Lukewarm response to new Welsh medium school consultation

Anthony Lewis Local Democracy Reporter

Just over half of people who shared their views on a new Welsh medium primary school on a new housing development said they supported the idea.

Feedback from a consultation into plans for a new 3-11 Welsh medium primary school to serve the 1,850 house Llanilid development showed 50 of the 99 people (50.5%) who responded to the consultation supported the proposals which would also see Dolau Primary School turned from a dual language into an English medium school.

The proposal is that the new Welsh medium primary school will open no later than the 2027 academic year with a capacity of 480 for reception to year six pupils age pupils plus a capacity for 60 nursery age pupils.

Dolau Primary School would become an English medium primary school at the same time with an increased capacity of 488 for reception to year six plus a capacity for 63 for nursery age pupils.

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Dedicated Welsh school

The council says that the change will ensure that there continues to be a universal access to the learning offer and a dedicated Welsh medium school in the area, which will foster the potential growth in the number of Welsh language speakers in the county borough.

Cabinet on Wednesday, November 20 has agreed to take the proposals to the next stage of the consultation process by issuing a statutory notice which will trigger the start of the objection period.

In the consultation, there were 37 people (37.4%) against the idea, 10 were unsure (10.1%) and two didn’t answer.

The cabinet report on Wednesday, November 20 said that Estyn considered that the proposal is likely to maintain the current standards of education provision in the area.

In January 2016, RCT’s planning and development committee granted planning consent for land at the former open cast coal site in Llanharan for the construction of 1,850 new houses, retail floor space, a medical centre, a library/community facility, a new primary school and public open space.

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National vision

The proposals for the new school are being drawn up in order to ensure that the demand for school places can be met in future years.

The cabinet report said that the proposal supports the national vision for the Welsh language, Cymraeg 2050, to have one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

It said it will have a positive impact on children and young people of all ages and help the council to meet its WESP (Welsh in Education Strategic Plan) targets.

The capital cost of the new Welsh medium school will be met through the Community Infrastructure Levy generated through the development of the Llanilid strategic site plus investment secured via the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.

The small scale investment needed for any adaptations to current available teaching spaces at Dolau Primary School will be met from the council’s core capital budget.

Any revenue implications resulting because of the new Welsh medium primary school, including the school’s delegated budget and any potential increase in home to school transport costs will be identified as the proposal develops, the cabinet report said.