AGENDA ITEM NO. 8
REPORT TO:
Executive Board
REPORT NO:
CLAO/28/08
DATE:
30 September 2008
LEAD MEMBER:
Councillor Aled R Roberts
Corporate Leadership and Children (Schools and
Corporate Parenting)
LEAD OFFICER:
Chief Learning and Achievement Officer
CONTACT OFFICER:
Tom Davies (Tel: 297555)
SUBJECT:
Consultation: Welsh medium education
provision
WARD:
N/A
1.
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
1.1
To seek the approval of the Executive Board to undertake consultation with
relevant groups regarding the sufficiency and location of Welsh medium
education in the County Borough.
2.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.1
Following the recommendations of the Primary Review report (CL&AO/04/07 6 March 2007), Officers were charged with the task of implementing the
priorities that were identified in the approved report. These priorities include
consultation ‘on the availability/distribution of places within the Welsh medium
primary sector the a view to (a) improve the provision in areas of the County
where there is no/under provision; and (b) strengthen the provision in the
Cefn Mawr/Acrefair/Rhosymedre areas.’
2.2
Although there are sufficient numbers of places in the Welsh medium Primary
and Secondary phases of education, the location of Primary phase places
does not match the local need in some areas. Furthermore, the growth that is
currently experienced in the early years and Key Stage 1 (Foundation Phase)
at Ysgol I.D. Hooson, Ysgol Bodhyfryd and Ysgol Plas Coch in particular, and
to a lesser extent at Ysgol Bryn Tabor places significant pressure on the
system. If the trends continue, then the Council will be unable to meet the
demand for Welsh medium education other that at Ysgol Min-y-Ddol, Cefn
Mawr in the near future.
2.3
A survey commissioned by the Learning and Achievement department and
conducted by Opinion Research Services (ORS) in October 2007, concluded
that the majority of new parents who responded to the survey, felt that their
children would benefit from a Welsh medium education and that they would
like their children to speak Welsh.
2.4
Oversubscription at Ysgol Plas Coch by pupils living close to the school has
led to difficulties for parents of children living in the Gwersyllt and Summerhill
areas to access Welsh medium primary places. The redirection of these
pupils to Ysgol Bodhyfryd has provided places for those pupils refused
admission to Ysgol Plas Coch on the basis of the proximity criterion of the
admission process. However, some parents have changed their preference
when a place at the nearest school is not available, and placed children in an
English medium school. The recent increase in admissions to Ysgol
Bodhyfryd will reduce the number of places available for this to be an
alternative into the future.
2.5
Headteachers of Wrexham Welsh medium schools have expressed their
concern that children who enter English medium education at the nursery
stage following refusal of a place at nursery, will not re-enter Welsh medium
education at a later stage, and therefore will not be educated through the
medium of Welsh.
2.6
In a bid to prevent these ‘losses’ at the nursery stage, interim arrangements
have been made to accommodate all children whose parents have expressed
a preference for Welsh medium nursery education at Ysgol Plas Coch. The
accommodation at Plas Coch will accommodate the 55 nursery pupils for this
academic year (2008 -2009) and a similar number for the following year
(2009-2010). However, beyond the 2009 admissions round, this provision will
cease to be an alternative.
2.7
Ysgol I.D. Hooson, Rhos has also experienced an increase in demand for
nursery places. Although the school has indicated that it can manage the
increased numbers through vertical grouping of classes, if demand is
sustained, arrangements will have to be made by the private pre-school
groups currently accommodated in the school to locate elsewhere.
2.8
Significant unfilled places are available at Ysgol Min y Ddol in Cefn Mawr and
at Ysgol Bryn Tabor in Coedpoeth. A table of current surplus places in the
Welsh medium sector appears in paragraph 4.5. However, both these
schools have recently experienced an increase in pupil numbers. Flying Start
is now established in Min y Ddol and is expected to have a further positive
effect on admissions.
2.9
This report seeks Members’ approval to carry out a series of consultations
with the parents, Governors and Staff of the schools and the wider
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community, in order to ascertain the best way of providing for the increased
need in some areas, whilst using the surpluses that are evident in other areas
of the County Borough.
2.10 Approval is also requested to establish a Task and Finish Group in order to
review and monitor the Welsh Education Scheme and to consider options in
terms of meeting the increased demand for places.
3.
RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1
That Members consider the issues raised in this report.
3.2
That Members approve a series of consultations with the relevant
groups about the provision of Welsh medium Primary education with
particular reference to:



any additional capacity in the north of the town/borough, utilising
current surplus capacity to the maximum extent possible;
improving the take-up of Welsh medium education in the Cefn
Mawr area; and
capacity issues in the village of Rhos.
