PENARTH'S Stanwell School recieved an overwhelmingly positive report in its most recent Estyn inspection.

The report was so good the school has been invited to prepare case studies on the work done in developing pupils' leadership skills and the school's guidance to pupils.

The school was among the first in Wales to be inspected under new pilot Estyn frameworks.

The new frameworks mean schools are no longer given summative grades labelling them as "excellent" through to "unsatisfactory", rather reports will provide clear and detailed evaluations instead.

Five main areas were the focus of inspectors: learning, well-being and attitudes to learning, care, support and guidance, teaching and learning experiences and leadership.

Trevor Brown, the headteacher of Stanwell, was singled out for particular praise in the report which said he had 'a clear vision for the school based on nurturing pupils’ wellbeing and supporting their aspirations'.

Mr Brown said: "The outcomes of this report are testament to the hard work, determination and commitment of pupils, staff, parents/carers and governors.

"Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this success.

"The report recognises the outstanding achievements of our young people and the way they contribute to all aspects of school life."

The school was praised for how it handled the challenges of the pandemic and the report stated that leaders 'steered the school sensitively through a period of educational change'.

Leadership is a strong area for the school and the report states that teaching standards are high 'in most cases'.

READ MORE:

Inclusivity was an area that Stanwell does well, according to the report.

Pupils are reportedly made to feel welcome regardless of background, and the inspection report claims that the school 'celebrates diversity and encourages respect, empathy and inclusion'.

As is expected in such an environment, pupil well-being is considered to be of a high standard and is boosted by a variety of enrichment activites and opportunities for pupils to pursue their interests.

The report noted a few ways that the school could improve further, such as improving teachers' use of questioning to develop pupils' ability to think independently, giving pupils enough time to relax and giving pupils more opportunities to develop Welsh language skills.

Following the report, the school will put together an action plan based on Estyn's recommendations.

Tony Rogers, chair of the Board of Governors, said: "This report demonstrates the success that can be achieved where there is strong leadership, a commitment to high standards and where young people are provided with the best possible opportunities to succeed."

Mr Rogers also commented that the result of the report demonstrated "an outstanding achievement by an outstanding school.”