Council officers have pledged education inspectors will see improvements at a struggling north-east school when they return in 2020.
Aberchirder’s Primary came in for stiff criticism in late 2018 after it was rated “weak” in all categories. Two further “weak” ratings were awarded to the primary school.
At the time one of the members of the Banff and Buchan Area Committee, Brian Topping, said it was the worst report he had seen in 35 years as a councillor.
The school was presented with an action plan to help it tackle issues including weak leadership and a failure to raise attainment levels, in addition to boosting the wellbeing of pupils and inclusion.
Recruitment struggles and large staff turnover were identified as two of the key issues holding the school back.
Prior to the arrival of inspectors in 2018, it had been led by five different head teachers in five years.
At a meeting of the committee yesterday, councillors were presented with a report that had been called for in an effort to identify what support had been afforded to the school during those years.
Quality improvement manager Peter Wood detailed a number of courses the different head teachers had been able to take advantage of.
He added: “In each inspection there are areas for development found that we have to act upon which gives us focus, like it has here.
“It is a big challenge to move from where the school was when it was assessed to where Education Scotland, the council and the community of Aberchirder want it to be.
“It’s moving in the right direction. It will continue on the plan that we have put forward.
“I believe we have the right action plan in place to keep the improvements going.
“The inspectors will likely be back in January 2020 and I’m confident they will see progress has been made.”
But councillor Glen Reynolds was unimpressed with the report.
He said: “My understanding was that we wanted to find out what support had been given to the staff during the difficult period leading up to the report but what I see here is mostly what you’re doing or planning to do now.
“I don’t believe this addresses what we were after.
“We need to know the issues the school was facing in the five years running up to now so that the same doesn’t happen again.”
