Issue - meetings

Lowering the Admission Age to Ysgol Llandegfan

Meeting: 28/10/2019 - The Executive (Item 9)

9 Lowering the Admission Age to Ysgol Llandegfan pdf icon PDF 807 KB

To submit a report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

It was resolved to approve proceeding to consult on lowering the admission age of Ysgol Llandegfan to admit pupils part-time from the September following their 3rd birthday to take effect from September, 2020.

Minutes:

The report of the Director of Education, Skills and Young People following a request by the Governing Body of Ysgol Llandegfan to consult on lowering the school’s admission age was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

 

The Director of Education, Skills and Young People reported that the Governing Body of Ysgol Llandegfan had submitted a request to the Council asking it to proceed to consult on lowering the admission age of the school in order to admit pupils part-time from the September following their 3rd birthday (effective from September 2020) instead of the current arrangements whereby pupils are admitted full-time in the September following their 4th birthday. The Governing Body is of the view that this would be an important evolution in the school’s development giving pupils access to an extensive and rich provision and would ensure consistency, progression and continuation in pupils’ education in addition to providing formal nursery education for the catchment area’s children. It would also enable the school to organise flexible and affordable childcare for parents wishing to return to work.

 

Councillor Alun Roberts spoke as a Local Member in support of the proposal pointing out that Ysgol Llandegfan is a successful school but could be disadvantaged by the current arrangements since it cannot offer a care/breakfast club to the nursery pupils and as a result, parents choose to take their children to neighbouring schools to receive this provision. Lowering the admission age would bring with it a number of educational benefits including but not confined to allowing the school to offer a robust provision a year earlier than at present thereby enabling it to also introduce the school’s ethos and sound educational foundations sooner which will ultimately facilitate the educational progression of pupils. Additionally, changing the school’s age range would improve consistency in pre-school provision especially in terms of language provision.

 

The Executive noted the comments made and was amenable to the request agreeing that consultation on lowering the admission age should take place.

 

It was resolved to approve proceeding to consult on lowering the admission age of Ysgol Llandegfan to admit pupils part-time from the September following their 3rd birthday to take effect from September, 2020.