Keith Primary School follow-up inspection report

A Moray primary school where inspectors identified shortcomings two-and-a-half years ago has made significant progress as a centre for both learning and teaching.

A second follow-up visit by inspectors from Education Scotland found that staff at Keith Primary now understood their roles and responsibilities in taking forward improvements.

Meanwhile pupils were more involved in planning and discussing their learning and this had helped to improve their motivation.

The inspectors’ findings, published today, draw a line under the inspection process and they will make no further follow-up visits to the school.

Their report said that the improvements in learning and achievement identified in the first follow-up visit had continued across the school.

“Further progress has been made in making children’s learning more interesting and engaging,” it said. “Children settle and concentrate better now and they continue to be more involved in planning and discussing their learning and this has helped improve their motivation.

“In the primary classes, children are continuing to develop their confidence in reflecting on their learning and talking about what they do well and what they need to do to improve further.”

The inspectors found that teachers had continued to develop how they planned learning which was more challenging for pupils.

“There is now more consistency across the primary stages in teachers sharing the purpose of the learning and of how children will know if they have been successful. Children feel this is making learning more interesting and they feel more involved.”

The report said that teachers communicated better with parents who were now much clearer about homework arrangements and expectations and which meant they now felt they could support their children’s home learning better.

Staff also now worked more effectively together on curriculum development and were more confident in discussing how to improve learning, teaching and assessment and the school had provided good support to teachers to help them plan more efficiently and focus on the quality of the children’s learning rather than on unnecessary processes and systems.

The report said head teacher Elizabeth Beattie and her team had managed and led the improvement process well.

“Staff have responded positively to the professional development opportunities provided to improve learning and teaching throughout the school.

“Across the school there is now a more informed view of what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve further. All staff now understand their roles and responsibilities in identifying and taking forward school improvement priorities.”

Moray Council’s director of education and social care, Laurence Findlay, welcomed the inspectors’ findings.

He said: “I am happy with the very positive progress which has been made by the school since its initial inspection and this demonstrates the commitment of staff and the wider community.”

Moray Council area stretches from Tomintoul in the south to the shores of the Moray Firth, from Keith in the east to Forres in the west. The council and its 4,500 employees respond to the needs of 92,500 residents in this beautiful part of Scotland, which nestles between Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.

Famous for its colony of dolphins, fabulous beaches and more malt whisky distilleries than any where else in Scotland, Moray is a thriving area and a great place to live.

Headquartered in  Elgin, the administrative capital of Moray.