A PRIMARY school in the Caerphilly County borough has been praised by Estyn inspectors for its focus on inclusivity and the positive wellbeing of its pupils. 

Following an inspection carried out in November 2023, a team of inspectors found Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Derwen is a "fully inclusive" school that promotes positivity within their ethos and environment.

Pupils were seen as eagerly engaging with staff and their learning, which inspectors said was because of the "strong working relationships" forged between themselves, teachers and other members of staff.

Children and the "specialist resources" used to support and engage each pupil are considered to be playing an "important part" in the school's daily environment. 

Staff are seen as conscientious when it comes to their relationships with students, where they are able to encourage pupils to grow as people and "take responsibility for their own well-being and behaviour", which then reflects positively on the students' learning ability and willingness to push on with activities or subjects they may find difficult. 

Trust, respect and courtesy are three key elements of the school's "strong ethos", with children learning how to appropriately engage with their friends and adult staff members. 

While some activity planning is "effective" to promote and develop some areas of learning, particularly for individual pupils, the provision for outdoor learning was not considered good enough, with particular focus on the progress of younger pupils. 

Teaching is considered at its best when pupils are given purposeful feedback that "challenges them to perform". In these situations, most students have made good headway in the major subject areas, including reading. 

However, the level of teaching is not considered this effective across the whole school. 

Leaders have been praised for their "close contact" with parents, carers and the wider school community, which has resulted in a very positive relationship where families are aware of the goings on at the school. 

There was particular acclaim aimed at the headteacher, with her "determination to succeed for the benefit of pupils and the community" a particular highlight, something inspectors believe possible under her "purposeful leadership". 

This determination has successfully filtered into the senior leadership team and governors who work together "diligently" to enable the school to maintain its "fully inclusive" nature while encouraging more learning opportunities. 

The head's awareness of where the school needs to improve is considered very thorough, which is reflected in the "beneficial opportunities" offered to staff for professional development. 

On the whole, inspectors felt there was "a positive whole-school ethos" where pupils and staff alike are respected and their contribution to the school community valued. 

Among the recommendations for improvement were improving the quality and availability of outdoor learning, particularly for younger pupils, ensuring a consistency in effective teaching across the school and lastly, create a joint plan to continually improve the maths and extended writing skills of all pupils. 

The school will now draw up an action plan to work on these recommendations.