Cabinet will shortly consider school organisation proposals in the communities of Tonyrefail and Trallwn – to improve education outcomes, and ensure local schools are sustainable and best placed to deliver a high-quality education.
The proposals are outlined in two separate reports to the Cabinet meeting on Monday, September 23. They have been brought forward to ensure the Council continues to fulfil its statutory duty of meeting the education needs of communities through its organisation of schools – while the Local Authority also has an important responsibility to make the best use of public funding.
On Monday, Cabinet could agree to formally consult the relevant stakeholders about each proposal in separate statutory school organisation consultations – taking place from September 30 to November 15, 2024. The feedback that is received will inform Members’ final decisions on each proposal in the future.
Statutory School Organisation proposal – Tonyrefail
The proposal is to close Tref-Y-Rhyg Primary School, with pupils transferring to Tonyrefail Community School by no later than September 2025. This will require the catchment area of Tonyrefail Community School to be extended.
Tref-Y-Rhyg Primary has a capacity of 157 pupils, and pupil numbers are projected to steadily decline in future years. Data included within the Cabinet report states that 82 pupils attend the school, meaning that there are currently almost 48% surplus places, and this is projected to reduce to 54 pupils attending by 2028/29 (65.6% surplus places).
The school building was built in around 1899, and a property condition survey in 2022 indicated it is graded ‘C’ for condition and ‘D’ for suitability (where ‘A’ is the highest rating and ‘D’ is the lowest). The building needs major repair or refurbishment, with a backlog of maintenance of £381,040 – not including extra funding that is required for the school to reach 21st Century standards.
In addition, the school’s limited outdoor areas are not suitable for staff to deliver the Curriculum for Wales through outdoor learning. The site is graded ‘D’ for accessibility, and does not fully comply with the Equality Act 2010.
Meanwhile, Tonyrefail Community School is a 3-19 school with a 385 pupil capacity in the primary phase. It was part of a major £44m investment in 2020 that provided first-class education and sports facilities. It is also the school that provides secondary education for Tref-Y-Rhyg Primary’s catchment area.
Monday’s Cabinet report notes that the school is projected to have 7.5% surplus places by 2028/29, and a planned capacity increase in the primary phase (by 30 to 415) will further increase the number of available school places. The report confirms that all Tref-Y-Rhyg Primary pupils could be accommodated by Tonyrefail Community School in September 2025.
Statutory School Organisation proposal – Trallwn
The proposal is to close Trallwng Infants’ School with pupils transferring to the nearby Coedpenmaen Primary School, which is just over 400-metres away, by no later than September 2025.
Trallwng Infants’ has a 105-pupil capacity across the Reception to Year 2 age groups. Pupil numbers have significantly decreased, with just 50 pupils in attendance in 2023/24 – down from 75 in 2019/20, and only 30 living in the school’s catchment area. Projections for 2028/29 suggest a further drop to 48 pupils, resulting in a surplus capacity of 54.3%.
The school building was graded ‘C’ for condition and ‘D’ for suitability (where ‘A’ is the highest rating and ‘D’ is the lowest) in the most-recent survey in 2022 – while the site does not fully comply with the Equality Act 2010. The building has a total backlog of maintenance of £227,760 – which does not include extra funding that is required for the school to reach 21st Century standards.
Coedpenmaen Primary is a 3-11 school that currently provides the catchment area for Trallwng Infants’ when pupils reach Year 3. The school has capacity for 269 statutory school age pupils, with 242 pupils currently attending during 2023/24. Projections show this number decreasing to 222 pupils in 2028/29.
Should the proposal go ahead, Monday’s Cabinet report notes that – based on live data – there would remain a surplus capacity at Coedpenmaen Primary at the start of the 2025/26 academic year, with all current Trallwng Infants’ pupils accommodated.
In addition, the Council would invest in important improvements to the existing Coedpenmaen Primary School facilities. This would include enhancements to the school buildings, while also improving upon its external play areas.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, said: “Cabinet will consider these important proposals on Monday, which have been brought forward so we can give young people in Tonyrefail and Trallwn the best education into the future, in a sustainable way. Officers have set out the options in full and, if agreed, they would be consulted upon later this year in an extensive process.
“The proposals respond directly to a projected fall in pupil numbers at Tref-Y-Rhyg Primary School and Trallwng Infants’ School in the years to come, which will impact upon the financial viability of each school and the experience of pupils in their education. Both of the school sites also require significant repair or maintenance work, and even more funding on top of that to bring them up to the 21st Century standards that we aspire to. This is all under the backdrop of continuing, difficult financial times right across Local Government.
“The proposals have several advantages for pupils – who will be able to learn in larger environments with better facilities, enabling them to socialise with a larger number of peers from their own age group. Plus, Tonyrefail Community School and Coedpenmaen Primary School already provide the catchment areas for the next stages of pupils’ education, in relation to the two schools that are proposed for closure. The proposals would also result in a greater continuity of learning, given that pupils will access one site for years to come.
“Tonyrefail Community School has fantastic facilities having benefitted from a multi-million pound investment in recent years, and the proposals would provide an opportunity for even more pupils to benefit from these. Within the proposals for Trallwn is a Council commitment to invest in the Coedpenmaen Primary School site, for the benefit of the school’s new and existing pupils.
“We know that any proposals like these, to change education arrangements, are very sensitive – as parents, carers, pupils and residents are rightly very passionate about their local schools that serve their communities. If the respective consultations are agreed by Cabinet on Monday, the Council will follow the established statutory consultation processes – which will give residents the chance to have their say, to inform any future decisions.”
Posted on 16/09/2024