Issue - meetings

To submit a report by the Head of Learning.

It was resolved –

·        That the recommendation in the report on the non-statutory consultation phase in the Seiriol area be implemented.

·        To authorise Officers from the Lifelong Learning Directorate to proceed to the statutory consultation on the proposals under consideration as follows:

·                     Close Ysgol Beaumaris and for the parents of the pupils on roll at the time this decision is made by the Executive to state their preference for either Ysgol Llandegfan or Ysgol Llangoed in line with the schools’ admission policy.

·                     Review the current catchment areas of the three schools with a view to implementing any changes when Ysgol Beaumaris closes.

·                     Refurbish Ysgol Llangoed and Ysgol Llandegfan, and

·                     Consider whether to federate Ysgol Llangoed and Ysgol Llandegfan at the end of this process.

The report of the Head of Learning incorporating the outcome of the informal, non-statutory consultation on the modernisation of the primary education provision in the Seiriol area was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The report set out the context as regards the drivers for change; the responses from the three consultation meetings held with staff, governors and parents of the three schools affected – Beaumaris, Llandegfan and Llangoed as well as other stakeholders; analysis of the options for change undertaken according to an established scoring system and the resulting option on which it was recommended a statutory consultation should proceed.

The Portfolio Member for Education reported that the Executive had assented to Officers of the Lifelong Learning Service conducting an informal or non-statutory consultation on the primary education provision in the Seiriol area back in June, 2016.This process subsequently took place over the period 19 June to 30 July 2017 during which three meetings with stakeholders at Ysgol Llangoed, Beaumaris and Llandegfan were held which he had attended. The Portfolio Member said that this matter had been scrutinised in detail by the Corporate Scrutiny Committee the previous week which after careful consideration and debate, had supported the recommendations presented which involved conducting a statutory consultation on the closure of Ysgol Beaumaris. At the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee, he had outlined the grounds on which the recommendation had been made including amongst others, falling pupil numbers and surplus places at Ysgol Beaumaris, the resulting high cost of provision, and the extent of the investment needed in the school building. The highest scoring options assessed against the factors for change all involved the closure of Ysgol Beaumaris. He had stated at the meeting that he was open to any alternative, viable option to closing the school and that that remains the case. However, to date none have been presented. He acknowledged that this is a difficult decision to have to make but given the challenging financial circumstances in which local authorities are having to work, and the change in approach that this is necessitating, it is unlikely to be the last.

The Head of Learning said that the initial consultation that was held was an informal process designed to obtain the views and opinions as well as any new ideas by the local community and as an additional step undertaken by Anglesey Council as a matter of choice, is one that is regarded as good practice. Where the school modernisation process has been undertaken in the past, the views and comments expressed at the informal, non-statutory stage have contributed to and helped shape the eventual decision. In the case of the Seiriol area, a number of observations and additional options were presented during the informal consultation and these have been considered. Correspondence was also received from the schools and governing bodies of the three schools and by the Local Members. The concerns and issues expressed in these letters have been formally acknowledged by the Lifelong Learning Service and the documentation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9