The high quality of education and care at Ballantrae Primary School and Early Learning Centre has been officially recognised. Positive appraisal reports from Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate found that both the Primary and Early Years Centre were achieving 'very good' to 'good' performance across the board.
The Inspectors came to their conclusions after a recent visit to the school, which included discussions with parents, young people and staff. As part of the process, evidence was gathered on the quality of leadership and management, learning provision and children's success and achievements The inspection team found the following strengths in the school's work: Strong leadership from the Headteacher who successfully promotes a sustainable, inclusive learning environment. Also noted was the strong and productive partnership with parents and the community which impact positively on children's learning experiences. Strong teamwork by staff, which has enhanced the quality of children's learning in and beyond the classroom. The effective approaches are resulting in improvements to the curriculum bringing about the best possible outcomes for all. Responsible, respectful, happy and hardworking learners in both the early years and primary classes who have high expectations of themselves and others. The school's very strong ethos of achievement and sense of community was also highlighted alongside the children's high levels of resilience, confidence and enthusiasm. The effectiveness of nursery staff in empowering children to be leaders of their own learning through open-ended experiences. The following areas for improvement were also identified: Continue to further improve aspects of the life and work of the nursery and school such as the use of digital technology and problem solving in mathematics. Build on the best practice already in the school, continue to develop consistency of approaches to teaching and learning to ensure that attainment continues to rise. Councillor William Grant, South Ayrshire Council's Portfolio Holder for Lifelong learning said, "This positive report highlights the continued dedication of staff who work tirelessly with children and their families to deliver a first-class education. "The feedback we received from the inspectors was extremely encouraging, with the effective leadership of the Headteacher highlighted as being an important part in making sure everyone pulls together to inspire every child at the school. "Ballantrae Primary should be rightfully proud of its performance, with this winning formula helping to provide peace of mind for parents and carers that their children are receiving a first-class education." Ballantrae Primary, Headteacher, Yvonne Templeton welcomed the report, "We work hard to make sure we do our very best for our children and it's satisfying to learn that our efforts are performing well against national standards. "I'd like to thank everyone involved at the school, from children and staff through to parents and the local community to continuing to work with us to help inspire the children to do the best that they can." The Inspection report can be found on the Education Scotland website.