Catholic school plan expected to be approved
Local democracy reporter PLANS to build a new £27m Catholic school in Merthyr Tydfil and close four current schools look set to be given the go-ahead.
The proposal to create a single three-16 Catholic school and close St Aloysius, the Federation of St Illtyd’s, St Mary’s and Bishop Hedley schools looks like it will be approved by Merthyr Tydfil council’s cabinet.
The new school is expected to be up and running by September 2022 and would have up to 525 full-time primary school places, 520 secondary school places and 63 full-time equivalent nursery places.
The council, the archdiocese and Welsh Government are planning to spend £27m on the new school, which will either be built on The Greenie or on one of the Bishop Hedley High School sites.
The council has carried out two consultations on the proposal and on where the new school should be located.
There will be a new governing body set up and a headteacher appointed for the new school.
The catchment area for the new school would include Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Hirwaun, Glynneath, Rhymney, Tredegar, Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr.
During the consultation process, concerns were raised over the appointment of a headteacher for September 2020 in relation to the timing and the affordability of the appointment.
After further discussions with the archdiocese, the proposal is set to be changed so that the headteacher can be in post from September 2022. Until then the schools would remain as they are.
The cabinet report says a new school “provides the opportunity to deliver a stimulating teaching and learning environment in state of the art, 21st Century facilities that will impact positively on the self-esteem and wellbeing of pupils and will aim to improve the learning outcomes for all children across the ability range.”
The council points to an Estyn report in 2007 which says attainment and achievement of pupils improves when they move into new or significantly refurbished buildings particularly when schools are in areas with high levels of social and economic deprivation.
There will be further consideration over the next year about which of the two sites the new school would be built on.
Merthyr Tydfil council’s cabinet is expected to approve the plans at a meeting on Wednesday.