Newlands Primary School

Summary Report

The review programme

The review programme comprised four areas:

Self-evaluation
Pulils' learning experiences
Strategies for raising attainment with a particular focus on gifted and able pupils and the lowest attaining 20% of pupils - the authority focus.
The school was given the opportunity to identify a fourth area but decided not to do so.

The review process

A quality improvement officer (QIO) from Quality Services and a peer reviewer reviewed Newlands Primary School in March 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.

In order to make their evaluations, the team consulted a number of school documents, including the school improvement plan, interviewed samples of pupils, staff and parents, and observed learning and teaching. In total, seven lessons were observed.

Overall, self-evaluation and strategies for raising attainment were judged to be good and pupils' learning experiences were very good.

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
mutually respectful relationships between staff and pupils
very good teaching and learning in classes observed
positive and supportive between parents, the School Board and the school

The school should:

continue to develop strategies to challenge the more able
implement formal processes for tracking and monitoring pupils' progress and attainment
develop further programme for self-evaluation, including the monitoring of learning and teaching
involve parents further in the sharing of the learning that is to take place

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.