Bower win top marks

AN inspection by Education Scotland has given Bower school high praise with its links with the community viewed as a template which could be used elsewhere.

The school had an inspector with them for a week from June 10, and the report has just been released revealing the school got a grade of "very good" in the five core areas it was inspected on.

The inspector looked at how children’s skills are developed through opportunities for achievement; links with the community; and how well staff are improving the school.

She found the children are happy, friendly and participate eagerly in their learning. She said their excellent behaviour, respect and consideration for others reflected the school’s caring and nurturing ethos.

The children were found to be proud of their achievements and could explain clearly the skills they are developing and why these are important.

All the older children are also members of committees making important decisions and improvements.

The inspector highlighted the school’s emphasis on reading and writing, with some of the older children delivering interesting and well-illustrated talks about their personal studies and younger children’s writing found to be ambitious, well-sequenced and conveying their ideas clearly.

Pupil and parent questionnaires were carried out with good and positive results overall.

The report notes the involvement of the community in the school was viewed as something Education Scotland would like to explore further so they will be able to record and share the primary school’s innovative practice with others.

The inspection identified a number of key strengths including the caring, inclusive and ambitious ethos in the school. The children’s behaviour and commitment to their learning was also singled out for special praise in the report.

The impact of the head teacher and all staff in improving the school, as well as the contribution made by parents and the community in delivering a broad range of stimulating learning experiences, was identified as a further strength.

There were a couple of suggestions on how the teachers and education authority might continue to improve the school. Looking at how children’s numeracy skills are developed through learning in real contexts was mentioned, and it was also pointed out more work could be done with secondary school teachers to develop challenging experiences for the oldest children in the school to prepare them for moving into high school.

Head teacher Jacqui Budge said: "I’m delighted the hard work of the children, the staff and the whole school community has been recognised in this report.

"It’s a wonderful school to lead and be part of, and we’re all so proud our school has obtained one of the best reports of a Highland school in recent years."

Parent Forum chairperson, Tracey Alexander, said: "The school’s vision is ‘Small School – Big Education’ and I was really pleased the inspector felt everyone worked well together to achieve this. It’s a real team effort and we’re all delighted with the report."