Priory C.I.W. School, Powys

Priory C.I.W. 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 139 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

24% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 6% have additional learning needs (37% in 2020/21); 5% are learning English as an additional language; and 7% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 13 pupils (Year 1) to 25 (Year 3).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £5,096 per pupil, against £4,031 in 2021-22. It carried forward £18k of reserves at the end of 2024-25.

Estyn's report on its January 2025 inspection summarises Priory C.I.W. School like this:

"Leaders, governors and staff at Priory Church in Wales Primary share a clear and successful vision for a creative and highly inclusive school that values all members of the school community. They support pupils’ and staff’s well-being exceptionally well. All staff act as positive role models and create a highly effective, nurturing and harmonious environment. They develop effective and respectful working relationships with pupils and each other. Teachers have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. As a result, nearly all pupils are polite, caring and supportive of each other. They display excellent attitudes to their learning and exemplary behaviour."

"Leaders promote a strong culture of safeguarding. The school works hard to encourage good attendance and has recently implemented new approaches to reduce absences. However, these have not yet had time to embed, and levels of attendance remain too low. Leaders and teachers regularly undertake a range of monitoring activities which draw on first-hand information to support the work of the school. They are beginning to involve governors, who are starting to use their knowledge to hold the school to account effectively. While leaders set worthwhile goals to improve the school, the priorities lack clarity, the success criteria do not focus well enough on pupil progress and teachers do not always fully understand their role in achieving the planned improvements. Teachers use assessment to thoughtfully plan lessons that build on pupils’ prior learning."

"This supports most pupils, including those from low-income households to make suitable progress. Pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) make strong progress towards their individual learning goals. Teachers use an enquiry approach to learning and pupils engage extremely well. This approach is particularly effective in contributing to improving pupils’ speaking, listening, reasoning, creative and thinking skills. Staff are good Welsh language role models and pupils use of the language is developing well. Most pupils develop and apply their reading, digital and mathematical skills suitably. However, in a few instances teachers do not provide enough challenge in aspects of pupils’ learning, such as writing."

Estyn made 3 recommendations: (1) Set clear improvement priorities and strengthen leadership at all levels; (2) Improve pupils’ writing; (3) Improve attendance.

The nearest other state primary schools to Priory C.I.W. School are Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan (0.2 miles), Ysgol y Bannau (0.4 miles) and Llanfaes C.P. School (0.7 miles).

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Priory C.I.W. School.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Pendre Footpath (near), 210 metres away.