Addrodiad Hunan WerthusiadSelf-Evaluation Report

Ysgol Gyfun Penyrheol

Comprehensive School

1

Hydref / Autumn 2018

Penyrheol Comprehensive School is a mixed 11-16 comprehensive school serving an area of north west Swansea that includes Gorseinon, Penyrheol, Loughor, Kingsbridge and Garden Village.

In September 2018 the school roll was 884. This was the first time in many years that the school roll has risen (albeit slightly) because of demographic changes. The Pupil Admission Number per year group is 195 and the overall school capacity is calculated as 975 (although when the new building was opened in 2009 it was designed to hold a maximum of 950 pupils).

The school serves a mixed social community and the intake is fully comprehensive. The percentage of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is 15.4%, slightly below the national average. The percentage of pupils with additional learning needs is 23.8%, similar to the national average. Just 1.9% of pupils speak English as an additional language, which is below the national average. Very few pupils speak Welsh at home.

The school incorporates a small Specialist Teaching Facility for pupils with moderate to severe learning difficulties. The STF has a maximum intake of 10 pupils, generally two pupils per year group.

The senior leadership team consists of the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher (Pupils), Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum and Staffing), Assistant Headteacher (Staff Development) and the Business Manager. There is a wider leadership team which includes the Heads of English, Maths and Science, ICT Coordinator, ALNCO and three Heads of Year. The Site Manager will also attend meetings when required.

The Governing Body holds a business meeting in September and then meets termly. It has sub-committees for Community and Property, Curriculum, Personnel and Finance, which have delegated powers to take decisions and report back to the full committee.

The school has a large site which incorporates a community leisure centre. The buildings date from different times: the Annexe from 1973, the Leisure Centre from 1975 and the Main Block from 2009. A 3G pitch was opened in 2017.

2

Inspection area 1: StandardsEvaluation Evidence

1.1 Standards and progress overallKey Stage 4Our Capped9 score was an average of 372 points per pupil, which puts us in the middle of Q2. Although this was 5 points below our Q1 performance in 2017, it still represents a good result, which shows that we value every grade in every subject. Girls slightly outperformed boys on this measure by 10 points (2.7%). We were above the modelled expectation by 11.8 points, and above the family average of 360 points, the LA average of 366 points and the Welsh average of 350 points.

Our Level 2 Threshold including English and Maths improved by 3% from 2017 to 59.2%. This was still some way short of our target of 65% but was 3.6% above modelled expectation. Our result was also above the family average of 57.8%, but was 1% below the LA average. The outcome was in Q2. It was disappointing that we had estimated exactly 59.2% from the current attainment data we had in February 2018 and, in spite of a variety of interventions with target pupils, we hadn’t managed to increase this figure. Just 3 target pupils gained grade C or above in English Language and best of Maths, but 3 other pupils, whom we felt were certain of achieving Cs in both, fell short. The number of pupils gaining either English Language or best of Maths, but not both, fell from 36 in 2017 to 23 in 2018, a reduction of a third, which was very pleasing. However, the number still represents 13% of the cohort and reducing this figure much further has to remain a top priority. Boys outperformed girls by 9% in the L2T+, because of the attainment of girls in best of Maths.

It was also pleasing that the gap between performance in English language and best of Maths narrowed further in 2018. English Language A*-C was 67% (Q2) and best of Maths was 66% (Q2). The English result was the same as 2017, but the best of Maths improved by 1.5%. There was an improvement of 6% in Maths-Numeracy results, which were in Q1, and no pupil gained Maths who didn’t also gain Maths-Numeracy at A*-C. However, girls’ achievement in both Maths and Maths-Numeracy was significantly lower than boys’ and the gap was 15% for best of Maths. Improving girls’ attainment in Maths and Maths-Numeracy is another key priority. Both English Language and best of Maths outcomes were above modelled expectation, but below the family average. In both subjects, the attainment of girls is lower than it should be.

Our Level 2 Threshold outcome fell to 74%, but remains in Q1, and was well above the family, LA and Wales averages. Our strongest performance indicator for 2018 was our 5+A*/A outcome, which rose to 23.6%, Penyrheol’s highest ever, and was also in Q1. This result masks the fact that we had fewer A*s and more As in 2018 than 2017, which is one factor in the reduction in our Capped9 score. Our Level 1 Threshold result of 95% was just in Q4. It was below the family and LA averages, but above the Wales average. 8 pupils failed to achieve this indicator and each had significant attendance problems and other challenging personal circumstances.

The majority of option subjects continued to achieve strong outcomes. This was the first year that new GCSEs

Key Performance Targets for 2018

KS4 Performance Indicators with BMQs

KS4 Core Data Pack

ERW Data Pack

5-Year Results for Core and Option Subjects

KS4 Swansea Analyser

Comparison with Swansea

YELLIS vs Actuals

Venn Diagrams

Target Pupils for 2018

Programme of Revision Sessions and Attendance Registers for these

Link Meeting Minutes

3

Evaluation Evidencewere being examined in most subjects, so there was increased uncertainty about results. BTEC Sport achieved 44% against a target of 65%, but won’t be running again. Subjects that need to improve their outcomes are Business Studies (40%/target 58%), Food and Nutrition (50%/target 68%), Resistant Materials (which will in future be Product Design) (33%/target 62%) and Media Studies (67%/target 82%).

Key Stage 3The Core Subject Indicator was 83%, which met our target. The gender gap was -9%. English achieved 90% L5+, Maths 88% and Science 93%. The gender gaps in the individual core subjects were significantly lower than the CSI gap, showing that there is a group of boys who have achieved one or two of the core subjects at L5+, but not all three. This is a key target group for KS4. This cohort has a smaller number of FSM pupils (13%) than the school average and their average attainment is higher than typical cohorts, with 71% of them achieving the CSI. It is a school priority to ensure that these FSM pupils continue to achieve well. All subjects should be aiming to ensure that at least 50% of pupils reach L6 and 20% reach L7. The current review of our KS3 curriculum is an ideal opportunity to ensure that tasks and methodology enable our pupils to reach the higher Levels.

National TestsPerformance in the national tests was generally weaker in 2018 for the same cohorts. Our current Y10’s reading result declined by 6.5 points. Our current Y9’s performance declined in all three tests, but by only 1-2 points. There was a mismatch between the strong AWRT result in 2017 for our current Y8 (104.3) and their reading test (101.7), although this outcome was still higher than the Swansea average. The procedural and reasoning results for this cohort were below the Swansea average. There was a significant FSM/non-FSM gap for reading and procedural tests (-11 points), but this halved for the reasoning test. There was also a -6 point gender gap for the reading test.

All Wales Reading Tests (AWRT)In 2017 we had our highest average AWRT results since we started using the test (average standardised score was 104.3). However, this level of attainment has not been corroborated by other tests e.g. National Reading Test (average standardised score was 101.7). In 2018 we had our lowest average AWRT results since we started using the test (average standardised score was 96.1). This was the first time that we were carrying out the analysis ourselves, but using the official spreadsheet from the LA, so it is possible something has gone wrong. Again, the result hasn’t been corroborated e.g. the cohort’s standardised literacy score in MIDYIS was 100. We are beginning to question the validity and usefulness of the AWRT.

KS3 Core Data Pack

Analysis of KS3 Results 2018

AWRT Analysis 2015

National Tests Analysis 2018

National Tests Trends and Comparisons

AWRT Analysis 2018

1.2 Standards and progress of specific groups GenderWe were not anticipating any significant gender gap in outcomes at KS4 in 2018. In fact what happened was that boys outperformed girls on threshold measures and girls outperformed boys on the Capped9 and 5+A*/A indicators. 9% more boys than girls achieved the L2T+ and CSI. Girls scored an average 10 points (2.7%) higher than boys on the Capped9 and 12.8% more girls than boys achieved 5+A*/As. Overall, boys’

KS3 and KS4 Core Data Packs

ERW Data Pack

4

Evaluation Evidenceattainment was good in relation to boys in other similar schools, but girls’ attainment was lower. This was especially the case in best of Maths, where girls’ attainment at A*-C was 15% below that of boys. This is a school priority for improvement.

There was a -9% gender gap in CSI performance in Y9 in 2018. This cohort has significantly more boys than girls (100/84). Prior attainment suggests that boys’ attainment is more stretched, with significantly more boys scoring below 100 on the AWRT, and girls’ attainment is more bunched. A list of key target pupils has been drawn up for careful monitoring.

Free School Meals (FSM)31% of FSM pupils achieved the L2T+ at KS4 in 2018, an increase on 23% in 2017, but below the target of 37%. One pupil who was expected to achieve the L2T+ gained a C in English Language and best of Maths, but in only 2 other GCSEs. 90% of FSM pupils achieved the L1T and 41% the L2T. FFT value-added data for 2017 suggested that our FSM pupils in that cohort had underachieved and that an additional 29% of them should have gained the L2T+.

71% of FSM pupils achieved the KS3 CSI in 2018, with an FSM/non-FSM gap of -15%. This is a much stronger performance than usual and it is a key priority to ensure that these pupils go on to achieve the L2T+ at KS4. A list of key target pupils has been drawn up for careful monitoring.

Looked After Children (LAC)There are very few LAC learners at Penyrheol and their progress will depend very much on their individual circumstances, attendance and motivation. In 2018 our 2 LAC learners achieved the L1T.

Additional Learning Needs (ALN)FFT value-added data in 2017 suggested that our School Action and School Action+ pupils had not performed as well as expected based on their prior attainment. In particular 24% more SA pupils should have achieved the L2T+ than did. We had identified through our monitoring in January/February 2018 that we hadn’t seen enough support for ALN pupils in observed lessons. Our acting ALNCO will be reviewing the guidance provided for staff on teaching/support for ALN pupils during 2018/19.

In 2018 we had 6 Statemented pupils (3 in the STF) in Y11, all of whom achieved the L1T and 2 achieved the L2T. We had 13 pupils on School Action+, of whom 77% achieved the L1T, 62% the L2T and 38% the L2T+. We had 15 pupils on School Action, of whom all achieved the L1T, 47% the L2T and 33% the L2T+. This was a stronger set of results for pupils with ALN than 2017.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Analysis of Pupil Groups’ Outcomes for 2018

5

Evaluation EvidenceThere are relatively few pupils at Penyrheol with EAL and almost all are in categories D/E. In general, our EAL pupils make good progress in their studies and achieve well. Even when pupils arrive at Penyrheol with limited English, they often make very good progress and achieve strong outcomes. This was very true of our 2 EAL pupils in Y11 in 2017/18, both of whom achieved at least 5A*/As and the L2T+.

More Able and Talented (MAT)23.6% of our pupils achieved at least 5A*/A grades at KS4 in 2018. This was a new record for the school and placed us on Q1 for benchmarked schools. This suggests that our policy of expecting all teachers to have high expectations of all pupils rather than having separate provision for MAT pupils is working effectively. All of the 14 pupils in 2018 defined as MAT by gaining at least 120 on the AWRT achieved the L2T+ and 71% gained at least 5A*/As.

1.3 Standards and progress in skillsLiteracy and Numeracy Framework (LNF)The LNF has been fully embedded across the curriculum. However, there is further work to be done to ensure that all teachers understand their responsibility to be teaching, developing and consolidating literacy and numeracy skills which are applicable to their subjects whenever the opportunity arises. Subjects have developed ‘rich tasks’ to support the application of skills within their teaching. We utilise a literacy tracking tool that combines subject-specific and literacy assessments across the curriculum. Pupils have 3 individual literacy targets in their planners, based on information from the BKSB programme. However, more use needs to be made of these targets in lessons. Our development of the Penyrheol curriculum at KS3 will be a further opportunity to ensure that literacy and numeracy skills are at the heart of what we are teaching.

Digital Competence Framework (DCF)The curriculum has been audited for the development of digital competency skills. We have an action plan to take developments forward in terms of plugging gaps where these exist. Many subjects report that the DCF is very technical and develops skills which are not particularly relevant to subject teaching. The majority of DCF skills will continue to be taught through ICT lessons, but we need to develop more opportunities for pupils to apply these skills in other subjects.

Welsh Baccalaureate QualificationAfter an outstanding performance in WBQ in 2017, outcomes in 2018 fell at Penyrheol while they improved dramatically in the LA and Wales. This means that our result of 75% of the Y11 cohort achieving the Skills Challenge Certificate (compared with 80% in Swansea and 73% across Wales) puts us in Q3 for benchmarked schools. 55% of our pupils achieved the National WBQ compared with 56% in Swansea and 51% in Wales, again a Q3 performance. 95% of the cohort was entered for the WBQ and 79% achieved the SCC at L2, just above the target of 78%. A number of pupils missed the L2 because of failing to reach this standard in their Individual Project. Only 10% of the cohort achieved A*/A and increasing this percentage is a key priority for the department.

Minutes of Literacy and Numeracy SIG meetings

School Improvement Plan 2018/19

SIMS tracking sheets

DCF Action Plan

WBQ Results Analysis 2018

WBQ Department Improvement Plan

6

Evaluation EvidenceWelshThe Welsh Department has improved outcomes consistently over the last five years. In 2018 92% of the Y11 cohort gained a qualification in Welsh. 10 pupils took the GCSE Full Course and all achieved A*-B. 125 pupils (72% of the cohort) gained a qualification in GCSE Short Course with 69% gaining an A*-C, which met the subject target. In total, 55.2% of the cohort gained a L2 qualification in Welsh. 25 pupils took the Welsh Learning Pathways course successfully. 14 pupils gained no qualification in Welsh.

KS4 Swansea Analyser

Further comments:

Inspection area 2: Wellbeing and attitudes to learningEvaluation Evidence

2.1 WellbeingThe pupil survey for the Estyn inspection of 2018 states that nearly all feel safe, included and valued. They believe that the school deals effectively with the few incidents of bullying and that most are proud of their school and are courteous towards their teachers, peers and visitors.Attendance for 2017/18 was 94.2% (up from 94% in 2015/16). This was 0.3 % above the modelled expectation based on FSM. We were the joint fourth highest in our family and are in BMQ2. There was a negligible gender gap (0.1%) however, disappointingly the number of persistent absentees which had stood at 3.2% in 2017, rose to 4.6% in 2018. Unauthorised absence fell from 1.6% in 2015/16 to 1.3% in 2016/17 to 1.1% 2017/18 which compares favourably with Swansea and Wales. Attendance features on the agendas of all pastoral team meetings and the profile remains high in school. We have suffered with the long-term absence of our EWO and the loss of our first Attendance Officer who moved on to a different job, however we appointed a new Attendance Officer in October 2017 who quickly became established in her new role and is currently looking at the way we manage our attendance incentives for maximum impact. Last year, our current Year 10 team won the Swansea Incentivising Award of £1000 for the best performing year group in Swansea and this money has been used to further provide incentives for the pupils in school. Subject attendance figures are now routinely part of our school interim and annual reports and these have proved to be a valuable source of information that we can share with our parents.

Penyrheol pastoral support is seen as a strength of the school. Each year group is overseen by a HoY and a non-teaching Pastoral Support Officer (PSO). Sharing good practice with another Swansea school has meant that great strides have been made with our communication systems via One Note. These have been developed further and are proving exceptionally useful when dealing with pupils, record keeping and liaising with parents.

