Best schools in Torfaen: how they compare
Torfaen has 33 open schools - 25 primary and 5 secondary among them - teaching about 13,692 pupils. 12% teach through Welsh or in both languages, and 1 is in Estyn follow-up. Here is every school side by side, with what Estyn found when it last visited.
Why there is no league table in Wales
Wales stopped publishing school performance tables, and since September 2022 Estyn, the schools inspectorate, no longer sums a school up in one word like "Excellent" or "Good". Each report describes what pupils learn, how well they are taught and what the school should do next. So a ranking of the best schools in Torfaen would rest on someone's opinion, not published data. What you can compare is set out below: whether Estyn has asked a school to improve, what its latest report says, the language your child would be taught in, and the kind of intake each school has.
Estyn follow-up
1 of 33 schools are in follow-up; Estyn returns to check their progress.
- No follow-up32 (97%)
- Significant improvement1 (3%)
Source: Estyn inspection reports
Language of teaching
12% Welsh-medium or dual language in Torfaen, against 30% across Wales.
- Welsh-medium4 (12%)
- English-medium27 (82%)
- Not recorded2 (6%)
Source: Welsh Government school data
Schools by stage in Torfaen
Click a stage to filter the list below.
- Primary25
- Middle1
- Secondary5
- Special1
Torfaen against Wales
The typical (median) school in the council, set against the typical school in Wales.
- Pupils eligible for free meals (3-year)
- 21.6%18.6%
- Pupils with additional learning needs
- 8.9%8.1%
- Budget per pupil
- £5,664£5,801
Source: Welsh Government school census 2025/26 and school budgets 2026-27
What the numbers say about schools in Torfaen
At the typical school in Torfaen, 21.6% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals over the last three years, 3.0 points above the Welsh figure. Every primary pupil in Wales now gets a free lunch, so this measures eligibility, the usual guide to how disadvantaged an intake is. 8.9% of pupils at the typical school have additional learning needs (close to the Welsh figure). Schools here receive about £5,664 per pupil, £137 below the Welsh figure. Pupil numbers have fallen by 3.6% since 2020/21, which can mean spare places at some schools and pressure on budgets. The largest school is Croesyceiliog School, with 1,178 pupils.
None of these figures tells you whether a school is good. A school with a more disadvantaged intake can be doing outstanding work, and a small rural school with a high budget per pupil is often simply small. Use them to understand the setting, then read what Estyn wrote.
Every school in Torfaen
Schools not in Estyn follow-up first, then the most recently inspected. This is not a ranking by quality.
33 of 33 schools shown
- No follow-up
Henllys C.I.W. Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-mediumChurch in Wales178 pupils7.8% free meals
"Henllys C.I.W. Primary School provides a welcoming environment where pupils enjoy learning, behave exceptionally well and feel a strong sense of belonging." Estyn, June 2026
- No follow-up
Ponthir Church in Wales School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-mediumChurch in Wales101 pupils
"Leaders communicate a clear vision that places pupils’ well-being, progress and sense of belonging at the heart of the school’s work." Estyn, May 2026
- No follow-up
Maendy Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium257 pupils40.3% free meals
"Maendy Primary School provides a welcoming and supportive environment where pupils feel valued and enjoy learning." Estyn, March 2026
- No follow-up
George Street Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium407 pupils32.2% free meals
"George Street Primary School provides a warm and supportive environment where pupils feel secure and valued." Estyn, November 2025
- No follow-up
Cwmffrwdoer Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium224 pupils21.6% free meals
"Cwmffrwdoer Primary School is a vibrant and friendly school." Estyn, October 2025
- No follow-up
Croesyceiliog School
TorfaenSecondaryEnglish-medium1,178 pupils18.4% free meals
"Croesyceiliog School is a welcoming and supportive community to which pupils and staff are proud to belong." Estyn, September 2025
- No follow-up
Garnteg Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium382 pupils31.6% free meals
"Garnteg Primary School is an inclusive, nurturing community where pupils thrive." Estyn, May 2025
- No follow-up
Padre Pio RC Primary
PontypoolPrimaryEnglish-mediumRoman Catholic175 pupils22.2% free meals
"Leaders and staff prioritise pupils’ happiness and well-being at Padre Pio R.C." Estyn, February 2025
- No follow-up
Alternative Home Tuition
CwmbranNot recorded
"The headteacher provides calm, measured and purposeful leadership." Estyn, December 2024
- No follow-up
Blenheim Road Community Primary School
CwmbranPrimaryEnglish-medium246 pupils36.9% free meals
"Blenheim Road Primary School is a nurturing, community-focused school where many pupils, including those with additional learning needs (ALN), make suitable progress." Estyn, November 2024
- No follow-up
Coed Eva Primary
CwmbranPrimaryEnglish-medium415 pupils23.5% free meals
"Coed Eva Primary School is a nurturing, community-focused school where most pupils, including those with additional learning needs (ALN), make at least good progress." Estyn, November 2024
- No follow-up
Croesyceiliog Primary
CwmbranPrimaryEnglish-medium368 pupils15.7% free meals
"Croesyceiliog Primary is a happy school where nearly all pupils treat each other, staff and visitors with politeness and respect." Estyn, June 2024
- No follow-up
Nant Celyn Primary School
CwmbranPrimaryEnglish-medium416 pupils34.5% free meals
"Leaders and staff at Nant Celyn are developing a vision for the school focused on pupil well-being and raising standards." Estyn, April 2024
- No follow-up
West Monmouth Comprehensive School
TorfaenSecondaryEnglish-medium1,130 pupils21.6% free meals
"Staff and governors at West Monmouth School are committed to helping pupils to thrive in a supportive environment." Estyn, March 2024
- No follow-up
Ysgol Bryn Onnen
TorfaenPrimaryWelsh-medium162 pupils20.7% free meals
