HMIe Report on Millbank Primary School and Nursery, Nairn

In an HMIe report on Millbank Primary School and Nursery, Nairn, HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths:

In this report on the 325-pupil school, the Inspectors judged that almost all aspects of the work of the school represented good or very good practice. No aspects of the work of the school were found to be weak or unsatisfactory. They recognised the good performance in English language and mathematics and the very good performance in Gaelic language. Teaching was judged to be good in the school.

The Inspectors also made a number of recommendations for the school and education authority. The school and education authority were asked to taken action to improve aspects of the curriculum, approaches to managing pupils’ behaviour and accommodation.

In particular, the school was asked to ensure that pupils’ attainment in writing continued to be improved. It was also asked to develop more consistent and effective approaches to managing pupils’ behaviour.  Improving aspects of accommodation including that of the support base will be a focus for improvement for both the authority and the school.

Marion Mackay, Head Teacher, said: " I am very pleased with the report as I feel that it reflects the quality of the work we do at Millbank Primary. I was particularly pleased to see that our commitment to working closely with parents to support children’s learning and the care children receive at Millbank have been recognised amongst the key strengths of the school. My thanks go to staff, children, parents and the wider community for their support during the inspection. We welcome the Inspectors’ comments and will work together to ensure the very best provision for each child at Millbank. We have already begun to address the issues raised in the report. With the continuing support of everyone connected with the school Millbank will continue to strive to deliver a high quality educational experience for all our learners."

Mr David Hay, the outgoing chairperson of the Parent Council, said: “The HMIe Inspection of Millbank Primary School and Nursery illustrates that the school is performing very well with the majority of Indicators of Quality inspected being rated 'good' or better. School management, teaching and support staff and pupils ought be justly proud of their achievement. It is clear from the report that the school is very well led and managed by the management team and that it is in a strong position to continue to develop and improve in areas where this is necessary. The main points for action identified in the report are generally fair and appropriate and I have every confidence in the ability of the school management team and their staff to effectively address these issues within the required timeframe with the support of the Education Authority and the school's Parent Council.”