Inspection under Section 28 of the Education Act 2005 A report on the quality of education in Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School Llangadfan Powys SY21 0NW School number: 6662004 Date of inspection: 12 January 2010 by Sylvia Clough 78919 Date of publication: 16 March 2010 Under Estyn contract number: 1111909 © Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2010: This report may be re-used free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is re-used accurately and not used in a misleading context. The copyright in the material must be acknowledged as aforementioned and the title of the report specified. Copies of this report are available from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide copies of the report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the cost of reproduction may be made to others requesting a copy of the report. Introduction Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School was inspected as part of a national programme of school inspection. The purpose of inspection is to identify good features and shortcomings in schools in order that they may improve the quality of education offered and raise the standards achieved by their pupils. The inspection of all schools within a six-year cycle is also designed to give parents information about the performance of their child’s school. The inspection of Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School took place between 12/01/10 and 15/01/10. An independent team of inspectors, led by Sylvia Clough undertook the inspection. Estyn, a statutory body independent of, but funded by, the National Assembly for Wales, commissioned the inspection. The team was required to report on the standards achieved by pupils, the quality of education provided by the school, the quality of leadership and management and the contribution made by the school to its pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Estyn’s reports follow its guidance for the writing and editing of reports, which is available on the Estyn website (www.estyn.gov.uk). The table below shows the terms that Estyn uses and a broad idea of their meaning. The table is for guidance only. Nearly all with very few exceptions Most 90% or more Many 70% or more A majority over 60% Half/around half close to 50% A minority below 40% Few below 20% Very few less than 10% The five-point scale used to represent all inspection judgements in this report is as follows: Grade 1 good with outstanding features Grade 2 good features and no important shortcomings Grade 3 good features outweigh shortcomings Grade 4 some good features, but shortcomings in important areas Grade 5 many important shortcomings There are three types of inspection. For all inspections, there is a written report on seven key questions. For short inspections, there are no subject reports. For standard inspections, there are also reports on six subjects. For full inspections, there are also reports on all subjects. Estyn decides the kind of inspection that a school receives, mainly on the basis of its past performance. Most schools receive a standard inspection. All nursery schools, special schools, pupil referral units and any new or amalgamated schools receive a full inspection. This school received a standard inspection. Year groups and key stages Schools use a common system of numbering year groups from the start of compulsory schooling to 18 years of age. This system emphasises the importance of continuity and eases communication among schools, governing bodies, parents and LEAs. The term ‘Reception’ (R) refers to the year group of pupils in a primary school who reach the age of 5 during the academic year. Year 1 refers to the year group of pupils who reach the age of 6 during the academic year and so on. Year 13 is the year group of students who reach the age of 18 during the academic year. Primary phase: Year Ages R 4-5 Y1 5-6 Y2 6-7 Y3 7-8 Y4 8-9 Y5 9-10 Y6 10-11 Y8 12-13 Y9 13-14 Y10 14-15 Y11 15-16 Y12 16-17 Y13 17-18 Secondary phase: Year Ages Y7 11-12 The National Curriculum covers four key stages as follows: Key stage 1 Key stage 2 Key stage 3 Key stage 4 Year 1 and Year 2 Year 3 to Year 6 Year 7 to Year 9 Year 10 and Year 11 Contents Page Context 1 Summary 2 Recommendations 9 Standards 9 Key Question 1: How well do learners achieve? 9 The quality of education and training 12 Key Question 2: How effective are teaching, training and assessment? 12 Key Question 3: How well do the learning experiences meet the needs and interests of learners and the wider community? 14 Key Question 4: 16 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? Leadership and management 18 Key Question 5: management? 18 How effective are leadership and strategic Key Question 6: How well do leaders and managers evaluate and improve quality and standards? 20 Key Question 7: resources? 21 How efficient are leaders and managers in using Standards achieved in subjects and areas of learning Foundation phase Welsh first language Information and communications technology Design and technology Geography Physical education 22 22 26 27 28 29 30 School's response to the inspection 31 Appendices 1 Basic information about the school 2 School data and indicators 3 National Curriculum assessments results 4 Evidence base of the inspection 5 Composition and responsibilities of the inspection team 32 32 32 33 33 34 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Context The nature of the provider 1 Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School is situated in the rural village of Llangadfan in Powys. It is a naturally Welsh-medium school. Pupils come from the village, the surrounding area and beyond. Pupils are admitted to the school at four years of age. There are 45 full-time pupils on the register. The school states that the area from where the pupils come is neither prosperous nor economically disadvantaged. 2 Pupils are shared into two classes, one comprising children under five and years (Y) 1 and 2, and the other class for primary pupils in Y3-Y6. Fifty-eight per cent of the pupils come from English speaking homes and 42% from Welsh speaking homes, currently there are no pupils of ethnic origin at the school. Dyffryn Banw School is a community school. Welsh is the main medium of teaching and learning, but the school aims to ensure that pupils are fluent in both English and Welsh by the time they transfer to the secondary school. 3 The school accepts pupils from across the full range of ability and indicates that 7% of the pupils are entitled to receive free school meals. There are seven children on the special educational needs (SEN) register but no pupil holds a statement of SEN. In the National Curriculum (NC) assessments in 2009 and 2008, pupils' attainments in key stages 1 and 2, according to teacher assessment, were higher than the county and national averages in Welsh, mathematics and science. In comparison with those schools that are similar in relation to the percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals, the school is in the highest quartile across the core subjects in key stage 1 and higher than the family in key stage 2. There has been progress since the previous inspection. 4 There are three full-time teachers, including the headteacher, and three classroom assistants. There are 23.3 teaching hours in the infants and 23.6 in the primary section. The headteacher was appointed to her post in January 1993 and the school was last inspected in February 2004. 5 The school has received accreditation in the following areas: Fair Trade School Quality Mark 3 Eco-Schools International Schools Award Healthy Schools - Year 1. The school’s priorities and targets 6 The school's priorities and targets are to: continue to develop the thematic methods of enquiry schemes of work throughout the school; ensure the best strategies in targeting improvement in pupils' basic skills, those of boys in particular; develop business and enterprise opportunities throughout the school; continue to develop the outdoor classroom for the Foundation Phase, and continue to develop opportunities for pupils to become independent learners, who are ready to assess their own achievements and to venture without guidance. 1 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Summary 7 Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School is a good school with a substantial number of outstanding features. Its experienced, committed, caring and conscientious staff provides education of the best quality to its pupils. Outstanding features include the progressive leadership of the headteacher and governing body, the rich curriculum, which includes developing mental skills as identified within the 2008 Curriculum, and the extended learning experiences provided. Another outstanding feature is the exceptional collaboration amongst all the school's partners. All this is reinforced by efficient management of all the learning resources. Since the previous inspection, the school has maintained the very good standards adjudged and has improved the quality of the educational provision further. 8 The self-evaluation report, written by the headteacher, the governing body and the teachers, is of a good standard and identifies strengths and areas to be developed further. The team's judgements agree with the grades awarded by the school within its self-evaluation report in six of the seven key questions. A lower grade was awarded to key question 4, where good features and no important shortcomings were identified. 9 The inspection team judged the school's standards of work as follows: Table of grades awarded Key Question 1. How well do learners achieve? 1. How effective are teaching, training and assessment? 2. How well do the learning experiences meet the needs and interests of learners and the wider community? 3. How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? 4. How effective are leadership and strategic management? 5. How well do leaders and managers evaluate and improve quality and standards? 6. How efficient are leaders and managers in using resources? Inspection grade Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Standards of learning 10 In the lessons inspected, pupils' standards of achievement are as follows: Grade 1 56% Grade 2 44% Grade 3 0% Grade 4 0% Grade 5 0% 11 The above percentages exceed the national findings published in Her Majesty's Chief Inspector's (HMCI) annual report for 2008-2009, which states that standards are good or better (Grade 1 and 2) in 85% of lessons. In this school there were 100% at Grades 1 and 2, which is an outstanding feature. 2 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 The Foundation Phase 12 The inspection team adjudged standards in the six areas of learning as follows: Six areas of learning Grade Personal and social development, wellbeing and cultural Grade 1 development Language, literacy and communication skills Grade 1 Mathematical development Grade 2 Knowledge and understanding of the world Grade 2 Physical development Grade 1 Creative development Grade 2 13 Results of baseline assessments show that children's attainment on entry to the school is higher than the local education authority (LEA) average. The overall quality of the educational provision for children under five years of age is appropriate to their needs and children make good progress towards the Foundation Phase outcomes. They show an eagerness for learning and learn very good collaborative skills and responsibilities. 14 Children under five make very good progress in their communication skills. They speak confidently and listen intently to adults and peers. They have begun to master elementary reading and writing skills. 15 Their mathematical and information and communications technology (ICT) skills are also developing well. They work confidently and accurately on mathematical work, nurturing correct measuring, comparison and number terms. They understand and use their environment to learn and to wonder and purposefully investigate in various habitats making accurate findings. They are increasingly confident in using ICT skills in different situations and work on programs independently. They move around the playing field and in their physical development lessons showing good control of their bodies. They use tubes, instruments and tins to make sounds and show the ability to maintain simple rhythms. Grades for standards in the subjects inspected 16 In key stages 1 and 2, pupils' standards of achievement in the subjects inspected are as follows: Subject Key stage 1 Key stage 2 Welsh first language Grade 1 Grade 1 Information and communications technology Grade 1 Grade 1 Design technology Grade 2 Grade 2 Geography Grade 1 Grade 1 Physical education Grade 1 Grade 1 17 The education provided by the school meets with the range of pupils' needs extremely effectively. Pupils with SEN make very good progress in their learning with all of them attaining level 4 in the NC assessments in the last two years. 