Cyfarthfa High School

Overview

Leaders provide a “caring and supportive environment” with high expectations for attendance and behaviour. However, the report states that “special measures are required” due to significant weaknesses in teaching, leadership structures, and the progressive development of core skills.

Strengths

• The curriculum at key stage 4 offers a “suitable range of general and vocational subjects,” with bespoke programmes benefiting vulnerable pupils.
• Pupils receive “suitable support for their wellbeing,” including opportunities to develop self-esteem, resilience, and respect for different cultures.
• Most pupils are “respectful to visitors, staff and each other,” behave well, and “feel safe in school.”
• Staff work well together to encourage pupils at risk of disengagement to stay in education.

Areas to improve

• Address “important weaknesses in teaching” in a minority of lessons, particularly in core subjects, where planning did not meet pupils’ needs.
• Strengthen provision for the “progressive development of pupils’ literacy, numeracy and digital skills,” which is currently insufficient.
• Improve pupils’ attendance, which is below that of similar schools, and sharpen self-evaluation to identify areas for development more precisely.

Safeguarding

The report notes that “many feel safe in school” and that staff provide a supportive environment, but it also states that “a few health and safety concerns were raised by inspectors during the inspection.”