Templeton CP School received a special visit this week from Mr. Ian Westley, chief executive of Pembrokeshire County Council and Mrs. Kate Evan-Hughes, director for children and schools.

The school is currently working towards the Siarter Iaith Cymraeg (Welsh Language Charter) and guests were welcomed in Welsh by pupils upon arrival. 

Mr. Westley and Mrs. Evan-Hughes met with Mr. Phelps, headteacher of the Federation of Tavernspite and  Templeton Schools, Mr. Nick Davies, chair of governors, and Dr. Barry Walters, vice-chair of governors, and discussed the process of the formal federation which has taken place over recent years and the benefits that this has brought to both schools involved.

The federation has been heralded as a great success, with both schools now almost full to capacity and categorised as Green schools by the National Schools Categorisation System.

Mr. Westley and Mrs. Evan-Hughes were particularly interested in the mechanics of the federation and how this very successful model had been implemented, with the view of sharing this best practice with other school federations across Pembrokeshire.

Templeton School has been a particular success in recent years since the federation started, with numbers almost doubling and a marked increase in standards and culture at the school.

It is a remarkable journey of growth and progress and was the reason for Mr. Westley and Mrs. Evan-Hughes’s visit.

Following the meeting, the guests visited each classroom to see the children at work and enjoyed a tour of the school grounds.

Head teacher Mr. Phelps said: “We are grateful that Mr. Westley and Mrs. Evan-Hughes took the time to visit Templeton School and showed a genuine interest in the federation.

“The journey the school has been on and the improvements evident are something we are all very proud of. It was very good for the school communities across the federation to have our hard work acknowledged in this way.”