PUPILS at a North Lanarkshire school have been hailed as “confident and well-behaved” by inspectors.

The Education Scotland team said children at St Patrick’s Primary in Shotts are “proud of their school and community” and added: “Relationships across the school are respectful and warm.”

The report also praised the “effective leadership of the headteacher, supported by senior leaders and staff” which “supports children to learn in a safe, caring and nurturing environment.”

(Image: North Lanarkshire Council)

The inspectors said a key strength of the school was its “senior leaders and staff, who carefully discuss, monitor and track the progress of all children” and added: “This is leading to improvements in children’s progress.”

Areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Lanarkshire Council. Inspectors advised that across the school and nursery, “staff should continue to improve approaches to learning and teaching to ensure a consistently high-quality learning experience for all children” and added: “This should include reviewing approaches to planning and the development of play pedagogy.”

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They also encouraged more opportunities for staff collaboration, allowing teachers to share best practices and innovative strategies to boost student success.

The inspection involved discussions with parents, carers, pupils and staff, and a close evaluation of the school’s approach to education and pupil development.

Josephine Steel, headteacher, said: “We are very proud of the positive feedback we received from HMIE in our recent inspection report. 

“I am delighted that the inspectors recognised the school’s nurturing environment and the wonderful relationships we have forged across our school, parish and local community.

“Our staff work tirelessly to ensure we are providing a curriculum that meets the needs of all our children, and it is encouraging to know that our endeavours to improve children’s learning has been recognised.”

She added: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank our incredible children, parents and partners for their continued dedication and support, together we will strive to build upon our successes to further improve our school for all our learners.”

Councillor Michael McBride, convener of education at North Lanarkshire Council, said: “The report highlights the dedication of the staff at St Patrick's Primary School in creating a safe and nurturing learning environment for every child.

“I am confident that the school will build on these strengths and take forward the recommended improvements to enhance the educational experience even further.”