Decision by Cabinet Deferred

Following the report presentation to cabinet on the 6th, we have heard that the  matter was deferred by Cabinet  pending further information.

Cabinet Consultation - Residents input to the Consultation

The following outlines the information presented to Cabinet following the consultation. It is available online.  In isolation these issues are clear however for parents with children at the school they will experience more than one of these!

 

Appendix C

Summary of the consultation responses








Points and issues raised






Comment



The effect on families in the area where there is a proposed change of catchment and who have older siblings currently attending Maes yr Haul Primary School.






The LEA is mindful of the potential effect on younger siblings and would endeavour to maintain family unity by applying, when possible, the rule of not exceeding the PAN to any significant degree. However, the LEA cannot give any parent an absolute guarantee that they will be offered their first choice of school for their child.







The lack of a safe walking route to Trelales Prmary School and the distance involved;






The LEA’s preferred option would be to create a safe walking route to Trelales from Broadlands by extending the existing footpath which runs to the single track road (Gypsy Lane), along the length of the lane to the main A473 from which there is already a designated safe walking/cycling route to Trelales Primary.






Alternatively the LEA would provide free transport within the terms of the current home to school transport policy (i.e. to those pupils living more than 1.5 miles from Trelales Primary School.







Accuracy of the pupil number forecasts


The LEA continually monitors and updates pupil projections to fulfil its strategic role in terms of the planning of school places. In the case of Broadlands children there are insufficient places at Maes yr Haul Primary to meet the potential demand from parents.





While parental preference may change from year to year the LEA contends that the pupil projections necessitate a catchment area change and this will give parents the confidence that they will be able to obtain a place for their child in their local (catchment area) school.







That houses on the Cae Gleision and Ffynnon Dyffryn developments should be allocated to Trelales Primary with immediate effect






With any new housing development the LEA has to allocate the development to a local school, depending on the places available. Where there are insufficient places available at the local school then the LEA would nominate the nearest available school as the catchment area school. Therefore, in this case it would be appropriate for the Cae Gleision and Ffynnon Dyffryn developments to be allocated to Trelales Primary School.







Increased use of the car to transport pupils to Trelales Primary School;


increased congestion at the main entrance / exit to Broadlands, off the A473;






This will be dependent on the number of parents who choose to drive their children to Trelales Primary School.



The possibility that the two schools may have different start / finish times


School session times are determined by the governing body, therefore it is feasible for the schools in question to have different start / finish times.







Once a pupil is allocated a nursery place, the child should be allowed to continue within the same school










This is not permissible as it would contravene the new School Admissions Code, which states that “attendance at the nursery does guarantee admission to the school”.






The potential for Trelales Primary to be oversubscribed.






Trelales Primary School is popular with parents and is often oversubscribed. Increasing the catchment area as proposed will reduce the number of places available to children living outside the local area and prioritise those living nearer the school.







The need for extension /modifications at Trelales Primary to accommodate extra pupils.






The LEA will not be considering any extension or modification to the existing accommodation at Trelales Primary School as the school’s capacity will remain unchanged



Parents with pre-school children were not invited to the informal meetings.














Parents of children currently attending the two schools were officially invited to the informal consultation meetings, as the LEA does not have information on parents of pre-school children. The formal consultation paper was circulated to all residents of Broadlands and so parents of children not yet of school age have had the opportunity to respond.
























Broadlands Residents Association

Council Report Goes To Cabinet Today

The report of findings from the formal consultation goes in front of the cabinet today.
Lets hope that the correspondence from many of the residents is enough to convince the cabinet that there is not sufficient evidence to change the catchment.

Report goes to Cabinet on 6th April

Report on the BCBC Website

Broadlands Residents Association

Gypsy Lane - an Update from the meeting

Bridgend CBC Highways has confirmed that in order to provide acceptable improvements to Gypsy Lane from the recently developed section of the Broadlands estate (i.e. to provide a footway, lighting etc. to link to an existing ‘safe route to school’), land would need to be acquired and sections of hedgerow removed. If the proposal is to proceed, the capital cost will have to be identified by the Children’s Directorate.