PUPILS have re-started attending the secondary campus of a special needs school after £500,000 was spent on improving the “learning environment” there.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Place scrutiny meeting on Tuesday, February 28 discussed the recent Estyn inspection of the authority’s education services.

One of the recommendations from Estyn is that the council’s education service “accelerates” improvements for secondary age pupils in the schools “causing concern.”

Last year both Brynmawr Foundation School and The River Centre – Learning Community 3-16 special school were put into special measures following critical reports by Estyn

Cllr Derrick Bevan said: “What activities that are taking place to improve the schools mentioned in the report, Brynmawr and The River Centre.”

Director of education Lynn Phillips explained that work to improve the learning environment had just finished and secondary school pupils had “just returned” to The River Centre “as of this week.”

Head of school improvement and inclusion, Luisa Munro-Morris had visited the school on Monday.

Ms Munro-Morris said: “It was quite an emotional day to see the progress that’s been made.”

She added that the pupil’s views had helped shape the investment at the school which included an “outdoor gym.”

“That’s all been installed and they had the opportunity to use it for the first time yesterday and they were really thrilled,” said Ms Munro-Morris.

Ms Munro Morris said that work on the IT area and workshops at the school had been re-done.

Ms Munro-Morris said: “It’s been very well thought out, it represents a huge cultural change in The River Centre.”

On the Post Inspection Action Plan (PIAP) to address the shortcomings at the school, Ms Munro-Morris told councillors that operational changes at the schools had been done, and the focus is now turning to more “strategic” issues.

Ms Munro-Morris said: “It’s really pleasing to see the progress.”

Turning to Brynmawr, Mr Phillips said that the council had “revisited” the statutory warning notice placed on the school.

“The focus is now on the pace of improvement required particularly from a learning and teaching perspective.

“It has been identified through Estyn monitoring visit and our own work, that there are still too many lessons that are not of good enough quality.”

He added that a further review of teaching and learning at the school would take place in the next half term up to Easter.

The committee will be given further updates in due course when councillors can ask further questions on the schools’ progress.