Catch22 Include Wales was inspected in November 2021. The annual monitoring visit was very positive and highlighted the challenge the school has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report notes how staff have worked together to enable the school to remain open, keep pupils safe and support their wellbeing and learning. The inspection team saw that our pupils engage well, display enthusiasm during tasks and are eager to demonstrate their ability. They also highlighted the strong progress made by pupils in their reading.
The report stated:
“Teaching staff foster positive and valuable professional working relationships with their pupils. They understand and respond to their pupils’ additional learning and emotional needs well. For example, during lessons they support pupils sensitively and calmly with consistent classroom routines, which help pupils to understand and predict what is happening around them.”
Staff and senior leaders were acknowledged for their work to fulfil the recommendations made in the previous inspection and were also praised on their ability to respond to pupils’ additional learning and emotional needs.
The Catch22 Include Wales team are very proud of the inspection result and will continue to work on the feedback given, particularly regarding pupils making the same progress in writing as they have done in reading.
Headteacher Gemma Wall said:
“I’m very proud of the progress that has been made at Include Wales. It is credit to the hard work and enthusiasm of our staff and students that Estyn have acknowledged the school’s strengths and recognised our successes. The outcome is all the more remarkable given the recent difficulties posed by the pandemic.”
Catch22 Include Wales were also mentioned in the Estyn Annual Report regarding the extended pastoral care offered in the face of the pandemic. Catch22 Include Wales works with parents and carers to develop the link between home and school, which the report noted as an example of best practice.