18 During the last two years, results of teachers' assessments in both key stages show outstanding features in pupils' standards and progress as they use thinking, literacy, numeracy and ICT skills throughout the curriculum. 3 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 19 Pupils' standards in their bilingual proficiency show outstanding progress. By the end of key stage 2, pupils are, almost without exception, proficient in both English and Welsh and use both languages regularly to complete tasks across the subjects. 20 In the NC assessments in 2009 and 2008, pupils' attainments in key stage 1, according to teachers' assessments, were higher than the county and national averages in Welsh, mathematics and science. In comparison with those schools that are similar in relation to the number of pupils entitled to receive free school meals, the school is in the highest quartile throughout the core subjects. It is also higher than the family of similar schools. This shows progress since 2007, when the school was in the lowest quartile in Welsh, mathematics and science. 21 In the NC assessments in 2009, the attainments of pupils in key stage 2, according to teachers' assessments, were higher than the county and national averages in Welsh, English, mathematics and science. In comparison with similar schools in relation to the percentage of pupils entitled to receive free school meals, the school was in the highest quartile in English and science and in the second quartile in mathematics and Welsh as a first language. In comparison with the family of similar schools, the school's results were higher. Since 2007, the school has been consistently in the highest quartile in relation to the core subject indicators (CSI). 22 From studying school data, there is strong evidence that pupils make very good progress in moving forward to the next stage of their learning. One outstanding feature is the way that children in the Foundation Phase, and in both key stages, succeed outstandingly to achieve the targets set for them. They achieve exceptional success in their work, whatever their ability. By the time they reach the primary class, they have mastered very good self-evaluation skills in order to improve their work, recognising what they need to do in order to improve. 23 In each of the key stages, pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) make very good progress in their personal and basic learning skills. 24 In key stages 1 and 2, pupils make very good progress in their Welsh literacy communication skills and in their mathematical, ICT and creative skills. They make very good progress in their listening, reading and writing skills in English. Pupils' thinking and enquiry skills are outstanding features, especially by the time they reach key stage 2. They are alert and confident to ask and answer questions and to express an opinion. 25 Pupils' bilingual skills are an outstanding feature throughout the school. They are skilful in problem solving and discussing with partners. They are completely confident when involved in discussion skills and come to prudent and relevant decisions in the subjects they are dealing with. They can improve their learning and their own performance very successfully. 26 In all aspects of school life, pupils' behaviour is very good. They show motivation and a keen interest in their work. They are very productive when working independently. Pupils respond outstandingly to instructions from both teaching and support staff. Parents and members of the local community praise their behaviour. They make an effort to please their teachers at all times. 27 Pupils make very good progress in their personal, social, spiritual and moral skills. They show respect towards a variety of cultures and beliefs and have a 4 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 very good understanding of equal opportunities and fair play through their curricular work and through their Fair Trade work. They respect other cultures, dealing courteously and empathetically with differences in lifestyles and traditions in their involvement with friends in Libya. 28 Through visiting places of work, such as a building site, and through the contributions of visitors such as a physiotherapist, pupils have a good awareness of the world of work. Their responsibilities within the school council and Fair Trade activities develop their decision making abilities and teaches them how to manage profit and loss when dealing with money, whilst at the same time developing their entrepreneurial skills. 29 The school conforms to the requirements of the National Assembly for Wales' 47/06 Newsletter with regard to registering attendance. Attendance for pupils within school age during the three terms prior to the inspection averaged 94.45%, which corresponds very closely to the national targets. No pupil was excluded during the three terms prior to the inspection. There are effective procedures in place for dealing with any regular absences. Punctuality at the beginning of the day and to lessons is good. The quality of teaching and training 30 The quality of teaching was judged as follows: Grade 1 55% Grade 2 40% Grade 3 5% Grade 4 - Grade 5 - 31 The quality of teaching is good or better (Grade 1 and 2) in 95% of lessons, which is much higher than the average of 85% of lessons judged to be Grade 2 or higher across the whole of Wales, as stated in HMCI's annual report for 2008-2009. 32 The quality of teaching is a strength in this school and an important element in the outstanding progress that pupils make and in the high standards achieved. Teachers' high expectations stimulate pupils to undertake tasks eagerly. The quality of relationships within the classrooms is outstanding and teachers are constructive role models and their relationships with pupils are a positive element of the teaching and learning. 33 Teachers display good subject knowledge, and show outstanding awareness of recent educational initiatives. They regularly take advantage of appropriate professional training opportunities. They prepare lessons thoroughly, linking previous learning to subsequent lessons. Careful attention is paid to the needs of pupils of all abilities. Staff at the school are used to deliver training on good practice to teachers in the catchment, in the county and nationally. 34 Teachers are enthusiastic and conscientious and use a wide variety of teaching strategies and relevant resources. Classroom assistants, who work very well with the teachers, make a substantial contribution in ensuring the best possible opportunities for pupils. The learning is enriched effectively by a wide variety of visits and educational field work, extra curricular activities and outstanding use of local talent. This enriches pupils' education and raises standards. 35 The quality of teaching for children under five years of age is outstanding, with the planning of a wide range of activities that stimulate and maintain children's interest, motivates independence and provides opportunities for them to learn 5 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 through experimental play. Class organisation works very well. The outstanding features of the teaching include: providing extensive experiences, delivering a rich language that promotes pupils' bilingual skills, and enhancing pupils' abilities through giving them responsibilities to set relevant and challenging research pathways and ensure opportunities for pupils to evaluate their work against success criteria set by them at the beginning of the lesson. 36 Features of the good teaching include: carefully including the relevant skills and key skills within lessons and specific activities; providing opportunities to encourage pupils to work together productively and to show perseverance when working independently; effective use of relevant resources including the interactive whiteboard and ICT equipment; good questioning which stimulates pupils to investigate further, and encouragement of pupils to work effectively in groups and independently. 37 Bilingual development is promoted outstandingly and detailed attention is paid to syntax and feeding Welsh vocabulary of a high quality. There is a very strong Welsh ethos at this school. The planning for promoting bilingual skills are an outstanding feature and the school succeeds through the activities and good use of both languages side by side to promote Welsh heritage in a quiet way, kindling the children's pride in their ability to be involved in local culture, whilst at the same time enjoying experiences of other cultures from all corners of the world. 38 An outstanding feature is the emphasis on developing thinking skills and key skills within lessons. The school has attained very good standards and there are rich strategies in place to prepare pupils to become lifelong learners. 39 The school promotes equal opportunities, treating everyone fairly and respectfully. Teachers know their pupils very well. They consistently plan and monitor pupils' activities and progress through tasks, satisfying the individual needs and interests of all pupils in their care, according to their ability. 40 There are clear guidelines within the assessment policy to ensure that statutory needs are met whilst at the same time maintaining standards. The emphasis is on dealing with each individual in order to target the next step to develop their skills and their understanding within the subjects across the curriculum. Targets are set termly and these are discussed in parents' evenings. Pupils know what their targets are and are involved in the process of evaluating them in order to set new ones. Pupils take responsibility for their own learning and strive to improve the quality of their work. Their work is marked regularly and appropriate verbal and written feedback is offered to them on how to improve their work. They also evaluate each other's work and set joint targets. 41 The annual reports to parents conform to the statutory requirements and are of a good quality and include useful information for improvement. They record pupils' progress in each subject. 42 The curricular provision is an outstanding feature of the school's life and work. Pupils are offered equal access to a broad and balanced curriculum that develops 6 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 thinking and questioning skills, extends their knowledge and understanding and prepares them for lifelong learning. The provision is socially inclusive and ensures equal opportunities for all. There is very good support for pupils who have additional needs. Particularly good attention is offered in the classroom by support staff and they are fully included in all activities, as there is specific work and resources for them. Appropriate homework is set which reinforces the curricular work and enhances various skills. 43 The importance of keeping healthy is promoted through Healthy Schools activities and pupils are encouraged to eat fresh fruit through the sales at the school's Fair Trade shop, healthy lunches and through taking part in sports and physical activities. Pupils' awareness of the need to behave sustainably and of conservation issues is good. 44 The school plans and manages care and support arrangements well. Very effective use is made of the expertise of the support services. Teachers and assistants ensure that the arrangements made by the school are regularly promoted. 45 There is a good relationship between the school and welfare agencies to support pupils with personal difficulties and additional needs. The school follows the guidance received for the benefit of the pupils. 46 The school has very good induction systems. Children under five years of age settle in quickly to the school and there is a close relationship between the school and the Cylch Meithrin. The arrangements for latecomers are outstanding and particular emphasis is placed on ensuring that they settle in and come to grips with bilingualism with as little concern as possible. 