A SCHOOL has been told it needs to make urgent improvements following concerns about disruptive behaviour.

A critical report by inspection body Estyn said that some pupils at the independently-run Prospects School in Wrexham are disrespectful to staff and their poor behaviour has a 'significant impact' on others.

It also raises concerns over the use of inappropriate language at the school in the village of Berham, which currently teaches eleven pupils aged 11 to 16, who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Many of the youngsters have looked-after child status and the majority live in children’s homes run by the school's owners Keys Childcare.

Inspectors found most areas of the running of the establishment were 'adequate but needing improvement', however they said the wellbeing of pupils and their attitude to learning was unsatisfactory and needed urgent improvement.

They said: "The majority of pupils engage well with tasks, sustain concentration and show suitable consideration of others.

"However, a minority of pupils do not co-operate consistently well with other pupils or with staff.

"They show little interest in their work and do not remain in class for the duration of the lesson."

The report also said that some pupils fail to listen to their teachers and use inappropriate language in class and around the school.

They added: "These pupils are disrespectful to staff and disrupt the learning of others.

"Their poor behaviour has a significant impact on their own learning and on the progress of other pupils in the school."

Despite their concerns, the report highlights that the headteacher and senior staff provide 'strong leadership' for the school.

It adds that the majority of pupils are able to gain the skills they need for the next stage of their lives.

Inspectors also said that teachers and learning support assistants have a strong understanding of the social and emotional needs of pupils.

A spokesperson for the Keys Group said the school has already made 'significant progress' in addressing the issues raised.

He said: “The wellbeing of our students is our absolute priority, and we always take feedback from Estyn very seriously.

“The report consistently notes the majority of students are making strong progress in all aspects of educational provision and are receiving beneficial support and encouragement from the dedicated staff team.

"Whilst areas are identified for improvement, significant progress has already been made in addressing these and we look forward to evidencing this progress at the next inspection.”