Pontllanfraith Primary School, Blackwood

Pontllanfraith 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 171 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

26% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 8% have additional learning needs (31% in 2020/21); 5% are learning English as an additional language; and 6% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 16 pupils (Reception) to 29 (Year 3).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £5,299 per pupil, against £4,972 in 2021-22. It carried forward £31k of reserves at the end of 2024-25.

Estyn's report on its November 2022 inspection summarises Pontllanfraith Primary School like this:

"Pontllanfraith Primary School provides a caring environment for pupils. They feel safe in school and confident to speak to staff if they are concerned or worried. Across the school, pupils’ engagement with visitors, staff and each other is a notable feature. Most pupils are polite and treat each other and adults with respect. During their time in school most pupils make very good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills. Pupils with additional learning needs (ALN), and those who attend the two special resource base classes make good use of the suitable range of learning experiences on offer and make good progress in most areas of learning from their individual starting points. On the whole, most pupils are well motivated to learn and collaborate successfully in lessons."

"Teachers are beginning to develop authentic opportunities which reflect the new Curriculum for Wales and its four purposes. Most lessons engage the pupils well but teaching does not ensure that pupils achieve to the best of their ability at all times. There are few opportunities for pupils to become independent learners. Across most classes, pupils do not always have enough opportunities to use their literacy and numeracy skills in other areas of learning. As a result, they do not generally use these skills as well as they could. Leaders have created a strong team ethos amongst staff who support pupils’ well- being successfully. They form close working partnerships with many outside agencies."

"However, communication with parents to strengthen the learning community is less effective. Leaders, with the support of the governing body, keep the work of the school under review suitably. However, arrangements for monitoring the quality of the school’s work and sustaining improvement overtime are less effective. Monitoring activities do not always identify key areas that need improving. For example, leaders have not identified that teaching does not provide sufficient challenge for all pupils or that progress in addressing national priorities, such as developing and implementing the Curriculum for Wales, is limited."

Estyn made 3 recommendations: (1) Develop and implement effective evaluation and improvement processes; (2) Ensure that teaching supports pupils to develop the full range of skills progressively as they move through the school and that pupils have opportunities to use these skills in their work across the curriculum; (3) Develop effective partnerships with parents.

The school runs a breakfast club.

The nearest other state primary schools to Pontllanfraith Primary School are Libanus Primary School (0.5 miles), Penllwyn Primary School (0.8 miles), Bryn Primary School (0.9 miles) and Blackwood Primary School (1 mile).

The nearest railway station is Newbridge Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Railway View (near), 60 metres away.