READING and writing skills at an East Lothian primary school were described as ‘weak’ by inspectors who visited just months after its library was moved to a new campus.

Education inspectors said that children at Wallyford Primary School would "welcome more regular access to their library" following a visit in September last year.

The inspection criticised levels of literacy and numeracy among pupils, which it said were "inconsistent", and it found “too few children are making progress in line with expected national standards”.

The new Wallyford Primary School opened in 2019, with a community library named after local writer Margaret Oliphant based in the building.

In September last year, the library was moved onto a new learning campus for the new secondary school in the expanding village.

READ MORE: Inspectors tell Wallyford Primary School to close attainment gap

The inspection report found that the move had had an impact on youngsters, stating: “Across the school, children would welcome regular access to the school library.

“This would support learners to further develop their knowledge of different authors and access a wider range of texts.”

East Lothian Council said that a new school library was due to open in the primary school in June.

A spokesperson said: “Since the library moved from the building, older children (P6-7) have visited the new library within the Wallyford Learning Campus on a fortnightly rotation, while younger children (nursery and P1-5) have benefited from classroom libraries tailored to age and stage.

“Wallyford Primary School has since received a grant from Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) to refresh its school library for learners to use.

“Children and families have been fully consulted about the library and the school is taking forward their suggestions. The new school library is due to open in June.”

READ MORE: Wallyford Primary School's first day hailed a 'resounding success'

The education inspection findings will be presented to the council’s education committee on Tuesday.

It raises concerns about attainment levels in the school but praises the relationship between teaching staff and the children, saying that staff encourage “compassionate, collaborative and persistence in their learning efforts”.

It adds: “Most children regularly make responsible choices and treat their peers with respect. Teachers maintain a welcoming and reassuring atmosphere in almost all lessons.”

Zena Diggle, the school’s headteacher, took over the post last summer and is working with education bosses to tackle the concerns raised.

'Areas for attention'

Nicola McDowell, the council’s head of education, welcomed the recognition from Education Scotland for its positive practice during the visit, particularly given “the challenges of the last few years”.

She said: “It is heartening to see inspectors recognise the strong and caring relationships within a nurturing environment."

Ms McDowell added: “The report highlights a number of areas for attention, including in attainment, literacy and numeracy.

"Our central team has been working closely with Mrs Diggle and her staff team to put in place the resources and support required to focus on these important areas.

“As an authority, we have developed a rigorous approach to capturing and sharing attainment data with schools that enables them to carefully track progress and build on successes.

"The current tracking of pupil progress across P1 to P7 indicates predicted improvements in pupil attainment and achievement in literacy and numeracy by June 2024 compared to previous academic sessions.

“The whole staff team is committed to providing the very best learning and teaching for all of the school’s children and, as the report reflects, work well together to share ideas and resources.

"This work will continue with a renewed focus and with Mrs Diggle, who is enthusiastic about driving forward improvements.”