We were able to appoint a Well Being Manager for the 2016/17 academic year and we set up a Well Being

Estyn Inspection Report 2013Responses to questionnaires by learners and parents

Attendance Core Data Pack

HoYs Agendas and MinutesYear Team Agendas and Minutes

One Note set-up

Cynnydd FilesList of External Providers to support Well Being including

7

Evaluation EvidenceRoom in school. This is used for nurture groups, mentoring and interventions from outside providers e.g. NSPCC provided valuable support for pupils in a newly established programme 'Protest and Respect'. Feedback from parents and pupils (14) has been positive. Unfortunately, our budget was unable to support this position since then, however the Well Being room is now used by our Cynnydd Learning Coach who runs nurture groups with identified pupils and supports our more disaffected pupils in KS4. Our permanent Learning Coach is currently on maternity leave and her replacement has also taken adoption leave and we are feeling this loss keenly. We look forward to normal service resuming in the Spring Term and to the develop of the BTEC SWEET course and the Princes Trust for individual pupils.

In September 2017, 16 vulnerable pupils in Years 8 & 9 were selected to take part in the Lead Creative School project. The aim of this project was to increase confidence and raise self-esteem in the group via creativity. The pupils chose to develop an outside area of the school for pupil use at break and lunchtime. The project was successful and this new area is well utilised. We have now started phase two of the project which is to raise self confidence in maths for a chosen class, especially the girls, in Year 8. Further support for vulnerable pupils takes place at breaks and lunchtime in our STF and Learning Support Department. Here, the 'Get Along Gang' eat and play together, whilst a quieter environment in the STF, where all pupils are welcomed, provides much needed support for those pupils who cannot cope with unstructured and often noisy breaks. A nurture programme ('Talk About') for pupils to develop the social use of language is also run in the mornings by our TA team and is very popular with pupils.

The school provides a rich array of extra-curricular activities to develop Well Being and stretch our More Able and Talented pupils e.g. the Bar Mock Trials for Key Stage 4 pupils which was resurrected in 2018 and the Magistrates Mock Trials for KS3. Activities include numerous sporting activities, annual dramatic productions, orchestra, choir, Duke of Edinburgh's Award and overseas visits. All pupils are offered an Activity Day event at the end of term and this includes a whole range of activities at various costs and venues. Our PSE days ensure that all local and national priorities are met. Our recent Estyn report states that ‘a comprehensive personal and social education programme is valued by pupils and contributes well to their development’. In October 2017, all pupils took part in the School Health Research Network survey and the results from this determined further strategic planning e.g. the promotion of healthy eating and drinking in conjunction with Student Voice. Healthy living was the focus for the Well Being School Improvement Group in 2017/18 however the new focus of the group will be to achieve Leaf 5 of the Healthy Schools Award in the current academic year.

In the summer term of 2017, the school invested heavily in a 10 week Mindfulness Course for interested staff and this was very well received. The group continues to communicate regularly and meets on occasions. Four members of staff were trained in Emotional Attachment Awareness and this training has been cascaded to the Well Being SIG. These techniques have been employed in lessons however unfortunately the two members of staff who received the enhanced training have now left the school. A staff workload survey from summer term 2017 was encouraging as staff felt that they had, on the whole, enough time to fulfil their roles successfully and were not being overloaded with new initiatives. In October 2018, the school took part in a

numbers accessing the Exchange.

Lead Creative School Evidence

School NewslettersActivity BookletPSE Scheme of WorkSports Fixtures / SuccessesDisabled Sports opportunitiesSTF Evidence

CPD RecordsStaff workload survey

8

Evaluation Evidencecluster Well Being day focussing on mental health issues, LGBTQ and mindfulness. Moving forward with this knowledge needs to be a priority for our school development plan in 2018/19.2.2 Attitudes to learning In May 2016, following a period of lengthy consultation, a new positive Behaviour Policy (including sanctions and rewards) was launched in school and this has had a very significant impact on improving school behaviour in the immediate term. Results from Questionnaires in November 2017 were as follows:76% of pupils (and 94% of staff) think that the Policy has had a positive impact on pupil behaviour.75% of pupils (and 97% of staff) think that the Policy has had an impact on teaching and learning.We set aside a significant budget for our rewards systems and all departments and pastoral teams award Achievement points regularly and nominate pupils who are working particularly well. Postcards are sent home and names are published in our school newsletters. The policy has undergone various refinements over the last few years and, in the main, it serves our school community well. However, there is a small group of pupils in Years 8-11 for whom the sanctions are not always effective. These pupils are picking up an increasing amount of behaviour points and even though they have received numerous detentions and possibly inclusions and exclusions, their behaviour is not improving. The reality is that making contact with parents of these pupils is often difficult and support agencies are not always available or the families are unwilling to engage. Good behaviour in the classroom and within the school environment is always about consistency and building positive relationships alongside an acknowledgement that behaviour is the responsibility of all staff. There is an element of training here needed for some of our teaching and support staff and this needs to be a priority. The Policy was initially instrumental in improving our Exclusion rates from 115 days lost in 2015/16 to 19 days lost in 2016/17. In the Autumn Term 2018, 23 pupils have been excluded for a total of 47.5 days. This is clearly disappointing. We have suffered a backlash from negative press in the community regarding our uniform policy and some pupils have used this and been openly defiant in school. We are also managing large class sizes, especially in Year 8, and increased substance misuse in the local community which has had a negative impact in school. In Penyrheol, we believe that long periods of fixed term exclusions are of little benefit to the pupil or the school and they are often regarded as a holiday for pupils and so we favour shorter term exclusions, bringing the pupils back into school to work with them pastorally. There was 1 permanent exclusion in 2016 and another in 2018. Across Swansea we have been seeing an increase in the use of Managed Moves which we see as a positive step forward. Visitors and Supply Teachers to our school are often full of praise for our pupils and state that behaviour in lessons is very good. In our recent ESTYN report, Inspectors commented ‘Most pupils behave well in lessons’ and ‘They listen attentively to the teacher and other pupils. Many display a positive attitude to their work and have a stong commitment to their learning’. Where there are instances of poor behaviour, sanctions are clear and restorative practice systems are followed. In 2016, Staff and Student Voice worked together to create a list of the 10 Attitudes of Successful Learners. This is now an integral part of our student planner. Our reporting systems have also recently changed to bring together information from our behaviour system and the

Behaviour presentationsQuestionnaire DataBehaviour and Achievement Data

School Newsletters

Exclusion Data

Whole School Monitoring Reports Lesson observationsSchool ReportsWhole school training records for Restorative PracticeStudent Planner information

Transition Council MinutesTaster Day InformationRRS booklet for Year 6 pupils

Homework club and LRC tregisters

9

Evaluation Evidenceacademic progress. Attitude to learning is now explicitly reported on and strategies for improvement are included. A recent and effective change has been the use of colour in our reporting systems which easily identifies for the pupil and the parent whether their child is achieving or is a cause for concern. A coloured overview page will also form part of our end of year reports in the summer. Transition procedures are robust and there is careful integration of Year 5 and 6 pupils via taster days whilst the Gower College taster day, assembly presentations and class talks are effective before the pupils leave us in Year 11. These are received very well by our pupils. Excellent use of the LRC is made by the pupils to support their independent learning. About 30 pupils make use of this facility every day after school and numbers are equally high in the early mornings and even more so at break and lunchtimes. Further comments:

Inspection area 3: Teaching and learning experiencesEvaluation Evidence

3.1 Quality of teachingThe quality of teaching and learning experiences has had a positive impact on outcomes for pupils at the end of KS4. Nearly all subject teachers have strong subject knowledge and offer clear explanations. They form productive working relationships with their pupils and manage their behaviour well. A change in our approach to monitoring the quality of teaching by moving to developmental lesson observations, undertaken by the WLT, has been successful. We have also introduced peer triad observations which included the opportunity to agree a focus for individual teachers. 100% of staff reported that they were able to teach a normal lesson for their observations. 97% of staff reported that this change had helped them reflect on their teaching and improve aspects of their work. The next step is ensuring that the focus of peer and WLT lesson observations and performance management better align to school and departmental teaching priorities. Whole school monitoring provides evidence of school strengths and areas for development. Nearly all Penyrheol staff have strong subject knowledge and offer clear explanations and instructions. 6 areas were identified as being inconsistent across the school in 2018. These included differentiation, challenging MAT pupils and questioning. These were also picked up as areas of inconsistency by Estyn. There is no doubt that great teaching happens on a day to day basis at Penyrheol, however there are inconsistencies which need further improvement across the school. Student voice was extremely positive with regards teaching and learning. In general, pupils feel they have a “good deal” and that they are helped with their learning.

