Estyn inspectors' school reports in Newport and Gwent

Blaenau Gwent

In Tredegar, Georgetown Community Primary School was praised for its work putting pupils’ wellbeing at the heart of everything it does.

Estyn visited the school in June, and found a “strong culture of trust” between parents and the school’s leadership.

“Georgetown Community Primary School is a happy school, where staff, governors, parents and pupils all work together to create a safe and stimulating environment for learning,” the inspectors' report read.

Georgetown Community Primary School. Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

“Leaders have been very successful in improving the indoor and outdoor spaces to support pupils’ emotional and social needs, as well as their physical skills, which are very good. This has been particularly important following the pandemic.”

Caerphilly

Aberbargoed Primary School's “caring ethos” was been praised by inspectors for allowing its pupils to thrive during a visit in June.

Aberbargoed Primary School. Picture: Google

Estyn said it found a "highly inclusive school that places a high priority on the well-being of its pupils", and "pupils know that all adults in the school care for them and that they can turn to them when they face challenges or have difficulties".

At Bryn Primary School, in Pontllanfraith, inspectors said the atmosphere created by staff at the school helped pupils to engage enthusiastically with their learning.

“Leaders and staff at Bryn Primary School work together effectively to create an inclusive, happy and nurturing learning environment,” read the report.

There was good news at Ysgol Bro Sannan in Aberbargoed, when Estyn found sufficient progress in relation to the recommendations made after a 2019 visit.

The inspection found that the school and Caerphilly County Borough Council had made efforts to develop a robust leadership structure, and this has led to good progress in almost all of the priorities identified in the last inspection.

And at Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargod, in Bargoed, a follow-up visit by Estyn in June earned it removal from a list of schools in need of "significant improvement".

The leadership had "strengthened the relationship between the school and parents and carers" and created a culture of "positive ethos and co-operation", they added.

Monmouthshire

The Dell Primary School in Chepstow won praise from inspectors for its "broad and balanced" curriculum and its "effective" provision for pupils’ personal and social development.

“Teachers provide a wide range of activities that engage the interest of nearly all pupils," the Estyn team added. "Good use is made of the local environment such as when pupils study the River Wye and the area around Chepstow."

At St Mary’s RC Primary School, in the Bulwark area of Chepstow, inspectors said staff had taken a “frank approach” to improvement.

“St Mary’s is an effective school with a strong, caring and compassionate ethos,” read the Estyn report.

“Its pupils enjoy coming to school and are proud to be members of its community."

Newport

Estyn praised Crindau Primary School in Newport for its pupils' behaviour and the standards of teaching, when its inspectors visited earlier this year.

The team from Estyn also complimented the school's leadership, and said pupils feel "safe and happy".

Crindau Primary School in Newport.

Pupils at Crindau Primary are "polite and helpful" and "develop well as individuals" who have a "love of reading".

St Patrick’s RC Primary School received a glowing inspection, particularly for the “positive relationships” developed between pupils and staff.

“Pupils enjoy their time at the school very much,” read the report. “This is because they have positive relationships with their teachers and other staff, which help support a vibrant atmosphere around the school."

Meanwhile, Welsh-medium secondary school Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed was described as having a "supportive ethos" around pupil wellbeing and "valuable opportunities" for children to "develop their understanding of Welsh culture and traditions".

Estyn said "many pupils" there are "proud to be a part of the school community" and "get on well and respect each other’s points of view".

Torfaen

Crownbridge School, in Cwmbran, is Torfaen's only special school and also provides education for some pupils from Monmouthshire and Newport who have additional learning needs.

A team from Estyn noted staff were "sensitive to the needs of pupils and pupil well-being is at the heart of the school".

Teachers planned a "caring, nurturing environment" for learning and "relationships and interactions between staff and pupils are highly effective" at Crownbridge.