Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr

Overview

Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr is described as a “close-knit community” where pastoral care is a “notable strength,” resulting in pupils who feel safe and behave well. While the sixth form plays a key supportive role and the new headteacher has a clear vision, the report states that “leadership of teaching and learning is not effective enough.”

Strengths

• “Pastoral care and support” is a notable strength, with most pupils feeling safe, polite, and well behaved.
• Sixth form pupils make “strong progress” academically and lead clubs and forums that promote tolerance and equality.
• Leaders provide “high levels of support for staff” and effective leadership regarding well-being and additional learning needs.
• Most teachers foster positive relationships, and in a majority of lessons, pupils make “secure progress” in subject knowledge.
• The school provides a “balanced curriculum” enriched by partnerships with other Welsh-medium schools.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must improve the quality of leadership and ensure staff are held “sufficiently accountable for their work.”
• Self-evaluation processes need strengthening to evaluate provision according to its “effect on learning.”
• The school must improve the quality of teaching and feedback where they are “not effective enough” and strengthen provision for developing pupils’ skills progressively.

Safeguarding

There is a “strong culture of safeguarding” within the school, although a few health and safety issues were identified during the inspection.