PEMBROKE Dock Community School has been praised in an Estyn case study on independent learning.

Estyn - the Education and Training Inspectorate for Wales - has published a good practice case study on the school on Friday, January 27, following an inspection in November.

The case study looks at the strategies which the school has introduced to encourage independent learning, and the impact on provision and education standards.

Michele Thomas, headteacher at the 600 pupil school, said: “Estyn recognised that the work of the school has enabled our pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and enabled them to become ambitious capable learners.

“Their ability to self-assess and to be aware of the next step in their learning is impressive.”

Some of the strategies include supporting pupils to find ways to progress with their learning, encouraging them to seek feedback from their teachers and, more importantly, encouraging them to give feedback to staff about their teaching.

Other strategies include encouraging pupils to see learning as hard work coupled with a desire to succeed, and the importance of being challenged by the success criteria.

The report says that the result is that pupils can articulate what they are learning and why.

“Pupils can also set their own goals and aspire to challenge,” says the study. “They also see errors as opportunities to learn.

“Teachers use pupils’ feedback to adapt their planning and teaching to take pupils’ learning further. Pupils want to succeed in their learning and recognise effective ways to move this forward.”

The school has hosted a number of open days to share their good practice with other schools across Wales.

To view the case study, go online at: estyn.gov.wales/best-practice/encouraging-independent-learners