St Helen's Catholic Primary School, Caerphilly

St Helen's Catholic 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 228 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

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

Of its pupils, 5% have additional learning needs (23% in 2020/21); 23% are learning English as an additional language; and 29% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 24 pupils (Year 2) to 33 (Year 3).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £5,636 per pupil, against £3,590 in 2021-22. It carried forward £1k of reserves at the end of 2024-25.

Estyn's report on its March 2023 inspection summarises St Helen's Catholic Primary School like this:

"Pupils enjoy attending St Helen’s Roman Catholic Primary School. All staff have created a warm, caring and inclusive ethos that comes from their focus on the importance of everyone’s well-being and their Christian faith. Staff know the pupils well and support their well-being needs effectively. Pupils know whom to ask if they need help and there is a strong relationship of trust and respect between them and the staff. Pupils’ behaviour is very good and they have positive attitudes towards their learning. During their time at the school most pupils make strong progress in all aspects of their work."

"Teachers plan engaging and exiting activities that inspire pupils to learn and develop their skills. They make very good use of the extensive outdoor areas to enhance the provision for all learners. Most pupils further develop their sense of safety and well-being through regular activities in the school’s forest area. All staff encourage pupils to become independent, to work hard and to persevere on their tasks. However, there are limited opportunities for pupils to make decisions about how they organise and present their work. Pupils contribute well to a variety of groups and committees."

"The recently convened Senedd that includes all older pupils is divided into six cabinets. Pupils that are voted as ‘First Ministers’ in these cabinets can articulate well how they have already made a positive contribution and are making a difference within the school and further afield. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and places well-being and faith at the heart of all decisions. Leaders have a thorough system for evaluating the school’s strengths and they set realistic targets for improvement in conjunction with the well- informed governing body. They make sure that they listen carefully and consider the views of others. As a result, pupils, parents and school staff feel well supported and included in the decision-making process and that their contributions are valued."

Estyn made 2 recommendations: (1) Ensure that teachers’ feedback targets the next steps in pupils’ learning effectively; (2) Provide more opportunities for pupils to make decisions about how they organise and present their work.

In its own words: "Healthy - Helping each individual in the school community to grow and to mature in their Faith and lead a fulfilling life as a valued member of society. Ethical - Making an effective and creative contribution to the home - school- parish partnership and the rest of the world."

The school runs a breakfast club.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Helen's Catholic Primary School are St James Primary (under 0.1 miles), Twyn Primary School (0.7 miles), Ysgol G.G. Caerffili (0.8 miles) and Bedwas Junior School (0.8 miles).

The nearest railway station is Caerphilly Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hartshorn Court (before), 160 metres away.