Cogan Primary School, Vale of Glamorgan

Cogan Primary 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 212 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

19% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 6% have additional learning needs (23% in 2020/21); 12% are learning English as an additional language; and 25% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 15 pupils (Reception) to 32 (Year 5).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £6,044 per pupil, against £3,976 in 2021-22. It carried forward £159k of reserves at the end of 2024-25.

Estyn's report on its May 2026 inspection summarises Cogan Primary School like this:

"Cogan Primary School is a highly inclusive school. Leaders provide purposeful and considerate leadership that promotes strong working relationships among staff, pupils, and families. They place a valuable emphasis on supporting pupils’ well-being, which creates a positive climate for learning. Nearly all pupils enjoy school. They feel safe and happy and approach their learning activities with enthusiasm and focus. During their time in school, most pupils, including those who have additional learning needs (ALN), those in the hearing resource base (HRB) and those from low-income households, make good progress. Overall, teaching is effective. Clear learning intentions and appropriate assessment supports most pupils to make good progress in many areas of learning."

"In the best practice, questioning probes understanding and informs responsive teaching, though at times overly directed approaches can limit pupils’ independence. Classroom environments are engaging throughout the school. They are well-resourced and stimulating and staff use displays effectively to support learning and celebrate pupils’ work. However, opportunities for pupils to learn purposefully in the extensive and engaging outdoor areas are underdeveloped. Leaders provide a clear strategic direction aligned with national priorities. Leaders share responsibilities among staff thoughtfully and work well to develop their leadership skills. Leaders use a broad range of evidence to monitor the school’s effectiveness. Monitoring and evaluation processes provide leaders with a sound understanding of most strengths and areas for improvement."

"Staff benefit from professional learning opportunities that align well with school’s development priorities and impact positively on pupil progress. Governors contribute robustly to the running of the school and work with leaders to ensure that financial management is prudent. Spending is aligned clearly to improvement priorities and to support pupils’ learning and experiences. Strong leadership of ALN ensures the early identification of pupils' additional needs through discussions with staff, parents, and external agencies. This leads to the provision of timely support. Support for pupils with additional learning needs in the HRB is a strength of the school. Staff track progress carefully, provide tailored support and integrate them very well. This enables most pupils to engage positively in their learning and contributes to the school’s supportive environment"

Estyn made 1 recommendation: (1) Increase opportunities for pupils to direct their own learning and develop their independence across the indoor and outdoor environments.

The nearest other state primary schools to Cogan Primary School are Fairfield Primary School (0.3 miles), Ysgol Pen Y Garth (0.3 miles), Victoria Primary School (0.5 miles) and Llandough Primary (0.6 miles).

The nearest railway station is Cogan Rail Station, about 360 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Penarth Welsh School (outside), 60 metres away.