Lochside Primary School

Overview

Inspectors visited Lochside Primary School and Nursery Class in May 2023, finding a school with a "respectful, nurturing ethos" where supportive environments help children become "happy and confident learners." The report highlights strong collaboration among staff to remove learning barriers and praises the quality of outdoor learning experiences in the nursery.

Strengths

• A "respectful, nurturing ethos" underpinned by reviewed values, fostering positive relationships across primary and nursery stages.
• Senior leaders and staff who "work very well together to remove barriers children face in their learning," leading to high engagement.
• High-quality outdoor learning in the nursery that supports the development of "risk-taking along with their curiosity and creativity."
• Evaluations for both primary and nursery classes rated as "good" across key quality indicators, including learning, teaching, and assessment.

Areas to improve

• Provide children with "more frequent opportunities to apply their skills in new and unfamiliar situations" to enhance learning.
• "Continue to raise the attainment of all children across the curriculum."
• In the nursery, "refine approaches to individualised planning for children" to support better progress.

Safeguarding

The Care Inspectorate identified a need to ensure children’s personal information is stored safely and confidentially, requiring staff to have a "robust understanding of how to minimise any risks" to keep children safe and protected from harm.