An independent school in Aberdeen has been praised by inspectors for both its academic and extracurricular excellence.
St Margaret’s School for Girls was found to have pupils with outstanding “behaviour and attitude to learning” and a “range of inspiring opportunities” beyond the classroom.
An HM Inspectorate of Education report said new head teacher Anna Tomlinson was “very knowledgeable, reflective and extremely well organised”.
Miss Tomlinson said of the inspection: “The visit proved to be a very stimulating and constructive experience for school staff and our dialogue with the inspectors has affirmed and informed our ongoing development priorities.
“St Margaret’s, the oldest girls’ school in Scotland, has a proud history and, as we approach our 170th anniversary, we shall celebrate our traditions and continue to embrace innovation and opportunity for every girl.”
Across all age groups a consistent high standard was found in all areas of the curriculum.
Inspectors said trips to the British Museum as well as performances in drama and music demonstrated the high standard of extracurricular activities available at the school.
They said staff members and pupils were now able to better evaluate the learning process because of changes Miss Tomlinson has made.
Questionnaires had allowed pupils to evaluate their classroom experiences and the report suggested that expanding this would “boost pupils’ analytical and communication skills”.
The senior leadership team had also increased the focus on staff members’ self-evaluation, which meant staff were tracking their own progress.
The school also provided a safe environment for its pupils and anti-bullying posters were on display in the junior school and a drama sketch highlighted the dangers of cyber-bullying.
Non-teaching staff were all seen to enjoy a positive relationship with pupils.
The report said the school “has the necessary arrangements and procedures in place to ensure continued improvement in the quality of education provided”.