Carolside Primary School
Standards and Quality Report
Reporting on Session 2011-2012
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The Key purposes of Carolside’s Standards and Quality Report
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to report on improvements made as a result and impact of the School Improvement Plan,
Session 2011-2012
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to identify areas of further improvement to be undertaken during session 2012-13
1. The School
Carolside Primary School is highly committed to the delivery of quality education to the pupils and the
wider community it serves. We believe in developing positive partnerships with parents, partner agencies
and local businesses for the benefit of the pupils. The school vision, to have a happy, caring and inclusive
school where everyone is valued, shows respect and strives to be the best they can be, was established with
all stakeholders in order to work together towards a common goal.
Carolside Primary forms part of the Williamwood Cluster which includes Busby Primary, Carolside
Primary and the Isobel Mair School. Carolside Primary is a non-denominational school with nursery
classes. At the beginning of session 2011-2012 the primary school roll was 745 with the nursery classes
being 60/60. Children’s attendance was above the national average.
The staffing entitlement during the session was 38.86 FTE which included a head teacher, 2 depute head
teachers, 4 principal teachers and 33 teachers, some part-time. Staffing also included 4 Newly Qualified
Teachers.
During the school year we supported a large number of student teachers, work experience pupils from ERC
secondary schools, classroom volunteers and child development officer students.
Our school is very much a part of the local community and has begun to establish links with local
businesses, other professional bodies and neighbouring schools. We are very fortunate in having a very
supportive Parent Council, a thriving Parent Teacher Association, a successful Parent Fundraising
Association for the Nursery and a very interested and supportive Parent Forum.
We have many pupils’ committees and clubs in the school to promote and encourage active citizenship
across the school. These include the Pupil Council, Eco Committee, Health and Wellbeing Committee, Peer
Mediators, Young Leaders, Junior Road Safety Officers, Play Leaders and Press Club.
Our nursery classes offer a Wraparound Care Service before and after school as well as during lunchtime. In
addition, Mearns After School Care Service (MACS) offers childcare provision for working parents. Our
Active Schools Co-ordinator organises regular extra curricular clubs along with a large number of staff
members in order to enhance pupils’ interests and extend their wider achievements.
What have we used to gather evidence?
We use a variety of methods to audit and monitor school effectiveness and continuous improvement, e.g.
How Good Is Our School? (3), Child at the Centre 2, Journey to Excellence, surveys, forums and
discussions with stakeholders.
 parents and pupils have completed questionnaires and surveys or contributed at forums
 the school management team has a programme of quality assurance to monitor the work of staff and
pupils
 staff analyse children’s results in Baseline and Standardised Tests
 staff and pupil self-evaluation and audits
 consultation with individual children, the Pupil Council and pupil focus groups
 discussions with staff, pupils and parents
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2. Particular strengths of the school
 The head teacher’s strategic leadership and direction of the school which reinforces a culture of staff
empowerment to take lead roles within and beyond the classroom.
 The commitment of all staff to school improvement through self-evaluation which has impacted
positively on pupils’ learning experiences.
 The school has a welcoming ethos. Staff are caring, know the children very well and are sensitive to
their pastoral needs.
 Pupil support assistants and clerical staff provide a valued role in supporting the work of the school.
 Pupils are happy, confident and articulate. They have involvement in the life and work of the school
and are able to influence school improvement.
 Strong teamwork of staff which has resulted in improved self-evaluation, sharing of good practice
across the school, more focused CPD and improved pupil experiences.
 The commitment of the extended management team to fulfilling their extensive remits in addition to
their class teaching responsibilities.
Progress with our main priorities for session 2011-2012 (School Improvement Plan 2011-12)
TARGETS – most targets were achieved.
PERFORMANCE
 To continue to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy, in Baseline and in Standardised Tests partly achieved
DELIVERY OF EDUCATION
 To further develop the curriculum in line with the principles of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)
making effective use of CfE Assessment record to track pupil progress and plan next steps in learning
- achieved
DELIVERY OF EDUCATION
 To further improve the quality of teaching, pupils’ learning experiences while also making effective
use of ICT and Glow - achieved
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
 To continue to strengthen partnerships with parents and the wider community - achieved
LEADERSHIP
 To continue to establish leadership opportunities for staff and pupils - achieved
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3. How well do children learn and achieve?
Learning and Achievement
 Overall, the learning experiences of pupils are very good with some aspects which are excellent. Children are
progressing very well in their learning and development and, at all stages of the school, children are engaged in
their learning. The active learning approach continues to benefit the children by increasing enjoyment and
motivation for pupils. The pace of lessons has increased and continues to challenge and motivate pupils. Teachers
set clear learning intentions and success criteria and involve pupils in this. Staff differentiate appropriately and
support all pupils; high quality learning continues to be a whole school focus.
 Children have many opportunities to lead their learning. The behaviour of children is very good and staff continue
to promote positive behaviour to increase pupil motivation and self-esteem. Relationships between staff and
pupils are excellent. Classrooms are well-organised and displays in corridors, classrooms, playrooms and open
areas are very attractive. They are impacting on pupils’ motivation and sense of purpose and also provide a record
of pupils’ learning. Achievement and attainment are celebrated and encouraged across the school.
 Learners’ experiences of formative assessment strategies are embedded. Most pupils understand their targets,
learning intentions and success criteria. Focused learning visits provide evidence of all teachers sharing learning
intentions and identifying success criteria. Pupils are involved in peer and self-assessment. The work on
Assessment is for Learning, through the Teacher Learning Communities (TLC), on formative assessment
strategies is evident across the whole school and is embedded in the majority of practice.
 In the nursery classes children are motivated and participate in planning their learning. Learners are articulate,
confident and collaborate well with each other. Relationships between staff, pupils and parents are excellent and
nursery staff know the children well. Pupils are actively involved in their learning and plans are formed in
response to their needs and areas of interest. Children leading their learning has been successfully introduced and
impacted positively on the pace and challenge for pupils. Both Talking Thinking Time and Big Wall Planning
have successfully underpinned active learning. The quality of experiences for nursery pupils is excellent and all
learners’ needs are being well met through a range of indoor and outdoor activities.
 This session children have demonstrated that they are more insightful and have a deeper knowledge of learning
and thinking. They understand the importance of a range of learning styles and opportunities. Personal Learning
Planning (PLP) continues to focus pupil and parents on individual learning. Pupils are engaged in self evaluation
activities during lessons and comment on their learning. This has led to improvements in some lessons.
 Inter-disciplinary learning is continuing to develop throughout the school. Pupils have a richer awareness of the
transference of skills from one curricular area to another. In most classes pupils have opportunities to be involved
in identifying the contexts for their learning, taking account of their prior knowledge and experience. Good
practice in interdisciplinary learning continues to be promoted throughout all stages.
 All teachers make very good use of interactive whiteboard technology to engage pupils fully and enhance learning
and motivation. Glow has been introduced in some classes as part of homework and is used as a rich resource.
Glow meets have been used to enhance pupils’ learning experiences. Other technologies are being utilised in some
classrooms and in the wider school experience. The use of Glow and new technologies will continue to be
developed and extended in the coming session. The ICT Working Group will continue to plan and lead training in
Glow and ICT. The school website has been updated and relaunched.
 Health and Wellbeing continues to be a focus for the whole school both in terms of learning and ethos. Pupils
have participated in many sporting activities including an Olympic challenge and Karate. There is a well
established programme of circle time, promoting positive behaviour, peer mediation and buddying. Many of our
senior pupils volunteer for a variety of citizenship roles throughout the school and nursery.
 Baseline Assessment (at entry to Primary 1) continues to be above East Renfrewshire’s average. Attainment in
both Literacy and Numeracy is very high. The nursery continues to focus on core curricular areas of Literacy and
Numeracy. Parental involvement in workshops has contributed to the positive engagement in the Early Years
curriculum.
 Results of East Renfrewshire Standardised Tests in Reading have remained the same and are slightly lower than
East Renfrewshire’s average. Numeracy results have improved and are just above East Renfrewshire’s average.
Staff development on raising attainment continues to be a high priority, using the authority tracking database to
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analyse data and plan for improvements. Staff have made good use of the information to inform the pace of pupil
progress, learning and teaching approaches and next steps in learning. This practice will continue. Through the
TLC Programme, staff have revisited Assessment is for Learning. Staff have also had training in Critical Literacy,
Effective Mathematics and Writing. This is positively impacting on pupils’ work.
