A TOUGH examination in May by HM Inspectorate - the first for many years - has given Merkinch Primary nothing but positive results, just published.

Among the things about the school that the Inspectors judged to be “very good” were the accommodation and facilities, the staff provision, the school’s management of devolved finances, the effectiveness of learning support, the implementation of Special Needs legislation and the implementation of the school development plan.

Among the things deemed “good” were the school’s ethos, communication with parents, partnership with parents and the School Board, provision of materials and equipment, the structure of the curriculum, the quality of teaching and the quality of the pupils’ learning, the effectiveness of the leadership of the school and of the promoted staff and senior teachers, and the school development plan.

Judged as “fair” were the quality of courses or programmes, the quality of teachers’ planning, the school’s approach to evaluating its own work and the school’s arrangements for the development and review of staff.
Nothing at all was judged to fall into the unsatisfactory category.

Overall the HMI report said the school’s key strengths were its ethos, including the strong efforts made to encourage positive behaviour, the high standards of teaching and learning in many classes, the good impact of early intervention in raising language and maths attainment in P1 to P3 and support for those experiencing difficulties in learning, the high quality of pastoral care and the strong teamwork amongst staff.

Main points for action were highlighted as being mainly concerned with improving planning and assessing procedures. It was suggested that the school should seek to raise attainment in English language and mathematics.

“Overall, the school provided a generally good quality of education within a supporting and caring environment,” the report concluded.
Head teacher Sheena Morrison said afterwards, “The inspection was very rigorous - they didn’t let us away with anything!”