Cardiff Council’s Executive has agreed to a public consultation on the reorganisation of secondary schools in the Ely and Caerau areas of the city.
Officers have been authorised to consult on a proposal to amalgamate Glyn Derw High School and Michaelston Community College. In order to comply with Assembly regulations, this would be achieved through the proposed closure of Glyn Derw High School and Michaelston Community College and the opening of a replacement school of 10 forms of entry on the existing two sites with effect from September 2011.
Many secondary schools in Cardiff are experiencing falling rolls and there are currently about 8,850 surplus places in the city’s schools which are costing the Council valuable resources. The combined number of surplus places at Glyn Derw, which serves the Caerau community, and Michaelston, which serves the Ely community, amounts to 30 per cent of the combined capacity and with projections indicating a trend of pupil numbers falling further, a possible threat to the viability of the schools is likely to increase if nothing is done.
In May 2007, the Schools Sub Committee, a group of representative elected members and other key stakeholders, requested officers to formalise partnership arrangements between the two schools who presently collaborate at age 14+ and this arrangement is continuing to develop.
The proposal would see a reduction from the combined current capacity of approximately 11.4 forms of entry to 10 forms of entry. All current pupils would transfer to the roll of the new school.
There would also be a proposed capital investment of £8m into the school. It is intended that a bid for grant funding from the Welsh Assembly Government Transitional Schools Building Improvement Grant be submitted by the end of May 2010 with funding allocations expected to be announced by July 2010.
Some allowance has been made to adapt and refurbish the existing school buildings in order to support the delivery of a balanced curriculum, address priority one maintenance issues and contribute significantly to improving disability access.
Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “This proposal responds to the need to address the mismatch in supply and demand for English medium secondary school places in Ely and Caerau and to establish provision at a capacity appropriate for the local population.
“Both of the school sites will be retained with improvements in the quality of the school buildings. The educational and training opportunities for local children would be further enhanced.”
Chief Schools and Lifelong Learning Officer, Chris Jones, said: “The proposal is another step closer to achieving the Council’s vision of an education system that is viable and successful, with schools offering good quality learning opportunities to raise standards of achievement.”
The consultation will take place during the Summer term. Further details will be announced shortly.
