Estyn’s response to the proposal to close Cwm Glas Infant School with effect from July 2024
Introduction
This report has been prepared by Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education and Training in Wales.
Under the terms of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 and its associated Code, proposers are required to send consultation documents to Estyn. However, Estyn is not a body which is required to act in accordance with the Code and the Act places no statutory requirements on Estyn in respect of school organisation matters. Therefore, as a body being consulted, Estyn will provide their opinion only on the overall merits of school organisation proposals.
Estyn has considered the educational aspects of the proposal and has produced the following response to the information provided by the proposer.
Summary/ Conclusion
Caerphilly County Borough Council are consulting on their proposal to close Cwm Glas Infant School with effect from July 2024.
It is Estyn’s view that this proposal is likely to at least maintain the standard of education provision in the area.
Description and benefits
The council has presented a clear rationale outlining the reasons for the proposal. Due to continued and projected falling rolls at Cwm Glas Infant School, the headteacher and governing body are now unable to set a balanced budget with an appropriate staffing level, therefore the decision has been made to pursue closure.
Under current arrangements, pupils at Cwm Glas Infant School transition to Coed Y Brain Primary School at the end of Year 2. This proposal seeks to bring forward transition to the start of the early years phase which would allow pupils to receive an ‘all-through’ primary provision from September 2024.
The council has provided a suitably detailed description of the proposal along with an estimated timetable for statutory procedures. As pupils already transition to Coed Y Brain Primary School, the council states that there are no requirements for interim arrangements. The consultation document states that additional support would be available to families where required.
The council has included a useful ‘Children and Young People’s Consultation Document’ which accompanies the main consultation document. This document refers to a list of Frequently Asked Questions available on the council website however these do not yet appear to be in place.
The council has outlined the advantages and disadvantages of this proposal appropriately. The main advantages noted are a significant reduction in surplus places along with the provision of wider opportunities for pupils in a larger, primary provision. The consultation outlines additional benefits in terms of easing arrangements for families with primary aged siblings which appear to be appropriate.
The council states that it will manage risks pro-actively in accordance with it’s risk management procedures. The consultation notes that transition arrangements are already well established between the two schools and therefore any risks would be minimal. This appears to be a reasonable statement.
The council has considered a range of options which include consideration of reduced staffing levels, shared use of the building to help offset costs and collaboration or federation with another school in the area. The council has identified reasons as to why each has been discounted in favour of school closure. These reasons appear to be fair and reasonable. However, although the council states that further discussions will be made with both schools concerning the impact on staffing, potential impact on staff is not made explicit within the ‘Benefits’ and ‘Disbenefits’ section.
The council has considered the impact of the proposal on transport arrangements. Both schools share the same catchment area and the distance between the two schools is 1.1 miles. Pupils from Cwm Glas Infant School currently transition to Coed Y Brain Primary School at the end of Year 2 and ‘safe travel’ routes are already established. The council does not anticipate that the proposal will affect transport arrangements, and this appears to be a reasonable statement.
The council has demonstrated the impact of the proposal on surplus places. There are currently 50.88% surplus places at Cwm Glas Infant School and 32.23% surplus places at Coed Y Brain Primary School. It is reasonable for the proposal to suggest that surplus places will reduce significantly as a result of the intended closure.
The council has appropriately considered the financial costs of the proposal. The consultation document states that Coed Y Brain Primary School has existing capacity to fully accommodate all current and future pupils from Cwm Glas Infant School and therefore requires minimal further investment. Savings will be realised through the upkeep and maintenance of a single site which benefits from a greater energy efficiency rating.
The local authority has provided a Welsh Language Impact Assessment as part of this proposal.
The local authority has provided a Community Impact Assessment as part of this proposal. The local authority note that the two schools are English medium and anticipates that the proposal will have minimal impact on the Welsh medium offer across the borough and this is a reasonable assumption.
NB. Estyn provides their opinion only on the overall merits of school organisation proposals and does not evaluate the Welsh Language Impact Assessment or the Community Impact Assessment.
Educational aspects of the proposal
The council has considered the educational aspects of the proposal by outlining the benefits of a primary school provision over an infant school provision. The benefits are outlined under curriculum, quality of teaching and professional development. The consultation implies that standards should improve under a single vision, a smoother continuity of provision and access to a wider range of enrichment activities.
The consultation suggests that the provision of increased opportunities to learn alongside a wider age range of peers will improve well-being and attitudes to learning across both settings. In addition, pupils would have access to a wider range of extra-curricular activities and wraparound school care.
The consultation outlines perceived benefits of learning under one management team. The local authority claims that these benefits will stem from unified leadership of the curriculum and quality of teaching and learning under one whole school development plan. In terms of continuity for learners across the primary phase, this is a reasonable statement.
The consultation does not make comment on each school’s most recent Estyn report but does provide a link to the Estyn website. Cwm Glas Infant School was last inspected in 2017 and Coed Y Brain Primary School in 2023. Neither inspection report outlines any serious shortcomings.
The local authority has considered the impact of the proposal on vulnerable groups through the completion of a full Integrated Impact Assessment. The assessment considers the impact of the proposal on all protected characteristics and notes that Coed Y Brain Primary School is accessible to pupils and the wider community regardless of other specified characteristics. The consultation concludes that there are no perceived negative impacts, and this seems reasonable.
With regard to pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN), the local authority states that it would continue to provide support for ALN pupils. The local authority also states that it is unlikely that the Special Needs Resource Base at Coed Y Brain Primary School will be affected by this proposal. This appears to be appropriate.
The council has considered the impact of this closure on the local community. The consultation states that as Cwm Glas Infant School is a feeder school to Coed Y Brain Primary School, there will be minimal impact on other local primary schools. This is a reasonable statement. The council also states that both schools currently have limited community use. Should the proposal go ahead, the council states that the Cwm Glas building will be prioritised for Welsh language and local community use in the future.