Hawarden Village VA

Overview

Hawarden Village Voluntary Aided Church In Wales Primary School creates a “happy, valuing, and caring environment” where pupils feel “safe and respected.” The inspection highlights a “strong culture of reading” and effective support for well-being, with most pupils making “strong progress” in literacy and mathematics. However, the report notes that provision for digital skills and numeracy across the curriculum is “underdeveloped,” and older pupils lack sufficient opportunities to lead their own learning.

Strengths

• The school’s approach to supporting well-being is a strength, with “exemplary” behaviour and regular attendance.
• Staff build “strong positive relationships” with pupils and provide effective support for those with additional learning needs.
• Most pupils make “strong progress” in literacy and mathematical skills from their individual starting points.
• Leaders and governors work purposefully to secure improvements, with robust self-evaluation processes.
• The curriculum successfully reflects the “Curriculum for Wales” and local history, engaging pupils in stimulating learning experiences.

Areas to improve

• Develop older pupils as effective independent learners, as they currently do not have enough opportunities to lead their own learning.
• Develop pupils’ numeracy skills across the curriculum, which are currently at an “earlier stage of development.”
• Improve the development of pupils’ digital skills, particularly regarding the use of databases and spreadsheets.

Safeguarding

The report states that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils “do not give any cause for concern.”