Y Bont Faen Primary School Praised in Estyn Report
Estyn have commended Y Bont Faen Primary School in Cowbridge as an example of best practice in a national thematic report.
Inspectors carried out a one-day visit to the school in February 2025 to assess how effectively the school is developing and embedding approaches to teaching the Curriculum for Wales.
The report highlights the pivotal role of teaching in achieving the aims set out in the national curriculum as well as securing better outcomes for pupils.
The Estyn report read: “At Y Bont-Faen, collective teacher efficacy is a cornerstone of the school’s professional learning culture, leading to meaningful improvements in teaching and learning. 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.”
Inspectors added: “Teachers now challenge pupils to expand their responses, improving their ability to articulate reasoning, particularly in literacy and mathematics. Similarly, the school’s development of ‘Teaching Placemats’, summarising key pedagogical principles, has provided a shared reference point, ensuring consistency across classrooms.”
Following the publication of the report, Estyn invited Y Bont Faen’s Headteacher Julia Adams to take part in a nationally-broadcast webinar to share examples of how staff at the school have implemented their teaching strategies.
Headteacher Julia Adams 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.”
Cllr Rhiannon Birch, Cabinet Member for Education, Arts and the Welsh Language, 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!”