Pengelli Primary School is a happy and inclusive community where pupils feel a strong sense of belonging. Most pupils, including those with additional learning needs (ALN) and those from low-income households, make good overall progress during their time at school. Relationships between staff and pupils are exceptional, and the time and care pupils receive results in consistently good standards of behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. Leaders put pupils at the heart of the school’s work and set high expectations for all. Senior leaders work effectively to create a learning culture of continuous school improvement. Staff value the school’s reflective approach to professional learning that enables them to support pupils’ progress and improve their well-being. They understand the pupils and the community they serve well, and support families’ needs effectively. The school’s governors are supportive and undertake their duties diligently but generally make limited contributions to setting and evaluating the school’s priorities for improvement. The school’s provision for pupils with ALN is exemplary. Pupils with ALN develop confidence and make good progress towards their individual goals. The school’s provision for pupils who need a little more support with their learning ensures that they engage well and those who need emotional support feel safe to express themselves. Teachers use highly effective approaches to ensure that the youngest pupils settle well and make rapid progress. Across the school, staff are developing a good understanding of how pupils make progress in their learning but do not always ensure that older pupils understand how to improve their work. The school’s curriculum includes a rich and authentic range of learning experiences. Teachers thoughtfully and creatively develop pupils’ skills well across the breadth of Curriculum for Wales. Through the school’s focus on topical issues, many pupils develop as effective and considerate citizens and creative thinkers. Staff develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills, digital skills and mathematical knowledge well. However, older pupils do not always make the progress they could in a few important aspects of their learning such as writing and numeracy. They do not have enough opportunities to develop a secure knowledge of the Welsh language.