On a strategic level, developing skills is a priority in the school improvement plan and a priority in the improvement plans of the leaders of the areas of learning and experience. Skills improvement plans have been aligned carefully with other plans to ensure consistency in the way in which leaders act when delivering and assessing skills and that there are clear lines of accountability. Plans include success criteria and regular opportunities to evaluate progress and effect. Skills leaders work purposefully with teachers and support staff to plan strategies jointly that will develop the skills in a co-ordinated manner.
The model for how the school’s professional learning communities act has been structured carefully. It allows teachers and support staff from primary and secondary to work together to develop a robust and shared understanding of the way in which pupils develop their proficiency in the skills from the nursery upwards. As part of the terms of reference of the professional learning communities, staff are required to complete action research based on how to develop the skills effectively. They also conduct joint learning walks and scrutiny processes to understand the learning journey in the context of an all-age school. To ensure consistency, teachers and support staff across the progression steps are also prompted to consider carefully how pedagogy and learning tasks that are applied in the classroom allow each pupils to make progress in the skills.
Evidence and examples of pupils’ work are shared on a special website that has been created specifically for the skills. This resource allows teachers to evaluate provision, share good practice and also develop an understanding of learners’ development and progress in a sophisticated manner. The website also allows teachers to have more autonomy to assess pupils’ progress. The whole-school marking and feedback policy provides teachers with guidance on how to present comments that encourage pupils to reflect on their skills and how to make further progress. Sharing examples of effective feedback is a key element of the policy.
A wide range of qualitative and quantitative data is used intelligently to devise appropriate intervention programmes to provide further support for individuals or groups of pupils. Teachers and support staff follow a timetable that has been drawn up carefully to provide sessions in a manageable and effective manner. The school’s older pupils support the younger pupils during structured mentoring sessions.
Teachers have focused on creating a learning environment across the school that ensures that pupils evaluate their progress in the skills confidently and successfully. Teachers support this process by ensuring that phraseology and guidelines that are associated with appropriate self evaluation are visible in all learning rooms. Learning areas such as a ‘Lloches Llythrennedd’ literacy area, the ‘Den Digidol’ digital area and the ‘Rhanbarth Rhifedd’ numeracy area engage learners’ interest and curiosity. A variety of extra-curricular clubs are provided, such as the Coding Club, Reading Club and Numeracy Club, which provide opportunities for learners to refine and apply their skills in an informal context.
