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Council bosses are “genuinely so proud” of Caerphilly County Borough’s schools for their recent inspection performances.

Teams from Welsh school inspection agency Estyn have visited 54 schools across the borough in the past three academic years, and in nearly all cases their findings did not require a follow-up visit to check on progress.

Additionally, eight did so well that they were asked to provide case studies on various aspects of their schools, to serve as examples of how others in Wales could improve.

At a Caerphilly Council committee meeting on Tuesday September 2, Cllr Carol Andrews, the cabinet member for education, said she wanted to “congratulate all schools on [their] successful outcomes”.

Estyn inspection reports no longer give short-form gradings for schools’ achievements, such as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, but instead provide more qualitative findings, as well as any recommendations.

In some cases, inspectors may decide to keep a school under review or place it in special measures if it is underperforming.

Estyn placed Crumlin High Level Primary in special measures following an inspection in October 2022, but after a follow-up visit in April 2024 judged the school to have made sufficient progress against inspectors’ recommendations and lifted the measures.

Keri Cole, the council’s director of education, told the committee she was “proud of all our schools” and praised Risca Comprehensive and Ty Sign Primary for making improvements recently.

The Caerphilly schools which impressed inspectors enough to become positive case studies in the past three years are Lewis Girls’ School and Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni (two case studies each), Blackwood Comprehensive, Cwmfelinfach Primary, Gilfach Fargoed Primary, Markham Primary, Park Primary, and St Gwladys Bargoed School.