Benderloch primary school receives A plus for progress
Lochnell Primary School in Benderloch has received a glowing report following a follow-up visit by Education Scotland inspectors in November.
No further visits will be made as a result of the positive report.
Many positive aspects of the school’s progress were highlighted while the report also recognised the school’s support for pupils and their families during Covid lockdowns when the school was closed.
The inspector said: ‘The whole school community has worked very well together to help the school continue to improve.
‘Led very effectively by the head teacher (Louise
Chisholm), the school has made clear progress in meeting each of the recommendations that were identified at the previous inspection.’
The report praised the head for establishing effective systems for quality assuring the work of the school and ELC class, as well as creating an ethos of trust and openness, where staff can reflect and discuss together what is working well and what needs to be further developed.
‘As a result, staff feel empowered to lead improvements and to share good practice together,’ continued the inspector.
‘The head teacher ensures that the voices of children, parents and staff are heard.
She values the views and opinions of all on what will help the school to continue to improve and grow.’
Since the original inspection, staff have been working to improve how they use assessment information to inform next steps in children’s learning.
Regular meetings are held to check on the progress that children are making, while staff have participated in professional learning to refresh their approaches to learning and teaching.
At the primary stages teachers now plan lessons that are more challenging and have introduced better ways to give children feedback. They plan learning and share standards together to ensure that their professional judgements are secure and based on robust data.
‘Taken together, these improved measures are leading increasingly to better attainment in literacy and numeracy,’ said the inspector.
During the pandemic Lochnell staff worked tirelessly to provide support for families, including carrying out ‘doorstep’ home visits, delivering school lunches, ensuring all families have access to a digital device, and providing ongoing reassurance and encouragement during uncertain times.
The inspector added: ‘This has ensured that the school community has felt connected and included throughout periods of learning at home.
‘The head teacher’s foresight meant that the school was ready to move to learning online from the beginning of the first period of remote learning in early 2020. Teachers’ and ELC practitioners’ confidence grew in using digital technology over the course of the pandemic.
‘Children benefited from being able to join in activities, lessons and whole school assemblies online. As children continued to learn from home, the head teacher’s aim was to put some fun back in to school life.’
Teachers and practitioners planned many creative and memorable learning experiences for children during lockdown. In one innovative example, teachers and children in P4 to P7 took part in a ‘virtual school trip’ to London from their own homes.