A GWENT school has been placed in special measures after a stinging report cited “fractured relationships and poor communication between leaders, and between leaders and staff”.

Newport’s Malpas Church in Wales Primary was heavily criticised following a recent Estyn inspection which found “standards in Welsh and information and communication technology (ICT) are not good enough”.

The recently amalgamated school was also condemned for the way pupils with special educational needs and a few who are more able make slower progress than they should.

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Its leadership and management were blasted as being “unsatisfactory and needs urgent improvement”.

Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough, the report also found.

Teachers also didn’t have high enough expectations to challenge more able pupils to achieve as well as they could, inspectors concluded.

They went on to find that teachers “over-direct” students’ learning and children do not develop the skills they need to work independently or to solve problems for themselves.

Newport City Council merged Malpas Church in Wales Infant School and Malpas Church in Wales Junior School into primary school for students aged four to 11.

Malpas Church in Wales Primary opened in September 2017.

It currently has 339 pupils organised into 14 classes, two for each year group from Reception to Year 6.

The school was inspected in November and there some positives in the review.

The report said: “Pupils are happy and feel safe in school. Many enjoy their learning and most leave the school with suitable standards in English and mathematics.

“However, their standards in Welsh and information and communication technology (ICT) are not good enough.

“Pupils with special educational needs and a few who are more able make slower progress than they should. Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough.”

It went on to say: “In most classrooms, there are warm, professional relationships and a mutual respect between pupils and adults.

“Generally, teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. However, teachers do not have high enough expectations to challenge more able pupils to achieve as well as they could.

“Teachers over-direct pupils’ learning and, as a result, pupils do not develop the skills they need to work independently or to solve problems for themselves.”

The inspectors reported how the recent merger had resulted in difficulties.

The report states: “The recent amalgamation procedure has resulted in fractured relationships and poor communication between leaders and between leaders and staff.

“Consequently, the rate of school improvement recently has been too slow. Staff are not clear enough about their responsibilities and many do not have regular management time to address them.

“For example, leaders do not manage the provision for pupils with special educational needs closely enough.

“Leaders do not track pupils’ progress or monitor and review teachers’ work, or pupils’ attendance, tightly enough.

“This means that leaders cannot be certain that, over time, all pupils make at least the progress they should."

School watchdog Estyn has made a number of suggestions after placing it in special measures.

Its report concluded: “The school will draw up an action plan to show how it is going to address the recommendations.

“Estyn will monitor the school’s progress every four to six months, normally on a termly basis.”