A POWYS primary school says it is delighted following a positive report from inspectors Estyn.

Llanelwedd Church in Wales Primary School received glowing praise from the inspection body last month, following the report, which was conducted in November.

The report accentuated the positive aspects of the school, located in the small community on the outskirts of Builth Wells, stating a “sense of trust pervades the school” and praising teachers and support staff for taking good care of pupils’ well-being, which was described as “a notable strength of the school”.

Headteacher Adam Shearman – who has been in the role since 2010 – and his team of teachers and support staff have been described as “good role models” for the pupils, although an emphasis was placed on challenging pupils more so they do not lose interest in their learning.

Four recommendations were made by Estyn, including improving pupils’ Welsh speaking skills, though it was noted by the inspectors that Mr Shearman has already started addressing this issue.

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In a letter to parents, Mr Shearman said: “We are extremely proud of the many strengths and strong features that have been recognised within the report. There are, of course, areas for us to develop and many of these were identified in our school self-evaluation.

“We look forward to continuing to develop these and making Llanelwedd even stronger. I am immensely proud of the children, staff and the whole school community and this report is testimony to the hard work and commitment shown by everybody.”

In an overview of the 104-pupil school, Estyn stated: “Llanelwedd Primary School is a caring place for pupils, staff and visitors.

“Pupils enjoy coming to school. They and their parents are very proud to be a part of such a supportive learning environment. Teachers and support staff are always on hand to help pupils and take very good care of their well-being, which is a notable strength of the school.

“The headteacher and the team of teachers and support staff are good role models for the pupils, they want the best for all the pupils in Llanelwedd. They offer pupils a wide range of interesting, authentic learning experiences, which help to make learning exciting. Many pupils are making good progress and achieving well.

“However, teachers often do not challenge pupils enough and this results in a few pupils not achieving what they are capable of and sometimes losing interest in their learning."

It added: “The headteacher has correctly identified key areas of the school’s work that need improvement, such as pupils’ Welsh oracy skills, which are currently limited to basic words and phrases.

“The headteacher values the opinions of staff, pupils, parents and governors and uses these well to evaluate and improve the school.”

Four recommendations made by Estyn included: addressing the health and safety issue raised during the inspection; increasing leadership capacity by devolving responsibilities across all levels of staff; ensuring teachers provide sufficient challenges for pupils of all abilities; and improving pupils’ Welsh oracy skills.

To view Llanelwedd’s Estyn report, visit https://www.estyn.gov.wales/find-provider?provider=llanelwedd.

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