School Improvement

Despite the significant challenges faced by the school and community in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic and lockdowns, very strong progress overall has been made on the improvement priorities.

A summary of key developments this year:

• Further strengthening relationships with families.

• Linking with charities and Cardiff LA to provide food parcels, cleaning and hygiene products, grab bags and Christmas presents for families. We even had staff volunteering to deliver food and shop for families who were isolating.

• Provided an extensive home learning offer and distributed over 170 devices to families so that they could access learning.

• Wellbeing check ins daily, online and over the phone. Highly effective vulnerability lists were created and staff prioritised wellbeing and safeguarding above all else to ensure that families were supported and nothing was missed.

• Launched our Values Based Curriculum including very successful events such as Refugee week.

• Responded to the needs of the children with a recovery curriculum on return to school.

• Increased children's access to outdoors across the school but particularly in KS2.

• Set up our Thrive Approaches Y Cwtch classroom setting - providing intensive and personalised emotional and social support to those who need it. When lockdown happened Y Cwtch went online and staff made up parcels from families with sensory resources.

• School staff achieved a Lockdown Award from Investors in Families for their work, excellent communication with families and innovation.

• The school achieved Excellence in the following five areas as recognised by Thrive Approaches:

  • • Excellence in Relationships

    • Excellence in Leadership

    • Excellence in Environment

    • Excellence in Reparative

    • Excellence in Right-time Learning

• The school was the third school in the UK to be awarded a Thrive School of Excellence Award.

• Staff upskilled in hybrid and blended learning approaches.

• Developed outside areas further in Foundation Phase including having new equipment installed in Foundation Phase.

• New shelters have been erected in Nursery, Year 1 as well as a lovely outdoor stage area in KS2 to allow children to be outside in all weathers.

• Created a calm area on the yard with mosaic friendship benches.

• Had new anti bullying ambassadors trained up to support learners across the school.