Inspectorate praises “inclusive and nurturing environment” of Llay primary school

The “inclusive and nurturing environment” of a Wrexham primary school has been highlighted in a new inspection report.

Estyn, His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales, has released the outcome of its visit in June to Park Community Primary School in Llay.

The inspectorate found that “staff model kind and respectful relationships and develop a strong rapport with pupils” and that “nearly all pupils feel safe in school and behave well.”

It also highlighted the “vibrant and welcoming community that supports pupils to feel safe and valued”.

In its report, Estyn state: “The school provides an inclusive, nurturing environment where all staff model kind and respectful relationships and develop a strong rapport with pupils.

“As a result, nearly all pupils feel safe in school and behave well. Teachers support pupils to take responsibility and to develop their independence in learning.

“Most pupils respond positively to these opportunities and develop a mature attitude towards learning during their time in the school.

“They engage well in lessons and collaborate sensibly with their peers. Many pupils enjoy the frequent opportunities teachers provide for them to make choices about what and how they learn.

“These support them to develop their creativity and initiative successfully. Teachers make effective use of the school’s extensive outdoor environment to support pupils’ learning and plan engaging tasks for pupils to complete.

“However, whilst these activities often motivate pupils well, they do not always build on pupils’ previous learning systematically or support them to extend their learning purposefully.”

Other key findings of the inspection include:

• The headteacher has worked tirelessly to develop a strong team ethos that generates a high level of trust between staff, pupils and families. This inclusive culture is evident in the consistent respect staff show for pupils’ views and feelings and in the clear expectations they set for pupils’ engagement in lessons
• The school is developing its curriculum to provide greater opportunity for pupils to become more independent learners
• The school has recently introduced a systematic approach to developing pupils’ early reading skills. This impacts positively on the progress younger pupils make in developing their knowledge of letter sounds
• Teachers provide suitable opportunities for pupils to learn about Welsh culture and heritage, such as to find out about the history of the local area. A few teachers speak Welsh with pupils, for instance to give simple commands in class. However, teachers do not provide enough opportunity for pupils to develop their knowledge of Welsh systematically in lessons
• The school makes strong provision for pupils with additional learning needs (ALN), including those pupils in the resource provision classes
• Pupils respond positively to the regular support teachers provide for their well-being in lessons and through beneficial interventions. They enjoy their time in school and are proud of the worthwhile contribution they make in specific leadership roles.

The inspectorate also notes: “The school is a vibrant and welcoming community that supports pupils to feel safe and valued.

“The headteacher has worked tirelessly to develop a strong team ethos that generates a high level of trust between staff, pupils and families.

“This inclusive culture is evident in the consistent respect staff show for pupils’ views and feelings and in the clear expectations they set for pupils’ engagement in lessons.

“Nearly all pupils respond positively to the care shown by staff and behave extremely well.

“The school is developing its curriculum to provide greater opportunity for pupils to become more independent learners.

“Staff support pupils of all ages to take responsibility for their learning and provide frequent opportunities for them to make choices about how and what they learn.

“This impacts positively on pupils’ enjoyment and motivation in lessons.”

Just three recommendations have been put forward to “help the school continue to improve”

• Ensure that leaders robustly and accurately evaluate the quality of teaching and the progress pupils make in developing their skills
• Ensure that the curriculum supports all pupils to develop their literacy, numeracy and Welsh language skills effectively
• Ensure that all teachers have consistently high expectations of what pupils can do and challenge them appropriately

The school will draw up an action plan to show how it is going to address the recommendations. Estyn will monitor the school’s progress about 12 months after the publication of this report.

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