Ysgol Derwenfa

Highlights from Latest Inspection

A group of children in a gymDescription automatically generatedA child and child playing with sandDescription automatically generatedA person and child sitting at a tableDescription automatically generatedYsgol Derwenfa is a nurturing and hard-working school that places a high priority on the well-being of its staff and pupils. Leaders have created a strong culture of mutual support when working together towards the school's core values. These values are shared across the school community and encourage respect and kindness between staff and pupils.

The quality of teaching is strong across the school and all staff know their pupils well and ensure that they take good account of their individual needs. While many pupils start school ...with basic skills below those normally expected, during their time in the school they are well supported and make strong progress in most areas of the curriculum. Teachers provide useful opportunities for pupils to influence their own learning and classrooms are productive working environments where pupils share an enthusiasm for learning.

Staff work well together to create learning experiences that suitably reflect the principles of the curriculum for Wales. They enhance learning with school trips or engaging pupils in the local community, for example when writing articles for the local newsletter or singing in a nearby café. Parents feel well supported by staff, have useful opportunities to understand the progress their children are making and are encouraged to become involved in school life.

Senior leaders and governors have created a strong culture of collaboration to support school improvement and approaches to monitoring and evaluation provide a clear direction for the school. Governors have a positive impact on self-evaluation and know their school well. They set useful targets for improvement, which often have a positive impact on improving teaching and learning at the school.

However, in a very few instances, these do not focus well enough on how well pupils make progress in key areas such as their digital skills, spoken Welsh or their ability to apply their numeracy skills in other areas of the curriculum. There is effective support for pupils with additional learning needs, and the school thinks carefully about how to support pupils' basic skills in literacy and numeracy as well as addressing their social and emotional needs. As a result, the school is an inclusive environment where staff work hard to ensure pupils make good progress and are becoming ambitious and capable learners.

Recommendations R1 Improve opportunities for pupils to develop their numeracy and digital skills progressively across the curriculum R2 Improve pupils' speaking skills in Welsh