Delight at strong Estyn report for greenhill

YSGOL GREENHILL and Pembrokeshire County Council have welcomed a strong and very positive Estyn report for the school.

Estyn, the education and training inspectorate for Wales, has released its findings following a full inspection of the school, based in Tenby, carried out in January 2024.

The report noted:

• Under the Headteacher’s support ive leadership, Ysgol Greenhill staff work together effectively to secure a happy and respectful learning community. Together, they have developed a culture of openness and collaboration and share an ambitious goal of becoming a self-improving school.

• Leaders have secured improvements in many important areas of the school’s work, such as pupils’ learning and attitudes and providing care and support for pupils’ well-being.

• There is a suitably coordinated approach to improving pupils’ literacy, numeracy and digital skills, including support for pupils who have weak basic skills. • • •

Leaders regularly seek pupils’ views on the quality and suitability of its provision and make changes accordingly. These include amendments to pupils’ learning experiences and provision for developing pupils’ personal and social education.

Teachers plan their lessons to ensure pupils progress well in their learning and subject knowledge and develop relevant literacy and numeracy skills. Teaching assistants collaborate well with teachers to ensure that pupils who require support receive beneficial assistance as they work.

The school’s comprehensive provisions, including individual, tailored resource centres for learning, behavioural and emotional support, a nurturing centre for pupils with low attendance, and a local authority learning centre for pupils with autistic spectrum conditions, demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting students’ well-being. The additional learning needs team works relentlessly to ensure that pupils who access these provisions are purposefully supported to enable them to make progress in their learning and social skills.

• Pupils have overwhelmingly positive attitudes towards school and their learning. They feel safe and appreciate the friendly and supportive nature of the staff. They settle swiftly in lessons and actively engage in activities. Pupils value the ‘Ready to Learn’ system, which rewards positive behaviour and provides relevant support for pupils who display negative behaviour.

• The sixth-form pupils, who serve as strong school ambassadors, are a testament to the school’s success in nurturing responsible and mature individuals. They conduct themselves well, are good role models for the younger pupils, and benefit from valuable opportunities to lead and influence aspects of the school’s work. Senior prefects run the school’s numerous pupil groups, house captains and deputy captains organise and manage house activities, and trained peer mentors support younger pupils’ learning and social skills. Overall, sixth-form pupils develop into mature, knowledgeable young people who speak highly of the valuable experiences they have had during their time at school. Headteacher David Haynes said: “I am delighted and immensely proud of this report. The school has made consistent progress over recent years, and I look forward to Ysgol Greenhill being placed amongst the best schools in Wales.

“I must pay tribute to the outstanding staff and governors who have worked relentlessly to ensure that every pupil is valued and that their well-being and progress in their learning has been paramount.

“Ysgol Greenhill is a school that our pupils, families and wider community can be justifiably proud of.”

Councillor Guy Woodham, Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language, said: “The school has made good progress in the past two years, reflected in the inspection report.

“The strong and dedicated leadership of the Headteacher has contributed significantly to the inspection outcome. Alongside this, the contribution of the governing body and the support from the local authority has also helped the school to achieve well. I am confident the school will continue to improve and thrive.”

Chair of the Governing Body, Mrs Heulwen Lear, added: “I am thrilled that the report recognises that ‘building a supportive and positive working relationship with their pupils is a strong feature of teaching at Ysgol Greenhill’. Many pupils make secure progress in their learning and subject knowledge and understanding.

“Ysgol Greenhill’s values of kindness, respect, empathy and the celebration of diversity are reflected well in its strong commitment to pupils’ personal and social development. Staff care deeply about the well-being of their pupils and are sensitive to their individual circumstances.”

The full report available online.