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Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the school

Ysgol Gynradd Carno, Ysgol Glantwymyn and Ysgol Llanbrynmair are situated in the Machynlleth catchment area.  The three schools have been part of a formal federation since September 2014.  One headteacher and one governing body operate across the federation, and there is an assistant headteacher at every site.  Welsh is the main medium of learning at all of the schools.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The federation was newly established and, therefore, transparent ways of sharing information had to be introduced and experimented with, monitoring systems had to be established, and it had to be ensured that pupils across the federation were given the same opportunities in terms of teaching.  The school believes that, hand-in-hand, the headteacher, assistant headteachers and governors promote an ethos of continuous improvement, and this is an integral part of the federation’s make-up.

Sharing leadership and distributing responsibilities reduces the burden on teachers and the normal pressures on small, rural schools in a way that broadens professional experiences and ensures high standards.  Processes for distributing leadership and responsibilities have enabled us to prepare and plan effectively for the new curriculum for Wales.  As professional learning has already been established, staff are ready to plan with the 4 purposes as a basis for provision.  As a result, they are keen to experiment and deliver an original curriculum that provides challenge, creativity and support for all pupils.

Description of the nature of the strategy or activity

The headteacher uses all data effectively, in addition to evidence from monitoring at all levels, in order to make improvements immediately.  The headteacher, alongside the senior management team and co-ordinators, completes impact reports on all priorities in the school development plan every term, and ensures that all members of staff are aware of what they need to do.

The federation’s procedures enable the assistant headteachers to lead on specific strategic areas across the three schools, in addition to developing as key operational leaders from day to day in their individual schools.  All teachers within the federation are co-ordinators of at least one area, and have been matched according to expertise and interest.  Learning area co-ordinators lead effectively and use their expertise to support other staff across the three schools.  For example, they analyse data, lead on planning, monitor progress, scrutinise work and report back in staff meetings.  They have also supported temporary staff in order to ensure that teaching and learning continue to be of consistent quality.

Networks on the Hwb learning platform are used effectively in order for co-ordinators to share resources, plans, monitoring reports and impact assessment reports every term.  This ensures transparent communication across the three schools.  Governors also use Hwb in order to access policies, self-evaluation documents and school development plans.  Monitoring reports from governors, in addition to the minutes of the governing body and sub-committees, can be read on Hwb.

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

A detailed monitoring timetable underpins the federation’s work.  All teaching staff are given opportunities to observe good practice within the federation and scrutinise work, and are given regular opportunities to meet with each other.  This provides more consistent opportunities to scrutinise and discuss quality than would be possible if the schools were separate.  As a result, opportunities to discuss and share good practice, and support and challenge each other, are more effective.  Joint planning ensures consistency in provision, including visitors, visits and workshops, which encourages pupils’ enthusiasm in their learning.  Teachers share resources and focus tasks.  An example of this includes sharing resources and equipment for science and humanities, in addition to sharing original mathematics mats based on themes, and a range of skills for the range of ability.  

Over time, reports on scrutiny of work have shown development in terms of pupils’ standards.  A prominent feature of this is the bulk of original, challenging work that is completed by pupils in a short period of time, and the increase in the number of pupils who attain the higher outcomes and levels over time.  Focus tasks use purposeful resources that have been prepared by teachers, which also include elements of activities that have been chosen by pupils while following their termly themes.  Exciting challenges in the continuous provision areas in the foundation phase classes ensure that pupils develop as confident, independent learners.

With funding from the Arts Council, a project titled ‘Elfennau’ (‘Elements’) was planned and completed, whereby all pupils in key stage 2 within the federation were given an opportunity to work with professional artists to develop their creative and literacy skills.  This was an excellent opportunity for pupils to develop social and co-operative skills beyond their individual schools, and strengthened the federation’s ethos.  It has also guided the way in which teachers now plan and use the four purposes naturally as a basis for learning.

How have you shared your good practice?

  • The headteacher has shared good practice in a conference for federated schools within the ERW consortium
  • Presentations to headteachers within the local authority
  • Schools both inside and outside the local authority visit the individual schools
  • The headteacher supports leadership in a school within the local authority
  • Teachers have shared good practice in a cluster meeting

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the school

Ysgol Gynradd Carno, Ysgol Glantwymyn and Ysgol Llanbrynmair are situated in the Machynlleth catchment area.  The three schools have been part of a formal federation since September 2014.  One headteacher and one governing body operate across the federation, and there is an assistant headteacher at every site.  Welsh is the main medium of learning at all of the schools.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The federation was newly established and, therefore, transparent ways of sharing information had to be introduced and experimented with, monitoring systems had to be established, and it had to be ensured that pupils across the federation were given the same opportunities in terms of teaching.  The school believes that, hand-in-hand, the headteacher, assistant headteachers and governors promote an ethos of continuous improvement, and this is an integral part of the federation’s make-up.

Sharing leadership and distributing responsibilities reduces the burden on teachers and the normal pressures on small, rural schools in a way that broadens professional experiences and ensures high standards.  Processes for distributing leadership and responsibilities have enabled us to prepare and plan effectively for the new curriculum for Wales.  As professional learning has already been established, staff are ready to plan with the 4 purposes as a basis for provision.  As a result, they are keen to experiment and deliver an original curriculum that provides challenge, creativity and support for all pupils.

Description of the nature of the strategy or activity

The headteacher uses all data effectively, in addition to evidence from monitoring at all levels, in order to make improvements immediately.  The headteacher, alongside the senior management team and co-ordinators, completes impact reports on all priorities in the school development plan every term, and ensures that all members of staff are aware of what they need to do.

