Agenda item

To submit the report of the Chief Executive and the Assistant Chief Executive (Partnerships, Communities and Service Improvement).

The report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Partnerships, Community and Service Improvement) incorporating the report on the outcome of the statutory consultation on the modernisation of the primary education provision in the Llangefni area relating to Ysgol y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The statutory consultation process was conducted in the period from 1 May, to 18 June, 2018.

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth reported on the aims and objectives of the Schools’ Modernisation Programme which involves evaluating the future of schools and the effects on stakeholders including children, parents, school staff and governors. He acknowledged that it can be a contentious matter and a challenging task for the Authority and is also an issue that causes concern for parents which is understandable. However, what is under consideration is the future of the Island’s schools for the next 50 years; a schools’ service that is wilting under the pressure of financial cuts; a maintenance backlog, the demands of the curriculum as well as a number of other issues. The Council has to give serious consideration to making the schools’ system more effective so as to create an environment wherein both pupils and teachers can succeed, and also to making it more efficient so that resources are used effectively and all schools get a fair share of the budget. Although Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol y Graig are under consideration at this meeting they cannot be considered in isolation; the issues affecting the two schools form part of a bigger picture encompassing the Island as a whole and the Education Service within it.

The Portfolio Member highlighted that the Education Service’s budget makes up 40% of the Council’s overall budget with the Education Service facing possible savings of £5.2m over the next 3 years. Education has been protected from the worst of the financial cuts in the past but that situation cannot continue - the schools’ maintenance backlog cost is approximately £16m. Anglesey and other councils are labouring under the financial pressures resulting from the Westminster Government’s continuing austerity agenda. The Authority’s Schools’ Modernisation Programme seeks to improve educational outcomes for children; to improve leadership standards and the quality of teaching and learning and also to ensure there are sector leading schools in each area. The drivers of change remain the same; these are listed in the report and a number of those drivers apply in this particular situation. The Portfolio Member referred to the role of the Elected Member in the schools’ modernisation process requiring of them a duty to their individual communities but also a duty to consider the Island as a whole i.e. the wider corporate responsibilities that extend beyond a single area.

The Assistant Chief Executive referred to the main themes and issues raised by stakeholders at the two schools in responding to the consultation process and the Authority’s response to those matters as set out in detail in section 9 of the report. Those issues can be summarised as follows –

•  Although a number of stakeholders from Ysgol Talwrn mention the high education standards at the school, both Ysgol Talwrn’s performance and that of Ysgol y Graig has varied over the past three years in the Foundation Phase with Ysgol Talwrn in the lower quartile more often than Ysgol y Graig. Whilst the performance of the two schools in KS2 is similar what is significant is the number of pupils with an average of 7 in the cohort for Ysgol Talwrn and an average of 43 for Ysgol y Graig.

•  Both schools have been inspected by Estyn recently with Ysgol Talwrn assessed as Excellent against one indicator, Good against 12 and Adequate against 2. Ysgol y Graig was judged to be Excellent against 4 indicators and Good against the remaining 11 indicators thereby giving Ysgol y Graig a stronger inspection profile than Ysgol Talwrn. Although both schools perform well in terms of expected levels, Ysgol y Graig is successful in attaining higher percentages for level 5+ which suggests it successfully stretches pupils well and meets levels higher than those for Anglesey and Wales.

•  The cost per pupil for Ysgol Talwrn for 2017/18 at £4,447 is above both the average for Wales (£3,690) and the average for Anglesey (£3,972). It could be said that every place in Ysgol Talwrn costs £475 per pupil more and that the school therefore receives £22,325 additional finance. The spend per pupil for Ysgol y Graig at £3,395 is below the Welsh average and the Anglesey average. Additionally, the maintenance backlog cost at Ysgol Talwrn is £82.5k plus £250k for a new external mobile classroom based on the valuation provided by a professional valuer. For Ysgol y Graig, the maintenance backlog costs are £36.5k.

