Philipstown Primary School is in Philipstown, New Tredegar, in the Caerphilly local authority. Currently, there are 131 pupils on roll, aged from 3 to 11, including 21 nursery pupils who attend on a part-time basis. There are four mixed-age classes at the school. The three-year rolling average of pupils eligible for free school meals is 41%, which is well above the national average of 18%. The school identifies around 17% of pupils as having additional learning needs, which is slightly lower than the national average 21%. Nearly all pupils are from a white British background. No pupils speak Welsh at home. The school is currently a pioneer school and is working with the Welsh Government and other schools to take forward developments relating to education reform in Wales. The acting headteacher was appointed in November 2017. The school’s last inspection was in February 2012. The substantive headteacher, who is on secondment to the regional consortium, returned to school for the period of the inspection. Further information is available from the Welsh Government My Local School website at the link below. http://mylocalschool.wales.gov.uk/Schools/SchoolSearch?lang=en 1 A report on Phillipstown Primary School November 2018 Summary The school delivers exciting learning experiences that engage pupils well. As a result, many pupils make good progress from their individual starting points. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and they are proud of their school. The school supports the development of pupils’ wellbeing successfully. Provision for pupils with additional learning needs is effective and has a positive effect on their attitudes to learning. Many pupils take on a wide range of responsibilities that successfully promote their self-esteem and life skills. The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher have supported staff and pupils well through a period of considerable staffing instability. However, there are shortcomings in aspects of the school’s leadership and management, particularly in relation to school improvement. Governors are supportive of the school, but they do not challenge the school well enough and their role in strategic development is limited. Inspection area Judgement Standards Good Wellbeing and attitudes to learning Good Teaching and learning experiences Good Care, support and guidance Good Leadership and management Adequate and needs improvement 2 A report on Phillipstown Primary School November 2018 Recommendations R1 Ensure that the processes for self-evaluation and improvement planning focus sharply on the standards pupils achieve and the progress they make R2 Ensure that teaching challenges and meets the needs of all pupils, including the more able R3 Raise standards in Welsh R4 Improve pupils’ attendance What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to show how it is going to address the recommendations. Estyn will review the school’s progress.