Ysgol Y Dderi

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About Ysgol Y Dderi


Name Ysgol Y Dderi
Address Llangybi, Lampeter, SA48 8LY
Phone Number 01570 493424
Phase Nursery, Infants & Juniors
Gender Mixed
Number of Pupils 108 (44.4% boys 55.6% girls)
Number of Pupils per Teacher 16.1
Local Authority Ceredigion
Highlights from Latest Inspection

Ysgol Y Dderi is a happy, caring, and homely community.

The enthusiastic headteacher and dedicated staff are very effective in creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for pupils. The effect of the robust leadership can be seen across the school. All staff have a close and warm relationship with pupils.

They treat pupils with kindness and respect and provide stimulating and exciting experiences that engage the interest of nearly all pupils. They work together exceptionally well to support pupils' well-being, social and emotional needs and plan the next steps in their learning. The school's curriculum provides a wide range of stimulating activities across all areas of learning and experience.

Across the s...chool, the positive ethos within the classrooms encourages effective and purposeful learning communities. Although teachers use a suitable range of teaching methods in their classes, provision does not support pupils to make increasingly independent choices about their learning. Teachers also do not always provide enough incisive feedback for pupils to reflect on their work and make improvements.

Most pupils make good progress across the school, including those with additional learning needs. Most pupils develop sound literacy and numeracy skills and use technology confidently to support their learning. During their time at the school, most pupils make strong progress from their starting points.

A strong feature is their use of the Welsh language, with most using their skills confidently in different contexts. Most build progressively on their writing skills by using an increasing range of rich vocabulary in their work and achieve good standards across the school. The school has responded creatively and innovatively to the requirements of the Curriculum for Wales.

Outdoor learning provides rich opportunities for pupils across the school to apply their skills practically and creatively. Pupils are extremely enthusiastic and persevere exceptionally well during these activities. The school curriculum has been established firmly in its rural locality, just a stone's throw from Lampeter.

Pupils learn about the area's heroes, history, legends, and culture and this enriches their learning exceptionally well. Recommendations R1 Strengthen opportunities for pupils to make independent choices about how they learn R2 Strengthen teachers' feedback and opportunities for pupils to reflect on their work so that they know what to do to improve What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to show how it will address the recommendations. Estyn will invite the school to prepare a case study, to be disseminated on Estyn's website, on its work in relation to the effectiveness of the school's use of natural resources, which enhances learning and pupils' values to be principled, ethically, informed citizens.

Main findings Learning On entry to the school, many pupils have the skills expected for their age and ability. During their time at the school, most pupils, including those with additional learning needs (ALN), make sound progress in their skills from their starting points. They recall information skilfully, deepen their understanding and immerse themselves fully in their learning.

Nearly all pupils show genuine pride in their work and interact effectively with each other. Most pupils in the nursery and reception classes listen exceptionally well to each other and adults. As they progress through the school, they concentrate well for extended periods and their oral skills develop soundly.

Most begin to develop simple vocabulary quickly. They expand their vocabulary appropriately to talk about their experiences by using local dialect naturally, for example when describing weather features and the growth of plants in the Spring. Nearly all pupils speak Welsh with increasing confidence and use appropriate vocabulary, for example when discussing how to look after themselves to stay healthy.

At the top of the school, most discuss their work intelligently and maturely in Welsh and English, using rich vocabulary, for example when expressing different views about the importance of sleep for their health. Most pupils' reading skills develop effectively as they move through the school. Most nursery and reception pupils enjoy listening to stories and re-read them to their friends and adults.

By Year 2, most pupils read and gather interesting facts and present them in an information leaflet about famous authors from Ceredigion. Most older pupils read intelligently in various contexts in both languages. They vary their tone of voice and use punctuation purposefully to demonstrate their understanding.

They also skim appropriately to gather information from different sources. For example, when researching the history of Betty Campbell, they deepen their understanding of the excellent contributions of black people to society. The writing skills of most pupils develop strongly during their time at the school.

