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Standards and Quality Report 2004/5 |
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The School West Barns Primary School serves the community of West Barns village and its surrounding area including Belhaven, Tynefield and into the Lammermuir Hills up to the Halls, with many pupils coming from the nearby town of Dunbar. The present school building came into use in 1972 and overlooks the John Muir Country Park and the Firth of Forth. The building is on three floors; the lower ground housing the P1-P4 in two classrooms; the ground floor containing the administration offices, staffroom, medical / learning support room, the school hall / dining area and adjoining resource area, stage and kitchen; the upper floor caters for P4-P7 in two classrooms, with a covered balcony between housing a computer suite. During the session 2004/2005 the school roll comprised 96 pupils, 7 teaching staff including those designated to support pupils with learning difficulties and special needs, with 1 classroom assistant and 1 auxiliary, 2 Special Needs Auxiliaries and a Nursery Nurse. The Nursery is housed in a separate building to the rear of the main school and had, during session 2004/5, 21 pre-school pupils and 16 ante-pre-school children. The school is set in a large grass play area, with its own seven-a-side football pitch, and a tarmac netball pitch. West Barns School is co-educational and non-denominational providing education for children from approximately three to twelve years old. When year groups are required to be split, as in the case of P5/6 and P6/7, it is the policy of the school to do so by age. School Aims In West Barns School we aim:
EvidenceAs part of the school's procedures for monitoring and evaluating progress towards development targets, the following methods have been utilised during the session: Agendas of meetings Aims of the school Assessment records Broad view audit records Curricular materials Curriculum statements Curriculum structure and balance (audit) Departmental development plans Development plan - progress reports Diaries or records of work Display in school Forward plans (teachers) Golden Rules ICT usage (record) Individual education plans Minutes of meetings Parental involvement (record) Personal learning plans Pupil council (record) Pupil records of progress Pupil work sampled Quality Indicators - detailed audit School attainment targets School Development Plan SQA attainment data Staff involvement in school self-evaluation Survey of parents (record) Teaching materials Tracking records Current Development PrioritiesThe following priorities were identified in last year's report and incorporated within the school's development plan this session: 1) To Formulate, implement and promote a policy and programme for Enterprise in Education 2) To Formulate and implement a policy for Equality and Fairness ( Including Accessibility ) 3) To take forward Action Plan from HMIe recommendations for improvement 4) To take forward Action Plan from HMIe and Care Commission for improvement in the Nursery 5) To formulate and implement a Positive Behaviour Strategy from Nursery to P7 1) Enterprise in Education Target: To promote Enterprise in Education at each stage of the school and write a policy that reflects best practice. Outcomes: - Use programmes of study for Environmental Studies/Science and P.S.D. in order to incorporate enterprise topics. - Identify times of year where Enterprise topics might be appropriate. - Evaluate ‘Enterprising Infants’ and ‘Go for Enterprise’ packs. Staff to be trained in house on both packs. - Identify additional resources which support Enterprise. - Policy to be written together with programme. Staffed to be issued with programme and briefed on its use. - Establish links with businesses/groups to enhance programme. - Hold parents evening to discuss policy and programme. 2) Equality and Fairness Target: To Formulate and implement a policy for Equality and Fairness (Including Accessibility) Outcomes: - Staff carry out audit re Equality and Fairness using agreed Indicators; Results collated and priorities established; Results shared with staff - Accessibility Strategy written and implemented. - A policy for Equality and Fairness is produced and implemented 3) HMIe Action Plan Target: Focus more closely on evidence of pupils’ learning and attainment across the school when evaluating the overall quality of work and planning for improvement. Outcomes: - Formal feedback sessions for teachers included in agreedCollegiate time;- Formal monitoring and evaluation of attainment/Learning andTeaching at regular intervals using Quality Indicators detailed inHGIOS, incorporating written feedback for staff;- moderation of standards across classes;- development of common marking code throughout the school;- Tracking system improved with addition of Talking & Listening;- Development of assessment procedures to indicate progress between levels;- Exemplars & programmes of study used in curriculum audits4) HMIe and Care Commission Action Plan for improvement in the Nursery Target: Staff should continue to develop their assessment and recording procedures for younger children 2; the Headteacher should be more involved in the regular evaluation of the Nursery Outcomes: - Annotation to be added to assessment records - Text box for parental comments to be added to ante-pre-school reports - Pre-planning meeting with HT and Nursery staff to identify detailed targets - Meetings each term with HT and Nursery staff re evaluation of Nursery effectiveness: - written record Specific targets re Nursery in School Development Plan 5) Personal and Social Development Target: To formulate and implement a Positive Behaviour Strategy from Nursery to P7 Outcomes: - Audit current practice. Discuss with staff how best promote positive behaviour. - Model how to use Jenny Mosley’s model with all staff. - Review resources available to support positive behaviour - Policy and Resources to be issued to all staff. In the main the development priorities detailed above have been achieved. The CurriculumThe overall structure of the curriculum, monitored by East Lothian Council through an Education Officer, continues to be very good. It is broad and balanced across each aspect, with additional time given to ICT, Science and Technology. Senior pupils continue to have an input into the school website which can be accessed at: www.westbarnsprimaryschool.com. In the Expressive Arts the programmes of study continued to be aided from the input of specialists teaching Physical Education and Music. The school utilised the opportunities afforded by East Lothian Cultural Services in Drama, Art and Music Either French or German was taught in P6 or P7. Citizenship was being developed as part of the very effective Personal and Social Development programme which introduced Golden Rules and Golden Time within the Positive Behaviour Strategy. The school continued to promote Health within the pupils and staff, with the Healthy Tuck Shop continuing to be successful under the management of senior pupils. Parent volunteers ran our programme of Maths Challenges on Friday mornings. These have proved to be successful with pupils moving through levels which concentrated on mathematical processes e.g. multiplication. Mathematics resources were revised with the introduction of TJ Maths from Levels C-E. AttainmentAt West Barns raising attainment across each aspect of the curriculum is one of the key aims of the school. The overall attainment in English language continues to be good. Most pupils achieved appropriate levels of attainment in listening, talking and reading, with many pupils at the early and middle stages achieving beyond these levels. In the early years the use of the Edinburgh Achievement of Literacy programme continued to produce dividends with P1 and P2 pupils reading and writing independently, with confidence, earlier than had previously been the case. At P3 to P6 most pupils were achieving national levels in writing, with a strong showing at the upper end. Pupils with additional learning difficulties continued to make good progress overall with the support of SEN and classroom auxiliaries. In Mathematics the overall attainment was good. Attainment levels were generally above the national averages. Most pupils were achieving appropriate levels of attainment in key aspects of mathematics. Throughout the school, pupils showed good skills in mental calculation. Performance in National Assessments shows that the school continues to progress and overall attainment continued to show an upward trend, especially in writing. However, it is always worth noting that care should be exercised when drawing conclusions from raw data as the school population in relationship to class size varies from year to year, and there can be distortion to the overall trend when the class size can mean that one pupil accounts for 10%, or more, of that class. It is also worth noting that pupils with special educational needs, or a specific learning difficulty, are counted in the overall percentages. Reading Target for June 2005 = 85% Result at June 2005 = 79.2% Writing Target for June 2005 = 65% Result at June 2005 = 72.9% Mathematics Target for June 2005 = 80% Result at June 2005 = 83.3% The school, in consultation with the local authority, will be setting targets over a three year period which will accurately reflect pupils’ attainment by taking into account performance over time, thereby allowing staff to make informed predictions. Staff will continue to concentrate their energies on improving learning and teaching which will ultimately have a positive effect on attainment throughout the whole school. Learning and TeachingThe standard of teaching within the school, and the support which pupils enjoy through Classroom Assistants and Auxiliaries, continued to be very high. Teachers employed a variety of teaching approaches, gave very clear explanations and used questioning effectively to check pupils' understanding. The purpose of lessons was made clear to pupils, and praise was used effectively to build pupils' confidence. Teachers had a good knowledge of pupils' strengths and needs and made good use of assessment information to monitors pupils' progress and support those with additional needs. To aid staff in monitoring pupils’ progress an updated tracking system has been introduced which allows data to be easily accessed. Teachers responded constructively to