The school

St Andrew’s RC Primary School is a denominational primary school. It serves the east of the town of Falkirk and the surrounding area. The roll was 401 when the inspection was carried out in May/June 2010. Children’s attendance was below the national average in 2008/2009.

The new headteacher took up post on the first day of the inspection. The depute headteacher was the acting headteacher from January to May 2010.

This report was published on 24th August 2010.

Particular strengths of the school

• Highly motivated children, who are keen to learn and enjoy taking on challenges.
• The impact of school partnerships with parents, agencies and the community to broaden children’s wider learning experiences.
• The strong commitment and teamwork of all staff to improve children’s learning experiences.
• The high levels of mutual respect between children and staff and the school’s very caring ethos.
• The leadership of the depute headteacher in supporting staff to improve the quality and the consistency of their practice.

The following areas for improvement have been agreed:

• Continue to review the curriculum closely to ensure coherence between planned experiences and how these are delivered.
• Involve children and parents further in curricular developments.