Kersland School has eXcellence factor

Kersland School has eXcellence factor

Teachers and pupils at Kersland School in Renfrewshire are celebrating after they received excellent marks for everything in an HMIe inspection report published today.

And the independent inspectors are so impressed that they are coming back to learn more about some of the innovative work being done at Kersland so that this best practice can be shared with other schools.

Kersland School in Paisley caters for 70 pupils with severe learning difficulties. Pupils join the school from pre-school centres and may stay until they are 18 years old.

Only two other schools in Scotland have been evaluated as excellent for all of the five quality indicators scrutinised by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education. The indicators are: improvements in performance, learners’ experiences, meeting learning needs, the curriculum and improvement through self evaluation.

The inspectors singled out the head teacher, Carol Jackson, for special praise saying, “The head teacher provides inspirational leadership.”

They continued, “We found that children and young people are very enthusiastic about their learning and want to do well. They enjoy well planned lessons. Teachers make learning interesting, fun and meaningful. Within classes, teachers plan very carefully to ensure that tasks and activities meet the needs of each individual child. The progress children and young people are making is excellent.”

Carol Jackson, head teacher, said, “I’m delighted that the dedication and skill of all Kersland staff has been recognised in this outstanding report. I am also very pleased that our pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and significant achievements have been highlighted as positive features of Kersland School.

“This excellent report could not have been achieved without the contributions of our many community partners and the support of our parents. The report confirms Kersland’s place as a centre of excellence within Scotland and builds on the good practice of many years.”

Councillor Lorraine Cameron, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Education Policy Board, said, “Kersland School has had a consistently high level of achievement and a consistent focus on the well-being of its pupils. The whole school community can take credit for this outstanding achievement.”

Robert Naylor, Renfrewshire Council’s Director of Education and Leisure Services, said, “It is extremely rewarding to receive such a positive report from HMIE. I am delighted it recognises and endorses the significant efforts of the head teacher and her staff in providing the highest quality of education. I am sure that the teachers and young people will take pride in their achievements and can look forward to the future with confidence.”

The inspection report found that Kersland School had a number of particular strengths including the:
* achievements of children and young people
* consistently high quality of learning and teaching
* innovative and creative approaches to the curriculum
* partnership with parents, other services and the community
* ethos of the school which values all members of the school community and ensures a focus on high expectations and continuous improvement
* leadership of the head teacher and across the school.

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