Following a consultation on a proposal to transfer Welsh-medium primary school Ysgol Treganna to new-build premises on Sanatorium Road, Canton, a report will be considered by Cardiff Council’s Executive next week.
At its meeting on Thursday April 7, the Executive will receive a report which presents an evaluation of responses to the public consultation held earlier this year and will consider whether to proceed with recommendations to
(1) approve the publication of a statutory notice to:
- transfer Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna into new build premises on Sanatorium Road as a three form entry Welsh-medium primary school with nursery
- close Ysgol Tan-yr-Eos with pupils transferring to the enlarged Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna once on the new site
- implement the proposal from 1 September 2013
(2) allow officers to consult at the appropriate time to revise the catchment areas of Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna and Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch as set out in the consultation document.
A full public consultation, including public meetings, drop-in sessions and an exhibition, was held in January and February on the proposal which seeks to meet the growing demand for Welsh-medium education in this area as well as the increase in population in this part of the city. No existing English-medium provision will be closed or reduced in capacity as a result of this proposal.
Views expressed through the consultation document and at public meetings and drop-in sessions were recorded and will be considered as part of the decision making process. The Executive will consider a summary of views received and will then decide whether to proceed with the proposals.
Schools organisation proposals are funded through a consolidated financial model which is being supported by additional grant funding from the Welsh Assembly Government. Through this consolidated financial model, the Council has now been able to identify the full funding needed for Treganna, in addition to considerable investment over recent years.
Over £48m has been ploughed into school buildings across the city so far, including £11.4m on six primary school amalgamations, £3.9m on two Integrated Children’s Centres at Greenway and Adamsdown Primaries, over £3.4m on establishing Welsh-medium starter classes, a £12.4m investment in the city’s Welsh-medium secondary schools and over £14m in the state-of-the-art new Ty Gwyn Special School.
A further £116m has been earmarked for approved projects in the near future including the reorganisation of primary schools in Whitchurch, the establishing of 2 new build secondary schools in the east of the city, further primary school amalgamations and investment in Welsh-medium primary schools.
Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “We believe that the proposal to transfer Ysgol Treganna to the Sanatorium Road site and developing a start-of-the-art new primary school is the only way forward in solving the overcrowding pressures on the school in its current location and nearby Ysgol Tan-yr-Eos. Over recent months, this proposal has been a priority in our schools organisation plans so I’m delighted that the funding has now been identified to take the plans forward.”
Executive Member for Finance and Service Delivery, Cllr Mark Stephens, said: “The level of funding ploughed into school buildings in Cardiff over recent years and the planned investment in the near future is proof of our commitment to developing a high-quality schools system for the 21st century where children and young people will increasingly receive their education in a modern and sustainable environment, and provide them with the opportunities they deserve to reach their potential.”
