Inspectors’ report on Fife school with ‘articulate and happy’ pupils

A team from Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate visited Kinghorn Primary School and Nursery in December, and left happy with what they saw.

They talked to parents and carers as well as children, and worked closely with the headteacher and staff before delivering their report which was published this week. It was wholly positive, with the school gaining a number of ‘very good’ ratings across the categories of the inspection..

Inspectors said the pupils were “articulate and happy” and proud of their school and nursery. They demonstrate the school - which has a roll of 185 pupils - values well and are keen to learn.

Staff also encourage and support children to develop leadership skills, while the work of the youngsters in leadership groups impacts positively on features of school life.

The inspectors said staff are “passionate and committed to children’s rights and wellbeing” adding: “They promote warm and nurturing relationships across the school and nursery.

“The vision, values and aims have been established for several years. They are strongly embedded into the life of the school and are relevant to the needs of children. Staff know all the children, their needs, and their backgrounds well. The headteacher, supported by the principal teacher, has prioritised building respect and relationships within the school community.”

It did identify some areas for improvement which were discussed at the visit. These included staff ensuring all improvement activity is robust and focuses on raising attainment and improving outcomes for all children, and improving the quality of learning, teaching, and assessment to ensure all children enjoy high quality experiences across the curriculum that meet their learning needs.

In the nursery, practitioners should continue to develop intentional planning to ensure a focus on skills and learning.

But, their report concluded: “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. Fife Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools.”

Inspectors also noted that almost all of the school’s allocation of Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) is directed towards additional staffing, and said it should now consider how to develop further the involvement of parents and children in making decisions about the best use of additional funding.