Independent mainstream

Early Insights 2025-2026

Teaching and learning

Pupils generally demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning, behave respectfully and engage confidently in calm, purposeful classrooms where staff have high aspirations and teaching supports effective progress. Schools also offer broad curricula and rich enrichment opportunities, helping pupils develop confidence, teamwork and communication skills. However, in a few schools, inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, such as overly teacher-directed activities, limited opportunities for independent thinking and feedback that lacks sufficient precision, means that pupils do not always receive the support they need to make the best possible progress.

What’s going well

In most schools, pupils display highly positive attitudes to learning and behave respectfully towards one another and towards staff.

In nearly all schools, classrooms are typically calm and purposeful environments where pupils participate confidently, remain engaged in their learning and show pride in their work.

The breadth of the curriculum and the wide range of enrichment opportunities available to pupils are a strength of the sector. In most schools, leaders ensure that pupils benefit from experiences beyond the classroom, including sport, performing arts, outdoor learning and a range of clubs and activities. These opportunities support pupils’ personal development and help them build confidence, teamwork and communication skills.

In nearly all schools, teaching enables pupils to make at least secure progress over time. Teachers generally establish clear expectations and create positive learning environments. In many lessons, teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge, particularly in preparing for public examinations, and use questioning and feedback effectively to deepen pupils’ understanding and develop their skills progressively.

What needs to improve

In a few schools, there are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. In these cases learning was less effective, learning activities are overly teacherdirected or do not provide enough consistent opportunities for pupils to work independently or think more deeply about their learning.

In a few schools, feedback to pupils does not clearly identify next steps, and as a result, limits pupils’ understanding of how to improve the quality of their work.

Well-being, care, support and guidance

Strong professional and supportive relationships between pupils and staff underpin nurturing and inclusive environments in nearly all schools. Structured pastoral systems prioritise pupils’ well-being and personal and social education programmes support pupils to develop confidence, resilience and strong moral and social awareness.

What’s going well

Strong professional relationships between staff and pupils are a consistent feature of the sector. Staff know pupils well and provide pastoral support that contributes positively to pupils’ confidence, well-being and engagement with learning.

Provision for pupils’ well-being and personal development is a notable strength in the majority of schools. Many schools provide well-structured pastoral systems, personal and social education programmes and opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills. These approaches help pupils feel valued and develop strong moral and social awareness.

In nearly all schools, pupils’ attendance is a strength and supports continuity in learning and well-being.

What needs to improve

In a few schools, not all staff have a sufficiently secure understanding of the procedures for reporting safeguarding concerns relating to senior leaders.

Leading and improving

In most schools, leaders have a clear vision, are ambitious for their pupils, and set high expectations for staff, fostering cohesive, collaborative communities focused on pupil success. However, in a few schools, weaknesses in strategic oversight and quality assurance limit leaders’ ability to evaluate the impact of teaching accurately or ensure full compliance with the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024

What’s going well

In most schools, leaders have a clear vision for their school, are ambitious for their pupils and have high expectations of their staff.

In nearly all schools, leaders create cohesive communities that work collegiately in the best interests of pupils.

In many schools, professional learning is closely aligned with school priorities and helped teachers refine their practice.

What needs to improve

In a minority of schools the proprietor has not ensured that all aspects of the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024 were met. In three of these schools, the requirement to renew staff DBS checks every three years was not met.

In a few schools, governance and strategic oversight require strengthening to provide effective ‘critical friendship’. In these schools, governing bodies or proprietors had begun to take steps to improve their oversight arrangements.

In a few schools, quality assurance processes to evaluate teaching and learning require strengthening. In these cases, monitoring focusses more on teachers’ actions than on the quality of pupils’ learning, and leaders did not always gain a sufficiently accurate understanding of the impact of teaching on progress.

Overview of recommendations from inspections

In the 2025-2026 academic year, Estyn carried out six core inspections and five monitoring inspections of independent mainstream schools.

A majority of schools (6 out of 11) were given a recommendation related to teaching and learning, focussing on improving the consistency and quality of teaching, providing more opportunities for independent learning, the effectiveness of feedback and the use of assessment information to plan next steps in learning.

One school given a recommendation related to well-being, care, support and guidance, focussing on strengthening PSHE and careers guidance provision.

Most schools were given a recommendation related to leading and improving. Of those, four did not comply with the Independent School Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024 and were placed in a follow-up category. For these schools, one of their recommendations in inspection area 3 was to comply fully with the Independent School Standards. Further, two schools’ recommendations focussed on strengthening governance specifically.

Effective practice identified during inspection

Redhill Preparatory School

Read how Redhill Preparatory School’s engaging and enquiry led curriculum is rooted in the environment and develops pupils understanding of, for example sustainability.

Haberdasher’s Monmouth

Read how Haberdasher’s Monmouth School has created a strong culture of reading

St David's College

Read how St David’s College ‘s programme of outdoor activities helps pupils to develop resilience, determination and confidence.

Read how St David’s College ‘s incorporates animal husbandry into the curriculum to support pupils’ well-being and provide authentic opportunities to enhance their academic studies.