A Moray primary school has been praised for its ‘supportive’ environment, despite being rated ‘weak’ for leadership.
Education Scotland inspectors visited Mosstowie Primary School in November and identified several key areas for improvement.
The school will have time to implement changes before a second inspection, which will take place within the year.
It was rated satisfactory for learning, teaching and assessment as well as raising attainment and achievement.
It was rated good for ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion.
Inspectors recommended strengthening strategic planning and adopting more rigorous self-assessment methods.
Although the acting headteacher has introduced several new approaches to school improvement in a short period, the inspectorate said there has been insufficient time to demonstrate the overall impact of this work.
They added that the acting headteacher and all staff, with the support of the local authority, need to improve approaches to evaluating work.
They also need to ensure the overall quality of learning and teaching is “consistently high” across the whole school.
Inspectors praise ‘proactive’ Mosstowie Primary acting head teacher
However, inspectors noted the confident and happy children who “proudly embody the school’s values” in their interactions with staff, visitors, and each other and the school was praised for its “positive” and “nurturing” environment.
The inspectorate also acknowledged the proactive approach to school improvement led by acting headteacher Nicole Fraser.
Despite being relatively new to the role, Ms Fraser has introduced several important initiatives to enhance educational outcomes.
They also said that the school community has supported these measures, and staff are working collaboratively to implement positive changes.
Ms Fraser said: “I want to thank our pupils and staff for their hard work and commitment, which contributed to the positive aspects highlighted in the report.
“We’re already taking steps to strengthen leadership and improve our self-evaluation practices.
“Alongside this, our goal is to make meaningful improvements that will enhance the learning experience for all our pupils.”
Further inspection to take place at Mosstowie Primary
Inspectors recommended strengthening strategic planning and adopting more rigorous self-assessment methods.
Additionally, they emphasised the importance of maintaining consistently high-quality teaching to support pupil progress and raise overall attainment.
Conversation