47 The school has appropriate systems in place for monitoring pupils' attendance, punctuality, behaviour and performance. Governors take their roles seriously and encourage parents to ensure that pupils attend school, and that they avoid taking holidays during the school term. 48 The school has clear systems for the protection of children and they conform to the statutory requirements. Together with the headteacher, a designated member of the governing body has responsibility for these procedures. 49 The quality of the provision and the procedures for ALN are good. The school has a clear policy which conforms to the 2002 Code of Practice. 50 There is a clear policy for equal opportunities, racial equality and diversity, together with an Accessibility Scheme. The school also has an Equality Statement for the Disabled and there are opportunities for any person who has a disability to contribute to the life and work of the school. The building has been adapted to include wheelchair access. Leadership and management 51 The quality of the headteacher's leadership is an outstanding feature. She is very professional and conscientious in her management and leadership of the school and her skills and her vision are certainly the key elements of the school's success. Parents, governors and the community have confidence in her ability to ensure that all perform to the utmost of their ability. 52 The headteacher has a clear vision and a strategic direction for the future of the school. Her emphasis on providing experiences and education of a high standard for pupils is reflected in all aspects of the school's work. 7 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 53 The school has good policies and procedures for subjects and attention is paid to national priorities, especially the Foundation Phase and the 2008 Curriculum, with the emphasis on developing thinking skills across the curriculum. The way that the headteacher has shared her good practice with other schools in the county and with other schools nationally with regard to presenting language skills is an outstanding feature and this contributes to the school's successes and its ability to maintain a high ratio of staff to pupils through attracting additional funding for the school. 54 The governing body fulfils its role very effectively, satisfying the legal duties. Members of the board have a good knowledge of the school and share the burden of maintenance work, looking after the budget, and realising the school's priorities for continuous improvement. Spending decisions are closely linked with the priorities identified in the school development plan (SDP) and a good effort is made to ensure the best value for money. 55 There is a strong culture of self-evaluation in all aspects of the school's life and management and there is clear evidence that this contributes to maintaining and raising standards, as the outcomes of the procedure feed directly into the SDP. 56 Direct evidence is used from monitoring the quality of the teaching and learning, together with a good range of relevant and specific data, to identify needs for developing lessons and the provision. Time is spent measuring the success of the implementation. Parents, pupils, teachers and governors are involved in the process. 57 Very good progress has been made since the previous inspection, with staff and governors having addressed all the key issues and maintained the standards. 58 Performance management procedures have a good effect on staff development and in turn, contribute towards maintaining good standards. Each member of the school's staff knows that there are equal opportunities for them to receive training and they are given the freedom to measure their success and set their own targets, in order to ensure that they can contribute fully to the school's requirements. This maintains the high standards of teaching, and in turn the learning. 59 The school is particularly well staffed for the number of pupils on roll. Teachers have been deployed effectively and contribute their expertise where there is a need in order to maintain continuity and progression. 60 The feature of working as a team is an outstanding element of the school's work, including support staff, teachers, assistants and governors. This ensures that the school community is pulling in the same direction, sharing the vision for maintaining and raising standards. 61 The school's building and grounds are very good resources for promoting the educational provision. The school is kept very clean and the buildings and grounds are kept effectively. Displays are colourful and stimulating and celebrate pupils' successes very well. The internal and external resources for the Foundation Phase are very good and are used effectively. 62 Resources have been outstandingly matched to the school's priorities and a good number of computers are available for pupils to receive frequent opportunities to develop ICT skills. The governing body manages, monitors and reviews and directs the school's expenditure very effectively. The inspection team is of the opinion that the school ensures value for money. 8 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Recommendations 63 The school needs to: R1 continue to maintain the very good standards, and raise the good standards to very good, in order to attain the high standards that it professes. The governing body is responsible for amending its current development plan to incorporate action in response to the recommendations within 45 working days of receiving the report, showing what the school is going to do about the recommendations. This plan, or a summary of it, will be circulated to all parents at the school. Standards Key Question 1: How well do learners achieve? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 64 The findings of the inspection team agree with the judgement of the school in its self-evaluation report that the standards which pupils achieve are Grade 1. 65 In the lessons inspected, pupils' standards of achievement are as follows: Grade 1 56% Grade 2 44% Grade 3 0% Grade 4 0% Grade 5 0% 66 The percentages are very similar to the results of the previous inspection and exceed the national findings published in HMCI's latest annual report for 20082009, which states that standards are good or better (Grade 1 and 2) in 85% of lessons. In the HMCI report, the average of outstanding lessons (Grade 1) was given as 12%, which places standards in this school very highly. 67 The inspection team adjudged standards in the six areas of learning for the children under five years of age as follows: Six areas of learning Grade Personal and social development, wellbeing and cultural Grade 1 development Language, literacy and communication skills Grade 1 Mathematical development Grade 2 Knowledge and understanding of the world Grade 2 Physical development Grade 1 Creative development Grade 2 The Foundation Phase 68 Results of baseline assessments show that children's attainment on entry to the school is higher than the LEA average. The overall quality of the educational provision for children under five years of age is appropriate to their needs and children make good progress towards the Foundation Phase outcomes. They show an eagerness for learning and learn very good collaborative skills and responsibilities. Children under five make very good progress in their communication skills. They speak confidently and listen intently to adults and peers. They have begun to master elementary reading and writing skills. 9 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 69 Their mathematical skills are also developing well. They work confidently and accurately on mathematical work, nurturing correct measuring, comparison and number terms. They understand and use their environment to learn and to wonder and purposefully investigate in various habitats making accurate findings. Their ICT skills are developing very well. They are increasingly confident in using ICT skills in different situations and work on programs independently. They attain very good standards in physical development. They move around the playing field and in their physical development lessons showing good control of their bodies. They use tubes, instruments and tins to make sounds and show the ability to maintain simple rhythms. Key stage 1 and 2 70 In key stages 1 and 2, pupils' standards of achievement in the subjects inspected are as follows: Subject Key stage 1 Key stage 2 Welsh first language Grade 1 Grade 1 Information and communications technology Grade 1 Grade 1 Design technology Grade 2 Grade 2 Geography Grade 1 Grade 1 Physical education Grade 1 Grade 1 71 In the NC assessments in 2009 and 2008, pupils' attainments in key stage 1, according to teachers' assessments, were higher than the county and national averages in Welsh, mathematics and science. In comparison with those schools that are similar in relation to the number of pupils entitled to receive free school meals, the school is in the highest quartile throughout the core subjects. It is also higher than the family of similar schools. This shows progress since 2007, when the school was in the lowest quartile in Welsh, mathematics and science. Pupils are making very good progress in their creative skills. 72 In the NC assessments in 2009, the attainments of pupils in key stage 2, according to teachers' assessments, were higher than the county and national averages in Welsh, English, mathematics and science. In comparison with similar schools in relation to the percentage of pupils entitled to receive free school meals, the school was in the highest quartile in English and science and in the second quartile in mathematics and Welsh as a first language. In comparison with the family of similar schools, the school's results were higher. Since 2007, the school has been consistently in the highest quartile in relation to the CSI. 73 From studying school data, there is strong evidence that pupils are making very good progress in moving forward to the next stage of their learning. One outstanding feature is the way that children in the Foundation Phase, and pupils in both key stages, succeed outstandingly in achieving the targets set for them and experience exceptional success in their work, whatever their ability. By the time they reach the primary class, they have mastered very good self-evaluation skills in order to improve their work, recognising what they need to do in order to improve. However, attention must be drawn to the fact that pupil numbers are low and can be misleading, but there is no proof of this. 74 Over time, there is no obvious difference between the performances of boys in comparison with that of the girls. 10 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 75 Children under five years of age and pupils within both key stages succeed outstandingly to set and achieve their own targets and experience particular success in their work, whatever their ability and social or linguistic background. 76 In each of the key stages, pupils with ALN make outstanding progress in their personal and basic learning skills. Indeed, they achieve standards that are much higher than expected and consistently succeed in gaining level 4 in the NC assessments at the end of key stage 2. 77 Pupils have coped outstandingly well with mental skills and methods of enquiry and this is a particular strength of this school. Pupils can determine their own questions, use ICT, books, newspapers and a good number of other types of sources of information to search for answers. They use a wide variety of practical skills to solve problems and work skilfully with their thinking partners, in discussion groups and individually. 78 Standards of pupils' bilingual proficiency are an outstanding aspect in this school and they have wide knowledge and experience of the Cwricwlwm Cymreig. They can practice and improve their own learning and performance confidently and successfully. 79 In all aspects of school life, pupils' behaviour is very good. They are very courteous and considerate towards peers, staff and visitors and take a prominent role in the school's behavioural ethos through a reward system promoted by the pupils themselves. All this helps to create an atmosphere of welcoming silence. 80 Pupils respond outstandingly to instructions from both teaching and support staff and parents, visitors and members of the local community praise their behaviour. 81 Children and pupils have very positive attitudes towards their work and their play. They are very enthusiastic and eager to attain the high standards set by their teachers. They use their time very effectively throughout the school day and persevere very well during lessons, showing an eagerness to strive towards the next step in their education. 