SCHOOLS PROTEST: STILL NO ANSWERS

Sian David - 30 June 2005

Protesters fighting plans to axe a Swansea school are demanding answers from the local authority. Parents, teachers and governors of under-threat Dylan Thomas Community School in Cockett say questions put to councillors at a consultation meeting last week remain unanswered.

They say that although council officers told them their questions were recorded, they still haven't received any answers.

Now they are demanding that the council respond to their questions before the consultation period is up.Parent-governor Robin Lowe said today: "We want to know how our questions will be answered.

"We were told so many times at that meeting that our questions had been noted and would be answered.

"But it has been more than a week and we have heard nothing. They are being cowardly about it."

Councillors have been visiting Swansea schools over the past few weeks to discuss the proposed LEA reorganisation with parents, teachers, governors and pupils.

The proposals could see several schools closed across the city.

The council is proposing to axe Dylan Thomas school within two years and send its 500-plus pupils to Bishop Gore school in Sketty.

The site could then be sold off, with the proceeds - thought to be more than £8 million - being reinvested in education in Swansea.

It is part of the biggest shake-up to hit city schools in years.A spokesman for Swansea Council said today: "The purpose of the consultation meetings is to listen to and record people's views.

"Every effort is made to answer those questions that we can at the time. The responses to the questions are also recorded.

"The results of the meetings will be reported to cabinet in August, when a decision on the future of Swansea's schools will be taken.

BIG SCHOOLS ARE FOLLY

30 June 2005

Following the recent letters by Swansea AMs Andrew Davies (Have Your Say, June 17) and Val Lloyd (Have Your Say, June 24) regarding the proposed closure of Dylan Thomas Community School, I am prompted to add my own comments. As a former teacher at Dillwyn Llewelyn Community School (now Dylan Thomas), I was impressed by the sympathetic, insightful and entirely rational assessment of the situation made by Mr Davies and the compelling arguments he makes on behalf of the school.

I became head of art/head of year at Dillwyn Llewelyn when the school opened in 1981, having taught at Townhill Secondary Modern Boys' School (1965 to 1971) and Townhill Junior Comprehensive School from 1971 to 1981 when the school moved to the new site in Cockett.

The emphasis there was on the community use of the new buildings, both in educational terms and in leisure activities. My experience in all three schools convinced me of the value of the community aspect of secondary education.

From the outset, the school was served by a totally dedicated teaching staff and I know, through my continued contact with the school, that the commitment of staff pertains to the present time, despite the change of name.

Regrettably, during the Thatcher years, Swansea Council was obliged to go along with the introduction of freedom of choice for parents in selecting schools for their children. This move incensed me and many of my colleagues.

The consequence was that some schools became, in the public perception, "desirable" while others were falsely consigned to the ranks of "sink schools", that is schools unworthy of consideration by many parents. Thus a spurious league system was established, setting some schools on pedestals and others on the scrapheap.

Had the then council placed more emphasis on improving all schools, we would not now be witnessing the undignified scramble to get children into the so-called "best" schools.

In the latest inspection carried out at Dylan Thomas, the school was praised overall for improvements made since the previous inspection.

The school roll is not falling as is the case with other city schools.

The parents and pupils of the area wish to keep the school open.When it first opened, it was designated an acceptable environment for pupils with all forms of disability, and this is still the case. So why consider closing the school?

It seems obvious that the prospect of cashing in on a windfall of £9 million or so on property development in the Cockett Valley has blinded councillors to their stated priorities, that is, putting pupils first, improving school buildings and maintaining a flourishing school in each community.

Since when are the communities of Mayhill/Townhill/Cockett served by the community of Sketty, where Bishop Gore is situated.

The closure of Dylan Thomas school would do a great disservice to the families of that community and, in my opinion, should be reconsidered.

Bishop Gore school is big enough already; to enlarge it further would be folly.

Bigger is not necessarily better.

Alan Figg, Brodorion Drive, Cwmrhydyceirw, Swansea

NUMBER'S UP FOR THEM!

29 June 2005

At the meeting at Dylan Thomas school on Monday, June 20, the council representatives were there, so they said, to listen to the parents' concerns on the closure proposal. They constantly harped on about falling numbers and would not give ground when informed they were working on flawed figures - they just carried on as if we did not exist.

This council and cabinet members for education should hang their heads in shame because the proposals from the floor were sound and workable.

For the benefit of the council and others, Dylan Thomas has 94 surplus places, Bishop Gore 124 and Olchfa 80.

The so-called empty seats at Dylan Thomas are the result of having wheelchairs in the classrooms, this puts a strain on the accommodation.

The school doesn't mind, the pupils don't mind and the parents don't mind.The only people who seem to mind are the council with its so-called falling pupil numbers.

It is with tongue in cheek that I say let some of the pupils not get an education but instead in a few years stand for council, where I am sure that common sense will then prevail.

If, when they are elected, they cut the money paid to former council members, will they shout so we can say "Sorry, but the fall in the number of old council members makes it impossible to keep up payments to them".

Francis V Packington, Portmead Avenue, Blaenymaes, Swansea

ANGRY MEETING REJECTS PLAN FOR NEW SCHOOL

Jason Evans - 29 June 2005

Controversial plans to build a new school in West Cross have been given an emphatic thumbs down by local residents. They say that the proposals to build a Welsh-medium school next to the existing Grange primary are unacceptable and have vowed to fight them.

There was standing room only in the Grange school hall as almost 150 residents packed a public meeting to air their concerns.

And the message from the meeting was unanimous: this is the wrong site for the new school.

Olive Rees, from nearby Heathwood Road, said it was not an English language versus Welsh language issue.

"My first language is Welsh and I am a passionate supporter of Welsh-medium education," she said.

