The purpose of this consultation
This consultation is to invite your views on the proposal to amalgamate Betws Primary School and Tynyrheol Primary School.
Those consulted will include staff, governors, pupils and parents of the school, members of the local community and any other interested parties.
This consultation process will run from 12th November 2013 to
24th December 2013.
The proposal
In order to amalgamate Betws Primary School and Tynyrheol Primary School, it is proposed to close Betws Primary School and Tynyrheol Primary School at the end of the summer term 2014 and open a single school on a split-site basis in September 2014 by utilising the existing school buildings in anticipation of new premises being ready for occupation on the current Betws site in September 2016.
In order to take this forward, it is necessary to carry out a consultation exercise with staff, parents, pupils, interested parties and the governing bodies as the first step in the statutory process.
What the proposal means in practice
Betws Primary School has an acting headteacher for the academic year 2013-14. Tynyrheol Primary School has a substantive headteacher but he is retiring at the end of the spring term 2014. This means that neither school would have a substantive headteacher in post and, in these circumstances when an amalgamation is also proposed, it is important to deal equitably with both schools, The proposal would, therefore, require the closure of Betws and Tynyrheol Primary Schools at the end of the summer term 2014 and the opening of a single school, operating on a split-site basis in the current premises in Betws and Llangeinor, from September 2014. The catchment areas for the two schools would become one. This split-site arrangement would operate until the new school was completed and ready for occupation in September 2016. In this way, a shadow governing body would be formed to appoint a headteacher for the one school to take up post in September 2014. A full governing body would also come into existence in the autumn of 2014. Both communities would be represented on the shadow governing body and be able to contribute to the planning and development of the new school.
The proposal for Garw Valley South, English medium primary education, is to create a single, new 315 (4-11) place primary school to include Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision and a nursery of 64 full time equivalent places (an amalgamation of the existing Betws and Tynyrheol Primary Schools) on the current Betws Primary School site which would, subject to the outcome of the consultations, Welsh Government approvals and planning permission, be ready for occupation in September 2016. There would be one headteacher and one governing body.
Why has this proposal been brought forward?
In September 2006, the Council adopted a policy of providing continuity of education from ages 3 to 11 where possible. In the same policy document, 5 key principles were set out to inform the organisation and modernisation of our schools:
1. Commitment to high standards and excellence in provision
2. Equality of opportunity, so that all pupils can access quality learning opportunities, regardless of which school they attend
3. Inclusive schools, which cater for the learning needs of all their pupils
4. Community focused schools, where the school actively engages with its local community
5. Value for money
The Policy and Planning Framework sets out 13 areas where the principles should be applied in practice. Those which are particularly relevant in the context of this proposal concern the size of primary schools (to ensure that “all Bridgend’s primary schools are large enough to make the full range of necessary provision”) and value for money, efficiency and effectiveness (“narrowing the gap between the most and the least expensive provision currently”).
There are currently 2 English-medium primary schools serving the Garw Valley South area. One of these is in the village of Llangeinor and the other in Betws. The school in Llangeinor, Tynyrheol Primary, has a capacity of 74 and the number on roll in September 2013 is 69 (4-11) which is projected to rise to 85 by 2021. The school cannot be expanded on the current site to meet the demand for school places in the area, as the site is not large enough. Also, the school is not suitable for delivery of today’s curriculum, has no playing fields, limited outdoor space, and is totally inaccessible to disabled pupils and visitors. The condition of the school is graded ‘Poor’ (exhibiting major defects and/or not operating as intended) with an estimated £390,000 backlog of repair and maintenance.
Betws Primary is situated 1.7 miles from Tynyrheol Primary in the village of Betws. The capacity of the school is 242 and the current number on roll is195 (4-11), which is projected to rise to 238 by 2021. The junior block at this school was destroyed by a fire in June 2012 and this section of the school is currently operating out of temporary demountable classrooms. The nursery is in a standalone building and there is a separate infant block. The infant block has numerous defects and is graded ‘Poor’ for condition (exhibiting major defects and/or not operating as intended). The repair and maintenance backlog is estimated at £250,000. The dispersed nature of the accommodation is causing major operational difficulties for the school. The site also houses a Flying Start facility to serve the village of Betws.
This proposal is related to another of the Authority’s proposals, due to be consulted upon at the same time, which would see the relocation of Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Cwm Garw from Pontycymer to the Betws Primary School site. A feasibility study, which was completed in 2012, demonstrated that the Betws Primary site is large enough to accommodate an English-medium primary school to serve the needs of the south of the Garw Valley, together with a Welsh-medium school to serve an extended north-east area of the county borough. It is proposed to build two new schools on the current Betws Primary School site, one to meet the English-medium primary school needs of the Garw Valley South and one to meet the Welsh-medium primary school needs of an enlarged north-east area of Bridgend County. Although separate schools are needed, there is the opportunity to explore some shared use of facilities, such as playing fields, which could be timetabled without compromising the necessary learning opportunities in the two schools, but would generate efficiencies for both schools in terms of provision and on-going maintenance.
