10/9/2024

The Court Special School in Llanishen has been praised by Estyn, the education inspectorate for Wales, for its nurturing and inclusive learning environment, commending staff for their dedication and commitment to student well-being.

Currently located in Llanishen, inspectors found the school to foster a safe and welcoming atmosphere where students feel valued and supported. Nearly all pupils come from the Cardiff area, many having faced challenges with previous placements that impacted their confidence and self-esteem. The school's staff work hard to rebuild that trust and confidence, which is seen as a major strength of the school.

The report notes that the school places a strong emphasis on emotional well-being and personal growth, creating individualised education programmes that meet the specific needs and interests of each pupil. As a result, nearly all students have shown remarkable improvement in their attitudes toward learning and have developed a love for attending school.

The school excels in promoting health and well-being, with most pupils demonstrating a growing understanding of healthy lifestyles and becoming more confident in their own abilities. Estyn inspectors praised the school's curriculum, which has been recently revised to reflect pupils' needs and interests, encompassing diverse topics like astronomy and sporting heroes.

In addition to the core curriculum, the school offers rich opportunities for pupils to learn about diversity and different cultures, supporting their moral and cultural development. The report noted that many pupils, in line with their abilities, have developed a strong understanding of other cultures and faiths as well as their place in Welsh society.

Physical development was highlighted as a particular strength at the school and while many students show notable progress in reading and numeracy, the report identified writing skills as an area in need of further development. Estyn has made the following recommendations which the school will address in its action plan:

• Refine self-evaluation processes: Leaders at all levels are encouraged to systematically collect and analyse data to better identify strategic priorities.
• Strengthen assessment processes: There is a need to enhance assessment systems to ensure that they effectively account for pupils' progress across all areas of learning.

Reflecting on the report, Headteacher Jamyn Beesley said: "I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of the Estyn inspection and would like to take this opportunity to thank our highly committed staff for their hard work, day in day out. The Court School is a challenging but wonderful place to work and I am so proud of the entire school community for their ongoing dedication and support.

"Our trauma informed approaches, that are completely embedded, transform the lives of the pupils with whom we have the pleasure of working and most of them make enormous progress during their time with us. I am so pleased that this has been recognised by inspectors and feel reassured that they recognised that we ‘place pupils at the heart of everything'. I would urge anyone who has an interest in our field to read our report and come and have a look around the school if they'd like to find out more."  

Chair of Governors at the school Garry Hunt added: "The Estyn report recognises the successful balance between creating a secure and welcoming environment for youngsters who have challenges and good robust academic individual progress at the Court School.

"This is achieved with empathetic and hard-working teaching staff and an excellent and motivated Leadership Team. Well done everyone. This is a good foundation for the future growth of the school."

Cardiff's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "Estyn's report recognises how The Court Special School has fostered a highly inclusive ethos that has helped build a strong sense of community. Under the leadership of the headteacher, senior leaders have worked collaboratively to establish a supportive environment that embodies the school's vision: "Keep calm and keep learning." This approach has been key in creating a space where pupils thrive and gain confidence in their abilities.

The Court School is set to undergo a significant transformation with an investment of £23m which will see the school increase in capacity by rebuilding and relocating it over two sites.

One is to be located on land to the south of Fairwater Primary Schoolon Wellwright Road,the other will besouth of Pen Y Bryn Primary SchoolatDunster Roadin Llanrumney.

Delivered under Cardiff Council and Welsh GovernmentsBand B Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, the new school will grow from 42 to 72 places, with 36 pupils on each site from the 2025-26 academic year, helping tomeet the city's demand for primary age specialist provision.Both sites will boast a range of comprehensive facilities including multi-use games areas, sports and soft play areas, sports pitches and horticultural areas.

Once completed, the new school will be known as ‘Ysgol Cynefin'which translates to ‘habitat school' and was chosen by the school and key stakeholders to encompass the relationship between people and the natural world, and how connecting people to surroundings can shape a sense of identity and wellbeing.

Cllr Merry added, "Congratulations to all at The Court School for this excellent report which marks the start of an exciting new chapter. The school is part of Cardiff'ssignificant plans to transform additional learning needs provision across the city and address the shortfall in places required.

"When complete, the school will benefit from a wealth of improvements in the standard of facilities ensuring pupils and staff can access high-quality learning provision suitable for their needs."

The Court Special School serves primary-aged children with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties. At the time of the report 41 primary-aged pupils (7 to 11 years) were on roll with 82.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals.