Much-criticised primary school bounces back with glowing report
A PRIMARY school in a suburb of Glasgow has bounced back after being heavily criticised by school inspectors.
A report by Education Scotland in September had graded Bearsden Primary, in East Dunbartonshire, “weak” for the curriculum and self-improvement.
However, a follow-up inspection has said the school has made significant progress under the leadership of a new head teacher.
The report states: “Children are benefiting from the challenges set by staff through high expectations and taking greater responsibilities. Children can evaluate how well they are achieving and are expected to think about what they need to do to improve.
“They are actively involved in their learning and enjoy positive relationships with staff. High quality teaching approaches are now more consistent across the school.
“Across all stages in the school, we are pleased almost all children are now making strong progress overall. Staff are now tracking the progress of all children very well and know what to expect children to achieve.”
New head Paul Meehan was also praised, with the report stating: “The head teacher has successfully shared his vision for the school and his leadership of change is supported by staff and parents. He has improved teamwork among staff, raised expectations and developed a positive school ethos.”
The report comes some two years after Bearsden Primary was saved from closure after a campaign by parents.
The council wanted to merge the school with nearby Castlehill Primary, but 95 per cent of families objected to the move, which was also opposed by celebrity former pupils Mark Knopfler, of rock group Dire Straits, and singer-songwriter Darius Campbell.
The report concluded: “As a result of the very good progress made by the school as outlined... we will make no further visits in connection with this inspection. As part of its arrangements for reporting to parents on the quality of education East Dunbartonshire Council will inform parents about the school’s progress.
“Staff know how well children are progressing through their use of a range of assessment information. The strong focus they have had in developing writing and its assessment has led to children now producing written work of the highest quality.
“Progress in numeracy and mathematics is also strong and children are encouraged to think about how they apply their skills in a variety of real contexts such as using money and carrying out surveys.”