Angered parents of pupils at a once "pioneering" primary school which hasn’t been open for a year due to safety concerns are bewildered by news their children won’t be able to return for another 12 months. Last summer parents of children at Millbrook Primary School in Bettws, Newport, told WalesOnline a “slanting wall” on the school building caused so much worry for staff that the council agreed with the head teacher Keri Smith that the building would need to be closed.
The wall was cordoned off by staff at the school in June 2022 ahead of an announcement in September 2022, days before pupils were set to return for the new academic year, that the school building was structurally unsafe. All 308 pupils from reception to year six were moved to what was then described as a temporary base at the adult teaching centre behind Brynglas House.
Parents say while staff have done their best to accommodate the children in Brynglas the building is too small and inadequate for pupils’ needs. Two parents said their children were in a class with more than 60 others in Brynglas while children as young as infant school age are taking a bus from the Millbrook school site to Brynglas each morning and afternoon, often not getting home until 4.45pm.
Parents also said “every day feels like a school trip” for stressed staff and described how very little in terms of a holistic approach to development is on offer at the temporary site in Brynglas, which is currently using a small car park as a playground for the pupils. In an open letter from parents sent to the head teacher, governors, and the council apoplectic parents wrote: “We are now coming to the end of the school year and still our children have no breakfast club, no school sports team, no after-school clubs, unsuitable classroom space, unsuitable outdoor play areas, and no school.
“From July last year parents of pupils at the school have been provided minimal information regarding the status of Millbrook Primary. We were told two classrooms were unsafe but no further details were provided. Summer came and went and less than a week before the term started we were advised the school was closed and the children were being bussed to Brynglas.
“The head was unable to provide us with any more information and the whole team at Millbrook had to fight through their concerns and questions with what felt like zero support or guidance from the council. Children have started their education journey at a venue they were unfamiliar with, travelling in a way they have never done before. Then to top it off they were coming home in the pitch black of winter.”
A spokesman for Newport city council said delays have been due to “in-depth work taking place to identify options” for the condemned site at Millbrook. “It is important as much detail as possible is available so a full report can be presented to the cabinet who will make the final decision,” they said.
Millbrook has recently been targeted by vandals and broken windows are boarded up, parents claimed. Sarahjane Bishop, 42, who has one child at the school and who attended the school herself 30 years ago, said the council has had enough time to improve the daily experience for pupils at the temporary school and “better planning would have saved a lot of stress” for families affected by Millbrook’s closure. Alongside other parents she called for a better long-term alternative than the adult teaching centre and a faster approach from Newport council.
“Our children are missing out on so much and it’s awful to see,” she added. “Learning, especially at such a young age, is about so much more than what happens in a classroom. They can’t play in any sports leagues, there are no extra-curricular activities outside of school because of the location – it’s terrible. I had a better education 30 years ago.
“We’ve had very little in terms of updates from the council. Communication has been shocking. We’ve heard from the council twice in the last year on it. Last September we were told a week before the term was due to start that the school was unsafe and we’d need to move to Brynglas. I genuinely believe the staff are giving us all the information they can but the staff don’t really know what’s happening themselves. Parents and staff are welling up at the school gates.
“The facilities at Brynglas are meant for adults. We’ve got a friend who has a daughter who is disabled and it was a hard enough battle to get modifications for her. They haven’t got a sensory room at Brynglas. The food is being cooked off-site because of a lack of facilities to prepare food for lunch times.”
Andilee Jordan, 26, who has three children at the school, said: “I only moved my kids to Millbrook last summer before the building was condemned and it was between Millbrook or the Welsh school. I chose Millbrook because I thought my one son, who has additional needs, would be supported better at Millbrook. In hindsight I really wish I hadn’t chosen Millbrook. Originally we would have to get two buses a morning to Millbrook, which I decided was worth it for the support I thought my son would get, but since moving to Brynglas we have to take six buses a day and we get home at about 5pm. We’ve been getting taxis lately because it’s too stressful but it’s £12 a day. My middle son is in a class of 65 and the rooms aren’t that big.”
Sarah Gulley, 38, who has two children at the school, added: “My son’s classroom at Brynglas is ridiculous. You can’t walk around the desks because there is so little space. It’s like a military operation from staff to try and make sure all the kids are getting an education. It feels like we’ve been impacted by inaction. The teachers are being asked lots of questions every day and they know nothing. I feel sorry for the teachers.
“In the lead-up to the decision on the school being unsafe there was nothing happening at the site and no reason to think anything would be changing. Then a week before the term starts to get an email saying: ‘Sorry, your kids are now going to be bussed from the school to a different place’, you can imagine the utter panic from parents of children, many of whom are new to the school, about to start a new term. It has been poorly handled since. I can’t comprehend the stress the teachers must be feeling. It must feel like being on a school trip every day.”
A spokesman for Newport city council said: “Significant structural defects were found at Millbrook Primary School following investigations which means the building is unsafe to use. Our priority has always been to ensure the children could continue to receive their education and fortunately they are able to use the Brynglas Training Centre. Transport arrangements were put into place and every effort has been made to align them with the usual school day. We are grateful to the staff of Millbrook Primary who have worked hard to make sure the school has been able to operate and ensure the children have an excellent learning environment. In-depth work is taking place to identify options for the site. It is important that as much detail as possible is available so a full report can be presented to the cabinet who will make the final decision. We acknowledge the concerns of parents and carers but it is vitally important that a long-term, sustainable, and viable solution is found for the school. They are kept informed when any updates are available.”