The federation’s procedures enable the assistant headteachers to lead on specific strategic areas across the three schools, in addition to developing as key operational leaders from day to day in their individual schools.  All teachers within the federation are co-ordinators of at least one area, and have been matched according to expertise and interest.  Learning area co-ordinators lead effectively and use their expertise to support other staff across the three schools.  For example, they analyse data, lead on planning, monitor progress, scrutinise work and report back in staff meetings.  They have also supported temporary staff in order to ensure that teaching and learning continue to be of consistent quality.

Networks on the Hwb learning platform are used effectively in order for co-ordinators to share resources, plans, monitoring reports and impact assessment reports every term.  This ensures transparent communication across the three schools.  Governors also use Hwb in order to access policies, self-evaluation documents and school development plans.  Monitoring reports from governors, in addition to the minutes of the governing body and sub-committees, can be read on Hwb.

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

A detailed monitoring timetable underpins the federation’s work.  All teaching staff are given opportunities to observe good practice within the federation and scrutinise work, and are given regular opportunities to meet with each other.  This provides more consistent opportunities to scrutinise and discuss quality than would be possible if the schools were separate.  As a result, opportunities to discuss and share good practice, and support and challenge each other, are more effective.  Joint planning ensures consistency in provision, including visitors, visits and workshops, which encourages pupils’ enthusiasm in their learning.  Teachers share resources and focus tasks.  An example of this includes sharing resources and equipment for science and humanities, in addition to sharing original mathematics mats based on themes, and a range of skills for the range of ability.  

Over time, reports on scrutiny of work have shown development in terms of pupils’ standards.  A prominent feature of this is the bulk of original, challenging work that is completed by pupils in a short period of time, and the increase in the number of pupils who attain the higher outcomes and levels over time.  Focus tasks use purposeful resources that have been prepared by teachers, which also include elements of activities that have been chosen by pupils while following their termly themes.  Exciting challenges in the continuous provision areas in the foundation phase classes ensure that pupils develop as confident, independent learners.

With funding from the Arts Council, a project titled ‘Elfennau’ (‘Elements’) was planned and completed, whereby all pupils in key stage 2 within the federation were given an opportunity to work with professional artists to develop their creative and literacy skills.  This was an excellent opportunity for pupils to develop social and co-operative skills beyond their individual schools, and strengthened the federation’s ethos.  It has also guided the way in which teachers now plan and use the four purposes naturally as a basis for learning.

How have you shared your good practice?

  • The headteacher has shared good practice in a conference for federated schools within the ERW consortium
  • Presentations to headteachers within the local authority
  • Schools both inside and outside the local authority visit the individual schools
  • The headteacher supports leadership in a school within the local authority
  • Teachers have shared good practice in a cluster meeting

 

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the school

Ysgol Gynradd Carno, Ysgol Glantwymyn and Ysgol Llanbrynmair are situated in the Machynlleth catchment area.  The three schools have been part of a formal federation since September 2014.  One headteacher and one governing body operate across the federation, and there is an assistant headteacher at every site.  Welsh is the main medium of learning at all of the schools.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The federation was newly established and, therefore, transparent ways of sharing information had to be introduced and experimented with, monitoring systems had to be established, and it had to be ensured that pupils across the federation were given the same opportunities in terms of teaching.  The school believes that, hand-in-hand, the headteacher, assistant headteachers and governors promote an ethos of continuous improvement, and this is an integral part of the federation’s make-up.

Sharing leadership and distributing responsibilities reduces the burden on teachers and the normal pressures on small, rural schools in a way that broadens professional experiences and ensures high standards.  Processes for distributing leadership and responsibilities have enabled us to prepare and plan effectively for the new curriculum for Wales.  As professional learning has already been established, staff are ready to plan with the 4 purposes as a basis for provision.  As a result, they are keen to experiment and deliver an original curriculum that provides challenge, creativity and support for all pupils.

Description of the nature of the strategy or activity

The headteacher uses all data effectively, in addition to evidence from monitoring at all levels, in order to make improvements immediately.  The headteacher, alongside the senior management team and co-ordinators, completes impact reports on all priorities in the school development plan every term, and ensures that all members of staff are aware of what they need to do.

The federation’s procedures enable the assistant headteachers to lead on specific strategic areas across the three schools, in addition to developing as key operational leaders from day to day in their individual schools.  All teachers within the federation are co-ordinators of at least one area, and have been matched according to expertise and interest.  Learning area co-ordinators lead effectively and use their expertise to support other staff across the three schools.  For example, they analyse data, lead on planning, monitor progress, scrutinise work and report back in staff meetings.  They have also supported temporary staff in order to ensure that teaching and learning continue to be of consistent quality.

Networks on the Hwb learning platform are used effectively in order for co-ordinators to share resources, plans, monitoring reports and impact assessment reports every term.  This ensures transparent communication across the three schools.  Governors also use Hwb in order to access policies, self-evaluation documents and school development plans.  Monitoring reports from governors, in addition to the minutes of the governing body and sub-committees, can be read on Hwb.

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

A detailed monitoring timetable underpins the federation’s work.  All teaching staff are given opportunities to observe good practice within the federation and scrutinise work, and are given regular opportunities to meet with each other.  This provides more consistent opportunities to scrutinise and discuss quality than would be possible if the schools were separate.  As a result, opportunities to discuss and share good practice, and support and challenge each other, are more effective.  Joint planning ensures consistency in provision, including visitors, visits and workshops, which encourages pupils’ enthusiasm in their learning.  Teachers share resources and focus tasks.  An example of this includes sharing resources and equipment for science and humanities, in addition to sharing original mathematics mats based on themes, and a range of skills for the range of ability.  

