PEN-Y-DRE HIGH SCHOOL

Overview

Pen-Y-Dre High School is described as an “inclusive, caring and supportive environment” where leaders create a “safe space” for pupils to “aspire, achieve, believe”. The headteacher provides “thoughtful and sensitive leadership”, fostering a strong sense of belonging and a culture where pupils are “confident to take risks”. Despite challenges related to poverty and ongoing refurbishment, the school offers “outstanding opportunities” for Welsh language development and cultural immersion.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from “outstanding opportunities” to develop Welsh language skills and an appreciation of Welsh heritage.
• Staff support for pupils with a “diverse range of needs” is a “notable strength”.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning and interactions with adults and peers were an “outstanding feature”.
• The curriculum is “ambitious” and “tailored”, allowing pupils freedom to thrive in their areas of interest.
• In many lessons, teachers’ “high expectations” and “careful planning” engage pupils, resulting in “secure progress”.

Areas to improve

• Improve pupils’ attendance, particularly addressing “persistent absenteeism” which remains “too low”.
• Strengthen planning for the “progressive development” of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum, which is currently “underdeveloped”.
• Address shortcomings in teaching where understanding is not developed well enough, and sharpen self-evaluation processes.

Safeguarding

The report states that leaders and staff create a “safe space” where all are valued, though it does not provide a separate detailed safeguarding judgement.