7/25/2023

St. Cuthbert's Roman Catholic Primary School located in Cardiff Bay, provides an inclusive, caring and welcoming environment for pupils, says Estyn.

During a recent visit, inspectors from the Education Inspectorate for Wales found that all members of staff work closely together to celebrate the rich diversity of languages and cultures within the school community, and as a result, all pupils feel valued, have high levels of well-being and develop their confidence well, in a nurturing atmosphere.

The report draws attention to the highly effective practices for the integration of newly arrived pupils with no English into the school, which has had a positive impact on their well-being and says that pupils are provided with a high level of care, support and guidance.

Estyn noted that provision for promoting pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong and the emphasis on positive values, tolerance and respect towards others is a notable feature across the school. The school makes very good use of the pupils' diverse cultural heritage to ensure that they have a good understanding of the need to respect one another.

Inspectors concluded that the quality of teaching is good and as a result, many pupils develop knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate for their age and ability. However, provision is varied and teachers do not always provide sufficiently challenging learning activities

that build on pupils' skills systematically over time.

Overall a positive report, Estyn have made a series of recommendations which the school will address in their improvement action plan.

• Ensure that self-evaluation and improvement planning focus suitably on

strengthening pupil outcomes

• Ensure that teachers use pupil progress information effectively to plan for

sustained improvement for all pupils

• Increase the effectiveness of the governing body in supporting the school and

holding it to account

Reflecting on the report, Headteacher Bernadette Brooks said: "As a school community, we are very happy with the findings from the recent ESTYN inspection. 

"We are very proud the inspectors recognised the high levels of care, support and guidance we provide for all pupils and could see that we are a warm, inclusive and caring school where everyone is welcome. 

"We will continue to work together to ensure St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary provides a solid and secure education where  pupils are united in faith and are able to love each other and  learn together."

Cardiff Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "St Cuthbert's Primary School has been shown to be a highly inclusive school with a welcoming and warm feeling,

Estyn have drawn focus to the way in which staff promote a positive ethos and the strong relationships between staff and pupils is a positive feature of the school. I particularly enjoyed hearing how the team of dedicated staff respond sensitively to pupils' social and emotional needs.

"A positive report, staff pupils and the wider community should feel proud. The school will now be supported to address the recommendations from Estyn."

At the time of the inspection, the school had 139 pupils on roll, 44% of whom were eligible for free school meals. 66.1% of pupils speak English as an additional language and 6% of pupils identify as having Additional Learning Needs.

Estyn has adopted a new approach to inspection in schools and Pupil Referral Units across Wales. Inspection reports will no longer include summative gradings (e.g. ‘Excellent', ‘Good' or ‘Adequate') and now focus on how well providers are helping a child to learn.

The new approach aligns with the personalisation of the new curriculum for Wales with inspections involving more in-person discussions, placing less emphasis on achievement data.

Estyn believe that the new inspection approach will make it easier for providers to gain meaningful insights that help them to improve without the spotlight on a judgement.