Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn

Overview

Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn is described as having an “inclusive and welcoming ethos” with “consistently high levels of literacy skills” and generally high-quality teaching. However, the report notes that leaders have not been successful enough in improving attendance, securing good behaviour in key stage 4, or ensuring pupils make sufficient progress in their command of the Welsh language.

Strengths

• The quality of teaching is generally high, with many teachers establishing “strong rapport” and delivering lessons with “warmth, enthusiasm and good humour.”
• Pupils achieve “consistently high levels of literacy skills,” with most having a “strong command of the English language” and producing extended writing with a “high degree of accuracy.”
• The learning support department provides a “high level of sensitive and caring provision” for pupils with additional learning needs, helping them integrate effectively and achieve strong outcomes.
• Sixth form outcomes are positive, with performance in the wider points score “consistently better than that in similar schools.”

Areas to improve

• Leaders must improve standards in Welsh and increase the use that pupils make of the language, as many lose confidence and respond only in English.
• The school needs to improve pupils’ attendance, behaviour, and attitudes to learning, particularly in key stage 4 where behaviour is sometimes “extremely poor.”
• Leaders should plan for the progressive development of pupils’ ICT skills across the curriculum and address the budget deficit.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding procedures meet requirements and there are no significant areas for concern.