82 All pupils make very good progress in their personal, social, spiritual and moral skills. This is reflected in their ability to maintain these and in their ability to reflect and consider important questions in depth and with conviction. 83 Through purposeful and meaningful visits to correspond with the school's themes, the majority of pupils display increasing understanding of their community and their role within that community. 84 Pupils show respect for a variety of other beliefs, attitudes and cultural and social traditions through their links with Libya and Fair Trade work. This has developed their ability to understand matters relating to equal opportunities and fair play very well. 85 The school conforms to the requirements of the National Assembly for Wales' 47/06 Newsletter relating to registering attendance. Attendance for pupils within statutory school age during the three terms prior to the inspection averaged 94.45%, which corresponds very closely to the national targets. No pupil was excluded during the three terms prior to the inspection and there are effective procedures in place for dealing with any regular absences. 11 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 86 Punctuality at the beginning of the school day and at the beginning of learning sessions is good, and that despite the severe weather conditions of snow experienced during the inspection. 87 Pupils have a good awareness of equal opportunities. Through lessons such as religious education, geography and art, and through their links with Libya, pupils understand, recognise and respect a diversity of beliefs, attitudes and social and cultural traditions. 88 Through visiting places of work, such as a building site, as well as vocational visits by a gardener and a physiotherapist, pupils are developing their awareness of the world of work and the workplace. School council, eco council and Fair Trade responsibilities develop their ability to make decisions and to deal with money. They developing their entrepreneurial skills through budget management and learning about profit and loss. 89 Pupils' willingness to take an effective part in the community is an outstanding feature. Pupils know that the school is an important part of the village community and the surrounding area and they take a prominent part in a number of community events and occasions, whether they are sporting competitions, eisteddfodau or a book quiz to give but three examples. The quality of education and training Key Question 2: How effective are teaching, training and assessment? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 90 The findings of the inspection team agree with the grade which the school awarded itself in its self-evaluation report. 91 The quality of teaching, in the subjects and areas inspected, was as follows: Grade 1 55% Grade 2 40% Grade 3 5% Grade 4 0% Grade 5 0% 92 The quality of teaching in the 20 lessons observed exceeds the statistics for the whole of Wales for 2008-2009, as published in HMCI's annual report, that the quality of teaching is Grade 1 or 2 in 85% of lessons with 17% of these being outstanding. 93 Throughout the school, an outstanding relationship exists between the teachers, the assistants and the pupils. This promotes very effective learning. In the classes, teachers show enthusiasm and the assistants make a considerable contribution to lessons. 94 The quality of teaching in the Foundation Phase has good features and some outstanding features. Teachers provide a wide variety of relevant tasks, in a supportive atmosphere. This is extremely effective, and successfully develops children's self-confidence and abilities. 95 Teachers have good subject knowledge which enables them to present the NC subjects and religious education effectively. They show that they are familiar with recent developments in education and benefit from a wide range of training courses that promote national initiatives. 12 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 96 Clear learning objectives are regularly shared with the pupils. Teachers and assistants in the Foundation Phase ensure that the children can cope with the practical activities with enjoyment. This contributes very well towards the standards the children attain in the relevant areas. 97 The range of work that has been adapted for pupils of different ages and abilities leads effectively to independent learning throughout the school. Lesson introductions confirm previous learning and encourage pupils to take part in discussions and to research further. This is a notable strength within the school and contributes very well towards nurturing high standards. 98 Teachers' ability to promote the development of pupils' bilingual skills is an outstanding feature. Pupils' ability to communicate bilingually is developed extremely effectively throughout the school. This leads to high standards of communication across all ages of children and pupils. 99 The school effectively promotes equal opportunities and succeeds in responding well to pupils' needs. Homework is set regularly and this enriches and reinforces the work done during lessons. 100 The outstanding features of the teaching include: providing experiences that successfully extend the learning; delivering a pattern of rich language that promotes pupils' bilingual skills; enhancing pupils' abilities through giving them responsibilities to set research pathways and relevant challenges that enable them to experiment, discover and deepen their understanding of a particular subject; ensure opportunities for pupils to evaluate their work against success criteria set by them at the beginning of the lesson, and encourage pupils to set success criteria for tasks, and come to a conclusion on what they have learnt through evaluating tasks. 101 Features of the good teaching include: carefully including the relevant skills and key skills within lessons and specific activities; providing opportunities to encourage pupils to work together productively and to show perseverance when working independently; effective use of praise and good interaction between teachers and pupils which promotes good learning; effective use of relevant resources including the interactive whiteboard and ICT equipment; good questioning which stimulates pupils to investigate further, and encouragement for pupils to work effectively in groups and independently. 102 In a small minority of lessons, there was some difficulty when insufficient time was allowed to include pupils in the evaluation and review of the main focus of the lesson. 103 The quality of assessment is very good and enables the school to identify strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils and to identify areas for development. 13 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 104 In the Foundation Phase, there are effective strategies for identifying the continuous development of each child. They are a help in identifying needs and setting individual targets for pupils as they begin in key stage 1. 105 Detailed notes are kept on tracking progress, which include detailed information on pupils' performance in key stages 1 and 2. An outstanding feature is the way that pupils track their own progress and achievements in their subjects throughout the school. The methods of monitoring and assessment set sound foundations for further planning by teachers. 106 Procedures for identifying and assessing pupils with ALN conform to statutory requirements and pupils receive appropriate support throughout the school. Trends in the performance of boys and girls and the school's performance are analysed, comparing them with national results. 107 There is good practice of joint moderation of work in the core subjects with other schools in the cluster and portfolios are kept that offer a clear picture of pupils' standards and levels of attainment. 108 Success criteria are shared with pupils and they have a very good knowledge and understanding of their achievements. Termly targets are set with the pupils and they show a very good understanding of how they can improve. This is outstanding within the school. 109 Pupils' written work is marked regularly and includes a number of relevant comments on how to improve in order to set subsequent targets for the future. 110 Parents are invited into the school to discuss their child's progress. Annual reports to parents conform to the requirements. They include targets for improvement and give parents the opportunity to give written feedback on the report. These reports are reinforces by visual evidence through a computerised system which shows how the children and pupils have achieved much of their tasks. This is excellence in the system of informing parents of their child's achievements. Key Question 3: How well do the learning experiences meet the needs and interests of learners and the wider community? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 111 The findings of the inspection team agree with the grade which the school awarded itself in its self-evaluation report. 112 The school succeeds very well in meeting the needs and interests of its learners. The provision for the Foundation Phase, including the outdoor environment, contributes substantially towards the experiences offered to children. Statutory requirements for assessment are satisfied very well. 113 The broad curriculum provided is balanced, flexible and cohesive, and, together with the wide range of extra-curricular activities that have been arranged, is an outstanding feature. 114 Good use is made of staff expertise and external expertise to ensure that all the activities planned promote pupils' learning and personal development. The arrangement of using specialists from the nearby area is a strength and enriches the learning experiences provided for the pupils. This is an outstanding aspect 14 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 which ensures that each child receives education that can support him/her to attain high standards of achievement. 115 Teachers plan carefully to provide opportunities for promoting the key skills of speaking and listening, numeracy, reading and the use of ICT across the curriculum. Opportunities for developing thinking skills in the context of the Skills Framework is a strength and offers good opportunities for independent learning and problem solving. The experiences provided for developing pupils' creative skills are of a very high quality, and an excellence. 116 Close collaboration with the community ensures a variety of after school clubs, where opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their skills in football, hockey, rugby, cricket and dance. 117 Good use is made of visits and visitors to reinforce the activities and enrich pupils' experiences. Outstanding use is made of the neighbourhood and the local environment as well as of nearby places. All this extends the learning experiences outstandingly. 118 Pupils receive valuable experiences through visiting places of historical and cultural interest and places of work, such as the International Eisteddfod at Llangollen, Llanwddyn Lake and a nearby forestry. Older pupils benefit from residential experience at the Urdd camp at Glan Llyn, which promotes their personal and social development as well as providing them with enjoyment. 119 Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted particularly effectively and is an outstanding feature within the school. Spiritual development is promoted well and pupils receive effective experiences during the collective worship sessions, which satisfy statutory requirements. 120 Moral attitudes, such as honesty, are strong elements within the school, and pupils receive numerous opportunities to raise money for different charities. This makes a substantial contribution towards raising pupils' awareness of their responsibilities as citizens. 121 The school follows the guidelines of the national framework for presenting effective experiences for personal and social education (PSE) and there is a good focus on healthy eating with the school contributing towards the LEA's Healthy Schools initiative. 122 Good partnerships exist with the parents. Regular newsletters are sent in order to transfer information and effective use is made of e-mails to link with parents. The school has a Home School Agreement. 