Future boardroom presentations should pose no problem to the pupils of one Swansea Primary School that’s just been rated as excellent by inspectors.
A team from Estyn visited Cwmglas Primary School in Bonymaen in January and gave it a rating of excellent both for its current performance and its prospects.
The school’s vision is “It’s down to you and you can do something about it” – and the inspection team noted that the school were successfully promoting it.
Head Teacher Peter Osborne explained that the school encouraged children to think independently and to take responsibility for their own progress.
He said: “We encourage the children to do their own research and push their learning further and then do a presentation for their peers. We have seven year-olds using Powerpoint in innovative ways which many professionals could learn from.
“As a local boy, I grew up with a lot of the parents and grand parents at our school and they support us wholeheartedly in our goal to get the children to realise they can go far. Our area does have historic issues of social and material deprivation but our children’s results and this inspection show our pupils are learning they have a choice to overcome it.”
The well-being of pupils at the school was rated as good and the inspectors noted that children from the recently closed Cwm Primary School had settled well into life at Cwmglas Primary due to the efforts of staff.
The report said: “Nearly all pupils behave in an exemplary manner – both in the classroom and at break times.
“They concentrate well, enjoy lessons and work well together. They are also considerate and respectful of others.”
The report indicated that lessons could be learnt by other schools from Cwmglas because “sector leading” practice was identified in both the school’s leadership and in the teaching of basic skills such as literacy and mathematics.
To read the full inspection report log onto http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/provider/6702077/
