Balgowan Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school inspires a love of learning in pupils. One parent represented the views of many when they said of pupils at the school: 'Their imaginations are fired by their school experience.'

Pupils are curious and highly motivated learners. They achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum. This begins in the early years, where children develop strong learning behaviours and secure key learning swiftly.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Staff model the behaviours they expect. The school develops very positive and caring relationships with pupils and their families.

Pupils take responsibility for following the school's high expectations. They are extremely ...considerate and support each other in the classroom and at playtime.

The school's exceptional approach to fostering pupils' personal development helps them to develop into respectful and responsible citizens.

Pupils help to keep their classrooms tidy and take up roles as eco-leaders, sports councillors and digital leaders, for instance. Visits extend pupils' knowledge. For instance, children in Reception visit an historic ship to learn about the transportation of goods in the past.

Extensive clubs develop pupils' talents and interests, including in sports, where pupils represent their local area in national competitions. Visitors share their experiences in the world of work, including stockbrokers, politicians, nurses and judges, for instance.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum is thoughtful and engaging.

The school has set out ambitious curriculum aims and provides opportunities for pupils to apply what they have learned to real situations. For instance, during a forensic science workshop, pupils from Years 5 and 6 use their knowledge of the properties of materials to consider how evidence can be gathered at a crime scene. Subject content is planned in a careful sequence to ensure that right from the Reception Year through to Year 6, pupils build their knowledge securely.

For instance, children use terminology in music such as legato in Reception and crochets and quavers in Year 1. By Year 6, pupils have had the opportunity to study at least four musical instruments and can compose music using a variety of notation skills.

Teachers have excellent subject knowledge.

They present information to pupils clearly and challenge them to think deeply about it. Teachers regularly revisit previously taught content to help pupils to recall it. Teachers and teaching assistants make timely and thorough checks on pupils' understanding.

They promptly address any gaps or misconceptions and routinely extend pupils' knowledge. As a result, pupils develop secure and detailed knowledge across the curriculum.

Staff are well trained to swiftly identify pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders provide detailed guidance to staff about how to meet pupils' needs. Teachers and support staff are highly skilled. They adapt approaches to support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum at every opportunity.

As a result, pupils with SEND thrive within the school and achieve excellent outcomes.

The school prioritises reading. Children get off to a swift start with learning phonics in Reception and build purposefully on this in Year 1 and 2.

They quickly learn about letters and the sounds they make, using this knowledge to decode a growing range of words. Pupils who need support get all of the help they need to catch up quickly. As a result, pupils read fluently and well across the school.

Pupils make excellent use of quality texts available in the well-stocked library and classroom book corners. Pupils read widely and with confidence across a range of text types and genres. Teachers support pupils to understand key meanings and language in texts.

By Year 6, pupils can confidently discuss themes across entire texts and compare texts against one another.

Pupils work purposefully in the classroom. They are highly attentive, following routines readily.

They know what is expected of them and rise to the school's high standards. This starts in early years, where children learn how to play safely, take turns and share. Pupils rarely miss a day of school.

The school provides timely and effective support where needed.

Pupils develop confident knowledge of how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. The school helps pupils to recognise healthy relationships, resolve differences with others and to spot risks in relationships.

Pupils are knowledgeable about different religions. They demonstrate respect for the importance of different beliefs and cultures. Pupils develop an impressive understanding of how to stay safe online, including how to check that what they read online is reliable.

Leaders are unwavering in their commitment to providing the best possible education for their pupils. Those responsible for governance have a thorough understanding of the school. They hold the school to account robustly for the quality of education that pupils receive.

Most staff are very positive about the support they receive. Leaders have sought their views about what could help to reduce their workload further and have made changes to better support them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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