•  In September, 2017 Ysgol Talwrn had 12% of surplus places, this is despite the fact that the percentage of pupils from outside the catchment area is relatively high at 45% making the surplus places position more vulnerable. At Ysgol y Graig surplus places were 1% in September, 2017.

•  Some of the responses from Ysgol Talwrn make reference to the draft revised School Organisation Code which although it sets out a presumption against the closure of rural schools does not state that rural schools should not close. The Code makes it clear that there is a priority to provide high-quality education in small and rural schools and it recognises that education is the paramount consideration. Additionally, Ysgol Talwrn is not included in the list of rural primary schools in the draft revised Code. Notwithstanding the revised draft School Organisation Code is not at present legally binding, the Authority has sought to address its contents in this process.

•  Comments were made with regard to the traffic situation at Ysgol y Graig being dangerous and the walking route to the school from the village of Talwrn being hazardous. The issue of small children having to travel by bus to Ysgol y Graig was also raised. Should the proposed scheme be approved, a traffic impact assessment will be undertaken and will include the walking journey to Ysgol y Graig. Additionally, if the proposal is realised, the children would not necessarily travel to school by bus and could travel by taxi. Children of 4 to 11 years of age already travel to school by bus elsewhere on the Island.

•  The potential effect on the community of closing Ysgol Talwrn was a concern for a number of the school’s stakeholders. Whilst it is accepted that this is a challenge, closing a school does not have to lead to the demise of a community – a new school can lead to the creation of a wider community and there are examples where the community continues to thrive in villages where the school has closed. Some respondents state that smaller schools are better at creating a sense of family and that they offer better opportunities for participation – there is no evidence to suggest that either statement is true.

•  Closing Ysgol Talwrn would not necessarily lead to an increase in carbon emissions as has been claimed. Calculations show that even the use of 2   buses would not have a greater impact because 45% of pupils at Ysgol Talwrn currently travel to the school from outside the catchment area.

•  As regards impact on the Welsh language, strengthening and safeguarding the Welsh language is a priority for the Authority. Any plan for a new school will be subject to the requirements of the language policy and it is the Authority’s expectation that schools that are part of the modernisation programme continue to be Welsh speaking community schools. At present, 60% of Ysgol Talwrn pupils speak Welsh compared to 78% at Ysgol y Graig meaning that it could be argued that closing Ysgol Talwrn and transferring the pupils to Ysgol y Graig would strengthen Welsh.

•  Other options were presented and considered. These along with the Authority’s response to them, are listed in section 4 of the report.

•  Maintaining the two schools would require that the combined maintenance backlog costs of £369k are addressed with the potential for further costs as Ysgol Talwrn comes to the end of its useful life. Building an extension to Ysgol y Graig to replace Ysgol Talwrn would be more expensive but this additional cost would be partly offset by an increase in the Welsh Government’s contribution and by the capital receipt from selling the Ysgol Talwrn site. The detailed results of the financial appraisal of the two options (i.e. doing nothing or implementing the recommendation of the report) are set out in the table in section 10 of the report.

•  For the reasons stated, a summary of which is provided at section 12 of the report, it is recommended that the capacity of Ysgol y Graig be increased by implementing the 3 steps described in the report, and that Ysgol Talwrn be closed.

Councillor Aled M. Jones, Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee reported from the Committee’s meeting held on 5 July, 2018 which considered this matter. Councillor Aled M. Jones said that although the Committee did not reach a consensus on making a specific recommendation to the Executive, it did not accept the recommendation in the Officer’s report and further, the Committee made recommendations for improving the reporting process in terms of clarifying and providing additional information.

Councillors Dylan Rees and Nicola Roberts spoke as Local Members. Councillor Dylan Rees explained why in his view, many of the drivers for change do not apply to Ysgol Talwrn in particular the need to reduce surplus places as the issue in Llangefni is a lack of places. He also said that the proposal is contrary to the Gwynedd and Anglesey Well-being Plan which refers to the need to maintain a healthy community spirit. Closing Ysgol Talwrn will not make this possible. Councillor Nicola Roberts highlighted the disparity between Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol y Graig in relation to expenditure per pupil which is indicative of the unequal situation across Anglesey where larger primary schools are losing out financially to smaller, and in some cases, less effective schools. The Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Education has said that school modernisation proposals must show the value behind each application. She emphasised that this now has to be the right solution for this part of Llangefni and she sought assurances in relation to the arrangements for staffing, the governing body, traffic and parking, nursery provision and integration within the two block model.

