ST MARY THE VIRGIN C/W PRIMARY SCHOOL

Overview

The report describes a school where "the wellbeing of pupils is at the heart of the school’s work" and staff maintain a "very caring and inclusive ethos." This environment positively impacts pupils’ progress, attitudes to learning, and behaviour, with many making "good progress from their starting points" despite often beginning with skills below expectations.

Strengths

• Pupils display "good behaviour," are "generally polite and well mannered," and "nearly all pupils enjoy coming to school."
• Teachers provide "stimulating strategies" and "purposeful contexts" to bring learning to life, including educational visits and creative activities.
• The school offers "strong" support for pupils with additional learning needs and English as an additional language, enabling them to succeed.
• Leadership is described as "purposeful," with the headteacher and deputy working effectively to "raise their aspirations" and improve outcomes.
• Pupils have "positive attitudes to learning," engage fully in lessons, and take on roles such as school council members enthusiastically.

Areas to improve

• Raise standards of pupils’ Welsh language skills, as most lack confidence to speak Welsh outside designated lessons.
• Provide more opportunities to develop numeracy skills across a variety of subjects, as current planning in this area is "less well developed."
• Improve the presentation of written work for a minority of pupils who do not always present it well enough.

Safeguarding

Arrangements for safeguarding pupils "meet requirements and give no cause for concern," with pupils having a secure knowledge of how to stay safe online.