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Standards and Quality Report

                                                                                                            

 

Blackfriars Primary School

Standards & Quality Report

Session 2024 – 2025

This summary report is provided for parents/carers and partners to outline our achievements and improvements during session 2024 - 2025 and to share our improvement priorities for 2025 - 2026. Throughout last session we took forward our improvement priorities as detailed in our school improvement plan. Using our approaches to self-evaluation, we have detailed in this report the impact of our work and identified how we plan to continue to improve outcomes for our children and young people.

 

 

Our achievements and improvements 2024-2025.

We are a non-denominational school in the South of Glasgow, with a school roll of 323 children. We have 23 members of teaching staff including the Headteacher, two Depute Head Teachers, and two Principal Teachers. The school is made up of 13 classes and a nurture base.

There are 65% of pupils who stay in SIMD 1 and 2, and we have 52% of our learners who have English as an additional language.

In 2024-25, we have continued to focus on raising attainment in Literacy with a focus on pupil engagement, improving pupil attendance and late coming and equipping our pupils with the strategies needed to help them to self-regulate.

At Blackfriars Primary, we use the nurturing principles to underpin our school vision, values and aims.

Our school values are:

Caring, Honest, Achieving, Inclusive, Respectful

Our parent, staff and pupil surveys have identified the following strengths in our school:

  • Clear communication between home and school
  • Play based learning where pupils are happy coming to school
  • Strong links from nursery to P1 which have a very positive impact on pupils
  • Regular outdoor learning opportunities for all pupils and their families

The following areas for development were identified:

  • More pupil led activities and events
  • Access to paper communications as well as online communications

Pupil Equity Funding

In session 2024-25, the school used the PEF allocation to directly raise attainment, improve attendance and engagement and support children’s mental, emotional, social and physical development, addressing the poverty of opportunity gap.  The table below outlines our key interventions:

PEF Intervention:

Additional Teaching staff including NQT and DHT– Raising Attainment in Literacy, support improved attendance and reduce late coming, support emotional wellbeing of all pupils

Baby Strings- To address poverty of opportunity for all pupils in P2-P7

Chapter One – P2 and P3 pupils have one-to-one support with reading via video link – raise attainment in literacy

ICT resources updated – Supporting Play pedagogy in P1-P3 and support delivery of raising attainment in literacy and numeracy

Learning and Teaching

We remain committed to improving attainment in Literacy and Numeracy, while also supporting children’s Health and Wellbeing. Our Broad General Education provides learners with access to the full range of curricular areas, including two hours of high-quality Physical Education each week. The school has also placed a strong emphasis on outdoor learning to enhance learning across the curriculum and to actively engage children and their families in Literacy and Numeracy.

This session, we have engaged with ‘Glasgow’s Pedagogy’ with a particular focus on differentiation and feedback. Improved practice has been seen across all stages and work is ongoing to maintain the high standard of teaching and learning.

We have also prioritised the use of digital technologies to engage learners. This is used in all aspects of the curriculum and has had a positive impact on pupil engagement this session, as demonstrated in termly SLT and peer class visits.

Attainment

The table below summarises attainment as of June 2025.

We have collected data in a variety of ways using our effective tracking, monitoring and assessment procedures to track pupil’s progress across the curriculum. The table below summarises achievement of a level and this information allows us to identify strategies to close the attainment gap.

 

Reading

Writing

L&T

Numeracy and Maths

Primary 1

71%

68%

75%

66%

Primary 2

76%

64%

82%

78%

Primary 3

80%

77%

84%

75%

Primary 4

75%

52%

88%

77%

Primary 5

61%

61%

85%

64%

Primary 6

73%

60%

81%

67%

Primary 7

81%

75%

92%

77%

 

Wellbeing at Blackfriars Primary School

All pupils have Health and Wellbeing check-ins twice a year, and targets are set using GMWP. Pupils participate in “Time to Talk” sessions fortnightly to support HWB development. This is regularly reviewed by each teacher through the SHANARRI indicators to ensure pupil plans are individualised.

Common themes are also covered through departmental assemblies and achievements linked to HWB are celebrated together.

