A BLAENAU Gwent school has been given the second highest rating in its latest inspection.

All Saint’s Primary School, in Ebbw Vale, was inspected by Estyn earlier this year and the governing body’s report was published on Friday.

The report found both the school’s current performance and prospects of improvement have been rated “good”, the second top rating after “excellent”.

The school, which has 214 children on roll across eight classes, has nearly 40 per cent more pupils eligible for free school meals than the national average – 57 per cent compared to 20 per cent.

According to the report, many children make strong progress as they move up the school and their speaking, listening and reading skills especially develop at a good rate.

The inspector wrote: “Nearly all pupils enter the school with knowledge, understanding and skills that are below or well below the average for their age.

“As they move through the school, pupils make good progress from their starting-points and achieve well by the end of key stage two”.

The report also highlighted the school’s “caring, inclusive ethos” as well as a good quality of teaching.

In terms of wellbeing, it said most pupils show courtesy and good behaviour and have a good understanding of how to keep safe online as well as how to become healthy and fit.

Headteacher Jill Jones, who took up the post in 2013, provides effective leadership and direction and the whole leadership team works well together, Estyn found.

The Argus visited the school, on Heol-Yr-Ysgol, last September for a School of the Week feature. Ms Jones said at the time that when she joined, “there were things I needed to change”.

She said: “We were in the orange to yellow category for improvement but now we are coming out of it and we’ve been told our teaching and learning provision is good.”

The school’s last inspection was in 2009, when it was given six grade two ratings – meaning “good features and no important shortcomings” – and one grade one rating, meaning “good with outstanding features”.