Meeting documents

The Executive

Minutes of the meeting held on 16th November, 2009 

1

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor B. Owen declared an interest with regard to any matter relating to Ysgol Bodorgan and Ysgol Llandrygarn and in particular the employment of his wife as supply teacher.

Councillor R.G.Parry,OBE, declared an interest with regard to any matter relating to Ysgol Bryngwran.

Councillor R.Ll.Hughes declared an interest with regard to any matter relating to Ysgol Bodorgan.

Councillor C.McGregor declared an interest with regard to any matter  relating to Ysgol Ty Mawr and Ysgol Talwrn.

Councillor W.I.Hughes declared an interest with regard to any matter relating to Ysgol Llandrygarn, Ysgol Bodffordd and Ysgol Llanrhuddlad.

(All 5 members above had been granted dispensation to speak and to vote by the Standards Committee on 10/11th November, 2009).

Councillor K.P.Hughes declared an interest with regard to any matter relating to Ysgol Cylch Y Garn and was not present at the meeting during any discussion thereon.

2

URGENT MATTERS CERTIFIED BY THE MANAGING DIRECTOR (OR HIS APPOINTED OFFICER)

None to declare.

3

PRIMARY SCHOOLS RATIONALISATION PROGRAMME.

Reported by the Leader of the Council and by Councillor G.O.Parry,MBE, Portfolio Holder for Education and Leisure - That an opportunity would be given today to the representatives of the schools under review to express their views to the Executive on the options. The Executive would then consider the representations and reach a decision thereon at a special meeting of the Executive to be held on 30th November, 2009. They thanked the schools in question for their attendance and contribution today.

(a) Submitted - A presentation by the Strategic Co-ordinator as regards the informal consultation that had taken place regarding Primary Schools Rationalisation and on the responses received from the various communities with regard to the individual schools listed. He referred to the criteria adopted by the Executive for identifying schools subject to the consultation and the situation to date at each individual school against the 8 criteria that would be the main considerations when deciding on which option to pursue.

Following each presentation, Members were given the opportunity of raising any questions with the individual schools in question.

Ysgol Llanddona

Bethan Wyn Jones (Headteacher) Ysgol Llanddona:-

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a very happy and homely school with the children confident and comfortable in the presence of other children and adults alike.

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the school was the heart of the community. Mention was made of those parties that made use of the school facilities and those who helped with the various school activities.

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the children were taught to be appreciative of their local community.

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the school had evidence that pupil numbers would increase once the uncertainty regarding the future of the school closure disappeared.

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the children contributed towards decisions taken by the school.

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the school had succeeded to develop children who had educational or emotional problems and these children had developed and flowered under a supportive environment.

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the staff got along well and they all contributed towards the future development of the school.

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excellent relationship between parents and staff with every family contributing towards the success of the school.

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Llanddona was an unique school and without it, the heart of the village and the education of its children would disappear.

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educational standards excellent

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appreciative of Mr.Geraint Elis’ visit to the school

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excellent leadership and management at the school

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excellent grades achieved following the Estyn inspection in January 2006

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the School Governors wished to retain the status quo.

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children treated as individuals and had the opportunity of becoming model citizens.

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buildings were more than adequate to provide the best education for the 21st century.

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support for the Governors by the community had been incredible and extremely supportive.

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education should remain within the community. Without the school, the area would merely become a dormitory village with no heart to the village.

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the education provided and the support of School Governors was second to none.

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Llanddona an unique community. An extension to the family you might say.The people were very close.

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school closure would destroy the social life of the community.

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children were able to cycle or walk to school from their homes - school closure would entail the bussing of children to school with resultant health implications.

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the school was the only facility where people could meet in Llanddona.

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out of the 30 pupils at the school, 22 attended the breakfast club.

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no shop or post office left in the village.

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closure of the school would harm the Welsh language in the community.

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any transfer of pupils to Ysgol Llangoed would be via a sub-standard road.

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the possibility following closure, that pupils would then attend schools in Bangor.

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pupil numbers had not gone down and they were likely to increase if the school remained open.

Members considered that the Executive on 30th November, 2009, should be provided with a report on the condition of the highway between Ysgol Llanddona and Ysgol Llangoed.

