St Florence Primary School is a “caring and vibrant learning community” according to education watchdog, Estyn.

In its first report on the 68-pupil school since 2014, Estyn says the pupils are polite, caring and behave well.

In the areas of school activity which were inspected, two were rated ‘good’ and the remaining three judged as ‘adequate and needs improvement.’

Recommendations made by Estyn were: improve pupils’ mathematics and numeracy skills; improve pupils’ Welsh speaking skills; ensure that improvement processes focus on evaluating and improving pupils’ standards; ensure that teaching and provision in the foundation phase challenges all pupils effectively and develops their independence.

The school will now draw up an action plan to show how it is going to address the recommendation and Estyn wll review progress.

The report says the school offers its pupils many interesting learning opportunities, both inside school and in the local community.

The report goes on: ‘The school’s enrichment afternoons enthuse pupils with activities such as rock climbing and sailing, and this contributes to pupils’ engagement effectively.

‘Pupils contribute successfully to school and village life. By the end of key stage 2, pupils develop strong skills in many areas. They have particularly effective speaking and listening skills, although their mathematics and Welsh speaking skills are not as well developed.

‘All staff at the school know the pupils well and develop strong working relationships with them. Teachers support pupils who need extra help well. However, over time, the quality of provision in the foundation phase has been too inconsistent.’

The report says that the headteacher, Julie Davies, leads the school with commitment and energy and that staff and parents recognise and value the positive contribution that she makes.

However, it adds: ‘The school does not always focus well enough on bringing about improvements in pupils’ standards.’

The report also notes that leaders have brought about improvements in areas such as attendance and strengthening communications and relationships with parents and that outdoor learning spaces are well used to promote pupils’ learning.

The report can be found on the Estyn website.