A SECOND Haverfordwest secondary school has been placed in special measures by Estyn following a monitoring visit which concluded insufficient progress had been made against recommendations made in January 2015.

Sir Thomas Picton School was found to have made ‘limited progress’ against four out of five recommendations made previously by school inspectors.

While the report noted an improvement in Key Stage Three results, particularly among boys, results at Key Stage Four had fallen back. In addition, school attendance was ‘below modelled’ levels. Meanwhile two staff training issues, relating to self-evaluation and effective middle-leadership, had been resolved by only a minority of the staff concerned.

The background to the report has been the long-term absence of Dr Nick Poole, who has now retired as Headteacher at the school, in combination with the approach of Pembrokeshire County Council, which wants to close it.

In addition, the uncertainty surrounding the future of the school, exacerbated by the Council’s total failure to harmonise its plans for the future of secondary provision in Pembrokeshire or present them in a lawful way, has caused key staff members to leave the school, particularly at the end of the last academic year.

As a result of the finding, newly qualified teachers will not be permitted to carry out induction at Sir Thomas Picton School.

Pembrokeshire Council and the school has to devise an urgent action plan to address the shortcomings identified in the report.

Plaid Cymru’s Simon Thomas, Mid and West AM, said: “It is disappointing to hear that the school has not made sufficient progress in key areas since a previous inspection in January 2015.

“I’m afraid Pembrokeshire Council has to get its act together when it comes to education. Compare their record with neighbouring Plaid-led Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire Council and it is found wanting. For the sake of our children, we need change at the top of Pembrokeshire Council.

“Plaid Cymru has asked for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education. I’ve written to the school to ask as an Assembly Member what support I can give and alerted my shadow cabinet colleague Llyr Gruffydd who is responsible for education.”

A statement from Pembrokeshire County Council said: “The Acting Headteacher, Tracy Edwards, together with the governing body of Sir Thomas Picton School, Haverfordwest, recognises fully the findings of the recent Estyn monitoring visit which has placed the school into the statutory category of special measures.”

While disappointed that there has only been limited progress made against four of the recommendations set out as part of the full inspection report, very good progress has been made against one and the school is working effectively to embed improved systems and processes to bring about the expected increase in outcomes.