Ysgol Craig Y Don, Conwy

Ysgol Craig Y Don 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 293 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

18% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

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

Year groups range from 24 pupils (Year 1) to 51 (Year 6).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £4,385 per pupil, against £3,632 in 2021-22. It ended 2024-25 with a deficit of £23k.

Estyn's report on its February 2025 inspection summarises Ysgol Craig Y Don like this:

"Ysgol Craig Y Don is a caring learning environment where staff and pupils show high levels of respect towards one other. Leaders provide purposeful strategic direction and create a strong culture of teamwork. They focus sharply on improvement priorities that enhance pupils’ experiences, particularly in relation to their well-being, knowledge and skills. The school delivers a rich and engaging curriculum that helps pupils explore and understand their community, Wales, and the wider world. Teachers have high expectations of pupils, which contribute to pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and strong levels of engagement."

"They provide activities that encourage curiosity, independence, and teamwork. This allows pupils to develop valuable skills, although overall pupils do not receive enough opportunities to apply their writing and numeracy skills to a suitably challenging level in their work across the curriculum. Many pupils develop Welsh listening skills appropriately, and respond suitably to simple instructions, but are less confident in speaking Welsh. Teachers enrich pupils’ learning with beneficial outdoor activities, which provide hands-on experiences that enhance creativity and physical development. The school has effective links with external partners."

"Strong relationships with the community help staff to enrich pupils’ experiences. Leaders maintain effective communication with other agencies to support pupils’ well-being needs and to support those who have additional learning needs (ALN). Despite the school’s work to promote good attendance, the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school remains too high."

Estyn made 3 recommendations: (1) Provide suitably challenging opportunities for pupils to apply their writing and numeracy skills in their work across the curriculum; (2) Improve pupils’ confidence in speaking Welsh; (3) Reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

The nearest other state primary schools to Ysgol Craig Y Don are Blessed William Davies School (0.5 miles), Ysgol Morfa Rhiannedd (0.5 miles), Ysgol Tudno (0.7 miles) and Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn (0.9 miles).

The nearest railway station is Llandudno Rail Station, about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is County Council Offices, 100 metres away.