PHILLIPSTOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Overview

The report describes a school delivering "exciting learning experiences" where many pupils make good progress and enjoy attending. While standards, wellbeing, teaching, and care are judged as 'Good', leadership and management are rated 'Adequate and needs improvement' due to shortcomings in strategic development and self-evaluation rigour.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate "positive attitudes to learning" and engage fully in lessons, showing resilience and enthusiasm.
• Provision for pupils with additional learning needs is "effective" and has a "positive effect on their attitudes to learning".
• Staff create a "warm and friendly environment" with positive working relationships, supporting pupils' wellbeing successfully.
• The curriculum offers "creative and innovative approaches," such as real-life contexts in science and technology, which engage pupils well.
• There is a "strong feature" of family engagement, with staff working closely with parents through joint learning sessions.

Areas to improve

• Self-evaluation and improvement planning must focus "sharply on the standards pupils achieve and the progress they make," as current analysis lacks rigour.
• Teaching must better challenge and meet the needs of all pupils, particularly ensuring more able pupils make sufficient progress.
• The school must raise standards in Welsh and improve overall pupil attendance, which remains lower than in similar schools.

Safeguarding

The report states that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils "meet requirements and give no cause for concern."