Catrine’s primary and nursery have made great strides in raising attainment in recent years after inspectors previously raised the alarm.

Both Catrine Primary and early childhood centre have officially been signed off from the Education Scotland inspection process after a letter setting out areas for improvement was sent in 2016.

Inspectors returned to the school to monitor progress, concluding in 2018 that Education Scotland would ask East Ayrshire Council for an update on the attainment of children in the primary stages within 18 months.

Education services found a strong culture of learning across the school with all staff actively engaged in their own learning and development and strongly promoting an ethos of learning with pupils and parents.

The head teacher and principal teacher provide strong and effective leadership and are reflective practitioners who model approaches to continuing professional learning.

All staff are trained in Active Literacy and Numeracy approaches and share their learning and support one another. These approaches are now embedded across the school which has ‘contributed to the positive improvements in attainment in this area’.

Work to further develop and embed the approaches to reading and writing are continuing. Staff have enthusiastically engaged with the supports available to them from the local authority.

The school improvement plan and the work across the school and Early Childhood Centre is now focused on raising attainment and this is clearly having a positive impact.

They added that strong leadership and drive, passion and commitment of the head teacher as a real strength of the school.

Linda McAulay-Griffiths Head of Education said: “Catrine Primary and Early Childhood Centre have made significant progress since the inspection in April 2016 and we are confident that there is capacity across the staff in the school and centre to continue.

“East Ayrshire Council Education Service therefore recommended to inspectors that no further engagement from colleagues in HMI in relation to the original inspection is necessary. The service will continue to support and monitor the school and ECC through our own internal processes.”

“Education Scotland Inspectors have approved this recommendation.”