Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd, Powys

Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd is a Welsh-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 229 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

11% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 3% have additional learning needs (20% in 2020/21).

Year groups range from 26 pupils (Year 6) to 39 (Reception).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £4,841 per pupil, against £4,246 in 2021-22. It carried forward £0k of reserves at the end of 2024-25.

Estyn's report on its June 2026 inspection summarises Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd like this:

"Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd is an inclusive and caring learning community where robust relationships between staff and pupils provides a firm foundation for its work. A strong sense of belonging is a prominent feature of the school’s life. Almost without exception, pupils feel safe at school and feel happy and valued. They demonstrate very good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning from an early age. The Welsh language and Welshness are an integral part of the school’s life and ethos. Although very few pupils speak Welsh on entry to the school, most develop their skills robustly and use the language with increasing confidence in a wide range of creative contexts."

"This is one of the notable features of provision. As they move through the school, most pupils, including those with additional learning needs (ALN) and those from low-income households, make consistent progress in a wide range of skills. However, teachers’ planning does not always ensure clear enough progression in the development of pupils’ numeracy skills over time. Leaders’ commitment to promoting the well-being of pupils and staff is a strong feature of their day-to-day work. Through inclusive leadership opportunities and valuable initiatives such as ‘Gwener Gwych’, pupils develop important life skills, gain confidence and make a positive contribution to the school community. At the same time, there are robust arrangements in place to support the progress of pupils with ALN."

"The curriculum provides a wide range of stimulating experiences that engage pupils’ interest purposefully. Staff take advantage of the valuable contributions of parents, governors and community partners effectively to enrich learning experiences and expand pupils’ horizons purposefully. However, provision does not always challenge pupils consistently enough or provide enough meaningful opportunities for pupils to make independent choices about their learning. The headteacher provides clear and purposeful leadership and vision and is supported well by dedicated staff. Together, they have established a robust culture of self-evaluation and continuous improvement which focuses unwaveringly on pupils’ well-being and progress."

Estyn made 2 recommendations: (1) Ensure that experiences challenge pupils appropriately and support them to make meaningful choices about their learning; (2) Strengthen teachers’ planning to ensure clear progress and progression in the development of pupils’ numeracy skills over time.

The nearest other state primary schools to Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd are Ysgol Calon y Dderwen (under 0.1 miles), St Mary's R.C. (A) School (0.3 miles), Penygloddfa C.P. School (0.4 miles) and Maesyrhandir C.P. School (0.7 miles).

The nearest railway station is Newtown (Powys) Rail Station, about 420 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ladywell House (before), 90 metres away.