Hirwaun Primary School

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About Hirwaun Primary School


Name Hirwaun Primary School
Address Glannant Street, Hirwaun, Aberdare, CF44 9NF
Phone Number 01685 811619
Phase Nursery, Infants & Juniors
Gender Mixed
Number of Pupils 272 (51.8% boys 48.2% girls)
Number of Pupils per Teacher 24.3
Local Authority Rhondda Cynon Taf
Highlights from Latest Inspection

specific skills. They have ensured that they plan to teach these skills progressively across the school and that they cover all areas of the curriculum and subjects. Teachers use these plans to create interesting cross curricular topics.

They give pupils opportunities to contribute to what they would like to learn within these topics. In addition, they allow pupils to suggest ideas for independent challenges and in the design of classroom areas, for example enhancing reading corners. As a result, most pupils are motivated and engaged in their learning effectively.

There is a comprehensive long-term plan that identifies which literacy, numeracy and ICT skills teachers will cover in each year group. Staff have planned this c...arefully to build successfully on pupils' prior learning and to move their learning forward. The school makes effective use of the local area and visits and visitors to enrich pupils' learning experiences.

For example, pupils have the opportunity to visit the local library regularly and Year 3 pupils visited the Roman museum in Caerleon to learn about life in Roman times. In the foundation phase, staff have made significant progress in improving provision. Teachers and support staff apply foundation phase principles successfully.

All classrooms include a range of appropriate and inviting areas in which pupils play with excitement and purpose. Staff have made exceptional improvements to their outdoor provision and have created a wide range of stimulating, attractive learning areas. For example, reception pupils have the opportunity to find and sort vegetables into groups and act as mini beast detectives in the appealing garden area.

R5. Improve pupils' independent learning skills Across the school, nearly all teachers plan a range of beneficial opportunities to help pupils to become independent, confident learners. In all classes, teachers have reorganised their resources to ensure that pupils can access them easily.

In the foundation phase, teachers have created defined learning areas within their indoor and outdoor classrooms and allow pupils regular opportunities to access this provision independently. Teachers encourage pupils to undertake a range of challenges when accessing these areas, with older pupils reading instructions independently. In key stage 2, all teachers have introduced 'missions' for pupils to complete.

In most classes these challenges provide opportunities for pupils to apply their skills independently in meaningful contexts. Pupils have the choice of what activities to complete and staff expect them to work without adult support. Each 'mission' has three levels of challenge and, in most classes, pupils can choose which level to attempt.

Pupils are beginning to contribute to the planning of this work by sharing their ideas for challenges with their teachers. However, this work is still at a relatively early stage of development and there is inconsistency in the quality of work completed by pupils. In every class, pupils contribute to the planning of the content of their topics.

Younger pupils create mind maps at the start of their themes on areas they wish to study. In every classroom there are planning displays where pupils have the chance to add ideas for areas of interest that they wish to study. As a result of this work, most pupils are developing as confident independent learners who take increasing responsibility for their work.

Pupils of all ages have a range of appropriate skills to use if they find their work difficult and most persevere well when their work is challenging. Many older pupils discuss maturely how they choose and present their learning. Elected pupils participate enthusiastically in activities as part of pupil representation groups.

However, activities and group meetings are predominantly led by adults and pupils do not have opportunities to take a lead role in organising events and leading meetings independently. R6. Correctly identify and address important areas of teaching and learning that need to improve and hold all members of staff to account robustly Over the past 18 months, the school has concentrated correctly on addressing the inspection recommendations.

Leaders plan a suitable termly programme of activities to monitor their work. This includes lesson observations, learning walks, listening to learners and the scrutiny of pupils' work. Through these activities, leaders judge the progress towards identified priorities and aspects that they need to strengthen further.

They ensure that they focus their work appropriately on judging pupils' standards as well as provision. Leaders have become more skilled at making precise judgements based on first-hand evidence. Following monitoring activities, leaders discuss strengths and areas that need to improve with individuals and groups of staff.

They work with teachers to agree actions for improvement and arrange suitable support or training to address these areas, when needed. For example, senior members of staff and regional consortium staff have worked with individual teachers to improve their teaching of writing. Leaders are beginning to hold staff to account more robustly for the standards that pupils achieve.

There are termly pupil progress meetings at which leaders and class teachers discuss individual pupils' progress. Leaders challenge teachers if groups of pupils are not making at least expected progress, and agree actions to improve pupils' performance. In addition, leaders meet regularly with teachers to look at pupils' work to check that their assessment of pupils' progress is accurate.

Leaders use performance management suitably for teachers and support staff to help address whole school priorities as well as individual areas for improvement. However, objectives are not generally measurable, which makes it difficult for leaders to hold staff to account for their work. Members of the governing body make regular visits to the school to gain first-hand evidence on aspects of the school's work.

For example, governors undertake regular focused learning walks to see improvements to provision and meet with pupils to discuss their work. They challenge leaders regularly, for example by asking questions about how they identify and address shortcomings in teaching and learning. © Crown Copyright 2019: 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 material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the report specified


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