Staff and pupils at an Ammanford school had a special visitor last week after passing their inspection with flying colours.

Carmarthenshire County Council's Director of Education Gareth Morgans visited Ysgol Saron on Friday after the school received 'Excellent' standards in all aspects of education following a recent Estyn inspection.

The inspection took place at Ysgol Saron at the end of January and the report was published in May.

Under the school inspection framework, there are 10 areas that are closely examined during four rigorous days of inspection and the primary school achieved the highest standard, Excellent, in all categories.

The report highlighted pupils’ sound progress from their starting points, their development as independent and mature learners and how the children show great enthusiasm in their work.

The leadership of the school was also identified as being of a ‘high standard consistently across the school’.

The school on Saron Road is a Welsh-medium community school that serves the villages of Saron and Capel Hendre.

Welsh is the main medium with pupils in the Foundation Phase taught wholly through the medium of Welsh, and English is introduced in key stage two. Approximately half the pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes.

There are nine classes, four of which are for children in the Foundation Phase, and five for pupils in key stage two along with eight full-time teachers and two part-time teachers.

Headteacher Gwenda Easton has led the school since 2004 and has commended the team spirit at the school.

Mrs Easton said: “I am extremely proud of our achievement.

“The staff’s dedication to ensure consistency and progression in all aspects of our provision has proved to be a great strength of ours.

“There is excellent team spirit at the school and this has been reflected well in the report.”

They are the third school in Carmarthenshire to achieve a clean sweep under the current inspection system.

Maurice Clarke, Chair of Governors, added: "The children are at the centre of everything at Ysgol Saron, which is exactly how a school should be. The management team and staff have worked so hard to get to this point, and we are all justifiably proud of them.

“We are so pleased that the Estyn inspection team could see the quality of education and pupil care that is being provided at Ysgol Saron, and believe that the excellent inspection outcome is well deserved."