Cwmafan Primary School

Overview

Cwmafan Primary School is a large primary school in Port Talbot, inspected in October 2018. The report describes a school where pupils make strong progress from low starting points and achieve well in literacy and numeracy. Leaders have successfully overseen the amalgamation of four former schools, establishing a unified vision and a strong Welsh ethos that is supported by staff and governors.

Strengths

• Pupils behave very well, have positive attitudes to learning, and feel safe and cared for.
• Most pupils achieve at least expected standards by the end of key stage 2, with those eligible for free school meals performing as well as their peers.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced, engaging pupils successfully and promoting a strong Welsh language and cultural ethos.
• Staff collaborate effectively to plan detailed learning activities, and teaching assistants are deployed well to support pupils of all abilities.
• Leaders implement change successfully, using self-evaluation processes to identify strengths and areas for development accurately.

Areas to improve

• Provide more opportunities for pupils to write at length and develop as independent learners.
• Ensure teachers’ feedback helps pupils understand how to improve their work.
• Improve rates of attendance, which are consistently low compared to similar schools.

Safeguarding

Arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet requirements and give no cause for concern.