The Executive considered the report and the views of the Local Members and responded as follows –

•  The Executive was agreed in supporting the vision for primary education provision on Anglesey which the Schools’ Modernisation Programme embodies. The Executive noted that the programme’s aims in seeking to improve the quality of learning and teaching conditions for pupils and staff, to increase equity and effectiveness in the education system and to provide for more efficient use of resources are to be commended. The Executive also noted that a number of primary schools on Anglesey including Ysgol Talwrn are housed in older, dated buildings which are not able to provide the learning and teaching environment expected of Twenty-First Century schools.

•  The Executive noted that concerns have been raised about the long-term sustainability of communities following the closure of the village school. The Executive noted also that the closure of a school need not necessarily lead to the decline of a community e.g. Llanddeusant where the village school closed some years ago.

•  The Executive noted that 45% (19) of pupils at Ysgol Talwrn are from outside the catchment area making the surplus places situation more vulnerable.

•  The Executive noted that parking and traffic are problematic issues in relation to Ysgol y Graig. The Executive sought assurance that were the recommended scheme to be approved, a traffic and parking impact assessment will be conducted to ensure that arrangements for parking and travelling provision in and around Ysgol y Graig and to and from the village of Talwrn are safe and adequate.

The Assistant Chief Executive confirmed that in the event the proposals are approved, a traffic impact assessment encompassing the traffic and parking situation around Ysgol y Graig as well as the walking route from Talwrn to Ysgol y Graig will be conducted. The Officer also said that the governing body of the extended Ysgol y Graig would need to reflect the community.

With regard to dealing with staffing matters, the Chief Executive confimed that the Authority will be guided by advice provided by the Human Resources Services.  The process for addressing staffing matters is set out in the statutory consultation document.

•  The Executive noted that a lack of capacity is an issue in relation to schools in the Llangefni area. The Executive sought assurance that the recommended scheme allows for growth as a result of developments in the area.

The Assistant Chief Executive said that the JLDP refers to housing developments in the Llangefni area between 2011 and 2016. A number of those houses have already been built. The Officer confirmed that actual and planned developments have been taken into account in projecting pupil numbers in the Llangefni area in future and that this has been done using the Welsh Government formula.

•  The Executive noted that implementing the recommended scheme is expected to generate financial savings and that in light of the challenging financial circumstances in which the Authority finds itself, financial considerations are an important factor in the School Modernisation Programme. The Executive noted further that from the calculations set out in section 10 of the report, the Do Nothing option appears on the face of it, to be more economical than the option whereby Ysgol y Graig is to be extended and Ysgol Talwrn closed. The Executive sought assurance that the recommended scheme will yield savings.

The Head of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer said that revenue savings are created as running one larger school is less costly in terms of building maintenance and energy; management costs are reduced (one Head teacher instead of two) and class sizes can be set to an optimum level which reduces teaching costs .The figure of £39,540 savings was reached by using an agreed formula to calculate the teaching staff and allocation per pupil at the new extended school based on the number of pupils currently at Ysgol y Graig plus pupils from Ysgol Talwrn. The formula also allows an element of funding for each school regardless of pupil numbers or staff; currently both Ysgol y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn receive this funding (around £8,000), whereas it would only be applied once in the case of the proposed new extended Ysgol y Graig. The proposed new extension will incur costs; the estimated costs linked to the new extension compared to the costs of the current Ysgol Talwrn have been factored into the £39k projected savings. Transport costs (£28k) have been estimated based on running two buses from Talwrn to Ysgol y Graig daily.

