Blaengarw Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Blaengarw Primary School is part of a federation with nearby Betws Primary School.

An acting executive headteacher provides overall leadership for the federation. However, each school has its own head of school and retains its unique character. The staff at both schools collaborate well together to benefit the pupils of each school.

Staff at Blaengarw Primary School create a welcoming environment where all are valued. Leaders and staff place a strong focus on supporting well-being and involving parents in understanding their child's learning, particularly where they have additional learning needs (ALN). Pupils make suitable progress during their time at the school and talk about the opportunities they have through their cu...rriculum to learn and become independent learners.

Teachers are effective in creating stimulating learning spaces and plan carefully plan sequences of lessons to move the learning on. However, the quality of these sessions varies across the school, and this means that pupils do not always make the progress they could, particularly where there is a lack of high expectation and insufficient challenge for pupils. Across the school pupils' behaviour is variable, particularly in lessons and when they move about the school.

As a result, there are too many instances of low-level disruption and these have a negative impact on pupils across the school. Many pupils have positive attitudes and are keen to learn, particularly in oracy, reading and numeracy. However, pupils have limited opportunity to develop these skills, particularly writing, in the work across the curriculum.

In addition, the opportunities for them to develop their digital and Welsh language skills are limited. Leaders support staff appropriately with their development. There is a strong focus on supporting the well-being of staff and ensuring that they have access to suitable professional learning to improve their classroom practice.

Staff collaborate effectively with other schools, particularly with Betws Primary School, and this is beginning to impact more positively on pupils' school experience. Leaders are keen to evaluate the strengths of the school and opportunities for improvement. However, this work is at a very early stage in its development.

As a result, evaluations are over-generous and do not identify sharply enough the improvements that need to be made, particularly in teaching and addressing pupils' attitudes to learning. Recommendations R1 Use evaluation processes more effectively to inform school improvement work R2 Improve teaching to ensure that pupils receive the right level of challenge and develop positive attitudes to their learning R3 Improve provision to develop pupils' writing, Welsh language and digital skills and ensure that they have opportunities to use the full range of skills in their work across the curriculum What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to show how it is going to address the recommendations. Estyn will work with the local authority to review the school's progress.