pupils' work. Learning experiences for pupils continued to be very good with innovative and exciting projects and lessons undertaken. Pupils' learning experiences and personal and social skills were enhanced through participating in a wide range of activities such as an after-school drama club, residential experiences, after school arts and craft club, and various sporting activities. Pupils continued to be well motivated and worked hard. They had started to assess how well they were doing in relation to the aims of their tasks, and in the upper school to set themselves targets for improvement within their personal learning plans. The needs of pupils requiring additional support are well met. There are Individual Learning Plans and Action Plans for pupils with special needs, and those with behavioural difficulties. Various outside agencies continued to visit the school to help support pupils with particular needs, and the school continued to employ two SEN auxiliaries to support class teachers working with SEN pupils. A variety of aids are used within the school to make sure that pupils with additional needs can access the curriculum, e.g. alphasmart word processors, dictaphones, sloping desks, digital text reader, etc. Visiting Specialists continued to plan, teach, and assess alongside the class teachers. Homework was regularly set and marked with positive feedback given to pupils. Forward Planning and assessment is computerised which is an aid in the sharing of information amongst the staff. It is completed with particular emphasis on differentiation within composite classes. West Barns continues to be at the forefront in its use of technology within learning and teaching and pupils have the opportunity to use computers, digital cameras, digital video cameras and digital recorders within their learning experiences, whilst staff have the opportunity to employ all of the above as well as an interactive smart board to enhance their teaching. The introduction of a server within school in the previous session has allowed for staff and pupils to have space in which they can save their work and subsequently access it from any school computer. The server also allowed the Headteacher to monitor forward plans, assessments and pupils’ work without requiring hard copies. Parents continued to be encouraged to be active participants in their children's education. Within the school's consultation procedures parents receive an interim report during the first term, and a comprehensive report on their child's progress at the end of the session. In addition to the reports parents are invited twice yearly to Parental consultations when they can discuss their child's progress with the class teacher. West Barns Primary operates an open door policy and parents are encouraged to come to the school to discuss any particular concerns they may have. Support for PupilsThe quality of pastoral care continued to be very good, with staff showing considerable concern for all aspects of pupils' well being. The school has appropriate policies for dealing with issues of child protection and bullying. The school's continues to have a justifiable reputation for supporting and integrating vulnerable pupils and those with additional needs. All staff worked hard to provide an environment in which all pupils felt included. The school very successfully promoted pupils' personal and social development. Arrangements for supporting pupils' transfer from nursery to primary and from primary to secondary school were very well planned. Teachers addressed pupils' learning needs effectively and support staff continued to make valuable contributions to the work of the school. The school has an effective system through which staff can alert the Headteacher and Support for Learning teacher to pupils' individual learning, social and emotional difficulties, and to parental concerns. The school has continued to be very effective in helping pupils with specific difficulties i.e. learning, social, emotional or behavioural, to make good progress in their learning, and to develop their personal and social skills. Early intervention continued to have a positive impact on attainment. Many senior pupils take part in Buddying arrangements for Nursery and P1 pupils. P7 pupils continued to take part in a transition programme over their last year in primary when they had the opportunity to integrate socially and educationally with pupils from other cluster schools with whom they will be attending Dunbar Grammar School. The programme continues to be beneficial for all pupils. The School Pupil Council allows pupils to have a voice in school matters. Through programmes such as Circle Time and the school’s Positive Behaviour Strategy almost all pupils demonstrate positive self-esteem, co-operate well in the classroom and playground, and show kindness to others. Ethos West Barns Primary School has aims which we hope reflect the ethos of the school. These aims are primarily focused on children's learning within a broad and balanced curriculum. The environment of the school, which is secure and happy, is intended to provide opportunities for each child which allows them to perform to the best of their abilities; where their attainment can be maximized; where their learning