A MOTHER of pupils at a Rhyl school whose head and deputy remain absent has praised the pastoral care it has offered her children and urged more parents to support the school.

Christ the Word Catholic School, on Cefndy Road, was put into special measures following an Estyn report published in July, after an inspection took place in May.

Its headteacher and deputy have been absent since November, with Bernadette Thomas since appointed as acting head.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said that Christ the Word has supported her children in integrating them seamlessly into their respective year groups since they joined the school.

Given that the £23million school only opened in September 2019, she believes some of its issues can be attributed to it still being a “fairly new school”.

Christ the Word caters for children between three and 16 years old and replaced secondary school, Blessed Edward Jones Catholic School, and primary school, Ysgol Mair.

The woman said: “The school may be experiencing difficulties - it is a fairly new school - with the academic side of things, but their pastoral care is second to none.

“My youngest initially found it very hard, but a plan was put in place by the extremely empathetic and caring staff, and she quickly adjusted.

“One of the staff recently bought her a journal, at her own expense, as she was struggling a bit with her confidence.

“Yes, it is concerning that senior staff have seemingly disappeared, and I will admit that not knowing the reason has been worrying.

“However, they quickly dealt with it by appointing a temporary headteacher, and it was business as usual.

“It is a wonderful school in terms of facilities, and I think people forget it is in its infancy, so it needs the same care and nurturing to grow into its potential.”

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If you are a parent of a pupil at Christ the Word Catholic School and would like to talk the Journal, feel free to email matthew.chandler@newsquest.co.uk.

The parent also called for the re-establishment of a parent-teacher association (PTA) at the school, saying it fell by the wayside during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also praised the way in which a maths teacher at the school is holding classes for parents once a week to understand both what and how their children are learning.

But she said she was disappointed at the lack of attendance by other parents at the first lesson.

She said: “I have noticed there is a lack of support from the parents. There is not yet a PTA as it wound down during the pandemic - staff/parents have moved on to other jobs, and it has not yet re-started.

“For example, a maths teacher is currently offering parents the opportunity to do a GCSE maths course by way of a lesson each week running through to next year.

“What a fantastic opportunity - she is even willing to organise taking the actual exam next summer for a small charge to be entered, paid to the examining board.

“I attended, but at the first lesson, only eight people attended; three of whom were parents. The rest were teaching assistants who work at the school.

“She puts a lot of work into the lessons, even setting work online, and it's a very enjoyable hour.

“Each Wednesday, she gives her time to teach us 'oldies' all of the new ways our children now learn the methods in maths.”

The Estyn report said that the school had not been proactive enough in protecting pupils’ wellbeing and safety, and had not delivered effective and high-quality teaching that challenges pupils, hindering their progress.

And while the parent acknowledged that she herself has had “minor issues” with the school previously, she was full of praise for the staff, and hopes to see the school fulfil its “huge potential”.

She added: “The ethos is right, the pastoral care is right, but it can only develop with the support of parents who, from what I have experienced, do not engage with the school.

“These are the same parents who have aired their views only from a negative place about the school, and yet do not take up opportunities to support the staff when requested.

“I am sure there have been mistakes - I myself have had some minor issues - but I have found the staff approachable, apologetic when needed, and they listen and react in a positive way.

“The potential for this school is huge, and I can only hope that they are able to appoint a new headteacher who takes the reins, and continues to take the school forward so the academic side catches up with the pastoral support.”

The mother also referred to the detrimental impact that the heightened sense of isolation had on many during the pandemic.

Indeed, she added that the way in which Christ the Word has shown particular care and support for her children in this time has been especially commendable.

She added: “They were just thrown back into school full-time and expected to carry on where they left off.

“With that in mind, and with my daughter suffering from long COVID, the support, patience and understanding from the staff has been impeccable.

“I would much rather my children attend a school that really cares for its pupils than one that is only interested in exam results.

“Christ The Word may need a lot of hard work to get where it needs to be, but they excel, in my opinion, when it comes to supporting their pupils not only to be confident, but to enjoy coming to school.

“They deserve the recognition for the hard work they put in to ensure pupils are happy, supported and cared for.”

The mother also said that, after concerns were raised from parents about traffic at the school during drop-off and collection times, a drop-off point was implemented.

This, she said, allows parents to drop off their children safely in the car park and leave with ease.

She added: “Staff direct and oversee it, and it works really well.

“I hope the parent involvement improves, and I am in no way belittling anyone's experience that may not reflect mine.

“But it’s our school; the staff need our support, and this would be the time to get involved.

“The staff know what they need to do, but they also need to have our support and be appreciated for what they are getting right.”

Denbighshire County Council is due to present its response and plan of action to the Estyn report when its Performance Scrutiny Committee meets on January 26.