CHIRSTMAS has been put on hold at a Newport school which is under investigation for how tests were run.

Parents at Rogerstone Primary said they were furious at the potential festive season cull of the school disco, Christmas fete, a trip to the Pantomime and school concert.

The change of plan is because Estyn has informed the school they will be carrying out an inspection in the second week of December.

Three mums, who do not want to be named, said their children were sent home with a letter on Tuesday, which said the Christmas fun is to be rearranged once this is over.

But many parents and the education and training inspectorate for Wales say there is no point putting the Christmas festivities off.

A spokeswoman for Estyn said it wants to see schools running normally: “We would never recommend any school should cancel any Christmas activities or day to day events because of an inspection.”

Inspectors are due to be in the school for three days, starting on December 9. The end of term is December 20.

The first mum who contacted the Argus and whose daughter in year two, said: “You don’t have a Christmas party after Christmas.”

The second mum said it felt like the school had cancelled it: “A lot of parents are very upset about it. The general feeling is the children are being penalised and they should come first.”

The third mum said she has paid £9 for her daughter’s Pantomime ticket: “She is nearly eight, believes in Santa and Christmas is a massive thing for kinds of that age. It’s not going to be the same now.”

In the letter, seen by the Argus, headteacher Steve Rayer said: “The Christmas panto and concerts will be rearranged in the New Year. The Christmas fete and Christmas disco will be rearranged after the inspection is over. We are all very much looking forward to the visit by Estyn to show them the wonderful work everyone does here and how well the children progress in their learning.”

In August the Argus reported that the way national tests were conducted at the school was found to be open to potential abuse by a committee looking into complaints.

A document from the Educational Achievement Service said the committee found significant weaknesses in how the school ran national reading and numeracy tests, giving an understandable if false perception of malpractice.

Subsequently, governors chairman Ernest Watkins sent a letter to parents saying headteacher Sam Yeoman and deputy headteacher Wayne Millard had been “granted temporary leave” by mutual agreement.

Mr Watkins wrote that he did “not envisage that the arrangements will be in place for the long term and will be dependent upon progress in a pending investigation into the National Reading and Numeracy Tests held earlier this year”.

Mr Rayer was appointed as acting headteacher following a dispute over the way the school ran National reading and numeracy tests.

Neither the school nor Newport council responded to requests for comment yesterday.