THE children of a Newport primary who have not been able to go to school for more than a year are "being let down", it has been claimed.

Youngsters at Millbrook Primary School in Bettws were forced to relocate to Brynglas Adult Training Centre, two miles from the original school site, just days before the end of the summer holidays in 2022 after structural issues were found in the building.

Pupils must take a bus from Newport High School to the training centre along with their lunches each day, allegedly not arriving home until 4.45pm, according to parents.

 

And now Newport City Council has said they may not be able to return to the site until January 2026 - at the earliest.

In reaction to this news, Welsh Conservative shadow education minister Laura Anne Jones said: “It has been a year since Millbrook Primary School had to close its doors and there is still uncertainty facing pupils, teachers and families about the safety of the current provisions at the temporary site and the quality of education the children are receiving.

“For pupils to be crammed into classes with more than 60 other pupils, and for children as young as infant school age having to take multiple buses, raises both wellbeing and safeguarding issues, and is not acceptable.

“The Labour Government must work closely with Newport Council here, to ensure that pupils in the school can receive the very best education they can have, because as things stand, these children are being let down.”

A Newport City Council spokesperson said the safety of students and staff was the “immediate priority” following the discovery of structural damage in summer 2022, and that further investigative work deemed the school unsafe to reopen.

Alternative accommodation large enough to accommodate everyone is not possible, they added.

“Although the building in Brynglas is not a purpose-built school, it has allowed the pupils to continue to receive their education in a safe environment, where effective learning is sustained. It is not too far away from Bettws,” the spokesperson said.

The council has confirmed its intention to build a new school, with the demolition of the site on track to begin next year, with options for a replacement being considered.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We have continued to invest in safe learning environments for children, replacing old and outdated buildings with new schools.

“Our £2.3 billion Sustainable Communities for Learning programme is the largest school building programme in Wales since World War Two.

"More than 200 schools and colleges have been built, refurbished or remodelled across Wales, with more to come. Over the last four years, we have invested £203 million to support local authorities and further education institutions to maintain schools and colleges.

“Local authorities are responsible for the maintenance and structural safety of schools, and it is a local decision taken by the local authority when a school closure decision is taken.”