Glanynant Learning Centre (PRU), Caerphilly

Glanynant Learning Centre (PRU) is a school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.

Estyn's report on its December 2022 inspection summarises Glanynant Learning Centre (PRU) like this:

"Pupils placed at Glanynant PRU have a range of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Many pupils have missed a considerable amount of education, have significant gaps in their learning and have developed poor attitudes to their learning. Staff support pupils well to encourage them to re-engage with their education and learning and, as a result, most pupils are beginning to make appropriate progress from their starting points. Nearly all pupils develop valuable working relationships with staff during their time at the PRU, and this helps them to feel safe and secure. Around half the pupils are on part-time bespoke timetables and this limits the progress they make in their learning. When pupils are able to attend, many improve their levels of attendance compared to that in their previous schools."

"The PRU aims to reintegrate pupils into mainstream education, but only few pupils are successfully supported to do so. The PRU provides a broad and balanced curriculum which meets the wide and diverse needs of the learners well. The worthwhile range of learning experiences build well on pupils’ interests and includes valuable opportunities for outdoor activities, which support well the development of pupils’ self-esteem and resilience. However, the planning for the progressive development of literacy, numeracy, digital competence and Welsh is underdeveloped. As a result, pupils do not develop these skills well enough or have enough opportunities to use them confidently across different curriculum subjects and areas of learning experiences. Teachers have a clear understanding of the range of abilities of their pupils and provide suitably varied learning activities."

"Support staff are used effectively and make a beneficial contribution to pupils’ learning. Although teachers provide pupils with positive feedback on what they have done well, few give pupils effective guidance on how they can improve their work. As a result, feedback does not help pupils to improve the standard of their work. Leaders do not use the results of self-evaluation activities well enough to identify shortcomings in pupils’ progress and attendance and make continuous improvements. Leadership roles at all levels are not clear enough and the management committee does not provide the PRU with an appropriate level of scrutiny and challenge. The current building is not big enough to be able to use the space flexibly to meet the needs of the pupils and staff, although plans are in place to add additional classrooms."

Estyn made 5 recommendations: (1) Strengthen improvement planning by ensuring self-evaluation activities focus on pupil progress and the standards they achieve; (2) Ensure that all members of the management committee and the local authority have a good understanding of the PRU’s strengths and areas for development; (3) Improve attendance and pupils’ engagement in full-time education; (4) Improve pupils’ literacy, numeracy and digital competence skills; (5) Ensure that teachers’ feedback enables pupils to know what they are doing well and what they need to do to improve.

The nearest railway station is Pengam Rail Station, about 190 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cardiff Road (o/s cartref), 130 metres away.