"But this is a dreadful plan, it's crazy."Speaker after speaker criticised the plans, which they claimed would lead to a dangerous increase in traffic around the school, would affect drainage in the area and would mean the destruction of an important green site with around 50 mature trees.

Members of the emergency services in the audience said they were also concerned about access for ambulances and fire engines if the already narrow and congested roads had to deal with more school traffic.

The council wants to build the new Welsh school for up to 480 pupils as part of a major shake-up of education.

The reorganisation includes the closure of Dylan Thomas school in Cockett and the transfer of its pupils to Bishop Gore in Sketty, plans which also have proved very unpopular.

Plans for the Grange site have already received a frosty reception from parents and governors of the school - and now residents are preparing to join the fight.

Local councillor Des Thomas, who chaired the meeting with fellow ward member Mark Child and Gower AM Edwina Hart, said it was time for action.

"If you make your voices heard loud and clear, you can force the council to scrap this plan," he told the meeting.

One parent added: "The council seems to think it can foist this on us.

"It is wrong."

STOP SCHOOL PLANS NOW

28 June 2005

Last week I attended a meeting at Grange Primary School where councillors presented their plans to site the new 420-pupil Welsh-medium school on West Cross Lane. There was strong opposition to the proposal, and at no point did the councillors explain how road chaos would be avoided, or why it was acceptable to destroy a green area and encroach on the Grange site, reducing its capacity on the playing field by over 60 per cent.

These issues are self-evident and were well known in advance, yet strangely not one of them featured as disadvantages of the proposal in the woefully inadequate "consultation paper".

To add to my concerns, the meeting highlighted the unnecessary costs of this proposal. By choosing the busy West Cross Lane, it was stated that considerable remedial action to the road would be essential and the costs of this would be high.

This is without considering the costs of altering side roads to accommodate rat-run traffic.On top of this, the decision to go for a new build on a costly site must be seriously questioned when it is apparent that falling pupil numbers (combined with the 420 places taken in the new school) will likely result in a school closure in the near future.S

urely another option, on an easier site or existing building, is available. Yet no other option is currently under consultation.

I cannot understand how the West Cross Lane site is a viable option when the disadvantages have not been seriously addressed. There are health risks and children will be discouraged from walking to school.

This proposal should be stopped now, and a site for Llwynderw decided upon within the framework of an overall review of schools in the area.

Mike Gravenor, Moorside Road, West Cross, Swansea

AM TO MEET LOCALS OVER CONCERNS AT PLAN FOR NEW SCHOOL

Sian David - 27 June 2005

Gower AA Edwina Hart is to meet Swansea residents to discuss plans to build a new school in West Cross, as part of the city's LEA reorganisation. A public meeting to discuss Swansea Council's proposal to site a Welsh medium school, Llwynderw Primary, next to Grange Primary School, West Cross, will be held tonight.

Local councillors will also be present at the meeting.Parents of pupils at Grange School have already expressed concern about the proposal at a meeting with cabinet member for education Councillor Mike Day.

They are concerned that the new 480-pupil school will increase traffic levels in the area and that pupils will be less safe walking to school.

They are also worried about the size of the new building and its proximity to Grange School and West Cross House, which accommodates vulnerable children.A statement released by parents said: "The lack of clear answers at the meeting left parents frustrated and angry."

Local residents have yet to be consulted about the additional burden of a 480-pupil school."

Councillor Day has already visited several schools in Swansea as part of the schools shake-up.

The plans include the closure of Dylan Thomas Community School, with the transfer of the pupils to Bishop Gore Comprehensive - a move which has also proved unpopular with parents.

Further meetings are planned to discuss proposals to improve education across the city and county.

Councillor Day said today: "The meetings have been an excellent opportunity to meet parents, pupils and teachers and to hear their views on the proposals.

"I have been delighted with the way they have put forward their views and I look forward to attending more meetings in the coming weeks.

"No decisions have been taken on the future of schools.

"That is why this consultation process is so important.

"The cabinet is prepared to listen and take into account any ideas put forward."

The meeting will take place at Grange School, West Cross Avenue, tonight at 7pm

FROSTY RECEPTION FOR SCHOOLS CHIEFS IN ROW OVER SHAKE-UP

25 June 2005

Parents of children at Grange School in West Cross, Swansea, are giving education chiefs the cold shoulder. Parents gave a frosty reception to council education committee chairman Mike Day at a meeting to discuss the siting of the new Llwynderw Welsh-medium school alongside.

They attacked the move as "woefully inadequate, a waste of public money and ill-considered".

Meanwhile, locals say increased traffic in the area would put children's safety at risk.And they claim they have yet to be consulted about the 480-pupil school move, which comes as part of a shake-up of schools in the city.

Councillor Mark Child, who is opposing the move, said: "Grange School has kindly offered to open its doors to residents so that they can be fully informed of the potential problems confronting them."

A meeting for residents with councillors from the area has been called at the school on Monday, starting at 7pm.

Councillor Day said today he believed meetings held to date had been an excellent opportunity to talk to parents, pupils and teachers.

He added: "I have been delighted with the way they have put forward their views and I look forward to attending more meetings in the coming weeks.

"No decisions have been taken on the future of schools," he added.

"That is why this consultation process is so important.

"The cabinet is prepared to listen and to take into account any ideas put forward."

I SHARE FEAR FOR SCHOOL

24 June 2005

I Would like to echo the sentiments of my colleague Andrew Davies AM who shares my concerns about the proposed closure of Dylan Thomas Community School. The closure will affect many children who live in my constituency of Swansea East and I am concerned that important questions remain unanswered by council leaders.

I have written to the council as questions remain over the legitimacy of the closure review, the lack of appraisal of alternative options such as a federated approach between Dylan Thomas and Bishop Gore schools, and further issues around the continued provision of vital special educational needs services for pupils.