Core data pack. Departmental performance v FFT20 target 2018. Estyn Inspection 2018. Teaching staff Feedback and summary document. Whole school feedback. Whole school monitoring reports. Staff discussion documents. Estyn inspection 2018

10

Evaluation Evidence The 10 features of effective lessons is a step towards codifying what makes successful teaching.It provides a focus for discussions around improving teaching. The document needs updating to include more strategies that staff can use in each of the 10 areas. Each Departmental Improvement Plan (DIP) includes an action on developing an aspect of teaching that the Department has identified as an area that needs further development. The selection of improvement features in a minority of DIPS needs to be more focused and needs to better reflect a thorough evaluation of teaching and standards within the department. High expectations are one of our five key values at Penyrheol. We use a combination of FFT and YELLIS to set aspirational individual pupil targets. These can be negotiated and are checked by links to ensure they still reflect high expectations. HODs use the DoaP programme to monitor how the revised aggregate pupils targets compares to the FFT20 departmental target. Long and medium term planning is done at the departmental level. Centralised schemes of work ensure that there is a consistent approach across departments. Schemes of Work include elements of Literacy and Numeracy that are taught, consolidated and developed by each department. It remains a question as to how effectively this manifest itself from the document to the classroom consistently across the school. The new Key Stage 3 curriculum that we are currently developing gives an excellent opportunity to ensure that teaching of literacy and numeracy, where appropriate, is done consistently and effectively across the school. Feedback is still too inconsistent across the school. Strong practice exists in many classrooms, but there remain inconsistencies in practice which were highlighted in the review of departmental policies that has been undertaken. Improving this aspect of our provision remains a key development for this academic year. WLT book scrutiny is now undertaken as a discussion with pupils and their books. Patterns will emerge but it will be over time because the sample size each year is small. The most important book scrutiny event in terms of evaluating the standards within a department will be undertaken by the HoD. However, this isn’t carried out consistently across the school. A number of departments continue to trial whole class feedback. Departments that use it effectively report that it reduces workload at the same time as improving pupil interaction with feedback. Each DIP includes an action on feedback that has been identified as an area that needs further development. In a minority of DIPs, the actions to improve assessment lack focus and are not based on a thorough evaluation of standards of work and assessment practices within the department. Assessment at KS3 within the new curriculum needs to be linked with a clear concept of progression within the medium and long term department plans. The assessment SIG is currently working on guidance to ensure that

Student Voice feedback. 10 features of effective lessons. DIPs. FFT/YELLIS data. Schemes of work. Departmental planning documentation. School Feedback and Closing the gap policy. Department Policies. Review of Policies. Work Scrutiny report. Assessment SIG minutes. Estyn inspection 2018. DoaP programme. Departmental DIPs.

11

Evaluation Evidenceassessment in the new curriculum, links with the intended method of reporting at KS3. Performance data is collected three times a year. This is used by pastoral teams to highlight underachievement. HODs analyse this data at each collection and monitor overall L5+ at KS3 and C+ at KS4. The gender gap and the difference between the performance of eFSM and non eFSM is analysed. Performance at A*- A is analysed. Departments can then be proactive with interventions during the year. Moderation at KS3 is robust with INSET time being given to each department annually. Whilst KS3 levels are no longer any value as a comparator between schools, we are confident that our levels are robust and can be used to compare the progress of pupils and cohorts. We are striving for our teaching to be more evidence informed. The document "How do Penyrheol Pupils Learn?" summarises recent research and its classroom application. We believe that quality of teaching is at the heart of a successful school and this is reflected in our decision to utilise an INSET session in 2018 to focus on effective, research backed teaching and learning strategies. HoDs shared their department’s progress with respect to implementing spacing, interleaving and retrieval practice. There are inconsistencies across departments in the way that this whole school initiative has been embedded.

Assessment SIG agenda and action points. DIPS. Departmental minutes. Research reads for staff on HWB.How do Penyrheol Pupils Learn document.INSET agenda (8th January 2018). HoDs minutes. Dolen best practice document.

3.2 The breadth, balance and appropriateness of the curriculumAt Penyrheol we offer 20 options at KS4. This is fewer than in previous years but with a tightening budget we have had to evaluate the quality of these courses in terms of value for money. The 20 options include a strong suite of vocational courses. The options available fully satisfy the requirements of the 14-19 Learning Pathways. We continue to investigate whether we can offer courses such as Construction within house. We run a two-stage open options process and this ensures that pupil choice drives the curriculum and that no learners are pigeon-holed and forced down certain routes. Every pupil, with parental and staff guidance, has an individual learning pathway. A small group of pupils benefit from a more bespoke curriculum which can include Construction or Hair and Beauty in Gower College. A number of these pupils are able to pursue the SWEET qualification with our Learning Coach. These are funded via Cynnydd. We work closely with learning providers such as Positive Directions to personalise the curriculum for disengaged pupils or others that cannot attend school. Cynnydd funding issues will almost certainly mean a paring back of this provision. Having undergone 2 curriculum reviews in 3 years we are satisfied that our curriculum at both key stages finds the balance between local and national priorities and offering our students a broad and balanced curriculum

Blue Options Form. Curriculum Plans. Cynnydd and Eotas register.

12

Evaluation Evidencewhich we feel is their entitlement. All Y10 pupils undertake at least one week’s worth of work experience placement towards the end of the summer term. We are continuing with this in spite of less assistance from Careers Wales because we believe in the value it has for our pupils. There is an ALN withdrawal group in Years 7-9 and they receive extra Maths and English support and have fewer lessons of Welsh and French. The vast majority of these pupils go on to get GCSEs in Maths and English with a minority achieving a L2 pass. This is evidence that the extra input on basic Literacy and Numeracy skills is having an impact for these learners. We have moved away from labelling pupils as MAT as we feel it can have a negative impact on these pupils as well as their peers. We believe this decision has benefited our learners. However, departments have potential MAT pupils highlighted or nominated. This isn’t shared with the pupils but the expectation is that the department looks to stretch these learners. Our performance at A*-A at KS4 is evidence that we are challenging our highest attainers. In 2018 our highest attainers, as highlighted by KS2 data, had a positive progress score for 5 A*/A grades according to FFT data. That was the fifth successive positive score for pupil progress for our highest attainers. All departments have a % target for A*-A based on FFT20 data. 23.6% of our pupils got at least 5A*/A in 2018, a record for Penyrheol. This demonstrate that we are challenging our highest attainers, particularly at KS4. However, there are some inconsistencies in stretching the higher attainers at KS3. We currently have 9 pupils in the STF. The pupils spend around 50% of their time in the STF and 50% of their time in mainstream lessons. All STF pupils from the last 2 years have achieved the L1. In 2018, 1 pupil achieved 2 level 2 qualifications and 8 level 1 qualifications. Pupils with ALN continue to be effectively supported. Strategies to support ALN pupils with their learning are shared centrally and, alongside our 10 strategies for inclusion, ensure our classrooms are fully inclusive. Lesson observations suggest that including all learners is a strength of the school. However, fully supporting our lower attainers is still not consistent enough across the school. We have a team of TAs working in the STF and across mainstream with our pupils with ALN. The TA team regularly undergo training in areas such as effectively assisting the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Departments have the autonomy to set wherever timetabling allows. As a school we are aware of the research of the EEF which is broadly critical of setting by “ability models”. When subjects set they have to justify why they are doing so and departments must maintain opportunities of movement between sets. Pupils are taught in mixed attainment forms for the majority of their classes as KS3. At KS4, Maths and Science set, though there are some mixed attainment groupings within some of the Science classes. All other subjects are mixed attainment. We believe this has a positive impact on KS4 outcomes.

