Cardiff West Community High School

Overview

The report describes a school that has worked effectively since opening to build community trust and improve pupil attitudes. However, it states that “leadership at all levels has not had sufficient impact on improving the quality and consistency of teaching, the development of pupils’ skills and the standards they achieve.” Consequently, all inspection areas are judged as “Adequate and needs improvement.”

Strengths

• Staff establish “positive and supportive working relationships with pupils,” which helps build “self-confidence and self-esteem.”
• The ‘Behaviour for Learning’ policy is having a “positive impact on school culture” and pupils’ attitudes.
• There is a “strong sense of unity, purpose and commitment to supporting the wellbeing of its pupils.”
• The school provides “valuable opportunities” for curriculum enrichment, including partnerships with cultural organisations.
• Effective intervention programmes have helped many pupils with additional learning needs make “strong progress” in literacy and numeracy.

Areas to improve

• Raise standards and improve the quality of teaching and assessment, which currently varies too much.
• Improve behaviour and attendance, as some pupils remain persistently absent or disruptive.
• Strengthen the provision for the progressive development of pupils’ skills across the curriculum.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet requirements and give no cause for concern.”