A WELSH language nursery in Pontypool has been praised by the inspectorate Estyn.

Ysgol Feithrin Pontypool, held in St James Hall, provides care four days a week during term time in morning and afternoon sessions for its 29 registered children, aged two and a half, to four.

Current performance for the nursery, which saw its building completely renovated in 2010, was described as good in last month's Estyn report because the children achieve well and make good progress from their starting point; they feel happy and safe; there is very good use made of the environment and the community to enrich children’s experiences; active learning experiences engage and sustain the children’s interest; the teaching is of a consistently good standard, and there is effective use of assessment by observation to plan the next steps.

Prospects for improvement were assessed as good because the inspector Branwen Llewelyn Jones found a culture of professional reflection based on self-evaluation; the standard of leadership is good; the setting demonstrates a commitment to continuous professional development; and practitioners work effectively as a team.

In order to improve, the nursery's five staff need to continue to improve children’s Welsh language skills, and improve the provision for children’s spiritual development, the report said.