Agenda item

The Executive Board considered a report on proposals to discontinue Llanedi Primary School which, over recent years, had seen a decline in pupil numbers from 33 on the roll in January 2010 to 18 in January 2015 resulting in a 51% surplus of places at the school.

The Board was advised that following the departure of the Head Teacher in December 2013, the school had faced challenges and uncertainty with regard to fulfilling that senior leadership position, with an acting deputy head from an existing member of staff having been in place since September 2015. Having regard to the above, it was considered the current arrangements could not be sustained on the basis the school did not represent a sound, stable educational model or the best use of resources, there was no prospect of a significant increase in pupils for the foreseeable future together with the ongoing challenges the school faced to secure a permanent senior leadership.

The Board was advised that from an educational perspective, having such a small number of pupils made it extremely difficult for the school to deliver the breadth and depth of curricular and social experiences which pupils of that age required to fully develop. It was therefore proposed that the school should close on the 31^st August 2017 and that from the 1^st September, 2017 the catchment area of Llanedi School be re-designated and included within the existing catchment of Hendy Primary School.

The Board was informed that the Education Scrutiny Committee at its meeting held on the 9^th March had considered the proposal and received a number of public questions thereon. Having regard to the representations received, that Committee had recommended (1) that prior to making any recommendations to the Executive Board regarding the future of the school, that it receives a further report clarifying the data presented by officers and the claims made by Friends of Llanedi School during their public questions and (2) that prior to making any recommendations to the Executive Board regarding the future of the school, the Committee undertakes visits to both Llanedi and Hendy CP Schools.

In view of the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations, it was suggested that the Executive Board defer consideration on initiating the formal consultation on the closure procedure to enable a further report to be prepared and for officers to make further enquiries. If the Board were to endorse the proposal, it was suggested that the deferment be for a period of three months to the end of June 2016 thereby affording sufficient time for the submission of further information and for officers to make appropriate enquiries.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED