Caldicot School "never been safer and happier” says headteacher

A Monmouthshire school where teachers walked out over violence from pupils has “never been safer and happier” according to its headteahcher. 

Caldicot School was placed under the second highest level of monitoring by education inspectors Estyn at the end of 2024 and told it requires “significant improvement”. 

The report also noted improvements, including staff morale and pupil behavior at the 1,300 pupil secondary school where teachers staged strike action in autumn 2023 amid claims its then leadership had failed to address verbal and physical abuse towards teachers and other pupils. 

Alun Ebenezer, who was appointed acting headteacher in June last year, said the school accepts Estyn’s verdict, which has come with five recommendations for improvement, but said the findings hadn’t come as a surprise. 

“I suppose the frustration is the timing of the inspection,” said Mr Ebenezer: “All the things we have to put in place in the post-inspection plan is pretty much part of the development plan we’ve put in place since September. 

“Had the inspection happened in six months time I don’t think ‘significant improvement’ would be needed as we’d be six months futher down the line.” 

One of the reports recommendations is the school addresses “safeguarding issues raised during the inspection” though they aren’t clearly stated. 
In response Mr Ebenezer said: “I think you can always tighten up and improve and we’vet got to keep improving but for me the feedback from young people and staff is Caldicot School has never been safer and happier.” 

Steps needed at the school include improvements in teaching, attendance which is below that of other similar schools and support for pupils with additional learning needs including those with complex needs in its Specialist Resource Base. 

Among actions the school could take said Mr Ebenezer is the possible introduction of a ‘house’ system rather than the current focus on year groups. 

Pupils would still attend lessons with peers from the same year but form time and assemblies could be arranged according to a pupils’ ‘house’ which would include children from each year group through to year 11, with houses also supported by sixth form students. 

“We think we’ll be able to nurture young people’s sense of belonging and rather than competing in eisteddfods or sports day twice a year it will be something pupils live and breathe. We will have house points it will create a ‘cynefin’ (belonging to a place) to a house and help with attendance such as the best house will get bacon butties.” 

Initial discussions on the proposal have already been held with staff and some pupils but Mr Ebenezer said it will be subject to a further consultation with pupils and parents and the school could be organised into four ‘houses’. 

In September the school introduced ‘university style’ classes of 60 pupils in a response to a national shortage of mathematics teachers. 

Mr Ebenezer said he had “encouraged” Estyn to visit those classes and he said while the classes remain “under review” the school believes they are working and making good use of its modern building with flexible spaces. 

The headteacher also said he believes improved behaviour will result in higher attendance and better teaching. 

“We have to challenge pupils more in lessons and encourage them to be more independent,” said Mr Ebenezer. 

“Many people think a good lesson is where the children are behaved and there are no issues, that’s not a good lesson. If I go to a class and there are no problems that, in sporting terms, is a nil – nil. We have got to start scoring some goals and really challenge pupils, make sure they are achieving their potential and enable young people to be independent and push them on with really good questions.” 

The head also said he is confident there will be no cause for further strike action at the school: “It comes through in the report the staff are happy and they say they look forward and enjoy coming to school and behaviour has improved. As long as everyone is willing to carry on with what has been put in place I can’t see why there would be any industrial action in the future.”