3. Annual Report – School and Early Learning and Childcare Inspections 2022-23
North Ayrshire Council · 25 January 2024
Back to Audit and Scrutiny Committee — 25 January 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 25 January 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Annual Report – School and Early Learning and Childcare Inspections 2022-23 Purpose: To inform the committee of the performance of North Ayrshire schools and early learning and childcare settings in external inspections, with a focus on those published during session 2022-23. Recommendation: It is recommended that the committee: (a) Notes the contents of this report; and (b) Commends the performance of schools and ELC settings in inspections conducted by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Education Scotland published inspection reports on eight educational establishments in North Ayrshire in session 2022-23. The overall performance of our schools and centres was very positive. 1.2 The Care Inspectorate published inspection reports on seven local authority early learning and childcare establishments in North Ayrshire in session 2022-23. The performance of these establishments was positive. 1.3 Action has been taken by individual schools and early years establishments, supported by the education service, to celebrate strengths and to address areas for improvement identified in the inspection reports. 2. Background 2.1 Schools are subject to periodic external evaluation by the national inspection agency, Education Scotland. Early Learning and Childcare settings are inspected by both Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. 2.2 Education Scotland reports on the quality of school and early years provision under the following quality indicators, taken from the self-evaluation framework How good is our school? (4th edition): • Leadership of change • Learning, teaching and assessment
Page 2
• Ensuring wellbeing, equality, and inclusion • Raising attainment and achievement (primary, secondary, ASN schools) • Securing children’s progress (Early learning & childcare settings). 2.3 In 2022, the Care Inspectorate introduced a new quality framework for daycare of children, childminding and school-aged childcare. This quality framework is structured around the following key questions: • How good is our care, play and learning? • How good is our setting? • How good is our leadership? • How good is our staff team? 2.4 All inspections focus on at least two quality indicators. In session 2022-23, Education Scotland carried out eight school inspections in North Ayrshire as part of a national sample size of 250 schools. 2.5 Education Scotland uses a six-point scale to report on the performance of the educational establishment in each of the assessed quality indicators. The categories of the six-point scale are: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, weak, and unsatisfactory. Further detail on the meaning of the six-point scale is included at Appendix 2. 2.6 In session 2022-23, the Education Scotland inspection outcomes in North Ayrshire schools were as follows: School Inspection Report Date 1.3 Leadership of change 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement Ardeer Primary School 07/03/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Very Good Beith Primary School 28/03/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Greenwood Academy 25/04/2023 Good Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Auchenharvie Academy 09/05/2023 [Not assessed] Very Good [Not assessed] Very Good Glebe Primary School 16/05/2023 Very Good Very Good Excellent Very Good Skelmorlie Primary School 16/05/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good Corrie Primary School 29/08/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good Shiskine Primary School 29/08/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good 2.7 In session 2022-23, the Education Scotland inspection outcomes in North Ayrshire early years classes were as follows: School Inspection Report Date 1.3 Leadership of change 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement Ardeer Primary Early Years 07/03/2023 [Not assessed] Very Good Not assessed Very Good Beith Primary Early Years 28/03/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good
Page 3
Corrie Primary Early Years 29/08/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good Shiskine Primary Early Years 29/08/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good 2.8 Since the introduction of the current inspection framework “How Good is our School? (4th edition)” in session 2016-2017, there has been a total of 26 inspections by Education Scotland across North Ayrshire’s schools and early years classes. Over that time frame, the performance of North Ayrshire schools in Education Scotland inspections has been positive overall. By way of comparison in the table below, each grade has been assigned a numerical value to show our average performance against the regional and national performance. The higher the value, the better the performance. Average grade assigned through Education Scotland inspection 2016-2023 (schools only): Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* Regional 2016-23 (SWEIC)* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 4.45 3.85 3.75 Learning, teaching and assessment 4.21 3.82 3.69 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 4.45 4.00 3.92 Raising attainment and achievement 4.17 3.78 3.67 * 6 = Excellent; 5 = Very Good; 4 = Good; 3 = Satisfactory; 2 = Weak; 1 = Unsatisfactory Average grade assigned through Education Scotland inspection 2016-2023 (early learning and childcare settings only (authority provision)): Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* Regional 2016-23 (SWEIC)* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 4.13 3.78 3.63 Learning, teaching and assessment 4.33 3.95 3.67 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 4.25 4.10 3.96 Securing children’s progress 4.33 4.03 3.77 * 6 = Excellent; 5 = Very Good; 4 = Good; 3 = Satisfactory; 2 = Weak; 1 = Unsatisfactory 2.9 A further indicator of quality of educational provision overall is the percentage of school/ early learning and childcare inspections by Education Scotland which resulted in an evaluation of “good” or better. Data has been analysed since the introduction of the current inspection framework in 2016-17 to the end of session 2022-23. Again, this demonstrates a strong performance in North Ayrshire: Percentage of inspections resulting in an evaluation of “good” or better 2016-23 (schools only): Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* Regional 2016-23 (SWEIC)* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 82% 64% 60% Learning, teaching and assessment 88% 71% 62% Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 82% 70% 69% Raising attainment and achievement 83% 70% 61%
