20 August 2005Mike Day, Swansea Council's cabinet member for education, explains the need for change, as the city's schools prepare for the future.
The future of our children and their education is a priority for all of us. We all want our children to have every opportunity to achieve their potential. In order to do that, we have to ensure that our schools are modern, welcoming environments. We also have to ensure that every penny is spent on improving the education of pupils.
In Swansea, like most other areas in the country, we are facing a number of challenges.
Falling pupil numbers is a major problem. Many of our schools have surplus places which results in money being spent on empty desks and chairs rather than on pupils, books and computers.
Fewer pupils also mean that schools find it difficult to deliver a wide-ranging curriculum for pupils.
Another major issue is the condition of our schools. A survey last week showed that almost £800 million is needed to bring schools in Wales up to standard. This may even be a conservative estimate.
Swansea is very much part of the Wales-wide picture and many of our schools are in poor condition.
We don't want our children taught in classrooms where buckets catch the rain leaking through the roof or where run-down facilities cannot be used.
We also have increasing demand for Welsh medium education.At the same time, we know the funding we receive for education is reducing.
So these are the challenges we have been trying to address through our School Organisation Programme.
During the past year we have consulted parents, children, teachers, governors, employers and other groups on how we can overcome these issues.
We have listened carefully and the overwhelming message we received from these groups was that pupils must come first.And that is our priority.
We have looked at schools across the whole of Swansea, examining in detail pupil numbers, demand for places, funding, catchment areas, school buildings and a range of other factors.
Having done that, we are initially addressing these issues in Swansea West as part of the overall vision for Swansea.
This is a sensible, phased approach.Our current proposals include closing Dylan Thomas Community School and transferring pupils to Bishop Gore.
This is not a reflection on the level of teaching or provision at Dylan Thomas. Far from it. We are delighted with the commitment from everyone at the school. But I must stress this is not about addressing teaching standards.We have to address falling pupil numbers at Dylan Thomas.
The reality is that pupil numbers in secondary schools across Swansea are falling. This means vital funding is being spent on empty desks and chairs instead of the pupils and their needs.
The anticipated reduction in pupil numbers at Dylan Thomas means there will only be around 400 in the school in five years' time. If we do nothing, it will not be possible to provide the same choices in curriculum as pupils will be getting in other schools.
I know children, parents, governors and teachers have a strong bond with the school. I fully understand they don't want it to close.
But we have to put pupils first and ensure they have every opportunity to reach their potential.
The issue at Bishop Gore is different. While the building itself is very solid, the infrastructure is in poor condition. It also has to be adapted to meet the needs of pupils from Dylan Thomas.
Having examined these issues in detail and listened to the concerns of pupils, parents and other groups, we are proposing an exciting and major development for education in that part of Swansea.
We want to create a single school to give the pupils of Dylan Thomas and Bishop Gore the best facilities and opportunities. We want to create a school for the 21st Century that has facilities to meet the needs of all pupils.
That is why we want to invest £20 million in Bishop Gore to create a state-of-the-art school.
We can seize the opportunity to not just repair or replace out-of-date fittings, classrooms and equipment, but to completely refurbish the school and build new facilities.
During the refurbishment project, pupils will be taught on the two existing sites in order to phase the works. This will avoid having to close Bishop Gore during the refurbishment and disrupt pupils and teachers.This period will be challenging, but the outcome will be a school that sets new standards that we want all our schools to reach. The new Bishop Gore school will welcome, inspire and challenge all its pupils and staff. It will be a thriving school that is part of the community.
This is a new and bold approach that should excite everyone with an interest in education.
Refurbishing Bishop Gore this way is clearly a good option. It is a good long-term asset.
Our proposals also address the growing demand for Welsh medium education by building a new school for Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llwynderw on the site of West Cross House.
Once again, we have listened to people's concerns over traffic management and environmental issues.
We commissioned architects who have stated that by demolishing West Cross House and relocating the provision for six children, they can use the natural contours of the site to reduce environmental impact in the area.
Demolishing West Cross House will also offer greater flexibility to address traffic concerns, including the existing issues at the two neighbouring primary schools.
This new school will give pupils at Llwynderw a fresh start in September 2008. They are currently being taught in temporary accommodation within Bishop Gore.
A new, purpose-built site will enable pupils to flourish in modern surroundings and accommodate growth in demand for Welsh medium education in the west of Swansea.
This is far better than closing an English medium school in the area and relocating Llwynderw to that site. There is not enough spare capacity in English medium schools in the area to take children from any closed school. Major building work would be needed at two of the other English medium schools to accommodate pupils from the closed school.
We believe our proposals for Dylan Thomas Community School, Bishop Gore School and Llwynderw are the best way forward.
We would not be suggesting these proposals unless we felt that in the longer-term they would benefit teachers, parents and our communities, while addressing falling pupil numbers, the condition of our school buildings, reduced funding and increasing demand for Welsh medium education.
But above all, we believe the proposals will benefit pupils.
