CARMARTHENSHIRE schools are led well according to an Estyn report.

Estyn published its report on Carmarthenshire Education Services on September 27, where it commended Carmarthenshire County Council for its clear vision which has a robust impact on improving education provision and learner outcomes.

The council maintains one nursery school, 94 primary schools, 12 secondary schools and one special school alongside three pupil referral units.

This inspection found that the authority’s budget per pupil for 2022-23 is £4,958, just below the Welsh average of £5,032.

39.5 per cent of the county’s children of the same age are fluent Welsh speakers, which is more than double the 16 per cent Welsh average.

The report stated that education services in Carmarthenshire are led robustly by senior leaders and elected members who share a clear vision for education within the authority and that this is supported by an ‘open and positive culture and self-evaluation and improvement planning processes that are rigorous, on the whole.’

Estyn said that leaders have a positive effect on improving education provision and learners’ outcomes in most of their areas of responsibility and can set clear direction for further improvement in the future.

The report highlighted a corporate priority for the council was safeguarding of children and young people. Pupils showed positive attitudes towards their learning and felt safe in school according to wellbeing evaluations.

The council was praised for its work in ensuring pupils behaviour is good and for ensuring that arrangements were in place to identify children with additional learning needs early and to have suitable provision in place for those pupils who need it.

There was praise for the schools, youth services, authority staff and external agencies in how they work closely together to offer support to vulnerable pupils and that the council is alert to the challenge in reducing inequalities faced by children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

There was also praise for staff at the schools having access to a range of relevant professional learning, identifying strengths and areas for improvement in primary schools and the authority providing a range of support and assistance to governors.

Cllr Glynog Davies, cabinet member for education and Welsh language, said: “I am extremely proud of the commendable work of Carmarthenshire’s education services and grateful for the efforts of all our staff, schools and pupils recognised in this thorough report by Estyn.

“In Carmarthenshire, our vision and strategic leadership are clear and distinct, so that we can provide the best possible education for our children and young people, and I look forward to pushing ahead and realising our plans.”

However, the report noted that in a few areas, procedures for monitoring, evaluation and planning for improvement have not succeeded in addressing minor shortcomings.

The report found that the impact of support for secondary schools varies and there is not a strong enough focus on ensuring the quality of the support and challenge provided for primary and secondary schools to reduce the variation in school improvement processes.

Attendance rates across Carmarthenshire remain low and whilst the council has shown a clear commitment to improving attendance and there has been a strong progress in a minority of schools, improvements across schools are varied.

Estyn issued recommendations to improve pupils’ attendance in schools, strengthen school improvement processes particularly for secondary schools and to refine approaches to self-evaluation and improvement planning.