123 The school's comprehensive prospectus is published annually, and it meets with the statutory requirements. In the questionnaires and in the pre-inspection meeting, parents expressed their satisfaction with the effective relationship between the school and the home. The Parent Teacher Association is active in arranging activities to finance projects and to buy additional resources. Parents' contributions towards the school garden, the extra-curricular clubs and in listening to children reading are appreciated. 124 The school has a key role in the life of the community and is very involved at the heart of the community. Many members of the community come into the school to share their experiences and interests with the pupils. An outstanding feature is the way that pupils are immersed in their heritage. 15 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 125 The 'Cwricwlwm Cymreig' is woven intentionally and effectively into the subjects and acts of collective worship, in addition, the school takes advantage of outstanding opportunities to make pupils aware of a variety of cultures and effective links have been created with foreign schools, such as in Libya. 126 The planning for promoting bilingualism is outstanding and leads to high standards of teaching and attainments. 127 The school offers very good opportunities to extend pupils' awareness of the world of work. A number of visits are undertaken to the workplace such as building sites, a local conservation centre, and also visitors come in to speak to pupils about their work. There is excellence in combining the school curriculum with aspects of the world of work. This brings a very good understanding of the elements of the world of work, together with the curriculum to the school's activities. 128 Some pupils run the school's fruit shop and create goods to be sold in the fairs. This develops their understanding of enterprise, and also aspects of Fair Trade, very well. An after school lunch club is held where pupils produce goods to be sold on stalls in the village fair as well as in the school's community activities. 129 There are very good features to the quality of the provision in education for global citizenship and sustainable development. There is an enthusiastic eco council and it has gained bronze accreditation in the Eco-Schools scheme. They are successful in raising the awareness of the school community of sustainability issues. The school is also effective in ensuring that recycling issues are central to a number of activities. This ensures pupils' strong understanding of current requirements relating to energy conservation and protecting the environment. 130 Pupils receive outstanding opportunities to become aware of global citizenship. The multicultural week that is arranged annually, together with activities that arise from the curriculum, such as the work on Libya and Fair Trade, promote their understanding of enterprise very effectively. The school has been recognised as an international school. 131 A substantial range of the school's activities reflect national priorities very well, and are outstanding in their promotion of lifelong learning. Key Question 4: How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? Grade 2: Good features and no important shortcomings 132 The findings of the inspection team disagree with the Grade 1 that the school awarded itself in its self-evaluation report. Although some outstanding features were identified, the team was of the opinion that they were insufficient to justify awarding a Grade 1 to this key question. 133 The care and guidance for pupils is outstanding, with a high priority being given to offering support and guidance to all pupils. 134 Members of staff ensure that pupils are led safely into the school in the mornings and leave in an orderly manner at the end of the day. Outstanding consideration is given to pupils' welfare in all the school's procedures, and all staff know the pupils well. There are regular opportunities for any child to discuss any concerns with any member of staff if needed, and they appreciate their support and care. 16 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 135 There is an outstanding partnership with the parents, with parents praising the care the school gives their children. They appreciate the opportunities offered to them to come into the school at any time do discuss any issues or concerns. 136 The headteacher, with the support of the school secretary, monitor attendance regularly. In school documentation, emphasis is placed on the importance of high attendance and according to pupils' attendance figures, this is realised. 137 Parents' opinions were sought and in response, the school has established effective procedures to ensure that new pupils settle in quickly. Arrangements are made for parents to visit and opportunities for children to become familiar with the school through attending activities at the school before registering fully. There is an effective transfer system with the local secondary school, with a number of relevant activities being arranged for the pupils, which ensures that the system of transferring pupils is as smooth as possible. The detail of these arrangements pays appropriate consideration to the needs of all pupils. 138 There is a clear policy for promoting PSE and the arrangements for its realisation are well established. These reflect the Framework for including PSE very well and are clearly planned and identified for lessons. 139 The school promotes pupils' awareness of healthy eating very well, and there are sufficient opportunities to develop fitness, together with a variety of sporting activities. The school is a recognised centre for Physical Education and Sport in Schools (PESS) and there are a number of after school clubs that promote fitness and sports. A substantial number of pupils attend these activities. The canteen offers a variety of healthy foods, including salads throughout the year. Vegetables are grown in the school's garden. 140 The headteacher is the designated person for child protection, and one member of the governing body has similar responsibilities, to monitor the school's arrangements in this aspect. All staff, including the ancillary staff, are aware of the arrangements and steps to be taken with regard to child protection, and have received the relevant training. Criminal Records Bureau certificates are renewed when needed. There are good links in these matters with external agencies, such as the Social Services and police. 141 The provision for pupils with ALN responds well to the Code of Practice for ALN and satisfies the statutory requirements. The school makes effective use of standardised tests to identify pupils with learning difficulties and to measure their progress, or to discover aspects in need of improvement. This information is used well to plan the appropriate support for pupils and good support is provided by external specialists to improve pupils' abilities in reading and language skills. 142 The clearly drawn up individual educational plans (IEPs) are specific and timely, and refer to the type of support needed and the relevant resources. The IEPs are reviewed each term. Pupils also have termly targets that they themselves have chosen, and are additional targets to those in the IEPs. Although these targets are clear and measurable, they complicate the priorities and overload the number of targets that would be desirable for pupils with SEN to attain within a specific period. Pupils whose ALN is related to behaviour have a personal behavioural plan (PBP), which also has clear and relevant targets for them. 143 There is effective support from assistants, and work in the classroom, support and resources are adapted well to meet the needs of pupils with ALN. Reports 17 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 to parents and carers are clear, with opportunities for them to come to the school to discuss the steps and targets relating to the IEP. 144 The school recognises those pupils who are more talented and able but, although aspects within lessons are appropriately adapted for them, as yet, there is no formal procedure to respond to their needs. 145 There are clear rules regarding expectations of pupils' behaviour throughout the school, and the school has set a series of appropriate rules and recognized steps that show the procedures on how to deal with unacceptable behaviour. Good behaviour is praised and recognised, and this contributes well towards establishing an orderly community and good behaviour throughout the school. 146 There is a clear anti-bullying policy and the school responds appropriately to any instances of disagreement or minor quarrelling recorded within the classroom. This contributes effectively to the school's procedures to ensure that there are no instances of oppressive behaviour. 147 The school recognises and celebrates diversity and pupils are made aware of issues such as racial and cultural diversity. Outstanding links exist between the school and foreign schools. The work that the school does to raise awareness of Fair Trade issues is outstanding, and ensures that the pupils come to understand and appreciate multicultural communities in different countries. 148 The school succeeds in challenging all types of stereotyping, and all pupils can take part in all activities, whatever their gender or race. 149 The school has an Accessibility Plan, which ensures that resources and procedures can be adapted for pupils and others who have disabilities, should there be a need. The school shows excellence in ensuring that people with disabilities have opportunities to take part in the schools supporting activities. Leadership and management Key Question 5: How effective are leadership and strategic management? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 150 The findings of the inspection team agree with the school's opinion that Grade 1 best describes the standards in Key Question 5. In the inspection team's opinion, there are several excellences in the school's strategic management that contribute towards the high standards of achievement to be found within the school. 151 The quality of the headteacher's leadership is an outstanding feature. Her conscientious, professional and untiring leadership is extremely effective and an absolutely key element to the school's continued success. She has a clear vision, based on the best possible practice and that vision is shared with the staff, governors and parents. The school's positive ethos supports the headteacher's vision and creates confidence, trust and collaboration of a high quality between staff, pupils, governors, parents and the wider community. 152 All members of staff at the school work together very effectively and there is a strong sense of mutual support in order to achieve the school's high expectations. Everyone commits themselves fully to their duties as part of the whole team. There are clear job descriptions for each worker within the school, with each one undertaking their duties conscientiously, because they have a sense of ownership 18 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 and pride of being a part of the whole picture. They appreciate each others' roles and celebrate all the school's successes together. 153 There is a good range of subject and management policies of a high quality and they support all the school's work. Detailed attention is paid to national priorities, especially the Foundation Phase and the 2008 Curriculum, and thinking skills in particular. 154 There are very effective procedures for staff evaluation and it promotes the continuous professional development of teachers and assistants. This is an outstanding feature that as a result ensures the high quality of provision, with all members of staff contributing towards the standards of achievement, through their ability to contribute recent expertise of the highest order. Staff discussions and detailed planning promote standards. There are very good procedures for the induction of new teachers and for those who are recently qualified. 155 The governing body fulfils its role very effectively, and satisfies all its legal duties conscientiously and knowledgeably. The governing body is led by a dedicated chairman who is supported by talented members who come from a variety of backgrounds, providing broad and interesting expertise. The input they provide through their various responsibilities, together with the headteacher's ability in various aspects of educational issues, means that the school is in very safe hands. They take their roles seriously and are careful critical friends, as they address changes in education, steer the financial management and the school's strategic direction. They also understand how to keep an eye on standards and are refining their ability to contribute towards them through regular training and discussion. 