Port Elphinstone School

Overview

The inspection team found that the headteacher and nursery manager provide effective leadership, supporting a staff team that creates an inclusive and nurturing environment. Positive relationships are a strength, leading to children who are “confident, secure and happy.” The report concludes that the school has the capacity to continue to improve, with no further visits required.

Strengths

• Leadership “supports, guides and motivates the staff team very well,” increasing capacity for continuous change.
• Staff have created an “inclusive and nurturing learning environment” where positive relationships underpin work focused on wellbeing.
• Children are “polite, caring and engage well in learning,” demonstrating school values and supporting each other.
• Staff work effectively with partners to enhance learning and improve outcomes for children and families.
• The nursery class received high evaluations for wellbeing, equality, and inclusion, described as “very good.”

Areas to improve

• Staff should ensure a “consistent approach to high-quality learning and teaching” and use assessment information to plan learning at the right difficulty level.
• The headteacher and teachers should plan and monitor the impact of interventions to identify those making the “biggest difference.”
• Staff should continue to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy, while nursery staff develop planning and tracking procedures.

Safeguarding

The report states that staff’s “passion for and commitment to children’s wellbeing underpins their work,” contributing to an environment where children feel secure and happy.