MAENDY PRIMARY SCHOOL - CONSULTATION DOCUMENT – FEBRUARY 2020 EDUCATION SERVICE GWASANAETH ADDYSG Chief Officer, Education & Lead Director for Children and Young People Prif Swyddog, Addysg & Cyfarwyddwr Arweiniol ar gyfer Plant a Phobi Ifanc Dermot McChrystal BA (Hons) PGCE MSc Your re/Eich cyf: Our ref/Ein cyf: MH/ Date/Dyddiad: 24th February 2020 Please contact/Cysyllter â Mark Horton Direct line/Llinell union: 01495 766910 To: Statutory Consultees and Other Interested Parties Dear Consultee, PROPOSAL TO EXPAND MAENDY PRIMARY SCHOOL Torfaen’s Cabinet has agreed to commence consultation on the development of a new school for Maendy on its existing school site with effect from September 2023. The proposal specifically refers to a new 420 place school with 30 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Nursery, Pre-school and community facilities on the existing school site. Catchment areas will remain unchanged but the larger school will cater for additional pupils expected from the new housing developments in the area. A new vehicular driveway/access off Maendy Way also forms part of this proposal. The regulations require that consultees must be given at least 42 days to respond to the document, with at least 20 of these being school days. Taking this into account, the consultation period will begin with the issue of this letter (24th February 2020), and will close on Monday 6th April 2020. Any comments/observations on the proposal can be made: By writing to the Chief Officer, Education & Lead Director for Children and Young People (FAO Mark Horton) c/o Torfaen County Borough Council, Civic Centre, Pontypool, Torfaen NP4 6YB. For information on how we handle your personal data please refer to our Privacy Notice at Torfaen.gov.uk I gael gwybodaeth am sut rydym yn trin eich data personol, gweler ein Hysbysiad Preifatrwydd ar Torfaen.gov.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE IN LARGER PRINT AND BRAILLE UPON REQUEST Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg a Saesneg. Cewch ateb Cymraeg i bob gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd yn arwain at oedi./ We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English. Correspondence received in Welsh will be answered in Welsh and will not lead to delay. Civic Centre, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP4 6YB Tel 01495 762200 Fax 01495 766904 Y Ganolfan Ddinesig, Pont-y-pŵl, Torfaen, NP4 6YB Ffôn 01495 762200 Ffacs 01495 766904 www.torfaen.gov.uk By email: [email protected] By attending the ‘drop-in’ session (details below) and completing a response proforma (attached to the Consultation document) and returning it to the above address. Torfaen Play Service will make separate arrangements for children and young people to participate in the consultation, which will include the views of the school council. The ‘drop-in’ session will allow interested parties to attend at a time that is convenient for them during the late afternoon/early evening and has been arranged as follows: DAY DATE TIME VENUE Tuesday 10th March 3.30pm until Maendy Primary School, 2020 6.00pm. Wayfield Crescent, Cwmbran, NP44 1NH. Officers will attend this session to answer questions and ensure all comments/views made are recorded to allow Elected Members to make an informed decision at the appropriate time. Further information on this specific proposal (including the consultation document) and the authority’s other 21st Century Schools proposals can be found on the Council website at: www.torfaen.gov.uk. A Welsh Medium Executive Summary of this document can be obtained by telephoning 01495 766910 or by visiting the Council’s website: www.torfaen.gov.uk. If you are unclear about anything or require further information please do not hesitate to contact me on 01495 766910 (email: [email protected]) Yours sincerely Mark Horton PRINCIPAL OFFICER, FORWARD PLANNING For information on how we handle your personal data please refer to our Privacy Notice at Torfaen.gov.uk I gael gwybodaeth am sut rydym yn trin eich data personol, gweler ein Hysbysiad Preifatrwydd ar Torfaen.gov.uk ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE IN LARGER PRINT AND BRAILLE UPON REQUEST We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English. Correspondence received in Welsh will be answered in Welsh and will not lead to delay. Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg a Saesneg. Cewch ateb Cymraeg i bob gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd yn arwain at oedi. Civic Centre, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP4 6YB Tel 01495 762200 Fax 01495 766904 Y Ganolfan Ddinesig, Pont-y-pŵl, Torfaen, NP4 6YB Ffôn 01495 762200 Ffacs 01495 766904 www.torfaen.gov.uk CONTENTS Introductory Letter Contents 2 1. Introduction 3 - 4 2. Consultation arrangements 4 - 5 3. The proposal to expand Maendy Primary School 5 4. Rationale and background information 5 - 11 5. Options considered 11 -14 6. Admission arrangements 15 7. Home to school transport 15 8. Human resources 15 9. Community impact/Equality impact assessment 15 -16 10. Welsh Language Impact Assessment 16 11. Frequently asked questions 16 - 17 12. What happens next? 17 13. Response pro forma 17 14. Other information 18 Appendix 1 – Distribution list for the consultation document 19 Appendix 2 – The quality and diversity of education 21 Appendix 3 – Community and Equality Impact Assessment 25 Appendix 4 – Your views 32 2 Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council Maendy Primary School Consultation Document 1. Introduction The 21st Century Schools programme has been well documented, with the council taking the decision to include every school as part of it in October 2010. The council sought the views of all interested parties on its programme during a series of roadshows that were held across the county borough in March 2011. The outcome of this public engagement was reported to cabinet in July 2011. Subsequent to this meeting, Welsh Government asked councils to revise their original Band A proposals (originally submitted in October 2010) against the following prioritisation criteria: The poorest condition of the estate (prioritisation to reside with the council although the independent school survey data will be applied) Surplus capacity – the key indicator being surplus places (both as a percentage and as an estimated actual reduction in a number of places) Running efficiencies (e.g. reduction in running costs, backlog maintenance) The revised Strategic Outline Programme was approved by Council in November 2011 with the Welsh Government confirming match funding in principle in December 2011. Maendy Primary School was included as one of the council’s Band B priorities in the Programme submitted to Welsh Government at that time and confirmed again following review in 2017. Torfaen’s Primary School estate has some schools that: Are trying to operate in buildings or grounds which are not fit for purpose and have an unaffordable maintenance backlog Are too small to run economically in todays financial climate Have significant surplus capacity in their local cluster of schools Are not located where the demand for school places is concentrated. The 21st Century Schools Programme in Torfaen and across Wales is intended to tackle these issues in a strategic rather than piecemeal way. A number of projects have now been successfully completed in Band A (2014 to 2019) as the council now moves to Band B (2020 – 2025) of the agreed programme of which this proposal forms part of that. Although agreed in principle by Welsh Government, the investment will not go ahead until the Full Business Case (FBC) is approved. 3 Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council If successful, the capital cost of the project will be funded by Welsh Government (65%) and the council (35%). 2. Consultation arrangements Before any decision is made on the proposal to expand Maendy Primary School the council is required to hold a statutory consultation with all interested parties, and the following information is provided to set out the process by which consultation will be conducted. This is necessary because the proposal will see the capacity of the school increase by at least 25%. The School Organisation Code provides a list of consultees who must be advised by letter or email of the availability of the consultation document and that recipients can, if they wish, obtain a hard copy of the consultation document on request. A list of all those being consulted is attached as appendix 1 to this document. A ‘drop-in’ session in relation to this proposal will be held as follows: DAY DATE TIME VENUE Tuesday 10th March 3.30pm until Maendy 2020 6.00pm. Primary School, Wayfield Crescent, Cwmbran, NP44 1NH. This will allow interested parties to attend at a time that is convenient for them during the late afternoon/early evening. Officers will attend to answer questions and ensure all comments/views made are recorded to allow Elected Members to make an informed decision at the appropriate time. In addition, any views or comments can be made: By writing to the Chief Officer, Education & Lead Director for Children and Young People (FAO Mark Horton) c/o Torfaen County Borough Council, Civic Centre, Pontypool, Torfaen NP4 6YB. By email: [email protected]. By completing a response proforma (attached as an appendix to this document) and returning it to the above mentioned address. It is important to note that any unfavourable comments made during the consultation period will not be treated as objections and that if you wish to object, you will need to do so in writing during the statutory objection period. If consultees submit a request during the objection period that a response submitted at the consultation stage should be treated as an objection this will be accepted. The views of children and young people are important. Therefore separate consultation and engagement arrangements will be made specifically tailored for 4 Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council children and young people.