Ysgol Bryn Collen Llangollen

Highlights from Latest Inspection

The headteacher at Ysgol Bryn Collen provides strong, considerate leadership and knows the school well. She is ably supported by the deputy headteacher and dedicated staff, who together form a very effective team.

The school is an inclusive, welcoming, and happy learning community, which promotes well-being effectively. The headteacher works diligently with staff and governors to secure improvements for the school. Together, they understand the school's strengths and areas for development and plan appropriate strategic actions to secure improvement.

Leaders and staff know the pupils well and use this information to ensure that all pupils are well cared for. Pupils are secure in their relationships with staff and as a resul...t, their behaviour is excellent. Pupils and their families have a strong sense of pride in their school and nearly all pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to school.

Leaders and staff keep in close contact with the wider school community and build on the very positive relationships with parents. The school's curriculum takes account of pupils' interest. Staff offer pupils a variety of learning experiences which help keep pupils engaged in their learning.

As a result, most pupils including those with additional learning needs (ALN) engage well with their learning, make strong progress, and achieve well. Teachers support pupils to build on their learning suitably. They ask appropriate questions in class to check pupils' understanding and to move learning forward.

However, in the older classes, teachers sometimes over-direct learning and this hinders pupils' independence, including knowing how to improve their own work. Teachers plan purposeful opportunities to develop literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. However, pupils' Welsh language skills are less well developed.

Staff use the accommodation productively to meet pupils' needs purposefully and teachers often plan stimulating activities to promote learning. Provision for outdoor learning experiences is effective and focuses on improving pupils' skills through a range of stimulating learning activities. Recommendations R1 Ensure that teaching consistently provides appropriate challenges for older pupils and that feedback helps them improve their work R2 Further develop opportunities for older pupils to make decisions about how they organise and present their work and to develop as independent learners R3 Strengthen the provision for the development of pupils' Welsh language skills What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection.

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