Education Scotland have hailed the head teacher’s “very strong leadership” and said that staff “work very well together” following an inspection and review of St Anthony’s Primary School in Rutherglen
After the visit in December 2024, learning, teaching and assessment were assessed as “good” while raising attainment and achievement was “satisfactory”.
A report from Education Scotland said: “We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. South Lanarkshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools.”
Highlights from the report on the school stated that:
■ It was led very effectively by the head teacher and acting principal teacher, there is a highly positive and supportive ethos across the school. This helps children feel safe, happy and included. Children are proud of their school and enjoy being part of the St Anthony’s family.
■ Teachers lead improvements to learning and teaching which is having a positive impact on the quality of children’s experiences across the school. In particular, teachers match activities in literacy and English to meet the needs of children effectively.
■ Staff are a reflective team and work well with professional partners to improve outcomes for children. Support staff provide high‑quality support to children who require it, which is improving children’s engagement and progress in their learning.
The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the head teacher and a representative from South Lanarkshire Council.
■ Staff should continue to develop high‑quality learning, teaching and assessment across the curriculum. This includes matching tasks and activities more consistently to children’s abilities to provide the right level of challenge.
■ Staff need to continue to increase children’s progress and attainment, particularly in writing and listening and talking. They should support children to consolidate learning and apply their skills more regularly in different contexts.
The catchment for the school includes Springhall, Whitlawburn, Cathkin and Burnside. At the time of inspection, the roll was 137 pupils across six classes. The school was rebuilt in 2010 as part of the South Lanarkshire Council School Modernisation programme. Children have access to a large playground and multi-use games area
The head teacher was appointed in January 2024 and is supported by an acting principal teacher who was appointed in February 2024. There are three full-time and eight part-time teaching staff. The school is supported by five full-time and one part-time school support assistants.
And the report went on: “As a result of the head teacher’s very strong leadership, staff have transformed the culture and ethos across the school. Senior leaders have supported staff very well to establish consistent and highly effective strategies to improve the behaviour of a minority of children.
“Overall, children behave well and are improving their ability to sustain their concentration with their learning. Relationships between staff, children and families are highly positive. Together staff, children and parents developed a new vision and set of values that reflect very well the context and needs of the school. This shared focus has improved children’s and staff’s sense of belonging and understanding about what it means to be a pupil at the school.
“All staff are very responsive and nurturing towards children. They are strong role models, placing children’s needs at the centre of their practice. They demonstrate the values of ‘kindness, honesty, creativity, resilience and bravery’ in their interactions with children and each other. These values reflect very well the school’s strong Catholic ethos built upon the Gospel values. Children are proud to be part of the St Anthony’s family, are welcoming to visitors and supportive of their peers.”
It added: “Staff work very well together. They engage in professional learning and draw upon educational partners to develop their thinking and improve their practice to meet the needs of children. They share practice, such as approaches to teaching mathematics, which is helping all teachers improve the quality of learning experiences for children. The head teacher supports staff very well to develop frameworks and guidance which is improving the consistency and quality of learning and teaching across the school.”
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