Statement from Denbighshire County Council

Review of primary school provision in the Edeyrnion (Dee Valley West) area.

Denbighshire County Council would like to reassure parents, staff and pupils of schools in the Edeyrnion (Dee Valley West) area in light of recent stories in the news.

The council is carrying out a review of primary school provision in the Edeyrnion (Dee Valley West) area, however discussions are at an informal stage and no decisions have been taken.

The review includes seven primary schools in the area (Ysgol Betws Gwerfil Goch, Ysgol Bro Elwern, Ysgol Caer Drewyn, Ysgol Carrog, Ysgol Glyndyfrdwy, Ysgol Llandrillo and Ysgol Maes Hyfryd).

Over the past six months the council has held informal discussions with headteachers, governors and local councillors to discuss a number of issues across the area, potential solutions and develop an initial consultation document.

Contrary to reports the consultation period has not started. A report is going to Denbighshire’s Cabinet on 26 October asking for permission to begin an initial consultation on a number of options across the area including the potential for area schools and reducing the existing number of schools.

There are a number of issues across the area that the council needs to address including significant surplus (empty) places in schools and recent difficulties in recruiting permanent headteachers. We need to address these issues to ensure that high standards of education are maintained in the future.

If Denbighshire’s Cabinet approve the initial consultation, there will be extensive consultation with parents, staff, governors and the local communities from November 2010 to February 2011. Based on the outcome of the initial consultation, the cabinet would then be asked whether or not to progress specific options to a formal consultation period.

The Council would like to stress that we are at the start of a long process that will involve extensive local consultation before any decisions are taken.

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