HIGH Cross Primary School in Rogerstone was found to be “excellent” in all five areas measured by an Estyn inspection earlier this year.

One of the highest-scoring Welsh schools under the inspectorate's new system, High Cross also has a platinum flag for eco activities and has won awards for ICT and additional education needs.

Yet, what really stands out about High Cross is the community feel generated in the school of 260 pupils.

Reflecting this, the school’s head teacher, Carl Sherlock, began his teaching career at the school in 1997 and returned as head teacher a decade later.

Within minutes, it is apparent how approachable Mr Sherlock is for students at High Cross and the head teacher has made an effort to know each of his students on a first name basis.

Mr Sherlock said that is a group effort and the support of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) has been crucial to the school’s success, which falls in line with the school’s motto,‘Together, we will win’.

The impact the PTA has had on High Cross is immediately clear upon witnessing the school’s new state of the art nursery, which was opened last month.

Based on research conducted in Durham, in conjunction with the school’s child psychologist, Mr Sherlock believed a more calming environment would benefit nursery students.

Mr Sherlock said: “We’ve gone from a decorative, bright environment to simpler, natural colours. It’s about doing what’s natural for the kids: natural wood, natural kids.

“We’ve got a great PTA and everything you see here was funded by them. You wouldn’t think that natural stuff could be so much more expensive, but our summer holidays were spent putting Ikea stuff together.”

Reflecting the minimalist decor, the nursery students thrive in a tranquil environment under Ms Kalahar, who has been at the school for 11 years. Ms Kalahar said the new environment has benefited both her and her students.

She said: “Having worked in big bright colours, it’s a much more relaxing environment and the students have a lot more curiosity about what’s going on around them. We’ve been able to establish ourselves as our own little training base for South Wales.

“It’s been lovely to teach in this new environment, as I haven’t taught nursery for a few years. It’s much more child-centred and I think that’s evident throughout, with the pumpkin soup they’re making or the house the kids put together.

“It’s all very family orientated and community orientated. We’ve always been very lucky with our parents but the Parents and Friends Association is massive now and they’ve been a great support. We’re very lucky. “

Moving across the yard to the junior school, the walls may be brighter but it is still a calm learning environment. As a result, it is little surprise when Mr Sherlock reveals that the school’s library is High Cross’ most popular facility for students.

The Year Six students are particularly enthusiastic about the library's facilities and Mr Sherlock said that classes are split between guided reading groups and isolated reading sessions in silence.

Mr Sherlock said: “In the groups, rather than just flying through the book, they sit down and discuss it in depth. We’ve brought in electronic elements to proceedings, too. We don’t have computer suites, but have a set of laptops instead.

"We trialled iPad minis two years ago to try and raise the standards of literacy and numeracy and we've designed different learning activities for them. It all goes through the school IT system but you’re finding that kids are so used to technology now that it’s not really a novelty for them.”

High Cross was particularly commended in its inspection by Estyn for its support for children who struggle with literacy and maths.

Mr Sherlock said central to this has been Mrs Mayor, who is the school’s longest-serving member of staff and has been with High Cross for 22 years.

He said: “Mrs Mayor has been fantastic and we’ve been keen to offer support to kids who struggle with social or emotional literacy, as well as maths. It’s all about regular sessions that are short and sharp. The room here allows us to hold these sessions one-to-one or in groups so it’s great. Yet again, we have to thank the PTA who funded the building of it two years ago.”

As well as academic support, High Cross is keen to encourage its students’ creativity and central to this is music.

Ms Strong oversees music in the school and she said that many of the children would not have the opportunity to play such an array of instruments outside of school.

She said: “We have a company called Upbeat Music who visit the school once a week to do sessions with them. They come in with the lessons and backing tracks, so the children are learning an instrument that they may never have had an opportunity to do.

“We’ve got 10 weeks with the Glockenspiels and then we do tiger drumming and samba drumming. It works out a different instrument in each term. It’s about an hour per week.”

Away from the classroom, High Cross encourages its students to interact with nature, with plenty of greenery and foliage surrounding the school.

Mrs Rees, who oversees Year 3, said encouraging kids to connect with nature brings out their creativity.

She said: "We've had three chickens since they were eggs. The children kept them in the classroom last Easter and we then built a purpose built hutch in summer. The kids get to take home the eggs and have an egg diary. All I can say is, never work with children and animals!”

Further autumn-related activities are held for the reception and Year 2 classes, with an eagerly-anticipated visit of an African Hedgehog for Mrs Hussan’s class and an outdoor, block-building 'pictogram' competition for Ms Dunbar’s class.

The children are constantly captivated – whether it is the speed of the hedgehog or the colour of the autumn leaves – and it is easy to see why High Cross has proved such a successful learning environment.

FACT FILE

Head teacher: Carl Sherlock

Number of pupils: 260

Age range: 3 to 11

Largest class: 34, Year 6

Motto: "Together we win"

Head of governors: Reverend Richard Mulcahy

Last Estyn report, November 2013: All five categories were marked as excellent. The school’s current performance was rated as excellent and the school’s prospects for improvement were also rated as excellent. The school’s only recommendations by Estyn were to further improve pupils’ Welsh language skills in key stage 2, especially in reading and writing; to further improve pupils’ understanding of letters and sounds in the Foundation; and to further improve attendance.