff, pupils and parents. Parents are very positive about the school. Class teachers are very reflective and evaluate their own work in order to make improvements for children.
Support staff play a very important role in the life of the school, impacting very positively on the lives of children. Views of parents and children are sought in a variety of ways and are responded to. With consistency in leadership, there is now a need to implement more structured, systematic and rigorous procedures for evaluating all aspects of school life, to ensure continued improvements in children’s learning experiences and achievements.
The Inspectors made only two recommendations to the school, Strengthen approaches to self-evaluation across the school to ensure children’s experiences and achievements continue to improve and continue to develop and improve the curriculum. HMI are satisfied with the overall quality of provision. As a result, they will make no further visits in connection with this inspection.
Commenting on the report Mrs Fiona MacKellaig, Head Teacher, said: “I am delighted with the inspection report which reflects the very positive ethos, quality of teaching and excellent teamwork which is the cornerstone of Lady Lovat Primary School. It highlights the hard work, mutual respect, commitment and dedication of pupils, staff, parents and the wider school community. The report acknowledges our vision to continue to take forward all current initiatives of the Curriculum for Excellence to ensure the greatest impact is made on the future learning of all pupils of Lady Lovat Primary School.”
The Chairperson of the Parent Council, Lynne Barrie said: “As newly appointed Chair of the Parent Council and on behalf of the parents at Lady Lovat, we are very happy with the findings of the report. The HMIe inspector recognised the strong teaching, support and motivating experiences that the children at Lady Lovat experience. As a parent I was encouraged in the fact that they also recognised that the children support and encourage each other to do well. They talk with enthusiasm about their learning and interact very well with each other and with adults, this is indeed a positive. These factors, and the others highlighted within the report is testament to the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm of the whole staff team. I have no doubt that the school will continue to improve and develop the curriculum and to continue to build on the many strengths highlighted within the report”.