A North Ayrshire primary school has received a positive report from education inspectors, who praised its caring environment, effective leadership and efforts to give pupils a strong voice in school life.
St Peter’s Primary School on South Isle Road in Ardrossan was inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in May.
During their visit, inspectors spoke with pupils, parents and carers while working closely with headteacher Susanne Dunne and members of staff.
The inspection team highlighted the positive, caring and nurturing relationships between staff, pupils and the wider school community.
Inspectors found that staff know children and their families extremely well, helping pupils to learn in a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.
Pupils were described as happy, confident and eager to learn, while staff were praised for having high expectations of children’s behaviour and achievement.
The report also recognised the effective leadership provided by Mrs Dunne and her team, noting that senior staff manage change well and encourage leadership throughout the school.
Inspectors said this approach has left both staff and pupils feeling empowered and motivated to lead further improvements.
The school was also praised for the range of support available to pupils. Inspectors found that almost every child requiring additional help was making strong progress with their learning.
Staff were commended for listening to pupils and providing opportunities for them to influence decisions, lead change and contribute to the wider life of the school.
Mrs Dunne said: “Our school vision is that St Peter’s is a safe, loving and ambitious place of learning. The staff and I feel that we are creating an environment where children feel nurtured and are given every opportunity to thrive.
“We are pleased that the HMIE team acknowledged the strong relationships between staff, pupils and our community and also found the children to be happy and comfortable when it comes to change.
“While I recognise that we are making good progress, my aim is to continue on this positive journey to make our children’s learning experiences even better.
“I would like to thank my leadership team, the wider school staff, pupils, the local church community and parents for helping to create an environment where every pupil knows they have a voice and are heard.”
St Peter’s was rated “very good” for ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion. It received “good” ratings for leadership of change, learning, teaching and assessment, and raising attainment and achievement.
Inspectors also identified three areas for continued improvement.
These included improving the quality and pace of lessons, ensuring pupils receive an appropriate level of challenge, continuing to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy, and extending opportunities for pupils, staff and parents to help plan and review school improvements.
Councillor Jean McClung, North Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Young People, said: “It is heartening to see that the inspectors have acknowledged all of the great work that is being done at St Peter’s by Susanne and her team, especially when it comes to wellbeing.
“I wish them well for the future, and I am sure pupils will continue to thrive in the positive, happy environment that has been created for their learning.”
Inspectors said they were confident the school has the capacity to continue improving.
No further inspection visits will be required, with North Ayrshire Council expected to keep parents and carers informed about the school’s future progress.