Bedwas Junior School, Caerphilly

Bedwas Junior School is an English-medium school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.

It had 169 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

15% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 11% have additional learning needs (25% in 2020/21); and 5% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 34 pupils (Year 4) to 46 (Year 6).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £4,700 per pupil, against £3,513 in 2021-22. It ended 2024-25 with a deficit of £123k.

Estyn's report on its January 2026 inspection summarises Bedwas Junior School like this:

"Pupils enjoy attending Bedwas Junior School. They benefit from an inclusive and welcoming learning environment. Most pupils are keen to learn and behave well, showing respect to others. There are positive working relationships between pupils and staff. Staff support pupils’ well-being effectively so that they feel safe and well cared for. Most pupils listen attentively, follow instructions carefully and communicate confidently about their work. Leaders do not currently provide effective strategic direction for the school’s work."

"Overall, they do not use processes, such as self-evaluation well enough to ensure that teaching supports pupils to make the progress they could. Teachers’ expectations and provision for pupils’ progress in the development of important skills, in lessons and over time, are not high enough. Too much teaching does not engage or sustain pupils’ interests well enough. This means that, too often, rates of progress, including those of pupils from low-income households, are too low. Aspects of the school’s work are effective. These include provision for pupils with additional learning needs and the school’s work to nurture positive attitudes to reading amongst pupils and to develop their skills as competent and confident readers. Most pupils make suitable progress in developing their physical, creative and digital skills."

"Pupils’ progress in their development as writers is generally slow. Many pupils enjoy mathematics, but teaching does not support them to make the progress they could or ensure that they have enough opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills across the curriculum. Pupils’ progress in learning Welsh is intermittent. The school has appropriate safeguarding arrangements. However, processes to monitor and improve rates of attendance are not robust. Too many pupils do not attend school often enough."

Estyn made 4 recommendations: (1) Improve leadership at all levels to ensure that self-evaluation and improvement processes have a consistently positive impact on pupils’ progress; (2) Ensure teaching consistently provides the right level of challenge for pupils; (3) Develop an engaging curriculum that meets requirements and enables pupils to develop a breadth of skills that they can apply independently across their learning; (4) Improve rates of attendance, including for those from low-income households.

Estyn follow-up status: Special Measures.

The nearest other state primary schools to Bedwas Junior School are Bedwas Infant School (0.2 miles), Tyn - y - Wern Primary (0.6 miles), St Helen's Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles) and St James Primary (0.8 miles).

The nearest railway station is Energlyn & Churchill Park Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Golwg-yr-Eglwys (opp school), 30 metres away.