HMIE Inspection report on Tain Royal Academy

Inspectors have commended the school’s welcoming atmosphere, the quality of relationships between pupils and staff, the commitment to improvement and willingness to share good practice, the range and quality of pupil achievements, the very high quality teaching in a number of departments, extensive links to the community which enriched pupils’ experiences, and the sporting facilities and their high use.

Inspectors found pupils to be very well supported and very well behaved. The support provided for pupils with challenging behaviour is described as excellent. Pupils and staff have a pride in the school and pupils respond well to staff‘s high expectations to schoolwork. HMI commented on the very strong sense of equality and fairness in the school. The school has very good arrangements for the care, welfare and protection of pupils. Inspectors commended the excellent buddy scheme.

Pupil attainment is very good in almost all SQA exams. Attainment is good in S1/2 and S3/4 and very good in S5/6. Inspectors indicate that the promotion of pupils’ broader achievement is a major strength, and commend the commitment of staff in supporting pupils to achieve in a wide range of activities.

The quality of the curriculum is good. At all stages teachers gave clear explanations to classes, groups and individuals and made very good use of questioning and dialogue to make pupils think for themselves.

The good leadership of the rector, Mr Donnie Macleod, and his very effective management team was noted. The rector had established very good relationships with pupils, parents, staff and with the broader community. He had introduced a number of improvements in school self evaluation and had placed a strong emphasis on continuously improving learning and teaching.

The report drew attention to a number of points for action identified in the report including the need to: develop and implement an appropriate system for setting individualised targets to support pupils’ progress and attainment across the school; continue to develop approaches to monitoring and evaluating the work of the school to ensure that they become effective tools for improving learning, teaching and attainment; ensure that the very good practice is spread throughout the school; and attend to health and safety aspects identified in the inspection, including accessibility.

HMI indicate that the school is well placed to continue to improve.

Mr Macleod, rector, said: "I am very pleased with the report and delighted that it highlights the hard work of the staff and pupils and the positive relations within the school. I would like to thank all the staff at Tain Royal Academy and TRACC, the Community Complex, who work very hard to provide a quality service for the pupils. I also wish to thank parents, the School Board and PTA for their invaluable interest and support.

Councillor Alasdair Rhind said: "I am very pleased to see the report reflect the school’s very positive ethos, and confirmation of the high standing of the school in the community. I congratulate Mr Macleod and his staff."

Bob Ritchie, School Board chair, said: "The report is excellent and is well deserved by the school. We have known all along that we are fortunate to have such a fine secondary school in our area."