Education Scotland Inspection of Bargarran PS ECSPB
Renfrewshire Council · 13 March 2025
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 13 March 2025 and its agenda
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Page 1 of 4 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Education Scotland Inspection of Bargarran Primary School ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Education Scotland Inspection of Bargarran Primary School was inspected by Education Scotland in October 2024 as part of a national sample of education. Education Scotland uses different models of inspection and at Bargarran Primary School the full model approach was deployed. Inspectors assessed the school with a focus on four quality indicators which are referenced in How Good is our School? 4 Quality Indicator 1.3 Leadership of Change Quality Indicator 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment. Quality Indicator 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equity and inclusion. Quality Indicator 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement. 1.2 This was a very positive inspection which evaluated quality indicators in the school as: Quality Indicator 1.3 Excellent Quality Indicator 2.3 Very Good Quality Indicator 3.1 Very Good Quality Indicator 3.2 Very Good 1.4 As part of the inspection model the following area was also reviewed: Quality Indicator 2.1 Safeguarding 1.5 Education Scotland do not attach an evaluative grade to this. Instead in the Summary of Inspection Findings there are evaluative statements provided which are positive and contribute to the overall school ratings. The inspection report in the form of a letter to parents, published by Education Scotland on 11 February 2025, is attached as an appendix to this report and is also available from the Director of Children’s Services or from the Education Scotland website.
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Page 2 of 4 1.6 The letter to parents identified five key strengths of the school: • The highly effective and respected headteacher is providing very strong strategic leadership and direction to the work of the school. The headteacher is supported very well by the depute headteachers. Together, their strong approaches to improving the school is helping raise attainment for all children. • Children are highly confident, happy, enthusiastic, respectful and articulate. They are proud ambassadors of their school. Staff and children’s extensive work on children’s rights over several years is helping all children to understand well their place in society. This outstanding work is helping all children to achieve well in school. • Through meaningful shared leadership at all levels, children and staff work collaboratively to ensure their vision and values are lived. This underpins all aspects of children’s learning. This is leading to a school environment where children experience creativity, innovation and enquiry and results in children who are successful learners. • Senior leaders’ rigorous approaches to tracking and monitoring are leading to high levels of attainment and achievement over time. • Teachers have developed highly-effective approaches in the use of digital technology to support and enhance children’s learning. Across the school, children are skilled in using digital technology creatively to support their learning. 1.7 The following area for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from Renfrewshire Council. • As planned, staff should support all children across the school to set targets for learning beyond literacy and numeracy. This will support children to understand fully their progress and next steps in learning across the curriculum. 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to note and celebrate the key strengths and recognise the areas for further improvement in the Education Scotland report on Bargarran Primary School. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Children’s Services welcomes the process of audit undertaken by Education Scotland as supportive to continuous improvement in Renfrewshire’s education establishments. The school team at Bargarran Primary School approached the inspection in a positive manner and embraced it as a professional learning opportunity in partnership with colleagues at Education Scotland. 3.2 The report includes one area for further improvement, and progress in addressing this will be monitored by Children’s Services staff through the Quality Improvement Framework. 3.3 The inspection report will inform planned improvement activity and will enable the school to build on the recognised strengths and focus further development on areas for improvement to enable the school to continue to deliver a quality
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Page 3 of 4 educational provision. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – No financial implications 2. HR & Organisational Development – No HR implications 3. Community/Council Planning – engaging with, and learning from external inspection, ensures that our Renfrewshire is thriving. High standards of education provision ensure that children and young people are given the best start in life so that they promote and contribute to a more prosperous, fairer society. It also ensures our Renfrewshire is well – by providing an environment which encourages care, welfare and development, establishments play a crucial role in developing children and young people so that they become responsible citizens. The inspection process also supports delivery of the Council Plan crosscutting theme of improving outcomes for children and families as well as other Council Plan key strategic outcomes. Economy Equipping all children and young people to achieve success in life Fair Creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for children and young people. Embedding children’s rights in our decision-making processes 4. Legal - The full model inspection includes a focus on QI 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equity and inclusion. In evaluating this QI, one of the themes that HM Inspectors evaluate is the school’s Fulfilment of Statutory Duties related to attendance, exclusions, ASL Act and Associated Code of Practice, Bullying, Equality Act, Health and Nutrition, and Gaelic education. 5. Property/Assets – No risks to property/assets. 6. Information Technology – No information and technology risks. 7. Equality & Human Rights – The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – No negative impacts on health and safety. 9. Procurement – No procurement risks
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Page 4 of 4 10. Risk – No risks identified. 11. Privacy Impact – No impact on privacy. 12. Cosla Policy Position – N/A 13. Climate Risk – None. 14. Children’s Rights – This links to, Article 12 (respect for the views of the child) Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously. This right applies at all times, for example during immigration proceedings, housing decisions or the child’s day-to-day home life. Article 28 (right to education) Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child. Discipline in schools must respect children’s dignity and their rights. Richer countries must help poorer countries achieve this. Article 29 (goals of education) Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment. List of Background Papers - The inspection report and additional evidence is published on the Education Scotland website. __________________________________________________________ EH 13 March 2025 Author: Emma Henry, Head of Education, emma.henry@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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1 | Bargarran Primary School, Renfrewshire Council, 8621829 © Crown Copyright 11 February 2025 Dear Parent/Carer In November 2024, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Bargarran Primary School. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • The highly effective and respected headteacher is providing very strong strategic leadership and direction to the work of the school. The headteacher is supported very well by the depute headteachers. Together, their strong approaches to improving the school is helping raise attainment for all children. • Children are highly confident, happy, enthusiastic, respectful and articulate. They are proud ambassadors of their school. Staff and children’s extensive work on children’s rights over several years is helping all children to understand well their place in society. This outstanding work is helping all children to achieve well in school. • Through meaningful shared leadership at all levels, children and staff work collaboratively to ensure their vision and values are lived. This underpins all aspects of children’s learning. This is leading to a school environment where children experience creativity, innovation and enquiry and results in children who are successful learners. • Senior leaders’ rigorous approaches to tracking and monitoring are leading to high levels of attainment and achievement over time. • Teachers have developed highly-effective approaches in the use of digital technology to support and enhance children’s learning. Across the school, children are skilled in using digital technology creatively to support their learning. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from Renfrewshire Council. • As planned, staff should support all children across the school to set targets for learning beyond literacy and numeracy. This will support children to understand fully their progress and next steps in learning across the curriculum.
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2 | Bargarran Primary School, Renfrewshire Council, 8621829 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using four quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition). Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Bargarran Primary School Quality indicators Evaluation Leadership of change excellent Learning, teaching and assessment very good Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion very good Raising attainment and achievement very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Bargarran Primary School | Inspection Report | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. Renfrewshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Nicola Drew HM Inspector