Effective Practice Archives - Page 2 of 63 - Estyn

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Children playing on a playground, with one child in front smiling and holding onto wooden equipment.

Information about the school/provider 

Ysgol Bro Eirwg is a Welsh-medium school situated in Llanrumney, in the east of Cardiff. There are 394 pupils on roll, including 64 in the nursery class. Twenty-eight point nine per cent (28.9%) of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The school is part of the Ffederasiwn y Ddraig federation, which was established in September 2019, and the school works very closely with the other school in the federation, namely Ysgol Pen y Pîl, to provide all pupils with the best education. 

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice   

The school has two reception classes and two part-time nursery classes. It has large classrooms with extensive outdoor areas. The staff were keen to develop the teaching environment so that the youngest pupils learn through play and have practical, ‘real life’ experiences in a welcoming, attractive but fuss-free environment, without being overstimulating. Developing the whole area was important to the staff – that the outdoor area is an integral part of the continuous learning environment.  

Having established their vision, the staff researched by reading articles, blogs and books, searched for suitable training and then set out to experiment, trial and reflect to decide on the most suitable way to proceed. 

Description of nature of strategy or activity 

The early years teaching environment has been transformed. Staff have developed specific areas using natural materials that calm pupils rather than exciting them. The outdoor area is an extension of the indoor area and pupils move back and forth naturally between the two areas. The environment is stimulating and encourages curiosity. 

Staff plan together carefully to provide activities that give pupils opportunities to learn through observation, investigation, experimentation and play. The child’s voice is important and by discussing with pupils and observing them informally on a regular basis, staff plan, adapt and develop provision and activities in line with their ability and interests. 

All of the activities that are provided offer plenty of opportunities and variety for pupils to make their own decision which encourage and nurture their creativity, independence and freedom to explore. Pupils spend their time choosing their learning rather than completing a series of closed tasks and there are opportunities to take risks and understand boundaries, for example using large equipment to practise balancing and climbing. Pupils enjoy exploring and investigating on their own and with others. 

Staff model a positive attitude to learning, encouraging and supporting pupils’ natural curiosity by playing in the areas with them. The most is made of spontaneous learning that occurs naturally as staff sit and play with pupils, or while observing them carrying out their activities.  

‘Dydd Gwener Gwyllt’ (‘Wild Friday’) is held weekly in the nursery class, where pupils spend their time outdoors, whatever the weather, exploring, observing and experimenting and, as a result, learn about the wonders of nature. 

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards? 

This work has had a large impact on the school’s youngest pupils. This approach to teaching and learning has increased pupils’ independence and confidence, encouraged their creative skills and their ability to investigate and experiment. It has given pupils an opportunity to think creatively, solve problems and think about how to improve and develop. By having an opportunity to choose what they do and create, they feel ownership and pride in the learning and towards the school. By having the freedom to learn individually or with others, the work has had a positive effect on pupils’ well-being, leading to them working and playing happily together. The freedom gives them more personal control and has led to positive attitudes to learning. They are willing to take risks and learn from their mistakes. They enjoy and are happy at the school. 

How have you shared your good practice? 

The school has shared this work with other schools in the cluster and staff from other schools have been to observe the good practice. 

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Classroom setting with students seated at desks focused on writing, while a teacher stands supervising in the background.

Information about the school/provider 

Romilly Primary School is in Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan local authority. There are between 680 and 750 pupils on roll aged from 3 to 11 years, throughout the year. The school has 21 single-age classes with an additional 4 part-time nursery classes catering for 130 pupils. There are 22 full-time and eight part-time teachers with over 70 teaching and learning staff in total.   

Most pupils are white, British and come from homes where English is the main language. A very few pupils speak Welsh at home. The three-year rolling average of pupils eligible for free school meals is approximately 15%. This is lower than the national figure of 22%. The school identifies about 4.5% of pupils as having additional learning needs. This is lower than the national figure of 16.1%. Around 3% of its pupils have English as an additional language.  

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice 

Leaders at Romilly Primary School have invested in the professional learning and development of all teaching staff, as they recognise this as having the greatest impact on ‘closing the gap’ for those pupils who live in poverty, and ensuring equity of provision for all. 

 At Romilly Primary School, leaders and staff believe that teaching and learning is ‘curriculum’. With the changes brought about by Curriculum for Wales, leaders asked themselves questions such as, ‘Are we doing the right thing?’, ‘What does assessment look like now?’ ‘Do we need more outdoor learning?’ They also identified that pupils needed more authentic learning experiences including through the use of trips and visitors. Leaders and staff recognised that the most important aspect of the school’s work is getting the teaching and learning right and holding on to the school’s shared values and beliefs. 

The school holds true to its vision of; ‘Ensuring excellence in access, attitudes and achievement’, which is embodied in its mission statement of ‘Learning, growing and succeeding, together’. Leaders believe that all teachers and learning staff will, and can, deliver excellent teaching and learning with the right culture and support; by seeing professional development as an entitlement for all, with innovation being encouraged.  

Description of nature of strategy or activity 

At Romilly Primary School leaders recognise that an improvement strategy that may work in one school, may not work in the context of another school, and needs to be tailored to the individual needs of its staff and the pupils.  

