The Education Scotland report on Burnfoot Community School, has been published this week.
During their visit in May this year, inspectors talked to parents/carers and young people and worked closely with the head teacher and staff.
Burnfoot Community School nursery class was inspected by Care Inspectorate within the past 18 months. Therefore, it was agreed with the council and school that the nursery class was not part of this inspection.
The Inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work:
· The headteacher and staff know the context of their community very well and support children with care and compassion. They have a strong focus on developing and sustaining positive relationships with children.
· Teachers and support staff work well together as a team and actively engage in professional learning. They regularly share ideas and approaches that support learners.
· The headteacher and staff work effectively with partners within the community offering a wide range of activities that support families. This is enhancing children and families’ sense of belonging in the community and improving outcomes for families.
The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the head teacher and a representative from Scottish Borders Council:
· Senior leaders and staff need to work together to improve their approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment. They should ensure that all children experience consistently well-planned, high-quality, and engaging learning that is well matched to the needs of all learners.
· Senior leaders should develop more consistent approaches to support a minority of children to manage their behaviour better. They should work with children, parents, and partners to achieve this.
· Staff should raise attainment in all areas, prioritising attainment in reading and writing for children. This should include supporting improvements in teacher’s professional judgement of children’s progress in learning. This will ensure the school’s attainment data is accurate and robust.
Headteacher’s Catriona Stewart and Jenni Curson said “The strategic leaders of Burnfoot community recognise the strengths and development needs highlighted in our recent inspection findings. To support this, the strategic leadership of the community will be shared through school leadership (Ms Jenni Curson) and leadership supporting the development of the community and its partners (Miss Catriona Stewart).
“The pilot approach has already shown positive impact which is of benefit to both school and community.”
Emma Brown, Chair of Burnfoot Community School Parent Council added: “The Parent Council are aware of the challenges the school has had and is still facing. We are pleased that the pilot project is underway, and we believe it will make a positive difference to our school and community.”
Education Scotland will return within one year, to carry out a further inspection of the school.