PUPILS and staff at a Newport school are celebrating receiving top marks from school watchdog Estyn following a recent inspection.

Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd was considered excellent in both its current performance and its prospects for improvements.

The Welsh medium school, which serves 353 pupils between the ages of three and 11, was visited by inspectors in March of this year.

A glowing report from Estyn states that students make “excellent progress” in developing all of their skills across the curriculum by the end of their time at the school.

It found that pupils who are eligible for free school meals achieve as well as their peers and, in some areas, they achieve better than their peers.

Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd’s “strong Welsh ethos” was also praised, with nearly all of students using the language “confidently and correctly”.

During their visit, inspectors found that staff provided a range of “very innovate and creative” learning experiences that motivated nearly all pupils “exceptionally well”.

The standard of teaching was also noted as being “consistently good” across the school, with elements of excellence.

According to the report, the school has been led by head teacher Ceri Parry’s “innovative, robust and very effective leadership”.

The school’s senior management staff and governors were also complimented on having, and it was noted that there was a a”strong team spirit” evident throughout the school.

Mrs Parry, who has been in the role since January 2016, said she was “absolutely delighted about the recognition.

“Being a Welsh medium school in south east Wales, it’s just fabulous and it helps put Newport on the map,” she said.

“The children have shown great pride in the development with the Welsh language.

“I’m just very proud of all of the pupils and all of the staff.”

Mrs Parry, who was head of Key Stage 2 during Estyn’s last inspection of the school in 2010, said that the school had ensured that standards were continually improved upon.

She said: “We’re not just sitting back and thinking we’re a good school, we’re always looking forward for the next opportunity.

“I think what’s really important is that every child has really deserved to achieve this success and every child has the potential to succeed.

“In a way that permeates throughout the children and if you’ve got the pupils happy, and the stuff happy, then that’s when teh learning will happen.”

The news has also been welcomed on social media, with Paul Blight tweeting: “Had no doubt on the result, confirms what parents already knew. Many congratulations to such a brilliant staff team and governors.”

Estyn have recommended that the school continue to raise pupils’ attendance rates and to develop further the governors role in challenging the school about its performance.