Ysgol Talgarreg

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Ysgol Talgarreg is an extremely welcoming and friendly school that aims to ensure the best learning experiences and well-being for all pupils. Pupils' pride in their school is a strong feature. They talk enthusiastically about their experiences and value the opportunities they are given.

Almost without exception, pupils are polite and treat each other and adults with respect. The school promotes a culture of safeguarding successfully and pupils feel happy and safe at the school. Most pupils make good progress in their language and digital skills from their starting points and apply these skills successfully across the curriculum.

On the whole, pupils make appropriate progress in developing their number skills. However, the...re are not enough opportunities for them to apply their numeracy skills in full in a variety of learning contexts. Teachers provide a stimulating and balanced curriculum.

They plan learning experiences that reflect local history and traditions well. Pupils contribute effectively to the content of the curriculum and, as a result, they are dedicated and enthusiastic about their learning. Staff establish a productive working relationship with pupils and engage their interest in learning experiences successfully.

Teachers use a range of teaching methods purposefully. They ask pupils probing questions and communicate with them by using polished Welsh. Feedback from teachers supports pupils to identify what they have done well.

However, they do not provide regular enough opportunities for pupils to respond to feedback and make improvements to their work. The headteacher is a passionate leader who works diligently for the school. She has high expectations of herself and others and is committed to ensuring the best for pupils.

She is supported by a small team of staff who are hard-working and work together effectively to meet pupils' needs. The governors are strong advocates for the school. They have a comprehensive understanding of their responsibilities and know the school's strengths and areas for improvement well.

They provide strong support for staff and ensure that the school makes effective use of its resources. Recommendations R1 Ensure that teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to respond to feedback to improve their work R2 Improve opportunities for pupils to apply their numeracy skills in a variety of learning contexts What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection. Main findings Learning During their time at the school, most pupils, including those with additional learning needs (ALN), make sound progress from their starting points.

They develop their knowledge and understanding effectively in interesting contexts that encourage them to enjoy learning. Most pupils' listening skills develop well across the school. They listen attentively to adults and their peers and follow instructions well.

Most pupils' spoken Welsh skills are highly effective across the school. The youngest pupils discuss their tasks and express their ideas enthusiastically and with great curiosity. As they move through the school, most pupils' vocabulary develops skilfully.

They respond confidently to challenging questions and discuss the features of their creative writing work maturely. Most pupils make good progress in their reading skills over time. They show enthusiasm towards reading and enjoy discussing various texts.

By the time they reach Year 2, most read a range of texts with increasing accuracy. They make good use of punctuation when reading aloud to convey meaning. Most of the oldest pupils read a range of texts fluently in both languages.

They discuss the content of books maturely and explain which authors appeal to them and attract them to enjoy reading. Most pupils' writing skills develop robustly across the school. The youngest pupils develop early writing skills effectively and experiment when making marks, for example when using chalk and writing pens in the travel agent's area.

By Year 2, most build simple sentences by using purposeful adjectives to describe healthy fruit. They build on these skills successfully in both languages as they move through the school. By Year 4, most pupils demonstrate a sound grasp of familiar spelling patterns and use an appropriate range of similes to enrich their work successfully, for example when writing a descriptive piece about the fox and the owl.

By Year 6, most write at increasing length and make imaginative choices from a wide range of vocabulary to engage the reader's interest. Most pupils' mathematics skills develop suitably. The youngest pupils acquire important skills when exchanging coins in the milk shop, for example.

As they move through the school, they build on their skills regularly. The oldest pupils multiply 3-digit numbers by using appropriate methods successfully. Pupils use their number skills appropriately across a narrow range of contexts.

However, pupils do not apply the full range of numeracy skills in areas across the curriculum which, in turn, slows their progress. Over time, most pupils' digital skills develop well. The youngest pupils develop their coding skills successfully and enjoy programming the rover to follow a specific path on the floor.

The oldest pupils use multimedia packages skilfully, for example when presenting information about a variety of New Year's Eve traditions around the world. They develop their creative skills successfully when using programs to create entertaining animations of the journey of a red kite to be included in the performance of the Christmas show. Most pupils' creative skills develop effectively and are a strong feature of the school.

They colourful and imaginative drawings are displayed tastefully on the school walls. Most pupils sing confidently with a sound awareness of pitch and tone. Nearly all pupils' confidence and creativity develop soundly by planning, composing and performing the Christmas show and taking part in the action songs, for example.

Nearly all pupils across the school develop their physical skills well. They interact effectively when taking part in activities that promote their health and well-being successfully and respect the rules of activities appropriately. Well-being and attitudes to learning Almost without exception, pupils are polite, friendly and extremely proud of their school.

They are lively and enthusiastic about their experiences and activities and extend a very warm welcome to visitors. They enjoy coming to school and feel happy and safe within the inclusive and cosy environment. Pupils and their parents value the care that staff provide and feel that the school listens to their views and considers and acts on their feedback regularly, where appropriate.

Pupils behave well in all aspects of school life. Most pupils' attitudes to learning are good. They have an innate enthusiasm towards their activities and welcome new experiences and challenges.

Most work well together in pairs and groups. They show resilience and perseverance when solving problems and focus on their tasks for extended periods. When they are given an opportunity to do so, pupils respond appropriately to staff feedback and make valuable improvements to their work.

Most pupils take pride in undertaking responsibilities at school. They fulfil their roles energetically and with great commitment. For example, the Dewiniaid Darllen (Reading Wizards) work diligently to produce an effective reading agreement between the school, pupils and parents.

This prompts positive attitudes and promotes the motivation to read, particularly among pupils who have a tendency to be reluctant readers. The school council organises valuable activities when taking part in specific days, for example in raising their peers' awareness about the harmful effect of verbal abuse and how to respond to a situation of alleged bullying. The eco committee promote sustainability by encouraging their peers to recycle and emphasising the need to save energy.

Most pupils value regular opportunities to voice their opinions about what they would like to learn, for example when discussing a prompt to suggest ideas to have a purposeful influence on their theme work. One of the school's strongest features is the way in which pupils support their community and its residents. They have a strong sense of belonging to their local area and are passionate about the area and its rich history.

Pupils organise valuable activities to raise money to help others beyond their local area, for example when baking cakes to be sold for the benefit of different charities. As a result, most have a sound understanding of their responsibility to be ethical and principled citizens. Most pupils have a strong understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet.

For example, they show a mature awareness of how to respond should a stranger contact them through digital media and the need to keep their passwords secure. The Digital Wizards campaign regularly to reinforce this aspect and share important messages with their peers to remind them about the importance of being vigilant when learning online. Most pupils participate diligently during physical activities and have a good awareness of the effect of exercise on their health.

They enjoy representing the school in various sports competitions, such as football and cross-country running. Most show an appropriate understanding of the importance of healthy eating and enjoy taking part in current campaign that promotes healthy eating, for example 'Eat them to defeat them'. Teaching and learning experiences Staff have established a clear vision for the school which is based on providing learning experiences that are relevant to pupils' preferences, engage their interest and provide opportunities for everyone to succeed.

Staff work purposefully with parents and pupils to develop a stimulating and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of most pupils successfully. One of the strengths of provision is the attention that is given to the context of the local area. As a result, pupils take ownership of the curriculum and respond enthusiastically and diligently to their learning experiences.

Teachers ensure that provision builds appropriately on pupils' knowledge, understanding and skills. They work together effectively to provide fun experiences by introducing whole-school themes. Provision for developing pupils' literacy and digital skills is planned suitably and includes purposeful opportunities for them to apply their skills in various contexts.

For example, the oldest pupils use a digital package to design a poster to advertise a bingo night which raises profits for the environmental improvements to the school grounds. Provision for developing pupils' mathematics skills is good. However, there are not enough regular opportunities for pupils to apply their numeracy skills in full across the curriculum.

Staff provide an interesting, colourful and attractive learning environment in areas both inside and outside the school. The youngest pupils develop their oracy skills when considering where they would go on holiday in the travel agent's area, for example. The oldest pupils reflect on their learning and emotional well-being in the Hafan Heddwch (Quiet Haven) and develop their physical skills by experimenting with purposeful equipment on the playground.

Staff use visitors effectively to enrich pupils' learning experiences. For example, the RNLI visits to discuss seaside safety. Off-site visits strengthen provision purposefully.

For example, the oldest pupils develop valuable coding skills while attending a robot workshop in Aberystwyth. The school's curriculum provides appropriate opportunities to develop and promote pupils' understanding of principles and values such as equality and inclusion. For example, pupils discuss the life and history of Martin Luther King and his aspirations to ensure fairness among fellow human beings.

As a result, pupils show empathy towards the challenges and difficulties faced by others on a daily basis. On the whole, teachers and assistants use a range of teaching methods that promote learning purposefully. They have a productive and supportive relationship with pupils and aspire for all pupils to be given an opportunity to achieve to the best of their ability.

