We are delighted to share with you the school’s latest Estyn report from February 2026.
As the 2023 inspection went so well, we were anxious to deliver a similar result… the school and Governors were delighted to receive an (even more) wonderful report which really highlighted the tremendous work done over the past few years. The school received two ‘Spotlights’ for its exceptional work in Inclusion and Outdoor Learning:
Spotlight 1 – A notable strength of the school is its highly inclusive ethos, which ensures that pupils from the LSC are fully involved in all aspects of school life. The school’s commitment to inclusion is exemplified by the regular opportunities it provides for all pupils to learn and use British Sign Language (BSL). This consistent exposure strengthens communication between pupils, fosters empathy and deepens mutual understanding, helping to promote a shared sense of belonging across the school community.
Spotlight 2 – The school makes highly effective use of its well-developed woodland area to enrich pupils’ learning and personal development. Regular sessions outdoors, provide valuable opportunities for pupils to collaborate on practical tasks that build their problem-solving skills, teamwork and independence. Mixed-age activities foster a supportive and nurturing environment, with older pupils guiding and encouraging younger children. This approach strengthens relationships across the school and builds pupils’ confidence as they embrace new challenges.
The following quotations are highlights of the report:
“Pupils at Catwg Primary School benefit from a warm, inclusive environment that promotes
their well-being effectively.”
“Nearly all pupils behave well, treat one another with respect and form strong, trusting relationships.”
“Older pupils act as positive role models, and many take on leadership roles that build their confidence and sense of responsibility. This caring ethos contributes positively to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.”
“Teaching enables most pupils to engage well with learning and make good progress as they move through the school.”
“From the moment they join the school, pupils settle quickly and respond well to clear expectations.”
“Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are well developed.”
“Teachers provide regular, purposeful activities that promote dialogue so nearly all pupils develop increasing clarity and confidence in how they communicate with others.”
“A structured approach to reading helps most pupils develop confidence, read fluently and enjoy books.”
“As pupils move through the school, pupils develop their writing and mathematical skills well and they apply their skills purposefully across the curriculum.”
“Nearly all pupils with additional learning needs (ALN), including those in the Learning Support Centre (LSC), make at least good progress from their individual starting points. They receive timely and well targeted support. The school adopts an inclusive approach and provides beneficial opportunities for pupils from the LSC to work effectively alongside their peers in mainstream classes.”
“Leaders provide clear direction and a strong focus on improvement. Self-evaluation activities identify priorities for improvement accurately. Professional learning supports these priorities effectively.”
“Leaders’ effective work with families and partners has led to steady improvements in attendance over the past three years.”
We were supportively challenged on our areas of development, and whilst we support the findings, it is important to contextualise them. They are are follows:
R1 – Strengthen the curriculum to ensure greater coherence and clearer progression for pupils across all areas of learning.
Response and action – This target relates to wider elements of the curriculum i.e. Expressive Arts, Critical Thinking etc. The school will continue to develop distributed leadership to empower all staff to make choices, alongside the pupils, to develop the wider areas of their curriculum and link their learning and progression.
R2 – Improve pupils’ Welsh oracy skills.
Response and action – The school had already identified this as a target, embedding it into the School Development Plan for 2025/26. The Language, Literacy & Communication team will work closely with pupils and the county’s Advisory Service to improve this area further.
The full report can be read here, with the abridged parent/carer version available here.
If you require a paper version of the report, please contact the school office – we will happily provide this for you.