Goetre Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

evaluation activities across the school. In addition, school governors have received worthwhile support to gain a clearer understanding of the importance of regular and evaluative monitoring of provision and how this can improve pupil outcomes.

Linked to upskilling leaders and governors, the headteacher has refined the annual cycle of monitoring and evaluation activities and developed a more robust system that includes all stakeholders. This systematic, whole-school approach helps leaders, staff and governors evaluate the school's work and identify current strengths and areas for improvement. For example, the recent, innovative, three-day monitoring review of pupils' literacy, numeracy and digital skills across the school was compr...ehensive and successful.

Leaders, including the governors, worked closely together to identify school strengths and areas for development. These were clearly recorded and summarised by the headteacher for feedback to all staff. A notable feature was the inclusion of numeracy leaders from local schools to assess standards and provision in this area across the school.

Their positive comments improved staff confidence as well as providing useful suggestions for further improvement. All teachers continue to be involved in observing each other's practice through beneficial 'Quad' observations. These sessions are highly valued by staff and are generally effective.

Sessions enable teachers to analyse the work of others, highlight strengths and suggest areas for improvement. In addition, these sessions support teachers to engage in useful professional dialogue about teaching and pupils' progress. Recent observations evaluated how well teachers exhibited the 'Goetre Way' during their lessons.

As a result of these activities, most teachers understand better, that they are accountable for the progress of pupils in their care and have a growing understanding of their strengths and what they need to improve. R5. Further develop approaches to curriculum planning so staff have a shared understanding of progression, and all teachers consult with pupils to plan authentic learning experiences Since the core inspection, leaders have focused on developing staff's understanding of progression as pupils move through the school.

Whilst staff develop their understanding of pupil progression and of curriculum design, they have adopted a published curriculum scheme to support all teachers with their planning. This scheme ensures that as the staff develop their understanding, there is sufficient coverage across all the elements of the Curriculum for Wales. Teachers use the scheme as a starting point and then develop authentic opportunities to enrich pupils' experiences.

This supports pupils to develop a knowledge of their local area and the community in which they live. Teachers focus on the development of pupils' literacy, numeracy, and digital competency skills as the central spine to learning and leaders are beginning to outline these skills across the year groups successfully. For example, literacy leads have focused on gaining an understanding of the progression of pupils' skills through the use of different writing genres and have shared this with staff.

As a result, teachers use this information well to plan lessons and activities to ensure that pupils make appropriate progress in their writing skills across the school. Leaders plan to use the success of this process to further develop staff's understanding of how to improve other elements of pupils' literacy skills, such as their oracy skills. Leaders have a clear plan of how pupils' digital skills are to be developed and how the progression of these skills are planned and delivered in lessons.

However, the planning for pupils' application of numeracy skills across the curriculum is less well developed. Leaders and staff have conducted a range of worthwhile activities to gain an understanding of what their school community, local employers and attractions in the local area have to offer to support them in enriching their curriculum. This has resulted in beneficial opportunities for older pupils to participate in visits to local employers to gain an understanding of the world of work.

Alongside this, leaders have developed a pledge to pupils of 100 activities that they feel are important for them to experience during their childhood. All pupils are encouraged to participate in these activities with their families and to complete the list by the end of their time at the school. The newly appointed governors provide leaders with beneficial professional knowledge and support.

In addition, the chair of governors' extensive knowledge of the local community has resulted in leaders accessing a range of beneficial enriching experiences for pupils as part of their thematic work. Governors meet regularly with staff to gain an understanding of their curriculum design process and how these changes are impacting on pupils at the school. R6.

Improve the quality of resources to support pupils' learning both indoors and outdoors Following the core inspection, leaders alongside staff, assessed the school's resources for indoor and outdoor learning and identified areas for improvement. Over time, they have effectively ensured that any new resources align fully with the school's curriculum and the desired learning outcomes for pupils. Leaders, including the governing body, have used the school's budget and other sources of funding prudently to improve the learning and well-being resources across the school.

For example, pupils in the youngest classes have benefited from updated, purposeful learning environments, which result in highly effective foundation learning provision. Across the school staff use space efficiently and have created purposeful areas, through which they provide effective intervention and support for those pupils who need it. These, along with new and appropriate resources, have had a positive impact on pupils' well-being, progress and motivation to learn.

In the outdoors, all pupils enjoy a wider range of new play equipment to support their physical development, and this has led to improved behaviour during unstructured times, particularly for older pupils. As a result, the school is calmer and pupils' behaviour and well-being across the school has improved significantly. In addition, the development of a new forest area, designed by the pupils, enables younger pupils to enjoy learning through nature for extended periods of time.

The school has made significant progress in investing in and developing all staff through careful and targeted professional learning. Leaders have empowered staff to take ownership of specific areas of learning across the school, such as in the effective development of pupils' digital, writing and independent skills. Leaders have used both physical and human resources to improve the quality of provision for pupils in all areas.

Of note is the creation of a new nurture class to support the needs of a few of the youngest pupils who are adapting to life in school. This has ensured that the provision and progress in learning and well-being of the youngest pupils in mainstream classes is highly successful. © Crown Copyright 2024: 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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