Renfrewshire school praised for raising attainment levels of pupils facing poverty

Staff at Lochfield Primary, in Paisley, were applauded by Education Scotland for introducing interventions which have led to better outcomes for children from deprived backgrounds.

Following a recent inspection, experts graded the school as “very good” for raising attainment and “good” for learning, teaching and assessment.

The watchdog highlighted, in particular, a new tracking and monitoring system for pupils’ progress which staff use to easily identify youngsters who need extra help.

Inspectors also complimented how staff had improved pupils’ self-esteem through extra-curricular activities, such as homework and lunchtime clubs, and encouraging children to share their successes with each other.

Their report states: “The school’s data over the past three years demonstrates consistently good levels of attainment in literacy and numeracy.

“Information provided by the school shows improvements in attainment at each stage for children who face barriers to their learning due to socio-economic and other factors.

“The school is tracking children’s progress in health and wellbeing and identifying those children who require support and interventions. This is leading to improved outcomes for children.

“The senior leadership team is using the new tracking and monitoring system very well to identify children who require support.

“There are marked improvements in the self-esteem of a number of children who receive praise and rewards for achievements, no matter how small. They are warmly praised for their efforts and encouraged to share their successes with others.”

The report does, however, state that children needed to be given more opportunities to lead their own learning.

In a survey, one-fifth of pupils said staff didn’t often ask them what they would like to learn about, while more than two-thirds felt their work was often too easy for them.

Almost half the pupils said they only enjoyed their learning at school “some of the time.”

Inspectors added: “There needs to be greater consistency in the quality of learning and teaching across the school.

“Staff should ensure lessons are not overly teacher-led and that children can take more responsibility for their learning. Teachers should increase opportunities for children to lead learning.

“In a few classes, teachers need to increase the pace of learning and ensure all children have sufficient challenge to sustain their interest and engagement.

“Children should be more involved in decisions which influence the life and work of the school."

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