MAIN FINDINGS

This is a good school that serves its pupils well.

It has many strengths and few shortcomings.

The overall quality of the provision for children under five is good. 

The overall provision for children in the assessment unit (aged 3 to 5 years) is very good and they achieve very good standards in relation to their prior attainment.

Although physical development for children under-five is satisfactory overall, they make insufficient progress in the development of large motor skills. This is because they do not have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of vigorous, physical learning experiences
on a regular basis.

Pupils’ standards of achievement and progress in key skills across the curriculum are good.
Teachers are successfully exploring different ways of developing and enhancing pupils’ key skills in all lessons. 
Standards of achievement for pupils for whom English is an additional language are good.
In the lessons seen during the inspection, standards of achievement were good or very good in over 80 per cent of the lessons seen in KS1 and in over half of the lessons in KS2.

The school’s 2001 National Curriculum Assessment (NCA) results for the end of KS1 show that, in comparison with the national results for 2000 (the latest available), pupils achieve standards above those found in similar schools in Wales in reading, writing and mathematics. There is a very close correlation between teacher assessments and the test
results.

The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels has risen from below the national averages in 2000 to significantly above the national averages in 2001 in reading and mathematics and above average in writing.

The KS1 core subject indicator for 2001 (that is, the percentage of Y2 pupils attaining at least Level 2 in English, mathematics and science in combination) is 85 per cent,compared to 80 per cent in all schools nationally. In 2000, the KS1 core subject indicator for the school was 52 per cent, compared with 78 per cent nationally.

The school’s 2001 NCA results for the end of KS2 show that, in comparison with the national results for all schools in Wales in 2000 (the latest national figures available), the proportion of pupils achieving Level 4 or higher is above the national average in English.
It is below the national averages in mathematics and science. The proportion of pupils achieving Level 5 is lower than the all Wales averages in English, mathematics and science.

The school’s KS2 NCA results for 2001 indicate an improvement over those achieved in English and mathematics in 2000. There is a wider than expected gap between teacher assessments and the test results. The school has undertaken detailed analyses of these results.
The school calculates that KS2 core subject indicator for 2001 (that is, the percentage of Y6 pupils attaining at least Level 4 in English, mathematics and science in combination) is 49 per cent, compared to 47 per cent in similar schools, and 63 per cent in all schools, in Wales in 2000. In 2000, the KS2 core subject indicator for the school was 57 per cent.

The quality of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils’response to this provision is good. The school successfully promotes a supportive and happy community where each individual is valued.

Behaviour and attitudes are very good throughout the school. Pupils are keen to learn.

The school has a policy of zero tolerance for any kind of anti-social behaviour and this is rigorously applied.

Attendance is satisfactory. There has been a small but steady improvement in the attendance of older pupils over the last five years. Attendance in the nursery is more variable and, on occasions, poor.
The quality of teaching is good and has a significant impact on the standards achieved by pupils.
During the inspection, teaching was very good in 27 per cent of the sixty-four lessons or part lessons observed, good in 48 per cent and satisfactory in 23 per cent of lessons. One unsatisfactory lesson (2 per cent) was seen. Teaching is good in the nursery and reception classes (including the assessment unit).

Activities are well planned and organised. Children are actively encouraged to develop good working habits. All staff are fully involved in all aspects of children’s learning.

In KS1 teaching is good. A consistent feature of the high quality teaching at this key stage is the high expectations teachers have of what pupils will achieve. The pace of lessons is brisk and no time is wasted. Support staff make an important contribution to the standards achieved in these year groups.

The quality of teaching in KS2 is also good with some strong specialist teaching evident. Good working relationships between staff and pupils promote the achievement of good standards. However, the range of teaching quality is broader in this key stage. In a minority of lessons, teachers do not always provide appropriately challenging work for their pupils.

The school has a number of pupils for whom English is an additional language. The quality of the teaching they receive is good. A wide range of activities and opportunities are provided to enable pupils to gain confidence and understanding.

The overall quality of assessment, recording and reporting is good. The school collects a range of information about pupils’ academic achievements through statutory and non-statutory tests and assessments. An effective tracking system is being developed in
English, mathematics and science which enables teachers to set meaningful targets for their pupils. Written annual reports clearly identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses.

The curriculum for children under fives is of high quality. The school provides a good curriculum in both key stages that is broad, balanced and relevant to the needs of its pupils. Literacy and numeracy strategies are helping to raise standards of achievement.
 
 

The provision made for Welsh second language is very good and strength of the school. The school’s coverage of Y Cwricwlwm Cymreig is very good. It is carefully planned for and evident in practice throughout the curriculum. A shortcoming across the school is that some teaching sessions are too long whilst others are too short.

The quality of support and guidance is good. There are a number of very good aspects in this area of the school’s work. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. All necessary arrangements are in place. The lunchtime supervisors are particularly effective in their roles and make a valuable contribution to the quality of this part of the school day.

The provision for pupils in the main school with SEN is good. In the assessment unit the provision for children with special educational needs is very good. The school’s existing policies, practices and procedures for supporting pupils with special educational needs do
not, as yet, reflect the new requirements of the National Assembly for Wales.

The partnership with parents and with the community, schools and other institutions is good. The arrangements for managing the transition of children in and out of the assessment unit are particularly effective. However, not all the school’s documentation that it sends to parents, in particular the prospectus, the governors’ annual report to parents and the home/school agreement, fully reflects the recommendations and statutory requirements of the National Assembly for Wales.

The school’s partnership with industry is very good and a strength of the school. With an Education Business Partnership grant, “Priory Pottery” has been set up in the school. It is run by the pupils, with the active help and support of staff, parents and grandparents.
Pupils make clocks and pots and learn first hand about business. Their understanding of the world of work is developing well.

The scope and effectiveness of the school’s procedures for evaluating standards achieved and the quality of provision are good. The school development plan is a useful working document that clearly sets out the school’s priorities. 
The headteacher’s leadership and vision ensures a strong drive to improve standards. Both the leadership and efficiency of the school are good. Staff work hard and are responding well to the challenges that face them. The school is successfully moving forward.
Good self-evaluation practice is evident in the work of the senior management team. This has yet to be extended in order to develop the roles of the subject co-ordinators and governors in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school.

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are good overall. However, the library provision is not adequate enough to develop pupils’ independent research and library skills across the curriculum. Also, there is insufficient provision for the full physical development of children under five.
The school is well equipped for information and communication technology (ICT). Hardware and software are regularly upgraded or replaced as part of a rolling programme.

Support staff work closely with the teaching staff in all aspects of school life. Their expertise, commitment and experience ensure that they provide very good support and this has a positive effect upon the pupils’ standards of achievement. Parent helpers also offer very effective support to the teaching staff.

The whole report is available on the Estyn website.