INFORMATION RECEIVED from a source, who has requested total anonymity, has revealed a catalogue of grave concerns regarding the governance of Ysgol Bro Banw, Ammanford.
That source has confirmed and expanded upon the situation at Ysgol Bro Banw which led to a critical report by Estyn.
The Herald has previously rep orted Estyn’s finding regarding a school placed in the Green Band of Welsh Government School Categorisation. That report found a lack of scrutiny by school governors, irregular employment practices, and evidence that the school’s self-assessment – on which its Green Categorisation was partly based – was hopelessly optimistic and out of kilter with the reality.
As a result of the Estyn inspection, the school was assessed as having unsatisfactory prospects for improvement while serious criticism was levied at the school’s leadership and governing body.
The Herald can now confirm that, after we put a series of detailed allegations to the local authority, the Director of Education, Robert Sully told us: “We are in the process of investigating a number of issues regarding circumstances at Ysgol Bro Banw. We will be unable to comment further until all investigations have been concluded. This process is likely to take several weeks before reaching a conclusion.”
The number and nature of the allegations suggest that what is uncovered is likely to of considerable interest, not to say embarrassment, at the very highest levels at County Hall.
STAFF FEAR RECRIMINATIONS
Referring to the damning report on the school from Estyn recently about serious failings with regards to the management and leadership of the school our source claims that since its content was made public, many worrying revelations have been made in confidence by staff who are too scared to make these known publicly for fear of recriminations.
It is alleged that attainment levels across the school were inflated across the core subjects to present a better picture of its standards and that staff were directed to ensure this was done.
Our source states that the discrepancy between work seen during the inspection and the attainment levels recorded was severely criticised by Estyn and is behind the Council’s decision to send in a team of experts to independently assess attainment levels.
Before the Estyn inspection team, teachers were allegedly told to alter their job descriptions as those held by the school were either hopelessly out of date. Some staff discovered that their job descriptions meant they should have been paid a higher salary than they received.
Another allegation is that teachers were compelled to re-write comments on children’s books going back over two years in order to comply with standard practice for assessment in order to attempt to hoodwink Estyn’s inspectors.
AVOIDING THE INSPECTORS
The correspondent goes on to claim that the head teacher of the school took steps to avoid an interview with Estyn regarding the progress of the inspection and involved another member of school staff in her efforts to avoid questioning by the Estyn inspector.
We asked the head teacher, Mrs Meryl Davies, to respond to a detailed allegation relating to that purported course of events.
On not receiving a reply to our email, we telephoned the school on Thursday (May 5). We were asked to refer our enquiry to the Council Press Office: a step already taken. The Council did not deny that the specified allegation had been made.
The Herald makes no comment on the truthfulness or otherwise of that allegation, or the others. We observe, however, that the fact such grave allegations have been made suggests that there is something seriously awry in the relationship between school leaders and members of the school’s staff.
Indeed, Estyn’s criticism of Ysgol Bro Banw certainly ring true with a number of claims our source has made regarding staffing practices, including allegations that some staff were appointed without going through a proper interview process.
The Estyn report states: ‘The head teacher and governors do not follow best practice in setting the arrangements for appointing staff to leadership posts and do not provide staff with equal access to opportunities for development and promotion’. Further allegations are made about the way the school has utilised the Welsh Government’s pupil deprivation grant, including placing televisions in the playground and providing iPads to learners. The Estyn report was highly critical of the school in this area stating: ‘Leaders do not use the pupil deprivation grant appropriately or effectively’.
STAFF CALL FOR UNION HELP
Our source raises serious concerns regarding the management of finances at the school claiming that the school does not have a Finance Clerk and that all school finances are subject to little or no effective scrutiny from the board of governors.
The Herald has been told that as a result of the damning report, teachers and Classroom Assistants at Bro Banw have contacted their union representatives and provided them with detailed grievances.
We contact Unison, who informed us that they were discussing the issues raised with staff but could not comment further at this time.
While Estyn referred to their media handling protocol in declining to either confirm or deny the incident involving the alleged abortive interview with Ysgol Bro Banw’s head teacher, it directed our attention to their inspectors’ specific finding that ‘the school was identified as in need of significant improvement’.
Chair of the Board of Governors Huw Evans refused to comment on the situation at Bro Banw when contacted by our reporter.
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