Somerton Primary School in Newport is praised by Estyn

Somerton Primary School, located in the Alway ward of Newport, was visited by inspectors from Estyn in February 2024. The report found that most pupils at Somerton Primary School "make strong progress from their starting points as they move through the school."

Inspectors at Estyn added that pupils "behave well and show high levels of tolerance and consideration for other pupils and adults" while the staff were praised for delivering "lessons and plan(ing) learning experiences that engage and motivate pupils successfully."

Somerton Primary School in the Alway ward (Image: Google Maps)

Catherine Barnett, executive headteacher for Somerton Primary School, said the school is "delighted that Estyn recognised Somerton Primary as a school where staff nurture pupils and develop trusting and supportive relationships which encourage pupils to behave in a friendly and courteous manner.

"The report celebrates the progress that pupils make from their starting points. It noted that staff work hard to meet pupils’ needs, for example, through support for young carers. This is an important. and highly successful aspect of the school’s provision, of which we are very proud."

Tracking pupil progress

The school was praised for the systems it has put in place to track and monitor individual progress of the students.

The team at Estyn said: "The school’s systems for tracking and monitoring pupil progress are very effective in ensuring that pupils make good progress over time.

"The school’s nurture provision provides high quality support for vulnerable pupils, which helps to improve confidence and attendance significantly for these pupils. Leadership at the school is exceptional."

On this, the headteacher for Somerton Primary School said: "The report evidences our high expectations and continual journey of self-evaluation and improvement. Somerton shares its leadership team with nearby Eveswell Primary and this relationship is recognised as mutually beneficial and supportive."

Estyn recommends

Ms Barnett from Somerton highlighted the impact of the school in the wider community, and said: "Somerton Primary School plays an important part in its community.

"We are proud of the progress that pupils make and their enthusiasm for their learning. We believe that this positive, nurturing start to their education is crucial to future success."

The team from Estyn gave a few recommendations to the school to improve in the future. (Image: File)

The team from Estyn made a few recommendations to help the school in the Alway ward to improve in the future, including "improve the quality and consistency of teaching to ensure that all pupils have suitable challenge and are actively engaged in their learning" and "improve the learning environments to support teaching, particularly for younger pupils to develop their independence and curiosity."

Ms Barnett added that the report "recognises the hard work of pupils, staff, governors and leaders over recent years and the journey of improvement that our school has been on.

"The many strengths in the report are testament to our dedication to continual improvement. We will continue our work on teaching and learning to develop our provision further."

About the school

Somerton Primary School has 176 pupils on roll, with 19 nursery classes, and 38.8% of pupils that are eligible for free school meals over a three-year average.

The full Estyn report can be found here.