‘Inconsistent’ Welsh school put in special measures

A WELSH-MEDIUM school has been put in special measures by inspectors who said “the standard of teaching is too inconsistent”.

Only a minority of pupils at Ysgol Pen-y-Garth, in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, speak Welsh with their peers in lessons and informal situations, and sometimes incorrect work is marked as correct, according to an Estyn report.

Inspectors said pupils are not given enough opportunities to celebrate their Welshness at the school, for example through expressive arts. And while “there have been recent improvements to the school’s leadership”, resources have not been managed well enough.

After visiting Ysgol Pen-yGarth in November, Estyn inspectors found “at times, work that is incorrect is marked as being correct and given positive comments” and “there also continue to be shortcomings in the way in which leaders respond to complaints”.

On teaching and learning, the report said teachers’ feedback does not explain clearly enough what pupils need to do to improve their work and “on the whole, learning experiences do not provide an appropriate level of challenge for pupils”.

Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ achievement are not always high enough. As a result, a minority of pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

The report goes on to say: “There are few opportunities for pupils to celebrate Welsh culture and traditions, for example through the expressive arts. Teachers also do not influence pupils consistently enough to speak Welsh when working independently and during their leisure time.

“The quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school. In the best practice, teachers provide interesting tasks that engage pupils’ interest. However, too often, teachers’ presentations are too long, they over-direct learning and are not lively enough.”

On the plus side, only “a few pupils” disrupt the flow of lessons, “nearly all pupils behave very well” and “a majority make suitable progress in developing and applying new skills”.

But while they develop to become confident Welshspeakers, “only a minority persevere with speaking Welsh in informal situations and with their peers in lessons”.

Around 46% of Pen-y-Garth’s 331 pupils speak Welsh at home and around 5% are eligible for free school meals, well below the 21% average for Wales.

Placing Ysgol Pen-y-Garth in special measures, Estyn said it will monitor the school’s progress, usually every four to six months.