Curriculum Plans. Work experience documentation. ALN register. KS4 Data. FFT Higher attainers data.%5A*-A County Analysis.Estyn Inspection 2018. Lesson Observation feedback 2018. STF Pupil and staff timetables. ALN Register. TA Timetables.Lesson observation feedback 2018.

13

Evaluation Evidence As well as tracking pupils’ progress through the key stages, medium and long term planning look to ensure that the knowledge, skills and understanding build systematically through the school. We continue to develop the KS3 curriculum in a way that we feel will suit our learners. This will be based on subjects and delivered by subject experts. Nearly all lessons at Key Stage 3 are delivered by subject specialists. Pupils experience a wide range of experiences in school as an entitlement. Art, Music and Technology have 3 hours a fortnight at KS3 and pupils have 2 hours a fortnight of Drama in Years 7 and 8. We provide many learning opportunities for pupils outside the classroom. Extracurricular opportunities are a strength of the school with many pupils participating in sports and cultural activities such as music concerts and the annual school show. Over 100 pupils took part in “Hairspray” this year. There are many annual visits, including trips abroad. Support for FSM families can be utilised to maximise the number of pupils that can experience these trips and visits.

Curriculum Plans. Schemes of work.Curriculum Plans. Curriculum Plans.5x60 registers. Extracurricular timetables.Trip letters

3.3 Provision for skillsSkills are embedded across the curriculum with departments signposting them in schemes of work. Schemes of work include the codes for literacy and numeracy elements that are taught, developed or consolidated in each subject area. It remains a question as to how effectively this manifests itself from the document to the classroom consistently across the school. This consistency issue will be a key priority this academic year. Comprehensive tracking of Literacy skills across the curriculum informs teachers well about individual pupils’ needs. Pupils are also given literacy targets. As of yet, we don’t fully utilise these targets to improve our provision. Work sampling in 2015 focused on how effectively we had implemented the Literacy and Numeracy Framework across the school. In general there was good evidence that literacy and numeracy skills were being taught/ developed/consolidated across the curriculum. Occasionally the level of challenge fell below that being demanded by the LNF. Occasionally the work of a similar standard was seen in Years 7 and 9 suggesting there was limited planning for progression. This has been a focus since for the Literacy and Numeracy SIG groups. Lesson observations in 2015-16 focused on Literacy and Numeracy. The importance of pupils’ skills is continually emphasised and evidence of departments' strengths and areas for development are highlighted in monitoring and observations as well as in schemes of work. Feedback was given to staff on the observation of developing skills with 2 exemplars shared and discussed in the staff meeting. There are considerable strengths across the school. However, more work is required in some areas.

Work Sampling Reports

Lesson Observation Reports.

Curriculum PlansDCF Action Plan.DCF INSET feedback.

14

Evaluation EvidenceWe have 2 ICT lessons a fortnight for all pupils at KS3. This is because we believe ICT skills are fundamental to learning and achievement across most areas of the curriculum. We are on track with our implementation of the DCF. The ICT Department has already successfully piloted a cross curricular DCF project with the Geography Department and a data analysis project is undertaken by the PE and ICT departments. DCF INSET day was generally very well received and staff had the opportunities to design tasks, often in cross-curricular themes to develop pupils’ DCF skills. Computational thinking was observed by the Estyn team though it wasn’t clear whether the teacher or pupils knew this. This suggests that there are more curriculum areas which already deliver the DCF and this just needs to be formalised and mapped. Welsh have 4 hours a fortnight of curriculum time in Years 7 and 9. This is the third year that the department have had enhanced curriculum time. Key Stage 3 results have increased in each of the last four years. The majority of Key Stage 4 pupils are undertaking full course Welsh. A small group of learners are undertaking Pathways Welsh Qualification. With the enhanced curriculum time at Key Stage 3 and the move to full course Welsh at Key Stage 4, we have made clear our commitment to the Welsh language and the development of the language for our learners. Results at Key Stage 4 continue to hit targets and we await the first whole cohort full course results with interest.

KS3 Data. Curriculum plans. Estyn Inspection Report. Curriculum plans.KS3 DataKS4 Data

Further comments:

Inspection area 4: Care, support and guidanceEvaluation Evidence

4.1 Tracking, monitoring and the provision of learning supportProgress data is collected 3 times a year. Pastoral teams use the broadsheets generated to create mentoring lists. Mentoring of these pupils continues until they improve their performance in a number of subject areas. Broadsheets are generated for a number of pupil groups including EAL, eFSM, LAC and School Action. These broadsheets are analysed by the pastoral team.

HODs analyse progress data 3 times a year. The in-year analysis is a key feature of the DIPs. Analysis of eFSM pupils is undertaken and departments liaise with the year team and parents where necessary. At Key Stage 4, the number of A*-A grades is analysed. Each department has a target and specific strategies to achieve that target in their Department Improvement Plan. The actions to achieve these targets are of variable quality across different departments.

Through tracking of data, interventions can be put in place including extra Literacy and/or Numeracy support, after school support and parental involvement. Budget issues are making this provision difficult to sustain.

Our Cynnydd funded learning coach monitors the progress of pupils engaging with Cynnydd and pupils

Pastoral mentoring listsBroadsheets

DoaP programme. Departmental DIPs.

BSKB tests.Literacy targets.Literacy and Numeracy registers.

Cynnydd register.

15

Evaluation Evidenceinvolved in alternative curriculum education. The Cynnydd project, and other alternative provisions, support pupils in danger of exclusion and disengagement well.

Each year group has a Head of Year who remains with the pupils throughout their five years at Penyrheol. Each Head of Year is supported by a Pastoral Support Officer providing time during and outside the school day to deal with any pupil or parent issues that may arise. PSOs carry out ‘soft’ mentoring for pupils with social/emotional issues. In nearly all cases, this has a positive impact on pupils. This may be through improved wellbeing or through improved attendance. Pupils, when appropriate, can also be referred for counselling. The counselling service is very well received by pupils and very often parents. 72 pupils made use of the counselling service in 2017-18.

The pastoral teams are utilising the Vulnerability Assessment Profile provided by the LA to identify pupils most at risk of becoming NEET. These pupils are supported in various ways and become prospective candidates for Cynnydd (alternative curriculum pathways).

The school works closely with the Behaviour Support Teacher to draw up and implement reactive plans for pupils with behavioural difficulties and strategies are shared with all staff via the weekly bulletin when appropriate.

Twice a year there is an ALN review week where staff comment on the progress of our pupils with ALN. This, along with progress data at each reporting stage informs the ALN department about the general progress of the pupils across the curriculum. The effectiveness of this process needs further evaluation, particularly with the forthcoming move to pupil IDPs.

“Support and guidance for pupils with additional learning needs is strong and has contributed well to the standards they achieve.” Whole school monitoring has detected some inconsistencies with how these pupils are supported in mainstream lessons. Improving this area of our provision is a key priority this academic year.