"Pupils, staff and parents take pride in the happy and homely ethos that exists at Ysgol Bryn Onnen." Estyn, March 2024
- No follow-up
Penygarn Primary School
PontypoolPrimaryEnglish-medium351 pupils52.1% free meals
"Penygarn Primary School is a caring community where pupils feel safe, happy and make effective progress." Estyn, January 2024
- No follow-up
Ysgol Panteg
PontypoolPrimaryWelsh-medium410 pupils12.9% free meals
"Ysgol Panteg is a familial, inclusive and homely community where the ‘Panteg Four’ values to commit to being kind, to being a co-supportive family, to being fired up and ambitious is prominent in the school’s activity." Estyn, September 2023
- No follow-up
St Alban's R.C. High School
TorfaenSecondaryEnglish-mediumRoman Catholic827 pupils12.2% free meals
"Staff at St Alban’s R.C. High School are committed to providing pupils with the best possible education based on its values of ‘Respect, Responsibility and Resilience’ underpinned by the Catholic faith." Estyn, May 2023
- No follow-up
Our Lady of the Angels R.C School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-mediumRoman Catholic216 pupils13.1% free meals
"Pupils’ well-being is at the heart of Our Lady of The Angels School." Estyn, March 2023
- No follow-up
St David's R.C. Jnr. & Inf. School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-mediumRoman Catholic214 pupils19.4% free meals
"St David’s R.C. Primary School is a happy, caring and welcoming school that has pupils’ well-being at its heart." Estyn, March 2023
- No follow-up
Llanyrafon Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium374 pupils7.9% free meals
"Llanyrafon Primary is a happy and nurturing school." Estyn, January 2023
- No follow-up
New Inn Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium567 pupils11.7% free meals
"Pupils at New Inn Primary School thoroughly enjoy attending school." Estyn, November 2022
- No follow-up
Blaenavon Heritage Voluntary Controlled Primary School
BlaenavonPrimaryEnglish-mediumChurch in Wales440 pupils27.5% free meals
"Pupils enjoy learning and they are enthusiastic during lessons and in activities around the school." Estyn, October 2022
- No follow-up
Crownbridge Special Day School
TorfaenSpecialNot recorded142 pupils
"Crownbridge School continues to provide highly effective education for children and young people with complex and multiple learning needs." Estyn, March 2022
- No follow-up
Pontnewydd Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium356 pupils28.9% free meals
"The pupils at Pontnewydd Primary enjoy coming to school and make good progress with their academic and social skills." Estyn, February 2022
- No follow-up
Cwmbran High School
TorfaenSecondaryEnglish-medium1,124 pupils27.6% free meals
- No follow-up
Greenmeadow Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium207 pupils21.0% free meals
- No follow-up
Griffithstown Primary
PontypoolPrimaryEnglish-medium360 pupils18.4% free meals
- No follow-up
Llantarnam Community Primary School
CwmbranPrimaryEnglish-medium361 pupils12.3% free meals
- No follow-up
Woodlands Community Primary School
TorfaenPrimaryEnglish-medium323 pupils29.6% free meals
- No follow-up
Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbran
TorfaenPrimaryWelsh-medium276 pupils26.2% free meals
- No follow-up
Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw
TorfaenMiddleWelsh-mediumNot available805 pupils16.8% free meals
- Significant improvement
Abersychan Comprehensive School
TorfaenSecondaryEnglish-medium700 pupils28.9% free meals
"Abersychan Comprehensive School has recently been through a period of transition, with the appointment of a new headteacher in January 2024 and a number of changes to leadership roles and responsibilities." Estyn, May 2025
Choosing and applying for a school in Torfaen
Start with Estyn. Its report on each school is short, plain and recent, and the recommendations at the end tell you what the inspectors want to see improve. A school in special measures or in need of significant improvement is being revisited, and some turn round quickly, so check the date and read what has changed. Then visit: an hour in a school tells you more about how it feels than any figure.
Decide early whether you want Welsh-medium education. Every school in Wales teaches Welsh to 16, but a Welsh-medium school teaches most lessons through Welsh, and children from English-speaking homes join from nursery and reception every year. Moving between the two later is harder, so the choice usually matters most at the start of primary school.
Applications for community schools go to Torfaen council, not the school; voluntary aided church schools can run their own admissions, so check each one. Welsh councils set their own closing dates and most give priority to children living in a school's catchment area, so check which catchment your address falls in before you rank your choices. If you are applying for a secondary place, look at the feeder primaries too: many Torfaen secondaries take most of their pupils from a named group of primary schools.
Questions parents ask about schools in Torfaen
How many schools are there in Torfaen?
Torfaen has 33 open schools on School Signal, including 25 primary and 5 secondary schools, teaching about 13,692 pupils (school census 2025/26).
Which schools in Torfaen are in Estyn follow-up?
1 school is in Estyn follow-up: Abersychan Comprehensive School (significant improvement). Follow-up means Estyn returns to check progress; it is worth reading the report before ruling a school in or out.
How many Welsh-medium schools are there in Torfaen?
4 schools in Torfaen teach mainly through Welsh and 0 teach in both languages - 12% of the council's schools, against 30% across Wales. You don't need to speak Welsh at home for your child to attend one.
Is there a school league table for Torfaen?
No. Wales stopped publishing school league tables and Estyn no longer gives schools an overall grade, so any "top ten" list for Torfaen is someone's own judgement. Compare Estyn's reports, the language of teaching and how far you are from each school instead.
Sources: Estyn inspection reports (Crown copyright, quoted with acknowledgement); Welsh Government school census and school budget data, Open Government Licence v3.0.