Kirkhill children are credit to the community

Pupils, parents and staff at Kirkhill Primary School have received high praise from Her Majesty’s Inspectors in their report which was published on April 13th.  The inspectors found evidence of a community which was working effectively in partnership to provide very good quality learning experiences for pupils.

Head Teacher, Christine Ford, whose leadership was praised in the report, welcomed HMIe’s findings: “It presents an accurate picture of the school community and reflects the commitment and hard work of pupils, parents and staff over a number of years.  I am particularly pleased that the inspectors recognised the achievements of our pupils.   They thoroughly deserve the praise they received for their enthusiasm for learning, their environmental knowledge and skills and their citizenship achievements.”

Pupils, parents and staff were all praised by the inspectors.  Aside from the pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and confidence, the inspectors found that the school’s young people behaved well, felt safe and valued.  They knew what to do if they had any concerns, confident that the school would respond appropriately.  Staff demonstrated very good team-work and were particularly praised for leadership across the school. The Nursery received commendation across all areas.

Parents were praised for contributing to learning in a number of ways with almost all being highly supportive of the school.  The Parent Council in particular was recognised for its valuable support and its contribution to the high quality learning experiences enjoyed by pupils.

Chairperson of the Parent Council, Owen Cochrane said: “The Parent Council is active in many ways. The most visible aspect is fund raising as we recognised that by raising extra money to give to the school funds, we could offer our children more. The whole community helps us out and shows a collective desire to do what is best for our children. Less obvious to all is that as a group we discuss many aspects of school policy and can certainly influence the running of the school, thereby enhancing our children’s academic schooling as well as the social aspects of being at school.”

The inspectors expressed confidence in the school’s capacity to improve and will make no further visits in relation to their recommendations.

Mrs Ford believes that the report provides a very good platform for further improvement as the school moves into Curriculum for Excellence. She added:  “We are pleased but certainly not complacent and need to continue to work on our self-evaluation and on raising attainment in Writing. With the continuing support of all parents and the enthusiasm of our wonderful children, I’m sure we’ll succeed.”