Education Scotland’s follow up inspection report on Eyemouth Primary and Nursery released on 14 December has acknowledged the significant progress and improvement being made across both settings.
The measures were found to be working well in terms of supporting children’s health and wellbeing, learning and achievement.
Recommendations of original inspection have all been met
During their recent visit, inspectors talked to children and worked closely with the headteacher and his staff.
Overall they found that the recommendations of the original inspection report had all been addressed successfully. They were also satisfied that the school had coped well with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and that staff were continuing to implement plans to support recovery.
The range of achievements highlighted in the report include the progress that has been made in developing clearer leadership across the two settings with the new headteacher (appointed in May 2021) being supported well by two depute headteachers and two principal teachers. Collectively, they were found to be providing good strategic direction which is resulting in improved outcomes for all children.
Inspectors were also impressed with the way in which senior leaders and staff have improved the way assessment data is gathered, tracked and analysed. The senior leadership team, support for learning teacher and nurture teacher meet regularly to analyse data and plan appropriate interventions and support for children. Support staff are involved in a range of initiatives which help address any gaps in children’s learning as identified through teacher judgement and assessment information.
In addition, the Pupil Equity Fund has been used to increase the number of staff available to support learners. As such, staff have been able to provide targeted support for a significant number children in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing as identified through the schools tracking systems.
The way in which staff are working very well together to continue to improve and develop the curriculum, which takes account of national advice and local circumstances, was also noted. Staff were seen to have a broader understanding of children’s progress across all areas of the curriculum while they were also exploring ways in which outdoor learning can enhance learning experiences both across the curriculum and for targeted groups of children.
Inspectors will make no further visits to the school in connection with the original inspection in 2018.
Christopher Reid, Headteacher
“The Eyemouth team is extremely pleased with this positive report from HMIE which highlights the significant work that has been carried out to successfully meet the recommendations from the original inspection. We are looking forward to building on these successes to ensure that children and the wider community feel supported on our journey to excellence.”
Carrie Haddow, Parent Council Chair
“The Friends of Eyemouth Primary School are really pleased with this recent report which shows a true reflection of how well the school is doing. Eyemouth Primary is a happy, positive learning environment where children feel supported and nurtured.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic the school community went above and beyond to support children and families to ensure every child could access learning. The quality of learning provided by staff was above and beyond expectations!”
More information
- the full report is available on the Education Scotland website
- images are available on our Flickr page
- HM Inspectorate of Education is the national body responsible for supporting quality and improvement in learning and teaching from early years to adult and community learning