Agenda item

Nantmel Church in Wales School

To consider a report by County Councillor Arwel Jones, Portfolio Holder for Education.

 

Minutes:

County Councillor WJT Powell left the meeting during consideration of this item having declared a personal and prejudicial interest.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Education advised that he had received both an online petition and a written petition which between them contained 841 signatures calling for Nantmel Church in Wales School to be kept open. Members were advised that the school met a number of the criteria for review outlined in the Schools Transformation Policy in terms of pupil numbers, surplus places, buildings condition and cost per pupil. The Schools Organisation Review Panel (SORP) had therefore recommended to the Cabinet that it consider the commencement of formal consultation on the closure of Nantmel C. in W. School from the 31st December 2016, with Rhayader C. in W. School to be named as the receiving school.  The school’s governors preferred option was federation with Rhayader C. in W. School. However, following consideration of the data agreed with the school and the feedback received from the Governing Body, the SORP’s view was that federation would not address the issues relating to pupil numbers, capacity and cost per pupil. Therefore, the SORP’s draft recommendation in respect of Nantmel C. in W. School was closure of the school from the 31st December 2016.

 

County Councillor David Evans spoke as the local Member to oppose the closure. He argued that that the decision was being made on solely financial grounds as there were no concerns over educational standards at the school. He questioned the budget savings quoted in the report as the figures had changed in various drafts of the report he had seen and argued that the Cabinet should defer a decision until it could be sure that the figures were accurate. He noted that the school was the only building available for community events in Nantmel. Councillor Evans said that he feared wholescale closure of rural schools in the county and he called on the Cabinet to support federation with Rhayader C. in W. School.

 

Officers confirmed that the savings figures quoted in the report were correct. They also confirmed that there were sufficient surplus places in Rhayader C. in W. school and that educational standards in the two schools were comparable. It was further confirmed that there was capacity in Crossgates Primary School for parents who preferred to send their children there. Officers also advised that they did not believe that the Council owned the school building or land.

 

The Chair of the People Scrutiny Committee asked for the Committee to have sight of the results of the consultation before it came back to Cabinet and the Portfolio Holder for Education confirmed that this would be done. He also asked about arrangements for transporting children and their siblings to their nearest school. It was confirmed that children and siblings would be transported to their nearest school if they qualified for home to school transport.

 

County Councillors Aled Davies and John Morris speaking as leaders of the Conservative Group and Liberal Democrat groups respectively supported a deferral of the decision. The Portfolio Holder for education reminded Members that the Cabinet was not being asked to decide on the closure of Nantmel C. in W. School at this meeting but to approve the commencement of formal consultation.

 

RESOLVED

Reason for Decision:

  1. To receive the SORP’s draft recommendation in respect of Nantmel C. in W. School.

 

  1. To approve the commencement of formal consultation with stakeholders in accordance with the School Organisation Code on the closure of Nantmel C. in W. School, with Rhayader C. in W. School to be named as the receiving school.

 

To ensure future sustainability of primary education.

 

County Councillor WJT Powell returned to the meeting.

 

 

Supporting documents: