Agenda item

To present the report of the Director of Learning, Skills and Young People with regard to Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol Y Graig.

The report of the Director of Education, Skills and Young People with regard to the school modernisation programme in relation to the Llangefni area was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The report sought the Committee’s views on the proposal to increase the capacity of Ysgol Y Graig to accommodate pupils from Ysgol Talwrn, close Ysgol Talwrn and review the catchment areas of Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol Y Graig, in order that the Executive may consider them prior to deciding whether or not to accept the proposal and authorise the necessary statutory consultation thereon.

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, and Culture referred to the request by the Executive in May, 2019 to ask Officers to look afresh at the various issues in relation to schools’ modernisation and the requirements under the Schools’ Organisation Code 2018 in the Llangefni area and to bring an appropriate report back to the Executive in due course. The report above is in response to this request and should the proposal contained therein be approved for consultation purposes by the Executive following consideration of the views of Scrutiny,  a statutory consultation process will then ensue during which all stakeholders will be afforded the opportunity to respond to and comment on the proposal. The responses received at that time would then be taken into account in coming to a final decision on whether or not to proceed with the proposal and to issue statutory notices.

The Director of Education, Skills and Young People guided the Committee through the proposal paper stating that the key drivers for change set out in the Council’s Schools’ Modernisation Strategy are summarised in section 3 of the proposal paper.  As reported under item 2, the  application of these key drivers to education provision in the wider Llangefni area leads to the conclusion that any school modernisation would need to address a set of criteria which includes education standards; leadership and management, school building; sufficiency of school spaces; Welsh medium provision and community use (section 4). Eleven reasonable alternatives/options for the Llangefni area encompassing Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni, Ysgol Bodffordd, Ysgol Corn Hir, Ysgol Y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn have been considered as set out in section 5 of the proposal paper. A detailed analysis of each reasonable alternative has concluded that there is no viable, whole Llangefni area solution. Consequently, and due to their close proximity, attention has focused on finding a possible solution for the Ysgol Bodffordd and Ysgol Corn Hir catchment areas (addressed under item 2) and separately for the Ysgol Y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn catchment areas that would fulfil the key drivers mindful also of the challenges facing those schools.

The Officer referred to the key challenges facing Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol Y Graig (section 6) specifically and to the reasonable alternative options considered and explored with regard to each of the two schools (sections 7 and 8 of the proposal paper respectively). Ten reasonable alternatives inclusive of the proposal for Ysgol Talwrn and nine reasonable alternatives inclusive of the proposal for Ysgol Y Graig were considered and analysed against the key schools modernisation drivers. The analysis has shown that only the proposal under consideration has a positive impact on standards, the community and pupils’ travelling arrangements in their totality.  It has also led to the conclusion that the Council will need to mitigate the effect of potential closure on Ysgol Talwrn by providing transport for pupils attending Ysgol Talwrn to the newly expanded school. The assessment leads the Authority to put forward the proposal as presented. In practice this would mean extending Ysgol Y Graig which would continue to operate into the future; the governing body of Ysgol Y Graig would govern the extended school. The Authority would seek to ensure representation on the governing body from Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol Talwrn would close.

            Mr Islwyn Humphreys, Chair of the Governing Body of Ysgol Talwn was given the opportunity to present observations on the proposal paper from the perspective of Ysgol Talwrn and in doing made the following points –

•           That questions remain unanswered from previous consultations for example with regard to access to after school activities for Ysgol Talwrn pupils given that the road from Talwrn to Ysgol Y Graig is hazardous, and the status of the Ysgol Talwn school building.

•           The detrimental impact of the proposal on the community, on the Welsh language, on local culture and on individuals.

•           That no alternative options are being offered for consultation.

•           Good standards of education at Ysgol Talwrn comparable with those at Ysgol Y Graig supported by the latest data and by GwE reports with pupils across the school making sound progress and performing well and in some cases, attaining Level 6.

•           Ysgol Talwrn is a flourishing school which has a good collaborative relationship with Ysgol Llanbedrgoch.

•           Only 4 empty places at the school.

•           The affordability of the proposal and the long-term borrowing costs for the Council on an asset that will depreciate in value.

Dr Iestyn Pierce, Chair of the Governing Body of Ysgol Y Graig spoke about the school being over capacity and the need therefore for any new extension to be able to meet the requirements in the long-term.

Councillor Nicola Roberts (also a Local Member) acknowledged that repeated consultations over the future of Ysgol Talwrn over recent years have been challenging for the school, staff, parents and for the wider community. She recognised that whilst education standards have improved at the school in recent years, Ysgol Talwrn is let down by the school building which is unfit for purpose, a weakness it shares with Ysgol Y Graig. However, in light of the good standards at Ysgol Talwrn, and for reasons of parity she queried whether consideration should be given to a cross-over of Ysgol Talwrn staff in order to retain valuable expertise. Otherwise she believed that the proposal paper addresses all the relevant considerations and she urged all interested parties to submit their views in the event of the proposal being approved for statutory consultation.

Councillor Dylan Rees (also a Local Member) questioned whether the results of the Community Impact Assessment in projecting that the proposal would have a neutral effect  on the people and community of Talwrn had been understated given the community uses of the school e.g. Pensioners’ Lunch Club, which would likely be affected if the proposal was implemented.

Councillor Bryan Owen suggested that the funding might be better spent on bringing Ysgol Talwrn up to date thereby helping to safeguard the services which the school provides to the community and the viability of the community itself.

In noting the points made, Officers gave assurances that should the proposal be approved for statutory consultation, then all stakeholders would have an opportunity to make their views known during the consultation period; the Authority would prepare a detailed response to the consultation and the submissions received at that stage of the process.

Councillor J. Arwel Roberts proposed, seconded by Councillor Nicola Roberts that the Committee recommends to the Executive that it accepts the proposal as presented and proceeds to conduct the necessary statutory consultation.

Councillor Lewis Davies proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor Bryan Owen that the Executive be recommended to consult on keeping Ysgol Talwrn open with a view to federalising it with another school (possibly Ysgol Llanbedrgoch).

In the subsequent vote the original proposal (made by Councillor J. Arwel Roberts) was carried by a majority of the Committee’s members.

Having considered the information presented both in report form and orally at the meeting, the Committee resolved to recommend to the Executive that it approves the proposal to “increase the capacity of Ysgol Y Graig to accommodate pupils from Ysgol Talwrn, close Ysgol Talwrn and review the catchment areas of Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol Y Graig” and proceeds to conduct the necessary statutory consultation thereon.