Lochdonhead Primary on Mull has gained top marks from Education Scotland after inspectors categorised learning and teaching at the school as ‘excellent’.
During a recent visit, inspectors praised Head Teacher Susie Carmichael for her clear, ambitious vision, and said it was evident that leadership at all levels was a very strong feature of the school’s work.
They commended Mrs Carmichael, who is also head teacher at Ulva Primary, for establishing highly effective quality assurance arrangements, and for proactively seeking the views of parents about the work of the school on a regular basis.
Inspectors said staff demonstrated warm, nurturing and supportive relationships with children and families and, as a result, all children are highly motivated, attentive and engage fully in the interesting and relevant learning opportunities. Children have a say on what and how they would like to learn, and inspectors highlighted approaches to personalised project-based learning as a significant strength of the school. They also commended the school for placing such a high value on developing skills for learning, life and work, by working closely with the community, partners and local and national organisations.
Inspectors praised the school for making ‘outstanding use’ of their award-winning outdoor environment to support and enhance learning, and identified wellbeing as a significant focus of school life and learning.
Talking about the findings of the inspection, the Council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “We are working hard to improve educational attainment, achievement and outcomes for all young people in Argyll and Bute, and Lochdonhead is a prime example of a school already striving forward to do that.
“This is a really positive report and it demonstrates just how successful a joint headship can be. Congratulations to Mrs Carmichael, the staff, pupils and local community at Lochdonhead on working collectively to improve opportunities and outcomes for pupils.”
Visit Lochdonhead Primary School summarised inspection findings, Argyll and Bute Council 21/03/23 (education.gov.scot) to view the inspection findings in full.