“There are 121 pupils currently in the School who are not living in the village of Llangennech. However, there are 96 children living in the village travelling to other schools, out of area. Only 15 of those children are attending welsh medium so that leaves 81 attending alternative English medium. Why such a differentiation? Some of these could have had places in Llangennech but have been turned away making the English stream look as if it is declining.”
Minutes:
“There are 121 pupils currently in the School who are not living in the village of Llangennech. However, there are 96 children living in the village travelling to other schools, out of area. Only 15 of those children are attending welsh medium so that leaves 81 attending alternative English medium. Why such a differentiation? Some of these could have had places in Llangennech but have been turned away making the English stream look as if it is declining.”
Response by Councillor G.O. Jones, Executive Board Member for Education & Children:-
“The pupil figures presented in the Consultation Document are those in being at the time of the annual statutory pupil count in January 2015.
The latest figures for January 2016 are as follows:
Llangennech Infants School
The total number of pupils is 210, with 161 children residing within the catchment area and 49 pupils residing outside the catchment area.
Llangennech Junior School
The total number of pupils is 236, with 175 children residing within the catchment area and 61 pupils residing outside the catchment area.
Both Schools Combined
Aggregated together the totals for both schools are – the total number of pupils is 446, with 336, or 75%, living in the catchment area and 110 children, or 25%, living outside the catchment area.
In January 2016 there were 96 children living within the catchment area of the Llangennech schools attending other schools. Of these, 16 children attended Welsh medium schools, 7 attended dual stream schools and 73 attended English medium schools, with a significant number of 39 children, over half those leaving the catchment area, attending Bryn school. 3 of the children attended faith based schools.
It is the County Council’s preference that children attend their local school and it is upon this principle that school places are planned.
However, it is the case that some parents choose schools for their children other than the designated catchment school and they do this for a number of reasons, e.g. access to extended family for working parents, ease of transporting children, proximity of the home to schools, reputation, faith character, etc.
The County Council is obliged to facilitate parental preference only where this is consistent with the effective delivery of education and the efficient use of resources. No parent has a right to demand a place at any particular school for their child or children. School places are allocated on the basis of the Council’s published admissions policy, which favours children attending their local or “designated” school. Children are admitted to school other than their designated school when places are available.
The Admission to School: Information for Parents booklet states – “Parents can state a preference for a school, which is not the designated catchment area school. Subject to the limit on the number of pupils who can be admitted into the school not being exceeded and the correct procedures being followed, then admission will be granted.”
It is relevant to note that due to the configuration of the catchment area of the Llangennech schools that a significant number of children living in the south of the catchment area reside closer to other schools than they do to the Llangennech schools. Prominent among these is Bryn School which receives 39 pupils from the Llangennech catchment area who live in or close to Penllwyngwyn Road, Hendre Park, Harddfan, Bryn Uchaf and Pendderi Road and live much closer to this school.
The Llangennech schools are able to accommodate all children living within the catchment area. These children receive preference to children living outside the catchment area under the established admissions policies.
No children from within the Llangennech schools catchment area have been denied a place at Llangennech schools by the County Council as the statutory Admissions Authority.
The published Admissions Numbers for the Llangennech schools apply to the school as a whole and do not consider language choice. Children can only be admitted to the schools by the local authority as the statutory admissions body. Schools do not have the right to admit pupils themselves or to decline places. The County Council has not refused a place to any child residing within the catchment area, irrespective of language preference.
The movement of pupils between school catchment areas is a common circumstance across the county in both urban and rural areas.”