3.3
That a further report is submitted to the Executive Board once the
response to the consultation is known.
3.4
That Members approve that the Chief Learning and Achievement Officer
establishes a Consultation Group to consider issues affecting the
implementation of the statutory Welsh Education Scheme and to
consider options for the future delivery of Welsh medium education.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
That this matter is a priority of the Primary Review report of March 2007, and that
the increased demand for Welsh medium education has led to accommodation
issues in some schools.
Hywyn Williams
Chief Learning and Achievement Officer
4.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
4.1
Members in their meeting 6 September 2005 accepted the recommendations
of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee (CYPSC/02/05) with
regard to the need to review the current provision. The subsequent report to
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the Executive Board in March 2007 recommended a review of the sufficiency
and distribution of Welsh medium education in the County Borough
4.2
A survey of the future demand for Welsh language primary Education was
carried out for the Council, and published by Opinion Research Services in
October 2007.
This survey was focused on parents of children born between September
2005 and August 2006.
Included in the key results were that 36% of respondents were very or fairly
likely to send their child to an existing Welsh medium primary school, and that
44% would be very or fairly likely to send their children to a Welsh medium
school if it were within 2 miles of their home. 67% of respondents felt that
their children would benefit from a Welsh medium education, whilst 89%
would like their children to speak Welsh. The distribution of respondents
indicates areas where provision is required, particularly in the North and North
West area of the County Borough which is currently not well served.
4.3
This positive response to the provision of Welsh medium education will need
to be incorporated into future planning of provision, particularly the issues
relating to access.
4.4
The proposed consultations would provide the relevant groups with an
opportunity to contribute to the future development of Welsh medium
education provision in the County Borough.
4.5
Three out of the current five designated Welsh medium schools within the
County Borough are under significant pressure in terms of capacity, due to
substantial growth in demand in the early years during the past 2 – 3 years.
Unless further options are considered in order to meet this additional demand
there is a risk that the Council will fail to meet the local demand.
4.6
Plas Coch and Ysgol I.D. Hooson will remain under pressure for the
foreseeable future, whilst projections based on January 2008 PLASC data
indicate that the current surplus at Ysgol Bodhyfryd also will be filled.
However, surpluses at Cefn Mawr (Min y Ddol) and Coedpoeth (Bryn Tabor)
are still projected to remain, but it is envisaged that the recent increased trend
in the admissions for September 2008 will further reduce surpluses in the
future at these two schools.
4.7
The Authority has established a Welsh Education Scheme which was
approved by the Executive Board in November 2006 (report no:
CL&AO/32/06) and an Annual Monitoring report was also subsequently
approved by the Board. This Scheme, which deals with the provision of
Welsh medium and bilingual education within the Council, forms an integral
part of the delivery of Welsh medium/bilingual education within the County.
It is, therefore, considered necessary now to establish a Consultation Group
to consider the implementation of this scheme, amendments to the current
scheme and future schemes that may be required by the Welsh Language
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Board. Such a Group would holistically consider issues around the
development of Welsh medium education and associated developments in
relation to Welsh medium/bilingual education within the County.
This Group would include partners from the Council including elected
Members, school based colleagues and representatives from partner
agencies within other statutory and voluntary services.
5.
CONSULTATION
5.1
Consultation concerning any proposals will involve meetings with parents,
staff and Governors of the relevant schools.
6.
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
6.1
Members of the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee in the
context of their work on the Primary Review at their meeting 20 July 2005
supported the process of consultation relating to priorities of the Primary
Review report.
7.
IMPLICATIONS
7.1
Policy Framework
7.1.1 The proposal is in accordance with WAG guidelines on sufficiency, suitability,
condition, quality and cost and the reduction in surplus capacity.
7.1.2 The overriding aim of the proposal is to progress the Council’s Corporate
Priorities in relation to Children and Education Attainment.
7.2
Budget - the proposal to consult does not have a budgetary implication.
7.3
Legal - by virtue of the School Standards & Framework Act 1998 and
associated regulations, the establishment and discontinuance of schools are
matters which require the publication of statutory proposals. Those bringing
forward such proposals are required to have firstly consulted with all parties
as appear to them to be appropriate.
7.4
Staffing - N/A
7.5
Diversity (Equalities) - the proposal will not change the present commitment
of schools to comply with the relevant regulations
BACKGROUND PAPERS
N/A
LOCATION
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