Ysgol Bwlchgwyn School Self-Evaluation Summary 2022-23
Vision and leadership
The school continues to provide strong leadership to deliver on its vision and meet the challenges of the new Curriculum and ALN code whilst Building capacity for distributed leadership. Good progress has been made towards the school clear Curriculum rationale, which was implemented in September 2022. This is facilitated and delivered though shared responsibilities from all staff, to the senior leadership team and through to the Governing body - working together to deliver the school’s improvement priorities. The school seeks to work as a learning organisation developing a culture of enquiry and professional development that enables distributed leadership and drives school improvement. For example, school improvement priorities are linked to specific governors who visit school regularly, meet with staff to gain an understanding of the work undertaken and feedback to the governing body. This provides effective challenge and support for senior leaders who identify collaborative learning and professional development for staff. This was recognised and summarised by Estyn:
The headteacher provides effective and thoughtful leadership. He is determined to succeed for the benefit of pupils and the community. The senior leadership team, the staff and the governors share his clear vision. They work together well to ensure that the school is an inclusive learning community that promotes positive opportunities for pupils.
The headteacher shares responsibilities effectively among staff and this contributes to a positive whole-school ethos, where staff and pupils feel valued for their contributions to school life. Leaders evaluate the school's work to plan for improvements thoroughly, using established self-evaluation processes. Next steps: Further develop distributed leadership capacity through effective monitoring and professional learning
Curriculum, learning and teaching
SDP PRIORITY 1 PROGRESS: Implement the School’s Curriculum for Wales offer, ensuring pupils demonstrate efficacy in their learning and develop in accordance with the Four Key Purposes.
The school has made very good progress in delivering its CfW offer, as set out in the Curriculum Statement. Staff have worked collaboratively in teams across school to ensure a consistent and broad range of learning experiences are developed ad delivered in a consistent cross curricular approach. This has included the children in planning the direction of the learning and has challenged them to excel across each AOLE. The Estyn team identified this practice in their report following our inspection. ‘The school provides a broad and balanced range of learning experiences that are in keeping with the spirit and purposes of the Curriculum for Wales. Teachers' planning ensures that pupils have opportunities to advance their own enquiries linked to their projects innovatively’
School has welcomed parents in to share and celebrate the children’s’ learning through open information evenings and curriculum learning celebration days. This has facilitated a shared understanding of our approach to curriculum and helped facilitate an understanding of how we approach the teaching and learning holistically.
A range of monitoring such as listening to learners has identified that pupils are very engaged in all aspects of their work across the curriculum and demonstrate the qualities determined by the four curriculum purposes (ambitious capable learners, enterprising and creative contributors, ethically informed citizens and healthy confident individuals). This was also identified in our Estyn report:
‘Nearly all pupils develop well as capable and aspirational learners. They have positive attitudes to learning, show strong interest in their work and talk confidently and enthusiastically about school life.
SDP PRIORITY 2 PROGRESS: Ensure consistency of approach to Literacy progression and increase opportunities for pupils to apply Numeracy skills across AOLEs.
Through collaboration and shared learning, staff have successfully implemented our curriculum offer through a consistent cross curricular teaching approach. Professional dialogue related to the new Progression Steps has facilitated a good understanding of pupil progress, assessment and planning for learning within the context of CfW. This will be further developed as part of next year’s SDP Priority 1 and enabled through our second SDP Priority which will focus on opportunities for all staff to access purposeful professional learning related to CfW.
Implementation of cross curricular planning processes trialed last academic year have ensured a consistency of approach. This thematic approach includes genuine opportunities for pupils to apply numeracy and literacy skills within the context of their theme in an engaging manner. The application and progression of the pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills was a strength identified several times in the Estyn report:
‘The speaking and listening skills of most pupils develop effectively and they communicate eloquently with each other and adults.’
Most pupils make strong progress in their literacy, numeracy and digital skills and, due to their effectiveness in applying these skills, achieve well across all areas of the curriculum.’
Next steps: Refine systems and processes for delivering the CfW including assessment and progression
Well-being, equity and inclusion
SDP PRIORITY 3 PROGRESS: Continue to improve provision for vulnerable learners, including implementing processes and practice to deliver the new Additional Learning Needs Code of Practice
A range of provision has ensured all vulnerable learners, and their families where appropriate, have received the support they need. Additional staffing and resources have also been secured to meet the varying needs of our pupils with the most significant needs.
Delivery of the 2022-23 Wellbeing action plan has had a positive impact on our learners from the inclusion of a wellbeing week at the start of the year to UNCRC right based approach activities throughout the year. Our continued focus was a clear strength identified by Estyn:
‘The relationships between staff and pupils are very strong. This enables nearly all pupils to learn and develop as well-rounded individuals. Nearly all pupils show pride in their school and feel safe within its inclusive and caring ethos. They feel that adults in the school listen to their views very effectively and take them into account when considering decisions that affect them. Pupils are courteous and welcoming to adults and visitors and their behaviour is exemplary. Nearly all pupils show care and consideration for each other.
School has fully implemented processes and procedures associated with the New ALN Code of Practice. All eligible pupils have been identified appropriately on the graduated response scale and are receiving appropriate support. Regular ongoing dialogue with the inclusion service is taking place throughout the year during 5 ITaS meetings. The ITaS (Inclusion Team around the School) meetings allow school to share concerns, seek advice and implement any next steps involving relevant outside agencies.
Estyn identified the following on their recent visit:
The provision for pupils identified as having ALN is thorough. The school’s ALN co-ordinator works effectively in partnership with staff members to ensure that there is good identification, tracking and support for individuals and groups. Comprehensive pupil progress reviews result in staff members having a deeper understanding of the needs of pupils. The school interacts beneficially with a range of specialist services to secure additional, timely resources and to offer specialist support to pupils with a range of academic, emotional and social needs. These arrangements ensure that most targeted pupils make good progress in relation to their abilities.
Next steps: Maintain the excellent standards of wellbeing at school and complete the transition to the new ALN code of practice in line with the Local Authority timeline.