Ysgol Gymraeg Abercynon

Highlights from Latest Inspection

The acting headteacher at Ysgol Gymraeg Abercynon is working diligently with leaders to identify the school's strengths and areas for improvement.

Recently, she has allocated responsibilities to staff purposefully and encourages regular co-operation to support her in beginning to respond to inconsistencies across the school. This is beginning to have a positive effect on developing provision and supporting pupils to make progress in their skills. Teachers and teaching assistants work together effectively to provide an inclusive and supportive learning environment for pupils.

They know the pupils well and develop a caring and secure working relationship while supporting their learning. Staff encourage pupils to nurture thei...r well-being and positive attitudes to learning, which motivates many to achieve well. In the best teaching practice, many teachers have high expectations of pupils and support and challenge them effectively to develop their skills in rich activities across the curriculum.

In the less effective practice, a few teachers over-direct learning, which limits pupils in terms of making decisions about what to present in their work and how. This slows their progress as they develop their skills suitably in an appropriate range of activities. Many pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

They are proud to communicate in Welsh and encourage their friends to speak and use the language in their learning and play. Many behave respectfully and support each other to learn well. Overall, they enjoy using their skills to be enthusiastic and creative learners, for example in art and expressive arts activities.

Many pupils develop their literacy and digital skills consistently across the curriculum. Although pupils' mathematics skills are developing soundly, provision does not support the majority to develop and apply their numeracy skills effectively enough in meaningful learning experiences. On the whole, pupils are beginning to demonstrate suitable perseverance and resilience as they begin to foster their independent learning skills.

Recommendations R1 Ensure that teachers have high and consistent expectations to support and challenge pupils to achieve high standards in stimulating activities R2 Provide valuable opportunities for pupils to develop and apply their skills, particularly numeracy, independently across the curriculum