Macduff School

Overview

The inspection team found that Macduff School is led very effectively by the headteacher, with staff working well together to improve children’s outcomes. Children are described as friendly, welcoming, and polite, demonstrating a positive attitude to learning and pride in their achievements. The report concludes that the school has the capacity to continue to improve, with no further visits planned in connection with this inspection.

Strengths

• Children are “friendly, welcoming and polite,” demonstrating school values and a “positive attitude to learning.”
• Staff “work very well together as a team” and are “responsive to meeting the needs of children,” ensuring they feel safe and valued.
• “Well-considered, engaging approaches to learning” through ‘Macduff Quests’ and outdoor learning promote creativity and positively impact outcomes.
• The school is led “very effectively by the headteacher,” who uses staff skills successfully to improve outcomes.

Areas to improve

• Staff should ensure all children benefit from “consistently high-quality learning, which is set at the right level of difficulty for them.”
• Senior leaders should work with staff to “measure the impact of all planned interventions on children’s progress” to raise attainment and close learning gaps.

Safeguarding

The report states that staff ensure children “feel safe, valued and included in learning,” which is having a positive impact on engagement and progress.