Newtown Primary School Summary Report
Quality Services
School Review Summary Report
Newtown Primary School
The school in context
Newtown Primary School is a non-denominational school completed in 1995 which serves the Newtown St Boswells area of the Scottish Borders.
Newtown Primary School has five classrooms. The school building is open plan in design and includes a library area, television/music room, gym hall/dining area, main store cupboard, office, headteacher's office and staffroom. The school playground is a tarmac area which surrounds the building and includes a small school garden area. The school makes use of the grass playing field next to the building although it is a public area and not part of the school grounds. The current school roll is 109. There are five classes in the school organised as follows:
P1/2 P2/3 P4/5 P5/6 P7
12/9 4/19 13/5 7/19
21 23 18 26 21
Absence rates for 2004/2005 were below national and authority averages.
The teaching staff in the session was:
Basic Complement SfL*
5.5 FTE** 1.5 FTE
Visiting Specialist(s)
0.3 FTE
*Support for Learning **Full Time Equivalent
The headteacher (HT) has 0.5 teaching commitment and is supported by one principal teacher (PT). There are visiting teachers for music, physical education (PE) and are (summer term). In addition, two full-time classroom assistants and three part time additional needs assistants support staff are allocated to a range of whole-school responsibilities.
The HT and all members of the teaching and support staff have entered the professional review and staff development and review
scheme.
The review programme
The review programme comprised three areas:
1 Self-evaluation
2 Pupils' learning experiences
3 Strategies for raising attainment with a particular focus on gifted and able pupils and the lowest attaining 20% of pupils
- the authority focus
4 Could we indicate the school were offered a choice but declined
The review process
A team from the Quality Services and peer reviewers reviewed Newtown St Boswells Primary School in February 2006. The review
team used the level four illustrations from How good is our school? (HGIOS) as its frame of reference and made their evaluation
on the basis of evidence provided by the school and their own observations.
The results of their findings are given below.
Key strengths of the school
In the areas reviewed the school demonstrated strengths in:
Involvement of staff in reviewing, planning, developing and sharing good practice related to agreed priorities in the school
improvement plan.
The stimulating, inclusive learning environment which motivated learners and encouraged independence, thinking skills, collaborative
learning and responsible behaviour.
The strong ethos of achievement
Differentiation and group teaching
Consultations to support learners
Areas for development by the school
To involve all stakeholders in evaluating the work of the school and identifying priorities for improvement based on reliable
data and evidence
To develop strategies to raise the attainment of boys
To continue to develop strategies to challenge the more able
To develop strategies to raise attainment levels in writing
What happens now
The headteacher, in consultation with the review co-ordinator and the school quality improvement officer, will produce an
action plan in response to the action points identified in the review. This action plan will be incorporated into the school
improvement plan for the 2006-07 session.
Unified Solutions.