Ysgol Dinas Bran

Overview

Ysgol Dinas Bran is a bilingual comprehensive school where leaders and staff foster "positive and engaging relationship[s]" with pupils, resulting in a "warm, friendly ethos." While wellbeing and care are strong, the report states that "there has not been enough focus on improving the quality of teaching and assessment," leading to underdeveloped skills and variable progress.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate "Good" wellbeing, being "highly respectful," "proud of their school," and showing "strong resilience."
• "Care, support and guidance" are rated "Good," with a "highly inclusive, supportive community" and effective tracking for vulnerable pupils.
• The school offers a "valuable range" of courses, including vocational subjects and a strong emphasis on expressive arts as a Curriculum for Wales pioneer.
• Many pupils speak "confidently and fluently" and engage well in discussions, particularly in modern foreign languages and art.
• Performance for pupils eligible for free school meals has been "strong" and compares favourably with similar schools.

Areas to improve

• Improve the "quality of teaching and assessment," as feedback is often insufficient and teachers do not always challenge pupils adequately.
• Raise standards in skills, particularly "writing, thinking and in Welsh first language," which are currently underdeveloped.
• Improve "strategic planning for self-evaluation and school improvement," as current processes lack accuracy and focus on teaching quality.

Safeguarding

The report states that "arrangements to safeguard children are appropriate," though it notes that "a few health and safety matters were brought to the attention of the inspection team, including traffic management issues."