Farr ELC and Primary Schools receive positive Education Scotland reports

Farr ELC and Primary School have received positive reports following their most recent inspection by Education Scotland. 

Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “The recent inspection at the Farr ELC and Primary School from Education Scotland received a very positive report, reflecting the professionalism, dedication and commitment of the caring staff at the settings, to create an inclusive, safe and nurturing ethos for all pupils attending.

“The report noted, the strong working partnerships with parents, the highly skilled staff/leadership and the well-equipped environment that promote children's natural curiosity and imagination, learning and growth.

“The setting is at the heart of the community and staff work collaboratively to ensure a holistic approach to help assist in supporting the needs of all pupils and their families. I’d like to commend all the staff at Farr ELC and Primary School for this excellent and deserving report.”

The reports for the ELC from HMIE and the Care Inspectorate praised various qualities and strengths, reporting the following:

• Practitioners in the nursery are highly skilled. They effectively support children to make very good progress in their learning through skilful interactions.
• Positive relationships are a key strength of the nursery and are evident between children, practitioners, families, and senior leaders. Practitioners have a strong focus on the wellbeing of children, their families and each other.
• Children were cared for by staff who were warm, compassionate, and nurturing. Staff provided individualised support by positively engaging with children.
• Senior leaders provide sensitive and responsive support to practitioners to ensure they can be highly effective in their role. The ELC also merited the distinction of having practice identified that should be shared more widely.

The report for the primary school also identified examples of good practice and strengths:

• Across the school, there is an inclusive and welcoming ethos. Children are proud of their school and show respect for adults and visitors.
• Teachers create calm, purposeful learning environments. Overall, most children engage well in their learning and are eager participants in class discussions.

• Children across the school benefit from a range of leadership opportunities. For example, they are members of the pupil council, the eco group or the rights respecting schools’ group.
• Children have access to attractive grounds and beautiful natural landscapes that surround the school. Senior leaders recognise the need to ensure that children experience greater opportunities to take their learning outdoors.
• Senior leaders support staff, including non-teaching staff to engage meaningfully with annual staff professional reviews. The Head Teacher provides strong leadership and is ambitious for children to achieve success.

Farr Cluster Head Teacher, Katherine Van Voornveld said:  “Over the past seven years, all of the ELCs, primaries and secondary school within our Campus have been inspected by HMIE and the Care Inspectorate.  This has been a very positive experience and extremely supportive of our improvement journey.  I am very proud of the most recent inspection reports received by Farr ELC and Primary School and would like to both commend the pupils and staff for their hard work and thank all our parents and partners for their ongoing support. “

The full report is available on Education Scotland's website (external link).