The scandal at Scola Ruthinensis gets worse. Published yesterday was an Estyn inspection report after a November 2019 visit. It concentrated on safeguarding and, here, there were many strengths but lost of weaknesses. This is on top of the Care Inspectorate report and, of course, those inappropriate messages to pupils—and, today's Daily Post catalogues in much more detail than previously just how bad things were regarding those messages.
There's even talk that the Welsh government will strike Ruthin School off the register of independents. That, of course, won't happen. The school has already submitted an action plan and it will no doubt be monitored closely.
Let us then turn our attention away from the principal and the problems he seems to have created and focus on the needs of pupils who must surely be having a hard time. Will their performance suffer? Above all, the pupils need to feel they are in a safe environment.
Next, let us consider the staff who work there, some of whom presumably will be tarnished unjustifiably.
Then, we need to consider the wider community. The school is a major employer for a town of our size, supporting countless families, both directly and indirectly. there are 100 direct employees. Seeing it close or even reduce in size owing to parental boycotts has major implications for us all. We all could easily take the view that the school educates a 'bunch of toffs' and that it'll serve 'em right if it closes. But that would be a classic case of a revenge or vigilante attack simply out of pique when, in reality, we need the school as part of our fragile micro-economy.
The April 2019 Version
In February, Estyn undertook a full inspection and this they published in April 2019. It's fair to say that the results were excellent. How come things have now slipped? Or, why did Estyn miss the signs last year?
Business as usual on the school's website
Let us then turn our attention away from the principal and the problems he seems to have created and focus on the needs of pupils who must surely be having a hard time. Will their performance suffer? Above all, the pupils need to feel they are in a safe environment.
Ranked 5th best co-ed boarding school in the UK and 8th in terms of A-level results
Then, we need to consider the wider community. The school is a major employer for a town of our size, supporting countless families, both directly and indirectly. there are 100 direct employees. Seeing it close or even reduce in size owing to parental boycotts has major implications for us all. We all could easily take the view that the school educates a 'bunch of toffs' and that it'll serve 'em right if it closes. But that would be a classic case of a revenge or vigilante attack simply out of pique when, in reality, we need the school as part of our fragile micro-economy.
The April 2019 Version
In February, Estyn undertook a full inspection and this they published in April 2019. It's fair to say that the results were excellent. How come things have now slipped? Or, why did Estyn miss the signs last year?
Impressive results of the 2019 inspection