Cunard School is a small primary school situated in the Whitecrook area of Clydebank. The school is co-educational and non-denominational designated for pupils from West Dunbartonshire who have been assessed as having significant social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The age range is from P3 to P7. Almost all the pupils are on split placements with their mainstream schools on the basis of a minimum of 0.2. of the school week. Children from neighbouring authorities of West Dunbartonshire Council may also attend. Most of the pupils are boys.

How good is learning, teaching and achievement?

All pupils were on individualised education programmes (IEPs) or individualised behaviour plans (IBPs). Raising the attainment of each one of these pupils was a priority for the school. IEPs which were regularly reviewed, were very clear, and pupils' targets straightforward, easily understood by pupils and parents and manageable by all staff who have high expectations of pupils. All but two pupils were on shared placement with mainstream schools and there was good liaison, timetable sharing and feedback between Cunard and its partner schools. Pupils were confident and liked being in the school.



Teaching was good. Both learning and teaching were constantly adapted to meet the needs of individual pupils. Small class sizes enabled teachers to adopt flexible approaches. Teachers and learning assistants worked very hard and were clearly very committed to meeting the needs of pupils. Teachers lead their classes in a firm and calm manner. Their questioning was clear and pupils responded positively.

Pupils were making good progress from their previous levels of attainment, with some pupils achieving minimum standards in reading and mathematics. Pupils were aware of their teachers' high expectations of them both in attainment and behaviour. Achievement walls celebrated good work, behaviour, ideas and art work and charted each individual pupil's progress and achievements. The pupil council was very active and met regularly with the SMT. The PC has a wall board for pupil news.



Pupils contributed to the school's successful Health Promoting School award and gave a power point presentation to the evaluation team. Out of hours learning activities by pupils included building a 3D model, designing a tee shirt, organising fund-raising events, and a fashion show in a local hotel. The school has also gained a bronze award for the Eco School initiative. Pupils participated in performances at Christmas, Burns Day, Easter and end of term assemblies.

How well are pupils supported?

Pupils were very well supported. The school has a rigorous policy on the calm, patient, non-judgemental management of pupil behaviour which all staff implemented very effectively. The headteacher ensured that all staff have good opportunities for professional development. All learning assistants received training in conflict resolution and physical management. Pupils and staff have worked hard to maintain a positive ethos within the school. The implementation of conflict resolution strategies was a priority for pupils and staff alike and underpins all areas of the work of the school.



IEPs and IBPs were written by a team comprising the class teacher, learning assistant and a member of the SMT. Parents were encouraged to participate and contribute in order to ensure consistency between school and home and to share ideas. Home challenges are an effective feature with certain IBP's and have met with a level of success.



There was good liaison between partner schools provided by two transition teachers who ensured continuity between schools. Most pupils work hard to manage their behaviour.

How good is the environment for learning?

The school provided a very good environment for learning. It was bright and welcoming. Classrooms were colourfully decorated with pupils' work, learning hooks and topic material.

The ethos of acceptance and promotion of positive behaviour was very strong and supported by clear policies and procedures.

A recent development was the Rainbow Room which provided a nurturing environment for pupils from Primary 1 to 3, in a bright and carefully structured environment.

The school has also recently reviewed the location of its time-out room facility. It was moved to a quiet area of the school in order to ensure privacy for distressed pupils and to minimise the effect of disruptive behaviour on other pupils. A new library area has been set up and new book stock is currently being replenished.

Communication is thorough with both staff and parents. Booklets, leaflets and newsletters are colourful and creative. Meetings with parents are a mixture of formal and informal. The shared placement of pupils challenges engagement with parents. As a result the headteacher has steadily worked at promoting stronger, active parental involvement in their children's learning and the results of this are becoming more evident.



Improving the school

The hard-working and committed headteacher has led the school very well in initiating a range of strategies aimed at improving the school. She has a clear vision for the school which has pupils' learning needs at the core of all activities. She has actively taken forward effective monitoring of teaching and learning, pupil tracking and policy review. She and the management team have modelled effective teamwork which has supported the development of collegiality and teamwork amongst staff. Staff find the headteacher approachable and flexible.

The school has developed good approaches to self-evaluation. A quality improvement calendar was in place. The headteacher monitored learning and teaching through classroom observation once a term. Forward plans were evaluated and good feedback given.

Regular staff meetings took place to ensure good communication.





Strengths of the School



The environment for learning
Hard -working, committed, reflective staff
Care and welfare of pupils
Leadership and vision for the school
Collegiality and teamwork
Ethos of high expectation and achievement
Strategies for promoting positive behaviour
Commitment to CPD




Action by the school

Continue to develop and strengthen links with parents
Continue to develop ICT
Continue to develop a Curriculum for Excellence


Action by Education & Cultural Services

Continue to support the school in strengthening parental involvement
Continue to support the school in developing ICT