Arfer Effeithiol |

Datblygu arbenigedd ychwanegol yn yr ysgol i gefnogi lles disgyblion

Share this page

Nifer y disgyblion
447
Dyddiad arolygiad

Gwybodaeth am yr ysgol

Sefydlwyd Ysgol Pen Rhos yn ddiweddar yn dilyn uno dwy ysgol yn Llanelli, o fewn awdurdod lleol Sir Gâr.  Mae 447 o ddisgyblion ar y gofrestr rhwng 3 ac 11 oed, gan gynnwys 23 o blant rhan-amser sy’n mynychu’r dosbarth meithrin.  Mae’r ysgol yn trefnu disgyblion yn bedwar dosbarth cyfrwng Cymraeg, ac 13 dosbarth cyfrwng Saesneg.

Ar gyfartaledd dros y tair blynedd ddiwethaf, mae tua 34% o ddisgyblion yn gymwys am brydau ysgol am ddim, sydd gryn dipyn uwchlaw’r cyfartaledd cenedlaethol, sef 18%.  Mae’r ysgol yn nodi bod gan ryw 37% o ddisgyblion anghenion addysgol arbennig.  Mae hyn gryn dipyn uwchlaw’r cyfartaledd cenedlaethol, sef 21%.  Prin yw’r disgyblion sy’n siarad Saesneg fel iaith ychwanegol, ac ychydig iawn o ddisgyblion sy’n siarad Cymraeg gartref.  Daw ychydig o ddisgyblion o gefndir ethnig lleiafrifol.

Proffil Cymunedol

Mae ward Tyisha 2 yn y 3% uchaf o ardaloedd mwyaf difreintiedig yng Nghymru, ac wedi’i rhestru yn y 10% uchaf ar draws pob parth allweddol.  Mae’n ardal Dechrau’n Deg a Cymunedau yn Gyntaf.  Mae’r ysgol yn nodi bod problemau heriol o ran diogelwch cymunedol, fel problemau’n ymwneud â chamddefnyddio cyffuriau ac alcohol.  Nodwyd bod rhai ardaloedd yn rhywle nad yw trigolion yn teimlo’n ddiogel a’u bod yn ofni mynd allan yn y nos, ac yn ystod y dydd.  Yn aml, gall pobl ifanc ymgasglu mewn ardaloedd penodol, ac o bryd i’w gilydd, mae hyn yn arwain at ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol fel sŵn nos, twrw a lladrata.  Mae llawer o ddisgyblion yr ysgol yn byw o fewn y gymuned hon, a gallant fod yn agored i’r problemau hyn yn aml.

Cyd-destun a chefndir yr arfer effeithiol neu arloesol

Mae’r ysgol wedi mynd ati i hyfforddi pob un o’r staff mewn arfer sy’n ystyriol o drawma ac ymlyniad, gan ddefnyddio ei grant gwella addysg ysgolion.  Mae arweinwyr yr ysgol wedi nodi athrawon a chynorthwywyr cymorth dysgu allweddol sydd wedi ymgymryd â hyfforddiant ar lefel uchel i ddiwallu anghenion lles nodedig y disgyblion.  Mae hyn yn ymateb pwrpasol a ariennir gan yr ysgol i fodloni cymhlethdod y problemau y mae’n eu hwynebu.  Mae’r ysgol yn mynegi ei hun fel ‘ysgol sy’n ystyriol o brofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod’, ac mae’r pennaeth yn rhagweithiol o ran rhannu ymagwedd yr ysgol ledled Cymru, ac yn rhyngwladol.  Mae ystod o arolygon a mesurau lles ar draws yr ysgol yn nodi’r dysgwyr hynny y mae angen cymorth arnynt.  O ganlyniad, darperir ymyrraeth deilwredig i gefnogi lles disgyblion gan ddefnyddio staff hyfforddedig yr ysgol ei hun.  Mae rhai enghreifftiau o’r adnoddau y gall yr ysgol eu darparu yn cynnwys ymarferwr sy’n ystyriol o drawma ac iechyd meddwl, cwnselydd hyfforddedig yn yr ysgol, cwnselydd profedigaeth, ymarferwr meddylgarwch, a therapydd ‘darlunio a siarad’.  Hefyd, mae gan yr ysgol wyth ymarferwr grŵp anogaeth sydd wedi’u hyfforddi’n llawn, a Ruby, y ci, fel rhan o’r fenter ci darllen.  O ganlyniad, yn amlach na pheidio, gall yr ysgol ymateb i’w hanghenion ei hun gan ddefnyddio’i staff ei hun.   

Hefyd, mae’r ysgol yn darparu cwrs achrededig ar wydnwch ar gyfer rhieni a diwrnodau agored lles i’r gymuned.  Yn ddiweddar, agorwyd yr ysgol ar fore dydd Sul bob wythnos, i ddarparu cymorth a chyfleoedd dysgu i ddisgyblion a’u teuluoedd.