The rationale from the council is not good enough. They have not presented a sensible case for the closure of an excellent local school that is a vital community resource.

Val Lloyd, Assembly Member for Swansea East

HOW CAN THIS BE SAFE?

24 June 2005

As a local resident, parent and taxpayer, I am writing to express my deep concern and outright objection to the proposed building of another school in West Cross.

My concerns and objections are based on the following:

1. The safety of my children and other children who currently use St David's and Grange schools.

The volume of traffic currently encountered at the beginning and end of the school day is at breaking point, making it dangerous for children to navigate and negotiate busy roads.

The speed and amount of traffic is already hazardous, with a great number of cars and buses causing all manner of problems you can imagine with parking and drop-offs. I cannot imagine the impact that another 200 (not to mention 400) pupils would have on the number of cars and buses congregating into the area at this time.

I do not understand how this can be considered safe for any child.West Cross Lane is already a major road used by residents of west Swansea and the road is a busy and fast one.

Increasing the level of traffic would, I suggest, be unsafe and intolerable for local residents, children and pupils.

2. I understand there is a huge debate currently ongoing regarding the changing pupil rolls of all Swansea schools and the impact that these changes will have on the number of schools needed in the city. It seems some schools will have to close because of falling pupil numbers. As a taxpayer, it seems incredible that this plan to build a new school co-exists with plans to close other schools - is this a good use of local taxpayers' money?

Moreover, I would hope that a comprehensive study has been undertaken to consider the feasibility of this plan, especially under value-for-money terms when spending large amounts from the public purse.

3. Impact on the local environment will be substantial. At a time when we are all concerned about the loss of greenfield sites, loss of space for children to exercise, and concerns about the increasing loss of environmentally friendly areas - how can this plan be considered?

If you share my concerns, write to Kelly Small, Education Department, County Hall, Oystermouth Road, Swansea, SA1 3SN.

R Hake, West Cross Lane, West Cross, Swansea

BLAST AT PARENTS' APATHY TOWARDS SCHOOLS SHAKE-UP

Jason Evans - 23 June 2005

Parents of pupils at Bishop Gore School have been slammed for their apathy over the proposed shake-up of Swansea schools. Only a few dozen parents attended last night's consultation meeting about plans to close Dylan Thomas school and send its pupils to Bishop Gore.

The poor turnout contrasted sharply with the scenes at threatened Dylan Thomas school on Monday night, when more than 300 angry parents challenged the council's proposals.

One parent who did attend last night's meeting, but who did not want to give his name, said he was appalled at the attitude of his fellow parents.

"I can't believe that so few bothered to turn up," he said.

"Perhaps they think that because it's not their school that is threatened with closure they shouldn't be concerned

"But the council's school reorganisation plan will have a major impact on Bishop Gore.

"There are issues like transport and congestion, increasing the accommodation on the site, the problems of combining two very different school and integrating the disabled kids from Dylan Thomas.

"All these things affect the kids at Bishop Gore.

"Those parents who did attend the meeting heard an outline of the council's plans to close Dylan Thomas school in Cockett in September 2007 and send its 500-plus pupils to the Sketty school.

The empty site would then be sold off and the money reinvested in education in the city.

Parents have until July 13 to submit their views on the plans to the council.

The final decision on the proposals will be taken by the cabinet on August 11.

CLOCK TICKS FOR SCHOOL

22 June 2005

Time is running out for parents and residents in and around West Cross. If something is not done soon, the City and County of Swansea will have their new 21st Century Welsh school, but no-one will be able to get there unless they arrive via Fairwood Airport and parachute in.

If the proposal to locate this school in West Cross Lane is passed, there will be serious implications. Three schools in this small area is unheard of and above all dangerous. We cannot let them put our children's lives in danger and I urge the parents of Grange Primary School, St David's School and YGG Llwynderw to express their concerns and write to Richard Parry, director of education at the City and County of Swansea, before July 13

I would like to ask Mr Parry how this proposal was allowed to get this far, when proposals to locate YGG Llwynderw at Mayals School did not get to committee, never mind consultation stage.

I also would request that Mr Parry confirm that this scheme is still at the consultation stage and not what is commonly perceived as a fait accompli

A reply would be appreciated via the Evening Post.

G Morgan, Druids Close, Norton, Swansea

PARENTS CALL FOR NUMBERS CHECK

Sian David - 21 June 2005

Councillors will double check the figures which have partly prompted school closure proposal in Swansea to make sure they are right. The axe is set to fall on Dylan Thomas Community School in Cockett because Swansea Council says its pupil numbers are falling.

But after strong protests from more than 300 angry parents at a consultation meeting at the school last night, council education chiefs are to review the figures.

The authority claims that 60 per cent of 11 to 16-year-olds in the school's catchment area choose to attend other schools.

It is one of the reasons why the school is being earmarked for closure.

But parents say that this is just not the case.

Now councillors say they are going to get the figures checked to make sure they are right.

John Spencer, whose son Stephen is in year eight as the school, told last night's meeting: "Everything you have said is based on figures which are incorrect. If you can put your hands up and say sorry, we made a mistake and we need to look at the figures again, I would walk out of here a happy man. But all I am hearing from the council is lies."

Councillor Mike Day, cabinet member for education admitted that the figures should be reviewed.

He said: "We do need to look at them again. We need to ensure that we are talking from the same point of view."

The council is proposing to axe the school within two years and send its 500-plus pupils to Bishop Gore school in Sketty.

The site could then be sold off with the millions being paid for it being re-invested in education in Swansea. It is part of the biggest shake-up to hit city schools in years. More closures could follow when other areas are looked at later this year.

At a cabinet meeting last week, councillors took the decision to press ahead with the closure, although the final decision will rest with the Assembly.

