Inspectors have praised a special school in North Cardiff for its nurturing and inclusive learning environment, and commended staff for their dedication and commitment to student well-being.
Estyn, the school inspectorate organisastion for Wales found the Court Special School, currently based in Llanishen, to foster a safe and welcoming atmosphere where students feel valued and supported.
Nearly all pupils come from the Cardiff area, many having faced challenges with previous placements that impacted their confidence and self-esteem. The school's staff work hard to rebuild that trust and confidence, which is seen as a major strength of the school.
The report notes that the school places a strong emphasis on emotional well-being and personal growth, creating individualised education programmes that meet the specific needs and interests of each pupil.
As a result, nearly all students have shown remarkable improvement in their attitudes toward learning and have developed a love for attending school.
The school excels in promoting health and well-being, with most pupils showing a growing understanding of healthy lifestyles and becoming more confident in their own abilities. Estyn inspectors praised the curriculum, which has been recently revised to reflect pupils' needs and interests, encompassing diverse topics like astronomy and sporting heroes.
The school offers rich opportunities for pupils to learn about diversity and different cultures, supporting their moral and cultural development.
Physical development was highlighted as a particular strength at the school and while many students show notable progress in reading and numeracy, the report identified writing skills as an area needing further development. Estyn has made the following recommendations which the school will address in its action plan:
Refine self-evaluation processes: Leaders at all levels are encouraged to systematically collect and analyse data to better identify strategic priorities.
Strengthen assessment processes: There is a need to enhance assessment systems to ensure that they effectively account for pupils' progress across all areas of learning.
Headteacher Jamyn Beesley said: "I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of the Estyn inspection and would like to take this opportunity to thank our highly committed staff for their hard work, day in day out. The Court School is a challenging but wonderful place to work and I am so proud of the entire school community for their ongoing dedication and support".
The Court School is set to be transformed with a £23m investment which will see the school increase in capacity by rebuilding and relocating it over two sites.
One will be to the south of Fairwater Primary School on Wellwright Road, the other will be south of Pen Y Bryn Primary School at Dunster Road in Llanrumney.
The new school will be known as Ysgol Cynefin which translates as ‘habitat school' and was chosen by the school and stakeholders to encompass the relationship between people and the natural world, and how connecting people to surroundings can shape a sense of identity and well-being.
The Court Special School serves primary-aged children with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties. At the time of the report 41 primary-aged pupils (7 to 11 years) were on roll with 82.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals.
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