Page 4
Percentage of inspections resulting in an evaluation of “good” or better 2016-23 (early learning and childcare settings only): Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* Regional 2016-23 (SWEIC)* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 75% 66% 59% Learning, teaching and assessment 83% 72% 59% Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 75% 73% 74% Securing children’s progress 83% 75% 65% 2.10 The Education Scotland inspection reports (at Appendix 1) highlight a number of key strengths common to several of the establishments they visited in North Ayrshire in 2022-23. Notable strengths have been identified in the following areas: • Positive professional culture and staff commitment, working well as a team. • Positive relationships • Strong leadership of senior leaders • Nurturing and inclusive learning environments • Engaged and motivated learners • Learning experiences which are meeting needs and reducing barriers to learning • Improved learning outcomes / attainment. 2.11 Areas for improvement in North Ayrshire were identified through the inspection reports. All reports always have at least one identified area for improvement. The improvement actions frequently include the wording “continue to” or “further develop”, demonstrating that establishments are already beginning to take steps to address these points. 2.12 In session 2022-23 the performance of North Ayrshire Early Learning and Childcare centres and classes in Care Inspectorate inspections was positive. Care Inspectorate reports can all be accessed via the website. A total of seven Local Authority Early Years centres and classes and seven partner nurseries were inspected, the evaluations for which are summarised in the tables below: Early Learning and Childcare Setting (NAC) Inspection Report Date KQ1: How good is our care, play and learning? KQ2: How good is our setting? KQ3: How good is our leadership? KQ4: How good is our staff team? Mayfield Primary School Nursery Class 20/09/2022 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Caledonia Primary School Nursery Class 12/10/2022 Good Very Good Good Very Good Blacklands Primary School Nursery Class 18/01/2023 Good Good Good Good St Peter’s Primary School Nursery Class 27/02/2023 Adequate Good Good Adequate St Mark’s Primary School Nursery Class 17/03/2023 Good Good Good Good St Bridget’s Primary School Nursery Class 30/03/2023 Good Very Good Good Good
Page 5
Winton Primary School Nursery Class 16/05/2023 Good Good Good Very Good Early Learning and Childcare Setting (partners) Inspection Report Date KQ1: How good is our care, play and learning? KQ2: How good is our setting? KQ3: How good is our leadership? KQ4: How good is our staff team? Treetops Nursery (Irvine) 26/08/2022 Good Adequate Good Adequate Bright Beginnings Early Years Centre 12/09/2022 Good Good Good Good Treetops Too (Saltcoats) 03/11/2022 Adequate Adequate Adequate Adequate Rainbow Childcare 23/11/2022 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Summerlea House Nursery 21/03/2023 Good Good Good Good Burnside House Nursery 07/06/2023 Adequate Good Adequate Adequate Treetops Nursery (Irvine) 15/06/2023 Good Adequate Good Good 2.13 The Care Inspectorate have recently updated their framework of quality indicators. Nevertheless, in order to mirror the approach above (for Education Scotland inspections) to providing trend information over several years, a calculation has enabled average performances to be shown, covering the period 2016-23, both for North Ayrshire’s local authority early learning and childcare settings, as well as for the South West regional improvement collaborative. Average grade assigned through Care Inspectorate inspections in Early Learning and Childcare (NAC settings): New Quality Indicator (from 2022-23) Previous Quality Indicator (before August 2022) North Ayrshire Average Performance 2016-23* SWEIC Average Performance 2016-23* Quality of care, play and learning Quality of care and support 4.80 4.56 Quality of setting Quality of environment 4.69 4.42 Quality of leadership Quality of management and leadership 4.37 4.28 Quality of staff team Quality of staffing 4.61 4.49 * 6 = Excellent; 5 = Very Good; 4 = Good; 3 = Satisfactory; 2 = Weak; 1 = Unsatisfactory 2.14 Common strengths from the Care Inspectorate reports on early learning and childcare settings in North Ayrshire in 2022-23 are: • Children are happy, settled, confident and motivated • Children are having fun playing with their friends • The staff are kind, caring, compassionate and nurturing towards the children • Warm and welcoming environments are provided where children are supported with their learning. 2.15 Care Inspectorate reports included three areas for improvement in total for early learning and childcare establishments in North Ayrshire in 2022-23. Plans are in place to address these. Similarly, for the two areas for improvement identified through
Page 6
previous inspections, the Care Inspectorate confirmed that improvements had been made. 2.16 As part of the service’s commitment to continuous improvement, inspection outcomes have been used alongside feedback and engagement sessions with head teachers and other senior officers, to feed into an evaluation of the service’s Quality Improvement Framework, which has been refreshed and updated for session 2023-24. There is an increased flexibility in approach, agreed at individual establishment level. The Quality Improvement Framework is designed to give establishments, the service and elected members assurance that self-evaluation is a key aspect of the work of our establishments and that this leads consistently to planned improvements, based on local contexts. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is recommended that the committee: (a) Notes the contents of this report; and b) Commends the performance of schools and ELC settings in inspections conducted by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 Council priorities: The external inspection activity confirms the focus of the Education Service is to align with the Council Plan 2023-28 strategic aim to “transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people” and more specifically “improving educational attainment and achievement and closing the attainment gap” activities.
Page 7
Community Wealth Building 4.7 Better educational outcomes for children young people and adults, as well as increased capacity building and resilience in communities are required to underpin a strong local economy. North Ayrshire works in partnership with local early learning and childcare providers (local businesses) to ensure the provision of care is a shared endeavour. 5. Consultation 5.1 There has been no specific consultation on the contents of this report. Audrey Sutton Executive Director For further information please contact Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education), on 01294 324413. Background Papers 0
Page 8
1 | Ardeer Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8214123 © Crown Copyright 7 March 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In December 2022, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Ardeer Primary School and Nursery Class. 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 effective teamwork across the school and nursery to support all children to achieve the best possible outcomes in their learning. • The highly effective use of data to inform planning and measure the effectiveness of the strategies used to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • Continue to support children across the school to become more independent in their learning by providing more experiences that promote curiosity, independence, and confidence. • Review the process used to plan learning across the school to enable staff to develop further creative teaching approaches. Appendix 1
Page 9
2 | Ardeer Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8214123 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition) and How good is our early learning and childcare?. 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 Ardeer Primary School and Nursery Class Quality indicators for the primary school Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment 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 Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment very good Securing children’s progress very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | 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. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Pamela Adamson HM Inspector
Page 10
1 | Beith Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8210829 © Crown Copyright 28 March 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In January 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Beith Primary School and Nursery Class. 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. • Positive relationships are a strength of the school and nursery. Staff’s passion for and commitment to children’s rights and wellbeing underpins their work. This is leading to children who are confident, secure and happy in the school and nursery. • The headteacher demonstrates strong and strategic leadership. She has created a climate of continuous improvement which is developing leadership at all levels. • Teachers and practitioners have a strong collegiate approach to professional learning. They work well together to improve children’s experiences which ensures children are motivated and eager to learn. • Senior leaders’ and staff’s effective use of data allows them to identify and plan the correct interventions for children. They deliver well-planned support which is helping children to experience success. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • In the nursery, continue to develop approaches to support children to talk about their wellbeing through the focus on children’s rights. This will support the planned work on improving children’s opportunities to explore diversity. • In the school, as planned, continue to develop approaches to assess children's learning and track their progress across all curricular areas. • In the school and nursery, continue to help children to identify and talk about the skills they are developing through the range of experiences they take part in.
