Good report for school
A Larkhall school has been praised following a visit from inspectors in January.
Hareleeshill Primary School and nursery class were rated good by Education Scotland in a report slightly delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectors highlighted the “positive, nurturing and caring relationships” throughout a school that pupils were proud of.
Both the primary and nursery were graded on “learning, teaching and assessment” as well as “raising attainment and achievement” with all grades coming back as good.
In addition, Stuart Cathro, HM inspector, said the school’s strengths included: “The headteacher’s relentless approach to ensuring equity, improving attainment and supporting families in the school community. She is supported very well by the staff team.”
Another strength was “teamwork and partnerships across the school community. Staff have high expectations of themselves and children. They show a strong commitment to improving learning and teaching.
This is resulting in improving outcomes for children.”
Two areas for improvement were also noted but inspectors felt “confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve”.
Areas to work on included continuing to develop approaches to assessing children’s progress as well as revising and refining systems for tracking and recording children’s learning and development in the nursery.
Headteacher Kate Fisher has worked at Hareleeshill for the last 16 years, including 12 as deputy head, and in a letter to parents, she said she was “very proud” of the school’s achievements.
She said: “As a community, Hareleeshill School and Nursery are extremely proud of our recent HMIE Inspection Report.
“The results were a team effort by the staff, children and our families. The staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure the best educational experience for all of our children.
“Our staff are committed to delivering high-quality learning and teaching experiences for all children whilst ensuring equity. This is evident in the report and they deserve the recognition for the work they do.”