Caerau Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Caerau Primary School is an inclusive school that fosters strong relationships between adults and pupils, and supports their emotional and social needs effectively.

Provision for pupils' well-being is a key priority for leaders, and teachers create calm and thoughtful learning environments. As a result, most pupils behave well and demonstrate care and support towards each other. The specialist learning resource and observation classes help pupils to develop language, literacy, and social-emotional skills well.

The Rainforest nurture class offers tailored and beneficial support to pupils facing challenges in mainstream classes. The school collaborates closely with parents, but poor attendance and notable lateness hamper the... progress of too many pupils across the school. The school has developed a curriculum that offers interesting learning experiences.

It provides valuable opportunities for pupils to learn about Welsh history and culture and to develop their personal and social skills. However, the curriculum does not develop pupils' skills systematically enough. Added to this, the majority of teaching does not lead to effective learning.

Pupils develop skills, such as their communication and digital skills, appropriately. However, their progress is reading, writing and mathematics is not strong enough. Throughout a period of instability, leaders have worked hard to provide a positive environment that supports pupils' well-being.

However, the leadership team has too little impact on the quality of teaching and learning at the school. Their strategies to evaluate pupils' learning and to bring about improvements are not effective enough. While the governing body supports the school wholeheartedly and is taking steps to become more effective, it does not meet all of its responsibilities appropriately.

Recommendations R1 Establish a stable and effective leadership and teaching team R2 Improve pupils' reading, writing and mathematics skills R3 Improve pupils' attendance and punctuality R4 Ensure that curriculum and assessment arrangements develop pupils' knowledge and skills systematically and progressively What happens next In accordance with the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that special measures are required in relation to this school. 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 usually every four to six months.