A PONTYPOOL school where pupils feel ‘safe and happy’ and last month was crowned Secondary School of the Year has received a glowing inspection report.
A team from Welsh inspection agency Estyn visited St Albans RC High School in May, and has just published a report on the findings.
Last month the high school was crowned Secondary School of the Year at the South Wales Schools and Education Awards in association with New Directions at a glittering ceremony at Chepstow Racecourse on June 28.
On winning the award headteacher Stephen Lord said the school benefits “from the close working relationships with all families and is supported by a committed and professional governing body.”
Estyn praised Mr Lord for having a "clear vision for the school based on securing the best possible learning experiences for pupils in a caring environment. He is supported effectively by the rest of the senior leadership team".
Inspectors noted that staff at St Alban’s R.C. High School "are committed to providing pupils with the best possible education based on its values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience underpinned by the Catholic faith".
The school was also said to have an "extremely caring and inclusive environment for its pupils" along with "a strong working relationship between pupils and teachers, which is based on mutual respect".
"Teachers’ enthusiasm for their subjects engages pupils in their learning and staff encourage pupils to set high aspirations for themselves.," the report adds.
Estyn noted that the school’s curriculum is balanced and "provides an excellent range of enrichment activities". However, the school "does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to develop their Welsh language skills across the curriculum other than in Welsh lessons".
A spokesperson for St Alans RC High School said: “We are extremely proud and delighted for all members of our school community and governing body with the outcome of our recent Estyn inspection report.
“We are excited to share the extremely positive feedback that we have received. Our commitment to all pupils and families is ongoing as we continue to work closely with the Archdiocese, Welsh Government and local authority to improve the quality of the buildings.
“We have already implemented strategies to further develop our pupils’ confidence in using the Welsh language across the curriculum. We are grateful all pupils, parents, carers, staff and governors for their continued support."
The report said most pupils "write clearly for a range of purposes, for example in history lessons when evaluating whether the industrial revolution was a good thing. Many pupils organise their writing suitably and use paragraphs appropriately.
"They write confidently at length with suitable accuracy and use a good range of vocabulary". Pupils were also said to have "secure number skills and can use the four arithmetic rules well to solve a variety of problems".
Teachers help create a "purposeful and productive working relationships with their classes" along with a "calm learning environment that supports pupils’ learning well".
A notable strength of the school is its "wide range of extra-curricular activities, which are very well attended". These activities include "various sporting and debating clubs, support the curriculum and develop pupils’ interests well".
Inspectors recommended that the high school needs to improve the conditions of the buildings due to the "quality of the school accommodation is poor and in need of upgrading".
Recommendations made by Estyn:
- Increase the range of opportunities for pupils to practise their Welsh language skills;
- Improve the condition of the building.
The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection.
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