Top marks for Carradale Primary School

Carradale Primary School is celebrating having received a largely positive review after a visit from Education Scotland inspectors.

 

The primary and nursery in east Kintyre received praise in a number of areas, with inspectors saying the facility is led effectively by the headteacher.

 

Referring to the school's key strengths, inspectors said staff foster an “inclusive, nurturing ethos” across the nursery and school, where children experience “very positive relationships” with adults and other children, and feel “valued, cared for and included”.

 

Inspectors also praised school and nursery staff's “highly effective teamwork” to plan and deliver support for children who require additional help with their learning.

 

“Children are well supported in the nursery and school and make good progress,” according to the inspection report, which adds: “Staff and partners provide a wide range of experiences children enjoy within the nursery and in their local community.

 

“This is developing children’s confidence, language and social skills well.”

 

The national education body also identified areas for improvement, and discussed those with the head teacher and an Argyll and Bute Council representative.

 

These include developing further approaches to planning learning and checking the progress children make across the curriculum, and building on the positive steps taken to ensure all learning experiences across the nursery class and school are relevant, interesting and build on what children know.

 

An Education Scotland spokesperson said: “We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection.

 

“Argyll and Bute Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools.”

 

An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: “Well done to everyone at Carradale Primary School on receiving such a positive, encouraging inspection report.

 

“We are committed to driving forward improvements in all our schools and ELCs to improve opportunities for our children and young people, and this work begins in the classroom.

 

“Carradale is one of our very successful joint headship schools and it is a shining example of how our educational establishments can work in partnership alongside parents and the wider community, to help our children and young people achieve their aims and goals.

 

“Congratulations to all those involved.”