Primary schools3 · phase from the school’s name
Photo: Alan Richards · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Schools in Ystalyfera · Welsh Government, DfE register
State schools in Ystalyfera
Of the schools in Ystalyfera, 40% teach through Welsh, above both West Glamorgan’s towns (0%) and Wales’s schools (22%). 5 state-funded schools are located in Ystalyfera’s built-up area, 2 of them teaching in Welsh. Wales doesn’t publish school-level results comparable with England’s Key Stage 2 and GCSE tables, so Welsh towns have no School Grade; Ystalyfera’s overall grade uses its other subjects.
State schools
5
4 primary, 2 secondary
Pupils
2,726
Welsh Government school census
Welsh-medium
2 of 5
mainstream schools
School Grade
Not graded
Wales doesn’t publish school-level results
What stands out about Ystalyfera’s schools
2 of 5mainstream schools teach in Welsh; across Wales 29% do0 of 2state secondaries have a sixth form1all-through school, teaching ages 3 to 16 or 18 on one site
More Welsh-medium than most of Wales
40% of Ystalyfera’s mainstream schools teach mainly in Welsh, against 29% across Wales. Families choose either, whatever language they speak at home. Welsh and English ↓
No school sixth forms
None of Ystalyfera’s state secondaries teaches past 16; students go on to a further-education college or a sixth form elsewhere. After 16 ↓
All-through schools
Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur teaches primary and secondary ages together, a type of school Wales calls a middle school. Every school ↓
Written from the Welsh Government’s list of schools and DfE’s register on this page.
Map
Where Ystalyfera’s 5 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its teaching language and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Ystalyfera’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsWelsh-mediumDual languageEnglish-medium
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table. The 2 secondaries are named.
Welsh and English
Which language Ystalyfera’s schools teach in
Mainstream state schools by the Welsh Government’s language category. The black tick is the share across Wales.
Welsh-medium 240%
Dual language 00%
English-medium 360%
1 Welsh-medium primary and 1 Welsh-medium secondary (Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur) in Ystalyfera. Welsh-medium schools teach mainly in Welsh and bring pupils to fluency in both languages; English-medium schools teach Welsh as a subject; dual-language schools teach in both.
Getting a place
How school places work in Ystalyfera
Powys Council handles applications for every state school in Ystalyfera. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Starting school or moving to secondaryApply to Powys Council. Each Welsh council sets its own closing dates, usually in the autumn or winter before a September start.
Welsh-medium or English-mediumFamilies choose. Welsh-medium schools take children from homes that speak no Welsh, and teach them in Welsh from the start.
Moving mid-yearAsk the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
The schools
5 state schools in Ystalyfera
Every state school in Ystalyfera, from DfE’s register of schools (GIAS) and the Welsh Government’s list of schools (pupils, language). Wales publishes no school-level results. Each school has its own page.
All-through schools1 · primary and secondary in one
Secondary schools1 · phase from the school’s name
Pupils: Welsh Government school census, as in its April 2026 list of schools.
After 16
Where Ystalyfera’s teenagers go at 16
Young people in Wales can leave education at 16; most stay on at a sixth form or a further-education college.
All 2 state secondaries in Ystalyfera teach 11 to 16. Further-education colleges in Wales aren’t in DfE’s register, so they aren’t listed here.
Secondaries with a sixth form
0 of 2
state schools in Ystalyfera
Neighbours
Ystalyfera and the places around it
State schools and Welsh-medium schools in the built-up areas around Ystalyfera.
YstradgynlaisCreunantCwmllynfell and YstradowenSeven SistersPontardaweRhosAlltwenYstalyfera
| Town | Schools | Welsh-medium |
|---|---|---|
| Ystalyfera 5 schools | 5 | 2 |
| Ystradgynlais 1 school · 1.9 mi | 1 | 0 |
| Creunant 1 school · 2.8 mi | 1 | 0 |
| Cwmllynfell and Ystradowen 1 school · 2.9 mi | 1 | 1 |
| Seven Sisters 2 schools · 3.2 mi | 2 | 1 |
| Pontardawe 4 schools · 3.7 mi | 4 | 1 |
| Rhos 1 school · 3.8 mi | 1 | 0 |
| Alltwen 1 school · 4.1 mi | 1 | 0 |
How to read these numbers
Wales doesn’t publish school-level results
- Not published in Wales. England publishes each school’s Key Stage 2 and GCSE results; Wales publishes no school-level results tables comparable with them. Estyn inspects Welsh schools and publishes a report on each, without a one-word judgement. So we list Ystalyfera’s schools and leave the School Grade out, rather than grade Welsh towns on a different measure.
- Estyn. Each school’s latest inspection report is on Estyn’s website: search by the school’s name. estyn.gov.wales ↗
Questions about schools in Ystalyfera
Are schools in Ystalyfera good?
Wales doesn’t publish school-level results, so Welsh towns, Ystalyfera among them, have no School Grade. The overall grade uses the other subjects.
How many state schools are in Ystalyfera?
5 open state-funded schools are located in Ystalyfera’s built-up area: 4 primary, 2 secondary and -1 other.
Are there Welsh-medium schools in Ystalyfera?
Yes: 2 of 5 mainstream schools teach mainly in Welsh, including Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn Y Glowyr and Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur.
How do I apply for a school place in Ystalyfera?
Through Powys Council, which sets its own closing dates for primary and secondary places.
Why do Ystalyfera’s schools have no grades?
Wales doesn’t publish school-level results comparable with England’s tests and GCSE tables, so we don’t grade Welsh schools or towns on schools. Estyn publishes an inspection report on each school.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Welsh establishments; Welsh Government address list of schools in Wales (April 2026: language, sector, pupils). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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