Betws Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Betws Primary School is part of a federation with nearby Blaengarw Primary School.

An acting executive headteacher provides overall leadership for the federation. However, each school has its own head of school and retains its unique character. The staff at both schools collaborate well together to benefit the pupils of each school.

Betws Primary a safe, happy and caring community where pupils thrive. Leaders and staff place a strong focus on supporting the well-being and development of pupils to enable them to become rounded citizens with positive attitudes to learning. The school's inclusive ethos permeates its work, with pupils in the local authority hearing impaired learning resource classroom very much part of everyda...y school life.

Pupils make good progress during their time at the school and talk enthusiastically about the opportunities and experience they have through their curriculum and about how they have the tools to support their independent learning. They are proud that they have an emerging voice in their school and opportunities to influence what they learn. Teachers are effective in creating stimulating learning spaces and lessons, which skilfully move the learning on.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary in lessons, when they move about the school and during play and lunchtimes. They display high levels of respect for adults and each other. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and this is evident in the way they are keen to learn new skills, particularly in oracy, reading and numeracy.

However, pupils have limited opportunities to implement and develop these skills, particularly writing, in their work across the curriculum. Leaders support staff development well. There is a strong focus on supporting the well-being of staff and ensuring they have access to suitable professional learning to improve their classroom practice.

Staff collaborate effectively with other schools, particularly Blaengarw, and this impacts positively on pupils' outcomes at Betws Primary. Leaders are keen to evaluate the strengths of the school and to identify opportunities for further improvement. However, this work is at an early stage in its development as evaluations do not identify sharply enough the improvements that need to be made.

Recommendations R1 Use evaluation processes more effectively to inform school improvement work R2 Ensure that pupils develop and use their writing and numeracy skills progressively and to the standard they are capable of during their time at school