A BORDERS headteacher has thanked staff, pupils and families for their support after a positive report from Education Scotland.

Channelkirk Primary School in Main Street, Oxton, achieved ‘good’ ratings in the report published on Tuesday (September 10).

During their visit in June this year, inspectors talked to parents/carers and young people and worked closely with the headteacher and staff.

The inspection team found several strengths in the school’s work.

Staff were found to be providing children with an inclusive learning environment and building positive relationships with them. As a result, children were confident and successful learners who were kind to each other.

Inspectors noted that the headteacher, who provides strong leadership of learning, was setting high standards and had effective processes in place to review and improve the quality of learning and teaching.

Staff were found to be working together well as a team to develop their professional skills and knowledge with these shared professional values improving children’s learning experiences.

In addition, a highly effective reading culture was in place that motivates children to read for enjoyment and was developing children’s reading skills well.

The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from Scottish Borders Council:

  • Staff should continue to develop approaches to high-quality learning and teaching, including learning through play and developing progressive outdoor learning experiences.
  • The headteacher and staff should continue to develop approaches to assessment through further use of the national benchmarks and increasing moderation activities.
  • Children would benefit from more regular opportunities to consolidate and apply their numeracy and mathematical skills in different contexts.

Charlotte Shortel, headteacher, said: “We are delighted that the recent HMIE inspection recognises the key strengths of Channelkirk Primary School. The professionalism and dedication of staff has been highlighted along with positive relationships and an inclusive ethos throughout.

“We are especially proud that our culture of reading for enjoyment and the impact this has on pupil achievement was evident.

“We are committed to ensuring we implement the recommendations to ensure continued improvement in our children’s learning experiences. I would like to say a huge thanks to pupils, staff and families for all their support and hard work.”

Katie Kay, Parent Council representative, added: “On behalf of the Parent Council, I am delighted to see that the hard work and ongoing commitment from our wonderful staff has been recognised in the recent inspection.

“It is both assuring and exciting to see the programmes the school have in place to ensure every young person can achieve to their full potential and engage in valuable learning experiences every day.

“I am confident that, through the clear and structured development plan, along with the enthusiasm and commitment of staff, the school will continue to flourish.”

Inspectors are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and will make no more visits in connection with this inspection.