Commenting on the unprecedented HMI report on St. Mark's Primary School in
Barrhead, Bishop Philip Tartaglia, the Bishop of Paisley in whose Diocese
the school is situated said;

"That Her Majesty's Inspectors of Education have awarded St Mark's a
Scottish "first" with an unprecedented 11 "excellents" in their report as
well as having its teaching standards described as "outstanding" is a matter
of enormous pride to the Catholic community.

St.Mark's is the embodiment of successful catholic education, the Diocese of
Paisley is committed to the support of Catholic Education which has proved
itself time and again as an integral part of the provision of education in
the public sector in Scotland.

Last October speaking at the opening of St. Andrew's Academy, Paisley I
Spoke of our catholic schools as " an enrichment of Scotland’s fine
tradition of education". Today's report coming just five months after an HMI
inspection which awarded Our Lady of the Missions Catholic Primary School in
Thornliebank the title of Scotland¹s then best school with nine "excellents"
Underlines that observation.

I congratulate the staff and pupils of St.Mark's on this momentous
achievement and join them in offering a prayer of thanks for their success."

ENDS

Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
0141 221 1168
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org

Note to Editors:
1. The full report will be available on the HMIe website at www.hmie.gov.uk on and from Tuesday 20 March

2.Bishop Tartaglia has written to Mrs. Patricia Kennedy the Headteacher at St. Mark's congratulating her on the school's achievement, the text of the letter is shown below.

Mrs. Patricia Kennedy HT
St. Mark’s Primary School
Roebank Drive
Barrhead
G78 2JA 19th March 2007

Dear Mrs Kennedy,

I was delighted to be told the news that, following a recent inspection conducted by HM Inspectorate of Education, St. Mark’s Primary School, Barrhead, has been awarded an unprecedented excellent in 11 categories. This outstanding first is all the more singular and praiseworthy for the achievement of the first ever award of an excellent for teaching.

I am particularly pleased that this splendid accolade has been awarded to a Catholic school, the latest in a line of excellent reports achieved by schools in the Catholic sector.

On behalf of the Diocese of Paisley, whose children St. Mark’s Primary School serves so well, I am pleased to extend my warmest congratulations to you, the staff, the pupils and the whole school community for such a fine achievement.

With warmest personal regards,

Yours devotedly,

Philip Tartaglia
Bishop of Paisley