experience is of the highest quality regardless of gender, or social or cultural background; where they can learn to understand and care for their personal and wider environment, and they are helped towards understanding and accepting responsibility for their own actions; where children are helped to meet any challenge confidently whether it be physical, intellectual, emotional or practical. We also aim to involve the local community in the life of the school, and the staff and pupils in the life of the community. Staff strived hard to create a welcoming environment for pupils, parents and visitors. Office staff, ancillary staff and classroom assistants made effective and valuable contributions to the life and work of the school. Pupils continued to be considerate, polite and generally well behaved. The school has a range of awards for encouraging pupils to succeed and for sharing their achievements with parents e.g. Star of the Week, Well Done Slips. Pupils, parents, staff and members of the community were treated fairly and with respect. West Barns Primary School has many strengths but takes particular pride in: - Climate and relationships - Pastoral care - Partnership with parents, and the community - Equality and fairness Resources The school occupies an attractive site providing good opportunities for pupils to engage in outdoor activities which promote Health and Fitness. The building is generally well maintained with bright and stimulating classrooms. West Barns Primary is very well resourced to meet the demands of the 3-14 curriculum and has continued throughout the session to add resources when they are necessary to enhance learning and teaching and allow teachers to deliver the curriculum in an effective way. The deployment of resources to develop a wide range of information and communication technology (ICT) skills in pupils continued to be very good and a key strength of the school. Staff in the school have undertaken the ELC Staff Development and Review which has aided them in their Staff Development choices. The deployment of staff is very good with teaching staff well supported by SEN auxiliaries, auxiliary and classroom assistant. The PTA continued to contribute enormously in the acquisition of resources such P.A. and lighting equipment, and take an active part in consultation with the school on matters which directly affect their children. Management, Leadership and Quality Assurance The Headteacher worked alongside teachers in classes, discussed the appropriateness of learning activities with them and monitored the progress of individual pupils. The Principal Teacher had good relationships with pupils and other staff and had initiated the Positive Behaviour Strategy. Parents are informed of what is happening in the school through a monthly newsletter. The Development Plan is discussed with the PTA whose members are welcome to make comment and suggestions. The Quality and Standards Report will be discussed with the PTA committee before being made available to the wider parent body. The school continues to ensure that all staff are fully familiar with school policies and procedures with each class having a Policy Folder. The management structure within West Barns Primary continues to operate through teamwork with an emphasis on joint decision-making. There is a collegiate approach to decision making within the school which serves the staff, parents and pupils well. Promoted staff are always available to give advice and offer support for teachers, classroom assistants, ancillary staff, parents and pupils. Other Achievements Throughout the past year staff and pupils have made noticeable contributions to the life and success of West Barns Primary School. The website continues to flourish through the efforts of staff, and especially senior pupils who have responsibility for key aspects of the site. The school magazine was edited and produced by two of our senior pupils. A group of P7 pupils ran the Healthy Eating Tuck shop which is popular with many of the pupils. Our Netball team retained the League Championship, but unaccountably lost their grip on the County Shield. The football team continued to make good progress in their competition. One child represented East Lothian at swimming and made an impact in the National Swimming Championships. Brass instruction continued to be very popular with pupils. This has been helped by the individual tuition given by one of our parents. National events such as Comic Relief and Children in Need continued to be well supported. Future Developments The areas planned for future developments are as follows: 1) To review the existing programme for Science and produce a new programme which is consistent with 5-14 Guidelines and has flexibility to cater for composite classes. 2) To become an Eco-School 3) To examine programmes of study, 5-14 Guidelines and planning in order to establish, where possible, cross-curricular links. 4) To promote Number in the Nursery 5) To promote and encourage Enterprise in the Nursery Further to the priorities listed above, developments to be carried forward include continuing development as a Health Promoting School. David Wharton Head Teacher October 2005
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