How Do We Know?
Questionnaire and survey findings; PLPs, pupil stories and dialogues; pupil survey; Pupil Council discussions; staff
self-evaluation; Follow-Through report; Care Commission report; parental involvement and feedback; stage, staff and
tracking meetings; forward plans; pupils’ work; learning visits; peer observations; in-service training feedback;
analysis of attainment data, tracking meetings and documentation.
Next Steps
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E-portfolios will continue to be developed and learning logs will be introduced for younger pupils.
The school will develop approaches to moderation across stages and across the cluster.
Staff will work on motivation of core subjects with a strong focus on Literacy and Numeracy skills and
Literacy and Numeracy across learning in the whole school.
The school homework programme will be consolidated.
Glow and the Carolside Website will be further developed.
Pupils’ attainment will continue to be improved as a result of high quality learning and teaching approaches
and depth and challenge in learning.
The school will continue to focus on monitoring and tracking pupil progress by analysing standardised test
results by component in order to inform improvement planning priorities and next steps in pupils’ learning.
Learning rounds will be piloted at two stages in the school.
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3. How well do children learn and achieve?
Curriculum and meeting learning needs
 Across the school, staff continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of Curriculum for Excellence
approaches. Staff make effective use of Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes and the East
Renfrewshire Skills Framework for most curricular areas. Cluster working has included Writing, Mathematics,
Health and Wellbeing, Science, RMEd, French, Art and ICT. Working groups in school have worked hard to
develop learning and teaching approaches in Literacy and English, Numeracy and Mathematics, Art and Design,
Science, Additional Support Needs, Assessment is for Learning, ICT and Glow.
 A structured programme of learning visits by managers, followed by both verbal and written formative feedback,
had impacted positively on the consistency of approaches to learning and teaching and meeting learning needs.
Staff had a clear understanding of their responsibility to ensure that this is in place in order to provide high
quality experiences for pupils.
 ICT continues to develop with a range of new initiatives including the use of interactive resources, film and
photography to enrich pupils’ experiences. Staff, parents and pupils have been consulted on the purpose, success
and development of homework and a new programme was introduced this year with some success and some
areas for development. The sixteen cell grid has proved very successful with pupils demonstrating an increased
understanding of how they learn and the importance of linking home and school learning. The weekly grid will
change next session to provide more structured activities.
 STINTs continue to be the process by which all learners’ needs are identified, tracked and met. Staff are more
confident with this. Meeting learners’ needs continues to be a focus for stage and staff meetings. Staff training
has included Behaviour Support Strategies and Inclusion. A database has been set up to track pupils’ wider
achievements and to ensure all children have a range of opportunities which will encourage them to achieve.
 In the Early Years, staff provide a curriculum which is based on active play experiences, encouraging enjoyment,
challenge and personal choice for children in their learning. Nursery staff have worked hard to ensure parents are
actively involved in their children’s learning. Workshops have enriched parents’ understanding of the importance
of learning at the Early Years stage. Staff in P1 used the increased ratio across the stage to split children into a
number of groups. This has impacted positively on pupil attainment, continues to be evaluated and the successful
elements of this will be further developed next session. Staff participated in learning visits focused on
differentiation which has enhanced practice across the school.
 The Learning Centre continues to provide excellent support and a nurturing learning environment for vulnerable
pupils. The Thinking Skills Programme has been further developed in P4-7 and these skills are embedded in
many curricular areas. Pupils are supported to think through their learning and actively engage in the thinking
and critical process.
 Staff work very hard to meet children’s learning needs. A forum for parents of pupils with ASN continues to be
highly successful and positively evaluated. Pupil Support Assistants (PSAs) continue to make a very good
contribution to supporting pupils with their learning in class. Wider achievement is recorded and celebrated
regularly in class and at assemblies. Pupils have responded very well to the system of awards in place. All staff
look for opportunities for children to achieve and celebrate these achievements. This is evident in all classroom
and corridor displays.
How Do We Know?
Questionnaire and survey findings; pupil stories, dialogues and forums; staff self-evaluation; Follow-Through report;
learning visits; STINT documentation; JST minutes; review minutes; chronologies; working group documentation;
tracking attainment; PLPs.
Next Steps
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Parents’ ASN forums, nursery workshops and curricular evenings will be further developed to enhance
learning
The homework programme will continue to provide an opportunity to celebrate achievement.
Enterprise in Education will be developed to increase achievement opportunities.
Pupils will continue to be directly involved in their own learning and in setting themselves targets for
improvement
Pupil profiles and learning logs will replace PLPs.
All pupils with ASN will be included, nurtured and achieving
Science Champions will work closely with staff to improve the teaching of Science in the school.
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4. How well do staff work with others to support children’s learning?
 Staff continue to develop effective partnerships with parents, other local schools, local businesses, local services
and partner agencies. Psychological Services, Speech and Language Service, Family Learning Service,
Outreach Services, Social Work and health professionals have successfully collaborated with the school to
support children’s needs and learning experiences appropriately. The school has a good working partnership
with the local library services which will be further developed next year.
 Parents are involved in the work of the school by taking extra curricular clubs, working in classrooms as
helpers, escorting children on educational visits and developing school projects. A parental involvement
database has been collated for the school and the nursery class and has helped to identify support for events. For
example, parents of nursery pupils have participated in a storytelling workshop which has resulted in some of
them leading storytelling sessions.
 This session the school again offered a Curriculum Evening for parents. This was very successful and raised
awareness of CfE and pupil progress levels. Parents attended workshops for specific CfE levels in Literacy,
Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing, delivered by teaching staff and supported by pupils.
 The school’s Joint Support Team is very effective and agencies work together to support children’s needs. The
team meets fortnightly in line with authority guidelines. Staff and children’s views of their learning and
progress are shared at each meeting and parents are informed of subsequent outcomes.
 Very good arrangements are in place to ensure excellent transitions from stage to stage, nursery to P1 and from
Carolside to other schools. P1 and Nursery teachers have participated in a series of reciprocal visits to ensure
smooth transition for learning. Extended transition arrangements support pupils who require additional visits to
school/high school. Regular liaison takes place with Carolside staff and staff of receiving schools. Every effort
is made to transfer information from nursery to school and to meet new pupils, where appropriate. Throughout
the year, Williamwood High School staff work co-operatively with P7 staff to teach different subject areas as
part of the cluster transition process.
 Our Parent Council and subgroups, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Sports Club are active groups who
work hard to support the school. Over the year Parent Council subgroups have helped the school take forward a
number of school improvements e.g. behaviour, uniform, traffic management and homework. The PTA provides
excellent financial backing for the school and this year purchased new playground equipment, more dining
tables as well as giving a grant to every year group. The Nursery Parent Fundraising Association continues to
fund equipment, educational outings, the tie ceremony and an end of year fun day. School chaplains offer
invaluable support to school assemblies and events.
 The nursery has secured funding for science and music workshops and has worked closely with a local
bookshop on literacy and enterprise development. Career Education and work experience has been piloted with
the help of parents and employers. This will continue to develop in the next session.
How Do We Know?
Questionnaires/evaluations from parents e.g. Curriculum Evenings, PLPs, Reports; pupil stories and dialogues and
pupil forums; staff self-evaluation; JST and review meetings minutes; 3-18 minutes, cluster meeting minutes,
transition booklet and transition feedback; Practice Level Agreements; children’s work, feedback and evaluations
from cluster events e.g. Art Exhibition; parental feedback; joint planning and tracking.
Next Steps
 All pupils who are in need of support will be learning and achieving
 Parents’ ASN forums will be continued to support parents and pupils with ASN
 Through the homework programme parents will be further involved in supporting their children’s learning
 Parent groups and wider community will be involved in ongoing school improvements
 Pupils will be motivated to achieve their goals and have ambitions and aspirations for the future
 Pupils will be encouraged to explore opportunities by attending clubs to promote wider achievement
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5. Are staff and children actively involved in improving their school community?
 Learners are encouraged to be involved in the decision-making process in the nursery, in classrooms and through
various clubs and committees e.g. Pupil Council, Eco Committee, Health and Wellbeing Committee, Press Club,
Peer Mediators and Play Leaders. Through curricular focus groups, discussion and surveys children have
opportunities to express views and offer suggestions for school improvement about their learning, new resources
and the school surroundings.
