Anger as Rhyl grades fall below average

Jan 28 2009 by Justine Bailey, Denbigh Visitor

DENBIGHSHIRE County Council has come under fire from local politicians for allowing a second Rhyl secondary school to be placed in special measures.

Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane and AM Ann Jones believe the lack of funding from the local authority has played a major part in Rhyl High School’s shortcomings.

“This is the second school in Rhyl to be placed in special measures in recent years and it is a shocking situation to be in,” said Mr Ruane.

“Thankfully, after some extremely hard work put in by staff, parents and pupils, Blessed Edward Jones school has turned the corner and been taken out of special measures.

“But now we need to address the problems at Rhyl High School.

“There are specific problems relating to the school for example, questions need to be asked as to why the school was left without a head for four years. Why did the local authority leave it dangling in the wind for so many years?

“Also the PE department receives some criticism in the report yet the school’s all-weather pitch has now been shut for nearly a year and its leisure centre was opened 18 months behind schedule.

“Both the Rhyl secondary schools educate children and young people from the most deprived wards in the whole of Wales so are these schools getting sufficient funding and support to overcome the problems created by this?

“However, there is a bigger picture within Denbighshire and we need to know if there are any other struggling schools and what help and support is being given to them.”

Mrs Jones added: “This report is very worrying and I am sad to say that yet again a generation of young people have been wronged by this authority. Estyn has made reference to problems throughout the management and states that the school was aware of its shortcomings but failed to resolve the situation.

“Since the Minister intervened last year we were promised that the authority would push with every sinew to improve the county’s education system. Since that time Denbighshire County Council has spent an eye-watering £220,000 on interim management arrangements, but where are the results?

“More time and money was squandered on the failure to properly run Hyfrydle which makes me worry about whether the Council Leader, who has responsibility for Lifelong Learning, was monitoring the situation at Rhyl High.”