Hopeman Primary inspection report

Date Added - 05/05/09

A Moray village school has won high praise following a visit by inspectors earlier this year. 

They have marked two aspects of the work of Hopeman Primary School as ‘very good’ and the remaining six as ‘good’. 

The inspection report, published today (May 5), highlights a number of particular strengths within the school, including the leadership of head teacher Davina Farquhar, the welcoming and supportive environment for learning and the confidence and motivation of pupils. 

Inspectors visited the school, which has a roll of 261, including 32 nursery children, in February. 

They found that Mrs Farquhar had a very clear vision and had involved children, parents and staff in agreeing values for the school. 

The report said almost all children in the primary classes were motivated and actively involved in their learning. 

“They enjoy school and feel safe there and they feel that their views matter. Children are developing very good skills in collaborative working as well as in finding things out for themselves.” 

The report said staff treated children fairly in a culture of mutual respect and had very high expectations of children’s behaviour. 

Children were making effective progress overall in talking, listening, reading, writing and mathematics and almost all spoke confidently in group discussions. 

Pupils were also developing skills in information and communications technology across the curriculum and children in P7 were learning to edit film for a film-making project. 

“In the primary classes, the learning needs of most children are well met,” said the report. “Teachers know children well and support them effectively in their learning. They explain things clearly and share with children the purpose of tasks.” 

The report said the school had taken good steps to ensure that parents felt involved in their child’s learning and most parents felt that the school dealt well with any complaints or concerns. 

“With the continued commitment and vision of the head teacher, and a clearer leadership role for the wider management team, the school is well placed to continue to improve. 

“We are confident that the school will be able to make the necessary improvements in light of the inspection findings. As a result, we will make no more visits following this inspection.” 

Councillor Jeff Hamilton, chairman of Moray Council’s children and young people’s services committee, said: “This is a very good report and a tribute to the efforts of everyone involved with Hopeman Primary School where pupils clearly enjoy their learning experience.”  

Moray Council’s director of educational services, Donald Duncan, said: “The inspectors have identified some very important strengths within the school and staff, pupils and parents can all derive a sense of satisfaction from the findings contained in the report. 

“Hopeman Primary is clearly well placed to build on those strengths and I have every confidence that it will.”