Llanfabon Infants School is in the small town of Nelson in the Rhymney Valley. It caters for pupils between the ages of three to seven. Virtually all the pupils come from the immediate surrounding area. Around 25% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average of 19%. There are currently 144 pupils on roll including 40 in the two nursery classes. There are five classes, including two mixed age classes, taught by five full-time teachers. The school identifies that around 23% of pupils have additional learning needs including a very few pupils with statements of special educational needs. This is close to the national average of 21%. No pupils speak Welsh at home and very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The local authority looks after a very few pupils. The school excluded a very few pupils in the last year. The headteacher took up her post in September 2016. The school’s last inspection was in April 2013. 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 Llanfabon Infants School November 2017 Summary Overall, pupils’ progress at Llanfabon Infants School is inconsistent. There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills across the school. Teachers structure pupils’ work carefully and as a result, most pupils make good progress from their starting points with developing these skills. However, more able pupils do not progress as well as they could and too many pupils do not behave well enough in class. In addition, teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to develop and apply their skills independently indoors and outside. Teachers assess and record individual pupils’ progress carefully, but whole school systems for tracking pupils’ progress over time, to ensure that the school meets their needs effectively, are at an early stage of development. Since her recent appointment, the new headteacher has focused appropriately on pupils’ standards and their attitudes to learning. However, overall, communication with staff and parents has not been effective enough. This means that the school community does not have a strong and shared vision to enable it to move forward. School improvement processes are not sharp enough and as a result, progress in addressing important areas for development in the school has been too slow. Inspection area Judgement Standards Adequate and needs improvement Wellbeing and attitudes to learning Adequate and needs improvement Teaching and learning experiences Adequate and needs improvement Care, support and guidance Adequate and needs improvement Leadership and management Unsatisfactory and needs urgent improvement 2 A report on Llanfabon Infants School November 2017 Recommendations R1 Improve communication with staff and stakeholders R2 Develop pupils as independent learners R3 Improve self-evaluation and strategic planning, including a more effective approach to professional learning R4 Ensure that all pupils, particularly the more able, make good progress in their learning R5 Ensure staff have clear roles and responsibilities R6 Improve attendance and punctuality R7 Address the safeguarding and wellbeing issues raised during the inspection What happens next Significant improvement In accordance with the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school is in need of significant improvement. The school will draw up an action plan, which shows how it is going to address the recommendations. Estyn will monitor the school’s progress about 12 months after the publication of this report.