On the capital side, the Officer said that the Authority is expected to fund its share of the capital costs of the scheme – 50% - with Welsh Government contributing the other 50%. The Authority’s contribution is made up of borrowing and the capital receipt from the sale of the Ysgol Talwrn site. The borrowing element would be funded over a 50 year period and include loan interest. Building an extension to Ysgol y Graig to replace Ysgol Talwrn is more expensive but will result in a brand new school building – this should be balanced against the as yet unknown costs of continuing to maintain Ysgol Talwrn as the building ages, as well as the known maintenance backlog costs at the school.

•  The Executive noted that two new area schools have already been built, the one being Ysgol Cybi in Holyhead and the other, Ysgol Rhyd y Llan in Llanfaethlu. In light of the initial opposition to these schemes, the Executive sought clarification of the feedback from the two schools now they are up and

running.

The Assistant Chief Executive said that comments from a discussion with seven children from the School Council at Ysgol Rhyd y Llan confirm that all seven are happy at the school for a variety of reasons from having more friends to participating in a range of activities. Six out of the seven travelled to school by bus and apart from comments about noise, they were satisfied with the arrangement. Similarly, there were no negative responses from those surveyed at Ysgol Cybi with many citing new experiences as a positive feature of the new school.

•  The Executive noted that Welsh Government funding for the modernisation of schools comes from the Twenty First Century Schools’ Programme with stakeholders e.g. local authorities expected to contribute 50% of the costs of the projects they apply for. The Executive sought clarification of whether Officers foresee a point in future wherein the Authority will not be able to contribute its share of funding to continue with the modernisation programme.

The Head of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer said that the opportunity to modernise and renew Anglesey’s schools stock which the Twenty First-Century Schools Programme offers is too good to miss; the Authority must find the funding to complete the modernisation process which in providing for new and/or refurbished schools to replace what are in many instances, very old and not fit for purpose buildings, is a process worth doing. Additionally, the modernisation process in eliminating surplus places does also reduce costs. If pressure can be brought on Welsh Government to increase its contribution to projects under the programme then that would be welcome; nevertheless, it is unlikely that an opportunity such as this will present itself again, and if the Authority does not take advantage of it, then it will have to find the resources itself to modernise and build new schools in future.

•  The Executive noted that ensuring that schools provide the highest possible standards of education is one of the most important responsibilities a Local Authority has; it is only reasonable therefore that authorities are provided with sufficient funding to be able to fulfil this responsibility. The Executive noted further that the financial pressures which the Authority is operating under are significant leading to hard choices and difficult decisions; these pressures are the result of austerity enforced by the Westminster Government.

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth summarised by saying that many of the Island’s primary schools were built around 150 years ago when walking to school was the norm; they no longer meet the education needs of the twenty-first century and are not always in the right place. The Authority has to organise its schools in accordance with circumstances. The Twenty-First Century Schools Programme provides an opportunity to put into effect a modernisation programme which the Authority might not otherwise be able to implement. The Portfolio Member said that it is accepted that closing a school is regrettable and is hard for the community thereby affected; nevertheless communities are sustained by people not buildings. Also, the Executive has a duty to consider the best interests of the Island as a whole. For these reasons, the Portfolio Member proposed that the recommendation of the report be approved and that Ysgol y Graig is extended to accommodate pupils from Ysgol Talwrn, and that Ysgol Talwrn is closed.

In supporting the proposal, the Executive emphasised that the new block for Ysgol y Graig must be integrated with the existing Ysgol y Graig building and that it should operate as one school.

It was resolved that the capacity of Ysgol y Graig be increased to accommodate pupils from Ysgol Talwrn, and that Ysgol Talwrn be closed.

This to be done by:

•  Using the existing building for Key Stage 2 i.e. years 3 to 6 and adapting it;

•  Building a new “Block” for the Foundation Phase, namely Nursery, Reception, Years 1 and 2;

•  Considering relocating the Flying Start provision within the Ysgol y Graig campus.

The new “block” would be part of Ysgol y Graig and would not be a separate unit.

Elected Members noted that the new arrangement should operate as one school and not as two separate units.