PUPILS at two local primary schools in Caerphilly were treated to a special visit from the mayor to celebrate their recent success from Estyn inspections.

Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council Cllr. Mike Adams visited students at Cwmfelinfach Primary School and Ynysddu Primary School as part of a celebration into their first Estyn report as a Schools Federation.

South Wales Argus: Cllr Adams visited Cwmfelinfach Primary School and Ynysddu Primary School and was interviewed by the school councils as part of the celebrationsCllr Adams visited Cwmfelinfach Primary School and Ynysddu Primary School and was interviewed by the school councils as part of the celebrations (Image: Carl Woods)The recent Estyn inspection from November 2023 was mostly positive, with particular focus given to the “clear vision” from the headmaster which reflects well in the progress made by students both emotionally and academically.

According to the report, pupils are given “every opportunity to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment” where each individual is valued and respected by peers and staff alike.

Leaders are seen as able to “work together purposefully” in a manner that ensures the teaching meets the needs of the majority, with certain “engaging” learning experiences enabling pupils to make “strong progress” in the core subject areas of literacy, numeracy and digital skills.

Teaching is “stimulating” and students are able to develop effectively and maturely by using purposeful feedback to improve their work.

Headmaster Dave Witchell was delighted with the recent report.

He said: “As a federation of schools, we are delighted with the outcomes of the recent Estyn Inspection and would like to thank all our pupils, our parents and governors for the continued support that they show us.”

Chair of the Governors Carl Woods was pleased with the way the reports reflecting how both schools are flourishing since becoming a federation.

He said: “Whilst both schools were performing well prior to forming a federation, Governors were confident that forming a schools federating would provide a solid platform and opportunity that would encourage both schools to flourish.

 “These Estyn reports provide reassurance to parents that forming the federation has been successful and that the staff of both schools are providing an excellent education for their children.”

South Wales Argus: The School and Education Awards 2024 are now open for nominationsThe School and Education Awards 2024 are now open for nominations (Image: Newsquest)

As part of his visit to celebrate this positive feedback, Cllr Adams was interviewed by the students on each school council, who asked key questions including how did he become mayor, what does the mayor do and what is the mayor’s chosen charity?

To conclude his visit, the mayor toured classes in each school where he talked to several pupils and was shown examples of their work.

Our School and Education Awards are now open for nominations, and if you would like to nominate these schools or a member of staff for an award, you can do so here, where you will also find more detail about each of the awards available.

This year's categories are:

  • School of the Year
  • Private or Independent School of the Year
  • PTA of the Year
  • Special Education Needs (SENCO) Award
  • Head Teacher of the Year
  • Primary School of the Year
  • Secondary School of the Year (sponsored by the University of South Wales)
  • Above and Beyond Award
  • Teaching Assistant of the Year
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • College or University of the Year
  • Primary Teacher of the Year
  • STEM Project of the Year (sponsored by National Grid)
  • Secondary School Teacher of the Year