“Working together to inspire learning and achievement in

Highland Communities”

Standards and Quality Report

The Highland CouncilEducation, Culture and Sport Service

Duncan Forbes Primary SchoolJune 2015

Our school vision, values and aims

‘Supporting and motivating learnersin a

safe and friendly environment to be

successful and achieving’Aims:

To deliver a broad and balanced curriculum encouraging independent and creative thinking

To promote personal responsibility for learning to maximise pupils attainment

To foster positive relationships and work in partnership with pupils, staff, parents, other

children’s services and the wider community

To provide a range of appropriate teaching and learning approaches and a learning

environment which is adaptable and relevant to the evolving needs of the 21st century learner

To encourage our pupils to make the right choices and take responsibility for their actions

To foster a sense of pride and identity within the school community

To ensure equality issues are discussed openly and constructively

To promote the health and wellbeing of all pupils through a coherent curriculum and the wider

life of the school

Reviewed and updated May 2014

The Core Areas of our PracticeThis report summarises the strengths of our school, our recent improvements and what needs to improve further. We gather this information throughout the year in a variety of ways so we can make sure our report is as accurate as possible. We take time to compare what we do with national examples of best practice. We visit each others’ classes to share standards in learning and teaching. We look at children and young people’s work to see how they are progressing. We cross mark work. We make use of factual data and information including attainment results responding and adapting our teaching in line with children’s needs. We assess using our own expertise, standardised testing, cross marking and results tracking. Children peer assess and self assess. We gather the views of children, parents, staff and members of the local community. We use all of this information to arrive at our view of the quality of education we provide.

Our Key Strengths

Children throughout the school are able to talk about their learning, how they know they have been successful and what their next steps are.

Close working relationships and partnerships within the school staff, with other professionals and with the local community provide effective learning experiences for children.

Opportunities for our pupils to develop their wider learning and celebrate achievements through participation in a variety of activities eg, Inverness Music Festival, Burns Supper, Class Assemblies, Euro Quiz, Class trips, P7 Residential Week, Safe Highlander, Rotary Quiz, Chess Club, sporting events etc.

Providing opportunities through the curriculum and ethos of the school to raise children’s awareness of Equality issues eg Visit from the Corbett Centre, Fundraising, Topic work, links with the wider community.

Effective transitions ensuring needs are met and continuity of children’s learning eg, Nursery to P1, stage to stage, P7 to S1 and transfers to and from other schools.

Our Improvements Last Session

Pupils in Nursery to Primary 3 are more emotionally literate and using emotional literacy strategies to deal more independently with difficult and challenging situations in class and playground.

Learning Journeys have been developed in Primary 1 for Numeracy. Children are benefitting from a new nursery environment which is stimulating and fit for

purpose. Children’s mental agility skills have improved and they can apply strategies during maths

lessons. Children benefit from progressive science activities planned cohesively as part of Inter

Disciplinary Learning Topics and as standalone science lessons.

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Our Priorities For Improvement for Next Session

Develop Emotional Literacy strategies in Primary 4-7 and embed in Nursery – Primary 3. Develop Highland Council Religious and Moral Education Framework throughout the

school. Introduce a progressive programme of teaching French in Primaries 1 and 2. Embed the Highland Council Science Framework throughout the school.

1. How well do young people learn and achieve?

1.1.Improvements in performance Standards of attainment over time Overall quality of learners’ achievement Impact of the school improvement plan

2.1 Learners’ experiences The extent to which learners are motivated

and actively involved in their own learning and development

What we do well:

Fully involve pupils in the life of the school and decision making processes through Pupil Groups eg Pupil Council, Junior Road Safety Group, Health & Well Being Group, Blogging Group, ECO group.

Pupils are involved in and contribute effectively in the wider community and have pride in their school.

Children, throughout the stages are involved in identifying what they would like to learn, evaluating their progress and are aware of their next steps.

Children’s wider achievements are recognised and celebrated in a variety of ways, eg assemblies, achievement wall, awards, certificates.

Improvement in attainment in Spelling and Reading in infant and middle stages over the past year.

What we need to work on:

Continue to focus on mental agility skills throughout the school. Improve attainment in spelling and reading in the upper stages.

2. How well does the school support young people to develop and learn?

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5.1 The Curriculum The rationale and design of the curriculum The development of the curriculum Programmes and courses Transitions

5.3 Meeting learning needs Tasks, activities and resources Identification of learning needs The roles of teachers and specialist staff Meeting and implementing the

requirements of legislation

What we do well:

Deliver whole school curricular theme work which motivates and stimulates pupils and takes account of our local circumstances eg Scotland topic work, Expressive Arts Days, Health and Fitness Week, enterprise projects, concerts.

Set work at an appropriate level and pace which ensures children are confident, successful and eager to participate.

New pupils coming to the school with additional support needs are well supported through the transition process ensuring continuity of learning.

Effective transitions ensuring all children’s needs are met and there is continuity of children’s learning eg, Nursery to P1, stage to stage, P7 to S1 and transfers to and from other schools.

All children’s needs are met through proactive practice from the Class teachers, the Additional Support Needs Teacher and co-ordinated multi agency support.

What we need to work on:

Continue to maintain ECO school status. Continue to develop a full overview of Pupil Support Assistant time to minimise any possible

disruption to children’s learning. Develop a coherent programme of Religious and Moral Education throughout the school. Develop French in Primaries 1 and 2.

3. How well does the school improve the quality of its work?

5.9 Improvements through self-evaluation

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Commitment to self-evaluation Management of self-evaluation School improvement

What we do well: Class teachers are reflective practitioners and work with colleagues to continually improve

learning and teaching eg through Teacher Learning Group meetings. Actions of school working groups are linked to the School Improvement Plan and are

continuously evaluated for impact on children’s learning throughout the year. Assessment results are evaluated by staff to ensure teaching is focussed and at the

appropriate level The views of children are sought and reflected upon to improve teaching and learning. Parents are involved in evaluating their child’s work and giving their views, eg through

Yellow Folders.

What we need to work on:

Build Self Evaluation Procedures into the yearly timetable ensuring all new staff including new head teacher are involved in the continuous improvement process at Duncan Forbes.

Establish learning visits within the school ensuring new members of staff are well supported in order to share standards.

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