RESOLVED that the Corporate Director (Environment and Technical Services) be requested to report back to the special meeting of the Executive on 30th November, 2009, as regards the condition of the highway between Ysgol Llanddona and Ysgol Llangoed.

Ysgol Talwrn

Gwilym Bennett (Chair of Governors):

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Talwrn area and Governors were against the option of closing the school.

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the area was a close community and the standards of the school were high.

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the only option was to federalise Ysgol Talwrn with Ysgol y Graig, subject to the following conditions:-

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that Ysgol Talwrn remained on the same campus;

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that the name of Ysgol Talwrn be retained;

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that the school uniform be retained;

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that the extra curricular activities continue on site;

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that the Governors be given a strong voice in the new procedure to safeguard the interests of the school and pupils;

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that the staff be treated fairly in any re-organisation, since the school had excellent staff and it would be a shame if this was disregarded.

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by retaining Ysgol Talwrn, the Authority could offer parents in the Cefni area the type of school they wished to send their children. Every child cannot cope in a big school and they often benefit from education in a small school.

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linguistic statistics showed that the children were by Key Year 2, fluent in Welsh although they came from non-Welsh speaking families.

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the children were successful when they moved on to the secondary sector.

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the comprehensive report by the Authority reflected the enthusiasm and the high standards of teaching at Ysgol Talwrn.

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everyone in the locality objected to the closure of Ysgol Talwrn. Parents had not however panicked and moved their children to other schools. They were fully supportive of its retention.

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pupil numbers had increased with the school now having 37 pupils.

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the school agreed with the report’s comments and realised that the status quo was not an option.

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the school was praised by the Education Minister Jane Hutt in 2008 - a school that had attained the Investors in People recognition.

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Talwrn schoolchildren had the opportunity at the school to excel, there was a safe environment in the school and the children were eager to attend.

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federalisation of Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol y Graig should be considered before reaching any decision as regards closure.

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both schools were extremely close to each other. The advantages of two sites in close proximity retained flexibility and effective use of present resources.

The Strategic Co-ordinator referred to two possible options of co-operating with Ysgol Y Graig i.e. federalisation or a multi-site school and both these options could be discussed further with both Governing Bodies.

Ysgol Ty Mawr

Richard Jones (Headteacher), Sharon Jones (Chair of Governors) and Miss Bronwen Smith(teacher):

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object most strongly to any intention of closure.

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stories of closure in the press had led to a feeling of instability and uncertainty locally, with parents already having moved their children to other schools. Pupil numbers as a result had decreased from 29 to 12. Despite this the school had received two children to the nursery class and one child to the reception class this year.

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school had a long tradition of serving as the focal point of the local community and was held very dear in the hearts of former pupils. The school’s 90th anniversary was held two years ago.

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the community did a lot with the school and likewise the school with the community.

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the Estyn inspection of January 2007 claimed that the children were happy in the school, that there was an emphasis on showing respect for everybody, the standards compared favourably with other primary schools, the skills in the Foundation Phase were good, good in numeracy and I.T. Spiritual development was excellent and the parents contributed well to the work of the school.

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the success as a Foundation Phase Pilot School between 2004-09, a Healthy and Green school status, Quality Mark 1 & 2, working with the C.C.W, Eisteddfod winners at local,county and national level. Finalists in the national carol competition.

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children and staff were not missing out or disadvantaged in any way by being in a small school.

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would not make sense to close a school where the Foundation Phase was well established and the Authority could use the expertise within the school to assist other schools in this respect.

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closure could have a negative impact on local house prices. 82% of Welsh speakers in the area.

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closure could lead to a loss of jobs. What was the Authority doing to alleviate such concerns?

Ysgol Llandrygarn

Cadi Roberts (Chair of Governors);

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the whole community believed that the school should be retained because of the excellent education provided.

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the Estyn inspection in 2007 confirmed that the quality of education was very good, in some cases excellent. Standards of literacy and maths was high. First school on Anglesey to attain the Fair Trade recognition.

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the school buildings were in extremely good condition both inside and outside.Convenient kitchen and dining room. The Property Department assessment listed it as Category B.

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the school and its Governors were unable to accept the recommendation in the report that the school should merge with Ysgol Bodffordd as an Area school. Ysgol Llandrygarn was unsurpassed in its location.

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although the school had no school hall as such, two classrooms had been amalgamated to create a large room for use as a classroom and a school hall.

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the school had a large hard-play area and playing field and an area in front of the school for staff to park their cars and for parents and home to school transport to pull off the main road.

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although the school had lost two pupils to other schools in the area, two new children had enrolled, children whose family had moved to the area to live.

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the school contributed to the community by supporting Urdd activities and local events such as coffee mornings and concerts.

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school pupils took part in local concerts and supported Eisteddfod Mon and Eisteddfod Bodffordd.The whole community supported school activities such as Christmas Fairs, auctions, sponsored walks, etc and each one of these events raised over £1,000 to the School fund.

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although a small school, it would appear that Ysgol Llandrygarn was maintaining pupil numbers.

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enough area for extensions if an area school was developed.

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there was the possibility that the community would see developments in the future.

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the school provided the pupils with self-respect, discipline, respect for others and property, appreciation of the environment and community contribution, which ultimately developed good citizens.

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the school provided education of the highest standard and this was supported by Estyn reports

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the school and its community facilities were central and served 3 villages.

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in addition to community use of the school building, numerous societies used the playing field and hard play area for their activities.

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closure would weaken the situation regarding the Welsh language in the area.

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children were able to walk to school and this was good for their health and the environment. Closing the school would go against a number of Council and Welsh Assembly strategies to promote healthy living.

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to bus children to other areas early in the morning was a policy that needed to be considered very carefully. The health and safety of children was extremely important.

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the Cylch Meithrin met at the school. Since there was no other community building, closing the school would result in the closure of the Cylch Meithrin.

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the school emphasised the importance of the Welsh language and the traditions and heritage of the area.

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the relationship between staff and parents was close and promoted good behaviour within the community.

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the school building was of a very high standard with very little work to be done there to improve its condition. The school yard was extensive and one of the best in the County. There was a large hall used extensively by the community and closure would deprive the community and the children of an important meeting place.

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by 2011 it was anticipated that there would be 50 pupils at the school.

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it would be sad to see Ysgol Bodorgan close in its centenary year and deprive a Welsh speaking area which was also a deprived area. Closure would bring further deprivation.

Myfyr Davies (Chair of Governors):

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15 organisations made use of the community facilities and there was nowhere else in the area that could accommodate these activities.

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the number of vacant places was only slightly over, and by 2010/11 there would be an increase in the number of children attending.

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only one pupil below the level quoted in the report.

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cost per head only slightly over and would change as the number of pupils increased.

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quality of the provision was excellent according to Estyn inspections.

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the buildings were in a good state.

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the location was central to adjoining villages.

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children attending the Secondary school were fully bilingual.

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85 letters of objection received to any proposal to close. 24 reasons for retention listed within the rationalisation report.

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closure would in time result in the de-population of a rural area.

Dafydd Jones (On behalf of the Community):

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rural area with a scattered population, with the majority based in the 3 main villages of Hermon, Bethel and Malltraeth.

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the community centre was registered as a charity and was to be used for the benefit of the local community.

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losing the school and the community centre would create an educational and cultural void.

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over the last 10 years the building had been used both as a crisis and emergency centre.

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the school and centre was key to strengthening the local community and destroying that relationship would lead to the destruction of the local culture and create social problems.

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it was the only venue that the local Community Council could make use of.

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who would be able to maintain the building for the community should the school close.Not practicable for the community to take it over due to its size.

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the school was used as the local polling station.

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he presented the Chair with a further letter of support from Bodorgan Estate.

Sera Jones (On behalf of the Parents):

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Ysgol Bodorgan was steeped in local community history and was irreplaceable.

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more than satisfied that the standard of education delivered was higher than average for the Island.

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feel it was important for children to socialise and learn with others of similar background.

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taking away the ability to walk to school would impact negatively upon the children’s health. Bussing the children to school would increase the carbon footprint.

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the building was in good condition and only recently had new toilets installed. There was a large playing field surrounded by fields and farm stock.

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the parents benefited greatly through the well attended breakfast club.

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the parents were confident that with the help of Ysgol Bodorgan, the children would be empowered to be positive members of a larger community.

Ysgol Aberffraw

Dafydd Parry (Governor):

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the school had provided good education over the years.

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important that the school be kept so as to maintain the Welsh language within a rural community.

