Cardiff Steiner School

Overview

Cardiff Steiner School is described as a “happy, close-knit community” where pupils’ “personal development and well-being are at the centre of all the school’s work.” The report highlights “extremely high” standards in creative activities and strong progress in sensory and physical development, though it notes limitations in mathematics provision and variable lesson challenge.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve “extremely high” standards in artistic, dramatic, and creative activities, including heritage crafts and drama.
• Staff “know pupils and their families extremely well,” fostering a “cohesive family atmosphere” where nearly all pupils feel safe.
• Pupils are “confident, articulate speakers” with highly developed communication skills and a “love of learning.”
• The school complies with all Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024 and meets regulatory requirements across all areas.

Areas to improve

• Strengthen the “progressive and systematic teaching of mathematics” due to a lack of full-time subject-specialist teachers.
• Ensure teachers’ expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour are “appropriately high,” as the pace and challenge in some lessons are “too low.”
• Improve attendance for the minority of pupils who do not attend regularly, as this is “impacting on their progress.”

Safeguarding

Leaders have “developed a strong culture of safeguarding” and the school meets the regulatory requirements for the welfare, health, and safety of pupils.