Page 11
2 | Beith Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8210829 © 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) and How good is our early learning and childcare?. 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 Beith Primary School and Nursery Class Quality indicators for the primary stages Evaluation Leadership of change very good 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 Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Leadership of change very good Learning, teaching and assessment very good Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion very good Securing children’s progress very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland
Page 12
3 | Beith Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8210829 © Crown Copyright 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. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Gillian Frew HM Inspector
Page 13
25 April 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In February 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Greenwood Academy. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and young people and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • The leadership of the headteacher, supported by the leadership team have worked well with staff to bring a sharper focus to school improvement and professional learning. • Approaches to monitoring and tracking young people’s progress are used well to inform school based interventions. The extended leadership team and staff are working well together to drive forward school improvement, share practice and initiate change. • Strong partnership working with the local college and local business is impacting positively on learners’ experiences, supporting strong levels of personal development and valuable qualifications. • A strengthened focus on literacy and numeracy is leading to improved attainment for young people throughout the school. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • More consistently high expectations of all young people and high-quality learning experiences are required across the school to support, motivate and engage young people. • Continue to work together with young people, parents and staff to promote positive relationships across the school. The school should also review their approaches to wellbeing, equality and inclusion to ensure that all young people feel valued, included and respected in the life and work of the school. • Improve the quality of passes in National Qualifications and support more young people to be ambitious and to achieve qualifications at the highest level. 1 | Greenwood Academy, North Ayrshire Council, 8215030 © Crown Copyright
Page 14
Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Greenwood Academy 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. Quality indicators Evaluation Leadership of change good Learning, teaching and assessment satisfactory Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion satisfactory Raising attainment and achievement 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: Reports page | Inspection reports | 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. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Teri McIntosh HM Inspector 2 | Greenwood Academy, North Ayrshire Council, 8215030 © Crown Copyright
Page 15
1 | Auchenharvie Academy, North Ayrshire Council, 8216134 © Crown Copyright 9 May 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In February 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Auchenharvie Academy. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and young people and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. The headteacher, senior leaders and staff have very successfully developed and maintained a supportive, safe and positive environment for learning. Young people are eager participants in their learning and demonstrate high levels of engagement. Staff have a very strong understanding of the needs of all young people in their community. They promote equity successfully by having high aspirations for all young people. This has resulted in nearly all young people moving on to positive destinations, such as university, college or work. Young people are very aware of the skills they are developing and are well motivated to learn across different contexts. The headteacher and senior leaders have led effectively a positive and sustained approach to improving the attainment and achievements for all young people. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. Senior leaders and staff should continue to work together to increase further the consistency of high-quality learning and teaching across the school. Teachers should improve further their approaches to meeting the learning needs of all young people, including the most able.
Page 16
2 | Auchenharvie Academy, North Ayrshire Council, 8216134 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using 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 Auchenharvie Academy Quality indicators Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment 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: Reports page | Inspection reports | 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. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Stuart Cathro HM Inspector
Page 17
1 | Glebe Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, 8211922 © Crown Copyright 16 May 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In February 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Glebe 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 outstanding leadership of the headteacher in driving forward improvement. She has developed successfully an aspirational learning community. She empowers children and staff to lead and make genuine and valuable contributions to the life of the school and beyond. • The significant impact of approaches to nurture, promoting positive relationships and improving wellbeing. This results in a highly supportive and inclusive learning environment where children thrive. • Articulate children who are motivated, resilient and keen to do their very best. They are confident, responsible and respectful, showing kindness, care and understanding towards each other. • The very strong approaches of all staff to meeting the needs of children who face barriers to their learning. Led very effectively by the depute headteacher, all staff are highly responsive to the needs and changing circumstances of children and their families. • The commitment and dedication of all staff in ensuring all children benefit from a broad range of quality learning experiences. This results in very strong attainment and high achievement for children. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • Continue to take forward priorities for improvement, including promoting creativity and innovation in learning, as planned.
Page 18
2 | Glebe Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, 8211922 © 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 Glebe Primary School Quality indicators Evaluation Leadership of change very good Learning, teaching and assessment very good Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion excellent 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: Reports page | Inspection reports | 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. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Susie Smith HM Inspector
Page 19
1 | Skelmorlie Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, 8213925 © Crown Copyright 16 May 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In March 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Skelmorlie 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. • Children who are confident, articulate and proud of their school. They experience positive relationships with all staff and their peers. • The effective teamwork across the school to plan and deliver targeted support. All staff work well together to support children with barriers to their learning. Children are well supported in class and make good progress. • Children benefit from learning in a range of motivating learning spaces and through increasingly relevant contexts. This supports children well to understand how their learning in the classroom links to their life beyond school. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council • Continue to develop approaches to planning learning across the curriculum. Ensure all learning builds on what children already know and is appropriately challenging. • Continue to develop approaches to tracking and monitoring children’s progress and attainment. Ensure all staff use tracking information effectively to identify next steps in learning for all children.
Page 20
2 | Skelmorlie Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, 8213925 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using 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 Skelmorlie Primary School Quality indicators Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Raising attainment and achievement 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: Reports page | Inspection reports | 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. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Marion Carlton HM Inspector
Page 21
1 | Corrie Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8200327 © Crown Copyright 29 August 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In May 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Corrie Primary School and Nursery Class. 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 headteacher has created a positive, nurturing and inclusive culture with a strong sense of belonging across the school and nursery. Staff support children well which is resulting in children who are motivated, engaged and confident in their learning. • In the nursery, the quality of the environments and learning experiences support children well to make choices and to lead their play. • In the school, teachers plan well activities and experiences that meet the needs of all children. This results in children making good progress in reading, listening and talking and numeracy. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • In the nursery, develop further approaches to planning and assessing children’s learning to increase levels of challenge. This should support children to make the best possible progress. • In the school, teachers should continue to improve children’s progress in writing. They should plan more regular learning opportunities for children to write at length and apply skills to a wider range of contexts and audiences.
Page 22
2 | Corrie Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8200327 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition) and How good is our early learning and childcare?. 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 Corrie Primary School and Nursery Class Quality indicators for the primary school Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Raising attainment and achievement good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Securing children’s progress good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | 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. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Gillian Frew HM Inspector
Page 23
1 | Shiskine Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8200629 © Crown Copyright 29 August 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In May 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Shiskine Primary School and Nursery Class. 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 headteacher has successfully created a professional culture where all staff learn together to improve outcomes for children. Across the school and nursery, all staff work very well together as a committed team. • The wide range of interesting experiences that children enjoy within the school, nursery and in the community. These are developing children’s confidence and social skills successfully. • The very positive, nurturing relationships between adults and children across the school and nursery. Children are confident, engaged and enthusiastic learners who are proud of their school community. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • Continue to improve approaches to assessing and tracking children’s progress and achievement in the school and nursery. • As planned, continue to develop approaches to planning, learning and teaching across all curricular areas in the school and nursery. This should ensure that all children, including those requiring additional support, receive the right level of support and challenge in their learning.
Page 24
2 | Shiskine Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8200629 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition) and How good is our early learning and childcare?. 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 Shiskine Primary School and Nursery Class Quality indicators for the primary school Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Raising attainment and achievement good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Securing children’s progress good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: https://education.gov.scot/inspection-and-review/find-an-inspection-report/find-an-inspection- report/details?id=4351 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. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Helen Mulholland HM Inspector
Page 25
How good is our school? Appendix 3: The six-point scale The six-point scale is a tool for grading the quality indicators. It is mainly used by Education Scotland, local authorities and other governing bodies for the purpose of national and/or local benchmarking across a number of establishments. It is not necessary for individual schools to measure themselves against the six-point scale although they may choose to do so. It should be noted that, when a grading is applied, it is for the whole quality indicator. Individual themes should not be graded. In education, an evaluation can be arrived at in a range of contexts. We need to bear in mind that awarding levels using a quality scale will always be more of a professional skill than a technical process. However, the following general guidelines should be consistently applied. Excellent An evaluation of excellent means that this aspect of the school’s work is outstanding and sector-leading. The experiences and achievements of all children and young people are of a very high quality. An evaluation of excellent represents an outstanding standard of provision which exemplifies very best practice, based on achieving equity and inclusion and a deep professional understanding which is being shared beyond the school to support system-wide improvement. It implies that very high levels of performance are sustainable and will be maintained. Very good An evaluation of very good means that there are major strengths in this aspect of the school’s work. There are very few areas for improvement and any that do exist do not significantly diminish learners’ experiences. An evaluation of very good represents a high standard of provision for all children and young people and is a standard that should be achievable by all. There is an expectation that the school will make continued use of self-evaluation to plan further improvements and will work towards improving provision and performance to excellent. Good An evaluation of good means that there are important strengths within the school’s work yet there remains some aspects which require improvement. The strengths have a significantly positive impact on almost all children and young people. The quality of learners’ experiences is diminished in some way by aspects in which improvement is required. It implies that the school should seek to improve further the areas of important strength, and also take action to address the areas for improvement. Satisfactory An evaluation of satisfactory means that the strengths within this aspect of the school’s work just outweigh the weaknesses. It indicates that learners have access to a basic level of provision. It represents a standard where the strengths have a positive impact on learners’ experiences. While the weaknesses are not important enough to have a substantially adverse impact, they do constrain the overall quality of learners’ experiences. The school needs to take action to address areas of weakness by building on its strengths. Weak An evaluation of weak means that there are important weaknesses within this aspect of the school’s work. While there may be some strength, the important weaknesses, either individually or collectively, are sufficient to diminish learners’ experiences in substantial ways. It implies the need for prompt, structured and planned action on the part of the school. Unsatisfactory An evaluation of unsatisfactory means there are major weaknesses within this aspect of the school’s work which require immediate remedial action. Learners’ experiences are at risk in significant respects. In almost all cases, this will require support from senior managers in planning and carrying out the necessary actions to effect improvement. This will usually involve working alongside staff in other schools or agencies. 62 63