Tongwynlais Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

The pupils at Tongwynlais Primary School enjoy coming to school and take part in lessons and activities with great enthusiasm. Staff know their pupils well and work effectively to ensure that they are happy and safe when they are at school.

The school's support for pupils' well-being is strong and staff work successfully to cater for pupils' individual needs and to address any issues or worries that they may have. The school is aware of the challenges that some families may have as a result of deprivation and is working thoughtfully and sensitively to ensure that this does not negatively affect the learning experiences of their children. Teachers plan engaging learning activities that often capture the interest of pupils and make t...hem keen to learn.

They include pupils well in the planning of topics, lessons and learning activities, and this is one of the reasons that pupils find their lessons so interesting. However, the activities that teachers plan do not always focus clearly enough on the next steps in pupils' learning. As well as this, the curriculum does not ensure that pupils build effectively on their previous learning as they move through the school.

Generally, pupils make good progress with their literacy, numeracy and thinking skills but their ability to understand and use the Welsh language is underdeveloped. The leadership structure for the federation is going through a period of change. The headteacher is new to his role, having previously been the deputy headteacher for the federation.

Building upon his former position, he has continued to successfully develop positive working relationships with staff and parents across both schools. Leaders and governors are keen to make the most of the advantages of being part of a federation, for instance by using existing strengths in one provider to make improvements in the other. They are aware that leadership responsibilities are not distributed equally or effectively enough at the moment and that too many important areas are currently overseen by the headteacher in addition to his wider strategic role.

Recommendations R1 Ensure that leadership responsibilities are distributed effectively and focus on improving outcomes for pupils R2 Improve the quality and consistency of teaching R3 Ensure that the curriculum develop pupils' skills and knowledge progressively and meets statutory requirements R4 Raise standards in Welsh