Primary school praised in Estyn report
Guilsfield is one of the largest primary schools in North Powys and impressed senior inspectors across several areas following the inspection in March.
The visit was a follow-up to a previous report published in November 2023 that raised several recommendations which have been addressed with the report outcome stating: “Guilsfield C.P. School is judged to have made sufficient progress in relation to the recommendations following the most recent core inspection.
“As a result, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales is removing
the school from any further follow-up activity.”
The reports said that stated that ‘teachers and support staff engage with pupils and each other respectfully and communicate clearly. This helps to ensure that everybody feels valued and knows what is expected of them’. It added that ‘teachers have high expectations of their pupils’.
There was praise for the school’s ‘interesting and engaging curriculum’, linked strongly to the features and history of the local area.
“The curriculum helps pupils to develop a broad range of skills,” it states. “Younger pupils use their artistic, digital and early mapping skills to enhance and exemplify their learning about the local area.
“Older pupils develop strong writing skills and show creativity in how they present their work. Across the school, many pupils demonstrate strong oracy skills. They talk enthusiastically about their work and use an increasingly complex and specific range of vocabulary accurately.”
As a result, most pupils have ‘positive attitudes towards their learning’.
The report praises the school’s tightening of risk assessments to ensure maximum safety when children use shared public spaces such as the community playing field.
“Arrangements to supervise pupils when they use the field are rigorous and encompass a wide range of potential scenarios, including lockdown procedures and ensuring checking the site for potential hazards,” the report explains.
Governors were applauded for their proactive role in working to drive up standards, in partnership with a strong school leadership team.
“Governors are supportive and constructive critical friends of the school. They are now more directly involved in self-evaluation activities and have broadened the range of evidence they consider. This includes the regular first-hand gathering of evidence through learning walks and talking to pupils and staff.
“Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They use this information effectively to hold senior leaders to account and to inform their decisions.’
The report lauds the school’s senior leadership team, led by Head, Mrs Amanda Williams, for working well with staff and governors ‘to devise and implement beneficial action plans’.
The report continues: “This rigorous approach to school development has helped to ensure improvements in the quality of teaching. The school’s work on developing an authentic and relevant curriculum has led to more engaging and interesting learning experiences for pupils that supports them to make effective progress in developing a wide range of skills, knowledge and understanding.”
Chair of Governors, Neil Thomas, said: “This positive report reflects well on the whole school – the Head, her staff, governors, parents and, above all, the children.
“We’re pleased with the progress the school has made over the past couple of years but no one is resting on their laurels. We shall always strive to improve.”
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