DELAYS have hit Newport’s new Welsh-medium secondary school with plans to teach some of the new intake at a nearby primary school until the building work is finished.

Last night more than 70 parents of children who are due to attend the new school met the future governing body to discuss the delay.

The new school will be located on current the Duffryn High School site in Duffryn Way and have provision for pupils from Newport and south Monmouthshire.

The existing Duffryn High School is set to change its name to John Frost School after substantial refurbishment.

Parents had already been told through a letter, seen by the Argus, from the chairwoman of the temporary governing body, Elin Maher that the school will open on September 1, 2016.

But it went on to say that as a result of “changing environmental conditions”- which parents have told the Argus is down to flooding- additional works are required on the site which will impact on the delivery of the full curriculum for the pupils.

The letter added that the governing body is proposing to deliver the full curriculum for one academic year, 2016/17, from a temporary location, sharing space at the premises of Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon on Brynglas Drive.

After the meeting, parents say they left with lots of unanswered questions.

One mother, who did not want to be named, said that when asked, parents couldn’t be promised that works wouldn’t go on into a second year.

She said parents wanted to know how the shared curriculum would work, but that they were told this was currently unknown.

Parents also asked for a deadline extension for the date in which they have to submit which secondary school preference they want their children to attend until their questions could be answered.

But parents report that this was rejected at the meeting.

The mother added: “We want the Welsh school but we do not want our children’s learning to be affected.”

Newport City Council confirmed that pupils will begin their Welsh medium secondary education as planned in Newport in September 2016.

However, a spokeswoman added: “The timescale for completing the development at the site was always extremely tight and despite significant efforts by all the parties concerned completion of the building in Duffryn will now not be until the following year.

“The delivery of the full curriculum however will be possible at a temporary location working with Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon head teacher.

“The new school’s temporary governing body is working closely with Newport City Council on securing the delivery of the full curriculum which will not be disrupted, whilst operating a new school from its established base on Duffryn Way.”

She added that parents will be kept up-to-date by the governors.