For example, the youngest pupils make marks to begin to form letters and write simple words. By Year 2, pupils write in an appropriate range of contexts, including creative genres. Most of the school's older pupils build on their writing skills successfully and begin to vary their vocabulary and sentence patterns while writing, for example when recalling the story of Llyn y Fan Fach.

At the top of the school, most pupils demonstrate a sound grasp of familiar spelling patterns, paragraphing, and punctuation in both languages. They develop their relevant knowledge of the correct use of Welsh by following a consistent structure in regular activities. They adapt style and structure to different topics effectively.

For example, they write a formal letter to express an opinion about the flooding of the Tryweryn valley. From an early age, most pupils' mathematical skills develop well. The youngest pupils can count to 10 successfully.

They recognise numbers up to 20 and use this knowledge confidently to add and subtract different numbers, for example when playing simple games. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 identify different shapes correctly and use their understanding effectively to read clues and solve problems in stimulating activities in the outdoor area. This encourages pupils to enjoy mathematics from an early age.

As pupils move through the school, most continue to make strong progress. They deepen their understanding of the four mathematical rules and use a formula confidently to discover the circumference of various objects in the outdoor area. Most pupils' creative skills are developing effectively.

They use a variety of materials and styles skilfully to produce impressive artwork. They emulate the work of artists skilfully and vary tone and colour carefully, for example when describing the sky and sea. Pupils' creative output is displayed tastefully within colourful learning environments, which foster pride in their work.

Most pupils develop good physical skills throughout the school. For example, they take part in a variety of lessons that promote their health and well-being, such as taking part in mindfulness and fitness sessions. Most pupils' digital skills develop effectively as they move through the school.

They combine their understanding of different computer programs and apps with increasing confidence to enrich their work. In the youngest classes, they handle equipment confidently, for example when using a digital tablet to record their work and develop their speaking and listening skills. By Year 2, they create simple graphs of the eye colours of members of the class.

Most of the school's oldest pupils use a range of software to present work skilfully across the areas of learning. For example, they use databases and spreadsheets successfully to record the profit after selling products from a potion stand. Well-being and attitudes to learning Nearly all pupils feel happy and safe in the care of the school's staff.

They feel that they are respected and treated fairly, and this makes a highly positive contribution to the school's caring, safe and inclusive ethos. Pupils know whom to approach for support if anything is worrying them and are confident that the staff listen to them. Most pupils behave well in lessons, during leisure time and while moving around the school.

They are caring towards each other and show pride in their local area and their school. They take pride in the Welsh language and their heritage. Most pupils across the school have positive attitudes towards their learning.

They develop their creative skills enthusiastically. For example, across the school, they are adventurous when experimenting with a variety of media and materials to produce artwork of a high standard and have won national prizes in making 2D pictures and ceramic models. Most pupils are ready to express an opinion and suggest ideas about the content of their lessons.

For example, by producing mind maps at the beginning of the termly themes, they contribute purposefully by suggesting ideas and work successfully with their peers. As a result, pupils' enthusiasm and participation in learning are very robust. Most pupils show perseverance and resilience when completing tasks and demonstrate a high level of detail in their work.

Although nearly all respond successfully when following the guidance of teachers and assistants to complete tasks, pupils are not always given timely opportunities to guide their own learning wholly independently. Most pupils understand the need to keep fit and eat and drink healthily. They use this understanding to make healthy choices in their school life and beyond.

They explain why it is beneficial to eat healthy snacks during playtimes and why drinks with too much sugar should be avoided. Most pupils' understanding of their rights is developing soundly and they are aware of the right to be safe. Most have a good awareness of how to stay safe online.

For example, digital leaders have created a list of rules on how to stay safe online and this reinforces the understanding and awareness of the other pupils. Most pupils have a highly intelligent understanding of the importance of the cycles and processes of nature. They explain the advantages of sustainable living and the beneficial effect this has on their well-being.

For example, they take pride in growing vegetables in the gardening area and eat them and sell them to the local community. Most foster a better understanding of the way that appropriate ecological values can influence and inspire the way they learn to live. Most also take part in physical education sessions with genuine pride, including rugby, cross-country and well-being activities.