Staff establish an appropriate working environment and promote positive learning behaviours successfully. Learning has clear objectives and teachers' presentations are suitably paced. They use effective questioning methods that recall previous learning and confirm pupils' understanding well.

Teachers provide effective resources to support learning and model purposeful methods for solving problems. Teachers provide pupils with regular feedback on their work and, as a result, they have an appropriate understanding of what they have done well. On the whole, teachers do not provide enough purposeful opportunities for pupils to respond to feedback and make improvements to their work.

Leaders monitor and track pupils' progress carefully. They use this information to hold valuable professional discussions among staff. They use information purposefully to respond to pupils' specific needs and plan the next steps in their learning appropriately.

Annual reports for parents share useful information in relation to pupils' well-being, progress and standards. Care, support and guidance One of the school's main strengths is the care, support and guidance that is provided to pupils. The school is a hard-working, happy and inclusive community in which there is a strong sense that all pupils are part of a large, close-knit family.

There is a purposeful working relationship between staff and pupils which encourages all pupils to do their very best in all aspects of school life. Staff have comprehensive knowledge of the pupils, their families and the wider community and this knowledge is used to provide pupils with robust support to meet their learning and well-being needs. Parents are extremely appreciative of the support that is provided for their children.

Provision for supporting pupils with ALN is strong. As a result, nearly all pupils who need additional support make good progress from their starting points. Leaders have established effective arrangements for monitoring and tracking pupils' well-being and progress.

As a result, they identify pupils who need additional support at an early stage. They provide appropriate support programmes that meet the needs of individual pupils successfully. Support programmes include support to develop pupils' literacy and numeracy skills, in addition to promoting their emotional well-being.

Leaders have established productive partnerships with parents. Parents and pupils are an important part of the arrangements for reviewing pupils' progress and identifying the next steps in their learning. The school works effectively with external agencies, for example the specialist speech and language therapist, to support the development of pupils' language skills.

There is a close relationship between the school and the pre-school provision that is situated nearby. This enables them to share important information about pupils' interests and needs before they start at the school. This supports staff to implement arrangements and prepare to meet the needs of individual pupils in a timely manner.

The school provides a good range of activities and experiences that promote pupils' emotional well-being and physical health successfully. Pupils take part in football and cross-country competitions and have had national success. By taking part in these activities, pupils reinforce important skills such as playing together, respecting rules and perseverance.

Most pupils benefit from opportunities to identify with nature and enjoy being in the fresh air, for example as they plant and take care of vegetables in the school garden. The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to lead on important aspects of the school's activities. Pupils respond extremely positively and fulfil their responsibilities with pride and maturity.

For example, the sports ambassadors lead the youngest pupils during physical exercise sessions. As a result, they develop valuable organisational and communication skills. A wide range of interesting opportunities are organised to develop pupils' awareness of their heritage and identity.

The school is a genuine community hub and takes full advantage of opportunities to involve the community in its activities. For example, pupils plan the annual Christmas shows which often include well-known characters and landmarks from the community as an integral part of the script and performance. As a result, pupils become increasingly aware and knowledgeable about their local area and take pride in its traditions and historical wealth.

When promoting pupils' cultural development, teachers provide a variety of valuable experiences and purposeful opportunities for them to celebrate their Welsh culture. For example, pupils compete in the school eisteddfod, the local eisteddfod and the Urdd Eisteddfod. Pupils enjoy the experiences and develop their confidence to perform, alongside a love of their nation and culture.

The school invites a range of interesting visitors, including actors, poets, local artists and famous singers. As part of these visits, for example, pupils are given valuable opportunities to ask visitors about their life and work. These visits raise pupils' aspirations and support them in developing important values, such as resilience and commitment.

Periods of collective worship provide opportunities for pupils to develop their moral and spiritual skills effectively. These periods encourage pupils to reflect quietly and value their families and friends, for example. They encourage pupils to show empathy towards others who face challenges and difficulties on a daily basis.

The school has effective arrangements for promoting pupils' attendance and punctuality at school. Leaders ensure that a strong culture of safeguarding permeates the school. As a result, staff have a sound understanding of child protection procedures and processes and are committed fully to ensuring that all pupils are safe at school.

The school's arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet requirements and are not a cause for concern. Leadership and management The headteacher is an extremely passionate leader. She has a clear vision for the school which is based on ensuring that all pupils have rich experiences in a homely, inclusive and Welsh environment.

The headteacher has shared this vision successfully with pupils, staff, parents and the wider community. As a result, the school's strong sense of belonging to one big family that works together to realise the school's aspiration to 'Steer the way to a bright future' is completely evident. One of the school's notable strengths is the priority given by leaders to developing pupils' Welsh skills and deepening their appreciation of Welsh culture.

As a result, pupils are very proud to speak Welsh and take complete pride in their legacy and heritage. Leaders promote a culture of safeguarding effectively. As a result, pupils feel safe and happy in their learning and play.

The headteacher is supported by a small team of staff who work together diligently for the pupils and she has high expectations of herself and others. As a result, staff are dedicated and uphold professional values and behaviours that contribute firmly to developing pupils' well-being and skills. Staff understand their responsibilities well and fulfil them conscientiously.

The school's arrangements for managing staff performance are thorough and there is a clear link between their development targets and the school's improvement priorities. This is supported by appropriate professional learning opportunities for all members of staff both internally and outside the school. For example, staff work closely and consistently with local schools to evaluate and share good practice.

There are thorough arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the school's work. Leaders, staff and pupils use a good range of first-hand evidence effectively to plan the school's development steps. For example, they observe learning sessions and seek parents' views through questionnaires.

They analyse evidence carefully and, as a result, they have a good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. They produce improvement plans that give good attention to the areas for development and national improvement priorities. Pupils are an important part of the school's self-improvement processes.

For example, following an evaluation of the learning environment, pupils have set up quiet reading areas that promote pupils' enjoyment and enthusiasm towards reading successfully. The headteacher is supported by knowledgeable and enthusiastic governors. They know the school and its community well and support the school with sincerity and dedication.

Governors make a valuable contribution to evaluating the school's work through a good range of monitoring activities. They have a good understanding of the school's strengths and improvement priorities. They use this information purposefully to hold the school to account in relation to pupils' well-being, progress and standards.

Leaders manage funding and monitor spending plans and their impact thoroughly. Expenditure links clearly to the school's improvement priorities. Leaders use the pupil develop grant carefully to provide programmes that support the development of pupils' emotional, literacy and numeracy skills.

Governors ensure that the school has appropriate arrangements to promote healthy eating and drinking. For example, they encourage pupils to bring fruit and a bottle of water to school on a daily basis. Leaders ensure that the school builds valuable partnerships with parents and the wider community.

This is a strength and has a positive effect on pupils and their families. For example, the school welcomes parents and carers to curricular evenings, which are an opportunity to share important information about reading strategies to promote and support their ability to help their children at home. The school benefits from valuable co-operation with the parents' association and the local community.

This valuable co-operation contributes significantly to the warm and welcoming ethos that is a strong feature of the school. Evidence base of the report Before an inspection, inspectors: • analyse the outcomes from the parent and pupil questionnaires and consider the views of teachers and the governing body/members of the management committee through their questionnaire responses During an inspection, inspectors normally: • hold a meeting with parents to hear their views on the school and its effectiveness • meet the headteacher, governors, senior, middle leaders, and individual teachers to evaluate the impact of the school's work • meet pupils to discuss their work and to gain their views about various aspects of their school • meet groups of pupils in leadership roles, such as representatives from the school council and eco-committee • visit a broad sample of lessons, including learning support groups and the specialist resource base (where appropriate), and undertake a variety of learning walks to observe pupils learning and to see staff teaching in a range of settings, including classrooms, support groups (where appropriate) and in outdoor areas • visit the specialist resource base within the school to see pupils' learning (where appropriate) • observe and speak to pupils at lunch and break times and at a sample of after-school clubs • attend assemblies and daily acts of collective worship • look closely at the school's self-evaluation processes • consider the school's improvement plan and look at evidence to show how well the school has taken forward planned improvements • scrutinise a range of school documents, including information on pupil assessment and progress, records of meetings of staff and the governing body, information on pupils' well-being, including the safeguarding of pupils, and records of staff training and professional development After the on-site inspection and before the publication of the report, Estyn: • review the findings of the inspection alongside the supporting evidence from the inspection team in order to validate, moderate and ensure the quality of the inspection Copies of the report Copies of this report are available from the school and from the Estyn website (http://www.estyn.

gov.wales) The report was produced in accordance with Section 28 of the Education Act 2005. Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the information in this document is accurate at the time of going to press.

Any enquiries or comments regarding this document/publication should be addressed to: Publication Section Estyn Anchor Court, Keen Road Cardiff CF24 5JW or by email to [email protected] This and other Estyn publications are available on our website: http://www.

estyn.gov.wales/ This document has been translated by Trosol (Welsh to English).