Primary
Teaching and learning
Schools are working to develop effective teaching to support pupils’ learning through a broad range of meaningful learning experiences.
What’s going well
- A majority of schools have made strong progress with their implementation of Curriculum for Wales. Generally, these schools plan a broad range of engaging learning experiences, making good use of their local area and community.
- Most pupils, including those with ALN and those from low-income backgrounds, make good progress with the development of their skills and knowledge during their time in primary school.
- Pupils’ oracy and reading skills continue to develop well in most schools. A few schools have developed exceptional provision for developing pupils’ language and communication skills from a young age.
- In many schools, teachers evaluate purposefully how well teaching and learning experiences support pupil progress. In these schools, they use verbal feedback effectively to help pupils make progress during lessons.
What needs to improve
- In a minority of schools, the quality of teaching is too inconsistent. Teachers do not plan effectively and do not provide purposeful feedback to pupils to ensure they make the progress they should.
- A minority of schools provide suitable opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy, numeracy and digital skills independently in meaningful contexts. Too often schools have not developed their understanding of progression well enough and pupils do not apply their skills at a high enough level.
- Schools are beginning to provide a few opportunities for pupils to learn about the unique character of Wales. A few schools reflect the experiences of black and Asian communities within the curriculum effectively, but in general, schools do not consider the diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives found in society sufficiently.
- Overall, pupils’ Welsh oracy skills remain weak in English medium schools.
Well-being, care, support and guidance
Schools have worked effectively to ensure good levels of care, support and guidance to support pupils with their well-being.
What’s going well
- Provision for pupil well-being, care, support and guidance is consistently strong across schools. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive in most schools and they engage well with their learning.
- In most cases, schools work well to reduce the impact of poverty and disadvantage on pupils’ attendance, engagement, and overall well-being.
- A majority of schools have improved pupil attendance figures and have successfully returned or exceeded pre-pandemic rates.
- Schools have adapted creatively and purposefully to the changes of ALN reform providing thoughtful and effective targeted support for pupils with ALN.
What needs to improve
- Schools do not always develop pupils as effective independent learners. This is often as a result of lessons being too structured. Pupils are often unclear about the purpose of their learning, what they do well and what they need to do to improve.
- Where schools’ attendance falls below the national average there remains a significant gap for those pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged contexts and in a minority of schools attendance is still below pre-pandemic figures. View resource
- A majority of schools are offering limited and often narrow experiences for pupils to develop an understanding and appreciation of the history and diversity of their communities, Wales, and the wider world.
Leading and improving
Leaders have demonstrated flexibility in their approach to school improvement to take good account of national priorities.
What’s going well
- In many cases leaders have a clear vision for their schools. In these schools, staff are highly responsive to their pupils and families’ needs and function as an integral part of the community.
- Leaders make effective links between professional learning and improving the quality of teaching. They carefully plan staff development aligned to school improvement priorities.
- Many schools work successfully with other schools to share good practice and develop and enhance their work linked to national priorities.
- Many schools work closely with a range of organisations to remove barriers to well-being and learning for pupils with ALN, and those from low-income households.
What needs to improve
- In a minority of schools, self-evaluation and improvement processes do not focus clearly enough on pupil outcomes and do not identify key areas for improvement in teaching and learning.
- Although in many schools governors often play an active role in the life of the school, there is still an over-reliance by governors on information from school leaders. In a few cases governors are not well-informed enough to identify and measure their school’s improvement priorities. They do not always consider the impact of grant funding on pupils’ outcomes.
Overview of recommendations from inspections
In the 2023-2024 academic year, Estyn inspected 259 primary schools.
83
Eighty-three (32%) primary schools received a recommendation related to providing or improving opportunities for pupils to develop or apply their skills, particularly numeracy, writing, reading or digital skills. Forty-six schools were given a recommendation to provide or improve opportunities to develop pupils’ independent learning skills, and 21 were recommended to support pupils to be more involved in decision making about their own learning.
49
Forty-nine (18.9%) schools were given a recommendation about development of Welsh language skills, including 13 Welsh medium schools. Out of those 49, nine received a recommendation to improve the provision of Welsh teaching.
47
Forty-seven (18.2%) were given a recommendation to ensure that teaching sufficiently challenges all pupils, and 48 (18.6%) were given a recommendation related to providing appropriate feedback, including providing opportunities for pupils to respond to feedback, ensuring that feedback helps pupils to identify and work towards the next steps in their learning, or to improve their work.
46
Forty-six (17.8%) primary schools received a recommendation related to improving the effectiveness of self-evaluation and school improvement activities, which variously focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning, attending to the most pressing priorities for improvement, and pupils’ progress.
26
Twenty-six (10%) primary schools were given a recommendation about improving attendance. Ten of these providers had an outcome of either Estyn review, significant improvement or special measures from their inspection.
9
Nine (3.5%) primary schools received a recommendation about addressing health and safety issues identified during inspection, and seven were given a recommendation to address safeguarding concerns.
Effective practice identified during inspection
Teaching and learning
Langstone Primary School
Case study, how Langstone Primary School in Newport responded to curriculum reform to meet the needs of learners.
Y Bont Faen Primary School
Case study, how Y Bont Faen Primary School in the Vale of Glamorgan used a strong creative focus to improve pupils’ language and communication, creativity and independence.
Ysgol Brynamman
Case study: Read how Ysgol Brynamman in Carmarthenshire motivated pupils to speak Welsh
Care, support and well-being
Ysgol Cae’r Gwenyn
Read about how Ysgol Cae’r Gwenyn in Wrexham identified a whole school strategy to develop the communication skills of pre-verbal pupils.
Leadership
Dolau Primary School
Case study: how Dolau Primary in Pontyclun developed leaders at all levels to secure resilient leadership.
Troedyrhiw Primary School
Case study: Troedyrhiw Primary near Merthyr created beneficial governor improvement groups to improve their governing body’s capacity to support senior leaders.