YSGOL Dewi Sant has been removed from a list of schools in Wales in need of significant improvement.

The school received a monitoring visit from Estyn inspectors in October 2014 and was judged to have made sufficient progress in relation to the recommendations made in the core inspection of May 2013.

The report said the recommendation to strengthen safeguarding arrangements had been fully addressed, with the school maintaining appropriate and up-to-date records of every member of staff. The school site is also more secure with a new reception area and staff rigorously checking the identity of visitors.

The recommendation to improve the quality of teaching to enable pupils across the ability range to make good or better progress during lessons had also been largely addressed. The inspector noted: “Since the core inspection, pupils of all abilities make good progress during many lessons and excellent progress in a few.”

Other areas which had largely been addressed were identifying and monitoring individuals and groups that require further support, reviewing the roles and responsibilities of middle and senior leaders, and developing the role of leaders so that they are fully accountable for their areas of responsibility.

Areas deemed to have only been partly addressed included improving the performance of more able pupils, with the inspector pointing out that the “degree of improvement and current performance across all subject areas is too variable.”

Welcoming the report, Ysgol Dewi Sant headteacher David Haynes said: “I am delighted with the outcome of the recent Estyn re-visit where the school was judged to have made good progress since the previous inspection in May 2013.

"This is just reward for the tremendous work that the teachers, parents, governors, students and the wider community have achieved. While there have been real improvements, the school is mindful that there is still more to do to build on the solid foundation that has been established.”