This primary school is situated in the rural village of Pennal, near Machynlleth in Gwynedd. It has been part of a federation with Ysgol Dyffryn Dulas in Corris since 2012. There are 22 pupils on roll, including two nursery age pupils who start school on a part-time basis following their third birthday. Over time, around 11% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals. This is slightly lower than the national percentage of 18%. The school has identified around 43% of its pupils as having additional learning needs, which is significantly higher than the national percentage of 21%. Around 5% of pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes. Most pupils come from white British backgrounds. The school was last inspected in June 2011 and the current headteacher was appointed in September 2015. Further information is available from the Welsh Government My Local School website at the link below. http://mylocalschool.wales.gov.uk/Schools/SchoolSearch?lang=en 1 A report on Ysgol Gynradd Pennal November 2019 Summary The headteacher leads the school and the federation masterfully and very successfully, and has fostered a highly dedicated and conscientious team. A clear vision has been realised to develop happy and successful pupils in a safe environment, in which pupils can develop and flourish. Pupils take great pride in their school, and its homely and familial ethos is an excellent and prominent feature. Pupils are very caring towards each other and treat their peers, the school’s staff and visitors with a great deal of respect. Pupils make consistent progress from their starting points across the areas of learning, and develop their skills regularly in an effective range of interesting activities. They are keen to try activities without fear of failure. As a result, they develop to become skilful and independent learners. Staff know the pupils very well and provide rich experiences for them in a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Teachers provide pupils with excellent support and meet individual pupils’ needs effectively. Inspection area Judgement Standards Good Wellbeing and attitudes to learning Good Teaching and learning experiences Good Care, support and guidance Good Leadership and management Excellent 2 A report on Ysgol Gynradd Pennal November 2019 Recommendations R1 Increase the use of the Welsh language by pupils in formal and informal situations R2 Ensure that teachers challenge all pupils to achieve to the best of their ability R3 Strengthen the role of pupils in expressing a direct opinion on the school’s wider procedures What happens next Ysgol Pennal will produce an action plan to address the recommendations from the inspection.