Teacher Lin Fly, who wants both of her daughters to attend the school, said: "I have been teaching for 30 years and I can honestly say that this is probably the best school I have ever worked in. I want my children to be educated in a small family school, with the dedicated and friendly staff which we have at Dylan Thomas."

The final decision on the school's future will be taken by August.

Parent Helen Davies, of Townhill, said: " The fight is still a long way from being over.

"We are not the easy targets the council thought we would be.''

Labour calls over school closures rejected

June 20 2005
Robin Turner, Western Mail

Labour councillors on Swansea Council have had their formal challenge to plans to shut three schools in the city turned down.

The opposition councillors wanted to 'call in' plans to close Dylan Thomas Community School, Garnswllt Welsh Medium Primary and Bryn Nursery in Townhill.

Labour leader David Phillips said, 'Under council procedures for scrutinising Cabinet decisions, the calling in of the plans would have meant they would have been looked at again.

'But in just over a day the challenge was rejected. The Liberal Democrat-led coalition could not have had time to look at our submissions.'

Deputy Labour leader, councillor June Burtonshaw added, 'This is a matter of great public interest.

'The proposals are not about what is best for our children and their education, but all about selling off school land and buildings.

'My colleagues and I believe they are simply wrong and more importantly our children deserve better.'

She continued, 'I believe there are more members opposed to this decision than there are in favour of it and by calling it in we sought to provide all members with an opportunity to examine and question the decision.'

Councillor John Miles, Labour's education spokesman, said, 'Piecemeal closing of schools and selling them off is not the answer.

'We need to see the whole picture and all the options, not just the ones that the Lib-Dems find politically acceptable. They need to come clean and give us and people in Swansea all the facts.'
Parents will gather at Dylan Thomas Community School in Cockett, Swansea tonight to discuss plans to fight the proposed closure of the school.

Swansea City and County Council's cabinet member for education Mike Day has made it clear the closure proposals have been forced on the authority by falling pupil numbers.
He said, 'The school in Garnswllt for instance will have less than five pupils in a few years time according to projections.

'And it is estimated Dylan Thomas School will have under 400 pupils in the next few years.
'We cannot expect people in Swansea to pay for empty classrooms.'

He added no decisions would be made until the views of parents had been taken fully into account.

SCHOOL PLAN SO UPSETTING

18 June 2005

I Would like to say that because of the plans to close my school, Dylan Thomas, my best friend's mother decided she would send my best friend to a different school so her GCSEs wouldn't get interrupted. When I found out, I was devastated!

I'd like to ask Mike Day and Richard Parry, do they know the upset they have caused my friends, other pupils and teachers?

I will never see my best friend again after September if she gets accepted.

Codey Probert, Elphin Crescent, Swansea

BATTLE PLANS READY TO STOP SCHOOL CLOSURE

Jason Evans - 17 June 2005

Determined parents and governors fighting to save their school have vowed not to let it close. They say proposals to axe their school don't make sense and have finalised their battle plans for taking on Swansea Council.

Governors from Dylan Thomas Community School have drafted a detailed rejection of the controversial schools' reorganisation plan which will see the school shut by 2007. They will present their opposition to the closure at a consultation meeting next week.

Education officers from the council are due to visit the school on Monday, when they will meet children, parents, teachers and governors.

Chairman of the governors Dereck Roberts said: "The mood at the meeting was determined."As part of a city-wide educational reorganisation, the council wants to close Dylan Thomas school and send its 500-plus pupils to Bishop Gore school in Sketty.

The site could then be sold off for an estimated £8.7 million which council leaders say will be ploughed back into education in the city.

The decision to press ahead with the closure was taken at a council cabinet meeting last week.

However, once the governors' opposition has been formally received and the consultation period completed, the final decision on the closure will rest with the Assembly.

The Assembly has the power to over-turn the council's decision.

Mr Roberts said: "We think we have got a very strong argument against the closure. We have reviewed the council plans and to us they make no sense."

PUPILS BEFORE POLITICS PLEASE

17 June 2005

The announcement that Swansea's Dylan Thomas Community School and Bryn Nursery School are set to close has sent shock waves through the community.

Swansea West Assembly Member ANDREW DAVIES explains why he thinks the schools should be retained and why he is critical of the way in which the announcement was made. He also advocates a new split-site school by merging Dylan Thomas and Bishop Gore.


THE announcement that Dylan Thomas and Bryn nursery schools are scheduled to close has stunned staff, parents and pupils alike - and I share their concerns.

As the local Assembly member I believe passionately that the needs of pupils should always come first.

It is clear from Assembly policy that school closures can only be justified on educational and not financial grounds.

Our children's education is paramount.

For many of our young people their school education will be their one opportunity to realise their full potential.

I do not believe that the decision to close Dylan Thomas and Bryn nursery schools is the right one.

Firstly, I am angry at the way this announcement was made. It was leaked on the Friday, denied on the Monday and then finally confirmed on the Wednesday.Evening Post readers may not be aware that parents were informed of the schools' closure in a letter from Richard Parry, the director of education. The letter was sent home with the children - before all the teachers had been informed.

I also have grave reservations about the council's handling of current education policy. There appears to be no coherent, long-term strategy.

I have been arguing consistently for many years that the local authority needs to address the issue of falling pupil numbers on a coherent and strategic basis across the whole of the local authority, as other local councils like Neath Port Talbot have done.

It should not be carried out on an ad hoc piecemeal basis.

Yet this is precisely what the local authority has done by dividing Swansea into three areas, the first being Swansea West.

Further, the council seeks to justify the decision by saying it conducted a consultation on the future of education in the city last year.

Yet at no point during the consultation were school closures highlighted.

Councillor Mike Day, cabinet member for education, insists that the council has three priorities - to put pupils first, to improve school buildings, and to have a flourishing school in each community.

