Ysgol Clydau

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Ysgol Clydau is a happy, caring and welcoming community. There is a clear emphasis on respecting others and ensuring the best possible standards of well-being for the school's pupils and staff. Most pupils behave very well and treat each other and adults extremely respectfully and politely.

The school has a strong culture of safeguarding and, as a result, pupils feel safe and enjoy their time at the school. Many pupils make suitable progress during their time at the school, for example when developing their language, numeracy and digital skills. They apply these skills appropriately across a range of contexts.

Most pupils make good progress in their creative and physical skills and show robust attitudes towards physical ac...tivities. Teachers and assistants foster a very homely and supportive working relationship with pupils. They are good language models and support pupils to recall previous learning effectively.

Staff provide a curriculum that makes purposeful use of the local area and engages the interest and ignites the curiosity of nearly all pupils. At times, teachers do not provide activities that challenge a few pupils to achieve to the best of their ability, particularly those who are more able. When pupils are given an opportunity to do so, they respond positively to feedback and improve their work purposefully.

However, feedback for pupils does not focus specifically enough on important aspects for improvement. As a result, too often, pupils are not aware of the next steps in their learning. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school that prioritises equal access to well-being, happiness and the best learning experiences for all pupils.

This vision is shared purposefully with the school's pupils, staff, parents and governors. The headteacher is supported in a very dedicated way by a small team of staff. Leaders have an appropriate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement.

The governing body are proud of their school and passionate about their responsibilities. They provide the school's leaders and staff with purposeful support. Recommendations R1 Ensure that teachers' feedback helps pupils to improve their work R2 Ensure appropriate challenge for all pupils What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection.

Main findings Learning On entry to the school, many pupils' skills are lower than expected for their stage of development, particularly their Welsh skills. During their time at the school, many pupils make appropriate progress from their starting points. The youngest pupils develop strong physical skills quickly through a range of purposeful experiences in the indoor and outdoor learning areas.

Across the school, most pupils listen attentively to the contributions of their peers and adults and respond appropriately by using suitable language and tone of voice. Most make relevant progress in developing their speaking skills. Many of the youngest pupils acquire the Welsh language beneficially and make an effort to speak it while enjoying their learning, for example while singing songs and responding to stories.

As pupils move through the school, many make good progress in developing their vocabulary and knowledge of language patterns in Welsh and English. However, a minority of pupils do not use Welsh consistently enough in informal and social situations, which hinders their confidence to speak with increasing fluency. Many pupils' reading skills develop effectively as they move through the school.

The youngest pupils develop their understanding of the sounds of letters and groups of letters purposefully. Many of the older pupils develop their reading skills confidently and enjoy reading a relevant range of books and digital texts. The higher order reading skills of the oldest pupils develop beneficially, for example as they gather information about the poet Waldo during their 'Dysgu Difyr' projects.

Many pupils develop their writing skills appropriately and apply them appropriately across the curriculum. The youngest pupils practise forming letters and writing their names by using a range of useful resources in the indoor and outdoor learning areas. In Year 4, pupils formulate a range of interesting questions confidently; for example, they are keen to question a farmer who works the land at the beginning of the twentieth century.

By the top of the school, many pupils include imaginative language as they draft a portrayal of a family member, for example. Overall, the presentation of the majority of pupils' work is not appropriate for their age; for example, letters are often formed incorrectly and numeracy tables are produced carelessly. Most pupils make suitable progress in their mathematical skills.

At the beginning of their time in the reception class, many pupils recognise numbers up to 10 and represent numbers in a variety of useful ways. Year 2 pupils develop their mental calculation skills by doubling simple numbers confidently. At the top of the school, many pupils experiment adventurously with alternative methods of multiplying two-digit numbers.

On the whole, pupils apply their number skills appropriately across most areas of the curriculum. For example, the oldest pupils present graphs successfully to represent the results of an inquiry when discovering the relationship between the length of a shadow and the distance of an object from a light source. Many pupils' digital skills are developing appropriately.

For example, the youngest pupils develop early coding skills by directing a roamer to follow a particular path. By the time they reach the top of the school, many create multimedia presentations to promote waste reduction. They import appropriate pictures and attractive text to capture the audience's attention confidently.

Most pupils' creative skills are developing well. For example, they use a range of media to emulate the work of Kandinsky, Monet and Kyffin Williams. Pupils across the school take pride in their finished work, which is displayed attractively on the classroom walls.

Most pupils show positive attitudes towards physical activity. They enjoy participating in physical education sessions and listen well to instructions. They show respect for each other and the rules of activities.

The oldest pupils develop their ball-control skills appropriately and skilfully during these sessions. Well-being and attitudes to learning The school is a happy, familial and caring community. All of the staff know the pupils well and focus on ensuring the highest possible standards of well-being for them.

Nearly all pupils feel safe and are very proud of their school. They appreciate that adults treat them fairly and listen to them. Pupils know whom to approach for advice if anything is worrying them and are confident that staff respond immediately to any concerns they may have.

As a result, pupils enjoy their time at the school. The behaviour of nearly all pupils in lessons, assemblies, during break times and while moving around the school is very good. Nearly all pupils treat each other with respect and treat their peers with commendable care, for example when the oldest pupils help the youngest during break times.

They have a good awareness of their emotional well-being. For example, they use the dedicated outdoor area to relax and reflect on their thoughts when they feel the need to do so. Nearly all pupils have a positive attitude to learning.

They concentrate well in lessons for extended periods and apply themselves to learning quickly on arrival in the classroom. Many pupils persevere when solving problems independently and use a good range of coping methods if they face difficulties. Overall, most pupils develop as ambitious and confident learners who are ready to learn.

Most pupils have a suitable understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet. For example, they know how to keep their passwords secure and how to respond should a stranger contact them online. Regular visits by the community police officer to discuss online safety, antisocial behaviour and drugs have a positive effect on pupils' awareness of the dangers around them.

Many pupils have an appropriate understanding of the importance of making good choices in terms of eating and drinking healthily and how this promotes their health. For example, they enjoy and benefit from the class theme 'O'r Pridd i'r Plât' ('From Field to Fork'). From the outset, most pupils develop robust physical skills and enjoy learning outdoors.

They respond enthusiastically to opportunities to develop different sports skills during physical education lessons. Most enjoy taking part in extra-curricular activities and representing the school in various sporting competitions, for example hockey and cricket. Nearly all pupils develop a good understanding of the importance of being ethical and principled citizens.

For example, by studying the story of Malala Yousafzai and the challenges she faced, they learn about unjust situations. As a result, they show maturity when discussing issues relating to equality, fairness and human rights. Many pupils enjoy undertaking roles and responsibilities within the school and fulfil them with dedication and purpose.

For example, members of the eco council promote care for the local environment enthusiastically through their work on the 'Tacluso Tegryn' project. Most of the oldest pupils contribute beneficially to their learning by suggesting ideas about what they would like to learn through their experiences and activities. Teaching and learning experiences On the whole, teachers plan purposefully to ensure that nearly all pupils enjoy valuable experiences that develop their knowledge and understanding appropriately.

Staff have a wonderful working relationship with pupils. They develop a productive and supporting learning environment where there is an emphasis on providing everyone with an opportunity to succeed. As a result, experiences ensure the engagement and interest of nearly all pupils.

The school's arrangements for delivering the Curriculum for Wales are developing suitably. Teachers and assistants work and plan together appropriately to provide an interesting and stimulating offer that combines many of the areas of learning. Staff plan appropriately to develop pupils' skills.

Teachers provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to develop their oral skills. For example, the oldest pupils develop their knowledge and use of specific vocabulary when discussing the features and content of electric circuits. Effective opportunities are planned to develop pupils' reading skills.

The youngest pupils are beginning to develop their understanding of the sound of different letters when reading unfamiliar words. They build well on this foundation and, by the top of the school, they use higher order reading skills, such as skimming and scanning, confidently. Pupils are given beneficial opportunities to write across a range of written genres, which has a positive effect on developing their skills.

For example, the youngest pupils re-write a well-known story and personalise it by adding words of their own choice, such as the contracted verb form. As pupils move through the school, they write interesting portrayals, which include lively adjectives and a variety of sentences to capture the reader's interest. Teachers provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to develop and apply their numeracy skills across the majority of the areas of learning.

Suitable opportunities are provided to develop pupils' digital skills. For example, the oldest pupils use simple formulae to multiply numbers in a spreadsheet when calculating the cost of various components for their electric circuits. Teachers plan purposeful educational trips and valuable residential visits to reinforce learning.

Visits are organised to places such as Pembroke Castle at the beginning of a unit of thematic work, which ignites pupils' imagination and natural curiosity successfully. This has a positive effect on their enthusiasm and attitudes to learning. Teachers plan appropriately for experts to visit the school to promote and develop pupils' physical skills.

As a result, pupils see the importance of keeping fit and taking part in regular physical activity. Where teaching is at its most effective, teachers are good language models, support pupils to recall previous learning purposefully and provide tasks that engage the interest of nearly all pupils. They manage pupils' behaviour skilfully, consider their responses well and change the direction of learning, as necessary.

Teachers use valuable teaching techniques to encourage pupils to experiment with alternative problem-solving approaches. In the less effective teaching practices, activities and learning experiences do not provide a sufficient challenge for a few pupils, particularly those who are more able. As a result, they do not always achieve to the best of their ability.

Assistants reinforce the school's objectives skilfully by supporting pupils with their activities. They use a range of programmes effectively to promote pupils' progress and well-being. As a result, many pupils immerse themselves in their learning and make consistent progress in their skills.

The school provides a purposeful, interesting and stimulating environment in the school's outdoor area. Staff provide rich activities in this area that develops a wide range of pupils' skills successfully. For example, they develop their physical skills and strength by using appropriate equipment and foster an awareness and understanding of space and direction by interpreting maps on board the pirate ship.

The use of teachers and assistants of the outdoor learning area is a strong feature of the school's work. At times, teachers provide suitable opportunities for pupils to respond to feedback and improve their work. However, feedback has a tendency to focus on praising effort and completing tasks.

As a result, pupils do not know what needs to be improved in a range of important aspects of their work. As a result, a few pupils do not always complete work to the highest standard, particularly their extended pieces of writing. Teachers share information with parents and carers regularly about their children's progress and well-being, which helps them to understand how to support them at home.

Annual reports for parents report on pupils' progress and identify the next steps in learning purposefully. Care, support and guidance A friendly, inclusive and welcoming ethos contributes firmly to supporting pupils to take pride in belonging to one big family. A strong emphasis on respecting others contributes effectively towards developing thoughtful pupils who are very well behaved and take pride in their school and their community.

As a result, they have positive attitudes towards their work, their peers and other adults at the school. Staff have thorough knowledge of the needs of all pupils and focus clearly on meeting their needs to develop them as well-rounded learners. Provision for pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) is comprehensive.

As a result, most pupils with ALN make sound progress from their starting points. All staff, without exception, are dedicated to fulfilling their responsibilities and meeting the needs of all pupils. Staff collect a range of appropriate information about pupils' progress and analyse this information purposefully.

This enables them to identify pupils who need additional support at an early stage. Staff provide purposeful support programmes that respond well to pupils' needs. These programmes include support for developing literacy and numeracy skills, in addition to supporting pupils' emotional well-being.

There is a close link and co-operation between the school and the home. For example, parents play an important role in the process of reviewing their children's progress and identify the next steps in their learning regularly. The school co-operates purposefully with a range of external agencies to support ALN provision, for example the education psychology service and specialist sight and hearing impairment teachers.

Suitable opportunities for provided for pupils to take on leadership roles and shoulder responsibilities. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously and develop important skills, such as co-operation and perseverance. For example, the 'Cyngor Cymreictod' encourage their peers to socialise in Welsh at school by rewarding the use of Welsh and celebrating success in the whole-school assembly.

Periods of collective worship provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on their day-to-day actions and their impact on others. For example, they consider the importance of being grateful for what they have and of saying thank you to others who help and support them in their daily lives. A good variety of rich experiences promotes pupils' cultural development and celebrates their Welsh heritage and culture successfully.

For example, they compete in the Urdd Eisteddfod, celebrate Welsh Language Music Day and compete in national quizzes which promote an understanding of cultural issues and Welsh heritage well. As a result, many pupils have a strong sense of the importance of celebrating their Welsh identity and culture. The school provides a wide range of opportunities that encourage pupils to take part in sport and leisure activities.

For example, they attend cricket, football and hockey competitions and the local sports festival for small schools. These activities promote and develop pupils' physical and mental fitness, in addition to their resilience and ability to work effectively as a member of a team. The school's procedures for monitoring and tracking pupils' attendance are robust.

Staff keep appropriate records of absences and contact parents and the welfare officer appropriately to discuss any concerns regarding their children's attendance. These procedures have ensured that the attendance of pupils at the school has improved over time. Leaders promote a culture of safeguarding successfully.

