Agenda item

[NOTE:  Councillor D. Price, having earlier declared an interest in this item, vacated the Chair during consideration thereof.  Councillor E.G. Thomas, Vice-Chair, presided for the duration of the item.]

The Committee considered a report detailing a proposal to increase the capacity of Gorslas Community Primary School from 110 to 210.

Gorslas Primary School is a Welsh medium primary school located in the centre of the village of Gorslas near Crosshands.  The school has a capacity for 110 pupils between the ages of 4-11 years old.  The school was established in the 1920s and caters for pupils within the area of Gorslas and the surrounding areas.  Over the last few years, the demand for Welsh medium education in Carmarthenshire has been increasing and this is also true for pupil numbers at the school and the school is currently over capacity.

A review of the problems, difficulties and service gaps associated with the existing arrangements at Gorslas Primary School had clearly established that:-

-         there is misalignment between the capacity of the school and the           demand for Welsh medium education places;  

-         the existing school building does not meet Carmarthenshire’s           standards in terms of the facilities it offers and the area space required;

-         the site and buildings are insufficient in meeting the needs of the wider           community;

-         staff and pupils have to transfer between the mobile classrooms and           the main school building;

-         there is insufficient space, indoor and outdoor, to deliver and enhance           the Foundation Phase curriculum and play opportunities for all           learners;

-         access/car parking at the school is limited and causes disruption at           school drop off/pick up times.

On 20^th June, 206 the Executive Board approved a revised Modernising Education Programme and 21^st Century Schools Band “A” Programme within which a scheme was being developed to provide Gorslas Primary School with a new school building which would address the issues noted above.

It was proposed that the capacity of the new school would be 210, which would allow the school to accommodate current and future demand for Welsh medium education places.  The new school building would also provide space to accommodate a 30 place external nursery and facilities suitable for teaching and learning in the 21^st century.  The scheme was currently in development and it was proposed that the new school building would be ready for occupancy by 1^st September, 2019.

As it was proposed to increase the capacity of the school by more than 25% of its current capacity, a statutory process must be followed in accordance with the School Organisation Code 2013 to formalise the arrangement.

The following questions/observations were raised on the report:-

·       Reference was made to the fact that there are currently 122 pupils at the school and as the projection for 2022 only increased this number to 124 officers were asked where the pupils would be coming from.  Concern was expressed over the potential impact on other schools in the area, in particular Maesybont and Cefneithin and officers were asked if there was any intention of close these schools in the future.  The Modernisation Services Manager stated that there were no plans to close these schools at present.  He explained there has been a lot of development in Gorslas and 2 mobile classrooms have been provided for the school in the past.  He was confident that there will be demand for places at the school;

·       Whilst recognising the need for a bigger school in the area, concern was expressed over the fact that 140 children from Gorslas are educated elsewhere and 44 children from outside the catchment area are educated at Gorslas and it was felt that this was something which could be addressed during the consultation process.  The Modernisation Services Manager explained that during the consultation process it will be essential to make it clear to the public that we are consulting on the new school itself but also separately we need to consult because the school capacity is increasing by more than 25%;

·       Reference was made to the preferred location for the new school being Gorslas park and officers were asked how much of the park would remain and also what are the plans for the existing school building.  The Modernisation Services Manager explained that it was hoped to locate the school in the centre of the park so that good use can be made of the pathways around it.  No discussions have taken place with regard to future use of the existing school site, however, the Authority has a policy where such sites are offered to community groups to take over and if no interest is expressed the site is put up for sale. 

RESOLVED

13.1    that the report be received;

13.2    to endorse to the Executive Board the proposal to increase the           capacity of Gorslas Community Primary School from 110 to 210           as from 1^st September, 2019 when occupation at the new school           building is proposed.