Praise for Pîl Primary School in latest Estyn report

Staff and pupils at Pîl Primary School in Bridgend County Borough have been given a positive report by schools’ inspection body Estyn.

Inspectors found that teachers provide a range of learning experiences that engage pupils’ interest and motivate them to succeed. They also noted that all pupils were “proud” of their school.

The leadership team were praised for their strong strategic direction and for encouraging collaboration amongst staff, building professional expertise and strengthening partnerships with parents successfully.

The school’s provision for developing pupils’ core skills, including their use of the Welsh language, is another notable strength. Nearly all pupils are making strong progress in developing their use of spoken Welsh and show enjoyment in learning the language.

The inspectors also identified three areas for improvement in their report. They recommend sharpening monitoring procedures to focus precisely on the impact of teaching, improving opportunities for pupils to develop their creative skills progressively and refining teaching to enable pupils to exercise more independence in what and how they learn.

The school has now drawn up a post-inspection action plan to show how it will address those recommendations.

It is clear from this report that there is much for the staff, pupils and governors of Pîl Primary School to be proud of.

It is particularly pleasing to read all the very positive features identified by Estyn including the high and rising standards, the use of the Welsh language and the strong strategic leadership.

I have every confidence in the school successfully addressing the recommendations that Estyn has made and that the outcomes for pupils which are already very good will continue to improve at Pîl Primary School.

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell, Cabinet Member for Education