Issue - meetings

(a)       That the Committee recommend to Cabinet that the process be suspended for two months to allow the opportunity for federation to be reviewed; and

(b)       That the comments of the Committee be collated and presented to Cabinet at its meeting on the 19 January 2016.  

The Chief Officer (Education and Youth) introduced a report to inform the Committee of the responses from the statutory consultation period for the proposal to close Ysgol Maes Edwin, Flint Mountain.  He advised that comments from the Committee were invited in advance of the Cabinet being requested to conclude on a formal proposal.

The Chief Officer provided background information and referred to the key considerations as detailed in the report.  He advised that the proposal to close Ysgol Maes Edwin was put forward on the basis of criteria laid down in the Council’s School Modernisation Strategy regarding unfilled places across the primary school portfolio, diminishing resource criteria, small school criteria and Welsh Government categorisation.  He reported that formal consultation for Ysgol Maes Edwin commenced on 21 October 2015 and ended on 2 December 2015.  The Council had issued consultation documents in accordance with the statutory School Organisation Code and responses had been received from children and young people, community, staff, parents and carers.   A copy of the consultation document (children’s version) was appended to the report which contained the key issues raised during the consultation period. 

The Chief Officer outlined the process if the Cabinet decision was to proceed with the proposal to close Ysgol Maes Edwin.  He explained that the Council would publish a Statutory Notice providing a 28 day notice period for objections.  If objections were received the Council must publish an objection report providing a summary of the objections and their responses to them within 28 days of the end of the objection period.  The anticipated timeline should the current proposals be implemented was outlined in appendix 4 of the report.

The Chief Officer reported on the issue of unfilled places across the primary school portfolio and referred to the reduction in full time pupils at Ysgol Maes Edwin since September 2015.   He also drew attention to the high number of pupils attending Ysgol Maes Edwin who were not attending their local school.  The Chief Officer explained that the School population and capacity was lower than the national designation of a small school and school numbers did not meet the minimum requirements of primary school models as noted in the Council’s School Modernisation Strategy.  He commented on the issue of sustainability concerning curriculum provision and social experience for learners.  The Chief Officer referred to the significance of Welsh Government categorisation and advised that Ysgol Maes Edwin was currently identified as category 4 (the lowest for educational standards).

The Chief Officer explained that the concerns and anxieties of pupils, parents, carers and staff were fully acknowledged, however, the Authority had a duty to provide high quality education which could be sustained, was affordable, and in the best interests of pupils and students for the future.    The Chief Officer referred to the concerns which had been raised during the consultation and gave an assurance that the Authority would take all practicable steps to ease the transition for all pupils, especially vulnerable learners who had disabilities or Additional Learning Needs.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48