Staff and pupils from Pencoed Comprehensive School are celebrating a glowing Estyn report from a recent inspection at the school, which highlights strengths ranging from leadership to inclusivity.
Inspectors noted the effective distribution of leadership at the school, empowering individuals, as well as encouraging ownership and collaboration; the vibrant culture of professional learning, which is supported by the ‘Pedagogy Pioneers’ – a group of pupils who have received training to work with leaders in making improvements to teaching and learning practices at the school.
The report praised how pupils from across the school are offered opportunities to implement change and assume leadership roles, with an invite to participate in a range of instrumental groups such as the Sixth Form Leadership team, Undod (supporting the LGBTQ+ community), Parch (promoting anti-racist values) and Amdani (focusing on Welsh language and culture).
The school, described as promoting a warm, calm, nurturing environment, has been commended for prioritising the wellbeing of all pupils, particularly the most vulnerable – a strength especially valued by the headteacher, Mr Edward Jones.
“My favourite line from the report is: ‘Pencoed Comprehensive School is a caring, inclusive school where the wellbeing of individuals is prioritised, and diversity celebrated. A strong sense of community and belonging forms a secure foundation for pupils to learn, grow, thrive and flourish.’ “As headteacher, I am immensely proud of our inspection report which recognises so many of the strengths we have worked towards as a school, including the fostering of a profound and tangible sense of belonging. I am also pleased that the report tells the story of our school and that the findings of the Estyn team very much mirror the strengths and areas of development already identified by the school, within our school improvement plan and through our structured self-evaluation programme.”
“We are very proud of the fantastic Estyn report that Pencoed Comprehensive School has received. It reflects all of the hard work and dedication offered by the staff. “Pupils at the school are evidently benefitting from the commitment of staff, especially from their efforts to create an inclusive, nurturing setting in which all learners, of all abilities can thrive.”
