St Machan's Primary School

Overview

Education Scotland inspectors visited St Machan's Primary School in September 2025. The report highlights strong relationships and enthusiastic learning in specific subjects, but identifies significant weaknesses in teaching quality, wellbeing, and inclusion. Consequently, the school requires additional support and will undergo a further inspection within one year.

Strengths

• Senior leaders and staff know children and their families well, supporting "caring relationships across the school."
• Children are "confident" and enjoy contributing to school life, helping to improve their school and community.
• Pupils are "enthusiastic and motivated" in their learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Areas to improve

• Senior leaders and staff must improve approaches to learning and teaching to ensure a "consistently high-quality learning experience" with appropriate challenge and support.
• All staff need to improve approaches to promoting and supporting "positive relationships and behaviour across the school."
• Senior leaders need to improve planning for children requiring learning support, ensuring it is "robust, well considered and meet[s] children’s needs in line with national guidance."
• Staff should develop a "progressive health and wellbeing curriculum" which accounts for the local community and meets the needs of all children.

Safeguarding

The report does not contain a specific standalone statement regarding safeguarding arrangements, though it notes that staff need to improve approaches to promoting positive relationships and behaviour.