The ethos of leadership at Romilly Primary school is that of ‘low threat high challenge’, which helps develop the trust needed for staff’s personal and professional growth. Lesson observations by the leadership team have been replaced with learning walks and teacher triad observations as well as teachers filming themselves and reflecting on their practice. All of these focus on specific areas for improvement. Teachers inform the leadership team about the areas on which they want feedback and support. Leaders then provide teachers with the opportunity to re-teach the lessons and review how these changes have impacted on the progress of pupils. In many cases, teachers share their most effective practice with their colleagues through an electronic teaching library. The teaching library platform is a resource bank of effective practice for teachers and support teachers to access to see what good looks like in action, and to identify who they can go to if they want support in a particular area. The type of practice that staff share ranges from the effective use of the silent stop signal, beneficial classroom routines and ways to develop positive attitudes towards learning through peer assessment, self-assessment, silent modelling, partner talk, pitstops, and quality questioning.   

Monitoring and evaluation of the impact of teaching on learning and progress is carried out throughout the year through professional discussions, book looks, listening to learners, learning walks, videos, and the discussion of data during progress meetings. These activities are undertaken by the leadership team but also by staff, and governors. Training is delivered to staff and governors on how to carry out book looks, and the types of questions to ask pupils during listening to learner sessions, to find out if they understand their learning and what their next steps are.  

Each year, leaders provide teachers with the opportunity to decide upon an area that they want to research, that they feel their pupils will benefit from. They work individually or in teams. They share the impact of their action research with their colleagues and governors at various points of the year, including the successes and failures of the initiatives they have trialled. The focus of their research has included, increasing independence in Year 6, improving the quality of peer assessment, improving attendance of vulnerable groups, and developing speech and language in the early years. They have to give a rationale as to why they have chosen this area, alongside an evidence base to justify it, regarding the individual needs of the pupils they have in their class.   

Monitoring of the impact of the teaching on the pupils’ learning is not just a termly activity but integral to everything they do.  

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards? 

Teaching and learning experiences across the school are strong. The staff provide high-quality verbal feedback to pupils to encourage them to think more deeply and to prompt them to reflect on the quality of their work across curriculum areas. For example, as a result of focused and timely feedback, pupils’ standards of writing have improved significantly. 

There is a strong culture of self-improvement and reflection in the school. Creating time and high-quality opportunities for all staff to collaborate, reflect on and improve their practice for the benefit of pupils has contributed strongly to the delivery of high standards of well-being and significant improvements to the quality of teaching. 

How have you shared your good practice? 

Romilly Primary School has strong links with the local high school. Together they have collaborated to further enhance the professional learning of both their own staff and that of the high school, by sharing excellent practice across the settings. This is a two-way developmental process, where staff observe teachers in each other’s setting to learn and gain ideas that they can then use in their own classes within their own schools.   

The school supports other schools within the consortia to help develop the equity of provision and also improve the quality of feedback to accelerate pupil progress. This has been done through learning walks, sharing of learning and professional dialogue and improvement planning.   

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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A group of individuals participating in an indoor jogging exercise in a gymnasium, with orange cones set up along their path.

Information about the school 

Dylan Thomas Community School (DTCS) is an 11-16 English-medium school maintained by Swansea local authority. The school is situated in Cockett in Swansea and serves communities that experience significant levels of socio-economic challenge. There are 701 pupils on roll, which represents a three year high and increase of 136 pupils since the same date in 2021. Nearly 79% of the pupils live in the most deprived 20% of all areas in Wales and 66% live in the 10% most deprived. The three-year average for pupils eligible for free school meals is around 51%, which is significantly above the Wales average of 21.2%.  

Around 10% of pupils speak English as an Additional Language (EAL). Around 36% of pupils have additional learning needs, which is significantly higher than the local authority average of 19.5%. Many (up to 75%) children entering the school have a reading age below their chronological age. Very few pupils hear or speak Welsh at home or in the community. 

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice. 

Curriculum for Wales prompted the school to evaluate how they develop pupils’ sense of ‘cynefin’ across the curriculum as a whole. As a result of this evaluation, a working party was established with the aim of enhancing the Welsh dimension across every area of learning and experience (AoLE). Significant work was undertaken across all AoLEs to ensure that the curriculum provides authentic opportunities for pupils to interact with Welsh language, history and culture.  

In 2021, the school felt they should be doing more to develop the love and use of the Welsh language as well as promote and enhance pupils’ Welsh identity and the way in which they consider themselves as being ‘Welsh’. As such, Physical Education (PE) lessons were identified as being a vehicle for supporting the school drive to develop pupils’ Welsh language skills. The Assistant Headteacher and the AoLE lead for Health and Sport and staff from the local ITE partnership developed an innovative programme to deliver bilingual PE lessons. This was initially trialled for pupils in Year 7 as a pilot and linked with a targeted programme of professional learning for staff. 

Description of nature of strategy or activity 

At the outset of the bilingual PE project, the Health and Sport AoLE team received tailored support from staff at the local ITE partnership to develop their Welsh language skills. Staff in the PE department taught PE lessons bilingually without exception. A member of the Welsh teaching team was also timetabled to ‘team teach’ and support colleagues in these lessons and overcome any barriers should there be any. At the end of the first year the pilot was evaluated and it was agreed that it would be further rolled out to the point that all of Key Stage 3 now receive their PE lessons bilingually. 

