News that Milford Haven School has been removed from Estyn’s list of schools requiring significant improvement has been welcomed.
The school was visited in October by a team from Estyn, which found that it had made sufficient progress with the recommendations from its core inspection that Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education and Training in Wales was able to remove the school from the list.
Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Guy Woodham, said it was an excellent step in the right direction.
“I am pleased that Estyn have been able to recognise the wide range of improvements that have taken place at the school since the core inspection,” he said. “The work of the learners, school staff, governing body and the council has been recognised through this monitoring visit and I am grateful to everyone who has contributed to this positive outcome.
“The school is now in a strong position to continue to make improvements itself and Estyn have recognised that.”
Despite the exceptional challenges brought by the COVID19 pandemic, the school has made clear progress in addressing each of the recommendations from the core inspection.
There have been sound developments in learner skills which the report identifies.
Further improvements have been made in behaviour and attitudes to learning and the school has clear policies.
The report recognises the role of all staff in keeping pupils safe and supporting their wellbeing.
The quality of teaching has been strengthened significantly and the report released on Estyn’s website recognises this.
There is recognition of the good relations that staff foster with learners. In most lessons teachers provide pupils with appropriate verbal feedback.
There is a well-considered approach to the planning of learners’ literacy and numeracy skills.
The leadership of the school has worked well to strengthen the impact on all areas of the recommendations, and the report references the significant steps taken to address the deficit budget and prioritise learners’ skills.
Headteacher Ms Ceri-Ann Morris said:
“I am overjoyed that this newest Estyn report from October 2021 captures the true progress and ethos here at Milford Haven School.
“The latest report details the improvements that have been made over recent years and the continued high expectations we have for our young people, this is all thanks to the incredible hard work of our staff, pupils, governors and wider school family.
“I am particularly proud that Estyn have commented on the strong connection we have built within the Milford Haven community, especially given the proactive approach we took during the pandemic period to inject additional support into the community in some truly creative ways.”
