PENYGAER

Overview

Penygaer Primary School has developed an inclusive culture where pupils are courteous and behave very well, contributing to their enthusiasm for school life. However, the quality of teaching is variable, with low expectations and slow pacing hindering pupils’ ability to become independent learners. Consequently, progress is inconsistent, and the implementation of the Curriculum for Wales is slow, leading to the school being placed in special measures.

Strengths

• Leaders have fostered an inclusive culture where pupils interact well with adults and each other.
• Pupils are described as “courteous and polite,” with nearly all behaving very well.
• Staff encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own well-being and behaviour.
• This supportive environment helps pupils build confidence and self-esteem while respecting others.
• In specific areas, such as oracy and mathematics, pupils make good progress in developing skills.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must develop skills at all levels to bring about school improvement and ensure evaluation processes focus on teaching quality and standards.
• The school needs to improve teaching, assessment, and the curriculum to allow for the progressive development of pupils' skills.
• Leaders must address the safeguarding issue identified during the inspection and reduce over-reliance on limited information for self-evaluation.

Safeguarding

The report states that leaders must “address the safeguarding issue that was identified during the inspection.”