Dykesmains Primary School is in Saltcoats, North Aryshire. The current school roll is 186 pupils. A minority of children live in Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) deciles one and two.

The reason for improvement

One of the school’s improvement priorities was to develop more effective processes to track children’s attainment. The school focused on:

• improving the existing tracking and monitoring system through building a collegiate approach
• designing a more consistent process to gather and monitor data on children’s attainment, progress, and barriers to learning
• supporting teachers to develop strong skills in data analysis
• make full use of the data to identify individual children’s needs and provide effective interventions to ensure continuous progress and appropriate challenge in their learning.

What the setting did

Planning for change

The senior leadership team (SLT) sought advice and insight from other educational establishments that had good practice and success in this area. SLT also prioritised reviewing the working time agreement with staff to ensure that they gave protected time for staff to develop in this area.

Collegiate professional dialogue supports staff to make full and effective use of data gathered.

Teachers were given robust and relevant information and data about each child as part of the class handover. This resulted in better transitions for children between stages. The school implemented an online recording system and teachers were given protected time across the school year to review the data. Their findings and evaluations inform their planning and next steps.

Termly evaluations

The school adapted its termly evaluations so that there is more focus on the school's improvement areas. The challenge questions from How Good is Our School 4? support this. Staff consider how well they differentiate learning and whether they are providing appropriate support and challenge for all children across the curriculum. Evaluations inform discussions at termly attainment meetings. As a result, teachers have a clearer understanding on how well children are progressing in their learning.

Attainment meetings

Termly attainment meetings improved through agreeing collegiately a consistent format. The class teacher, pupil support teacher and SLT are involved in these meetings. Class teachers provide an overview of children who are on track, beyond expectation or requiring support. The group also discusses children’s progress and review the interventions.

Class on a page

The class on a page document is an intervention and information overview. It includes information about children’s medical and dietary needs, stage intervention data, agency involvement and planned interventions, where relevant. Staff review and update this as a working document during attainment meetings. It means that staff can see what barriers to children’s learning might exist and what support they need in order to progress their learning. It also provides a historic overview of interventions provided.

Intervention summary document

SLT and the pupil support teachers regularly track the impact that interventions are having on accelerating children’s progress to close the poverty-related attainment gap. This is supported by regular assessment and quality assurance processes within the classroom.

What the sustained impact has been

Staff have developed very effective processes that inform discussions based on the monitoring and tracking of children’s attainment and progress over time. They have an improved shared understanding of the range of factors that impact on attainment across the school. As a result, they plan and implement appropriate and effective targeted interventions and review these regularly and systematically.

The improvement to the whole school tracking and monitoring processes, which is linked to appropriate and responsive interventions, is contributing to raising attainment in this school.