Priory Church of Wales Primary School in Brecon has received high praise for its differing approaches and attitude to teaching, leading to high standard inspection results.

The primary school recently received a very good Estyn report in 2025 and being a Church in Wales School they are inspected periodically by the diocesan education team and have been met with glowing reports.

Priory pride themselves on being inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. The child-centred approach understands learning as an active process arising from young children’s own rich creative capabilities and potential rather than something imposed from outside.

One key feature is the ‘authentic learning experience’. At Priory, cookery and woodwork provide a hands-on learning experience in which children practice maths and science. Their learning environments are bespoke and provide a natural, calm, tactile environment where pupils work is displayed and celebrated.

“We are Reggio inspired,” said Headteacher Claire Pugh. “It was a big investment to begin with, but it has been so worth it. I think it’s that care and nurture and the children knowing their voices are listened to which makes them feel comfortable here to be able to learn.”

Priory school also stands out with its use of the Mantle of Expert approach. The school has been a pioneer in working with the humanities team at the Welsh Government to develop their style of enquiry learning, known as Mantle of the Expert.

Mantle of the Expert provides the opportunity for children to work together, exploring a particular challenge within a specified fictional context. Imagining themselves as key players in that scenario, children build knowledge from the inside, make decisions, take on responsibilities and develop skills in problem solving and critical thinking.

Headteacher Claire said: “We have been a pioneer school and have worked with the humanities team at the Welsh Government and developed further our enquiry learning which is known as others to Mantle of the Expert and that is where all of this really evolved. From being part of that humanities team on a county level, we became part of the maths and numeracy group which was very successful hence the development of our Singapore maths.

“We like to be brave and to think outside the box and we pride ourselves on it. More recently we have been part of the second cohort with Welsh Government where we are looking at curriculum designs and working with colleagues over in America to see how we can develop things further. Our planning style has changed but at the heart of it all is our key interest of the children and what they want to learn.”

One child said: “Mantle of the Expert lets us go on adventures and helps our imagination grow.”

The school has also adopted the Singapore Maths approach to maths lessons. Problem solving is fundamental to this method of teaching maths, pioneered in Singapore. The concept sees children progress from concrete examples to the pictorial, and then to abstract or mental maths. Singapore maths deepens pupils’ knowledge and enables them to become masters of maths.

Priory has also been praised for its outdoor learning with their Forest School where children learn about the environment and nature. Forest school encourages playful, hands-on learning experiences, fostering confidence, independence and higher levels of self-esteem. Risky play is explored and allows children to step outside their comfort zones.

Estyn gave the school a glowing report in 2025 saying: “Leaders, governors and staff at Priory Church in Wales Primary share a clear and successful vision for a creative and highly inclusive school that values all members of the school community.”

The school values its community; located in the school’s grounds near Brecon Cathedral is the School Swap Shop. This free, eco-friendly second hand uniform and clothes shop is a container funded by the Green Man Trust. Children from Penmaes school run it on Friday mornings as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award, and it is opened by the office staff at other times, saving the environment and family finances.

Being a Church in Wales School, Priory meets requirements for religious education and worship. It is a voluntary aided school. A spokesperson for the school said: “Christian values and pedagogy provide the children with a sense of Cynefin, belonging, and a 'moral compass' to help develop the whole child to be a responsible, kind and considerate member of the school community and beyond.”

Well-being is at the forefront of everything Priory do. This is shown through the change to their traditional timetable following covid. A slower pace to the start of the school day through philosophy and fitness sessions makes a more comfortable environment for children to learn in.

Estyn highlighted this in the school’s report. They said: “The school’s focus on developing pupils as creative, courteous, articulate and confident learners is highly effective.”

The report showed the school as an embodiment of their motto: ‘Celebrating creativity, imagination and belief.’

Headteacher Claire Pugh spoke about the pride she has in the school and what it has become. She said:“I am super proud. It is my second home, perhaps my first home as I seem to spend more time here than my actual home. The leader that I am, I always want to give something back. In the community if I’m asked if I have any children I say, ‘yes I have 138’ and they look at me and say ‘what?’ but that’s how I feel about the school.

“My pupils are respectful; they are responsible and also have that open basis to be able to share their own worries and concerns with us. School feels a very safe place to be and for some children that’s so important. I absolutely burst with pride being here every day.”