STAFF, governors and pupils at Ysgol Bro Gwaun are delighted with an Estyn report published this week which praises the school as a "caring community" which the pupils are proud to be part of and commends the "positive working relationship" between staff and pupils and staff teamwork that has raised standards.

Inspectors visited the school back in October and judged the school as good in all five key areas: standards; wellbeing and attitudes to learning; teaching and learning experiences; care, support and guidance and leadership and management.

The report says the school is:

"A caring community that focuses wholeheartedly on developing its pupils as confident and responsible citizens. The positive working relationships between staff and pupils is a notable strength of the school.

"Pupils are proud members of the school community and most behave well in lessons and around the school.

"They are courteous towards their peers, staff and visitors. Many pupils have positive attitudes to learning and have a positive impact on school life. Many pupils make sound progress in lessons and perform well in external examinations."

It says that teachers know their pupils well and have high expectations of both pupil behaviour and what they can achieve. They create a positive and inclusive learning environment.

Headteacher, Paul Edwards, was said to have "assured leadership" and school leaders for having "a clear vision for raising the ambitions of all pupils and preparing them for their future lives".

The report says pupils make secure progress in their knowledge, understanding and skills and have a positive attitude towards their work, performing well in GCSEs and making more progress than expected.

Pupils were said take pride in their school and the local community and to treat their peers and staff with high levels of respect. The school's family atmosphere and team ethos were also noted, with Ysgol Bro Gwaun described as a "close-knit, caring community that promotes inclusivity and pupils' wellbeing particularly well".

Staff were praised for fostering positive working relationships, knowing their pupils well and successfully creating a supportive and positive learning environment while the school's leadership team works well together and has improved pupil outcomes and wellbeing as well as staff morale.

The report recommends that self-evaluation focuses on pupils' skills; that Welsh provision matched pupils' abilities, that teaching is improved in a minority of lessons and that higher order reading skills, their thinking skills and the extended writing skills are improved for a minority of pupils.

"I'm delighted that the report successfully captures the true nature and ethos of Ysgol Bro Gwaun," said headteacher, Paul Edwards.

"It highlights the real progress that the school has made in the last few years, especially in relation to GCSE performance and our core beliefs around developing a sense of pride and belonging, both within the school and with the community at large.

"We offer a unique curriculum in Pembrokeshire which reflects the linguistic balance of the community we serve; Pupils are able to choose to follow a curriculum fully through the medium of English or, should they wish, they could follow a bilingual curriculum where some subjects are taught in Welsh and others in English.

"I would like to thank the staff, governors and the pupils who have all contributed to this positive inspection outcome, and look forward to building on this platform as we continue our improvement journey."

Martin Batty, chair of governors, added:

"The school was given a positive assessment on all parameters, but for me the highlight was undoubtedly the Inspectors' conclusion that the school worked well as a team at all levels.

"In particular, they praised the large number of pupils that were very actively involved in the day-to-day operation of the school. Overall, an excellent outcome but most of all a tribute to the great interaction and teamwork of staff at all levels, pupils, and governors. Congratulations

to all."

The report, which is published today (Monday) is able to view on www.ysgolbrogwaun.com or www.estyn.gov.wales.