Cuts 'on hold' at protest school

Pupils outside Pontllanfraith School on Monday

Proposed teacher redundancies at a secondary school in Caerphilly county have been put on hold after pupils staged a protest walkout.

About 150 pupils blocked the road in front of Pontllanfraith Comprehensive on Monday, and three were arrested.

The secondary school was classed as "failing" until two weeks ago.

Caerphilly council said "appropriate consultation" was needed together with an "ongoing positive dialogue with all parties".

The school was put into "special measures" in January 2007 but that ended two weeks ago after inspectors said the school had made good progress.

Pupils claimed a number of teachers at the school near Blackwood were given redundancy notices last week.

Report

Previously Caerphilly local education authority said there were "necessary" changes to staffing levels under discussion.

Pupil Kane Thomas, 15, took part in the protest and said he was concerned about his education.

"There were banners and there were people with writing on their tops saying 'Justice for the teachers' and some of the teachers' names," Cane told BBC Radio Wales.

"The teachers that have gone are really, really nice. I really am upset and my drama teacher has left - we need her for my GCSC.

"My course work is due in May and without the teachers there is no course work to be given in," he added.

Two 15-year-old girls and a 13-year-old boy were arrested during the demonstration outside the school for obstructing the highway and a public order offence.

Two have been released but one girl remains in police custody.

Gwent Police said 10 officers were sent to the school.

Ten police officers were called to the protest

William Graham, Conservative AM for South Wales East, said teachers and pupils had worked "tremendously hard over the past year to raise standard at Pontllanfraith Comprehensive.

"Together, they raised their school out of this situation, as acknowledged by Inspectors earlier this month. The bond of mutual support is demonstrated by today's protest," Mr Graham said.

Inspectors who visited from November 2006 said the comprehensive school had failed to hit required standards.

There had previously been strike action by 35 teachers provoked by a row over extra responsibility payments.

A report in March found the school had improved enough not to require constant monitoring and the head teacher had a "clear vision" with "high expectations".

"There is a positive learning ethos in most classrooms and little evidence of the low-level disruption evident at the time of the inspection in 2006," said the report.

"The number of recorded incidents of misbehaviour has reduced over a quarter compared with the same period a year ago. There has also been a reduction in fixed-term exclusions over the same period, with significantly fewer days lost from school."