Quality Services School Review Summary Report
Ancrum Primary School
The review process
A quality improvement officer (QIO) from Quality Services and a peer reviewer reviewed Ancrum Primary School in April 2007. The review team used the level five 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.
In order to make their evaluations, the team consulted a number of school documents, including the school improvement plan, interviewed sample groups of pupils, staff and parents, and observed learning and teaching. In addition the team analysed responses to questionnaires issued to all parents, P4-5 pupils and teaching staff prior to the review. In total, eight lessons were observed.
Key strengths of the school
Of the areas reviewed, the school demonstrated particular strengths in the following areas:
• strong sense of achievement
• high standard of attainment
• good opportunities for learning beyond the classroom that included the use of school grounds and the local environment
• innovative cross curricular learning and teaching approaches
• the headteacher’s collaborative approach to leadership
• the strong staff team, including all non teaching staff
• motivated and well behaved pupils
• positive and supportive relationships with parents and the wider community
• very good teaching and learning in classes observed
• embedded formative assessment strategies to support learning and set targets
Main action points for the school
The school should:
• Introduce ways of formally involving support staff further in evaluating the work of the school.
• Develop school culture of self evaluation further, by formalising staff meetings relating to quality assurance and extending the use of quality indicators.
• Provide opportunities for all teaching staff to share very good practice in learning and teaching through peer observation and professional dialogue.
• Extend opportunities to promote and enhance learning through effective deployment of ICT resources.
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 2007-08 session.
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