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1. The Inspection
HM Inspectors of Education (HMIE) published a report on standards and quality in Our Lady and St Joseph's Primary School in March 2005. In May 2005 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 two-year period.
North Lanarkshire officers 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.
2. Continuous Improvement
Since the inspection, the school has been temporarily relocated to share the campus with St Barbara's Primary School in Muirhead. The head teacher and staff had managed the relocation exceptionally well and pupils' learning had not been disadvantaged during this difficult period. The new school is likely to open in August 2007,on a joint-campus with Glenboig Primary School. The head teacher and senior management team had given clear guidance to staff and all had worked effectively as a team to ensure that points for action were addressed and that improvements could be tracked. A more effective approach to monitoring and evaluating learning and teaching had resulted in improvements in the quality of pupils' learning experiences and increased attainment. There were good examples of independent and active learning in play at P1to P3 and the school had further extended the opportunities for collaborative activities between classes.
3. Progress towards the main points for action
The initial inspection report published in March 2005 identified three 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 tasks and activities to meet the needs of all pupils, particularly high achieving pupils.
The school had made good progress towards meeting this recommendation.
Senior managers monitored pupils' attainment and progress in all classes systematically. National test results were closely monitored, and staff received guidance from the school's policy document on the identification of higher achieving pupils. The school had widened the opportunity to support higher attaining pupils in curriculum areas including art and design, drama, music and information and communication technology (ICT), with extension materials to provide further challenge. Pupils were encouraged to take more responsibility for learning, and attainment had continued to improve across the school. Feedback to pupils through formative assessment strategies had encouraged some pupils to evaluate their work on a regular basis and to set their own targets. As a result expectations had been raised and more challenging targets set for pupils. The school had extended the use of ICT and were using a range of software to challenge pupils. Teachers were systematically evaluating their work through forward plans, and the head teacher was supporting and monitoring their plans through written comments and discussion at forward plan reviews.
3.2 The school should provide more opportunities for independent learning and active learning, for example through play and extend the good examples of collaborative activities.
The school had made good progress towards meeting this recommendation.
The school had reviewed the existing provision and purchased additional materials in language and mathematics to support independent learning and active learning. Listening and talking skills were encouraged through the use of the Positive Alternative Thinking Skills project (PATHS), which helps pupils to manage behaviour, anger and feelings more effectively. In a themed approach to play, pupils were given the opportunity in small groups for role-play, construction and listening and talking, to encourage them to be active, independent and successful learners. Pupils had undertaken personal projects as part of their homework, providing more opportunities for independent learning. Homework diaries were used to inform parents, improve communications between school and home and increase pupil responsibility for learning. Parents had been informed of these changes and the need for their support, and comments from parents indicated that they had seen an improvement in the quality of homework tasks. The North Lanarkshire Council's problem solving materials were being used to provide more challenge. Pupils were given the opportunity for independent learning and active learning through the North Lanarkshire Challenge, in after school and community skill programmes. The programme promotes social and personal development, encourages pupils to develop new skills, take part in sporting and outdoor activities and become more involved in some voluntary work in the community. Pupils had been given more opportunities to work together through environmental studies topics including those in social subjects. Pupils had visited the Scottish Parliament and used the experience to create and video a 'mock election' within the school.
3.3 The school should develop more effective approaches to monitoring and evaluating the quality of pupils' learning experiences.
The school had made good progress towards meeting this recommendation.
Senior managers had undertaken a number of monitoring activities to ensure that there was improved learning and teaching in all classes. A monitoring calendar had been agreed and issued to all staff. Teachers had been fully involved in monitoring pupils' attainment. They evaluated their own teaching and engaged in professional dialogue about issues of learning and teaching. Tracking and prediction of attainment had ensured that national testing took place at times more appropriate to pupils' progress. Importantly, the school had maintained and improved levels of attainment across all stages. Teachers had been fully involved in developing ways to evaluate the quality of learning. A number of staff had been trained in co-operative learning, impacting positively on pupils' engagement and involvement in their own learning. Formative assessment was encouraging pupils to improve their performance and become more confident learners. There was good evidence in class work and around the school of teachers sharing learning intentions for lessons, with targets set and feedback given to pupils about their learning. Pupils were given opportunities to redraft and improve existing work using techniques they had learned. Praise was widely used in written comments to reinforce pupils' motivation and learning. The school had purchased additional homework materials and consulted with parents about their use. Homework diaries were used to inform parents, improve communications between school and the home and increase pupil responsibility for learning. Pupils in P4 to P7 had undertaken personal projects as part of their homework, providing more opportunities for independent learning. Senior management monitored planning of homework.
4. Conclusion
With effective support from North Lanarkshire Council, Our Lady and St Joseph's Primary School had responded very well to the recommendations of HMIE and had improved opportunities to support active and independent learning and to meet the needs of all pupils. Staff had responded very well to main points for action and had improved self-evaluation and the pace of learning. All staff had been fully engaged with senior managers in establishing rigorous and systematic procedures that enabled them to undertake the recommendations in the action plan. There had been effective developments in many aspects of the school's work and a clear focus on raising attainment and improving learning and teaching. The school was well placed to continue the improvements achieved to date. North Lanarkshire Council will publish no further reports in relation to the 2005 HMIE report.
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