This council's proposals on school closures run counter to this.The issue that really upsets parents in Townhill and Cockett is that Dylan Thomas Community School and Bryn Nursery School both have excellent reputations providing quality education.

They feel, as I do, that there is a clear social bias against the community, with little willingness to compromise or offer alternatives.

If the proposals were to go ahead, two out of the five schools serving Townhill would close.

I believe the council has shown a complete disregard for the communities served by these schools.Dylan Thomas and Bryn schools are at the heart of the local community.

Dylan Thomas Community School received a very good inspection report only the previous year stating quite clearly "that it is rapidly improving with a number of strengths; it has quickly established a clear direction and ethos where pupils' learning takes priority".

Many parents feel the issue is about money and not education. Financially, it has been noted that the sale of the Dylan Thomas site for housing would make around £9 million.The buildings at Dylan Thomas Community School are modern and accessible.

Indeed, it is the only school throughout Swansea that accommodates the Disability Discrimination Act.

If the Bishop Gore and Dylan Thomas schools were federated, the £7 million allocated for Bishop Gore would not be needed for the extra pupils.

Would the money not be better spent at Dylan Thomas?

Furthermore, if Dylan Thomas was to close and the pupils were to move to Bishop Gore that would increase the school to an estimated 2,000 pupils.

Yet the nearby Olchfa School is currently trying to reduce its numbers from 2,000 to 1,800 because the school feels that 2,000 pupils are too many for "sustainable and stable" education.

So, if it is true for Olchfa, why will it not be true for an enlarged Bishop Gore?

What of the extra congestion on already gridlocked roads around Bishop Gore? Again, these are ill thought out proposals.

The council has also sought to justify the proposed closure of Dylan Thomas on the grounds that only 28.5 per cent, ie 428, of the 1,500 pupils in the Dylan Thomas catchment area attend that community school, and that 632 of the catchment area already attend Bishop Gore.

However, catchment areas are not a sound basis on which to base a decision as can be seen in the case of Bishop Gore where only 20 per cent - 332 children - within the catchment area go to that school.

I also believe the present consultation is flawed in that no alternatives for either closure have been offered.

The council says it considered alternatives - but none have been published. Why is this?

Would it not be an honest and meaningful consultation if parents were presented with a range of options dealing with the issue of falling school rolls rather than a single take-it-or-leave-it choice?

I believe there is a potential solution for this issue, one which other councils have adopted.

Why not merge Bishop Gore and Dylan Thomas schools, yet allow them to remain on two sites?

In essence, a federation of both schools. A federation that would allow the educational facilities, especially for special needs and disabled children, to remain intact at Dylan Thomas, and which would allow a broad curriculum for both schools and give parents and children choice.

In so doing they would provide "a flourishing school in each community".

I do not believe this option has been seriously considered. But I do believe it was quickly dismissed by the Lib Dem-led administration on the grounds that for some teachers the occasional journey of a mile and a quarter between two sites was too far.

Yet they justify a similar situation for the Welsh medium schools of Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr and Bryn Tawe - two schools which are using the federated approach and are over six miles apart.

Evening Post readers may well feel that we have been here before on school reorganisation.

Initially, the council announced that Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr was to close, followed by a swift reversal after a furore.

Last year it was announced that Mayals Primary School was to close. Again there was an outcry and the decision was reversed.

How can the pupils come first when the Lib Dem administration cannot make up its mind?Many parents feel, as I do, that this decision to close Dylan Thomas and Bryn nursery schools has been made for financial and not educational reasons.

I believe our communities and our children and their future deserve far better than this

MY DILEMMA OVER SCHOOL

14 June 2005

I Was put in a very difficult position 12 years ago when I was chairman of governors at Grange Primary School, West Cross. The school was urging the council to allow the building of an alternative entrance with a car park off West Cross Lane. I was then working for the Highways Department.

As chairman of governors, I fully supported the proposal. It was the obvious way to reduce the unsafe traffic situation at the only entrance to the school in West Cross Avenue.However, as a highway engineer I knew it was unacceptable. It would have created a hazard far worse than the existing situation, and severely reduced the capacity of the main distributor road for West Cross.

To pass a highway safety audit, the junction off West Cross Lane into the playing field area would have to have had extensive traffic calming both up and down the lane.

The actual speed of the majority of traffic was then and is now above 30mph. Even though the number of vehicles turning into and out of the junction was planned to be limited, it would have offered an alternative to the chaotic situation at the main entrance and so inevitably parents would have used it as a drop-off and pick-up point.

This had the potential to gridlock upper West Cross in the mornings and create tailbacks to Mumbles Road in the afternoons. It was turned down very firmly by the council after advice from my department.

I find it incredible that the present city and county council is proposing a new Welsh school on the West Cross House site with a junction onto West Cross Lane at the same location that was found to be so unacceptable for a small car park.

There is a potential of 400 pupils, twice the size of Grange primary, with a high proportion of pupils from outside the West Cross area. In my opinion, it is simply not possible to build a new junction, to serve such a high number of turning movements at peak times, that would pass a highway safety audit and allow reasonable traffic flow.

I urge the council to research the highways implications before taking this matter any further.

Bob Wyman, West Cross, Swansea

NEEDY HIT BY CLOSURE

13 June 2005

The council says it has made its proposal to close Dylan Thomas Community School on purely educational grounds while in the same breath quoting market forces. In the open market there are always winners and losers and too often the most disadvantaged are the losers.

Dylan Thomas is indeed a small school but it serves some of the most disadvantaged in our society. It gives a voice to those struggling to make themselves heard. The school is a community dedicated to improving the lot of its children and all independent reports suggest that it is doing it well.

This is the community that will lose if we keep regarding education in the same way that we would talk about supermarkets. Surely in a society as affluent as ours there is a place for a small school dedicated to doing the best for the poorest and most challenged in our society?

