Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Pupils and staff hail top report
Staff at Clarkston Primary in Airdrie were delighted with their “very positive” progress report from Education Scotland.
In her report, the HM Inspector Elizabeth Montgomery noted acting head teacher Yvonne Callander had put in place a “strategic approach” to managing change that takes “very good” account of evidence gathered through self-evaluation.
Ms Montgomery added: “Her [Ms Montgomery’s] focus on improving learning and teaching, and outcomes for children in the nursery class and primary classes, is making a positive difference.
“The SLT put in place arrangements that promote a more consistent approach to planning, learning and teaching across the school.
“The increased focus on stage partners planning the curriculum together has led to greater understanding and consistency across the school.
“Children spoke very positively about the improvements in their learning. Parents also commented on improvements in the work of the school and spoke of how their children were enjoying school more.”
Yvonne told the Advertiser: “We are delighted to have turned it around – and in such a short space of time.
“Initially, the inspectors wanted to focus on the quality indicators from the previous reports. There were four pointers that needed to be addressed and when they came for the progress visit, myself and my team were able to show them evidence of how we have improved.
“They were also interested in our Covid-19 journey and how we have supported the children through their physical learning, and how quality assured the teaching was.”
The acting head teacher and her staff operated a number of initiatives including a “comfort closet” to help local families during the pandemic.
Yvonne added: “Through lockdown families were out of work and we operated a comfort closet and made up comfort packs for families with every day supplies such as cleaning products, nappies and dried foods.
“We left comfort packs at the main entrance of the school, which was very successful, and we have kept it going.”
The school also appointed reading ambassadors and had reading challenges, with opportunities for the children to take part in outdoor reading opportunities.
As well as their teaching, the school also focused on nurturing the children’s mental wellbeing by providing a nurture cafe – a safe haven where youngsters could take part in meditation sessions.
Yvonne told us: “We started a cannon ball room with a nurture cafe. There were a lot of children who suffered anxiety issues. They would go to the cannon ball nurture room and do meditation to help with their wellbeing.”
During the pandemic the school has focused more on virtual learning and has enhanced pupils’ education through the use of digital technology.
Yvonne explained: “After last year’s period of remote learning it was important to get something in place and that was something positive to enhance learning through digital technology.”
Teachers now record some of their lessons with the pupils able to use a QR code to look at the pre-recorded lesson at their leisure.
“Beforehand, teachers would give a lesson. Now they record themselves and the children can watch it at a time that suits them,” Yvonne told us.
And in response to the report, Yvonne said: “I am delighted with the very positive progress report from Education Scotland.
“I was appointed acting head teacher in November 2020 and took up post in January 2021 while the country was in a period of lockdown due to the global pandemic.
“The school and nursery received a progress visit from Education Scotland Inspectors in October 2021, which was a great success, and the school and nursery were finally signed off.
“We are very pleased to see that inspectors have recognised the progress that has been made in the school and nursery and the support that has been offered to our children and families throughout the pandemic.
“The staff in the school and nursery are committed to supporting all of our children and providing a nurturing environment for them to learn in.
“The inspection team were very complimentary about the leadership, direction and support offered by our staff to enhance learning for our children.”