ACHIEVEMENT
Almost all pupils made good progress from their prior levels, some made very good
ST MADOES PRIMARY SCHOOL
STANDARDS AND QUALITY REPORT
2008-2009
School Aims:
• Present a curriculum which is motivating and meets the needs of all pupils
and ensures ambition, depth, balance, breadth, continuity and progression.
It will provide opportunities to be enterprising, problem solving and self
reliant.
• Provide an ongoing commitment to raising achievement and attainment and
to provide quality of opportunity in all aspects of school life.
• Respect all pupils as individuals and to provide effective support to meet
their emotional, physical, mental wellbeing and encourage a healthy and
active lifestyle.
• Provide a positive, secure and welcoming ethos which encourages a high
level of staff and pupil enthusiasm and respect. To foster an effective
working partnership with parents and the wider community.
• Offer a safe, friendly and stimulating environment through the provision of
appropriate accommodation, good staffing and quality resources.
• Promote a climate of ongoing self-evaluation through the process of
effective management and consultation. Encourage reflective practice in
both staff and pupils.
progress. These are the attainment results for the 4 classes taking National Assessments.
June 2007 June 2008 June 2009
Reading 97% 94% 89%
Writing 86% 93% 87%
Mathematics 88% 92% 85%
Attendance 12.5* 12* 12*
The percentages are based on the number of children attaining the following levels.
Level A by the end of Primary 3
Level B by the end of Primary 4
Level C by the end of Primary 6
Level D by the end of Primary 7
Almost all classes above attained their Reading and Maths levels. Several pupils attained
well above their stage level. Very good progress was made by all in other subjects too
*Attendance figures represent the average number of half day absences per pupil. Again
this year the majority of unauthorised absences were for holidays taken during term time.
The school committees continued to develop pupils’ responsibility, independence, confidence
and enterprising attitudes. They gained experience in listening and talking, negotiation, functional
writing, communicating with outside agencies, financial transactions and problem solving.
 The Pupil Council took the views of their classes to make important changes in
and outside school. They also chose the charities for school donations.
 The Eco Committee continued to drive the school towards attaining a second
Green Flag with many eco projects
 The Enterprise Group designed, printed and sold Christmas Cards for school
funds.
 The Health Improvement Team presented to the school at the
Eco/Health Week in June.
In sport pupils were successful in inter school competitions in Football, the Rugby Festival,
Orienteering and Cross Country Running. Pupils also took part in Country Dancing and Creative
Dancing days. Pupils played musical instruments in the Perth Festival and Music Camp concerts
as well as in the church. At the Annual Talent show many had a chance to show their abilities in
all sorts of ways. Thirty pupils had exhibits at the Blooming Artists show in Perth Theatre.
Our Homecoming celebrations saw all pupils learning Scottish poems, songs and dances.
All pupils took part in the Christmas Concert and in the Summer P7 produced an excellent
musical play called Lost in Cyberspace.
The Parent Council has a healthy and keen membership and has made good progress in its
involvement in the life of the school and fundraising. Sub groups have concentrated on
Homework, Communication and Positive Behaviour.
Jane Sheldon – Head Teacher – August 2009
LEARNING
The whole school is using cross curricular plans for Social Subjects work 4 times per
year using new Curriculum for Excellence outcomes. Teachers identify prior learning
 and plan topics with children and using a planning wall.
Annual and block plans have been adapted to include the main aspects of Curriculum
for Excellence.
A Curriculum Evening was held to explain the new curriculum to parents and 8
workshops showed new methods of teaching and learning.
Cooperative learning is being used in all classes to encourage pupils to contribute to
the success of group learning. Active learning is undertaken in all classrooms as is
Outdoor learning.
All classes have been using Write To the Top strategies to improve attainment in
Writing. Being Cool in School has been introduced to all classes as a restorative
practice to ensure positive behaviour and resilience in pupils.
Healthy eating and nutrition were linked with an active, healthy lifestyle. Walk to
School, Swimming and Heart Start, along with 2 hours of PE weekly ensured that
pupils were exercising fully.
Embedding of the Play and Learning Project N – P2 saw groups working across the 3
stages in the shared area doing thematic work e.g. Light and Dark, Day and Night,
Magic Maths and Summer Holidays.
The importance of Wider Achievement has been recognised by each teacher taking
an after school club for 6 weeks. (includes sport, dance, fitness, gardening, chess, art,
sewing, Eco.) Once a week Activity Time has been introduced to ensure all pupils
have the chance to try out different skills of their choice.
P7 had a residential trip in September with an other cluster school. A Theatre Group
visited as well as sessions of African Drumming for all pupils
The use of ICT in many forms for learning and teaching is encouraged. Smart boards,
digital cameras, animation, games based learning, use of video camera etc are all now
part of pupils learning to understand new technologies and prepare them for using it in
and out of school. All classes in the Primary now have interactive smartboards in their
rooms.
Many visits outside of school have been arranged to enhance learning e.g. P7 to
Scottish Parliament and Dynamic Earth, P6 to Verdant Works and Apple Orchard,
P4/5 to Bannockburn etc, P3/4 to Perth Library and other main buildings. P2/3 to
Glendoick Garden to learn about plants and biodiversity, P1 to Deep Sea World and
Nursery to Perth Theatre.
Pupils with Additional Support Needs and English as a second language have been
well supported in their learning. Support staff have been allocated to those with most
needs. The ASN teacher carries out diagnostic testing where necessary and we seek
the advice of the Educational Psychologist and English as a Second language teacher
as well as other agencies.
Resources for all areas of the curriculum have been audited and many new items
bought to enhance learning for all pupils.
LEADERSHIP
The Management team continued to monitor learning and teaching in all classes. Staff were
also involved in peer monitoring in order to observe best practice to develop their teaching.
Most teachers were encouraged to teach the same stage again to consolidate their
practice.
Management tracked all pupils’ progress and alerted the ASN teacher and parents where
extra supported was required. Support staff were allocated where need was most required
to support pupils.
All staff were involved in auditing the school’s performance using the How Good is our
School and Journey to Excellence quality indicators. The results of audits will be used to
improve areas of our practice.
Management were responsible for ensuring that the developments in the School
Improvement Plan were carried out in a consultative way during collegiate activities and
staff meetings.
Leadership at all levels was encouraged and teachers, support staff and pupils were given
an opportunity to lead an area of work and feed back to others. All staff were given the
opportunity to take part in Employment Review and Development and to follow an agreed
programme of Continued Professional Development.
The Head Teacher was an active member of the Local Management Group of Perth High
School cluster schools and also on committees to improve Transition between P7 and S1,
Active Learning and the teaching of Modern Languages in the Primary School.
The Principal Teacher was part of a team that organised the Head Teachers’ Conference
on Curriculum for Excellence.
Most teachers led an area of learning during INSET or collegiate meetings. Pupils had
many opportunities to lead activities within their class or a school committee such as the
Eco, Pupil Council or Health Improvement Team
IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES FOR 2009 - 10
HMIe Main points for action:
• Establish consistently high expectations of pupils’ achievements and
attitudes to work.
• Implement SEEMIS as a tool for monitoring assessment and tracking to
help pupils make appropriate progress.
• Have a manageable number of priorities for improvement that are
consistently implemented by all staff.
Other:
• Continue to implement Curriculum for Excellence outcomes and
experiences.
• Introduce common planning for Nursery and Primary 1.
• Work towards the Rights Respecting Schools Award
• All staff are involved in school self evaluation