Ysgol Aberconwy in Conwy has been placed into special measures following an inspection by Estyn, the education inspectorate for Wales.

During its October visit, and in the report published today, Estyn found that while the school provides a caring and inclusive environment and many pupils behave well, the quality of teaching and learning is too inconsistent, with around half of lessons not challenging pupils enough to make strong progress.

Inspectors also highlighted weaknesses in how the school plans and develops pupils’ skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy, and identified attendance as an area needing improvement.

The inspectorate made six key recommendations for improvement, including strengthening leadership accountability, improving the impact of teaching and feedback, boosting pupils’ attendance (especially for those eligible for free school meals), and ensuring the curriculum better supports pupil progress.

As a result of these findings, Estyn has judged that the school requires special measures.

Under this designation, Ysgol Aberconwy must draw up an action plan to address the recommendations, and its progress will be monitored regularly by the inspectorate.

The designation signals that significant improvement is needed to raise standards and ensure pupils receive a consistently high-quality education.