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had a good Estyn report in 2001 and 2007.

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the previous mention of closure had a bad effect on morale and had resulted in parents moving their children to other schools.

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could not understand how other schools could ‘poach’ pupils, there was no communication between headteachers.

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school was a historic and important school to the area. The shop and chapel were near to closure.

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Bodorgan Estate should release more land for housing and thus ensure its survival.

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the school organised after school clubs and participated in catchment areas and county Urdd activities and competed at Eisteddfod Mon.

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the newspaper reports back in 2008 had been very damaging. The parents who were considering sending their children to the school changed their minds having heard rumours that the school was going to close.

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going through this process for the second time was affecting the health of the staff and was a very stressful period in their lives.Likewise parents were affected by the uncertainty.

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the school promoted the Welsh language in a lovely setting.

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the school had a successful Estyn inspection.

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one of the teachers had lost her job despite the promise in the rationalisation documents that the Authority would give every support to those who lost their jobs. That person was still unemployed.

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Ysgol Aberffraw and Ysgol Bodorgan had close working ties as regards educational trips, sports and swimming.

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agreed that small schools subject to closure should be retained pending the establishment of Area schools.

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aware that it was not an option to keep the school open as a separate educational establishment because of the financial considerations.

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accept that numbers were low but that the prospects for the next three years were stable.

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majority of the children from Welsh speaking homes. Monolingual pupils become fully bilingual by Year 6.

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close co-operation between neighbouring schools, they socialised through the Urdd, sports, concerts, etc.

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Paul Davies, Minister, mentioned last week that there was no basis for closing schools for financial reasons only and good schools should not be closed.

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adjoining areas had shown co-operation during the first consultation and this bode well for an area school.

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better to invest in one new building than maintain several older buildings.

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the school should not close until an area school had been established

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confirm that existing support posts should be safeguarded since there were no other employment opportunities in the village.

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ask the Authority to ensure that there would be a meaningful use for the building so that it did not become a ruin, i.e. use as a heritage centre, Urdd centre, workshop or Council satellite office.

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a cookery club and the Urdd met alternatively every fortnight. A Ti a Fi Group had recently been established and met every Wednesday afternoon at the school.

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due to the financial and pupil number considerations, maintaining Ysgol Llanddeusant as an independent establishment was no longer considered to be a viable option. The Governors supported an Area School for the four schools.This would be more sustainable in the medium and long term.

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whilst supporting an Area school, the Governing Body emphasised that they would not support closure of any school before the new school building was ready.

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Wylfa ‘B’ would see an increase in pupil numbers.

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the number of pupils had increased somewhat, which proved that the parents had not lost faith in the school or the education it provided.

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must ensure the future of the Welsh language and ensure that the expertise remained in the rural areas.

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the school was the only daily focus in the area and it would be very poor on the area without it.

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that the building should be retained as an area centre or a workshop should there be closure.

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encouraging to see an area responding so positively to a difficult problem. Agreed that the staus quo was no longer an option.

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have to think about something better which would meet the future needs of education on the Island.

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have to consider very carefully as to how the Council can respond to the void that will be in our communities with the onset of rationalisation.

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an area school was in accordance with the officer’s recommendation. However, would the Welsh Assembly be prepared to fund an area school?

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important that the area be kept fully informed of developments

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until a new area school was built, Ysgol Llanddeusant should remain open.

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the building was in excellent condition and there had been significant expenditure over recent years. It had received a category A rating by the Property Department. It was in an ideal location, some 0.8m from the village where approximately half the pupils lived.

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disagree with the £4,011 per pupil allocation, based on actual numbers the per pupil allocation was £3,936.

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the back yard of the school was currently being developed for the Foundation Phase.

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over the summer a parking area costing £40k was built for the school.

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in September 2008, 5 new pupils came to the school, 4 full time and 1 in the nursery class.

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the school could accommodate 68 pupils. At present there were 48 pupils. This worked out that there were 29.4 empty spaces.

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between 2002 and 2004 there was considerable expenditure on the school with 2 new classes built and a resources room, new hall and kitchen.

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there were just over 150 pupils for the 4 schools in the catchment area. If an area school was established it would require a headteacher (possibly a non-teaching head), a deputy head, 6 full time teachers, designated administrative staff, receptionist, multiple classroom assistants, kitchen staff.