As a result, most pupils are principled, knowledgeable citizens who show commitment to the sustainability of the planet. Most pupils develop as moral citizens through their work in raising awareness and acting considerately to help others in the local community. For example, by holding the 'Glastondderi' festival in the summer for the school community, nearly all pupils are given an opportunity to perform on a stage and sell produce from the school garden.

This allows them to apply their skills and knowledge effectively in an imaginative and innovative manner. Teaching and learning experiences The school curriculum provides a broad and balanced curriculum of stimulating activities across all areas of learning and experience. Teachers work well with pupils, parents and the school community to plan and provide engaging experiences that inspire and ensure the commitment of all pupils.

The school's strong Welsh ethos, together with provision, encourages pupils to make purposeful use of the Welsh language in all aspects of school life. Nearly all members of staff have high expectations for pupils' standards and show enthusiasm towards the language. They model language masterfully, which enables most pupils to make good progress in acquiring the language and using it in different contexts.

As a result, most pupils develop into competent bilingual learners. All members of staff have a highly positive working relationship with pupils. They work together closely as effective team members when planning learning activities within the areas of learning and experience.

For example, teachers have revised the schemes of work in implementing the Curriculum for Wales to provide imaginative opportunities for pupils to develop a range of learning experiences in authentic contexts. This has a very positive effect on the motivation and commitment of most pupils. Teachers and classroom assistants of the youngest pupils ensure that creative and practical learning experiences are incorporated skilfully into the learning areas in the classroom and the outdoor areas.

The attractive learning areas in the indoor and outdoor classes are used purposefully to encourage pupils to work productively and enrich their experiences, for example when buying goods in the shop, repairing cars in the role-play garage, and composing in the music corner. At the top of the school, staff provide a wide range of activities that support pupils to make progress in their key skills and social skills. For example, Year 6 pupils use their literacy and numeracy skills to gather ingredients from the coppice on the school grounds to make produce such as soap and sun cream to sell to the public.

This contributes highly successfully towards developing pupils to become enterprising and ambitious learners. There are regular opportunities for pupils to suggest the next direction they would like to follow when working on different, broad and interesting themes. However, overall, staff over-direct, which in turn hinders pupils' ability to make increasingly independent choices about their learning.

Overall, provision does not support pupils effectively enough to make independent choices about how they learn. Teachers are developing their approach to assessment by adopting a more effective method of tracking pupils' progress. This focuses well on pupils' basic skills and effort and is based on agreed criteria.

Teachers use a wealth of useful information effectively when planning the next steps in pupils' learning. Teachers share information regularly with parents and carers about their children's progress and well-being, which helps them to understand how they can provide support at home. Staff have a beneficial and close working relationship with pupils.

This fosters a positive and supportive environment for learning. They know the pupils well, encourage their participation and praise their efforts regularly while they work and interact with their peers. As a result, most pupils continue to engage with their learning for extended periods.

Within their learning sessions, teachers share the success criteria with pupils appropriately. However, teachers do not always provide suitable opportunities for pupils to reflect on their work and make improvements after receiving feedback. As a result, pupils do not always extend their work to the best of their ability.

Care, support and guidance All staff contribute successfully to developing a happy, caring and safe ethos within the school. They foster shared values such as care, kindness, fairness and respect exceptionally well. This ensures that the school provides a safe environment where pupils feel that they are valued members of the 'school family'.

A strong feature of provision is the consideration that is given to pupils' mental health and well-being. By providing effective emotional well-being sessions for individuals and small groups, assistants provide extensive opportunities for them to discuss their emotions. Pupils across the school are also given valuable opportunities to develop confidence, resilience and empathy which encourages pupils to be healthy and respectful individuals.

The school presents daily acts of worship as a whole school or in classes, which make a positive contribution to pupils' spiritual and moral development. Across the school, there is a suitable emphasis on inclusion and developing pupils' understanding of their human rights. Provision develops pupils to show a beneficial appreciation of equality, fairness and equity and the way in which these concepts relate to their day-to-day lives.

