School plans get go-ahead
COUNCILLORS have agreed to move ahead with plans to build a new English-medium primary school and expand an existing Welsh-medium primary school in Cornelly.
COUNCILLORS have agreed to move ahead with plans to reshuffle primary schools in Bridgend.
Bridgend Council wants to build a new English-medium primary school and expand an existing Welshmedium primary school in Cornelly.
Charles Smith, cabinet member for education and regeneration, said: “I think it’s a very exciting time for the community of North Cornelly because they are going to receive not one but two 21st Century schools.”
If all goes to plan, Corneli and Afon y Felin primary schools will be replaced with a new twoform entry English-medium school with a 60-place nursery and 15-place additional learning needs resource centre from September 2023. The new school would be built on land at the Plas Morlais estate, currently owned by Valleys to Coast Housing.
If the plans are approved, Ysgol y Ferch O’r Sger, will become a two form-entry Welsh-medium school with 60 nursery places and explanded on the existing Corneli Primary School/Ysgol y Ferch O’r Sger site from September 2024.
The integrated children’s centre on the Corneli Primary site would remain and new facilities like outdoor sports facilities would be added.
Council leader Huw David said the existing schools are currently not “fit for purpose” with “significant backlogs of repairs and maintenance”.
“Even if we carried out those works, those schools would not be of the standard that we now expect in the 21st Century.”
He added: “The quality of education is very good in all the schools, however, the facilities are not and we need better facilities for all children.”
A 28-day consultation on the plans was held in early 2021, seeking feedback from governors, staff, parents, pupils, and interested parties.
The new schools would be funded from the council’s revenue budget over 25 years. Estimates expect costs at around £500,000 per year. The Welsh Government would cover 81% of the costs with the council funding 19% plus 35% of any up-front investment in ICT, furniture and equipment. There is a combined maintenance backlog worth around £1.5 million across the three schools.
A report by Estyn states: “The current proposal is likely to at least maintain the education provision for pupils in the area” and “eradicate a large maintenance backlog”.
A report by Lindsay Harvey, the council’s corporate director for education and family support, states: “It is too early to say whether there will be efficiency savings or additional costs from the proposed new school, and future reports to cabinet will outline the financial implications, as they are known, in more detail.”
The report also reveals the changes to the schools are not expected to cause any job losses for staff.
An online survey was carried out on the new school plans. Out of 46 respondents, 25 people said they do not support the proposal while 21 said they do. Some of the comments to the consultation included:
■ “The school would become too large – a less personalised experience for all children attending.” ■ “I chose Afon y Felin because it was such a small school. Friends and family recommended the school because of the support the children receive. The teachers have time for 1:1 support. My daughter’s development has come on great since attending and I believe by joining the schools this support would be minimised greatly.”
■ “The current school (Afon y Felin) has such wonderful nature facilities, beautiful green space, for the children to enjoy. This clearly is a monetary decision swapping land for land so V2C can build houses instead of children having beautiful green space.”
The council does not agree with concerns regarding the plans that relate to safety, security and traffic pollution, claiming all the new builds would comply with necessary regulations.
The local authority has also rejected claims the new arrangements would affect the quality of education provided by the schools, claiming although there will be a greater number of pupils, two form groups would be greated, meaning classroom capacity would not increase.
“This is a co-operative venture with the housing association,” said Cllr Smith. “We’ve had meetings with them and the local members and they were very positive meetings. This isn’t a moneymaking exercise... it’s an investment in the future of Cornelly.”
Detailed designs of the schools are yet to be made.
Councillors agreed to publish a public notice on the proposal during a remote cabinet meeting on Tuesday April 6.
As a result, there will be a 28-day window for people to submit any formal objections to the plans. If there are no further objections, the council’s cabinet can move ahead with rearranging the schools.