Over time, reports on scrutiny of work have shown development in terms of pupils’ standards.  A prominent feature of this is the bulk of original, challenging work that is completed by pupils in a short period of time, and the increase in the number of pupils who attain the higher outcomes and levels over time.  Focus tasks use purposeful resources that have been prepared by teachers, which also include elements of activities that have been chosen by pupils while following their termly themes.  Exciting challenges in the continuous provision areas in the foundation phase classes ensure that pupils develop as confident, independent learners.

With funding from the Arts Council, a project titled ‘Elfennau’ (‘Elements’) was planned and completed, whereby all pupils in key stage 2 within the federation were given an opportunity to work with professional artists to develop their creative and literacy skills.  This was an excellent opportunity for pupils to develop social and co-operative skills beyond their individual schools, and strengthened the federation’s ethos.  It has also guided the way in which teachers now plan and use the four purposes naturally as a basis for learning.

How have you shared your good practice?

  • The headteacher has shared good practice in a conference for federated schools within the ERW consortium
  • Presentations to headteachers within the local authority
  • Schools both inside and outside the local authority visit the individual schools
  • The headteacher supports leadership in a school within the local authority
  • Teachers have shared good practice in a cluster meeting

 

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the school

Ynysowen Community Primary School is in Aberfan, in Merthyr Tydfil local authority.

There are 275 pupils on roll aged from 3 to 11 years, including 46 who attend the nursery on a full-time basis and 15 who attend two learning resource bases provided by the local authority.  The learning resource bases cater for pupils with complex needs and hearing impairment.

On average over the least three years, around 30% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average of 18%.  The school identifies about 37% of pupils as having additional learning needs.  This is higher than the national average of 21%.  Most pupils enter the school with language, numeracy and social skills that are significantly lower than that expected for their age.  No pupil speaks Welsh at home.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The school’s strong and sustained ‘TEAM’ (Together Everyone Achieves More) ethos places both collaboration and communication with pupils at the heart of all its processes.  These well-embedded principles ensure that all pupils are provided with extensive opportunities to contribute to their own learning, and are actively involved in all aspects of planning for school improvement.

Fundamental to the school’s aims is the belief that pupils should be provided with opportunities to make decisions that will affect both themselves and their peers, allow them to take responsibility, and learn key values that will guide them in the way they lead their lives.  The positive relationships within the school community create an ethos of mutual contribution that empowers pupils to take increased ownership of the experiences afforded to them.  These relationships promote the value of learning and a desire for pupils to become lifelong learners.

These well-embedded practices have had significant impact on the development of pupils’ social and emotional wellbeing.

Description of nature of strategy or activity

To ensure an inclusive community where all pupils participate, every pupil in key stage 2, as well as most pupils in Year 2, take an active role in supporting and improving the school community as members of various pupil responsibility groups.

The purposeful partnership between staff and pupils that exists within each of the responsibility groups ensures that all pupils’ views are considered, as opposed to just those of the more confident and articulate.  All of the responsibility groups provide pupils with extensive opportunities in which to develop their personal, organisation, leadership and communication skills further through rich and meaningful contexts, which enables them to foster lifelong skills.

Pupil responsibility groups are just one aspect of pupil voice at Ynysowen.  Ynysowen ensures that pupils are given every possibility to have their say.  For example, before embarking on a new topic, there is extensive consultation between teachers and pupils with regard to the theme pupils envisage, the types of activities they would like to undertake in respect of their chosen theme, and how they foresee the enhancement of their classroom environment to reflect the theme.  Consequently, teachers plan a comprehensive and progressive programme of learning, and create rich and stimulating classrooms reflective of pupils’ contributions.   

In addition, pupils are asked to consider the specific aspects of a theme they felt worked well, and what areas they felt needed improvement at the conclusion of a topic.  Across the whole school, pupils contribute imaginatively to their own learning by reflecting on and evaluating weekly activities.  Appropriate suggestions for further activities are sought, which subsequently inform future planning.

Pupils in the foundation phase have direct input into their learning experiences provided in areas of enhanced provision.  Teachers develop pupils’ ideas effectively and, as a result, provide stimulating and independent activities.

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

The strong and sustained practice of ensuring that pupil voice permeates all aspects of work at Ynysowen has had significant impact on pupils’ engagement in learning, and on their social and emotional wellbeing.  Pupils are ready to learn in lessons and grasp new skills and ideas quickly.  Results of the school’s annual pupil attitudes survey and pupil questionnaires reflects pupils’ attitudes to both school and learning as being exemplary.

Staff and pupils have a highly positive and productive working relationship built on an understanding of mutual partnership and mutual respect.  All members of the school community have a voice.  As a result, strong relationships continue to flourish and there is increased interest and enthusiasm from pupils about their learning.  This contributes well to pupils’ standards and wellbeing.

How have you shared your good practice?

The school’s practice has been widely shared within the local cluster of schools and through staff visiting schools and external providers.

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Background

Ysgol Bryn Coch Primary School serves the town of Mold and the surrounding area in the county of Flintshire.  There are 648 pupils aged 3 to 11 years at the school, including 77 pupils in the nursery and 23 pupils in the learning resource classes.

Context

The school identified the need to ensure the progressive development of pupils’ skills in the outdoor classroom as a priority within a previous School Improvement Plan.   Leaders assigned time during regular foundation phase meetings to draw up an action plan.  Staff completed an audit of foundation phase outdoor resources and planned carefully for progression across the common provision areas.  To ensure consistency and progression, the school took the following steps:

  • Middle leaders drew up plans for the continuous provision area for all foundation phase year groups linked to foundation phase skills and resources.
  • To ensure consistency and high standards, and to create a shared sense of ownership of the approach, leaders recognised that it was crucial for all staff to receive appropriate training.
  • The school sought advice from the local authority, and advisers provided training for all staff.
  • Staff created resources for the outdoor areas that were progressive and allowed for the systematic development of pupils’ skill.  For example, in the nursery, the water play area has different sized containers and, by Year 2, pupils have more formal measuring cylinders using standard units.
  • Leaders prioritise spending on good quality resources that offered extensive learning opportunities.  For example, good quality blocks were provided for all year groups.
  • The school purchased outdoor clothing for all foundation phase staff.

There is good quality enhanced provision in the outdoor classroom in the nursery and reception classes.  The school has enhanced their learning environments successfully in the Year 1 and Year 2 foundation phase classes, placing a strong emphasis on developing key areas of enhanced provision and supporting staff to scaffold play in these areas.

Early Years

Children explore the outdoor area freely.  Staff introduce enhancements each week, based on pupil interests.

Nursery

There are no formal ‘break times’.  One adult works outdoors for a whole week and has direct influence on the planning.  This ensures consistency and appropriate development of skills and enhancements.  One adult supports free flow access in all areas outside.

Reception

There are no formal ‘break times’ during the morning session.  Two adults plan for, prepare and support children in the outdoor classroom each week.  One adult works in a specific area to focus specifically on scaffolding children’s learning as they play.  One adult supports children across the other outdoor areas.

Years 1 and 2:

There is a ‘free flow’ system so that children can access the outdoor area all day.  The continuous provision areas are well established and remain constant for a term at a time.  Staff enhance the provision using information from observations and children’s suggestions.  An adult is timetabled for each session to direct, support and challenge learners.  There is either a maths or language challenge outdoors that has to be completed by all pupils during the week.  This ensures that all pupils access the outdoor classroom at some point.  Teachers plan carefully to ensure that pupils progress in their learning as they work in the continuous provision in the outdoor area.  For example, they encourage pupils in the nursery to use comparable language to measure, such as ‘longer than’ or ’shorter than’.  Reception pupils use non-standard measurements, for example footprints.  Year 1 consolidate non-standard measurements and begin to introduce standard measure when the pupil is ready, while Year 2 focus on standard measure for the majority of pupils.

Impact

Having continual access to a well planned and challenging outdoor classroom has had a positive impact on pupils’ learning.  Pupils benefit from learning outdoors by developing their skills in a stimulating environment that is well planned and maximises opportunities for progression.  

How have you shared your good practice?

Other schools have visited the foundation phase setting.

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Background

Bryn Coch Primary School serves the town of Mold and the surrounding area in the county of Flintshire.  There are 648 pupils aged 3 to 11 years at the school, including 77 pupils in the nursery and 23 pupils in the learning resource classes.

The current headteacher took up her post in January 2009.  The school’s last inspection was in January 2019.

Strategy and Action

Over time, school leaders have developed the vision for how the school is managed.  They aim to provide an extremely inclusive and welcoming community that nurtures pupils to become happy, confident and resilient learners and gives a high priority to staff wellbeing.  They have achieved this by managing change effectively.

The management structure of the school allows leadership to be distributed and shared by nearly all staff.  This includes the headteacher, deputy headteacher, additional learning needs co-ordinator and nine heads of year.  Staff have clear, negotiated job descriptions.  Their line managers carry out regular annual reviews based on the professional standards for teaching staff and on individual roles and responsibilities for support staff.  All staff have valuable opportunities to learn from each other through sharing good practice, seeing each other teach and taking part in professional conversations each half term around the professional standards.  Through this, and their day to day practice, leaders encourage staff to identify their own training needs and source opportunities for development, including visiting other schools, and in-house and external training.

The headteacher and deputy headteacher make effective communication across the school a priority to ensure that all staff are fully involved with the day to day running of the school and the management of change.  This has a powerful impact on staff wellbeing.  For example, every fortnight the senior management team meets with the heads of year over a lunch provided by the school to discuss standards and updates to the school diary.  There are weekly staff meetings focusing on learners and regular year group and support staff meetings.  Leaders use weekly bulletins and share all meeting minutes quickly and effectively using a communication platform to ensure effective day to day communication across the school.  Staff wellbeing is at the heart of managing change.  This is embedded in the school’s approach, including the commitment to holding open conversations, listening to concerns and different viewpoints and being prepared to compromise where necessary.

There is a highly inclusive approach to school development.  A member of staff from each year group is responsible for driving one of three improvement areas identified in the school improvement plan within their team.  The school includes all staff in this, from newly qualified teachers to teachers who are well established in their careers.  It supports their professional development highly effectively, particularly in developing their professional learning skills from the new Professional Standards.  Priorities have clear timescales over the academic year to ensure the greatest impact and wellbeing of staff and pupils.

The school involves all stakeholders in managing change, including governors, parents and most importantly the pupils.  Pupils contribute through the relevant pupil voice committees and help to plan what they want to learn.  This ensures their enthusiasm for learning.  Governors are highly motivated and support and challenge the school’s vision exceptionally well.

Impact

The largest impact of inclusive leadership and management of change is on the wellbeing of the staff which, in turn, effects pupil wellbeing, which is at the heart of their ability to learn and achieve.

Many of the recent changes, particularly with priority areas in the School Improvement Plan, were brought about due to staff feeling overwhelmed with the number of demands being required at any one time.  As a result of this shift in culture, staff feel that their work is valued.  They embrace changes that help the school move forward because they are fully involved in the process.  This has allowed the vision of ‘Our Happy, Caring Bryn Coch School’ to be fulfilled.

How we have shared our good practice

  • Case study paper written to be shared with GWE consortium
  • Shared directly with other schools in the consortium

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the school

Ysgol Pen Barras is situated in Ruthin, Denbighshire.  It serves the town of Ruthin and the surrounding area.  The current building opened on the new site in April 2018.  Welsh is the main medium of the school’s life and work, and English is introduced in key stage 2.  There are 273 pupils between 3 and 11 years old on roll, including 35 part-time nursery age pupils.  They are divided into 11 classes.

Over the last three years, the average proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals has been around 3%.  This is significantly lower than the national percentage (19%).  Around 76% of pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes.  The school has identified around 15% of its pupils as having additional learning needs, which is slightly lower than the national percentage.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

With the arrival of the new curriculum and recent developments in education, it was seen that teachers and staff needed to begin to think in different ways when planning stimulating learning activities and challenges for pupils.  Moving to a new building in April 2018 was an opportunity to think about providing valuable, fresh experiences for pupils.  This prompted staff to become more enterprising and to experiment when planning for interesting themes and activities.  Pupils were given responsibility for choosing the term’s theme, and they had to think about a big question every week about what they would like to learn.  By operating in this way, staff soon realised that they needed to work together more closely within the units when planning, and the staff’s mindset changed to thinking about planning experiences rather than planning lessons.  Less importance was placed on what was recorded in teachers’ planning files, in order to spend more time planning jointly with staff and pupils to organise creative, exciting and interesting activities and experiences.  This means that lessons are free to follow different routes, in line with pupils’ curiosity.  Staff had to take a step back and have an open mind, be creative and try to take advantage of the expertise of members of the local community in order to facilitate learning and introduce a range of valuable experiences for pupils.  This methodology of planning in advance was found to go hand in hand with the school’s priorities, namely: develop the pupil’s voice, the principles of the foundation phase, work independently and digital competence.

Description of the nature of the strategy or activity

For around two years, the school has been experimenting with teachers’ planning and selecting different themes.  There is now a feeling in the school that the new system works, and staff are confident when being guided by pupils’ interests.  As a result, staff and pupils are more enthusiastic about class activities.

The first step on the journey was to change the way that themes are chosen.  Teachers were challenged not to teach a theme that they had studied previously.  This meant that they could not re‑use detailed schemes of work, tasks and ready-made worksheets, which caused concern to some at the beginning.  It was also noted that a theme should only last one half term, in order to ensure a lively pace and hold pupils’ interest.  Teachers have some flexibility to choose the theme for the last half term in the summer, in order to ensure that the range of curricular skills and areas have been given sufficient attention.

During the last week of every term, ‘class discussions’ are held to discuss which theme pupils would like to study the following term.  A long list of options is recorded and discussed, before a vote is held and the most popular theme is chosen.  Over the holidays, pupils are given homework to think about big questions and areas to study within the theme.  Parents are encouraged to help pupils, particularly the youngest pupils, to search for information and think about research areas.  Once they have returned from their holidays, everyone is ready for the new theme, has some knowledge about the area, is full of enthusiasm and has a desire to learn more.

At the beginning of the new study, pupils and staff discuss what pupils already know about the theme and what they would like to learn.  These areas, or big questions, form the basis for teachers, within their units, to discuss and plan engaging experiences and activities.  These meetings are held at the end of every week in order to think about activities and prepare resources.  Assistants are also a key part of the process, and are given specific responsibilities and organise activities.  There is a great emphasis on inviting members of the community to give presentations or going on visits in order to stimulate work further.  A number of visitors have discussed their experiences; for example, when studying the theme ‘Films’, the actor Rhys Ifans was invited to the school, in addition to a cameraman, a sound technician, a script writer, a dancer and actors to discuss their work.  Experiences such as these have been very valuable, and staff and pupils have benefitted from these experiences.

Less importance is placed on what is recorded in teachers’ planning files, in order to spend more time planning jointly.  This means that lessons are free to follow different routes, in line with pupils’ curiosity.  What is expected in teachers’ planning files is far less in terms of bulk and formality, and includes the following:  

  • a list of themes chosen by pupils;
  • the theme that was chosen, and the big questions;
  • a challenge timetable and staff responsibilities;
  • a brief description of activities and sheets to highlight the skills that have been introduced, in terms of literacy, numeracy and ICT;
  • examples of pupils’ work are also submitted – because seeing a pupil’s work says more than a teacher’s description of the task in question.

Tasks are planned for areas across the curriculum that relate to the theme.  Every week, the aim is to produce at least one piece of extended written work, one numeracy task and ICT tasks across the curriculum.

The school has adapted its learning methods by promoting activities that nurture independent learning.  As a result, less information and fewer facts are presented to pupils, and more of an emphasis is placed on developing pupils to be willing to make mistakes and then find the answers or solve problems themselves.  Sharing and celebrating pupils’ work is also at the forefront, and pupils are encouraged to be able to identify good work and areas for development, be that in their own work or the work of others.  More attention is also given to improving their own work, and teachers spend more time with pupils to find the answer to the question, ‘How can I improve my work?’.  The school is also experimenting with its marking systems, and is trying to mark on the spot or ensure that work is discussed with pupils and improvements are suggested in a timely manner.

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

All teachers have observed that pupils have much more enthusiasm towards their work and, as a result, standards have increased.  With pupils playing such a prominent part in their own learning, the enjoyment and determination to do their best is evident.  

The school recognises the challenge of changing staff’s mindset towards this method of learning, and there is still a great deal of work to be done.  They are convinced that by working together to plan in this way and connecting with the local community, they are able to provide a wide range of experiences for pupils in order to develop their skills to a high standard, and that they will grow to become well-rounded individuals who contribute greatly to the local community and Wales.

How have you shared your good practice?

The school works closely with local schools to share good practice and ideas.  Nearby schools have visited the school and the north Wales consortium, GwE, has invited foundation phase staff to share their experiences with teachers across the region.

