St Marks V.A.P. School, Pembrokeshire

St Marks V.A.P. 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 111 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

39% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 15% have additional learning needs (48% in 2020/21); and 12% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 9 pupils (Reception) to 17 (Year 4).

Estyn's report on its June 2026 inspection summarises St Marks V.A.P. School like this:

"St Mark's Church in Wales Voluntary Aided Primary School provides a caring and inclusive environment where positive relationships are central to its work. Staff know pupils and their families well, and parents value the care, support and commitment shown to their children. Since her appointment, the headteacher has built strong relationships with the school community and established a shared focus on meeting the needs of all pupils. She has a strong vision for pupils to be the best they can be and has identified a clear route for the school to move forward. Most pupils behave well, enjoy learning and work respectfully with staff and each other. The challenging behaviour of a few pupils is generally managed well by staff."

"Pupils benefit from a broad range of experiences that help them develop confidence, creativity and an understanding of their local community and Wales. Opportunities for pupils to learn about diversity and healthy relationships are limited. Many pupils make good progress in speaking, reading, mathematics, digital skills and Welsh. Staff support pupils with additional learning needs well, helping them make good progress towards their individual targets. Overall, teachers meet pupils' needs successfully and use questioning and feedback effectively to help pupils improve their learning. However, learning is sometimes directed too much by adults and does not always move at a brisk enough pace."

"This limits opportunities for pupils to develop their independence, think for themselves and apply their skills confidently in new situations. The school has spacious buildings and extensive grounds, but staff do not always make the best use of the indoor and outdoor learning environments to support learning, particularly for younger pupils. Leaders have introduced effective systems to track pupils' progress and provide additional support where needed. They work closely with governors, who know the school well and provide appropriate support and challenge. Although attendance has improved slightly, too many pupils still miss school or arrive late."

Estyn made 4 recommendations: (1) Improve attendance and punctuality; (2) Ensure that teaching consistently promotes pupils' independent learning and thinking; (3) Improve learning experiences and the use of the indoor and outdoor learning environments for younger pupils; (4) Strengthen the curriculum to ensure there are purposeful opportunities for pupils to learn about diversity and relationships.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Marks V.A.P. School are Mary Immaculate V.R.C. School (0.5 miles), Waldo Williams Primary School (0.7 miles), Fenton C.P (0.8 miles) and Prendergast Community School (1.3 miles).

The nearest railway station is Haverfordwest Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Mark's Primary School, 90 metres away.