 The Pupil Council worked with children and staff to plan the purchase of playground equipment. They made
decisions about the school’s focus for charity work over the year and were successful in raising substantial
amounts for their dedicated charities. Pupil Council and members of other school groups were actively involved
in parent workshops and Curriculum Evenings. They communicated effectively with the school community.
Pupils continue to enjoy the new learning and play opportunities outdoors.
 Outdoor learning in the nursery continues to be an area of strength, providing a wide choice of experiences and
activities for children and facilitating investigation and creativity. Over the summer the former janitor’s house is
being converted into a third playroom and the nursery numbers will increase by twenty pupils each session.
Through consultation with the local community and especially the nursery pupils, it has been decided to have
outdoor learning and life skills as the focus of the new space. Further community links will be established next
session.
 Pupils have been involved in various enterprise and employability initiatives including organising a street party,
making and selling cards and recycling clothes. Pupils and parents also participated in a career development
event and a work experience day, both with excellent results. A group of senior pupils continues to work as
technicians providing invaluable support with sound and visual equipment. Pupil led enterprise experiences will
be further developed in the new session and more opportunities for them to express and realise their ideas will be
fostered.
 Assemblies continue to provide an opportunity for pupils to develop an understanding of the value of a strong
community. The chaplains continue to contribute successfully to the programme of events. The school values are
highlighted as a focal point each month, led by the children and the chaplains. Over the year children have
opportunities to present assemblies on other world religions and festivals. There are opportunities for children to
work with other schools for joint events.
 Parents and visitors are invited to our Open Afternoons, Health events, Enterprise events and to attend concerts
and performances. The children participated by dancing, singing and playing musical instruments. Staff and
pupils were involved in producing and writing the school concert which was another excellent success. Pupils
have worked alongside parents, businesses, local services and kitchen staff on a plethora of learning experiences.
Building community will continue to be a main focal point for pupils and staff at Carolside.
How Do We Know?
Newspaper articles; feedback from community events e.g. Concerts and Open Afternoons; questionnaire and survey
findings; pupil stories, dialogues and pupil forums; minutes from Pupil Council, Eco, Health and Wellbeing and other
committee meetings.
Next Steps
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Parents and wider community will be involved in sharing skills and in supporting learning.
Parental and business partnerships will be further engaged in learning and enhancing the curriculum.
Continue to develop Career and Enterprise in Education opportunities.
Provide more opportunities for pupils to realise their own ideas.
The leadership skills and confidence of pupils will be improved through Pupil Voice.
Outdoor learning will be a focus for the new nursery extension and across the whole school.
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6. Does the school have high expectations of all children?
 The school is very welcoming and provides a high standard of care for the children. There is mutual respect
between pupils and staff and children feel safe and well-cared for. The Head Teacher has worked with all
stakeholders to establish and share a clear vision for the whole school community. The school’s values are
regularly shared in classes, at assemblies and at various school events.
 Staff provide high quality learning experiences for children and all staff expect the very highest of standards from
all pupils. While levels of attainment are generally high and improving, the school should strive to achieve
higher attainment. Children’s achievements both in and out of school are regularly acknowledged and celebrated.
Most staff provide appropriate challenge for all pupils and differentiate lessons in order to meet learner needs.
Best practice is shared across the school and peer observations take place twice a year as staff continue to strive
for excellence in learning and teaching approaches.
 All staff use the tracking database regularly and use the information to inform future planning. Learning
Intentions and Success Criteria are set for all pupils to ensure they understand exactly what is expected of them.
Using these they can assess their own and others’ learning. Pupils are also involved in setting their own targets
for learning. There are robust tracking, monitoring and target setting systems in place. Jotter monitoring, pupil
dialogues and learning visits have contributed to improved quality assurance. Pupils have successfully
participated in curricular learning dialogues and class learning stories. The information from these leads to school
improvement planning.
 Through workshops, pupils, staff and parents reviewed the Homework pilot. Changes are in place for the
beginning of next session. Pupils will be encouraged to produce homework of the highest standard.
 Golden Time continues to be used as a weekly reward system to promote positive behaviour. This session pupils
have had to earn their time with exemplary behaviour. This has proved successful at all stages. All support staff
have contributed to discussions on standards of behaviour and pupil achievement; they continue to provide
invaluable support in Carolside.
How do we know?
Analysis of attainment data, tracking meetings and documentation; assemblies; records of school and wider
achievement; Open Afternoon comments from parents and visitors; Curriculum Evening feedback; questionnaire
findings; consultations with stakeholders; Follow-Through report; Care Commission report.
Next Steps
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Robust quality assurance processes will continue to be in place to ensure consistency of approach in all classes.
A range of assessment strategies and techniques will continue to be in place to assess pupils’ skills and plan next
steps in learning.
Pupils will be making very good progress and will be motivated to achieve next steps in learning through profiles
and learning logs.
Pupils’ learning experiences will be improved and their learning needs will be met more effectively through
improved classroom practice.
Learners will be involved in setting their own targets using CfE Assessment Record as a tool for planning.
The highest standards will be expected at all times.
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7. Does the school have a clear sense of direction?
 The Head Teacher provides strong strategic leadership with very good support from members of her management
team, pupils and staff. She has a clear sense of direction for the school and continues to promote a clear vision
which she shares with parents, pupils and staff. The Head Teacher has high aspirations for all pupils to strive to be
the best they can be in a caring and nurturing learning environment. All staff are fully committed to school
improvement through self-evaluation and critical reflection. Pupils are also encouraged to evaluate their own
learning and what helps them learn in class.
 Members of the extended management team have a range of experience, skills and expertise in many different
areas. The team is very committed to school improvement and have worked well together to take the school
forward. This session the opportunities for staff discussion, workshops and sharing best practice have increased.
This has led to more collaborative and productive relationships within staff. All stakeholders are encouraged to
pursue leadership and CPD opportunities. Parents have been invited to participate in learning experiences in and
out of school and pupils are always encouraged to contribute effectively to the school community.
 Management members successfully led school working groups, taking forward different aspects of Curriculum for
Excellence and school improvements. Many other staff members and parents take lunchtime and after school
clubs, providing the children with many extra curricular activities.
 The Head Teacher will continue to work closely with staff, pupils and parents to ensure that all stakeholders are
aware of the school’s clear sense of direction, which has nurture, achievement, inclusion and resilience at its heart.
 The Head Teacher’s strategic leadership and direction of the school reinforces a culture of staff empowerment to
take lead roles within and beyond the classroom. Leadership will be extended next session to ensure staff, who
wish to undertake leadership roles, are given opportunities to lead curricular areas with support from the
management team.
How do we know?
Staff audits and self-evaluation; joint planning, stage, staff and management meetings; questionnaire and survey
findings; pupil stories, dialogues and forums; communication from parents; Follow-Through report; Care Commission
report.
Next Steps
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Continue to support and encourage staff and pupils to take on leadership roles.
Extended management team to continue to provide leadership, direction and support of the highest. quality and
to work with all stakeholders to take the school forward.
There will be evidence of improved confidence, leadership, and collegiate working of staff.
The school will continue to record and monitor pupils’ wider achievement.
Staff to showcase good practice on In-Service Days, at Curriculum Evenings and at staff meetings.
Programme of parent workshops to be extended.
Staff to observe learning and teaching in order to raise standards and share best practice.
Learning rounds
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Other School Achievements in 2011/2012
In Carolside we regularly celebrate success and achievement. This year once again proved to be a highly successful and
some of the notable achievements are listed below:
Special Days and Events
The pupils enjoyed sharing their learning at a special assembly and in class to mark the local authority’s Inclusion Day.
Pupils shared views and aspirations with each other and wrote about their ambitions and hopes for the future during
Achievement and Ambition Day and Progress for All Day. Included among many interesting assembly presentations
are: karate, judo, the Library Service, Save the Children, The Olympics and other topical issues.
P7 enjoyed an extremely successful residential trip to Winmarleigh hall.
The Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in style with an amazing Jubilee lunch for staff and pupils organised by the
kitchen staff. Primary One classes organised a street party with a very special royal guest.
