Education Scotland report commends Millburn Academy for its ‘culture of respect’
Millburn Academy in Inverness has been commended for its leadership, culture of respect and inclusive learning environment after a snap inspection in January.
Inspectors from Education Scotland praised the secondary school’s headteacher for providing “strategic well-focused leadership,” noting that she is “guiding the school community through change sensitively and effectively.”
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The education watchdog scored the school as “Good” across all criteria after spending the day talking to parents/carers and young people, while working closely with the headteacher and staff.
Appointed in 2024, the Millburn headteacher is supported by five depute heads, each of whom now holds a revised remit to better align with school improvement priorities, the report confirmed.
Classroom learning was observed to be “calm and purposeful”, supported by strong relationships between staff and pupils.
Most pupils were described as “well behaved, courteous and proud of their school”, with staff working collaboratively to improve consistency in lesson planning and delivery.
The recently introduced “Millburn Lesson Standard” was highlighted as contributing to “clear structure” and improved teaching quality.
The report noted that most pupils achieve Curriculum for Excellence third or fourth level in literacy and numeracy by the end of S3.
In the senior phase, attainment in National 5 and Higher qualifications was generally in line with or above the national equivalent.
Attainment for pupils with additional support needs was described as positive, with most making good progress through targeted interventions.
The inspection also highlighted the “wide variety of rich achievements” available to pupils, including sports, clubs, and wider accreditation such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Saltire Awards.
A recently introduced digital platform allows pupils to record skills and track their development.
Staff were praised for creating opportunities that help pupils develop attributes like teamwork, creativity, and leadership.
Gaelic provision was described as inclusive and motivating, with pupils engaging in a range of cultural experiences.
Pupils benefit from opportunities such as participation in the Film G competition and the Inverness Gaelic Mòd.
Inspectors found that young people were “enthusiastic about the motivating range of experiences that enhance their learning of Gaelic,” and noted strong outcomes in qualifications at SCQF levels three to six.
The school’s Enhanced Provision (Hub), which supports pupils with a range additional support needs, was also inspected.
Inspectors found that relationships in “the Hub” were “positive and nurturing” and that staff worked well to support inclusion across the mainstream curriculum.
However, they advised that leadership responsibilities for senior leaders and all staff within the Hub should be further developed.
Areas for improvement included enhancing pupil voice in school improvement planning and ensuring a consistent understanding of assessment standards.
Inspectors recommended that teachers “develop a shared understanding of standards so that they can make more reliable judgements about the progress young people are making.”
The report also called for improvements in how the school supports health and wellbeing.
While many pupils reported feeling safe and supported, inspectors said that pupils “should be involved more fully in developing the learning around the health and wellbeing curriculum and measuring its impact on them.”
Inspectors further advised that Gaelic should be more fully integrated into strategic planning at school level to secure and sustain 3-18 learning of Gaelic.
