EDITORIAL COMMENT: Duffryn school turns a corner (From South Wales Argus)

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Duffryn school turns a corner

10:11am Friday 10th July 2009

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WE congratulate the head teacher of Duffryn High School, Jon Wilson, and his staff for the excellent improvements they have brought about to get their school off a list of under-performing institutions.

In February last year the school was put on a list of schools that required significant improvements after an inspection by education watchdog Estyn.

Their report stated that the school had a number of disruptive pupils who were having a negative effect on teaching standards.

However, in just over a year the school's action plan to tackle the problems has led to a major improvement and the removal of the school from the poor performers list.

It must be incredibly difficult for schools to deal with disruptive pupils, particularly the older ones, who receive little or no encouragement from their parents to do well.

Many young people do not want to be at school, but it was ever thus.

In the past, however, schools had far more sanctions than they do now.

Pupils were made to attend and to achieve, often against their own instincts, and disruption was simply not tolerated.

In Duffryn the staff have approached the problem very positively and have set themselves some challenging targets.

They have even set up a reward system for good performance and behaviour.

This has led to a major improvement in lessons, performance and behaviour.

It is an achievement of which the school can be justly proud.

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