Education inspectors who visited 16 primary schools in Carmarthenshire found caring environments and positive attitudes but also some inconsistencies around things like literacy and numeracy development.
None of the 16 inspections, which took place in 2025-26, led to a school being placed in follow-up categories requiring further intervention, a council report said.
It was the same for two pupil referral units and a special school but Estyn staff who inspected four secondary schools deemed that two of them required “significant improvement” – one away from the most serious “special measures” category. Shortcomings common to the schools – Bryngwyn School, Llanelli, and Glan-y-Mor School, Burry Port – included attendance, teaching, and leadership.
Owain Lloyd, the council’s director of education, told a council committee work was under way to remove the two secondaries from the significant improvement category when asked by Cllr Kim Broom if a further report could be provided on progress.
Mr Lloyd said: “There’s a lot of very hard and detailed work going on at the moment in Bryngwyn and Glan-y-Mor supported by school improvement officers.
“Obviously Estyn periodically come back to check on progress, so [I’m] very happy at the appropriate time to report back on where we are with Bryngwyn and Glan-y-Mor.”
The report also said joint inspections of two independent nurseries by Estyn and Care Inspectorate Wales were particularly positive in 2025-26.
Highlights and good practice identified by Estyn at the county’s schools included a Welsh-language radio project at Ysgol y Strade, Llanelli, and the use of local culture at Ysgol Griffith Jones, St Clears, to stimulate creative writing.
Estyn also carried out what are known as interim and monitoring inspections as well as the 23 core ones, and the report was accepted by the education, young people, and Welsh language scrutiny committee.
In the three years leading up to 2025-26 five Carmarthenshire schools were put in special measures and two in significant improvement.
