Rhayader C.I.W. School, Powys

Rhayader C.I.W. School is a bilingual (Welsh and English) school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.

It had 213 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 9% have additional learning needs (18% in 2020/21); 8% are learning English as an additional language; and 12% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 22 pupils (Year 1) to 45 (Year 4).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £5,259 per pupil, against £4,138 in 2021-22. It ended 2024-25 with a deficit of £102k.

Estyn's report on its October 2022 inspection summarises Rhayader C.I.W. School like this:

"The school is well led and has staff that know their pupils, their backgrounds and the local community very well. They promote a caring ethos where there is a strong focus on improving pupil well-being in a school where ‘everyone matters’. Leaders and staff work purposefully to make improvements, such as strengthening the support for pupils’ well-being following the pandemic and in making progress towards implementing the Curriculum for Wales."

"As staff make continued improvements to the provision for pupils learning, many pupils make steady progress from their starting points. Generally, pupils’ literacy, numeracy, digital, creative and physical skills all develop well, although a few aspects require the provision to be strengthened further, such as that to support pupils reading, writing and Welsh. Teachers and staff provide effective care, support and guidance for pupils and often create worthwhile and exciting learning activities, particularly in the outdoor learning area."

"Here, well planned and purposeful activities provide a wide variety of high- quality experiences for nearly all pupils on a consistent basis, developing a range of beneficial skills. However, across the school, the teaching isn’t always consistent in providing appropriate challenge for pupils to make as much progress as possible. Teachers provide appropriate feedback for pupils, although it is not always clear what areas of the work needs to be improved for them to build on their skills systematically."

Estyn made 3 recommendations: (1) Improve pupils’ literacy skills, in particular their reading and extended writing skills; (2) Strengthen provision to develop pupils’ skills in Welsh from their different starting points; (3) Ensure that teaching provides appropriate challenge for all pupils and that feedback helps them further improve their work.

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

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Harmon Road, 210 metres away.