It’s an exciting time for the local English language high school.
A new building on the horizon (542 days according to the countdown on the website at the time of publishing this article) and an excellent report from the last Estyn inspection. In a nod to aviator namesake Ernest Willows, flying high indeed!
If you’ve been down Lewis Road lately, you will have seen the steel frame going up on the new build Willows High School (thank goodness they chose to keep the name. ‘Willows’ has a huge history here in Splott and the school, and its name, is something to be proud of), and there is a link on the school website showing progress on the build for anyone interested.
The new school is set to open in the 2026/2027 academic year, with much needed enhanced facilities, but there’s much to be celebrated in the meantime.
In January of this year, Estyn published its report on the school and it’s very positive.
The report is extensive, but for a quick glimpse at just how good they’re doing, you need go no further than the first few paragraphs of the summary:
“Willows High School is a welcoming community where diversity is celebrated. Leaders have secured a clear and well understood vision that all pupils should ‘belong, believe and achieve’. The positive relationships between pupils and staff are a notable feature of the school. Through well-established routines, staff share high expectations for pupils’ engagement and behaviour and this positive ethos permeates every aspect of school life.
Staff, pupils, parents and visitors feel welcome at Willows. There is a positive safeguarding culture where most pupils feel safe. Clear processes for monitoring and supporting pupils’ attendance have helped to improve rates of attendance faster than they did nationally last year and these rates, particularly for pupils who are eligible for free school meals, continue to improve well.
A notable feature of the school’s broad and balanced curriculum is the way in which they develop pupils’ understanding of diversity and other cultures. There is a positive focus on improving pupils’ reading and generally pupils develop these skills well across the curriculum. In many lessons, teachers help pupils to make sound progress in their knowledge understanding and skills.”
It would be truly incredible if there were no constructive criticism, and there are a few helpful comments and suggestions:
“In a minority of lessons, whilst pupils engage in learning and often acquire new knowledge, teachers do not ensure that all pupils are challenged to develop their understanding and skills, including their ability to work independently. In addition, pupils do not develop their Welsh speaking skill sufficiently.
Leaders at all levels use their evaluation and improvement processes appropriately to establish an understanding of the school’s broad strengths and areas for improvement. However, leaders do not focus precisely enough on the impact that provision has on pupil progress and well-being.”
The report has the following recommendations that the school is taking on board:
- Ensure that teaching consistently challenges pupils to make strong progress and develop their skills well.
- Ensure that self-evaluation processes are precise and focus on impact and that all leaders use these processes effectively to plan for and secure improvement.
- Increase the number of pupils who complete a Welsh language GCSE qualification and improve pupils’ Welsh language speaking skills
In the main findings section, the report reads:
“Clear classroom routines, highly effective relationships between pupils and staff and high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and engagement in lessons are notable strengths of Willows High school. Most pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school and have positive attitudes towards learning. They settle quickly to their work and maintain their concentration. This helps many pupils,
including those with additional learning needs and those eligible for free school meals, to make secure progress in their learning.”
The motto of the school is ‘Belong, Believe, Achieve’, and it seems that they are achieving their mission to ‘develop in our pupils the academic skills, intellectual habits and qualities of character necessary to succeed at all levels and become successful, happy citizens in tomorrow’s world.
Headteacher, Chris Norman, said:
“The team at Willows is extremely proud of the report of our inspection in November 2024. It celebrates the positive changes that have been brought about by the whole community pulling together to improve the life chances of our pupils. I thank the staff, pupils, parents, Governors and community members who have worked so hard to make these improvements possible.”
What an incredible reflection the report is on the school, its staff and pupils. Huge congratulations to everyone (if you would like to read the full report, there’s a link below).
The new build will initially maintain the school’s capacity of 900 pupils but there is scope to increase the intake if needed. The new school will provide modern and enhanced spaces and facilities for pupils and staff (and community according to the press releases).
According to the press releases, the new school will have a community focus and offer comprehensive sports facilities such as a sports hall, gym, drama studio, 3G and grass pitches, which will be available for public use outside of school hours. The scheme will also provide improved pedestrian facilities to support active travel arrangements in the area.
The active travel improvements are very visible, with wide pavements and a proposal for improved access through Moorland Park (and improved lighting), however I have concerns over the promise for community use outside of school hours (read more here).
But there’s no denying that the dedicated pupils and staff of Willows High deserve a facility fitting of their achievements and heritage, and anticipation for the opening of the new school is, justifiably, ‘high’.
If you would like a walk through of the new school, click here:
https://willowshighschool.wales/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Willows_Secondary_School_Final.mp4
To read the full Estyn report, click here.