Ynyshir Primary School, Rhondda Cynon Taff

Ynyshir 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 234 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

28% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 3% have additional learning needs (13% in 2020/21); and 6% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 17 pupils (Reception) to 42 (Year 3).

Estyn's report on its June 2023 inspection summarises Ynyshir Primary School like this:

"Leaders work purposefully to create a safe and inclusive environment where pupils and staff feel valued and supported. They have built a strong team ethos across the school and ensure that the well-being of all staff and pupils is a high priority. However, there has recently been significant staffing turbulence and, although leaders have ensured staff morale has remained high, the turnover of teachers has created instability that has impacted negatively on the quality of teaching and learning. Staff meet pupils’ social and emotional needs well. They deal with pupils’ concerns thoughtfully and appropriately in a timely manner. The school’s curriculum provides a suitable range of learning opportunities."

"Teaching assistants manage pupils in small groups effectively, offering valuable individual support for vulnerable pupils. As a result, many pupils requiring intervention make strong progress. However, too many lessons do not hold pupils’ interest, as they lack pace and excitement. Teachers’ expectation of what pupils can achieve are too low, and they do not pitch tasks well enough to challenge pupils, especially the more able. As a result, many pupils do not make the progress they could in essential skills, such as reading and writing in English, and in acquiring the basic skills to communicate in Welsh. Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough, and this also affects the progress that they make."

"Leaders have an appropriate vision for teaching and learning. However, it is not shared well enough and too often is not evident in classrooms. Leaders’ monitoring of the school’s provision does not focus well enough on pupils’ standards and progress. Although leaders identify suitable areas for improvement in the school’s work, their actions do not always result in sufficient improvements in outcomes for pupils."

Estyn made 3 recommendations: (1) Ensure that self-evaluation and improvement actions focus sharply on their impact on improving pupils’ standards, in particular, their skills in reading, writing and the Welsh language; (2) Raise teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve and ensure sufficient challenge, particularly for the more able; (3) Improve attendance, particularly for pupils eligible for free school meals.

The nearest other state primary schools to Ynyshir Primary School are Ysgol G. G. Llwyncelyn (0.9 miles), Alaw Primary School (1.2 miles), Cymmer Primary School (1.3 miles) and Pontygwaith Primary School (1.5 miles).

The nearest railway station is Porth Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gynor Place (o/s 30), 290 metres away.