Cowbridge school praised by inspectors

Friday, 24 October 2025 16:49

By Gareth Joy X @lookoutwales2

A Cowbridge primary school has been praised by inspectors for how it teaches the Curriculum for Wales.

Y Bont Faen Primary was singled out by Estyn as "an example of best practice" following a one-day visit last February.

A new report also highlighted the pivotal role of teaching in achieiving the aims of the national curriculum, which was introduced three years ago, and achieving better outcomes for pupils.

Julia Adams, headteacher of Y Bont Faen, was invited by the schools inspectorate to take part in a webinar sharing examples of how staff implement teaching strategies.

She said: "I am delighted that the hard work and collaborative ethos of the teaching and support staff has been recognised as good practice."

"The report reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and delivering the very best learning experiences and outcomes for our pupils."

Inspectors said "collective teacher efficacy" was "a cornerstone of the school's professional learning culture, leading to meaningful improvements in teaching and learning."

Their report notes: "Leaders have embedded a structured approach where staff engage in professional inquiry, peer collaboration, and reflective practice to ensure consistent and high-quality pedagogy across the school."

"A key example of this is the school's use of professional enquiry groups, where all staff work in small teams to explore and trial new teaching strategies. For instance, research on effective questioning led to a whole-school focus on refining teacher-pupil interactions."

Cllr Rhiannon Birch, cabinet member for education at Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: "I’m delighted to see Y Bont Faen praised as an example of good practice by Estyn and the report highlights the meaningful efforts made by all school staff to explore new or different ways to approach teaching to ensure every learner is making progress in the classroom."

"I would like to congratulate everyone at Y Bont Faen for this well-deserved feedback – da iawn!"

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