The SLT, the Y11 pastoral team and interested staff mentor targeted pupils in Y11. The target pupils for 2018-19 are those that are in danger of achieving either of Maths or English at L2 but not both. In 2018, 16% of the mentoring list achieved the L2+. 39% of mentored pupils achieved Maths and/or Numeracy or English Language. This low return partly reflects an ambitious list for pupils in a position to achieve, with support, the L2T+.

We have an Attendance Officer, funded through the Pupil Deprivation Grant because of the gap in attendance between FSM and non-FSM pupils. Attendance rose to 94.3% (Q2) in 2016-17 and was 94.2% in 2017-18 (Q2). Attendance figures are split weekly to look at FSM/non-FSM. In 2017-18 the FSM v non-FSM gap was 4%. This is the lowest it has been for 5 years. Subject attendance is included in end of year reports. These have proved very valuable to parents as they can see the effect of absence within a particular subject.

Estyn Inspection Report

PSO mentoring lists and review minutes.

VAP List.

Behaviour Support Plans.

ALN Reviews

Estyn Report.Whole school monitoring report 2018

Mentoring list.Academic Mentoring lists.

Attendance Officer job description.Weekly attendance bulletins.End of year reports

16

Evaluation EvidencePupils in Years 7 – 10 receive two interim and one end of year report annually. Pupils in Y11 receive an interim report in November and their final school report in January following their mock exams in December. All reports include information about pupils’ attitude to learning, behaviour and homework completion as well as their attainment, attendance and the number of Achievement and Behaviour points they have accrued. Reports include a target attainment Level/Grade for pupils and strategies they should use to achieve this. The changes to interim reports have been received very favourably by parents.

We believe strongly in the importance of home-school partnerships to enable pupils to achieve their personal best. We communicate regularly with parents and provide Parental Guides to give advice about how parents can support their children’s learning which can be accessed online. An online booking system for Parents’ Evenings is established and allows for targeted intervention with hard to reach families to ensure they make appointments. An Information Evening for Year 10 takes place in the first half term of the academic year. Informative videos are on our website for parents as part of the process of improving home-school liaison. We operate an ‘open door’ policy for parents and will always try to ensure there is someone for them to speak to if they come in to school with a concern.

As well at the annual Parental Guides, Year 9 pupils and parents are also provided with an Option booklet. Alongside an Options Evening and an Options Fayre, they help pupils and parents make the right choice for Key Stage 4 option subjects.

Twilight sessions for parents are calendared for ICT support. ICT staff have run these sessions and the attendance figures and feedback has been positive. These have evolved into family learning events where parents of pupils in Years 7 and 8 are invited in after school. In September 2017 there was a family learning session on school network usage and access to HWB and Office 365. In 2017-18 attendance to the family learning events dropped. The parents that did attend found the sessions beneficial. It remains a challenge to encourage FSM families to attend.

Pupils record their Achievement and Behaviour point totals in their planners on a weekly basis. Attendance is also recorded weekly. This ensures parents can be kept informed about the behaviour, work ethic and attendance of their children. It is possible that communication to home of these totals could be achieved via a mail merge. The issue is who would run and send this program.

Reports. Reports working party documentation.

Online Parental Guides.

School Calendar.

Online Options Booklet.School Calendar.

Family Learning registers.

Pupil Planners

4.2 Personal developmentIn January 2017, we were very proud to hear that we had been awarded the UNICEF Rights Respecting Level 2 Award. We were the second comprehensive school in Swansea to achieve this award. Assessors stated that 'the strengths of the school include a commitment to restorative practice, partnership working with other local schools and opportunities for students to play an active part in the life of the school’.

Student Voice plays a powerful role in the school which is to be expected in a school where the UNCRC is valued so highly. We have developed an application process for pupils who want to represent their form class

UNICEF RRS Level 2 Report

School Newsletters

RRS Folders

17

Evaluation Evidenceor their year group and this has given these roles a higher status in recent years. A member of our STF will also be part of Student Voice in order to promote inclusivity and responsibility. Pupils contribute to and/or lead on issues which range from school uniform and charity work to teaching and learning and RRS. In the Autumn Term 2018, a notice board was created in the LRC to display the current main action points for Student Voice and progress towards these. Pupils also contribute regularly in more local and national issues e.g. local town council meetings, the Big Conversation and national surveys which develop the pupils as global and active citizens. A transition council is also part of the calendared meetings. However, this body is less successful as our feeder primaries, disappointingly, do not always attend. Each form in KS3 has two nominated Waste Warriors who manage paper and plastic collections in their form classes and offices. We have gained the Eco schools silver award. Termly PSE days are well planned and one outcome is that over 90% of Year 10 pupils were trained and accredited as emergency life savers using the Heart Start programme. The PSE days have a good variety of sessions which are led by both external and in-house staff. To develop our provision even further, the PSE Co-ordinator is currently looking at introducing extra PSE style sessions which could be delivered during registration times in between the more formal fixed, termly days. Charity work is important to our school. In October 2018 we collected food stuff for the local foodbank and every November we have a whole school charity week. In 2018, we raised £700 for Children in Need and £1026 for charity. Student Voice have yet to decide which are the main charities they wish to support. Throughout the year, we collect old school uniform for 'Educate the Kids' in Kenya and we have been instrumental in developing this initiative throughout Swansea. A swap shop has also been set up for pupils and parents within school to help with the provision of school uniform items. We are conscious at all times that we need to develop opportunities for young people and prepare them for life. We have maintained a week's Work Experience for our Year 10 pupils and all KS4 pupils will receive not only an interview with Gower College but also a mock interview with employers and/or members of our community. Responsibilities are given appropriately for personal development needs e.g. form representatives, Student Voice members, Anti-Bullying and Be Kind Ambassadors, as well as school prefects and senior prefect roles. The development of the Be Kind Ambassadors and the work they carry out in school is a priority for the forthcoming year. Academically, we will always have high expectations of pupils and we monitor pupil progress carefully. Additional support is targeted carefully and we run mentoring programmes for identified pupils. Pastorally, soft mentoring is a feature of every year team. In Penyrheol, we know our pupils well.

Student Voice minutes

PSE programme

Work Experience dataMock Interview timetables

Commando Joe dataSchool Newsletters

School Newsletters5 x 60 programmeData base of extra-curricular activities

18

Evaluation EvidenceThere is a huge range of extra–curricular activities on offer for our young people and we encourage them to take part in everything that they can. Disappointingly, our allocation for 5 x 60 activities has been cut to just two days a week even though in recent years the attendance at our lunchtime and after school sessions has surpassed all targets. External providers support the school effectively in developing the talents of our pupils e.g. in 2017, our Year 10 Young Business Dragons team won the final of the competition and this year’s team came second in the competition, receiving a highly commended trophy for their hard work. Seven school staff run the popular Duke of Edinburgh Award and currently there are 28 pupils undertaking their Bronze award. 17 pupils completed the award last year. The team are also looking into introducing the Silver Award for 2019. One of our clubs recently took part in a Cardiff fashion show and displayed clothing they had made from recycled materials and they have also displayed their work in the Waterfront Museum, Swansea.4.3 SafeguardingThe safeguarding audit carried out by the LA in 2016 concluded that Penyrheol has 'sound safeguarding procedures in place'. Since then, further investment has taken place with secure fencing around the school site, key pads and fobs for the Leisure Centre and main gates and additional cameras within and outside school (total of 64). Safeguarding was not an issue in our recent ESTYN inspection and it was acknowledged that work to further safeguard access via the Leisure Centre is ongoing and on a rolling programme when the budget allows. All staff are trained in CP procedures on a 3-yearly cycle and the CPO has enhanced Level 2 training. DBS checks are carried out meticulously for all staff, governors and volunteers. All pupils and staff have to sign an ICT Acceptable Use Policy and our Network Manager is trained in safety on-line. We use filtering software on all computers and pupils and staff are informed about internet safety via school assemblies and during PSE days. Local and national safeguarding procedures are followed: all staff have had training on PREVENT with follow-up training taking place during the academic year 17/18 and, in July 2017, the school underwent a Lockdown practice for the first time. Instances of bullying are taken very seriously and are treated immediately. We have a Bullying Register in school and we hold Restorative Practice meetings as and when necessary. ESTYN reported that ‘Nearly all feel safe, included and valued’ and that ‘the school responds and manages any incidents of bullying well’. Pupils have immediate access to important and explicit information and contact numbers within their planners and posters are displayed around the school and on the back of the doors in the school toilets. PSE days are vital in providing up to date information for pupils and there is a well-established programme in place. ‘A comprehensive PSE programme is valued by pupils and contributes well to their development’. A member of pastoral staff will always attend CP conferences or CSE conferences and information is updated on our efficient One Note system. There is careful and regular liaison with external agencies e.g. CAMHS, Educational Psychologist, Evolve, Social Services and communication is effective. All staff attended a cluster

