All Saints Church in Wales Primary School praised by Estyn inspectors
All Saints Church in Wales Primary School, in Barry Ministry Area, has been praised by Estyn for its caring community, strong leadership and engaging curriculum following a recent inspection.
Inspectors found that the school places the wellbeing of pupils and staff at the heart of its work, creating a supportive environment where pupils feel safe, confident and valued.
Strong relationships between staff and pupils were identified as a key strength, helping nearly all pupils to behave well and demonstrate the school’s values of respect, responsibility and readiness.
Headteacher Aled Williams said: “We are immensely proud that this report recognises the caring and inclusive community at the heart of All Saints. This achievement belongs to our whole school family; staff, governors, pupils, parents, church and wider community, whose shared commitment, compassion and support help every child to flourish.”
Elizabeth Jones, Vale of Glamorgan Council Director of Learning and Skills, said: “I’d like to congratulate All Saints on their inspection result and an Estyn report that’s full of compliments.
“The report highlights the positive learning environment that has been created, one that helps pupils and staff thrive.
“This feedback is testament to the efforts of the entire school community to nurture young learners – you should all be very proud of yourselves.”
The report states that most pupils enjoy school and develop positive attitudes to learning, with many taking pride in contributing to school life and influencing their own learning.
Inspectors noted that pupils feel listened to and benefit from purposeful opportunities to become active members of the school community.
Estyn also praised the school’s attractive and stimulating learning environment, both indoors and outdoors. The curriculum was described as broad, engaging and reflective of the local area, Wales and the wider world, helping pupils develop a strong sense of belonging, identity, diversity and inclusion.
Many pupils were found to make good overall progress during their time at All Saints. The inspection recognised the school’s systematic approaches to literacy, numeracy and digital skills, which enable pupils to apply their learning confidently across the curriculum. Pupils also benefit from rich creative opportunities, strong physical education and activities that promote healthy lifestyles and emotional wellbeing.
Support for pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALNs) was identified as effective, particularly for those with more complex needs. Inspectors noted the positive impact of well‑targeted support plans, skilled support staff and strong collaboration with parents and external agencies.
Leadership at the school was described as highly professional, compassionate and effective, with senior leaders demonstrating high expectations and a clear focus on continuous improvement.
Estyn recognised that leaders evaluate the school’s work thoroughly and have successfully secured improvements over time, including a strong focus on numeracy and curriculum development in line with Curriculum for Wales.
Governors were commended for their commitment and supportive but appropriately challenging role.
The inspection also confirmed that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, site management, finance and healthy eating are effective and give no cause for concern.
Clare Werrett, Head of Education for the Dicoeses of Llandaff and Monmouth said, "I am delighted to see such a positive inspection report, which recognises the strength of the school’s work and rightly reflects the impact of the strong leadership at the school, along with the engaging curriculum and caring environment.
Many congratulations to the whole school community!"
The report includes two recommendations focused on developing teaching further and strengthening pupils’ Welsh language skills, which the school will now address through an action plan as it strives to improve even further.