Parents and carers enjoyed two Open Afternoons where pupils demonstrated their knowledge and skills to their invited
guests. The feedback was very positive.
In March all classes took part in a reading extravaganza to celebrate the joy of reading and World Book Day. All
pupils and staff participated in a wide range of literacy experiences which were enjoyed by the entire school
community. Pupils have connected with the Scottish Literacy Trust online and have enjoyed many author events
throughout the year. Nursery parents have been involved in storytelling workshops and the Library Service has
supported all these initiatives.
One of our Primary Seven pupils delivered a keynote speech most effectively at the launch of East Renfrewshire’s Anti
Bulling Policy.
Financial Education Week provided a focus in March and the pupils were involved in many lessons and activities to
raise the profile of being financially aware. They became more aware of using money, its value and ways to save and
manage their money. These activities took a cross-curricular approach and made links to real life situations.
The parents were invited to attend a Curriculum for Excellence Evening in November when the pupils from a variety of
clubs and classes told parents about pupils’ leadership involvement and active citizenship in Carolside. The parents
were then given the opportunity to take part in three CfE workshops, led by staff and supported by pupils. The feedback
was very encouraging and suggestions will be taken into account when arranging future curriculum evenings.
Parents and pupils were involved in two very successful Career Education Events. Pupils had the opportunity gain work
experience with their parents. Also parents were invited to talk to pupils about the world of work and share information
on their own careers. Pupils asked some very insightful questions and were able to link their learning to workplace
skills.
Once again P7 pupils showed a high standard of debating skills when they took part in the Provost’s Debate at East
Renfrewshire Council Headquarters in Eastwood Park.
Sports Activities
There were numerous lunchtime and after-school sports clubs on offer to pupils this year. We were able to offer a P4-6
multisports club, P4-7 dancercise, P5 netball, P6 football, P6 play leaders, P6/7 cheerleading, P7 badminton, P7 Young
Leaders, P7 basketball and P7 cross country. Clubs were open to children in P4-7 stages. P1 and P2 pupils enjoyed
having the P6 Play Leaders out in the playground with them and responded really well to working with the P7 pupils
who were involved in the Young Leader Programme. The majority of our P6 children undertook the Cycling
Proficiency lessons and exam with much success. Other activities included Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross
Country, Netball and children in P5-7 were able to attend festivals and tournaments within the local area to compete
and perform with other schools. All the pupils in P2 attended the P2 football festival where they practised the football
skills that they had learned from the coaches when they came into school earlier in the year.
School Performances
In December our parents and grandparents were very well entertained by our P1 and P2 nativity and P3 - P4 ‘Carols
and Shortbread’. P4 to P7 pupils were involved in our annual ‘Christmas at Greenbank’ Concert. A number of classes
represented the school by carol singing at shopping centres to raise money for a variety of charities.
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The P7 pupils enjoyed organising and participating in the annual Burns’ Supper which was attended by special guests.
The school concert this year was entitled 'Carolside Oscars’ and was based around the movies. The entire upper school
staff and pupils worked together to produce a superb evening's entertainment enjoyed by all generations.
Road Safety and Health Events
The school ran a very successful pupils’ cookery club where staff and pupils worked together on a weekly basis to cook
simple dishes.
The school’s Health and Wellbeing Committee designed pocket sized advice cards for parents and residents, entitled
‘Park and Stride’ cards. Their purpose was to encourage road users to park safely in a designated zone around the
school.
The school held a Health and Wellbeing Fortnight in June which was centred round an Olympic theme. Pupils were in
divided into groups representing different countries and points were awarded for participating in sport activities,
contributing to positive school ethos and Health and Wellbeing learning. All pupils participated successfully in this
event.
School Clubs
This year we offered a vast selection of after school and lunchtime clubs. These included Cookery Club, Press Club,
netball, basketball, cheerleading, badminton, Dancercise, cross country running, gardening, multi-sports, modelling,
art, card making, fashion, animation, homework, Young Leaders and Play Leaders. All clubs have been well attended
and pupils benefited from participation. We are most grateful to staff and other agencies for sharing their expertise,
time and commitment.
Charity Work
Charity work within the school has been impressive once again with almost £4800 being raised for worthy causes
including the World Land Trust, the British Red Cross, Cancer Research, Shelter, Sport Relief, Race for Life and
Mary’s Meals. Carolside pupils also contributed to the East Renfrewshire Malawi Appeal by participating in a 'Dress
Backwards' Day.
Parents, pupils and the wider community have worked together on a variety of events to help raise over £100,000 for
‘Katie and Friends’. The community participation in events including cake sales, sponsored walks, pamper evening and
sports activities has been hugely impressive and successful.
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Targets/Attainment Information
Standardised Testing
Pupils in East Renfrewshire primary schools sit Standardised Tests in the core skills of Literacy and
Numeracy in P3, P5 and P7. The authority average score is 100 for reading and 100 for Maths. The
table below shows the average combined scores for pupils in these stages in the school. For
example, where the score for Reading is 101, this means that on average P3, P5 and P7 pupils in
that school are achieving a standard that is 1 point above the East Renfrewshire average score.
Feb 2010
102
101
Reading
Maths
Feb 2011
99
97
Feb 2012
99
101
Attainment Targets
The targets are based on Curriculum for Excellence progress levels in reading, writing and maths.
The school targets relate to the percentages of pupils attaining Curriculum for Excellence progress
levels in Primaries 1, 4 and 7.
Reading
Writing
Maths
2010/2011
(Actual)
91%
87%
87%
School Targets
for 2011
85%
85%
85%
2011/2012
(Actual)
93%
92%
92%
School Targets
for 2012
91%
90%
90%
Attendance
School Target for 2012 is 97.4
2009/2010
School
National
2010/2011
School
National
2011/2012
School
National
Unauthorised
Absence (%)
0.5%
1.1%
0.4%
1.2%
0.4%
-
Authorised
Absence (%)
2.5%
4.0%
1.8%
4.0%
1.94%
-
-
N/A
-
N/A
-
N/A
No of half days
lost through
temporary
exclusion*
* Exclusion days are included in ‘Unauthorised Absence (%)’
- to be announced at a later date
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Our main priorities and targets for next session
PERFORMANCE
To continue to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy, in Baseline and in Standardised Tests.
 There will be evidence of improved attainment in Literacy and Numeracy.
 Staff will have a clear focus on areas for improvement and plan accordingly.
 Pupils will be involved in their own learning and in setting themselves targets for improvement.
 All pupils will be fully challenged and will have opportunities to think critically across all subjects.
 Parents will be more actively involved in supporting their children’s learning.
 All pupils with ASN will be included, nurtured and achieving.
DELIVERY OF EDUCATION
To develop the curriculum in line with the principles of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), with a clear focus
on moderation, assessment, ICT, Science and curriculum design advice
 Pupils’ learning will be improved as a result of working group developments and a more relevant
curriculum.
 A range of assessment strategies and techniques will be in place to assess pupils’ skills and plan next
steps in learning.
 Pupils’ learning experiences will be improved through high quality teaching and learning.
 Learners will be involved in setting their own targets using CfE Assessment Record as a tool for
planning.
DELIVERY OF EDUCATION
To continue to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning experiences while also making effective
use of ICT, new technologies and Glow.
 Pupils’ attainment will be improved as a result of high quality learning and teaching approaches and
depth and challenge in learning.
 Pupils will be making very good progress and will be motivated to achieve next steps in learning
through profiles and learning logs.
 Pupils’ learning experiences will be improved and their learning needs will be met more effectively
through improved classroom practice.
LEADERSHIP
To extend leadership opportunities for staff and pupils.
 There will be evidence of increased leadership capacity and improved practice.
 There will be evidence of staff leadership, increased confidence and effective collegiate opportunities
for staff.
 There will be evidence of improved school practice as a result of extended leadership opportunities
for staff and pupils.
 Pupils will experience the world of work and have an awareness of skills and experience required for
a range of careers.
 Pupils will have opportunities to become effective contributors and responsible citizens by
undertaking citizenship roles.
Priorities for school session 2012/2013 are stated in the School Improvement Plan, copies of which can be
obtained from the school office. The Standards and Quality Summary Report will be discussed at a Parent
Council Meeting.
Carol W Frew
Head Teacher
October 2012
Date
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