3-16 Abertillery Central Area
Community Impact Assessment
Community Impact Assessments are a structured way for the Council to fully understand the
implications of our decisions and whether they are detrimental or discriminatory to certain
groups or sections of the community. They help us to consider the impact of Council decisions
and policies within and between communities more generally. The Community Impact
Assessment process will ensure that our decision making process is robust and impacts on all
communities within Blaenau Gwent ensuring that they are fully considered in Council business.
By carrying out impact assessments, the Council is working to promote equality for all our
service users, employees and the wider community that we serve.
1.
How many pupils in total will be affected by these proposals?
The below table shows current pupils which the new 3-16 Abertillery Central area proposal may
impact upon. The data provides an overview of the schools capacity, current number of pupils
on roll within a school including nursery (excluding rising 3’s at 50 pupils), as well as number of
children who are educated in the school but living outside the current catchment areas.
School
capacity
As at
Sept
2014
Abertillery Primary School
Bryngwyn Primary School
Queen Street Primary School
Roseheyworth Millenium
School
St Illtyds Primary School
Abertillery Comprehensive
School
Total
420
194
186
210
Total
number of
pupils on
role
September
2014
413
209
117
162
210
914
202
595
2134
1698
Surplus
places
No’s of
pupils from
outside
school
catchment
As at
Sept
2014
Nursery
capacity
As at
Sept
2014
Total on
role
7
-15
69
48
153
146
54
48
69
45
26
41
68
32
22
38
1
13
4
3
8
319
10
27
66
-
48
-
18
-
436
438
247
Surplus
places
208
39
** for the purpose of the above data the information pertaining to Nursery capacity equates to am and pm numbers, therefore some schools
operate 2 sessions throughout the day doubling their pupil numbers.
2.
What facilities and services are currently provided by each of the schools?
Schools also offer an extended learning environment through Out of School Hours learning to
their pupils, from breakfast clubs, lunchtime activities and after school clubs vary from sports to
numeracy and literacy clubs. Under the Welsh Governments Free Breakfast Club initiatives
schools can provide a healthy start to the day for pupils. In general attendance at breakfast
clubs across the authority is high; this may be attributed to the distance from home to school
and the ability of parents to take children i.e. working parent’s arrangements.
Overleaf provides a snap shot of activities promoted throughout the schools, identifying which
community groups are working closely within the area and how the school works with the
community groups providing a meeting place.
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After -School clubs or activities
offered
Community groups working with the
school
School building utilised
by community groups
Abertillery
Primary School



Breakfast Club
15 School run after school clubs
Funky Monkey Club paid
provision CSIW Registered



Holiday clubs but
not every year
Bryngwyn Primary
School


Breakfast Club
School run after school clubs
the content of which change
termly

Queen Street
Primary School


Breakfast club daily
After school clubs include Art,
drama, netball, Games, Eco,
Science.

Roseheyworth
Millenium School


Breakfast Clubs
after school clubs


Communities First
activities


Communities First
Non summer
clubs on the
schools Astro turf

Abertillery Brass
Band Rehearsal

St Illtyds Primary
School


Breakfast Club
After School Clubs including
Rugby Football Art and Netball

Abertillery
Comprehensive
School





Chillax Breakfast Club
Chillax Afterschool Club
Homework Club
Welsh Urdd /Bilingual Club
GCSE Revision – afterschool
every day
Photography Club


Various parent coffee mornings
Various community organisations
such as:
Police, Fire service, Various
Churches, Communities First, Family
First & Family Learning
Various community organisations
such as:
Police, Fire service, Various
Churches, Communities First,
Family First & Family Learning
Various community organisations
such as:
Police, Fire service, Various
Churches, Communities First, Family
First & Family Learning
Family learning, PACT cookery,
Cooking on a budget Healthy minds
, healthy bodies
Various community organisations
such as:
Police, Fire service, Various
Churches, Communities First, Family
First & Family Learning
Various community organisations
such as:
Police, Fire service, Various
Churches, Communities First,
Family First & Family Learning
Leisure Trust arranges activities
after school every day.
Within the scope of the assessment, sustainability of activities or opportunities to enhance
provision can be further discussed or maintained. Pooling of resources under a new structure
can enhance the learning experiences of current pupils in Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL)
opportunities and promote a community centered building.
3.
Provision and activity currently available around the locations of schools in a
community setting
It is thought that well-organised, informal programmes that complement the role of the
statutory schooling have much to contribute to the learning and development of children and
young people. Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL) is a name given to any activity which
young people take part in voluntarily, outside of normal school hours.
OSHL includes a huge range of activities, run by community groups which may take place
before the start of the school day, during lunch times, after school, at weekends or during
school holidays. There are a range of voluntary and statutory organisations which deliver OSHL
in community settings which can include youth clubs, sports clubs, church groups, community
projects and uniformed groups.
Recent mapping undertaken from Hedfan 8-14 OSHL project shows that OSHL activities support
a broad range of national policy objectives and the benefits include: raising achievement;
improving basic and key skills; enabling social development and communication; and creating
independent learners. Freedom from statutory constraints means community partners can work
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together as equals providing OSHL activities to meet local needs. It extends young people’s
experiences enabling them to the gain key skills enriching their lives with new and exciting
opportunities.
These are the current activities found in the Abertillery Central area; GirlGuiding, Scouting, St
John Ambulance, Drama and Music groups, Trampolling, Swimming club, Football, Rugby, Table
Tennis, Netball, Cricket, Gymnastics, Bowls and leisure activities in Abertillery Leisure Centre.
This list is not exhaustive.
There are many activities on offer situated outside the Abertillery Central area that require
transport such as; sports facilities in neighbouring leisure centres, Ebbw Vale, Tredegar &
Nantyglo, Drama and Dance activities in Beaufort Ballroom and wider, The Byg Editorial Group,
Blaenau Gwent Youth Forum and The Young Fire Fighters – Tredegar.
4.
Can other facilities available in the immediate local or wider community be
enhanced as part of the schools’ reconfiguration?
Community links with Life Leisure Trust (formed 2014) need to be maintained and improved to
enhance community life, such as home clubs in libraries. The Abertillery Leisure centre is at the
heart of the Abertillery Central catchment closely located to Abertillery Secondary and Primary
Sites.
By enhancing these close links shared resources will provide new opportunities to work closely
together and offer new experiences for our pupils.
Any future school organisation has to relate to the broader education and community regeneration strategies and the need to provide joined-up services to communities. Consideration
also needs to be given current local strategies promoting the wellbeing of its community i.e.
Flying Start, Families First, Local Health Board, Communities First etc. The use of school
buildings to provide an appropriate space for activities to take place.
The Education Transformation Team regularly review surplus accommodation and surplus places
in schools and look to invite community groups or organisations to share space.
5.
What limitations are there within each of the schools?
It is thought that under this proposal, limitations on schools relate to different types of provision
or activities delivered and therefore not directly identified as being significant.
6.
How will the Authority ensure good parental and pupil engagement during this
consultation particularly for less advantaged pupils?
The Authority recognises the importance of an effective and informative consultation where
views of parents, pupils, governors, staff and wider community are listened to.
A formal consultation will be delivered by the Council and feedback will be reviewed and
considered by the Education Transformation Team Manager via updates on an ongoing basis
throughout the consultation period from 2nd February - 22nd March 2015.
Parents/carers and pupils will be provided with relevant information to aid their understanding
of the new 3-16 Abertillery Central area School. The council will undertake the events with
stakeholders that will assist understanding and provide an opportunity for their voices to be
heard.
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