156 The governor who has responsibility for finance has a very good overview of the budget and carefully supervises expenditure. Spending decisions are closely linked with the priorities in the SDP but there is some surplus money for those occasions when it is necessary to spend on unforeseeable expenses. They judge the effectiveness of the expenditure at all times and ensure value for money. 157 The headteacher and staff analyse the school's data and performance assessments effectively and use the information to set appropriate targets for pupils' needs. The SDP includes detailed targets and action plans that offer a clear pathway for school development. The implementation of the plan and the results are monitored carefully by the headteacher and the governing body. 158 The governing body knows the school well and is skilful in determining strategic targets. An outstanding feature is the way that they use their professional expertise when undertaking responsibilities. Also their willingness to attend training courses and as a result they have a good grasp of the understanding of their legal duties. There are appropriate arrangements for dealing with problems, complaints and appeals. They also have a good knowledge about the quality of the educational provision and the standards of achievement within the school. 19 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Key Question 6: How well do leaders and managers evaluate and improve quality and standards? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 159 The findings of the inspection team agree with the school's opinion that Grade 1 best describes the standards of matters relating to Key Question 6. The school has a commitment and sound methods of evaluating and improving standards, which underpins all the school's work. The opinion of the inspection team agrees with the grades given within the school's self-evaluation in six out of the seven key questions. This proves that the leaders and managers have very effective methods of measuring success and of ensuring continuity in maintaining high standards. 160 A culture of self-evaluation is well established in this school and leaders and managers are clearly familiar with national changes and developments, in order to move the school forward quickly and correctly. This is an outstanding feature. 161 All types of targets, individual ones for pupils or those for teachers and ancillary staff, are very appropriate in order to raise standards and ensure pupils' progress. The targets are the yardsticks and the schools methods of measuring all decisions and of planning for improvement are outstanding in this school. A wide range of data is considered in order to identify developmental needs and to measure the success of actions. Evidence was seen that there are regular observations and thorough discussions between staff and governors. In addition to this, an evaluation of the teaching and learning observations feeds the school's self-evaluation and SDP. Appropriate attention is paid to the opinions of parents, colleagues in the cluster, members of the community and specialists in the field of education nationally, before coming to final decisions. This again is one of this school's outstanding features. All this work ensures that the school's selfevaluation is thorough and a fair overview of the school. It reflects the high values and standards that exist and explains the wide experiences provided for pupils. 162 Progress since the previous inspection is very good and staff and governors have addressed both key issues. The subject coordinators make an important contribution to the school's self-evaluation and planning. The emphasis on holding regular discussions with pupils is an outstanding feature and gives teachers an opportunity to understand extremely accurately how far pupils have developed their understanding, their subject knowledge and their various skills. They produce annual reports that identify pupils' strengths and areas to be developed further. 163 Pupils' opinions are listened to through the school and eco councils and parents complete questionnaires. The school works closely with officers from the LEA and are always open to new ideas. 164 The thorough performance management procedures ensure that staff are developed to the utmost of their ability and that they are an integral part of the process. This ensures that there is a purpose to the development and that each individual strives to give of their best. The headteacher and governing body ensure that priorities are fully supported through the allocation of appropriate resources. 20 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Key Question 7: How efficient are leaders and managers in using resources? Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 165 The inspection team agrees with the school's findings in its self-evaluation report that Grade 1 best describes the standards in Key Question 7. Many outstanding features contribute to the decision to award a Grade 1. 166 The school is very well staffed for the number of pupils on roll. Teachers have been effectively deployed and share their expertise in order to ensure continuity and progression in provision and standards throughout the school. 167 The element of team working is an outstanding feature of the school's work and includes teachers, classroom assistants, ancillary staff and governors to oversee specific aspects. This inclusive element is a strength and ensures that the school and the community is pulling in the same direction. They share the same vision and contribute towards maintaining standards. Indeed, the school operates effectively from day to day. 168 The school's building and grounds are very good resources for promoting the educational and extra-curricular provision. Displays throughout the school are stimulating and celebrate pupils' work. The internal resources for the Foundation Phase are very good and are used very effectively by the dedicated teacher and support staff. The school has spent extensively to improve the external area for the Foundation Phase and offers practical experiences for problem solving and learning about the environment. 169 The school is maintained very well. The standard of cleanliness is very high and the school's grounds are kept neat and attractive. The hall and part of the grounds are shared with the community and this is done extremely effectively. The school is used as a PESS centre for the county and fulfils those requirements very well. 170 All staff, including the ancillary staff, have access to a very good range of professional development activities and all training links in well with the school's priorities. The school evaluates the effect of all expenditure, whether for training or resources that are bought for the school. The headteacher sets targets for peripatetic teachers, such as music teachers, and evaluates their success in order to ensure value for money. 171 The school makes particular use of local resources. Members of the community are invited into the school to share their expertise, for example a piano teacher. 172 Arrangements for teachers' planning, preparation and assessment time are implemented effectively. Teachers use these periods appropriately and this has a positive effect on standards in the school. 173 Resources have been outstandingly matched to the school's priorities and the targets in the SDP have been sufficiently funded. There are a good number of computers within the classrooms and this ensures that each pupil receives regular opportunities to one of them and this contributes towards the very high standards in ICT skills within the school. 174 The governing body manages, monitors and reviews and directs the school's finances very effectively. Parents and the community invest in the school and receive regular invitations to come to the school to see how the spending decisions contribute towards the high standards ar the school. 21 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 175 The headteacher and teachers are thorough in ensuring that there are sufficient resources for all subjects and they review them regularly. 176 Due to the effective quality of the strategic management and the appropriate use made of stimulating resources, the inspection team is certain in its opinion that the school ensures value for money. The activities of the headteacher at the school through her commitment to training teachers in the area and the county and teachers nationally of good practice in language also attracts additional funding for the school. Pupils at the school benefit from the money allocated to the school, ensuring that the school has the means to maintain its staff and purchase resources that contribute towards raising and maintaining standards within the school. Standards achieved in subjects and areas of learning Foundation phase Children under five Personal and social development, wellbeing and cultural development Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Outstanding features 177 Most children show that they can take responsibility through putting resources away after using them. They show a very good use of hygiene in washing their hands before preparing food. All the children show eagerness and enthusiasm when taking part in the activities. The majority concentrate well on their tasks and show perseverance over long periods. 178 They respond very confidently to adults in the classroom. They converse willingly, and share resources courteously whilst waiting for their turn. Most can use polite language when speaking with others. They are aware of dangers and learn to look after their own welfare. They also show an increasing understanding of Welsh culture and culture in other countries such as Botswana and Libya. Good features 179 Each child can make decisions when choosing an activity. They display enthusiasm for a good number of activities, showing good commitment in the activity. 180 Children's collaborative skills develop appropriately as they undertake specific tasks or during role play. The majority can also play courteously, and show appreciation of the efforts of their peers. 181 Most children succeed in investigating and experimenting eagerly, with some of them having good self-discipline and diligence. They behave responsibly in an informal situation, with good attitudes towards the activities. 182 They can change their clothes independently before, and after, physical education activities. 183 Almost every child shows neat skills when playing together in small groups. The majority show a willingness to receive responsibility for what they are doing. 184 Most children use many of the resources confidently and independently, including using computerised resources and equipment. 22 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Shortcomings 185 A small number of children have difficulty concentrating and cannot persevere with a task for an extended period. Language, literacy and communication skills Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Outstanding features 186 Most children develop their listening skills well as they concentrate on a story being told by their teacher. They show an increasing understanding of Welsh vocabulary and the majority can respond in words, phrases and sentences. 187 Most children use appropriate language skills in different situations. They develop an appropriate vocabulary within the context of specific themes, and understand a simple conversation well. Good features 188 Most children use simple and suitable words and phrases when interpreting and explaining coherently and intelligibly. 189 Most children use relevant words and language skills when planning different things such as a 'dough boy', using suitable adjectives to describe it. They have a good knowledge of the names of different colours. They can choose suitable words to describe features in the environment of cold and wintry weather. 190 The younger children develop good listening skills and can respond effectively to instructions. They show the ability to listen appropriately to stories read to them, and they can respond to the content through pointing at a picture. 191 Most of the children develop a good understanding of the purpose of language through experimenting with markings, using a variety of tools. 192 When involved in appropriate activities, most children succeed in guessing what is the first letter in words such as 't' for 'tiger' or 'teddy'. They use pencils increasingly skilfully to write their names. Shortcomings 193 There are no important shortcomings. Mathematical development Grade 2: Good features and no important shortcomings Good features 194 Most children begin to show good mathematical skills in counting simple numbers, and show a good understanding of how to measure through comparing the size of flowers growing in the school's garden and through measuring ingredients for cooking. 195 Most children can create patterns with shapes and compare different shapes that can be seen on different parts of flowers. 196 The same number can use terms such as 'big' and 'small' when describing dough boys and girls. 23 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 197 Most children can show good organisational skills in counting different objects up to five correctly. They can recognise numbers between one and 10 and can count a number of objects correctly. Shortcomings 198 There are no important shortcomings. Knowledge and understanding of the world Grade 2: Good features and no important shortcomings Good features 199 Children know how to plant and grow flowers in the school garden. 200 They have a good understanding of the different ways of life and the different types of homes such as tepees and houses. 201 Some of the children recognise the vegetables growing in the school garden. Most of the children have a good recognition of colour, collecting a set of objects of the same colour. 202 Most of them can recognise the difference between plants and animals and also identify the specific differences between different animals. 203 Many of the children can research purposefully in natural habitats in order to find leaves, or gather leaves of a particular type. They have a good recognition of weather features such as wet and rainy weather. 204 Most children show good experimental skills in discovering which type of boats float. They know the difference between sinking and floating. 205 They have an increasingly good knowledge of ICT and are confident in using computer packages independently to identify and name farm animals or pets. 206 They use ICT programs across the six areas of learning and that prepares them well for refining their skills and working more independently in key stage 1. 207 Many of the children can explain why jelly melts and changes its composition when melting and re-setting. 208 Many of them can tell which ingredients they use to make sweets with dough, and know which tools to use to mix the different ingredients in order to make dough. Shortcomings 209 There are no important shortcomings. Physical development Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Outstanding features 210 Many of the children show good development of body control through linking movements in response to specific music. They work effectively with a partner to create a series of movements that follow each other in a specific order which was decided by the children themselves. 24 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 211 They also show good control of parts of the body when taking part in physical activities such as jumping, skipping, pushing, cycling and running. Good features 212 Many of the children show very good development in their fine skills when placing building blocks together. Most children colour in detail within specific borders. 213 Children show good fine control as they roll and rub different ingredients to make biscuits. They show find skills when holding a pencil or brush and create clear marks and pictures. 214 Many of the children show good fine control as they control the mouse when working on the computer. 215 They can create clear marks in a variety of materials and media such as sand or paint. Shortcomings 216 There are no important shortcomings. Creative development Grade 2: Good features and no important shortcomings Good features 217 Many of the children are beginning to use ICT resources independently and confidently to create attractive patterns and pictures. A good number of them show effective creative skills in choosing specific colours to decorate their patterns. 218 Many of the children experiment well through creating different marks and patterns using different types of relevant resources confidently. 219 They join in enthusiastically in simple songs and respond well to different speeds in music. Many of the children use different resources to create sounds with equipment such as tubes and tins that have been adapted as instruments. They listen intently to a piece of music and show creative development as they move appropriately to the music. 220 The majority of them can create and build a snowman on the school yard, showing imagination and enthusiasm. 221 Many of the children use natural resources, and equipment from the environment, such as leaves or sticks, to create patterns, showing curiosity and imagination. They use resources such as pasta to create original and imaginative patterns. Shortcomings 222 There are no important shortcomings. 25 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Welsh first language Key Stage 1: Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Key Stage 2: Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Outstanding features 223 In key stage 1, pupils refine the Welsh language of good quality that they learnt in the Foundation Phase. They speak confidently to each other and to adults, looking for support to select the appropriate and correct vocabulary to present their message in Welsh rather than use English. 224 They listen intently to stories and can discuss them easily, making simple but meaningful comments about the characters and events. 225 By the end of key stage 2, most pupils speak freely, vibrantly, intelligibly and at length with a very good grasp of appropriate syntax. 226 The ability of older pupils in their purposeful and concurrent use of language from Welsh to English is an outstanding feature. They use their skills to express an opinion and to justify it, and present information adapting the voice and intonation to different situations. 227 The ability of a minority of older pupils at the school to write mature pieces of extended factual and imaginative work, showing a sound grasp of form, is an outstanding feature. Good features 228 In key stage 1, the majority of pupils speak very confidently and clearly. They listen intently and respond to their teachers with enthusiasm. They learn new vocabulary, often linked to a subject, and use it very well in the appropriate context. 229 By the end of key stage 1, the majority of pupils are accurate readers with good ability to use their phonetic knowledge to build unfamiliar words. The more able pupils read with good expression and understanding. The majority show enjoyment in print. They understand book terminology at an early stage as they discuss the author and blurb. 230 Younger pupils in key stage 1 copy simple words or phrases, developing into confident independent writers by the end of the key stage. 231 Pupils have a good understanding of capital letters, quotation marks and full stops. By the end of the key stage, there are good examples of invitations, personal letters, post carts, simple diaries and interesting descriptions, showing some awareness of the reader and format. 232 In key stage 2, pupils listen carefully, paying attention to the comments of others and responding confidently. They read a range of texts independently, with fluency and accuracy. Older pupils show a good understanding and knowledge of how to search for books that match the themes presented in the classroom and ar confident in using the web. They make appropriate use of information they have gleaned from different sources. 233 Most younger pupils in key stage 2 develop good writing skills when writing for different purposes. The more able understand the role of the story teller very well as they present their final work. They use their thinking skills effectively 26 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 when discussing different themes. The majority of pupils can use comparisons effectively to enrich the expression when describing a person that would make a good leader for the Urdd Camp. 234 Older pupils in key stage 2 produce good examples of writing in a variety of styles and for different audiences, including creating systematic and coherent information leaflets. The work of the more able shows creativity and mature style. 235 In the best work, pupils' handwriting, spelling and skills in using the dictionary are good. Information and communications technology Key Stage 1: Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Key Stage 2: Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Outstanding features 236 Pupils in both key stages are confident and skilful users of ICT. They explore the features of a variety of equipment and software knowledgeably. 237 In key stage 2, pupils have a high level of competency as they use the mouse to select and move items on the screen. They use their ability to use art programs to produce coloured pictures of a high quality. They make outstanding use of the appropriate phraseology when discussing their work. 238 They deal confidently with a number of programs of a historical and geographical nature and create simple maps and pathways. They can control the turtle and 'Bee-bot' well, moving them to specific areas without much help. 239 In key stage 2, pupils succeed in using their detailed information about a wide range of computer programs in order to make appropriate choices in a variety of contexts. 240 Pupils display outstanding competency in using and applying their skills to prepare outstanding multi-media presentations, such as a presentation to parents at an open evening. 241 They understand how to choose and select appropriate programs independently in order to complete research work. After they have chosen the information, they create work of a variety of styles on the computer, including a newspaper report, information leaflets and various reports including tables, graphs, thinking maps, various data and much more. Good features 242 In key stage 1, pupils display good independent skills and succeed in choosing carefully from the screen menu to present their personal pictures and stories. Most pupils succeed in selecting and varying the size of the letters and choose an appropriate font for presenting the information. 243 They come to be able to edit their work as they go effectively, referring to the appropriate keys on the keyboard. 244 Pupils' previous work shows that they can feed instructions into controllable toys, such as the floor turtle, in order for it to follow a specific path which includes a range of turns. 27 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 245 In key stage 2, all pupils make effective use of word processing features when creating, editing and improving their work. They can use their ability to combine text and graphics to create an impressive poster. 246 Pupils make regular use of the digital cameras in their class. Younger pupils in key stage 2 use their ICT skills to load and edit their photographs in order to create particular effects. 247 Pupils in key stage 2 can enter a range of information on a database skilfully, and present their findings in the form of a graph. Most pupils across the key stage succeed in giving feedback on the results of their work and answer questions knowledgeably. 248 Pupils in key stage 2 make effective use of the Internet when undertaking research work, such as to find information to draw up a pamphlet to encourage people to visit the Urdd camps. All pupils know how to arrange a range of information, photographs and sound in order to create attractive and educational multi-media pamphlets. Design and technology Key Stage 1: Grade 2 – Good features and no important shortcomings Key Stage 2: Grade 2 – Good features and no important shortcomings Good features 249 Pupils across both key stages undertake activities in a variety of media, such as paper, textiles, foods and waste materials. 250 Most pupils across the school show a good range of relevant skills, such as measuring, marking, cutting and forming, as they undertake tasks when following their ideas or the instructions of the teacher. 251 Many pupils in key stage 1 investigate in depth as they develop ideas. For example, they observe in detail how the different types of hinges are used around the school, and experiment successfully describing the taste of different types of fruit and how they look. 252 Most pupils in key stage 1 can chose foods that are suitable to put on a pizza or a fruit salad and choose the most appropriate ones for cooking or preparing. 253 Pupils display good evaluating skills as they identify aspects for improvement. 254 In key stage 2, pupils consider the requirements of the task well, paying due attention to the different ideas and creating a number of initial designs before deciding on the final design. 255 Most pupils display originality and creativity as they design models that will include moving components using various levers. 256 They investigate thoroughly and respond to specific requirements well, offering reasons for their choices, for example, when deciding how to design a slipper or deciding what type of box to create that would be suitable for carrying a pizza. 257 Most pupils gather the opinions of users in order to come to understand the needs of their customers, such as through asking other pupils what to consider when designing and creating a pizza for them, which also responds to the requirements of healthy eating. They listen to ideas and use these well as a 28 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 basis for designing and creating their finished product. They use ICT equipment confidently to present their original design ideas and to create a series of clear instructions on how to undertake their tasks. 258 They record their ideas through creating a series of pictures, writing instructions, together with the steps for making, systematically and logically. When creating, a good number of pupils show good abilities in sewing when making a slipper. 259 They evaluate their produce carefully, identifying the good features and those that need improvement. Most of them can adapt their ideas after considering areas of improvement in creating and designing their products. Shortcomings 260 A minority of pupils in key stage 2 do not set questions or undertake a series of investigations independently successfully enough as a basis for research in order to develop further steps for designing and creating different items. Geography Key Stage 1: Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Key Stage 2: Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Outstanding features 261 Pupils in key stage 1 have a very good understanding of the features of their locality and can compare them very well with other places such as Botswana, making simple but perceptive geographical comments. 262 In key stage 2, pupils can speak confidently and knowledgeably about physical, human and environmental features without any help. They can see the correlation between them and come to an opinion about geographical changes. 263 Pupils in Y5 and Y6 can identify hot spots on a 'google' aerial photograph and create information about the places they locate on them without any intervention from teachers. Good features 264 Pupils within both key stages have a particularly good knowledge of the geographic and environmental aspects of the locality through taking full advantage of regular visits locally to undertake field work. 265 Many pupils in both key stages understand physical and human patterns and processes. 266 They all have a sound knowledge and understanding of the location, features and character of places. They are all aware of the features that are similar and different between Wales and other countries. They develop a good knowledge of global citizenship through foreign links and of sustainable development through studying recycling and renewable energy. 267 Most pupils in key stage 1 have a wide range of geographical skills and techniques and can use simple maps effectively, identifying on them the main places of pupils' journeys to school. They can discuss climate and weather and the effect of this on the landscape. 268 Within key stage 2, many pupils display a good range of geographical skills and techniques and mapping skills. They use different maps, pictures, photographs 29 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 and satellite images on the internet to locate local farms, rivers in the area and the geographical features of their immediate environment. 269 All pupils in this key stage have a sound knowledge of rivers and farms and use their skills and techniques in detail in order to gather data when undertaking field work. 270 Almost all pupils in key stage 2 are familiar with compass references and can identify the references of the main features of the catchment from the school. Physical education Key Stage 1: Grade 1: Good with outstanding features Key Stage 2: Grade 1: Good with outstanding features 271 In both key stages, pupils dress appropriately for physical education lessons and show a good understanding of how to prepare and warm up before taking part in activities. Outstanding features 272 In key stage 1, pupils show a good awareness of specific physical shapes, such as narrow, broad and short, and that at different levels. They respond effectively to instructions as they jog and change direction. They use the limited space of the hall well. 273 They can show good awareness as they work independently to display different methods of balancing, using different parts of the body to take the weight. 274 Through working together as a group, most pupils in key stage 1 can devise a series of original ideas when displaying a range of suitable and creative movements. 275 They show a good understanding of the elements of dance, using different ways and movements to reflect the mood and pace of the music. 276 In gymnastics lessons, pupils at the upper end of key stage 2 can successfully discuss features relating to performance, such as tension, balance and holding shape. They can design a series of movements when working on the floor, showing appropriate body control and a good awareness of the success criteria. 277 In response to a given task, they can experiment creatively in the way they vary their sequence of movements. 278 Most pupils in key stage 2 can create a series of folk dancing movements that include familiar steps. They can combine these very well with movements they have created, presenting and performing a simple dance. 279 They succeed in working together to create continuity, meaningfully discussing and sharing ideas with each other. After observing each other's performances, they evaluate them and suggest how to improve performances. They use terms such as tension, flow and extend to convey their opinion. Good features 280 Most pupils in key stage 1 begin to show good control of their bodies and of specific parts of the body as they move in different ways. They can link different movements well within the context of the dance, differentiating between movements that create a loud noise and movements that are quiet. 30 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 281 Pupils in key stage 2 respond well to the instructions given, and know the importance of warming the body before exercise. 282 In orienteering lessons, key stage 2 pupils have a good understanding of the nature of the activity, which challenges them to solve problems. 283 Their ability to work together and support each other is good. School's response to the inspection The staff, pupils and governors at Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School would like to thank the inspection team for their co-operation and courtesy before and during the whole process of inspecting the school, particularly in remembering the severe weather conditions that forced the headteacher to close the school for a day during the inspection. We appreciate their judgement and respect the findings of the inspection. We take pride in the fact that the inspection team found and identified the outstanding qualities: the outstanding relationship that exists throughout the school between the teachers, the assistants and the pupils; the quality of teaching which is an important aspect in the outstanding progress that pupils make and in the high standards achieved; the progressive leadership of the headteacher and the governing body; the rich curriculum, which includes developing mental skills as identified within the 2008 Curriculum; the extended learning experiences provided; the exceptional collaboration amongst all the school's partners. We look forward to continuing to maintain the outstanding standards that exist in all aspects of the school's life and work and to develop an action plan to ensure that the high standards which the school has continue. We are confident that we shall continue to work together as staff, governors and parents to nurture pupils who will develop a sound awareness towards Welshness, respect each other and do their utmost in all aspects of the life and work of Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School. 31 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Appendix 1 Basic information about the school Name of school School type Age-range of pupils Address of school Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School Primary including Foundation Phase 4-11 Llangadfan Powys Postcode Telephone number SY21 0NW 01938 820226 Headteacher Date of appointment Chair of governors Registered inspector Date of inspection Mrs Delyth Jones January 1993 Mr Alwyn Hughes Ms Sylvia Clough 12 January 2010 Appendix 2 School data and indicators Number of pupils in each year group Year group N (fte) R Y1 Number of pupils 9 4 Y2 5 Y3 5 Y4 8 Y5 5 Y6 7 Total 45 Total number of teachers Full-time Number of teachers Part-time 0 3 Staffing information Pupil: teacher (fte) ratio (excluding nursery and special classes) Pupil: adult (fte) ratio in nursery classes Pupil: adult (fte) ratio in special classes Average class size, excluding nursery and special classes Teacher (fte): class ratio Percentage attendance for three complete terms prior to inspection Term N R Spring 2009 91.59 Summer 2009 96.82 Autumn 2009 94.75 Percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals Number of pupils excluded during 12 months prior to inspection 32 Full-time equivalent (fte) 3 1:5 0 0 22 1:5 Rest of school 93.29 95.06 95.01 7 0 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Appendix 3 National Curriculum Assessment Results End of key stage 1: National Curriculum Assessment KS1 Results 2009 Number of 6 pupils in Y2 As the number of pupils eligible for assessment at the end of key stage 1 was greater than four but fewer than 10, overall performance indicators only are included Percentage of pupils attaining at least level 2 in mathematics, science and English or Welsh (first language) according to teacher assessment In the school 100 In Wales 80.7 National Curriculum Assessment Results End of key stage 2: National Curriculum Assessment KS2 Results 2009 Number of 9 pupils in Y6 As the number of pupils eligible for assessment at the end of key stage 2 in was greater than four but fewer than 10, overall performance indicators only are included Percentage of pupils attaining at least level 4 in mathematics, science, and either English or Welsh (first language) by teacher assessment In the school 88.9 In Wales 75.5 Appendix 4 Evidence base of the inspection Visitors inspected: 20 lessons; every class; collective worship sessions. Members of the inspection team held meetings with: staff, governors and parents before the inspection; teachers, members of support staff and groups of pupils during the inspection. The team considered: the school's self-evaluation report; responses to the parents'/carers' questionnaire; a wide range of documentation provided by the school both before and during the inspection; a range of pupils' work; displays. Following the inspection, a meeting was held between the registered inspector and the headteacher, the staff and governors at the school. 33 Report by Sylvia Clough Dyffryn Banw Community Primary School, 12/01/10 Appendix 5 Composition and responsibilities of the inspection team Team member Sylvia Clough Registered Inspector Glyn Griffiths Team Inspector Gwynoro Jones Lay Inspector Gwen John Delyth Jones Headteacher Responsibilities Context, Summary, Recommendations, Appendices Key Questions 1, 5, 6 and 7 Welsh first language, geography, information technology Key Questions 2, 3 and 4 Foundation Phase, design technology, physical education Supporting with Key Questions 1, 3 and 4 Lesson observations and contributing towards Key Questions 1 to 7 Peer Assessor Nominee Acknowledgement The inspection team would like to thank the governors, headteacher, staff and pupils for their co-operation and courtesy throughout the inspection. Contractor: EPPC/Severn Crossing Ltd Suite F2A, Britannic House, Britannic Way, Llandarcy, Neath SA10 6JQ 34
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