Disgrifiad o natur y strategaeth neu’r gweithgarwch 

Datblygwyd y strategaeth o amgylch diwylliant lle caiff staff sydd â’r medrau a’r cymhelliant eu cynorthwyo a’u hariannu i ymgymryd â datblygiad proffesiynol i ymateb i anghenion lles disgyblion.  Y weledigaeth yw i’r ysgol greu ei thimau hynod arbenigol ei hun i gynorthwyo disgyblion a datblygu sefydliad dysgu sy’n deilwredig ac yn unigryw.  Fe wnaeth yr aelodau staff hyn hyfforddi i gynorthwyo teuluoedd oedd yn cael anhawster hefyd.

Pa effaith y mae’r gwaith hwn wedi’i chael ar y ddarpariaeth ac ar safonau dysgwyr?

Mae’r ddarpariaeth hon yn golygu y gall yr ysgol ymateb yn gyflymach ac yn fwy effeithiol i anghenion lles disgyblion, yn hytrach na gorfod aros am gymorth arbenigol allanol.  Anaml y mae’r ysgol yn gweld bod angen iddi wahardd disgyblion, ac mae ychydig o’r disgyblion mwyaf agored i niwed yng nghyfnod allweddol 2 ac yn y cyfnod sylfaen yn cyflawni’n dda yn yr ysgol.  Mae arolygon lles ‘cyn ac ar ôl’ yr ysgol yn dangos bod bron pob un o’r disgyblion wedi adrodd am newid cadarnhaol yn eu bywydau.

Sut ydych chi wedi rhannu eich arfer dda?

Mae’r ysgol wedi rhannu ei gwaith â chonsortiwm ERW, Llywodraeth Cymru, ac yn rhyngwladol gydag ysgolion, darparwyr iechyd a grwpiau ymchwil sy’n gweithio gyda’r ysgol i fireinio’r model a’r arfer.

Information about the school

Ysgol Pen Rhos is a recently established school following the amalgamation of two schools in Llanelli, within Carmarthenshire local authority.  There are 447 pupils on roll aged from 3 to 11 years, including 23 part-time children who attend the nursery.  The school organises pupils into four Welsh medium and 13 English medium classes.

On average over the last three years, about 34% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is considerably above the national average of 18%.  The school identifies about 37% of pupils as having special educational needs.  This is notably above the national average of 21%.  Few pupils have English as an additional language and a very few pupils speak Welsh at home.  A few come from an ethnic minority background.

Community Profile

The Tyisha 2 ward is in the top 3% most deprived areas in Wales and is ranked in the top 10% across all key domains.  It is a Flying Start and Communities First area.  The school notes that there are challenging community safety issues such as those related to drugs and alcohol misuse.  Some areas are identified as somewhere residents do not feel safe and are afraid to go out at night and during the day.  Often, youths may congregate in certain areas and at times this results in anti-social behaviour such as night noise, rowdiness and theft.  Many of the school’s pupils live within this community and can often be exposed to these issues.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

The school has actively trained all staff in attachment and trauma informed practice using its school education improvement grant.  School leaders have identified key teachers and learning support assistants who have undertaken high-level training to meet the identified wellbeing needs of pupils. This is a bespoke response that is funded by the school to meet the complexity of the issues it faces.  The school expresses itself as an ‘adverse childhood experience (ACE) informed school and the headteacher is a proactive in sharing the school’s approach across Wales and internationally.  A range of wellbeing surveys and measures across the school identify those learners who need support.  As a result, tailored intervention is provided to support the wellbeing of pupils using its own trained staff.  Some examples of the resources that the school can provide include a trauma mental health informed practioner, a school trained counsellor, a bereavement counsellor, a mindfulness practitioner, and a ‘drawing and talking’ therapist.  The school also has eight fully trained nurture group practitioners, and Ruby the dog as part of the reading dog initiative.  As a result, more often than not the school can respond to its own needs using its own staff.   

The school also provides an accredited course on resilience for parents and wellbeing open days to the community.  Recently, the school opened on Sunday mornings weekly, to provide support and learning opportunities to pupils and their families.

Description of nature of strategy or activity

The strategy has been developed around a culture that staff who have the skill set and drive are supported and funded to undertake professional development to respond to pupils’ wellbeing needs. The vision is to create its own highly specialist teams to support pupils and develop a learning organisation that is bespoke and unique.  These staff also trained to support families in difficulty.

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?

This provision means that the school can respond quicker and more effectively to pupil wellbeing needs rather than having to wait for specialist external support.  Rarely does the school find it needs to exclude pupils and a few of the most vulnerable pupils in key stage 2 and in the foundation phase achieve well at school.  The school’s ‘before and after’ surveys of wellbeing demonstrate that nearly all pupils report a positive change in their lives.

How have you shared your good practice?

The school has shared its work with the ERW consortium, the Welsh Government and internationally with schools, health providers and research groups who are working with the school on refining the model and practice.