I suggest that instead of educational criteria they have used the following yardsticks:

What will raise the most money?

Who might cause the least fuss?What will lose the least number of voters?

Why is it that all the so-called hard decisions the council have made have all affected Townhill, Mayhill and Penlan who have lost three comprehensive schools and several primaries in the past four years? Perhaps we should look at the voting registers for answers.

Parents and the community should fight this proposal with great vigour or lose a vital, caring, progressive school of which one of the inspectors said: "I hope I am still on the team for your next inspection because I see exciting prospects in the next few years."

T E Turner, Rockingham Terrace, Briton Ferry, Neath

SCHOOL IS SUCH A HELP

10 June 2005

I spent 18 months visiting schools in the Swansea area before deciding on the right secondary education for my 11-year-old son who has Asperger's syndrome (a form of autism). He does not cope well socially, but I wish in my heart that education director Richard Parry and his colleagues could see the difference Dylan Thomas school has made to his self-esteem and his ability to learn things we as a family thought he would never grasp!

Parents at Bishop Gore chose to send their children there in the same way that I and many others chose to send our children to Dylan Thomas.

I urge the council to rethink the proposal to close the school.

Concerned Parent, Penlan, Swansea

EVERY PUPIL SET TO BENEFIT FROM CHANGES

10 June 2005

Every pupil in Swansea is set to benefit from the city's school re-organisation plan which will see an extra £39 million up for grabs, council cabinet education member Mike Day pledged today. He made the promise after the cabinet yesterday backed the first phase of its overhaul of schools in the city.

If it eventually goes ahead, Dylan Thomas pupils will move to Bishop Gore School. Bryn Nursery in Townhill will go the same way with pupils transferring to Townhill Primary, as will Garnswllt Primary on the Swansea- Carmarthenshire border with children moving to other schools in the area.

Llywnderw Primary School will go from its temporary site at Bishop Gore to a new home in West Cross Lane.

The proposals now go out for six weeks of public consultation with pupils, teachers and parents all having their say.But Councillor Day pledged that if the proposals win final approval, the revenue savings they generate will be ploughed back into improving education in Swansea.

He revealed the council intends to spend the £39 million to improve school buildings over the coming years. Councillor Day said: "Everyone will have the chance to have their say."No decisions have been made yet. That may not come until March next year."

That is when Assembly Education Minister Jane Davidson will make a final decision if, as is inevitable, objections force her to call the proposals in and make the decision herself. If approved it will mean at least £7 million will be spent on improving facilities at Bishop Gore to cope with the influx of new pupils. The council said that it would also mean that £3.5 million of improvements will come from an Assembly grant for Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr and Ysgol Gyfun Bryn Tawe.

All the money saved on the council's education budget by the changes will be spent only on pupils."

Swansea has too many empty school places," said Councillor Day. "The organisation plan will manage this issue and all the money that is saved by not funding empty places will go to the frontline instead."

That means that the amount we can spend on every pupil will go up."

The consultation process will start on Monday with a report going back to cabinet in August.

SCHOOL PLAN IS GRAVE RISK

10 June 2005

I have just picked up my grand-daughter from St David's School, West Cross, and I just can't believe that Swansea school planners can seriously consider building another school in this dangerously congested area. Cars are parked in every single available space, including Hadland Terrace, Riversdale Road and Moorside Road, and to add to the chaos there are usually a couple of traffic wardens who just make matters worse!

With three school buses parked in West Cross Avenue, you risk your life trying to cross the road.

Mrs M McGinty, Rushwind Close, West Cross

VOTE MOVES PLAN ONTO NEXT STAGE

10 June 2005

The planned closure of Swansea's Dylan Thomas Comprehensive School has moved onto the next stage. Councillors yesterday voted to press ahead with public consultation on the idea, due to come into effect in 2007 as part of a big shake-up of the county's schools.

Opposition Labour members are trying to force a rethink. They say the proposal goes against good practice and are attempting to get the issue referred to a special meeting.

Council presiding officer Sue Waller might have to rule on whether to refer it to the council's cross-party special challenge panel.

If it is asked to intervene, the panel can refer the issue back to the cabinet with possible different recommendations or pass it on to the full council for decision.

The intervention is a boost to the campaign against the plan, although it is not yet clear if it will succeed.

Yesterday's council meeting saw a large turnout in the public gallery of parents against it.

The council says it needs to act to cope with falling school rolls and ensure children get the best possible education. The plan is for Dylan Thomas's 500-plus pupils to switch to Bishop Gore in Sketty in September 2007.

Council leader Chris Holley yesterday extended the usual public question time from 10 to 20 minutes to take account of the huge interest. But the protesters said they were unimpressed with answers given, even though it was stressed by cabinet education member Mike Day that what had been decided was merely to consult on the proposals and not any closures itself.

Dylan Thomas School parent-governor and campaign spokesman Robin Lowe said: "We will put together the strongest possible case for our school. We have a lot of support from councillors, from Assembly members in Swansea, MPs and I believe former Swansea East MP Lord Anderson is supporting us. There will be objections. It has to go the Assembly."

Swansea West AM Andrew Davies, who was in the public gallery, said: "I feel so strongly about this. I think the way the council handled this is pretty appalling."

He pointed to what he said was the anomaly between some bulging schools in the west of the city and schools with surplus places in the east.

Mr Davies added: "You have to deal with this across the whole of the local authority area. "What the council has done again is to deal with it on a piecemeal basis. The overwhelming feeling in Cockett and Townhill is that people have not had their views taken into account.

"There were no options put to parents."

Labour opposition leader, Councillor David Phillips, said: "This is all about turning education into a commodity which can be bought and sold. I am sorry, the children of Swansea deserve better than that."

Parent Lionel Davies said: "Why this school? Falling rolls are happening everywhere. It is because the council sees us as an easy touch."

Meanwhile, parents of pupils at two Swansea Valley schools have been told they are to merge.

Education chiefs from Neath Port Talbot held two meetings last night to tell parents Godre'rgraig and Llangiwg primary schools are to combine because pupil numbers were falling.

The schools will share a head teacher, with Godre'rgraig becoming the school's junior department and Llangiwg, which is approximately two miles away, the infant department.

WE SUFFERED IN MERGER

8 June 2005

I can confirm Tamsin Green's prediction (Have Your Say, June 4) that Bishop Gore school will become a "monster" if the proposed closure of Dylan Thomas Community School does go ahead.

I was a pupil in Glanmor Girls' School in 1972, when we were merged with Bishop Gore into an education factory of almost 2,000 pupils. It was an appalling experience and damaged my education. The building was inadequate to cope with the huge numbers of pupils, some of whom had to be educated elsewhere. Corridors and staircases became blocked at the change of lessons, causing accidents; the canteens could not cope at lunchtime and I dare not mention conditions in the basement toilets.

All staff did more than their best but many pupils were disaffected and showed it in truancy, disruption and acts of vandalism. Teaching and learning suffered as a result.

Local residents complained because the roads grid-locked twice a day (there were fewer cars then) and the pavements were congested by the numerous pupils who had to walk to and from school.

I would not wish any pupil, teacher or local resident to have to endure again the chaos that the merger created.

Closing Dylan Thomas school is not the solution the council seeks to its financial problems.

Name and address supplied

WARNING OF SCHOOL CAR CHAOS

8 June 2005

Swansea Council's big schools shake-up will bring traffic chaos to West Cross, residents have warned. Under the proposals being discussed tomorrow , Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llwynderw will be moved to a new site in busy West Cross Avenue in 2008.

The school is currently housed temporarily at Bishop Gore comprehensive in Sketty but badly needs a new base, council leaders have said.

It is hoped the West Cross House site next to Grange primary will give the 70-pupil school a new home and improve its facilities.T

he seven-year-old West Cross Children's Home, which currently uses the site, will be also be relocated by January 2008 under the plans.An expansion of the Welsh medium school's current intake is also planned over the next decade to make YGG Llwynderw one of Swansea's biggest Welsh primaries.

However, residents in West Cross have protested, saying the area is already plagued with congestion from the nearby Grange and St David's primary schools.

They fear a new school will only serve to clog up roads in West Cross Avenue, making traffic problems during the busy school run worse. As part of the plans, to be put before cabinet on Thursday, Swansea Council has proposed that access to the site is revamped with a widening of West Cross Avenue.

Residents fear this will mean the loss of a hedgerow and a row of trees, turning the area into an eyesore.

Carol Crafer, of West Cross Avenue, said: "I'm not against the school in principle because there are pros and cons about that.

"It is just the way the council are going about it. They couldn't choose a worse location traffic-wise and by taking up these beautiful trees they are causing an environmental disaster.

"If this goes ahead, it will rip out the heart of West Cross and nothing will be left of the character of the area."

Mumbles Community Council will meet to discuss the proposals once a final decision has been made by education bosses.

Secretary John Pickard said today: "Our response has not been decided yet but we are aware that there has been a lot of concern from local residents about the traffic congestion it might cause."

CHECK OUT THIS SCHOOL

7 June 2005

The comments about teachers vainly battling to control kids made by the deputy principal at Swansea Institute, Ken Reid, were interesting (Post, June 1). He should visit Dylan Thomas Community School, where staff are in control.

We have a brilliant behaviour support team and a very good support plan, which shows in the improved behaviour and reduced levels of disaffection.

Our exclusion numbers are down from 14 per cent to one per cent. All from a school that Swansea Council wants to close!

S Lewis, Gwynfor Road, Cockett, Swansea

PUPILS' PROTEST GOES TO DOWNING STREET

7 June 2005

The Children's Commissioner for Wales is set to step into the row over plans to axe Swansea's under-threat Dylan Thomas School, it was revealed today. Peter Clarke has been contacted by pupils at the Cockett community school after they fired off a flood of letters telling councillors to stop bullying them.

Students from Dylan Thomas have already contacted the highest authorities in the land to try to save their school from the chop in 2007.

The pupils have appealed to the Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Welsh Secretary Peter Hain and Jane Davidson, Assembly Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning.

On Thursday, the school will hear its fate when the future of the school is decided at a cabinet meeting in County Hall.

Plans to close the school and move all its pupils to Bishop Gore Comprehensive School in Sketty are expected to be given the go-ahead.A spokeswoman for Mr Clarke, who looks after children's affairs in Wales, said he was "very concerned over their fears". He now plans to look further into them.

School Council member Jonathan Davies, aged 13, said: "Closing Dylan Thomas School is wrong. It is almost like they are picking on us."

Pupils have also ordered 600 protest wristbands to be handed out to parents and children as part of the campaign to keep the school open.

Dale Tracey, also from the school council, said: "Everyone here is against this. All the children and the pupils are united in fighting the plans.

"We are looking for as much help as we can from Peter Clarke and everyone else we have written to.

"We don't want to move because we are settled here so we will not let Swansea Council pick on the underdog."

The closure plan is part of a big shake-up being actively considered by Swansea Council to meet the problem of falling school rolls.

Dylan Thomas is the biggest casualty to date although schools in Swansea East and Swansea North have still to come under the microscope.

The council says it needs to act in the interests of children to ensure they get proper access to the best schooling possible.

However, parents at Dylan Thomas are angry at the proposal and say they will fight it.

Mum Andrea Thomas, of Townhill, whose 14-year-old son is a pupil at the school added yesterday: "If they thought we would be an easy touch, they have another think coming.”

