NEWPORT council chiefs say a critical inspection report of Bettws High school shows why a new building is desperately needed.

An Estyn inspection said the present buildings at Bettws are no longer fit for purpose and had shortcomings which had a detrimental effect on standards.

An £18 million new school is set to open in 2009, but C20, the Twentieth Century Society, is campaigning to save the present 1972 building.

Official inspector Brian William Medhurst said the school served an economically disadvantaged area.

He said: "In a number of aspects the school had met or exceeded targets but there were still a few areas with important shortcomings.

"The school has many dedicated and hardworking teachers who are wholeheartedly committed to providing the best opportunities for their students and to raise standards, but their efforts to not always achieve hoped-for outcomes."

A major contributory factor to the shortcomings is that many students are often absent from school.

Also in a minority of lessons, standards and teaching were adversely affected by disruptive and disrespectful behaviour.

Mr Medhurst said he was of the opinion, and HMCI agreed, the school is in need of significant improvement.

Council leader Bob Bright said: "It is our view that the Bettws school building has had a major negative impact on the attainment standards at the school and this has been supported by two successive Estyn inspections which have said the building is not fit for modern educational purposes."

Councillor Bright said the council's actions will be in the best interests of pupils, and the council will resist proposals for the building to be listed.

He said the school and LEA were working on an action plan to address the educational shortcomings identified by Estyn and extra investment had already been made to improve student attendance.

"We firmly believe that the opening of the new school, due in autumn 2009, will have an extremely positive impact on the quality of education for everyone involved with Bettws school."