Maesmarchog Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Maesmarchog Primary School is an inclusive and caring school. Leaders, governors and staff know pupils well. They prioritise well-being and inclusivity and this means that pupils enjoy coming to school and feel valued and cared for by staff.

Pupils behave well and show respect for each other and their teachers and other staff. The school listens to and considers the views of pupils and parents effectively. However, attendance rates are low, particularly for the most vulnerable pupils.

Teaching across the school is inconsistent. In many lessons, teaching does not develop pupils' skills in literacy and numeracy, well enough. Teaching staff do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to work independently and develop speci...fic skills.

As a result, pupils, including those with additional learning (ALN) needs and pupils in the learning support centre, do not achieve as well as they could. The school's curriculum is at an early stage of development. Planning for pupils to build and apply their skills, knowledge and understanding is not yet systematic or progressive.

Teachers use a range of assessment procedures to record the progress pupils are making. However, they do not use assessment information well enough to inform their teaching in lessons or over time. This means that they do not plan well enough to meet pupils' learning needs as they move through the school.

This limits pupils' progress. Senior leaders do not accurately identify areas that need development. Improvement plans and processes are not specific or rigorous enough to bring about necessary changes.

As a result, the pace of development is slow. Governors are engaged in the life of the school and ensure that well-being and inclusivity are a high priority. However, governors do not have enough first-hand evidence about standards and pupil progress to hold the school to account.

Recommendations R1 Ensure that leaders use evaluation and improvement processes effectively to ensure that the teaching and learning experiences provided for pupils meet their educational and developmental needs R2 Provide a purposeful and engaging curriculum that develops pupils' skills progressively R3 Make effective use of assessment information to inform teaching and to support pupils' progress in lessons and over time R4 Improve attendance, particularly for vulnerable learners What happens next In accordance with the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school is in need of significant improvement. The school will draw up an action plan to show how it is going to address the recommendations. Estyn will monitor the school's progress about 12 months after the publication of this report.