As we continue to look ahead to our inspection from HMIe, which may take place before the summer holidays, our final Friday Focus provides details for parents and carers on what Cathedral’s inspection will entail.
MONDAY
The inspection team will arrive at the school around 12.30pm.
The Managing Inspector will meet with the Headteacher and the local authority Improvement Officer. The discussion will focus on the school’s self-evaluation and other supporting documentation submitted in advance of the inspection, and on the school’s approaches to safeguarding. The discussion is also likely to involve planning for inspection activities during the remainder of the visit.
While this meeting is taking place, the remainder of the inspection team will begin inspection activities, including class visits.
During the afternoon, the Chairperson of the Parent Council usually meets with an inspector and/or the inspection team’s lay member.
Where a lay member is part of the team she/he may also meet with children (P4 upwards) and focus groups of parents, from Monday afternoon onwards, until they leave the school, usually by the end of the day on Tuesday.
TUESDAY
The priority for the inspection team is to get into classes to observe learning and teaching.
The lay member will continue to engage with parents through looking at aspects of their partnership activities with the school, and with focus groups of pupils.
Usually, at the end of the day, a session will be organised to allow staff to engage individually in professional dialogue about features of their work that they wish to share with members of the inspection team.
WEDNESDAY – THURSDAY/FRIDAY
Inspection activity – class visits, meetings and focus groups – continue.
At the conclusion of the inspection activity, which could be anytime between Thursday morning and Friday morning, a meeting will be arranged to discuss the findings with the Headteacher. A representative from the education authority may also attend. During the meeting, inspectors (including the Care Inspector where inspections have included a nursery class) will share pre-quality assured gradings of the Quality Indicators for the school with the Headteacher, who is asked to keep these confidential, sharing only with the education authority and the senior team within the school, until the draft letter of inspection findings is received.
The Headteachers will share high level messages and key strengths and aspects for development with staff as soon as possible after the visit is complete.
A more detailed outline of what Cathedral’s inspection will look like can be accessed via the link below:
This Primary 2 learner certainly has artistic talent and she popped along to Mr Young’s office on Wednesday 17th April to show off her most recent painting. Can you tell which European city it is? Yes, it’s Paris!
Perhaps the cold, rainy weather didn’t make it feel like the start of the summer term on Monday 15th April, but there was the usual Cathedral sunshine inside the school building. As always, the week began with our whole-school assembly, including pupils from Primary 4a talking about their recent learning journey and the award of Pupil of the Week certificates. Mr Young gathered Primary 7 pupils together after assembly to encourage them to continue to give of their best in what will be their very last term in Cathedral Primary School.
What an incredible term it’s been here at Cathedral! You only need to scroll back over our website newsfeed to see the rich and varied learning experiences our pupils have enjoyed since returning to school after the Christmas holidays. There’s NEVER a dull nor a wasted day here at Cathedral!
A very special visitor made a flying visit to Cathedral Primary and Nursery on the last day of term, Thursday 28th March. Pupils across the school got a huge Easter surprise
when the Spring Chicken suddenly appeared in their classroom, accompanied by a favourite Cathedral song to sing along to: ‘I’m a Spring Chicken’.
Mrs McCoy, one of our Principal Teachers, will celebrate a milestone birthday over the Easter holidays. Given her boundless energy and enthusiasm (yes, it’s true: she CAN still do the splits!), I imagine the number on the balloons will come as quite a surprise to many Cathedral parents and carers.
Cathedral pupils have raised a fantastic £1,076.49 through their various Lenten fundraisers. All of this money will be donated to Missio Scotland, the Holy Father’s official charity for overseas mission.
We are very proud to be the parish school of Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral. As we approach the Easter holidays, we encourage parents and carers to take their child(ren) to at least some of the liturgies taking place over the coming days, as well as to regular Sunday Mass.
One of the hymns we’ve sang during the season of Lent says: ‘Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me.’ This Cathedral pupil has been putting her faith into action in recent weeks by making and selling bracelets in her local community for SCIAF’s Wee Box campaign. Well done for showing our first school value of ‘Love’. 
This Primary 4 pupil was very eager to show off his trophy to Mr Young. He plays with Motherwell FC Community Trust and was recently awarded Trainer of the Week for his commitment, effort, attitude and skill on the pitch. Well done, and don’t forget to record your wider achievement on your Rose Trainer Achievement Award card! 