A village primary school has been praised by inspectors for prioritising the well-being of pupils and staff.

Estyn carried out its inspection of Ysgol Dyffryn Ardudwy in March.

It said the 83-pupil school is “happy and welcoming” and “prioritises the well-being of pupils and staff well”.

A report added that “the school’s inclusive ethos supports nearly all pupils to behave exceptionally well and treat others with respect and care”.

It went on: “Most pupils are very proud of their school and apply themselves fully to learning and play experiences.

“They have a genuine interest in their learning and, as a result, most make appropriate progress during their time at the school.

“However, there are very few opportunities for them to lead their own learning independently.

Since being appointment fairly recently, the headteacher has built on the team ethos that exists across the school.

“She has set out energetically to improve the quality of the learning environment and the range of opportunities available to pupils.

“As a result, they engage in a good range of beneficial learning experiences, including competing in various competitions and working with engaging digital project experts.

“However, the school’s self-evaluation processes are not incisive enough to influence teaching and learning effectively enough.

“Staff have an effective working relationship with pupils and support their Welsh language skills successfully.

“Overall, they question and support pupils to deepen their understanding and develop their skills beneficially.

“However, teachers have a tendency to over-direct learning, which hinders pupils’ ability to lead their own learning.

“Learning experiences also do not provide enough challenge and opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge, understanding and skills across the curriculum regularly enough.”

Three recommendations have been made.

“They are to improve teaching to challenge pupils effectively and develop their independent learning skills, ensure beneficial opportunities for pupils to develop and apply their writing and numeracy skills across the curriculum, and refine self-evaluation processes to ensure improvements in teaching and learning.

“The school will draw up an action plan to show how it will address the recommendations,” the report adds.

“Estyn will review the school’s progress.”

The school was last inspected in September 2014. The start date of this inspection was 27 March, 2023.

Copies of this report are available from the school and from Estyn’s website: www.estyn.gov.wales.