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an area school would require the use of multiple buses.

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early start for some children with a possible 30 minute bus ride.

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Governors did not believe at present that an area school was the right option.

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health and safety implications with unsupervised 4-11 year olds on a bus.

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all the schools in the area provided an excellent education for their pupils and the Estyn reports confirmed this. It was difficult to see how an area school could improve the education, individual needs and welfare of the children.It would also involve significant capital cost and high transport costs.

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the school had developed specialisms in responding to the needs of pupils with additional educational needs.

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the responsibility of the education authority was to offer services of quality to any resident of the Island. He disagreed with the view put forward that the Council should be run as a business. It was not an establishment to make a profit.

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the real value of schools was to the community and the preservation of the Welsh language.

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thanked the Executive for looking at the Island in its entirety.

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the 3 schools in question favoured the retention of their schools.

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appreciate the value of the work of the teachers at the school, who worked as a team for the benefit of the pupils.

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in his view primary school retention should be a higher priority for the Island than the retention of leisure centres.

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Ysgol Frwd Win, Ysgol Cylch y Garn and Ysgol Llanfachraeth provided excellent educational standards and this was testified to in the Estyn reports.The rationalisation report did not offer anything better.

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the school was an integral part of the community providing education for pupils of the area. It was a school for the community.

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the school was very central, near the main road but far enough away to be safe.

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parking provision was excellent with land available free of charge to extend that provision.

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school site was ideal for any future extension with two big playing fields.

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Wylfa ‘B’ would attract an influx of families to the area.

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the area appreciated the work of the staff at the school providing education of the highest standard.

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a community extension was built in the 1980’s to provide a community hall, committee room and toilets which were part of the school facilities during the day and used by the community outside school hours. The extension was also the school hall and dining room.

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the only memorial to those killed in both world wars was sited on school grounds.

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there was increased house building activity in the area which would ensure a supply of children to the school in future.

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the village no longer had a shop or post office and attempts were being made to ensure that the Chapel remained open. Closure of the school would decimate this rural area.

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the school was already an area school with pupils attending from a wide area.

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the community was proud of the relationship with the school and the commitment of pupils to the community.

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the standard of education as seen in the Estyn reports was excellent. It was sad to listen to statistics about empty places and buildings as opposed to the standard of education provided.

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very sad having had to attend a meeting and hearing Members of the Council disparaging the standard of education at our small rural schools, without any evidence to support such statements.

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no problems in the area by children or young people. It was the commitment of the parents and the school that had achieved this.

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it was a small school with special character and convenient parking. In passing the memorial you could see the fish pond and the garden provided and established by the gardening club.

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very fortunate on the teaching and support staff.

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those moving up to Secondary School could all speak Welsh despite some being from non-Welsh speaking homes. This was an important factor for a rural community.

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the parents were adamant that the school should not close. With the shop and post office closed, the school was central to the life of the community.

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the parents were concerned that the Council was spending money on foolish things around the Island to the detriment of the education of its children.

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Wylfa ‘B’ could see an influx of people to the area with a resultant increase in pupil numbers.

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Estyn report showed that the school provided education of the highest standard.

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strong links between the school and the community.

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children would have to travel 30 minutes if an area school was built. There was a difference between a child of 4 and a child of 11 travelling on an unsupervised bus to school.

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the school had provided education in the area for over 100 years.

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staff had been retained, with a teacher there having taught for almost 30 years, a caretaker had been there for 40 years, an assistant for 15 years and she as Headteacher for 10 years. That was a total of over 100 years service to one school.

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the Island faced huge unemployment problems. An area school would not be able to accommodate the employment of  every single member of staff from the schools in question.

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12 new pupils commenced at the school in September.

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the school co-operated fully with the community.

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an after school club had been established. Parents also met there in order to prepare a newsletter for the area in general.

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there were a number of new houses being built in the area and the school could only profit by the arrival of Wylfa ‘B.’

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the Urdd met after school on a monthly basis and Dragon Sports met weekly.

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glad that Members were not today referring to lower standards - education was as good if not better in a small school as compared with a large school. The education provided was of the highest standard with emphasis on community respect.

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she implored the Executive to consider its decision very carefully and not reach a decision that this Island would regret in years to come.