Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Items
No. Item

1.

Declaration of interest

To receive any declarations of interest from any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Carwyn Jones declared a personal and prejudicial interest with regard to item 2 on the agenda due to his cousin’s employment in Ysgol Beaumaris and the employment of his mother and wife in Ysgol Llandegfan. Councillor Jones said that he had been granted dispensation by the Standards Committee on 18 July, 2017 to present the local viewpoint throughout the process.

 

Councillor Alun Roberts (not a member of the Executive) declared a personal interest with regard to item 2 on the agenda as a member of the Governing Body of Ysgol Beaumaris.

2.

Schools Modernisation - Report following publication of statutory notice for closing Ysgol Gynradd Biwmares, extending and refurbishing Ysgol Llandegfan and Ysgol Llangoed, and approval of the original proposal pdf icon PDF 709 KB

To submit a report by the Head of Learning.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Head of Learning incorporating an objection report (Appendix 1) following the publication of a Statutory Notice of the Authority’s intention to close Ysgol Beaumaris, extend and refurbish Ysgol Llandegfan and refurbish Ysgol Llangoed, was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

 

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth reported that in order to comply with the requirements of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013, the Authority issued a Statutory Notice of its intention to close Ysgol Beaumaris, to extend and refurbish Ysgol Llandegfan and to refurbish Ysgol Llangoed. The Statutory Notice was issued on 14 January, 2019 following which there was a 28-day period in which to lodge objections to the proposal. Appendix 1 to the report provides a summary of the 50 objections that were received together with the Authority’s response to each objection. The way in which the Council deals with objections to a statutory notice is in line with the procedure set out in the Schools’ Organisation Code 2013 which requires the Executive to then decide whether the proposals should be approved, rejected or approved with adaptations. A statutory notice of the Authority’s intention to implement the proposal was originally issued on 22 November, 2018 meaning that the 28-day objection period closed on 27 December, 2018 which coincided with the school holidays. To provide stakeholders with additional time in which to respond, a further statutory notice was issued on 14 January, 2019 with the objection period ending on 10 February, 2019.

 

The Portfolio Member said that the process of modernising the primary education provision in the Seiriol area began in June, 2017 with a non-statutory consultation after which a statutory consultation process was held. On 26 March, 2018 the Executive decided to delay a decision in order to undertake a new statutory consultation on the proposals for primary education in the area. The Portfolio Member said that today’s meeting where the Executive must reaffirm, reject or amend the proposals which it approved on 18 July, 2018 whereby Ysgol Llandegfan would be extended and refurbished, Ysgol Beaumaris closed and Ysgol Llangoed refurbished therefore represents the culmination of a long process in which careful consideration has been given to the future of primary education provision in the Seiriol area, which has entailed extensive consultations along the way and which has also been paused in order to re-undertake consultation.

 

The Head of Learning referred to the objections set out in Appendix 1 to the report which could be summarised under the following themes –

 

           On the grounds of process including the conduct of the consultations and the issuing of the statutory notice.

           On the basis of the proposal’s potential effects on the town of Beaumaris, and on its demography.

           Based on disagreement with the preferred option.

           On the basis that insufficient consideration has been given to alternative options.

           On the grounds that the proposals could lead to parents choosing to send their children to schools on the mainland.

•  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Schools Modernisation – Objection Report: Ysgol y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn pdf icon PDF 836 KB

To submit a report by the Head of Learning.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Head of Learning incorporating an objection report (Appendix 1) following the publication of a Statutory Notice of the Authority’s intention to increase the capacity of Ysgol y Graig to accommodate pupils from Ysgol Talwrn and to close Ysgol Talwrn was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

 

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth reported that in order to comply with the requirements of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013, the Authority issued a Statutory Notice of its intention to increase the capacity of Ysgol y Graig to accommodate pupils from Ysgol Talwrn and to close Ysgol Talwrn. The Statutory Notice was issued on 14 January, 2019 following which there was a 28-day period in which to lodge objections to the proposal. Appendix 1 to the report provides a summary of the 23 objections that were received together with the Authority’s response to each objection. The way in which the Council deals with objections to a statutory notice is in line with the procedure set out in the Schools Organisation Code 2013 which requires the Executive to then decide whether the proposals should be approved, rejected or approved with adaptations.

 

The Head of Learning referred to the objections set out in Appendix 1 to the report which could be summarised under the following themes –

 

           On the basis of school places stating that there will not be sufficient places at the proposed new school.

           On the basis that the number of pupils attending Ysgol Talwrn has increased since the consultation.

           On the basis of traffic and travel considerations.

           On the grounds of process including the conduct of the consultation, the impact assessments undertaken and the issuing of the statutory notice.

           On the grounds that standards at Ysgol Talwrn are good with the school having received a positive Estyn inspection report recently.

           On the grounds that the pupils’ views were not taken into account as part of the consultation.

           On the grounds that the transition of children from a small rural school to a large town school will be difficult and will be a challenge for the children concerned.

 

The Officer said that the Authority’s response to each of the objections listed in the Objection Report sets out the basis of the Authority’s actions with regard to each of the points raised. As in the previous case, a traffic and travel impact assessment will be undertaken following the objection phase and once a final decision is made.

 

In considering the report and the objections raised, the Executive noted the following –

 

           That although the number of pupils at Ysgol Talwrn has increased since the consultation, this coincides with a corresponding increase in the same period in the number of pupils attending the school from outside the catchment area as schools in Llangefni reach or exceed capacity. The number of out of catchment pupils registered at Ysgol Talwrn makes up a significant proportion of the total number  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.