The school has appropriate arrangements for supporting pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) and provides a range of tailored interventions and support to respond to their personal needs and targets. The additional learning needs co-ordinator (ALNCo) makes good use of the support that is available from external agencies and acts effectively. The school's leaders track the progress of pupils with additional learning needs in relation to their personal targets.

The school communicates purposefully with parents about their children's progress in meetings and by updating pupil-centred documentation. As a result of monitoring and evaluating provision regularly, most pupils with ALN make sound progress against their targets. Visits by individuals such as the police officer raise pupils' awareness of the dangers of misuse of the internet.

The school has a strong culture of safeguarding, and all staff undertake appropriate training and regular staff discussions. The school's arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet requirements and are not a cause for concern. The school has effective arrangements for promoting healthy eating and drinking.

Teachers take advantage of every opportunity to develop pupils' understanding of how to make healthy lifestyle choices, for example by growing vegetables in the school garden and cooking them to make healthy foods and serving the produce to their parents in a café one evening. Pupils have enjoyed a wide range of physical activities outside the school and have learned new skills such as climbing, canoeing and teamwork. The school provides valuable opportunities that contribute very well to developing pupils' spiritual and ethical skills and support pupils to relate to the experiences of children from schools across Europe.

For example, links with a school in Ukraine have provided effective opportunities for pupils to reflect on important messages, such as tolerance and helping others, and link them to their own experiences. Leadership and management The headteacher provides a clear and robust strategic direction for the school and leads the school highly effectively. She has a notable vision, “O'r Fesen Fach” (“From little acorns”), which has been shared successfully with the school community.

This close-knit partnership encourages nearly all pupils to be healthy and confident individuals within a welcoming, safe and happy community. This contributes to the fact that pupils take pride in belonging to the school and demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. Staff have a good proactive relationship with parents, which encourages them to play a key part in school life.

The headteacher shares information with parents in a beneficial and timely manner, which ensures their understanding of all of the school's activities. Staff take advantage of the expertise of parents and the wider community highly effectively by planning and presenting a wide range of experiences on particular days, which expand their talents and experiences with the pupils. For example, by organising an art exhibition in a local gallery, pupils use their creative and expressive skills skilfully.

The school's quality assurance arrangements and self-evaluation processes are very effective and include all members of staff. They consider the contributions of staff and governors, alongside first-hand evidence when evaluating the school's performance. Information from monitoring activities is used effectively to set clear priorities for improvement.

For example, priorities to raise the standards of specific groups of pupils focus firmly on supporting pupils to make progress in their literacy and numeracy skills. Members of the governing body support leaders and staff well and have a beneficial understanding of the school's daily arrangements. They take advantage of developing a first-hand understanding of the school's activities, which is useful in making improvements.

For example, they discuss pupils' work and conduct learning walks to measure its quality alongside teachers. The governing body also ensures that the school has appropriate arrangements to promote eating and drinking healthily. They receive termly reports from the headteacher that highlight the school's life and work.

Leaders make sensible use of funding, including the pupil development grant, which has a positive effect on improving pupils' skills. For example, they have allocated funding to develop and improve the learning environment continuously and have invested in creating imaginative areas. This develops pupils' skills in a creative environment and in an ethos that supports their emotional well-being.

Areas allow staff to make the best use of the building and grounds, such as the coppice and the planting areas. Leaders use the pupil development grant sensibly and allocate resources effectively to provide specific interventions across the school. By doing so, assistants provide beneficial support to move pupils forward in their learning and support them emotionally.

The headteacher maintains a positive ethos and culture to promote and support the professional learning of all staff. All members of staff are given regular opportunities to attend training and courses that link directly to the school's strategic priorities and their individual needs. They compare and share their effectiveness with other professionals, and this develops their professional knowledge, teaching and leadership skills.

This culture of continuous professional learning creates caring provision which, in turn, leads to enthusiastic pupils who achieve well and develops the school as a learning organisation. 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] This and other Estyn publications are available on our website: http://www.

estyn.gov.wales/ This document has been translated by Trosol (Welsh to English).


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