Denbigh High School has been placed in special measures after a recent Estyn inspection found the school had failed to improve.

The school, on Ruthin Road, caters for pupils aged 11 to 19 and was previously inspected in November 2016 when four recommendations for improvement were made.

However, the follow-up visit last month revealed concerns that the performance of boys in the level 2 threshold, including English and mathematics fell sharply in 2017. That of girls also fell and both are lower than in similar schools.

The report also said that the school had recently reviewed and revised approaches to improving pupil attendance and behaviour. 

"However, unverified data indicates that attendance for 2017-2018 has fallen sharply and is much lower than at the time of the inspection." the report added

The Governing Body of Denbigh High School and Denbighshire County Council have issued a joint statement, following the decision by Estyn to place the school in special measures.

When Estyn re-visited the school to evaluate the progress made against these four recommendations, its inspectors concluded that across the eighteen-month period the school had made insufficient progress but did identify that within the last three month’s improvements had been actioned.

However, when looking at the whole period Estyn judged that the lack of overall progress has meant that the school now has to be placed into special measures.

Dr Paul Evans, Headteacher of Denbigh High School said: “We accept Estyn’s findings and fully recognise that improvements need to be made. Some significant changes have already been introduced and they have been acknowledged by Estyn. However, we need to increase the pace of the change needed and this report provides us with a chance to drive forward our improvement plans, embed the changes recently introduced and build upon the good features within the school to secure a period of sustained growth and improvement.

“We would like to reassure parents and guardians that we are totally committed to the challenge and we will keep them informed of progress over the coming months.

Councillor Huw Hilditch–Roberts, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children, Young People and the Welsh Language, said: “We are making a firm commitment to helping the school’s management team and governing body to respond positively to the findings.

“The school itself has recognised that there are challenges to be met and we make a promise today that will provide educational support and guidance to the school as they work to address the issues highlighted in the report. Responding positively to the report is crucial to making sure that we see the improvements carried out as quickly as possible, ensuring that current and future generations at Denbigh High have the best possible education experience”.

A copy of the Estyn report is now available on the school website or on the Estyn website at www.estyn.gov.wales.