A NORTH Lanarkshire school’s “hardworking staff” have been praised by inspectors following a recent visit.

The team at Allanton Primary and nursery in Shotts were celebrated in the report by Education Scotland, who met pupils and teachers earlier in the year.

They explained: “The hardworking staff team across the school and nursery … work very well together to create a warm, calm, nurturing environment where children are encouraged to work hard and achieve.”

The inspectors also praised the “happy, enthusiastic and confident children who enjoy learning in nursery and school” and added: “They show respect, care and kindness as they learn and play together. Children are very proud of their school and nursery.”

Another key strength highlighted in the report was the “very effective use of digital technology to support learning and teaching.”

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Inspectors noted: “Children across the school use a range of tools and platforms confidently to enhance their learning across the curriculum, and to develop their digital skills.”

Areas for improvement discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Lanarkshire Council included a requirement to ensure children have regular opportunities to lead learning across the school and nursery class and to develop further approaches to check children’s progress in all areas of their learning across the school and nursery class.

Elspeth McCoull, headteacher, said: "Staff and pupils are delighted that their hard work has been recognised by the inspection team, particularly our work around digital technologies.

"The positive report is a testament to the dedication of the staff to ensure that despite some challenging circumstances over the last few years that pupils have continued to learn and make good progress.  We are very proud of our whole school community."

The school had closed in October 2021 to allow essential structural repairs to take place, and the children returned to the newly refurbished building in August 2022.

The full report is available on the Education Scotland website.