A PEEBLES primary school has received a glowing report from Government inspectors.

Priorsford Primary was visited by Education Scotland at the start of the year.

And this week the inspectors published their findings - scoring the school as 'good' in all categories.

But they have identified room for improvement at the adjoining nursery school, which was only graded as 'satisfactory'.

Education Scotland found headteacher Sandra Macgregor to be supportive and approachable, establishing a warm and welcoming family ethos within the school.

Staff were found to be working well as a team and engaging in professional learning.

And they reported that children were well behaved, articulate and engaged at both school and nursery - stating they were enthusiastic learners who were supportive of each other, and proud of their school.

Inspectors also found evidence of good partnerships with parents and the wider community which was helping to create an enriching learning environment.

Sandra told us: “I am delighted that the inspectors recognised the positive, warm ethos that all the staff have worked so hard to establish at Priorsford.

"We have a very dedicated and committed team who aim to provide the best possible learning experiences for the children in both the nursery and the school.

"I am very pleased that this commitment has been recognised as a particular strength.

“The children are a credit to our school and I am delighted that their positive engagement and attitude to learning as well as the pride they have in their school was clearly evident to the inspection team.

“The inspection process was challenging but also supportive and has given us clarity on our strengths and areas for development.

"We have a clear sense of where we are, where we want to be and the next steps we will take on this journey of continuous improvement.”

Areas for improvement highlighted by the inspection team include improving the strategic leadership of both the school and nursery.

And to develop consistency in teaching and learning.

Although the nursery was only graded as 'satisfactory' in the report, inspectors acknowledged improvements were already under way.

Priorsford Parent Council chairs, Rachel Beatton and Julie Houghton are pleased with the findings.

They added: “The Parent Council would like to thank all the staff for the dedication and hard work they put into the school on a continuous basis.

“We’re delighted the inspectors recognised the children’s communication skills, support for each other, positive approach to learning and pride in their school.

"We are also pleased the staff teamwork and professionalism has been noted, and agree that partnership with parents and the community produces a family-like ethos within which the children thrive.

“We are fortunate to have a leadership team that operates an environment where change is welcomed and input from new ideas actively encouraged.

We are very proud of our school and fully support the senior management team’s strong leadership within the school.

"We share Education Scotland's expectations of high standards of achievement and attainment for all of the young people at Priorsford and look forward to continuing to work closely in partnership with the school towards this shared goal.”