As an alternative to the proposal, the Council could elect to ‘do nothing’ and not amalgamate the two provisions. However, the advantages detailed in the ‘What are the advantages if the proposal goes ahead?’ section below would then clearly not be realised. Also, the issues with the current accommodation could not be addressed.
Governing Body
The proposal would require the closure of Betws and Tynyrheol Primary Schools at the end of the summer term 2014 and the opening of a single school, operating on a split-site basis in the current premises in Betws and Llangeinor from September 2014. The catchment areas for the two schools would be merged to become one. This split-site arrangement would operate until the new school was completed and ready for occupation in September 2016. In this way, a shadow governing body would be formed to appoint a headteacher for the one school to take up post in September 2014. A full governing body would also come into existence in the Autumn of 2014. Both communities would be represented on the shadow governing body and be able to contribute to the planning and development of the new school. The shadow governing body will be responsible for proposing a name for the new school and this will need to be ratified by the Council.
Staffing
The result of the proposal, should it go ahead, would mean that the staffing complement would definitely reduce by one headteacher post. For the rest of the teaching and also non-teaching staff, a determination of need is required for both the two year period when the new school would operate on a split-site and then for when the provision is all on the one site. The shadow governing body would need to devise a new staffing structure and consult with current staff at the two schools. The new structure would be determined primarily by the educational needs of the school and the budget available. The headteacher post would be advertised nationally but other posts in the new structure would be open only to those staff currently employed at the two schools. If they could not be filled from this pool of staff, only then would any posts be advertised externally to the schools.
What are the advantages if the proposal goes ahead?
Quality and standards in education
Outcomes (standards and wellbeing);
When Betws Primary School was last inspected in July 2011, standards were judged as good; relative to other schools, standards in many areas remain below the average for the local authority (LA), consortium and Wales. The school predicts that outcomes for pupils will fall this year and the school describes its performance in a number of key areas as adequate. Tynyrheol Primary School was judged to be good overall in its last inspection in November 2010. Standards have improved and compare well with outcomes in similar schools. The reliability of performance data across a larger setting would be strengthened overall as a result of the new school. The key areas for improvement for both schools are similar as the socio-economic context is the same. Both schools have a similar focus on improving various aspects of literacy, numeracy and well-being, including attendance, which should be strengthened in a larger community setting.
Provision (learning experiences, teaching, care support and guidance, and learning environment);
The quality of teaching in Betws is described by the school in its self evaluation report as variable whereas in Tynyrheol teaching is described as good and some excellent. Teachers in both schools currently make the best use of the learning environment although both schools face challenges. It is likely that provision, including the quality of teaching, would be improved through the inevitable sharing of good practice from both former schools and a modern facility.
Leadership and management (leadership, improving quality, partnership working and resource management);
Whilst leadership in Betws Primary had a positive effect on standards last year, the school is being led by an acting headteacher supported by a seconded deputy. There are a significant proportion of teachers on fixed term contracts which is unsettling and distracting for staff. This would be alleviated by a revised staffing structure for the new school whilst having no obvious detrimental effect on the staff from Tynyrheol, particularly as the current headteacher is retiring.
The likely effect, if the proposals were implemented, on the ability of the new school to deliver the full curriculum and raise standards in the foundation phase and key stage two would be positive.
Finance
The anticipated £6 million cost of the new school will be met from the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme, for which we have had approval in principle, and the Council’s capital programme as approved by Council in February 2012. We will progress the necessary business case procedures in line with Welsh Government requirements during the development and design stages.
There would be a saving equivalent to one headteacher’s salary resulting from the proposal when compared with the status quo. There may be the opportunity to make some savings on other running costs but until such time as the headteacher has been able to assess the organisational changes needing to be made, it is not possible to quantify fully those future costs or savings.
The current cost per pupil at Betws Primary is £4007.
The current cost per pupil at Tynyrheol Primary is £4232
The new costs per pupil as an immediate consequence of the proposed amalgamation would be approximately £3000.
These recurrent savings are linked to the Council’s budget reduction savings identified in its Medium Term Financial Strategy.
Accommodation
The new school would provide modern facilities which would offer additional and flexible learning opportunities, indoor and outdoor, which are not open to both schools at present. It would be a safe environment and fully accessible to all children and adults, including those with disabilities. Being of up-to-date design and construction, the new building would also be environmentally “friendly” and have reduced running costs through energy saving measures being included in the design. The design would also allow the way the building was used over future years to evolve to meet the changing ways that children and adults learn.
What are the potential disadvantages if the proposal goes ahead?
Some parents may prefer to have their children educated at the existing school sites for various reasons. Children from Llangeinor would need to travel to the Betws site using the transport provided and this may increase their travel to school time. Children from Llangeinor would also not have the opportunity to walk or cycle to school. Some believe that a small school is better to meet the particular needs of their children and that a larger school will not offer the same level of personal attention. Parents have been used to dealing with two headteachers and this would obviously change if the proposal went ahead. A primary school is often viewed as being at the heart of the local community, especially where there are no other public buildings. The change to the social side of school life in Llangeinor could be seen as being detrimental to the community.