Cwmclydach Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Cwmclydach Primary is an inclusive school where pupil and family well-being is high a priority.

The headteacher works with governors and the school community to create a strong sense of belonging. Communication with parents is clear and timely through regular, worthwhile family engagement activities. As a result, parents feel valued and have a good understanding of their child's progress.

Generally, leaders have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils and successfully identify any potential barriers to learning. As a result, despite their low starting points, many pupils including those with additional learning needs (ALN) make appropriate progress during their time at school. Pupils engage well with their learnin...g and most behave well using a range of strategies effectively to regulate their emotions and feelings.

The school's support for pupils with ALN is highly effective. Staff work with families and outside agencies successfully to determine pupils' needs and to adjust provision accordingly. Provision in the specialist nurture class provides highly beneficial support for pupils enabling them to develop well against their individual targets.

Through use of a worthwhile range of school improvement strategies, the headteacher and governing body have a clear understanding of school's strengths and areas for improvement. For example, the school is working diligently to bring about improvements to pupils' attendance. However, this work is at an early stage of development.

The school's curriculum provides pupils with an appropriate range of opportunities to develop skills in reading, oracy, Welsh and in their use of digital technology. However, opportunities for pupils to use these skills across the curriculum are limited and the school's provision to develop pupils' writing and mental mathematical skills progressively, as they move through the school, is at an early stage of development. Teachers support pupils to build on their prior learning appropriately.

They ask suitable questions in class to check pupils' understanding and to move learning on. However, overall, they provide insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop independence in learning and for pupils to act on feedback to improve their work. Recommendations R1 Improve attendance R2 Improve teaching and assessment to ensure that pupils develop and use the full range of skills, particularly their writing and mental mathematics skills R3 Ensure that the learning environment and approaches to teaching and assessment enable pupils to develop as independent learners What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection.