A CAERPHILLY school’s “caring ethos” has been praised by inspectors for allowing its pupils to thrive.

Estyn inspectors visited Aberbargoed Primary School, in Heol Ysgol Newydd in the town, in June.

The school caters for 252 pupils from the age of three to 11, and was last inspected in November 2013, when it received ‘Good’ scores for current performance and for its prospects for improvement.

Following this latest inspection, Estyn reported: “Aberbargoed Primary School is a highly inclusive school that places a high priority on the well-being of its pupils.

“Pupils know that all adults in the school care for them and that they can turn to them when they face challenges or have difficulties.

“As a result of this, the majority of pupils make good progress with their academic and social skills.

“Most pupils make good progress from their starting points and there is suitable provision for pupils with additional learning needs.

“Overall, pupils make purposeful progress in developing their skills in English and mathematics, but they do not always apply these skills well enough in their topic work.

“Pupils in the foundation phase benefit from effective provision and are given exceptional opportunities for them to collaborate, experiment and learn through experience.

“Pupils contribute well to a variety of groups and committees and can give examples of how their work has impacted on the school.”

The Estyn report stated that the school’s headteacher recognised that “work needs to be done” to improve standards in teaching for Years Three to Six.

Inspectors added that the school’s focus on providing a nurturing environment put it in good stead for helping pupils throughout the pandemic.

“The valuable, caring ethos that staff have worked so hard to create means that the school was in a strong position to deal with the impact of the pandemic,” the report said.

“Effective partnerships with parents and the commitment of staff meant that pupils and their families felt well supported during this time.”

The report also praised the school’s governors, adding that they “know the school well and provide good support for the newly appointed headteacher”.

Aberbargoed Primary School must now draw up an action plan to set out how it will address the standards of teaching and low expectations for pupils in Years Three to Six, as well as how they will develop the independent skills of pupils in those years.

Estyn have also recommended the school should “robustly monitor and evaluate learning and teaching to identify key areas for improvement”, and “develop the roles of leaders at every level to secure improvement”.