To complement and support this project all staff have been provided with professional learning in the Welsh language and support from senior colleagues to improve their confidence and use of Welsh across the school. This is helping leaders to drive Welsh further forward across the school  

The work of the School Council is a strength of the school, and has been harnessed to further improve the development of the Welsh dimension. In addition to the existing LGBTQ+, Eco and BAME steering groups already in place, a Welsh Dimension steering group was also introduced to allow pupils to have a more significant impact on how the school develops the Welsh language and ‘cynefin’ across the curriculum and in the wider school community. The pupils involved in the Welsh Dimension steering group have: 

  • Established an extra-curricular Welsh club that is planned and run by Year 10 and Year 11 pupils on a fortnightly basis 
  • Delivered whole-school assemblies to promote the Welsh language and key Welsh events 
  • Planned and executed activities to mark whole-school celebrations of events such as Dydd Shwmae, Dydd Santes Dwynwen and Dydd Gwyl Dewi  

Following the evaluation of the Welsh language and ‘cynefin’ across the curriculum by the ‘Welsh Dimension Working Party’, a significant amount of work took place to ensure that learning is focused on local and national themes that engage pupils, and develops pupils’ skills across the curriculum.  

These learning opportunities have enhanced the way in which Welsh is perceived by all members of the learning community and have led to purposeful opportunities to develop the sense of ‘cynefin’. A number of co-ordinated whole-school activities take place on a regular basis. For example, a weekly ‘Welsh Wednesday’ was established across the school, where form tutors lead a Welsh language or cultural based activity that is planned to reinforce the language being studied by pupils in Welsh lessons outside of the Welsh classroom. This is also an opportunity for form tutors to promote the ‘Brawddeg yr Wythnos / Phrase of the Week’.  

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards? 

The amount of Welsh used across the school, not only within PE lessons, has significantly increased. It is common practice that staff and pupils use Welsh across the school as part of everyday communication. In all lessons, pupils are accustomed to receiving and responding to Welsh instructions. 

The school’s commitment to developing pupils’ Welsh language skills and sense of ‘cynefin’ across the school has had a direct impact on how pupils achieve in Welsh as a subject. Pupils’ attitudes to learning have improved and as a result the number of pupils achieving A*-C in GCSE Welsh second language has more than doubled since the school first embarked upon this work in 2019. In addition, the proportion of pupils achieving A*-A in Welsh second language has also improved. This is testament to the high expectations that all staff have regarding Welsh across the school, which has notably enhanced the status of the subject both inside and outside of the classroom.  

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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A person in a yellow outfit is engaged in a discussion with three colleagues in an office setting.

Information about the school

Evenlode Primary School is a two-form entry school for pupils from Nursery to Year 6. The school has capacity for 510 pupils (nursery has a capacity for 96 part time places and three intakes per year). 2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, 5% have English as an additional language and 3% have additional learning needs (ALN).  The school has a culture of reflection that underpins its vision and values.

Evenlode Vision

‘Evenlode Primary School is a community of belonging.  We are committed to inspire all individuals to thrive and flourish through our rich learning experiences. Every child is valued within our inclusive, vibrant and nurturing school.’ 

Values:            

The school’s values are underpinned by the four purposes:

  • As ethical informed citizens, we are respectful and compassionate
  • As enterprising, creative contributors, we are determined and able to think ‘outside the box’
  • As ambitious, capable learners, we are resilient and inquisitive
  • As healthy and confident individuals, we are positive and kind

Motto:

Belong, Believe, Achieve.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The reflective culture or ‘constant feedback loop’ is embedded in all aspects of the culture at Evenlode Primary School. Recent changes to the school’s context, including amalgamation with the local nursery, changes in leadership, the implementation of new curriculum and assessment processes, presented a unique opportunity to review strategic processes. The school has ensured that ongoing reflection of its ethos and values, pedagogy, curriculum and self-evaluation processes are central to its work and improvement.

Description of nature of strategy or activity

Community: Parents’ Forum

A Parents’ Forum was set up in Spring 2023, in response to an identified need to develop stronger partnerships and communication between the school and parents. Each year group is represented at half termly meetings, where senior leaders and the Vice Chair of Governors meet to discuss aspects of the school’s work that parents would like to know more about. At these meetings, parents can raise any queries. This forum creates an effective feedback loop from parents to leaders and governors and leads to changes in school life.

Community: Anti- Racism action research.

The school was involved in the first Anti- Racist action research in the Vale of Glamorgan LA.  Staff reflected personally and professionally on the school’s values, ethos and curriculum during its work to develop as an anti-racist school. Staff were given time to research key ideas using a ‘think, pair, share’ approach: spending time reflecting individually, in year groups and as a whole staff community. As a result, the school refined its vision, made changes to its humanities curriculum and the resources, including books used to support learning. In addition, the school was involved in two arts projects exploring themes of celebration, identity and belonging through dance. Plans are in place to further develop this work by involving parents and governors.

Reflective professionals

During a three-year period, the headteacher led the implementation of a bespoke curriculum and new assessment processes. As part of this implementation and to ensure that the work had a positive impact on learning, leaders and teachers met half termly to reflect on practice and outcomes. These meetings focus on robust and honest professional dialogue about the impact of pedagogy and curriculum strategies: what is working well and what needs to change? The evaluations feed into the cycle of school improvement review and adaptations to priorities are made when necessary.  For example, the school made changes to the teaching as a direct result of professional dialogue in these meetings.  The school also uses coaching to enable teachers to reflect on their own practice is a focus.