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the school

Shirenewton Primary School is in the village of Shirenewton, four miles outside the border town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire.  It has 200 pupils aged from 4 to 11, in seven single-age classes.

The three-year average for pupils eligible for free school meals is about 1% which is well below the national average of 18%.  Around 15% of pupils are identified as having additional needs, which is lower than the national average of 21%.  No pupils speak Welsh at home.  A very few pupils speak English as an additional language.

The headteacher became the Executive Headteacher of Shirenewton Primary School and two other Chepstow schools for a three year period in 2015.  Since September 2018, the executive head became cluster co-ordinator for the Chepstow cluster of schools and returned to Shirenewton to share the headship with the Associate Headteacher.  The governing body appointed a permanent co-headteacher to share the headship of the school in 2017. 

The school was a pioneer school for expressive arts and now continues as a professional learning school in the EAS consortium.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The ‘Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework’ (Welsh Government, 2015) emphasises the importance of children learning through first-hand experiential activities with ‘play’ being at the heart of all learning.  It recognises that “through their play, children practise and consolidate their learning, play with ideas, experiment, take risks, solve problems, and make decisions individually, in small and in large groups”.

With this in mind the school developed their ‘Over To You Time’ (OTYT) practice to ensure that every day learners:

  • had the correct balance between adult-directed structured tasks and child-initiated learning experiences
  • could select their own learning experiences and capitalise on their own interests
  • could work at their own unique pace and develop their perseverance, concentration and attention to detail
  • were given opportunities to practise new skills in different play based situations
  • had free flow access between indoor and outdoor environments
  • had learning experiences that were fun, enjoyable and stimulating, and promoted natural curiosity and discovery
  • were encouraged to be creative, imaginative and independent in their learning
  • were given opportunities to challenge themselves to work at higher levels, through a starred challenge system
  • were supported and encouraged by adults; who moved their learning on through interactions involving open questioning, shared and sustained thinking

Description of nature of strategy or activity

Over the course of a school day, there is an appropriate balance between adult-directed teaching of key skills and child-initiated independent learning in the enhanced provision indoors and outdoors.  This ensures that all learners practise and consolidate their skills through play whilst developing a love of learning.  This is known as “Over To You Time” (OTYT), where the child is put at the heart of this planned curriculum.

The pupils decide at the start of the year which topics they would like to study, with each topic starting with a “Delve and Discover” day where the classrooms are transformed over night to reflect the new theme.  Staff dress up and the pupils are immersed into a day of exciting activities and experiences linked to the topic.  For example, in their ‘Medieval Mayhem’ topic a knight from the local castle held workshops in school and invited them to visit him in his castle the next day.  For their ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside’ topic they spent the day on a beach – rock pooling, scavenger hunting, and making sculptures and sandcastles.  Following the immersion into the new topic, the teachers plan the next step skills, rewording them in child-speak so that pupils can decide which activities they will complete to address these skills.  All of their ideas are displayed on a topic planning board.  The teachers incorporate these activities into their focused planning, the enhanced provision and home learning activities.

The enhanced provision learning zones cover all the Areas of Learning and Experience.  For example, the ‘Investigation Stations’ provide opportunities to explore science and humanities activities.  In each of the learning zones, there are starred challenges allowing the learners to challenge themselves to work independently whilst practising their literacy, numeracy, ICT, creativity and thinking skills.  During OTYT the children are given a starting point to ensure that they experience a balance of activities over the course of the week, but are then free to choose their own learning pathway.

The school does not have a set ‘playtime’ as during the course of OTYT the children decide for themselves when they want to go out to play, with continual free-flow between the indoors and the outdoor areas during this time.  There are no set ‘snack times’.  Instead there is a ‘cafe’, which is open during OTYT for the pupils to access whenever they are hungry.  This is a very social experience with background music playing and the different year groups mixing and socialising together.  Whilst in the ‘cafe’ the children make themselves a fruit salad and pour themselves a drink of milk.  There is an adult supervising them and a system in place to ensure that all children have visited the cafe before it closes.

During OTYT, staff play alongside the pupils, facilitating and extending their learning through timely interventions that enhance their intellectual development and social interactions.  The staff support pupils to become confident, competent and independent thinkers and learners and encourage positive attitudes.  The staff are also encouraged to observe the pupils at play, to build a holistic picture of the learner and indicate next steps for their learning.  All foundation phase staff meet together every week to discuss the learners’ progress and achievements and to plan the next step learning experiences for the following week.

Independent learning and the importance of pupil voice in the foundation phase are also promoted through a series of termly ‘enrichment and life experience’ sessions.  The pupils select which enrichment activities they want to be involved with for the half term.  The wide range of opportunities include ‘Master Chef’, ‘Mini Medics’, ‘Speaking Spanish’, ‘Groovy Gamers’, ‘Animal Husbandry’, ‘Knit-wits’ and ‘Nature Ramblers’.

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

The ‘Over To You Time’ is very effective in enabling all pupils to make important decisions about their learning and work skilfully as independent learners.  As a result, pupils’ personal and social skills are very strong across the foundation phase.  The practical, creative and team building challenges develop enthusiastic pupils with very positive attitudes towards their work.  They challenge themselves to become confident and ambitious learners.

By creating an environment for child-initiated learning and equipping all pupils with leadership and decision-making skills, pupils’ wellbeing has improved.

The starred challenges in each of the indoor and outdoor areas of enhanced provision creatively promote the development of numeracy and literacy skills in real life contexts, leading to higher standards and a love of learning.

How have you shared your good practice?

The school has shared its practice with other schools during foundation phase training sessions and ‘practice worth sharing’ open days.  Many schools have visited to observe the provision, teaching and learning strategies first-hand. 

