Stepaside C.P. School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Stepaside C.

P. school is a happy place where pupils feel safe and are eager to learn. Leaders focus on providing a welcoming, calm and purposeful learning environment and this contributes to the school's nurturing ethos.

Staff make good use of the extensive outdoor areas to enhance the curriculum and to provide opportunities for pupils to keep fit and healthy. Most pupils make good progress in their learning, although those who do not attend regularly do not always make the progress of which they are capable. Over the past few years, teachers have worked diligently to develop a suitable curriculum in line with the requirements of Curriculum for Wales.

This work has been effective, and the curriculum is broad and ...balanced and takes good account of the school's locality. The work to ensure that there is suitable progression across all areas of learning is at an early stage of development. Teachers and support staff develop positive working relationships with pupils.

They extend pupils' learning through effective questioning and provide good quality feedback to pupils as they work. Systems for pupils to assess their work are developing appropriately. When pupils work independently, the level of challenge is not always matched well enough to their ability or stage of development.

Pupils have good opportunities to take on lead roles and to influence the life and work of the school. They take these roles seriously and are proud of their achievements. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and shares this effectively with staff, pupils and parents.

He has high expectations of staff and pupils and has implemented a range of changes to improve teaching and learning effectively. Governors provide a good level of support and challenge to the school and are actively involved in monitoring activities and bringing about improvements. Recommendations R1 Develop a shared understanding of progression to ensure that pupils make progress across all areas of the curriculum R2 Ensure that independent learning experiences provide sufficient challenge for all pupils and support them to develop suitably as independent learners What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection.