Baird Memorial Primary School

Overview

Inspectors visited Baird Memorial Primary School in June 2024, noting that the nursery class was excluded as it had recently been inspected by Care Inspectorate. The report evaluates the school’s work across four quality indicators, with all receiving a “satisfactory” evaluation. Inspectors expressed confidence that the school has the capacity to continue improving and will not make further visits in connection with this inspection.

Strengths

• The “effectiveness of the acting senior leadership team in driving forward change and improvement during a period of significant uncertainty.”
• The presence of “well-mannered, articulate children who are ready and willing to learn.”
• Staff’s “effective implementation of improved approaches to the teaching of numeracy to improve the consistency of learners’ experiences and raise attainment.”

Areas to improve

• North Lanarkshire Council should ensure the appointment of a permanent senior leadership team to provide stability.
• Staff should broaden their understanding of policies and research to develop a shared understanding of high-quality learning and teaching.
• Senior leaders, in partnership with staff, parents, and children, should develop a curriculum rationale reflecting the school’s context, vision, and values.
• Staff should continue to develop children’s understanding of wellbeing, equality, and diversity.
• Staff should raise expectations of what children can achieve and provide increased opportunities for children to lead their own learning.

Safeguarding

The report does not contain specific narrative comments on safeguarding practices, though it notes the nursery class was separately inspected by Care Inspectorate.