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the school

Shirenewton Primary School is in the village of Shirenewton, four miles outside the border town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire.  It has 200 pupils aged from 4 to 11, in seven single-age classes.

The three-year average for pupils eligible for free school meals is about 1%, which is well below the national average of 18%.  Around 15% of pupils are identified as having additional needs, which is lower than the national average of 21%.  No pupils speak Welsh at home.  A very few pupils speak English as an additional language.

The headteacher became the Executive Headteacher of Shirenewton Primary School and two other Chepstow schools for a three-year period in 2015.  Since September 2018, the executive head became cluster co-ordinator for the Chepstow cluster of schools and returned to Shirenewton to share the headship with the Associate Headteacher.  The governing body appointed a permanent co-headteacher to share the headship of the school in 2017. 

The school was a pioneer school for expressive arts and now continues as a professional learning school in the EAS consortium.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The three schools within the Chepstow Primary Alliance worked closely together to create sustainable and effective distributive leadership in each school.  Leadership at all levels was supported through bespoke training, coaching and mentoring sessions.  Leaders engaged in joint monitoring across the three schools, with staff visiting each other’s schools and classrooms to share planning and practice.

The three schools share resources, such as setting up a shared library provision and joint training and more lately the use of cluster IT resources.  The executive headship came to a natural end as sustained leadership was established across the schools.  This led to sharing the learning from the alliance with the cluster of feeder schools and refocusing the work of the cluster by building on the experience of the alliance.

Description of nature of strategy or activity

The appointment of the cluster co-ordinator was key to drive cluster collaboration.  This meant appointing a leader dedicated to making sure that the plan was delivered effectively within timescales and ensuring positive outcomes.  

The role of the cluster co-ordinator is to:

  • drive the agreed cluster plan with its focus on teaching and learning, leadership, wellbeing, professional development, transition and moderation
  • co-ordinate and manage the cluster peer reviews and collate a self-evaluation and action plan for each review to feed into the cluster plan
  • attend regular meetings with a group of steering governors, with representation from each governing body, providing a report against the plan and responding to challenge in respect of the cluster working
  • attend cluster headteacher steering meetings to report on the progress of the plan and amend the plan as agreed
  • hold a yearly cluster staff training day allowing all staff to contribute to the cluster plan and its priorities

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

Appointment of the cluster co-ordinator

The school believes that “The existence of a dedicated role with ring-fenced time has had a real impact on our ability to work with pace as well as intention.   For example, the feedback from the peer reviews has spread into actions more quickly than may usually be the case.   We are able to implement cross-cluster strategies more effectively and with greater focus.   In terms of working as a cluster, the role of someone to drive the work of the plan has meant that we have been able to implement strategic priorities, such as middle leader training, much more rapidly.   The work of the co-ordinator has complemented the role of the chair very well and has added capacity to our group.  The cluster co-ordinator has added capacity in supporting improvement when needed and has expedited the actions discussed in the cluster head meetings, for example in ensuring greater consistency in practice around Year 6 and Year 9 moderation, and ensuring that the cluster looked after children (LAC) assistant was deployed effectively in each school, maximising outcomes for the targeted pupils especially around transition.  Steering governors representing every Chepstow governing body have a clear understanding of the role of the cluster co-ordinator and are able to inform their own governing bodies and hold the cluster co-ordinator to account for the progress of the plan”.

Cluster peer reviews

Initially the reviews were carried out by headteachers looking at strengths and areas for development of the schools and reflecting on the schools’ own self-evaluation.  This allowed headteachers to share their strengths and seek support for any areas for development.  It also strengthened the relationship between the cluster headteachers and the drive towards greater meaningful collaboration.  This soon developed into senior leaders leading reviews with middle leaders.  Recent reviews have included those for developing pupils’ skills in literacy, mathematics and science, and for the development of procedures to strengthen transition, additional learning needs and inclusion.  The impact of these reviews is:

  • effective professional development and sharing of practice across the cluster
  • evidence base evaluations that lead to priorities for the cluster action plan

Middle Leadership Development

A series of interactive workshops, led by the cluster co-ordinator, guide and support leadership development.  This training explores the role of middle leaders and supports their ability to create honest self-evaluations and smart development plans based on triangulated evidence from scrutiny.  Most primary, and a minority of secondary, middle leaders have completed the cluster middle leader training.  The sessions successfully upskilled middle leaders while providing opportunities to learn from each other.  Taking part in cross cluster scrutiny has allowed the leaders to share practice and identify whole cluster or individual school priorities.

Across Cluster AOLE groups

All primary staff across the cluster and a named middle leader from the secondary school are linked to an area of learning and experience (AOLE) group.  They meet four times a year, each led by a professional learning lead.  They share practice and innovations towards the new AOLEs.  These groups have developed strong relationships between staff across the cluster, leading to a useful network of professionals.  Each AOLE group presented to the cluster the work they had carried out towards embedding the four purposes and sharing pedagogy and practice as well as sharing their priorities for the coming year.  As a result of this network, the school has undertaken several successful cross cluster projects such as global learning, art and a more able and talented pupil expressive arts project.

Learning Progress From Year 6 into Year 7.

The Year 6 books became the starting point for learners in Year 7 with staff able to reflect on coverage, presentation and literacy and numeracy skills.  At the end of the first half term the cluster co-ordinator carried out joint book scrutinies and shared feedback to Year 6 and 7 staff.  The monitoring and professional conversations have had a positive impact on standards in English and mathematics, and the development of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum in Year 7.  This has been further strengthened by the AOLE links and the peer reviews that have fed in priorities and collaborative working.  For example, the literacy review led to agreement to use ‘sticky’ notes for pupils to ‘frame a question’ to their teachers about something specific in their writing.  This is followed by teachers giving pupils feedback in relation to the question. 