As a result, staff, pupils and governors have a sound knowledge and understanding of how to keep everyone safe on site. The school's safeguarding and health and safety procedures are sound and are not a cause for concern. Leadership and management The headteacher has a clear vision for the school, which is based on providing well-being, happiness and the best learning experiences for all pupils.

He has shared this vision successfully with pupils, staff, governors and parents. Leaders are very dedicated and hard-working in delivering a curriculum that is interesting, engages pupils' interest and pays appropriate attention to the context of the local area. They promote a culture of safeguarding skilfully.

As a result, pupils feel happy and safe at school and enjoy their learning. The headteacher is supported tirelessly by a small team of staff. They fulfil their roles conscientiously and sincerely.

Leaders ensure that there are purposeful arrangements for managing staff performance and their targets align appropriately with the school's priorities. There is a logical link between these aims and professional learning activities; for example, a member of staff has attended training to develop pupils' Welsh oracy. Leaders ensure that staff are given effective opportunities to work with local schools, for example by sharing good practice in terms of how the school uses the outdoor area to provide rich learning experiences.

Leaders have established appropriate arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the school's work. The arrangements include a good range of partners such as staff, governors and pupils. Leaders gather a good range of first-hand evidence and analyse the findings carefully.

As a result, leaders have a suitable understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. Through this, they identify priorities for improvement that give due attention to the issues that need to be improved and align appropriately with national priorities, for example as staff develop pupils' Welsh oral skills and reduce the effect of poverty on pupils' attainment. Leaders monitor progress against priorities regularly.

However, monitoring activities do not always focus purposefully enough on the effect of provision on pupils' progress. The governing body is extremely committed and passionate about the school and plays an important part in the school's improvement procedures by visiting regularly and undertaking useful monitoring activities. For example, members observe learning sessions and undertake an audit of the condition of the building and the safety of the site.

Governors are proactive in improving the effectiveness of self-evaluation processes, for example by redesigning the methods of recording evidence for visits to the school. Leaders provide the governing body with appropriate information about the school's performance. As a result, governors have a suitable grasp of the school's strengths, together with improvements that need to be made.

Governors ensure that the school has relevant arrangements for promoting eating and drinking healthily. Leaders manage resources carefully, for example as they reorganise and rationalise the school's staffing structure when faced with the challenging budget situation. Any expenditure is monitored closely by leaders and there is an appropriate link between their decisions on expenditure and the school's improvement priorities.

Grant funding, for example the pupil development grant, is used appropriately to provide emotional support for pupils to promote their well-being. Leaders ensure that there are suitable learning resources for each class and that budgetary constraints have the least possible impact on pupils' learning experiences. Evidence base of the report Before an inspection, inspectors: • analyse the outcomes from the parent and pupil questionnaires and consider the views of teachers and the governing body/members of the management committee through their questionnaire responses During an inspection, inspectors normally: • hold a meeting with parents to hear their views on the school and its effectiveness • meet the headteacher, governors, senior, middle leaders, and individual teachers to evaluate the impact of the school's work • meet pupils to discuss their work and to gain their views about various aspects of their school • meet groups of pupils in leadership roles, such as representatives from the school council and eco-committee • visit a broad sample of lessons, including learning support groups and the specialist resource base (where appropriate), and undertake a variety of learning walks to observe pupils learning and to see staff teaching in a range of settings, including classrooms, support groups (where appropriate) and in outdoor areas • visit the specialist resource base within the school to see pupils' learning (where appropriate) • observe and speak to pupils at lunch and break times and at a sample of after-school clubs • attend assemblies and daily acts of collective worship • look closely at the school's self-evaluation processes • consider the school's improvement plan and look at evidence to show how well the school has taken forward planned improvements • scrutinise a range of school documents, including information on pupil assessment and progress, records of meetings of staff and the governing body, information on pupils' well-being, including the safeguarding of pupils, and records of staff training and professional development After the on-site inspection and before the publication of the report, Estyn: • review the findings of the inspection alongside the supporting evidence from the inspection team in order to validate, moderate and ensure the quality of the inspectionCopies of the report Copies of this report are available from the school and from the Estyn website (http://www.

estyn.gov.wales) The report was produced in accordance with Section 28 of the Education Act 2005.

Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the information in this document is accurate at the time of going to press. Any enquiries or comments regarding this document/publication should be addressed to: Publication Section Estyn Anchor Court, Keen Road Cardiff CF24 5JW or by email to [email protected].

wales This and other Estyn publications are available on our website: http://www.estyn.gov.

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