Paisley primary school praised by education inspectors

The headteacher, staff and pupils at West Primary were all praised by the Education Scotland team.

The inspectors said “children identify strongly with their school, relationships are positive and children engage well with each other and staff” and added: “They appreciate the opportunities they have to develop their interests and talents.”

West Primary in Paisley received a positive report (Image: Renfrewshire Council)

The report also noted the “highly effective leadership” of headteacher Lynne McGinn and her management team, and added: “The headteacher is supported well by staff in creating and maintaining a nurturing and inclusive learning environment.”

The inspectors said a strong feature of the school as a community was the “promotion of equity” and added: “The emphasis staff place in addressing barriers to learning is helping children engage fully in the life of the school. This is having a positive impact on children’s engagement and attainment.”

West Primary School was the first in Renfrewshire to offer Gaelic Medium Education, which inspectors noted is becoming well established.

The report said: “Children are making good progress in talking Gaelic. For children learning through English, their curriculum is widening through their learning about Gaelic language and culture.”

Lynne McGinn, headteacher, said: “We are delighted with the evaluations and the strengths highlighted in the report.

“We are a school that places a high emphasis on the wellbeing of our children and families and we are pleased that the inspectors recognised the role of our hard working and committed staff in maintaining  a nurturing and inclusive environment for learning and achievement.”

She added: “Our positive ethos and school values play a significant part in creating this. We are also happy that positive relationships were highlighted as a strength of the school.

“I want to thank our staff, children, parents and families, as well as our community partners, for their continued support as they have played a significant part in helping us to achieve what is a very positive report.”

Some areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from Renfrewshire Council, including a requirement to “continue to refine approaches to learning and teaching.”

The inspectors said: “This will help to ensure appropriate pace and challenge to reflect the range of needs of all learners. Staff should increase the opportunities for children to assume greater responsibility for leading their own learning, building on the existing practice already in place.”

The full report is available on the Education Scotland website.