Joint Business Manager

As part of their cluster plan, a business manager based in the secondary school works across the primary schools for a day a week.  As part of a training day, all administrative staff met to set up regular cluster administration sessions to share practice, and learn and innovate together.  The cluster administration team have a strong network where they share practice and seek value for money.  The schools have made some financial savings through collaborative work and renewing contracts and seeking alternative suppliers.

Wellbeing

The cluster co-ordinator is the cluster professional learning lead and wellbeing lead.  This has increased capacity across the cluster.  The co-ordinator works closely with the schools, disseminating national and regional information as well as ensuring that all cluster schools have the same quality training, such as in adverse childhood experiences and other topics.

How have you shared your good practice?

  • The school has presented their peer review practice at various consortium events and schools from across the consortium.  The cluster co-ordinator shared the cluster review practice with the EAS region steering group when developing their peer review system.
  • The cluster co-ordinator has delivered the cluster middle leader training across the consortium.
  • The Chepstow cluster case study was shared across the EAS through their newsletter.

The cluster co-ordinator has shared the pupil peer observations across the consortium and contributed to consortium materials for school improvement and self-evaluation. 

Improvement Resource Type: Effective Practice

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Information about the school

Ysgol Gymuned Brynaerau is situated in a rural area, around half a mile from the village of Pontllyfni, on the main road between Caernarfon and Pwllheli.  Welsh is the main medium of the school’s life and work.  There are 64 pupils between 3 and 11 years old on roll, including 8 part-time nursery age pupils.  They are divided into 3 mixed-age classes.

Over the last three years, around 9% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals.  This is significantly lower than the national percentage (18%).  Around 70% of pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes.  Very few pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds.  The school has identified 22% of its pupils as having additional learning needs, which is similar to the national percentage of 21%.

The headteacher was appointed to the post in January 2016.  She is responsible for another nearby school and divides her time between the two schools.  The school was last inspected in July 2013.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

One of the school’s priorities this year is to ensure that:

– teachers and pupils work together in order to develop attractive experiences that stimulate learning.

While establishing this, the school:

  • addressed the ‘Schools as learning organisations’ programme – by focussing on realising the 7 dimensions.
  • responded to the requirements of the Welsh Government document, ‘Education in Wales: Our National Mission’
  • adopted good practice training on the Curriculum for Wales (Estyn), which has inspired leaders to want to begin to revise the school’s curriculum
  • conducted staff meetings to highlight their willingness and enthusiasm to begin to embed specific aspects of the new curriculum
  • conducted action research into the work of John Hattie and Cath Delve to highlight the advantages of developing stimulating experiences jointly.

Description of the nature of the strategy or activity

Ysgol Brynaerau’s main aim is to prepare stimulating and creative experiences in order to prepare learners for the 21st century and beyond.

Following Curriculum for Wales training and by being part of a case study on ‘Schools as learning organisations’, the senior management teams from three schools came together to discuss co‑operation and joint planning in order to prepare for the new curriculum.

Teachers from the three schools welcomed the opportunity to plan jointly and respond to the national aim of reducing workload, promote learning as a team and co-operation between all members of staff, and considered jointly how to empower their own teaching.  They took advantage of the opportunity to work together in order to share good practice and inspire teaching and learning.

In order to facilitate co-operation, one theme was chosen for all three schools – the first term’s theme was ‘Can one person change the world?’.  The first and most important step in the planning process was to give staff the freedom to investigate the topic with pupils, based on the six areas of learning in the new curriculum.  This means that pupils have a direct influence on the activities that they will complete, and make decisions and choices in order to ensure that they had a prominent say in their work.  They choose challenging learning pathways in order to complete extended tasks.

Following research, classroom organisation in key stage 2 was examined in order to nurture pupils’ independence in tasks and ensure development in their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills.  A decision was made to develop 4 adventure areas, namely ‘Literacy Adventure, Numeracy Adventure, Thinking Adventure and Creative Adventure’, in addition to the focus group.  Within the adventures, tasks are prepared in which pupils are expected to select a suitable challenge in line with growth mindset strategies and learning zones.

Live experiences that come from inviting visitors to the school and conducting visits are a core part of meeting the purposes of the new curriculum.  Learning experiences ignite pupils’ imagination and enable them to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding highly successfully in areas across the curriculum and in an integrated way.

In order to respond to the big question, ‘Can one person change the world?’, pupils led charitable work for the Wales Air Ambulance charity.  Following a visit from an officer from the Air Ambulance, pupils were inspired to plan a whole-school project, namely the ‘Three Peaks Challenge’.  This was an opportunity to develop their leadership skills by encouraging parents, members of the local community and beyond to contribute to our challenge.  Valuable opportunities were provided for pupils to shoulder responsibilities and become active citizens.  Pupils’ ICT skills were developed by planning and creating a multimedia advertisement and sharing it on social media sites.  They recorded and inputted the money that was raised into databases, analysed graphs and set targets.

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

A positive effect was seen on pupils’ commitment to learning, as their influence anchored planning and the learning environment.  Pupils’ enthusiasm towards their work is infectious, and they are highly motivated as they have strong ownership of their learning and are able to discuss their work intelligently.

By implementing the principles of formative assessment, for example through the learning zones in which pupils are allowed to choose their level of challenge during tasks, their performance is much higher than expected.  They are more willing to work independently and succeed in completing varied and extensive tasks of a high standard.  As a result, pupils are ambitious and creative enterprising contributors.

How have you shared your good practice?

Ysgol Brynaerau’s good practice has been shared with other schools in the catchment area and beyond, and the school shows its practice through social media.