Staff review ASN targets termly and meet with parents twice a year to ensure targets are relevant, appropriate and useful. Some pupils are supported in partnership with other agencies including Social Work, With Kids Play Therapy, GDSS and Speech and Language Therapy.

All staff receive annual training in Nurture and Nurture staff are fully accredited. These staff support a small number of children daily. Parents and carers are involved through open days, workshops and an open-door approach to ensure children are fully supported.

Our English as an Additional Language team (EAL) provide HWB support tot families and children too, through workshops and regular check-ins when children enrol in our school. This reduces the risk of isolation through signposting families to the appropriate links and supports within our community.

Our Family Engagement Support links regularly meet with families before and after school, providing emotional, social and financial support, which has a positive impact on our children.

Family Learning and Engagement

At Blackfriars Primary, we are proud of our comprehensive Family Learning Programme led by Class Teachers, Raising Attainment Team, Senior Leadership Team, EAL team and Family Engagement Support Worker including:

  • Seesaw workshops for P1-P7 – EAL teacher
  • Meet the Teacher for P1-P7 – whole staff
  • Play Along Maths for P1
  • Playing with Sounds for P1
  • Motivational Monday activities for P1-P7
  • Cultural involvement including Diwali and Eid celebration workshops led by parents for P1-P7
  • Parental involvement in preparing pupils/adults for annual religious and cultural events
  • ESOL parent and child workshops for P1
  • Parents as Partners group
  • Stay and Play sessions for P1 and P2

School Awards and Recognition

We worked with other agencies to support children and families and developed our curricular offer in relation to the four contexts of learning.  This has included work in achieving:

  • Gorbals Housing Association Grant Funding for an additional outdoor classroom and loose parts play equipment
  • Edina Science Grant towards STEAM resource
  • WOW badge award for Walking to School
  • STEAM partnership with University of Strathclyde for P6 pupils this session, leading to P7 STEAM leaders for next session

Wider Achievement

  • Celebration of success at weekly assemblies
  • We secured the Gorbals Ideas funding to renew our Poly tunnel which supports outdoor learning and family gardening opportunities
  • Recognition of achievements outside of school celebrated at weekly assemblies, nominated by parents via Seesaw app
  • Blackfriars Got Talent annual event
  • Weekly Values Champions
  • House Incentives and celebrations
  • Christmas Concert to celebrate variety of pupil talents
  • We have a number of highly successful lunchtime, before school, and after school activities including many active schools clubs throughout the session
  • Our Primary 7 pupils experienced a fantastic residential visit to Blairvadach, partially funded through Pupil Equity Funding.

Pupil Leadership

Across the school, pupils participated in leadership roles in a variety of areas including:

  • Junior Road Safety Officers, Eco Committee, Digital Leaders, Pupil Leadership Team, House Officials, Kindness Crew, P7 Buddies, Waste Warriors, Librarians
  • Senior pupils supported younger children with literacy by taking part in paired reading.
  • Motivational Monday pupil-led groups to develop and share skills
  • Extra-curricular pupil-led lunch clubs
  • Pupil-led fundraising

Partnership Working

We have increased partnership working with outside agencies to enhance the learning experience at Blackfriars Primary including:

  • Parents’ Evening partnership event (Nov 24 & Mar 25) - Community Links
  • Stay and Play for P1-P3 – Family Engagement Officer
  • Muffins and Maths for parents - Family Engagement Officer
  • ESOL parent and child workshops for all stages including nursery (Term 3) – Family Support Worker
  • DEMMASTER plant simulation event for P7 pupils in partnership with St Francis PS
  • Cultural involvement including Diwali and Eid celebration workshops led by parents for P1-P7, in partnership with St Francis PS, and Glasgow Academy
  • Buoyed Up Sailing opportunities for P6 pupils
  • P7 Residential to Blairvadach Outdoor Centre
  • Giggle and Grow ?
  • Our Active Schools Co-ordinator worked with children across the school to promote physical activity and wellbeing.  A number of coaches have also provided curricular and extra-curricular opportunities for pupils, including engaging with pupils at the Breakfast Club.
  • “With Kids” supported some of our senior pupils through our counselling budget.
  • Sports Coaches from local colleges ran a variety of curricular and after school activities for pupils across the school.

Our small, but active and highly committed Parent Council organised a number of events for pupils including: Halloween Disco and a Spring disco which was added this session. These events were highly successful and raised funds to provide P7 Leavers’ hoodies, P1 Christmas party supplies and other events for the children.  We look forward to this continued partnership in the new school session.

We would like to highlight the following improvements/achievements:

Leadership of Change:

All teachers took part in team teaching with Mrs Murdoch to improve knowledge and understanding of outdoor spaces, skills and opportunities for pupils when using outdoor space to enhance literacy.

A child holding a blue container with potatoes

Staff evaluations included…

“Lots of ideas for using the facilities in the school grounds as an outdoor classroom. A little preparation goes a long way. Lesson demonstrated how pupils' imaginations can be sparked and brought to life with some simple props/resources. Excellent basis for a start to a writing lesson. Lots of Talking and Listening skills being used also.”

Pupils and staff have been part of Motivational Monday clubs which are designed to increase pupil engagement in school.

Staff, parents and visitors have all commented on how well pupils engage with the activities which are on offer each block.

We are looking to extend pupil led activities next session to further enhance pupil learning experiences.

Learning and Teaching:

As part of our plans to raise attainment in literacy, we started a Family Outdoor Literacy workshop. This encouraged families to work together to make use of the world around us to engage pupils in literacy using the outdoors. This was a great success and will be extended to a wider group next session.

 

A group of people sitting around a table

A group of people around a table

We worked in partnership with Glasgow University and St Francis Primary for our Stem Events this session. We also had a stall at the Gorbals Fair in June 25, to spread the word of all the STEM related activities we have enjoyed this session.

 

     

Well-being, Equality and Inclusion:

We ran many workshops including Muffins and Maths and ESOL workshops to support our families to develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills as well as knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary.

 

Image preview

Image preview

We worked in partnership with the local community to provide a high-quality information evening as part of Parents’ Evening events this session. There were lots of activities for children, as well as emotional, social, and financial support groups available for our families.

Attainment and Achievement:

Overall attainment in reading across the school increased from 68% at the beginning of the session to 71% of pupils on track by term 4.

Gold star
gold star created by the image uploaded by ensarijaWe focused on raising attainment in reading for learners in Primary 1, 2 and 6.

The number of on track pupils in Primary 1 increased from 37% in term 1 to 61% in term 4.

The number of on track pupils in Primary 2 increased from 70% in term 1 to 75% in term 4.

The number of on track pupils in Primary 6 increased from 69% in term 1 to 74% in term 4.

We managed to cut down food waste by nearly 12kg after taking part in a 'Waste Warriors' initiative.

We piloted the scheme over three weeks which aims to reduce plate waste in school dining halls and raise awareness of the dangerous impacts of food waste to the city's pupils.

A group of people posing for a photo

 

Attendance and Exclusion data

 

 

In session 2024-25, our attendance rate was slightly above Glasgow average at 90.5% and we have had 0 exclusions for this session.

 

   

    

     

 

 

 

Our improvement plan priorities 2025 – 2026

Our areas of focus for session 2025/26 are as follows:

  1. Utilising features of highly effective practice to raise attainment in reading and writing by 5% at each stage
  2. Refreshing the curriculum structure to ensure it is well-balanced and reflects the principles of curriculum design, allowing quality teaching and learning to take place.
  3. To embed a culture of openness and acceptance in all pupils of their own, and others’ feeling, supporting pupils’ self-regulating skills.

 

How Good Is Our School 4 Quality Indicator (QI)

Evaluation

Leadership of Change (QI 1.3)

 

Learning Teaching and Assessment (QI 2.3)

 

Ensuring Wellbeing Equality and Inclusion (QI 3.1)

 

Raising Attainment and Achievement (QI 3.2)

 

 

 

 

How can you find out more information about our school?

Please contact us directly if you require further information or if you wish to comment on the report.

The contact e-mail address is: headteacher@blackfriars-pri.glasgow.sch.uk

 Our telephone number is:0141 429 2444

Our school address is: 310 Cumberland Street, Glasgow, G5 0SS.

Further information is available in: Termly class and Head Teacher newsletters, Twitter, Seesaw and the school handbook