NO WAY TO MAKE PLAN

7 June 2005

Frustration at the lack of progress for Llwynderw Primary School is understandable. But it does not follow that the proposed site on West Cross should be welcomed. Contrary to official statements, maps of the site show that it encroaches on existing school playgrounds and would change forever the character of the area.

Two schools and a pupil referral unit already exist on this built-up residential site.Most of the proposed 400 pupils for Llwynderw would arrive by car or bus, adding to those who travel in to St David's and the referral centre.

More children would then be driven to the Grange as parents would be unwilling to let them walk to school amid increased traffic risk.

The parents of Llwynderw would be among those to suffer the frustration of delays, bumps, parking tickets and exposure of their children to health hazards from vehicles.

The area around West Cross Lane already has well-known traffic problems. Why else would a 30mph road have crash barriers situated just below the proposed new school entrance? West Cross Avenue is already a no-go area in the morning, and West Cross Lane would follow suit as it would have to cope with hundreds more vehicles twice a day. As this is a busy road already, rat-runs would be created all through West Cross and Mayals.

The choice of site implies that school planners are pushing through decisions to meet deadlines. This is unimaginative and shortsighted. The proposed site is simply too small to house a school with a huge catchment area that is expected to expand. To squeeze a new school into the already crowded area puts our children at increased risk, is poor environmental management and would ruin one of the finest primary school grounds in Swansea.

Mike Gravenor, West Cross, Swansea

SALE OF SCHOOL'S SITE MAY BRING IN £8.7M

6 June 2005

Selling off a Swansea school site may net the council close to £9 million, it has emerged. That is how much council bosses believe could be made from selling the Dylan Thomas school site at Cockett.

They plan to transfer pupils to Bishop Gore comprehensive in 2007 and invest £7 million in redeveloping it - leaving them with a profit of £1.7 million from the deal.

It has led to claims the authority is putting cash before kids.

The move has caused uproar among staff and parents, but the Liberal Democrat-led cabinet insists it is necessary because of falling student numbers.

Council leader Chris Holley has dismissed claims the authority is putting cash before kids and says the £1.7 million profit from the sale of Dylan Thomas school could be ploughed back into education in the city.

The proposal is due to go before the cabinet on Thursday and be followed by a six-week public consultation.Angry parents will be at Thursday's meeting and have already said they will oppose the plans. It means the decision is likely to go the Assembly.

Opponents of the closure believe it is already a done deal, and have accused the council of putting profit ahead of education.Labour leader David Phillips said any decision to close schools in Swansea should be for educational reasons only, and questioned the Lib Dem's motives.

He said: "It does seem to me that the administration is reducing education to a commodity that we can buy and sell.

"Although during our administration we did close schools it wasn't so we could sell them off.

"For the current administration to have calculated the value of the land before there is planning permission or even if it can be sold because of the covenant seems remarkably premature."

He has called for other options to be looked at before any decision is made.

The current proposals mean pupils from Dylan Thomas will transfer to Bishop Gore School in September 2007. This will require extensive redevelopment, but the Lib Dems believe they will be able to recoup millions of pounds from the sale of the Dylan Thomas site to a developer, which was given to the city in 1877 as part of a charitable donation.

A report to the cabinet says: "The likely capital expenditure required at the Bishop Gore site is estimated at £7 million. This figure is on the basis of likely need and is subject to extensive scrutiny once the proposals are announced.

"The existing Dylan Thomas site and premises will become available for appropriate alternative use or future disposal to generate additional capital investment.

"The potential value of the existing site, which is not subject to a restrictive covenant, has been assessed at around £8.7 million," the report adds.

The proposed closure will also see annual savings of £397,000.Council leader Chris Holley said that most of the money raised in the closure would go on education in the city and insisted the closure was in the best interests of pupils.

He added: "The option we're putting forward is the option that makes the best sense educationally.

THINK ABUT THE CHILDREN

6 June 2005

Though I have no children of school age and no vested interest in either a Welsh school or Grange Primary I find the logic of the present Swansea Council difficult to understand - particularly after the incompetence of the previous council

To build a new school for up to 400 pupils on a greenfield site in West Cross seems to be the height of folly, if only from the point of view of the amount of traffic it will generate, as presumably most of the children will have to be bussed in. This could mean up to 10 buses and many extra cars using and waiting twice a day in an already narrow lane, which is only single track in places and which already has a doctors surgery and a health clinic as well as the two existing schools.

Much of this extra traffic will then end up adding to the already congested Mumbles Road.

The proposed site is at present much appreciated for its mature trees and wildlife by adults and children alike, and is just not large enough to house a school the size that is envisaged.

What will happen when expansion is needed?

To close several existing schools (causing even more traffic congestion) seems ludicrous. Surely one of these schools could be used as the proposed Welsh school.

What is to happen to children currently in West Cross Children's Home, which is planned to be demolished - a building only six-years-old.Are they to have a new and even more costly building? If so, where?

I ask the council to stop and think about the hundreds of children involved in this ridiculous musical chairs, instead of merely thinking of ways to spend the taxpayer's money on what appears to be another ill-conceived and rushed decision.

Mrs P Rance, Plunch Lane, Mumbles, Swansea

SCHOOL WILL BE MONSTER

4 June 2005

According to recent figures, there are around 500 students at Dylan Thomas Community School and 1,500 students at Bishop Gore. It doesn't take a genius to work out that if Dylan Thomas school is to merge with Bishop Gore there will be around 2,000 students on the Bishop Gore site.

The plan to create a mega-school at Bishop Gore will be a disaster. It will be just too big.Money might be saved by closing the smaller Dylan Thomas School but what possible educational case can be made for creating a monster school of 2,000 pupils?

Most pupils will have to be bussed to school anyway. Add around 100 teachers and that's parking and traffic chaos around Sketty every morning and afternoon .

I hope our council will think again.

Tamsin Green, Aneurin Way, Sketty Park, Swansea