St Duthus School

Overview

The inspection team found that staff possess a strong understanding of pupils’ needs and maintain positive relationships with them. However, the report evaluates leadership of change and raising attainment as “weak,” while learning, teaching, and wellbeing are rated “satisfactory.” Consequently, the school requires additional support and a further inspection within one year to ensure necessary improvements are made.

Strengths

• Staff demonstrate a clear “understanding of children and young people and their needs.”
• There are “positive relationships between children and young people and staff.”
• “New approaches to learning and teaching” are successfully engaging pupils better in their learning.

Areas to improve

• Continue to improve learning and teaching practices.
• Improve assessment to provide “reliable data which demonstrates that children and young people are making progress.”
• Raise attainment for all pupils and ensure they receive accreditation for their achievement and skills.
• Increase the involvement of parents, pupils, and partners in the school’s work and develop a shared understanding of wellbeing.
• Work together to create leadership opportunities for staff.

Safeguarding

The report evaluates “Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion” as “satisfactory.”