WITH 300 students and lots of things going on, Cefn Fforest Primary School is a busy school.

The school, in Cefn Fforest, Blackwood, is constantly aiming to improve and raise its standards as well.

Head teacher Julie Farmer said: “The school is at the heart of the community. There is always parents here, there is always something going on.

“What makes the school unique is the combination of the staff working very well as a team and their willingness to work with the families.

“We have a really strong team and that makes a difference.

“We also support the whole family, rather than just the child."

Ms Farmer said, in the last Estyn inspection, the school’s performance was rated as good because nearly all pupils make good progress – often from low starting points – as well as offering learning experiences that stimulate the interests of nearly all pupils.

The school’s prospects for improvement were also rated as good, she added, because the staff share a strong commitment for further improvement and its good track record of improving pupil outcomes.

Despite the school being in a challenging area, they have been a green school for three years, she said, and standards have risen every year. They are constantly trying to improve and are aiming for “excellent” in their next report.

Ms Farmer, who has been the head teacher at the school since 2009, added the school – which has 12 teachers and 15 teaching assistants - has received several awards, including for healthy schools, eco schools, fair trade and autism aware. They are currently working towards the trauma informed school’s status.

“We are very proud of our school and its community,” she continued. “We work together to support each other and provide the best start in life for our pupils.

“The wellbeing of our pupils and their families is at the heart of everything we do at the school.

“Pupils achieve good standards when they leave us, but more importantly they are happy confident individuals who are ambitious and want to succeed.”

Ms Farmer said that, at Cefn Fforest primary school, they believe developing the whole child is important to enable them to succeed in life and that, over the past few years, they have focused on health and wellbeing.

They provide opportunities for the children to develop their social and emotional skills, she continued, and give them the skills to help them maintain a healthy life.

Among others, the school now has calming spaces in all rooms and mindfulness activities are carried out in the classroom, Ms Farmer added. They have trained staff on relaxation, deep breathing and mindfulness, for example.

She said: “Since September, we have a relaxation room and it has been fantastic.

“There are a lot less arguments and they are more able to calm down if they get upset.”

As part of their goal of being a healthy school, they provide extra-curricular activities, such as dancing, athletics and rugby, giving the pupils the opportunity to stay active.

“You hear all the time of the obesity crisis and this is about the wellbeing of the child – it is about having a healthy mind and a healthy body,” she said.

Music is also a key part of the school and they give pupils the chance to learn how to play instruments for free in small groups.

She continued: “At the school, we house two special resource base classes for children with complex needs.

“The classes are run on a personalised curriculum, where every child receives the support they need.”

The head teacher said the family and the wider community contribute a great deal to the school, and have provided opportunities for families to learn and develop their own skills within the school.

For three years, they have had a family and community room which is used to run support groups – such as for parents who have experienced domestic violence - and courses, including parenting courses, literacy and numeracy and stress management.

“This is important to develop good relationships between the school and the parents and the community,” Ms Farmer continued. “I am really proud of what is going at the school.

“It is fantastic to have this space here as they can support each other.”

Mum-of-two Kayleigh Davies is one of the parents to make use of the family room. She said: “I don’t know what I would do without the support of this school.”

ICT teacher Sophie Davie said ICT is one of the strengths at the school, with children having exceeded their expectations in the past year. They have run a road safety animation competition and an e-safety completion, she said.