Reflective learners

With the four purposes underpinning how the Evenlode curriculum is designed and constructed, one of the school’s key priorities is to ensure pupils reflect thoughtfully on the world around them, enabling them to be ethically informed citizens. The school has implemented philosophical enquiry as a whole school approach. Through this philosophical approach, pupils explore big ideas and concepts through ‘big questions’ and design their own enquiry questions for learning. Pupils develop as effective critical, collaborative, creative and caring learners.

The school’s ‘Hook, Book and Big Question’ curriculum, provides useful opportunities for pupils to influence their learning. Pupils select aspects of learning they would like to learn more about, have frequent opportunities to reflect on their learning, and add to their own planning boards in the classroom. Older pupils complete learning logs: reflections on their own learning, choosing how to record this information.

What impact has this work had on provision and learning?

The school’s partnership with parents includes hosting workshops that support them to understand the school’s curriculum and assessment arrangements. Leaders involve other agencies and organisations, for example to provide information on ALN support, neurodiversity and pupils’ use of smartphones. Future workshops will include Cymraeg 2050.

The school’s curriculum has been strengthened through the anti-racism action research and philosophical enquiry approach, with pupils having experience of a diverse range of perspectives. Pupils engage well with their learning and enjoy taking ownership of their progress. Pupils’ make their views clear, for example, respond to their learning: ‘‘it challenges you and engages you and you build on other people’s ideas’, ‘We find out about other people’s opinions during the sessions and keep an open mind’, ‘It links our learning in different ways’. Through a focus on opportunities for pupils to reflect on and direct their own learning, they demonstrate engagement and curiosity as well as retaining and demonstrating a depth of knowledge, skills and understanding.

Staff develop a common language and understanding of effective pedagogy and assessment, and this leads to strong progress over time for pupils. Teachers feel that the school’s approach enables them to ‘look at things with a different lens’ and find this a powerful to review, refine and adapt approaches to teaching and learning.

How have you shared your good practice?

The school has shared its curriculum work with other schools through cluster meetings and during training. Senior leaders have presented the impact of the school’s anti-racism work with senior leaders in other schools and shared examples of reflective practice with the local Authority.

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Three children are sitting at a table in a classroom, concentrating on writing on sheets of paper. Colorful crayons are scattered on the table.

Information about the school 

Ysgol Cwm Banwy is located in the centre of the village of Llangadfan, Mid Wales, and is maintained by Powys Local Authority. It is also under Voluntary Control of the Church in Wales. Ysgol Cwm Banwy opened its doors for the first time during the lockdown in September 2020, as part of Powys County Council’s transformation strategy.  

It is a small, rural school, and the rural community is at the core of its ethos. 

Ysgol Cwm Banwy is a Welsh-medium school with 50 pupils on roll. Approximately half the pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes. Approximately 11% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The percentage of pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) is approximately 26% of the school’s overall population.  

‘The Melodiousness of Many Colours: Colouring the World Together’ is the vision at the core of all the school’s work. 

The curriculum provides a coherent means of planning experiences in order to achieve the vision, together with guiding the school’s Christian values, which are seven values ​​incorporated into the school’s logo.  

Provision is rich and personal for pupils and the community. This is an adventure along a colourful, exciting and exuberant path. The impetus behind the school’s logo and the vision contained in the curriculum convey this successfully. 

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice  

Following the need to restructure staffing as a result of maternity leave over a period of two years, and the challenge of employing Welsh-medium teachers, change was managed effectively through joint thematic planning across the school. There was a need to ensure quality and consistency by planning the curriculum purposefully to provide valuable and coherent experiences across the school that responded to the principles and requirements of the Curriculum for Wales.  

The clear vision of all the school’s stakeholders underpins the planning of a broad and balanced curriculum which succeeds in developing an agreed ambition. 

Through planning at whole-school level, it became clear that the rich provision of cross-curricular experiences ensures that pupils benefit from a progression model in terms of experiences, skills and knowledge as they advance along the learning continuum. Experiences have been combined naturally with the requirements of the Four purposes and the six areas of learning and experience, and there is a clear commitment to the What Matters Statements. 

Description of nature of strategy or activity 

Teachers’ main aim was to involve all school stakeholders in the curricular journey of achieving the vision of the curriculum, ‘An adventure on the colour path.’ As such, it was necessary to ensure the staff’s ethos and attitude to accepting change.  

It was recognised that solid cooperation and joint planning is the foundation for success, as teachers, with input from Cylch Meithrin staff, parents and school governors, used their expertise to design the curriculum in an imaginative way. This was done by providing purposeful and valuable experiences that advanced pupils’ cross-curricular skills, which developed naturally into rich inquiry activities with a thematic approach. 

Staff set out clearly the purpose of the learning, with What Matters Statements guiding learning paths naturally.  

Examples of whole-school themes: 

  • Go for it! (Deryn story and production)  
  • An adventure on the colour path (the outset of our vision for the curriculum) 
  • This is where I’m supposed to be (Habitat) 
  • My happy world (Differences and ethnicity) 
  • Turning back the Clock (History of Wales) 

Examples of differentiated whole-school thematic mats (rich tasks):  

  • Planning and development of the Memorial Garden (numeracy, well-being, Science and Technology)
  • Colour Windows (numeracy, literacy, digital, humanities, expressive arts, well-being) 
  • Planning the Foel Eisteddfod (numeracy, literacy)
  • Come to Maldwyn (numeracy, digital, humanities, expressive arts)

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?  

Exciting catalysts at whole-school level develop all pupils’ natural curiosity, and there is a deep sense of belonging. Teachers plan purposefully and can now offer pupils firm opportunities and new learning, as they also acquire the key skills of creativity and enterprise. As a result, pupils engage well with their learning, and catalysts and experiences bring curiosity to their lives from the beginning of their time at school and along the learning continuum. Pupils respond favourably to the whole-school method of thematic learning, which has encouraged them to make their own decisions by solving problems, and to explore in inquiring ways. Through this method of planning and leading learning, teachers assess progress across the school naturally and purposefully. 

Rich experiences at whole-school level enable pupils to apply their literacy, numeracy and digital skills constantly, leading to progress and deeper learning relative to their starting points.  

The school’s timely marking strategies also help pupils from Year 1 upwards to be aware of their next steps and to upgrade their work as a natural part of their work in the classroom. This leads pupils to become independent learners who work together successfully to gain advantage from each other’s expertise as they reach their final year. They are more willing to learn from mistakes and to reflect on their ways of thinking. As a result, robust development is clearly evident in pupils’ resilience, knowledge and successes. 

How have you shared your good practice? 

The school gives parents information about what pupils are learning, either as theme titles or thematic mat objectives. Input from all the school’s stakeholders, including governors and the wider community, is crucial to the success of their work. Catalysts in terms of new themes or rich tasks are shared regularly with the wider community through a page each month in the “papur bro”, video clips or a web page on social media. The school has also shared a number of thematic, differentiated mats at whole-school level with cluster schools, within Powys County Council, and beyond. The creative, stimulating and imaginative element of the tasks is recognised as good practice. 

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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An adult and three children engaging in a gardening activity outdoors, surrounded by lush green plants under sunlight.

Information about the setting 

Little Friends Nursery is a privately run childcare setting, early years education provider and non-maintained flying start setting. It is situated in Ffynnon Taf Primary School, Taff’s Well, Cardiff, and provides high-quality childcare and education that supports children’s development in a safe and stimulating environment. It supports the children to learn through play and maintains a close partnership with parents and carers. 

The setting’s vision is to work alongside families to develop and support each individual child to reach their full potential. It offers a range of engaging experiences and stimulating resources to support their play and learning.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice 

The COVID-19 pandemic identified everyone’s need to spend more time outdoors. Practitioners opened the new setting in November 2020, which was in the middle of the pandemic. With a purpose-built building, inside was safe and secure. This provided the motivation to focus attention on creating a wonderful, natural and curiosity driven garden for the children to enjoy. 

Practitioners noticed that a lot of the garden area inherited (old school playground) was hard flooring, lots of concrete and old wooden frames of sandpits etc. They took to work with a jackhammer and created natural flower beds surrounding the yard. They then had safety flooring installed to allow children to run freely without grazes! 

After spending the majority of their time outside, it allowed practitioners to identify a need for a good quality sheltered area that the children could use as a base during outdoor play. They decided that by investing in an outdoor classroom it would allow children who are less fond of the rain and wind to be sheltered appropriately whilst also reaping the benefits of natural play and fresh air.  

Description of nature of strategy or activity 

The garden area continues to develop over time. Practitioners have developed a large allotment as an extension to the flower beds, and grow their own fruit and vegetables, as well as a range of trees, flowers, herbs, spices and a forestry area. The children learn to prepare and cook different foods, explore taste and learn about all the health benefits of natural ingredients. 

Practitioners have a large construction area boasting bark and sand, which also includes resources such as mechanical diggers, ladders, beams, baskets, huts, and tool stations for the children to experience.  

Practitioners provide lots of access to bikes, scooters and cars for the children to explore freely as well as a climbing frame, balance beams, and cosy area. 

The outdoor classroom has since evolved into being much more of an expressive space rather than simply a shelter. Using the children’s interests and ideas, practitioners have developed a space where children can be creative with nature, using mud, clay, plants and flowers to create art or enjoy simple explorative play. Practitioners continue to develop and adapt this area in line with the children’s interests. At present they are developing a musical area, incorporating music manuscript as the children learn to recognise notes whilst creating their own instruments and sounds from nature.  

What impact has this work had on provision and children’s standards? 

The practice has noticeably improved via all inspection reports, with the SSTEW, Quality Assurance and CIW inspections all receiving excellent feedback in all areas. Staff are motivated to enhance the provision through implementing the new curriculum with passion and care. 

The setting offers children a wonderfully curious area where they can take appropriate risks in endless ways, supported and encouraged by staff. With staff support, the children use a wide range of equipment, building confidence as they play on the wonderful ‘stage’ in the outdoor classroom. 

Practitioners offer uninterrupted outdoor play to suit children’s own needs and requirements. They relish the opportunities for children to be outdoors and enjoy the freshness and wonders of nature throughout their time at the setting.  

How have you shared your good practice? 

The setting has welcomed visits by practitioners from other settings to see how it has developed the environment and outdoor areas in particular. Practitioners work closely with the Early Years adviser to facilitate these good practice visits.   

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Two children playing in a sandbox with various colorful toys.

Information about the school 

St Mary’s Catholic Primary is a caring school that places the community at the heart of its work. Approximately half the pupils begin school with literacy and numeracy skills below age related expectations, however within a very short time, due to a wide range of rich learning experiences, the youngest pupils make strong progress. Nearly all pupils, including those who are eligible for free school meals (eFSM), those who have additional learning needs (ALN), and those who have English as an additional language (EAL), make strong progress as they move through the school. By the time they leave, nearly all pupils achieve well across most areas of the curriculum.  

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice 

 In September 2021, the school decided to make key changes to its early years provision, merging the nursery and reception classes into one early years setting called the ‘Atelier’. The school continuously monitors, reviews and reflects on its early years practice to ensure that there is a positive impact on children’s well-being and learning. This process allows the school to be innovative in the way it established and developed the school’s Early Years’ Atelier. 

This has involved: 

  • A process of in-depth investigation about excellent Early Years practice from settings around the world.  This included wide reading and research on the theme, including looking into ‘The Curiosity Approach’ and ‘The Reggio Emilia Approach’, balanced with the Curriculum for Wales.  
  • A period of reflection and consultation that resulted in the structure that is now in place. 
  • Investment in both the physical environment and in the training of a team of staff to allow the effective implementation of the new approach. 
  • Reflecting on the wide range of research to arrive at an approach that allows all pupils to operate within their zone of proximal development (ZPD) regardless of their age. 

Description of nature of strategy or activity  

The Atelier is a mixed Nursery and Reception setting that ensures learning is aimed at each child’s stage of development, not their age. It provides learners with rich learning experiences that develop curiosity and independence. It has extensive indoor and outdoor learning areas for all children to access to develop their curiosity, independence, problem solving and ability to collaborate. Teachers’ planning of rich learning experiences for our pupils substantially enhances their ability to take risks, grow in confidence and be ambitious about their learning. 

The indoor environment has a number of stations that allow pupils to have rich learning experiences. For example: 

  • The Well-being Check in Station – The pupils ‘check-in’ when they arrive at school in the morning and they are given the opportunity to express how they are feeling. Adults are able to touch base with pupils who may be upset.  
  • The Play-dough Station provides invitations and opportunities to inspire thought and mindful intentions. Pupils are encouraged to make their own play-dough and use resources from other areas in the setting, giving children choice and developing independence. 
  • The Loose Parts Station is an open-ended resource area which excites all senses. This includes synthetic or natural items to allow children to use in many ways and combine with other loose parts through imagination and creativity.  
  • The Home Corner provides a ‘home from home’ environment allowing children to experience real life items that are commonly found within the home, for example a real China tea set. This promotes the children’s social, emotional and well-being development. Children are encouraged to role play from their own first-hand experiences supported by the enabling adult.  
  • The Creative Station provides opportunities to promote curiosity, investigation and discovery, allowing children the freedom to express themselves. 
  • The Cultural / Cynefin Area celebrates pupils’ cultural differences and helps pupils to recognise that they belong to a rich and diverse school community. 
Display of cultural artifacts and memorabilia including traditional clothing, photographs, books, and decorative items, arranged in a window setup with a background of colorful notes and flags.
  • The Investigation Sand Area is a large, low-level sensory sand pit area in which children take off their shoes and socks independently and explore and investigate resources linked to the domain. They have extended time and open-ended opportunities to create and develop. 
Child playing with a sieve in a sandbox in a classroom setting, with another child nearby.

There is low level lighting and a calm atmosphere in the Early Years’ Atelier. This supports the children to settle into their learning quickly, concentrate well and avoid distractions as they complete their tasks. Children explore the learning environment confidently and move between the different areas purposefully, making choices and developing independence.  

The practitioners to ensure that the needs of the children are met by observing them in the environment, and ‘noticing, analysing and responding’ to their thinking and learning. 

The outdoor learning environment provides opportunities for younger pupils to learn with older pupils. Staff maximise the use of the school’s outdoor learning areas and the locality to offer authentic learning experiences to pupils. Teachers’ skillful use of the outdoors enriches learning.

For example: 

  • The apiary allows pupils to learn about and experience bee-keeping. Children harvest honey to sell to the school community, developing entrepreneurial skills. 
A collage of four images showing beekeepers in protective suits inspecting hives and handling frames with bees at an outdoor apiary.
  • The allotment area allows pupils to experience planting and growing vegetables and children use the vegetables to cook healthy meals and sell to the school community. 
  • The conservation area is a particular strength because of the way in which pupils learn to move around the woodland area safely using their balancing and climbing skills whilst developing fine and gross motor skills. There is a pond in the woodland area which gives children the opportunity to experience pond dipping and to investigate different plants and habitats, enhancing learning across the curriculum. Forest school learning takes place in the conservation area, providing learner inspired, hands on experiences in a the natural environment. It supports children to build confidence as they problem solve and learn to manage risks.  

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards? 

The school has seen children progress rapidly through the Atelier in all areas of learning, instilling the foundations for future learning. The impact on children’s well-being has been profound and this is evident from the way the children in the setting moving around in a purposeful manner. The transition from nursery to reception is calm and smooth for the children.   

The school has been innovative in the way it has established and developed the school’s Early Years’ Atelier. As a result, 

  • Excellent provision is in place.   
  • There is a high level of staff expertise. Staff are enabling adults who can gauge when to help and support the pupils learning and development.  
  • The Atelier is able to target provision effectively at each individual child’s stage of development. 
  • Children have opportunities to plan and have ownership of their learning.

How have you shared your good practice? 

The school operates an open-door policy for visitors to see the Atelier and a number of schools have visited to see how it has been implemented. 

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the provider

On 1st August 2016, full responsibility for the Welsh for Adults sector was transferred to the National Centre for Learning Welsh (the Centre). The Centre is an arm’s length body funded by the Welsh Government and housed at the University of Wales Trinity St David.

The Centre restructured Welsh for Adults provision across Wales, establishing 11 Learn Welsh providers. The Centre funds these Learn Welsh providers to provide a Welsh for Adults offer within their communities.

One of Estyn’s recommendations to the Centre following the inspection in 2021 was to share a successful second language teaching and acquisition methodology with other relevant sectors to support the Welsh Government’s aim of reaching a million active Welsh speakers by 2050.

How the area and excellent practice/sector-leading practice identified during an inspection relates to a key question, quality indicator and/or a specific aspect

The Work Welsh scheme, which was established in 2017, has allowed the Centre to engage with a high number of employers and various sectors and this has supported learners to gain easy access to lessons as a key part of their day-to-day work. The scheme has worked with more than 1,000 diverse employers and has now developed sector-specific schemes, which include the following:

  • Health and Care
  • Palliative and end of life care
  • Social care
  • Education and Care Workforce and the early years
  • Further and higher education workforce
  • Local authorities
  • Sport

In 2023, a new directorate was created within the Centre’s structure to further support the work of teaching Welsh to the education workforce. In 2023, a study was submitted to the Government presenting a case to extend the Centre’s work to co-ordinate a national programme of learning Welsh to the education workforce for the Welsh Government. This was realised in 2024 with the intention of continuing to extend the role of the Centre in the area in the future. 

The Welsh at Home programme has also grown and now includes the Clwb Cwtsh programme in partnership with Mudiad Meithrin, which gives parents and carers access to lessons that give them a taste of the Welsh language. This, in turn, often inspires them to start using the Welsh language with children and to learn Welsh in mainstream lessons. Similarly, a partnership between Mudiad Meithrin and the Centre, called Camau, provides courses for the early years education and childcare workforce. Welsh at Home has also developed a new programme which places tutors in Welsh‑medium schools to offer free Welsh lessons to families who have chosen Welsh education for their children.

Context and background to best practice/sector-leading practice

The Centre also shares its pedagogical and language acquisition knowledge outside Wales and has developed a number of international links. This includes link with Brittany where the Centre has shared resources to create the first self-study course in Breton. It has also shared information about the Work Welsh scheme with policy planners in Quebec and has shared pedagogical practices in the Isle of Man and Ireland. There was also an opportunity in 2024 to share information about the Centre’s work at the conference of the Association of Language Commissioners in Cardiff.

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?

Mainstream lessons are an essential element of the Centre’s work and learners in their communities are at the heart of provision. However, the Centre has evolved provision to reach new, different audiences, tailoring the Welsh learning offer for them. This, in turn, has a positive effect on learners’ standards and, in the case of sectors such as the education workforce, on practitioners’ understanding of pedagogy and successful language acquisition methods.

Over time, the National Centre for Learning Welsh is evolving from being a provider of Welsh language courses and activities for adults only to being a linguistic influencer. It is central to numerous initiatives to normalise the use of the language among learners and reluctant speakers of all ages, in the community and within key sectors.

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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A computer keyboard with two custom keys: one green with the Welsh dragon emblem, and another red labeled 'learn'.

Information about the provider

On 1st August 2016, full responsibility for the Welsh for Adults sector was transferred to the National Centre for Learning Welsh (the Centre). The Centre is an arm’s length body funded by the Welsh Government and housed at the University of Wales Trinity St David.

The Centre restructured Welsh for Adults provision across Wales, establishing 11 Learn Welsh providers. The Centre funds these Learn Welsh providers to provide a Welsh for Adults offer within their communities. Over time, the number of unique learners has increased, with 33% more learners in 2022-2023 in comparison with the first national figures in 2017-2018. By 2022-2023, there were 16,905 unique learners. The number of learning activities has also increased significantly during the same period.

How the area and excellent practice/sector-leading practice identified during an inspection relates to a key question, quality indicator and/or a specific aspect

The Centre has endeavoured to ensure that the Learn Welsh offer is inclusive. Local targets are set and provision is monitored regularly to ensure that there is an appropriate variety of courses at all levels in all parts of Wales. As a result, learners are able to follow a course that is suitable for them and are able to have progression in their learning through the range of levels. As a result, in 2022‑2023, 54% of the Centre’s learners have continued to learn at a higher level, which is an increase of 14% since 2019-20.

Context and background to best practice/sector-leading practice

One of Estyn’s recommendations to the Centre following the inspection in 2021 was to continue to work with Learn Welsh providers to develop models of provision based on learner availability. The Centre has introduced various models of provision across the sector, including plans to attract specific audiences and develop more learning approaches to continue to extend the choice for learners. 

Description of the nature of the strategy or activity identified as excellent practice/sector‑leading practice

The greatest change over recent years is the learning methods that are now offered within the learning programmes of Learn Welsh providers. There is a wide variety of options in terms of learning methods and this has made a positive contribution to the recent increase in data numbers (an 11% increase in the number of unique learners). 

Through the Centre’s Onwards with Welsh scheme, free Welsh lessons have been provided to learners between 16-25 and young people from all backgrounds have benefitted from opportunities to learn Welsh and learn more about contemporary Welsh culture. Following marketing campaigns tailored specifically to attract younger learners and creating new partnerships, including with the Duke of Edinburgh, the Urdd, further education colleges and apprenticeship providers, in 2022-2023, there was a 9% increase in the number of learners in this age range. 

The vast majority of learners continue to be here in Wales, but virtual learning has opened the door to a wider audience, with 14% learning outside Wales and many of those learning Welsh for family reasons or to prepare them to return to Wales.

The Centre has given a specific priority to engaging with different groups of learners, for example learners who are recognised as asylum seekers and refugees through the Croeso i Bawb scheme. The Centre has also worked with Adult Learning Wales, introducing WSOL (Welsh for Speakers of Other Languages) courses for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learners. Learn Welsh units are also available in Cantonese, Syrian Arabic, Pashto, Farsi and Ukrainian.

A variety of interventions and schemes aim to ensure that there is no financial challenge for anyone who wishes to learn the language. There is a variety of financial support and free provision for those who need it and, as a result, 44% or learners receive their courses free of charge and another 48% receive a significant concession for their lessons. Very few learners now pay the full fee. In 2022-2023, 36% of learners lived in the 50% most deprived areas in Wales and this reflects the aim of ensuring that there are no obstacles for any member of society to learn Welsh. The Centre also provides, through a special fund, money to purchase technical equipment, course books, travel costs and help to fund childcare, in addition to contributing to the costs of staying on summer courses.

A range of programmes such as Clwb Cwtsh and the Welsh at Home programme ensure that parents and carers are able to learn Welsh at no cost. These programmes are held throughout Wales and target specific areas suitably to ensure that the offer is available to all.

The Work Welsh scheme offers diverse Welsh learning provision for employers and specific sectors, which supports learners to have easy access to lessons, for example as a key part of their day-to-day work. The Work Welsh scheme has evolved rapidly and meets the needs of learners and employers very beneficially. Over 1,000 employers have now engaged with the scheme and sector-specific plans have been developed for the sector. For example, in response to the Welsh Governing policy in the health sector, such as More Than Words, a tutor has been appointed in all health boards in Wales to support the health and care workforce to provide a service to patients in Welsh.

The Centre has also developed new provision for the education workforce to take advantage of a range of free courses and the intention is to continue to add to the programme in the future.

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?

As a result of the above initiatives, the Learn Welsh sector, led by the National Centre for Learning Welsh, has succeeded in increasing the number of learners, including learners from specific groups, while working purposefully to eliminate practical or financial barriers to individuals to learning Welsh.

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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An adult reads a book to four young children in a brightly colored classroom environment.

Information about the setting 

The rural, pack away setting in Trellech, established in 1973, has been co-managed by the current leaders since 2020. They are experienced educators leading a team with a strong commitment to early childhood learning and development.  

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice 

The setting’s journey towards developing reading stemmed from the practitioners’ personal passion for books, a belief in the transformative power of early literacy and observations of the children’s natural curiosity towards storytelling and books. This led to a conscious decision to create a nurturing environment, with a love of reading as a cornerstone to the setting’s ethos. 

Description of nature of strategy or activity 

What impact has this work had on provision and children’s standards? 

Through its approach, the setting has observed a considerable impact on children’s development: 

Language Acquisition and Imagination: 

Practitioners have noticed children using words and phrases from books in their everyday conversations, demonstrating an expanded vocabulary and a deeper understanding of storytelling concepts. Through reading nature books, the children have learnt new words, which they use when talking about their first-hand experience with others. 

Incorporation of Story Ideas into Play: 

The children’s engagement with books has inspired them to incorporate the characters or events from stories into their imaginative play, by themselves or with others. This integration of story elements encourages empathy, co-operation, and critical thinking as they explore different perspectives and scenarios. 

Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity: 

The setting’s diverse range of books has facilitated conversations on diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness among the children. Books representing all families and cultures have sparked curiosity, empathy and respect for everyone. The children talk to the adults about the pictures and people in the books. This has helped everyone to feel that they belong and promoted inclusivity within the setting’s community. 

Parental engagement: 

Children’s engagement with books has increased parents’ participation in shared reading activities. By encouraging children to take books home, practitioners have noticed increased parental involvement. Parents have expressed enthusiasm for reading with their children, sharing a love for books outside of the setting. Parents have shared with the setting that they have talked to their children about different cultures and nature through the stories their children bring home, leading to enriched discussion and shared learning experiences within the family. 

Exploration of Nature and the World Around Them: 

Through nature-themed books, children have developed a greater appreciation for the environment, showing curiosity and wonder about the natural world. Their engagement with these books has inspired them to ask questions, make connections and explore the outdoors with a newfound sense of curiosity and awareness. By using books to complement children’s own first-hand experiences the setting has helped them to have an increasing breadth and depth of knowledge about the world around them.  

Transferring of Knowledge 

Engaging with books has nurtured children’s literacy skills but also helped them to make connections and transfer their learning into all areas of their play and learning. Within the examples above, it is evident that, through stories and non-fiction books, children make connections between the content of the books they read and real-life experiences and their imaginative and symbolic play.  

The impact of promoting a love of books in the setting has been transformative, developing children’s communication, language and literacy skills, imaginative play and fostering a deeper understanding of diversity, inclusivity and the natural world. By providing a rich literary environment, practitioners have observed the power of books in nurturing children’s creativity, empathy and curiosity, supporting their holistic development. 

How have you shared your good practice?

 Practitioners attend termly non-maintained setting network meetings, discussing and sharing practice with other settings across the region. Photos and examples from the setting’s practice have been included within regional courses.