Agenda item

Ysgol Calon Cymru Strategic Outline Case

To consider a report by County Councillor Phyl Davies, Portfolio Holder for Education and Property.

Minutes:

County Councillor Rachel Powell declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item and left the meeting whilst this item was being considered.

 

Cabinet was asked to give approval for the following:

 

a)     To submit a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) to the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme for investment to develop:

 

·         New facilities for 925 pupils aged 11 – 18 in Llandrindod Wells, replacing the existing poor accommodation at the current Llandrindod campus – to be built on the current Llandrindod Campus;

·         New or remodelled facilities at Builth Wells to accommodate 450 pupils aged 4-18 along with early years facilities – to be built on the current Builth Wells Campus;

·         Community facilities will be included but these have not yet been defined;

·         It is the intention that the Llandrindod Wells campus would deliver English-medium provision and that the Builth Wells campus would deliver Welsh-medium provision.

 

b)    To bring back a further report to Cabinet by November 2020 outlining the school reorganisation proposals required to achieve the changes outlined above. Full consultation would be undertaken before any final decisions are made.

 

The cost was estimated to be £61.0 million.

 

County Councillor David Price raised concerns over community cohesion noting that the organic growth of bilingual education had served the area well. He was concerned that the proposal would be divisive coming so soon after the merger to form Ysgol Calon Cymru and with pupils having to travel to Llandrindod for English medium education.

 

County Councillor Jeremy Pugh argued that the model proposed was not sustainable, questioning why there had been no assessment of the impact on other schools and noting that transport costs had not been taken into account. He said that this model should not be imposed on a predominantly English speaking area and asked if the Cabinet was seeking to close the Builth Wells site by the back door.

 

County Councillor Jon Williams welcomed the proposals to transform education in the area but asked how underfunding at Ysgol Calon Cymru would be addressed. He asked Cabinet to recognise the hard work of governors, staff and pupils at Ysgol Calon Cymru.   

 

The Portfolio Holder for Education and Property explained that there was inadequate Welsh medium education provision in the south of the county and that this proposal would help address this utilising the facilities in Builth Wells. The Cabinet had committed to secondary provision in 13 localities including Builth Wells. The deficit position of Ysgol Calon Cymru showed that there were not enough resources to sustain two English medium schools in such close proximity. This preferred option would allow properly funded English medium education in Llandrindod Wells and Welsh medium education in Builth Wells.  Addressing points about primary schools in the catchment and Sixth Form provision, it was explained that the schools transformation programme was phased into manageable parts and that further reports would be brought forward over the coming months.

 

                        RESOLVED to approve

                       

1.    To submit a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) to the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme for investment to develop:

 

·         New facilities for 925 pupils aged 11 – 18 in Llandrindod Wells, replacing the existing poor accommodation at the current Llandrindod campus – to be built on the current Llandrindod Campus;

·         New or remodelled facilities at Builth Wells to accommodate 450 pupils aged 4-18 along with early years facilities – to be built on the current Builth Wells Campus;

·         Community facilities will be included but these have not yet been defined;

·         It is the intention that the Llandrindod Wells campus would deliver English-medium provision and that the Builth Wells campus would deliver Welsh-medium provision.

 

2.    That officers bring back a further report to Cabinet by November 2020 outlining the detailed implementation steps, including consultation, required to achieve the new facilities.

 

 

County Councillor Rachel Powell returned to the meeting.

Supporting documents: