Most students are engaged in learning. They know what their goals are and can work independently for sustained periods of time. Teachers have high standards and expectations for learning. They plan well, and include learning intentions and assessment criteria. Students receive clear instructions and are given useful oral feedback. Teachers ask good questions that encourage students to think critically about their learning. They plan a varied programme that students find interesting. Teachers now need to provide more informative written feedback to students that recognises their successes in learning.

Most teachers provide a positive and stimulating learning environment for students. In classrooms where the best practice was observed teachers displayed useful literacy and mathematics learning prompts such as charts. They presented a variety of students’ work as models for other children to learn from. Students’ work from current learning topics was attractively highlighted. In the classroom students received positive reinforcement of expected learning and behaviour.

Teachers use effective procedures to identify students’ learning needs. They have guidelines that help to develop a consistent approach across the school. Class descriptions are used to identify students’ learning needs and to set out the support available to meet these needs. The board has clear and specific achievement targets that also influence planning and teaching. Some teachers use a range of assessment tools to find out what students can do. The next step for the teachers is to analyse assessment information in other areas of the curriculum so that students’ interests, needs and abilities cam be identified and extended across the curriculum.

The senior managers are committed to developing stronger links with early childhood centres. They make sure that students are familiar with their new teacher and have a good start at school. The teacher of new entrants visits early childhood centres to share professional knowledge. She has developed a school entry assessment that is carefully analysed and compares it with six year net assessment after one year at school. In these ways, teachers are gaining a better understanding of students’ strengths and needs. They can also compare students’ progress with other students of a similar age nationally.

Students are benefiting from the teachers’ increased professional knowledge. Most students are able to describe what they are learning and how well they have achieved their goals. The senior managers have organised professional learning and development so that it is linked to their achievement targets in literacy and numeracy. Teachers use planning guidelines that identify clear expectations for planning, assessment and teaching. These expectations are leading to more consistent approaches across the school.

The senior managers surveyed the community to find out what parents thought would be the most useful forms of reporting. A 3-way reporting system involving parents, teachers and students is now used. Trustees told ERO that this was a good way of finding out what students thought about their learning. A written report provides details about students’ academic achievement, attitude, interests and attributes.