Newmains primary HMI follow up report

March 2004

HM Inspectors (HMIE) published a report on standards and quality in Newmains Primary School in October 2002.  In January 2003, North Lanarkshire Council in collaboration with the school prepared and published an action plan indicating how they would address the main points for action in the HMIE report within a 2-year period.

A North Lanarkshire Council Quality Improvement Officer visited the school in March 2004, assessed the extent to which the school was continuing to improve the quality of its work, and evaluated progress made in responding to the main points for action in the original report.

Programmes had been amended and improved.  Learning and teaching approaches had been reviewed and improvements had been made to planning and assessment.  The pace of learning had been increased and the needs of all pupils had been met through extended choice of activities and more focused programmes of study.  Better use of attainment data had resulted in improved self-evaluation and monitoring.  Improvements in other curricular areas are planned.

The headteacher, depute and staff had worked effectively as a team to take forward the recommendations contained in the report.  Parents were involved at all stages of development and were fully committed to improving the school.  The school was now very well placed to sustain and build on the effective developments achieved.

3.  Progress towards the main points for action.

The initial inspection report published in October 2002 identified 5 points for action. This section evaluates the progress made with each of the action points and the resulting improvements for pupils and other stakeholders.

3.1  The school should improve programmes in English language, mathematics and expressive arts, including physical education.

The school had met this point for action.

• The school had improved the programme in English language.  All staff had received training in writing which had resulted in improvements in pupils' skills in group discussions, feedback to pupils and pupils setting their own targets for improvement.  Writing skills were being developed across the curriculum.  The depute carefully monitored progress in writing and supported staff and groups of pupils.  Additional resources had been purchased for reading and all pupils borrowed books to read at home. Development officers from the education authority's literacy base worked with staff to plan and demonstrate reading lessons.  Talking and listening activities had been identified and planned in a progressive way from the reading and writing programme.  The school had developed a progressive, cohesive programme that covered all aspects of English language.
  
• As a result of the improvements in mathematics, attainment had risen.  Pupils were achieving national test levels earlier than before including some P2 pupils achieving level A.  The mathematics programme now focussed on the targets and learning outcomes contained in national guidelines.  Pupils had developed mental calculation strategies and the amended problem-solving programme had improved the pupils' ability to use strategies for solving problems effectively across the curriculum.  At the upper stages, pupils' work was very good and very well presented. Information and communications technology (ICT) was embedded in the mathematics programme.
  
• The school had developed a full expressive arts programme, making improvements beyond those in the initial plan for improvement.  The whole school development included staff training, improved planning and the production of a progressive programme.  Teachers had set targets, and had evaluated teaching and pupil progress.  Additional resources had been purchased and used effectively.

3.2  Teachers should improve the effectiveness of their planning, assessing and recording as detailed in the report.

The school had made very good progress towards this point for action.

• The headteacher and staff had reviewed and improved all aspects of planning.  Teachers' forward plans indicated strengths and next steps in learning.  They also identified planned assessment of learning and evaluation of teaching.  The senior managers monitored all plans and matched them to pupils' work and achievement.  They gave supportive feedback to staff.  More effective assessment had led to an improvement in attainment and achievement throughout the school and a clear focus on areas for development.  Effective guidance had been given to staff on assessment.  Very good use had been made of target setting and sharing expectations and goals with pupils.  A consistent, manageable, informative recording system of predicting and reviewing progress had been implemented.  The school was in a very good position to make the planned improvement in formative assessment and feedback to pupils on their work, in all curricular areas.

3.3  Teachers should ensure that the pace of learning and the choice of activities meet the needs of all pupils.

The school had met this action point.

• The improvement in attainment across the school indicated that the pace of learning had improved and that all pupils were being challenged appropriately.  Tasks carried out related to the other action points had ensured that the pace of learning had increased and attainment across the subjects and stages had improved.  The focus on learning and teaching ensured that the needs of all pupils were identified and met.  Grouping of children had been reviewed, appropriate targets had been set and progress monitored by the teacher and the senior managers.  A range of teaching approaches ensured that all children had access to the curriculum through learning approaches which suited them.  Resources had been purchased to support staff in meeting pupil needs.  The school encouraged co-operative learning strategies that identified specific roles for pupils in lessons.  Teachers shared the aims of lessons with pupils.

3.4  The school should ensure that Individual Education Programmes (IEPs) are more focused and sufficiently detailed.

The school had met this point for action.

• IEPs were more focused and detailed.  Pupils with IEPs were making appropriate progress.  Staff training had led to a review in procedures and new guidelines had been developed.  The area network support teacher and the school psychologist had been fully involved in the developments.  Targets were discussed with pupils who had their own target sheets.  Reviews were focussed, consistent and time-tabled regularly.  Parents were involved at all stages.  Developments in this area had led to a review of support for learning practice and policy.

3.5  With staff, the headteacher should improve aspects of self-evaluation, including better use of data on attainment and better monitoring of teaching and learning.

The school had met this point for action.

• All staff used national quality indicators to benchmark good practice, to evaluate the quality of work taking place in the school and to set targets for future developments.  The headteacher had led the staff in using attainment data provided by the education authority to improve pace, learning and teaching and to target effectively the needs of all pupils.  Pupils had been involved in target setting, evaluating their work and identifying progress made.  Work had been done to inform parents of targets.  Classroom monitoring had been embedded in the evaluation systems of the school.  This had ensured effective developments in learning, teaching and attainment analysis.  The school's professional review procedures had been improved and staff development in all areas had ensured a whole school approach to monitoring, self-evaluation and improvement.  The teamwork within the school had been developed and enhanced as a result of shared understanding, setting clear measurable goals, open and honest monitoring and constructive feedback.  The ethos of the school was very strong with all staff feeling valued and respected.

With effective support from North Lanarkshire Council Newmains Primary School had responded very well to the recommendations of HMIE and had improved pupil attainment, achievement and expectations.  All staff had been fully involved in the development of the action plan and had worked very hard to support the headteacher and her depute to undertake the recommendations within the agreed timescale.  The school is very well placed to continue the improvements achieved.  North Lanarkshire Council will not publish further reports in relation to the 2002 HMIe report.

Michael O'Neill, Director of Education 

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