AN Aberystwyth school will continue being monitored by inspectors until at least the autumn after the school failed to show improvement for the third year in a row.

Estyn inspectors carried out a monitoring visit at Penglais School in May, three years after the last full inspection judged the school’s current performance and prospects for improvement as ‘adequate’ — the second-lowest rating given.

The Cambrian News can reveal this week that the school has failed to show enough improvement to move out of monitoring.

The news comes as the school, which is the biggest in the county, prepares to welcome new headteacher Mair Hughes from September.

Hayley Griffiths has been serving as acting head in the absence of a permanent headteacher since Matthew Brown left the job after just three years in charge, to take up a job as head of learning services at Ceredigion County Council.

Before Mr Brown’s departure, the Cambrian News published reports from parents who expressed concerns that poor discipline had resulted from a change from the ‘pastoral’ — head of year — system, to a house system — where pupils of various ages have a ‘house’ leader.

Mrs Griffiths said this week that Estyn had taken the “unusual” decision to defer final judgement on the school’s performance until exam results are published in August, and a subsequent report by the school is published in the autumn.

See this week’s Aberystwyth edition for the full story, in shops and online tomorrow