Victoria primary HMI follow up report

1. The Inspection

HM Inspectors of Education (HMIE) published a report on standards and quality in Victoria Primary School in September 2003. In December 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 two-year period.

A North Lanarkshire Council Quality Improvement Officer 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.

The headteacher, supported by the principal teacher and all staff had worked effectively to take forward the recommendations contained in the report. The depute headteacher had been appointed as headteacher to another North Lanarkshire school soon after the inspection and a principal teacher had been appointed. The school had reviewed programmes of study and had improved procedures for planning and assessment. Procedures for monitoring pupils' progress had also improved. Parents were fully involved at all stages in implementing new developments and were fully committed to the improvements in the school.

The school was now well placed to sustain and build on its achievements.

3. Progress towards the main points for action

The initial inspection report published in September 2003 identified five points for action. This section evaluates the progress made with each of these action points and the resulting improvements for pupils and other stakeholders.

3.1 The school should improve those aspects of the programmes identified in this report.

The school had addressed the recommendations in the HMIE report and had introduced further improvements. There was now greater consistency across curriculum areas and stages in the school and all programmes matched national guidelines. A teacher in the school had produced resources for the teaching of French, with significant improvements in the French programme. Good liaison with the secondary school had ensured a wide variety of topics being offered to children learning a modern language. Documentation for transition to the secondary school had been developed and staff had produced an effective policy for French. Staff had adopted a consistent approach to the use of information and communication technology (ICT) and the new programme of study provided continuity and progression for all pupils. Quality improvement officers from North Lanarkshire Council had worked with the school to improve the programmes for music and art. Staff had access to clear policies which set out advice and guidance for all areas of the curriculum.

3.2 The school should continue to raise attainment, particularly in writing and mathematics.

Improvements in monitoring, assessment and programmes of study were beginning to have a positive influence on attainment in writing in English language, and in mathematics. The school had increased the challenge and pace of learning for pupils, who were now all making good progress in their coursework. Pupils were showing greater confidence in mathematics and in writing. There had been some improvements in attainment although this was not yet consistent across the school. The headteacher and staff were clearly focussed on raising pupils' attainment. There had been improvements in learning and teaching, the emphasis given to active learning approaches and to monitoring pupils' progress. Strategies were in place to identify and meet the needs of underachieving pupils. The early years' worker allocated through North Lanarkshire's early intervention strategy had been actively involved in addressing the needs of pupils in the early stages of the school. Learning targets were set, and monitored, for all pupils. A working party had been established to lead developments in raising attainment across the school.

3.3 The headteacher and staff should ensure greater consistency in the pace and challenge of pupils' learning.

Staff identified and shared good practice within the school and had visited other North Lanarkshire schools to examine practice and engage in professional discussion. Target setting for all pupils, improved teachers' planning, improved programmes of study and developments in assessment procedures had all contributed to an improved pace of learning. The needs of higher attaining pupils were being addressed through improved programmes of study and target setting. New approaches to learning and teaching had increased the opportunities for more active learning for pupils, particularly in mathematics, ICT and in research skills. Assessment strategies had set challenges for all pupils and had involved them more directly in their own learning. The area learning support teacher worked closely with the staff in the school and played a full part in all relevant developments. Lower attaining pupils were challenged appropriately and reviews and assessments were carefully planned, and time allocated to teachers to share findings and collaboratively plan next steps in pupils' learning.

3.4 Teachers should improve aspects of planning and the assessment and recording of pupils' work.

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

All curricular plans had been improved and they now clearly identified assessment of learning. Staff had studied research findings on assessment and had improved formative assessment procedures across the curriculum. Targets were set with pupils who now engaged in personal learning planning, reviewing their own progress at regular intervals. Teachers discussed with pupils the strengths in their work and helped them to identify next steps in their learning. There had been improvements in structured play activities incorporating aspects of the English language programme. Improvements in the recording procedures for assessment had proved effective and manageable, informing staff, pupils and parents of attainment and next steps in future learning. Staff were well organised and motivated and pupils were encouraged to reach their potential raising their self-esteem and confidence.

3.5 The headteacher should improve the procedures for monitoring pupils' progress and evaluating the quality of the school's work.

The headteacher had visited other North Lanarkshire schools to observe procedures for monitoring. There had been significant improvements, fully supported by all staff, in embedding monitoring of the curriculum. Class visits by the head teacher to observe learning and teaching were a strong feature of monitoring in the school. A monitoring calendar informed staff of expectations for achievement and ensured that all areas of school procedures were being monitored in an appropriate way. The headteacher gave oral feedback to teachers about planning and expectations in teaching and pace of learning, achieving a rigour and consistency of approach to improvement across the school. National quality indicators had been used to evaluate the school's work. Attendance had improved and monitoring procedures identified pupils and parents in need of specific support. Parents and pupils had been consulted through questionnaires and opportunities for discussion. The headteacher and staff were carefully monitoring attainment and were continuing to put procedures into place to raise attainment for all pupils. The strong teamwork in the school supported a consistency of approach in which a key feature was the leadership provided by the headteacher and principal teacher.

With effective support from North Lanarkshire Council, staff had responded well to the recommendations of HMIE. Officers from the council will continue to monitor attainment in writing and mathematics.

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