School PoliciesStaff training recordsCounty Safeguarding ReportSafeguarding Policy

Prevent training record

Bullying RegisterStudent Planners

PSE Scheme of Work

Pastoral FilesOne Note information

ALN RegisterPSPs, BSPs, PEPs

19

Evaluation EvidenceWell Being Day in October 2018 which included training on LGTBQ issues. Moving forward from this training needs to be a school priority in our SIP. There are currently (November 2018) 34 pupils involved with either Social Services or EVOLVE, 3 pupils are on the CP register and we have 9 LAC pupils. Pressures on staff to complete paperwork, attend meetings and liaise with external agencies are increasing all the time. The recent changes in Social Services format for meetings mean that staff are often out for 4 hours per meeting and of course this often has an impact back in school. Further comments:

Inspection area 5: Leadership and managementEvaluation Evidence

5.1 Quality and effectiveness of leaders and managersThe school has a helpful Values, Vision and Aims document that sets out these key aspects of our ethos and practice. Staff and pupils are reminded annually of our 5 Core Values: High Expectations, Preparation for Life, Social Responsibility, Good Behaviour and Self-Esteem. However, our Values, Vision and Aims document is not known sufficiently to impact regularly on our practice. Our school motto (‘To Achieve You Need to Believe’ or ‘I Lwyddo Rhaid Credu’) is known and used much more widely across the school.

Our recent Estyn inspection report published in December 2018 states: ‘Leaders have a clear vision for the school based on raising the ambitions of all pupils and preparing them for their future lives.’ Each of the 5 inspection areas was judged by Estyn to be Good.

We have a long-standing structure of senior and middle leadership, which is traditional in nature, and roles and responsibilities are well understood by staff. Regular communication takes place through a daily and weekly bulletin and a cycle of weekly meetings. Meetings should have a clear agenda and purpose and should be used to share good practice and ensure consistency of practice across the school. This happens some, but not all, of the time. There is a collaborative approach to meeting the requirements of national, local and school priorities e.g. through School Improvement Groups.

Regular Link meetings between senior and middle leaders take place with a focus on pupil progress and standards and on all other aspects of departmental and pastoral practice and provision. However, there is inconsistency in the robustness of these discussions and Estyn judged them to be too operational and not strategic or challenging enough.

Subjects and individual staff whose outcomes and performance are below expectation have been supported

Values, Vision and Aims

Leadership Structure and Communication

SLT Agendas and Minutes

Estyn Inspection Report 2013

WLT Agendas and Minutes

WLT Conference Programmes and Reports

Head of Department Agendas and Minutes

Pastoral Team Agendas and Minutes

School Improvement Group Agendas and Minutes

20

Evaluation Evidenceand challenged in a variety of ways (e.g. action plans, coaching, visits to see good practice etc.). These strategies have been successful in some instances, but not all.

Most senior and middle leaders are proactive in identifying and preventing or dealing with challenges which arise. One example is our current Behaviour Policy, which was implemented in September 2016, and has subsequently been further refined, following a full review of our practice as a result of increasingly challenging pupil behaviour.

We have implemented national priorities, such as the Literacy and Numeracy Framework, in a way that is relevant to each curriculum area and are doing the same with the Digital Competence Framework. However, further work is required to ensure that all teachers are taking the opportunities in their subjects to teach develop and consolidate pupils’ literacy, numeracy and digital competence. We have experienced mixed success in reducing the gap in attainment between FSM and non-FSM pupils and must improve this aspect of our practice.

We are a school that is good at learning from other schools and sharing our best practice inside and outside the school. The Headteacher established and coordinates the Swansea Subject Networks for subjects which don’t have advisory support. The impact of the networks is variable and depends heavily on the quality of their leadership. The Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum and Staffing) is chair of the Senior Leaders’ Network. The Head of Drama is the Leader of Learning in Drama for ERW. We have recently supported other schools in relation to Rights Respecting Schools developments and leadership as a Professional Learning School.

We have an experienced Governing Body, which provides good support and challenge for the school, and is ably supported by an excellent Clerk to the GB. A governor link programme has enabled some governors to deepen their knowledge and understanding of individual departments and other aspects of our provision and practice. Governors fulfil their statutory obligations well.

Link Meeting Agendas and Minutes

Aspiring Pastoral Leaders Programme

Subject Network Agendas and Minutes

Professional Learning School information

Lead Creative School information

Governing Body Agendas, Minutes and Reports

5.2 Self-evaluation processes and improvement planning Self-evaluation is a robust and detailed process that is well embedded at Penyrheol at different levels of leadership. KS3 outcomes are analysed and discussed in Link meetings during the second half of the Summer Term. Heads of Department produce a report on their KS4 results by the end of September and results are analysed at Link meetings between senior and middle leaders. Key information is shared fully with governors. The annual school self-evaluation report is written in the Autumn Term reflecting on the previous year's work and the exam outcomes. It is finalised at the Wider Leadership Team (WLT) conference in November. Information that feeds into this report includes analysis of all aspects of the school's provision and practice, including lesson observations, work scrutiny, pupil feedback and assessment outcomes at KS3 and KS4. We are effective at identifying our strengths and weaknesses and our School Improvement Plan (SIP) is clearly linked to addressing weaknesses and moving the school forward with national, local and school priorities. In 2017/18 we moved our SER to the new Estyn framework and took the opportunity to significantly reduce its length in order to make it a more focused and useful document.

School Self-Evaluation Report

Minutes of Link Meetings

KS4 Exam Reports

WLT Conference Programmes and Reports

Lesson Observation Reports

Work Scrutiny Reports

21

Evaluation Evidence

Since 2015 we have produced a simple School on a Page summary of our key outcomes and priorities. This is far more likely to be read and taken notice of by our stakeholders than a lengthy SER document. All departments and year groups have moved to shorter, integrated self-evaluation and improvement plans. The purpose behind this initiative was partly to reduce workload and partly to make the documents more relevant and useable (rather than just produced for a moment in time and not looked at again). Link meetings are used to monitor self-evaluation and improvement planning progress at key points of the year. The quality of the Department and Pastoral Improvement Plans is much more consistent than it used to be, but further improvement is needed to ensure that self-evaluation and planning impacts on outcomes across the school. Estyn noted in their 2018 report that a minority of leaders don’t focus closely enough on the impact of teaching on pupil progress when monitoring lessons and standards of work.

Our School Improvement Plan aims to focus on our 10 main priorities rather than address every issue that we are working to improve. In 2016/17 we moved to a new template for improvement planning which requires us to review progress against our aims and actions on a termly basis. This has proved helpful in ensuring that we continue to focus on key areas for development and consider fresh strategies if we are not seeing the improvement that we are seeking. Where there are specific concerns with subject outcomes or the performance of individual staff, these are dealt with through negotiated action plans that provide appropriate challenge and support. As well as many strong whole school outcomes, we have seen success in improving less good outcomes and performance, although we have also found it very hard to make key improvements in spite of a great deal of thought, time and effort e.g. reducing the number of pupils who gain either English or Maths at GCSE but not both and reducing the attainment gap between FSM and non-FSM pupils. Significant improvements in Welsh standards, provision and practice have occurred since this was a recommendation in our 2013 Estyn inspection.

Departments and year groups have integrated Improvement Plans which combine self-evaluation and development planning in order to ensure a close link between these processes. In the past we have insisted on department and year group plans closely reflecting the School Improvement Plan. While this might suggest joined-up planning, the reality was that the plans were not sufficiently focused on the real priorities for each department and year group. What we now emphasise is a mix of whole-school and department-focused priorities with concise actions and measurable success criteria. Department and year group Improvement Plans are now clearer and more focused. They are monitored and reviewed through our regular Link meetings.

Penyrheol on a Page

Department Improvement Plans

Pastoral Improvement Plans

School Improvement Plan

Action Plans for Departments in Need of Support

Action Plans for Staff in Need of Support

Post-Inspection Action Plan

5.3 Professional learningWe use school INSET to focus on national, local and school priorities, using a mix of internal and external input. Staff evaluations suggest that most teaching, associate and support staff appreciate this training, but it is difficult to measure its impact effectively. Recent training has included Behaviour Management and

Files held by Senior MentorFiles held by Health and Safety Officer

22

Evaluation EvidencePREVENT (January 2017), DCF (October 2017), Teaching and Learning (January 2018) and Mental Health and Well-Being (October 2018).

External courses/conferences are attended by relevant staff where these are deemed to support school priorities and sometimes individual professional development. In 2017/18 133 courses were attended. In recent years, the main focus of external courses has been on the changes to GCSEs and BTECs. Information and ideas are disseminated via meetings.

The Wider Leadership Team provide structured feedback during the Staff Meeting in the Spring Term about strengths and areas for development in pedagogy based on whole school lesson observations. The aim is to promote developmental discussion about teaching and learning. Individual teachers also receive detailed personal feedback following lesson observations.

Performance management is well-embedded and is usually an effective process undertaken by team leaders. The model used for teachers is an academic one based on the departmental structure, although staff with other responsibilities will have one annual objective focused on this aspect of their role. Teachers have three annual objectives: one is focused on pupil progress (typically the relevant smart target for Y11); two are focused on teaching and learning, except for staff with leadership and management responsibilities, who will have one objective focused on those. Sometimes one of the objectives will be directed centrally e.g. in 2018/19 there is a requirement for teaching staff to read some current, relevant educational research and put aspects of this into practice as part of performance management. Associate and support staff have a separate performance management programme, which is less developed and consistent as the one for teaching staff. Training needs are identified at the same time for all staff and are collated by the Assistant Headteacher (Staff Development) to inform future planning.

Staff demonstrating excellent practice are asked to run training for all staff and these sessions are often evaluated as being particularly useful and effective. Staff are sometimes asked to share good practice with colleagues in other schools e.g. in recent years in relation to SIMS, Hwb and RRS.

There is extensive joint working with our partner primary schools through a series of calendared meetings and collaborative planning days. The cluster currently has an ERW-funded Leader of Learning (0.8) who is a seconded primary teacher with a focus on identifying and sharing best practice across the cluster and coordinating projects. However, our partner primary schools are very autonomous organisations and collaboration remains relatively underdeveloped. We need a commitment to developing joint practice in curriculum and methodology, especially from Y5-->Y8, to see increased benefit from our Transition Plan. There have been a number of effective cluster projects e.g. in the last two years, our partner primary schools have run enterprise competitions with the final being hosted at Penyrheol Comprehensive School and judged by Y10 Business Studies pupils.

When teaching staff are eligible to cross the threshold, they can access support from the Assistant

Feedback from whole school monitoring

Performance Management Policy and documentation

Minutes of HODs/HOYS and Department meetings

Transition PlanMinutes of Management Group, Collaborative Planning Groups and Assessment Coordinators meetingsNQT documentation

ITT documentationProfessional Studies timetable

23

Evaluation EvidenceHeadteacher (Staff Development). Good support is provided to NQTs by the Subject Mentors and Senior Mentor. There is currently one NQT. The school works as an ITT centre for students from UWTSD and offers an experience which is positive for most student teachers. An effective programme of Professional Studies is run annually. We currently have 3 PGCE students and this will rise to 4 in February 2019.

Professional Learning School documentation

5.4 Use of resourcesOur management of staff and resources has been very good, but is becoming increasingly challenging with the continuation of austerity and the reductions in our pupil numbers. In 2017/18 we have 3 year groups with 30+ pupils in each form group. The situation is particularly acute in Y8 with an average class size of 32.7 pupils, which is contributing to behavioural challenges.

Almost all lessons are taught by specialists with degree-level qualifications or higher in their subjects, allowing us to offer a broad and balanced curriculum at KS3 and KS4. Outcomes in the L2T have been in Q1 in each of the last two years as a result. Capped9 scores have also been above modelled expectation in each of the last two years.

The school has never been in an overall budget deficit due to the effective financial management by governors and the Business Manager, who, along with the Office Manager, has operational control and monitors spending effectively to ensure best value is achieved. An experienced Finance Committee meet termly to monitor and challenge expenditure against the budget they approve each April. The last school audit was in February 2018 with the overall assurance of ‘High’ being awarded for confidence in the school’s financial management.

The Pupil Development Grant is used effectively primarily to fund pastoral support for each year group and attendance support for the school. This ensures that the well-being of our pupils remains a high priority as we aim to reduce the gap in attainment between FSM and non-FSM pupils. Reducing this gap has met with mixed success.

The Education Improvement Grant funds staff training and elements of literacy and numeracy catch-up, although these opportunities are limited by reductions in funding that have led to cuts in staffing.

The Business Manager is a member of the SLT so that the financial implications of the decisions taken can be highlighted and discussed e.g. the costs of examinations. A financial update is also usually presented at the Wider Leadership Team conference, which takes place in November each year, so that middle leaders are aware of the financial position the school is in and the effects of this.

The budget set for 2018/19 required use of reserves for the school to remain solvent. Originally it was expected that reserves could fall as low as £18,000 by March 2019. However, reduced spending, particularly as a result of maternity leaves, has meant that the current position is healthier than this, which is something the Finance Committee tasked us with.

Budget Statements 2016/17, 2017/182014 Auditor's Report

Finance Minutes 2016/17,2017/18

PDG Spend Plans

Chart of Accounts 2016/17,2017/18

Capitation Allocations 2016/17, 2017/18

Benchmarking 2016/17

24

Evaluation Evidence

From September 2017 we have taken over the management of the cleaning staff, which has proved successful and efficient. From September 2018 we are running our own additional music by coming out of the Swansea Music Service and appointing 6 tutors. Pupils have been paying towards these music lessons since September 2017. The aim is to make our additional music more cost-effective and enable us to enhance our provision as a result. We have purchased our own instruments as part of this process. Staffing our additional music provision adequately is sometimes challenging.

The joint use SLA has been used effectively to support our excellent sports facilities for school and community use and we are investing £180,000 in the refurbishment of the outside changing rooms in 2018/19. The Council is contributing a further £15,000 to the project,

The working environment for pupils and staff remains of a high standard in the main school building opened in 2009. An annual programme of work aims to ensure that the condition of the Annexe environment minimises any negative impact on teaching and learning. Additional works to make the school more DDA compliant are taking place in 2018/19. The joint use leisure centre was taken over by Freedom Leisure in October 2018 and there is a significant investment plan, which will help to improve safeguarding arrangements during the school day.

Further comments:

25