Cefn Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

R5. Ensure all teachers give pupils appropriate opportunities to apply their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills effectively across the curriculum The leaders for literacy, numeracy, and ICT have worked closely with the regional consortium and external providers to establish a systematic and effective approach to teaching and developing pupils' skills in these areas.

This approach, alongside the federation's improved culture of collaboration, has supported teachers to achieve a more consistent approach to planning. They now provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their skills, then apply and consolidate them in authentic tasks across the curriculum. All staff have taken part in prof...essional learning to help them to develop their practice in cross-curricular maths and numeracy.

Professional dialogue meetings between leaders and teachers enable all staff to understand the expectations for numeracy across the curriculum. As a result of the improved provision since the core inspection, most pupils now make steady progress in developing their numeracy skills. For example, nursery pupils consolidate their understanding of repeating patterns by making fruit kebabs.

By the end of key stage 2, pupils use and interpret data from questionnaires and calculate profit accurately when designing a theme park. Both schools have prioritised the improvement of pupils' literacy skills since the core inspection. Teachers have improved the range and consistency of opportunities for pupils to write at length in a wide variety of contexts.

They encourage pupils to reflect on their work regularly and improve the quality and accuracy of their writing. This means that many pupils now write for a wide range of purposes across the curriculum at a level suitable for their stage of development. For example, foundation phase pupils retell stories accurately and write information pamphlets on how to be healthy.

In key stage 2, pupils write detailed instructions on how to play a game they invented and write formal letters asking parents for their support to complete a survey. Leaders and staff have now recognised significant weaknesses in the speaking and listening skills of many foundation phase and lower key stage 2 pupils, partly due to the disruption to their education caused by the pandemic. They have identified this as a priority for their new school improvement plan and have started to consider a cross-federation approach to improving these elements of pupils' literacy skills.

Teachers' planning for the development of ICT is comprehensive. Leaders have refined the scheme of work and it now supports teachers to plan for progression more effectively. During periods of lockdown due to the pandemic, all staff developed their skills in using a range of online platforms to support distance learning effectively.

They supported pupils and families to engage effectively with their learning using ICT and shared ideas for teaching, learning and feedback with colleagues. As a result of these improvements to provision, nearly all foundation phase pupils are familiar with using an app to present work in response to a task, with an increasing number of pupils doing so independently. Many pupils in key stage 2 use Hwb regularly to support learning and most pupils upload and retrieve work in their online folders competently.

In both schools, staff encourage pupil digital leaders to play a prominent role in raising the profile of ICT in classrooms. Pupil digital leaders lead extra-curricular clubs and help their peers to improve their ICT skills. As a result, pupils are more confident and skilled in using a variety of digital technology effectively.

R6. Improve pupils' attendance Since the core inspection, monitoring pupils' attendance has been a high priority for the school. Leaders have established useful strategies to support good attendance, including dedicated assemblies to promote the importance of coming to school regularly.

The school's family engagement officer supports pupils and families effectively. He builds positive relationships with parents and pupils and this enables him to give them appropriate advice and encourage them to follow it. Leaders and the family engagement office have taken careful account of the impact of the pandemic on pupils' individual attendance and have been sensitive to pupils who have had to isolate due to COVID-19.

School leaders track and monitor all pupils' attendance carefully. This means that they can identify pupils whose attendance is a cause for concern and follow this up appropriately. During the pandemic, leaders adapted tracking systems to take account of pupils' engagement in online learning.

This helped the school to tailor support for families effectively and sensitively. For example, it enabled the family engagement officer to identify needs in the community. To help meet these needs, he provided many worthwhile learning activities in the community, including a digital trail.

Many pupils and their families, as well as other members of the community, engaged in these activities. Leaders set high expectations for pupils to arrive on time and for lessons to begin promptly. Class teachers and teaching assistants take turns to welcome pupils at the school door every morning, along with the head of school.

This provides useful contact between parents and school staff and gives a clear signal that the school day has started. Despite the impact of the pandemic on pupil attendance, the actions of leaders and staff have ensured that attendance continues to improve. © Crown Copyright 2021: 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.

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