Rhosnesni Special Measures

[JaneJ]

How sad to read the story in Wrexham.com of Ysgol Rhosnesni going into Special Measures – yet another cohort of young people attending a Wrexham school that is clearly failing them and not giving them the opportunities they deserve for their future life. There are undoubtedly some good areas of work taking place both with teachers and pupils, but the Inspectorate takes a holistic view and on balance the school is clearly failing (failed).

Over the past 10 years we have seen more than 50% of our secondary school children attending a school that has had a min of one year when their school has been in Special Measures. Headteachers and teachers come and go but what has remained the same is Wrexham Council having the same leadership.

Parents of these pupils should be demanding better for their children and a massive improvement in the so called support taht they provide to schools in the County.

School report on the Council-
Must try better
Must put more effort
More effort required
Less talking and more action

[Alunh]

I take JaneJ’s point about the report to hand.

Unfortunately, whilst we can point a finger at the management of the school (and similar), many of us would rather cut out the middleman and head straight to the Senedd in allocating responsibility. After all, it’s no coincidence that Welsh Secondary Education has raced to the bottom of the international league and that the local template is the same one applied throughout Wales.

In the 1990s, David Blunkett (then Educational Minister for Blair) criticised bog-standard One-Sized-Fits-All Comprehensives as unsuited to our times. It’s hardly surprising that a Welsh Secondary classroom of 30+ students of differing abilities (Mixed Ability), organised by a teacher told not to teach from the front (Child-centred Education), get through an average day making little or no progress in their learning. So sad

[wrexview]

Why are Wrexham’s secondary schools constantly bouncing into and out of special measures? Why has it been impossible to sustain perceived improvements ?

[wrexview]

Not sure of number of pupils on roll at present but in 2018 it had fallen from 960 to 688 (Estyn report). At present according to the school’s website there are 63 teachers 10 men 53 women and 48 non teaching posts , people who support the work of teachers and pupils in running the school. One hundred and eleven people to run a school of less than 700 pupils. Not including cleaners and catering staff.

Another point to take into account as referenced in the current Estyn report a failing school can’t employ NTQ’s (Newly Qualified Teachers) as they are not seen as appropriate places for them to be trained.

[Alunh]

Note

Prestatyn High School has some 1800 pupils and 250 or so staff members. An interesting stat to chase is that relating to how many children who are eligible to be taught in Wrexham’s town schools and who are based in the town, are now educated elsewhere

[Author]

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