School receives glowing report
A SMALL rural school in Carmarthenshire is flying high following a glowing report by Welsh Government education inspectors Estyn.
Its report for Ysgol Llanybydder primary school has cited many positive aspects, with only two minor recommendations for improvement.
Inspectors described the school, which has 77 pupils, as a “happy, safe and hardworking community”.
They added: “Pupils are extremely polite and very proud of their school and their community.
“They have a say in school life and work effectively with each other and adults when planning rich learning experiences.”
The report states that the school “listens to the pupils’ voices and supports them when necessary”.
“For example, governors supported pupils’ request to the local authority to improve the condition of the road outside the school.
“Following a detailed letter from pupils stating the unacceptable condition of the road, the authority arranged for the road to be repaired urgently.”
With regards to the staff, Estyn said: “Staff provide rich experiences for pupils to develop their skills in reallife contexts as they learn with increasing independence.’’
In addition, the report states: “The staff are a conscientious team who work diligently to support the wellbeing and progress of all pupils.”
The school leadership also received positive comments, with the report stating that “the headteacher’s strong leadership sets high expectations that are recognised by pupils, staff, governors and parents”.
Estyn has recommended that the school improves the standard of pupils’ presentation of work and provides more opportunities to develop extended writing skills. All school stakeholders, including the staff, governors, pupils and parents, are extremely happy with the report.
Headteacher Gareth Jones said: “We are all extremely happy with the report. It is a true reflection of the school and, as headteacher, I am extremely proud of the staff and especially the pupils.’’
He added: “It is challenging leading a small rural school, especially with reduced funding. However, this report is evidence that with diligent, hardworking staff and effective leadership it’s possible to provide the best education possible for our pupils.”