PARENTS ANGRY THAT SCHOOL CLOSURE FEAR WILL BE IGNORED

30 September 2005

Angry parents have criticised council leaders after learning they will not listen to concerns over the closure of Dylan Thomas Community School.

Parents and staff have been warned that any comments about closure during an upcoming consultation on the future of Dylan Thomas and Bishop Gore schools will be ignored. A council spokesman said that the consultation, which is due to begin on October 14, will be about the transition period between now and the proposed closure of Dylan Thomas in 2010.

The plan is to spend £20 million creating a super-school at the Bishop Gore site before closing Dylan Thomas and transferring pupils. The spokesman said: "Cabinet member for education Mike Day stressed that the consultation was not a reopening of the whole consultation process on the proposed closure of Dylan Thomas and would be restricted to considering transition alone."

The decision has not gone down well with parents at Dylan Thomas.Rob Lowe, parent governor and chairman of the Dylan Thomas Parents Action Group, said: "It is not what we wanted to hear.

"We still have doubts about how they are going to pay for this and we want to raise those concerns."

Mr Lowe said parents were frustrated by the cabinet's handling of the proposals.

"The reaction is that we haven't had a decent consultation over the closure. The whole thing seems to be a done deal.

"The fact that they are now talking about the transition period shows that that is the case.

"Consultation is supposed to be talking to each other and listening. We do not feel they have listened to us at all.

"Parents and staff are likely to get the chance to air their views early next year.

If the cabinet chooses to push ahead with the proposal, parents will lodge their official opposition with the Assembly.

That means Education Minister Jane Davidson would have the final say.

Mr Lowe said: "We would want it to go before the full council so it can be debated openly at a local level.

"But obviously if the cabinet pushes on, then we will lodge our opposition during the statutory notice period.

"We are confident that when it goes to the Assembly, we will get the decision we want."

Parents, teachers and governors at Dylan Thomas are planning a meeting to discuss the proposals four days after the new round of consultations begins.Councillor Day said that it would be a number of years before Bishop Gore was ready to take children from Dylan Thomas School.

He added: "The council is prepared to invest £20 million in a re-modelled Bishop Gore because we think it will produce the right educational environment for generations of pupils to come. We have consulted on the proposed closure of Dylan Thomas; we will next consult on a transition phase and take on the process from there."

COUNCIL'S IGNORANCE

24 September 2005

It seems Swansea's administration loves spending our taxes on independent investigators. Only recently we spent £35,000 on one regarding the surplus school places, after which the council totally ignored the advice and recommendations as can be seen in the proposal to close Dylan Thomas Community School.

Sheila Lewis, Gwynfor Road, Cockett, Swansea

BIG SCHOOLS IMPERSONAL

13 September 2005

The proposed amalgamation of Bishop Gore and Dillwyn Llewelyn schools concerns me from the following aspect. When schools get too large and impersonal, pupils' pride in their school and respect for their teachers decreases alarmingly. Discipline suffers and tracing truants is more difficult. Quiet students and those with learning difficulties are completely overwhelmed.

Correspondents have already raised the problem of children's behaviour on the way to and from school, again the result of lack of pride and respect.

I consider Bishop Gore to be too large as it is.

Councillors should remember that they were elected because people were fed up with their views being ignored. Since the excellent decision to save the leisure centre they have done nothing but close things and demolish good buildings, and allow changes such as the parking charges without considering the knock-on implications.

Angela M Bridges, Sketty Avenue, Sketty, Swansea

PUSH FOR A REVIEW OF SCHOOL PLANS

10 September 2005

Parent power is likely to force a review of plans for a new Welsh school in the city. Swansea Council leaders have agreed to push forward plans to close Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llwynderw and build a new school in West Cross.

However, local residents and parents at Grange Primary School and St David's Roman Catholic School are planning to officially object to the plans.

That means the final decision will have to go before Assembly Education Minister Jane Davidson.

The new school is planned at a site next to Grange School and pupils will share the playing field.

There have already been a number of meetings against the proposals as part of a council-run consultation process.

West Cross councillor Mark Child said objections were a certainty now that a two-month statutory notice period has opened.

He said: "I'm sure parents and residents will be objecting. I am certainly going to put in an objection and I'm pretty sure Councillor Des Thomas will also object.

"We want to know the reasons behind the council's decision. We have consistently asked to see documents about what other options have been rejected and why they feel this is the best option.

"They have refused to give us those documents, even under the Freedom of Information Act.

"We do not believe it is right that we have to object against something without knowing the full facts.

"The traffic created by a new school is an issue for both residents and parents and staff at Grange School and St David's."

A single objection during the two-month statutory notice period will mean the final decision is handed to the Assembly.

If the plans go ahead, the council will also need to find a new site for West Cross children's home.

West Cross Lane was recently identified by a Swansea Council report as being one of the most dangerous areas in the city and residents fear that it will only get worse.

Jacqueline Coates, chairwoman of Grange School's board of governors, said: "We are primarily concerned with the increased traffic flow around the school.

"Already there are parking problems and we have not seen any way that it will be improved by putting a new school on the site.

"West Cross Lane is already the 24th most dangerous road in Swansea."

At present we have 186 children. If the new school is built, it will mean another 480 will be on the site."Cabinet member for education Mike Day said the scheme is important for the future of Welsh education in the city.

He said: "This would be a major investment by the council in the future of Welsh-medium education in the city.

KEEP VILLAGE SCHOOL OPEN

7 September 2005

As a mum of three sons I know that education is vital from an early age - well it seems that my two-year-old son will be denied the opportunity of going to school at three-years-old. They are talking of closing our village school at Garnswllt, and the alternatives offered are over two miles away, too far for me to take and pick him up - the bus service is not regular enough, so there is no way I can get him there and back.

When I brought this up with Swansea Council - the answer I got is that they do have to provide transport for nursery children only primary and above.

So to save a few thousand pounds, my son and all the future babies and nursery children in Garnswllt will be denied the right to go to school until they reach primary age - so they will not get the chance to learn social skills and how to interact like they would if they go to school at three-years-old.

So, ask any parent what price do you put on your child's future and education, because we already know what price that Swansea county does.

Miss J Robinson, Lon-y-Felin, Garnswllt, Ammanford

Council publishes schools' statutory notices

Swansea Council Website - 5 September 2005

PROPOSALS by Swansea Council that will lead to a significant boost for Welsh medium education in the city are due to be published in a statutory notice today (Monday).

Swansea Council Cabinet agreed last month to press ahead with a scheme that would lead to a brand new Welsh-medium primary school being built at West Cross.

Now the public will have two months to have a final opportunity to comment on the scheme and if there are objections, the proposal will go to the Welsh Assembly Government for a decision.
The scheme will aim to replace Llwynderw primary school which is currently housed on the Bishop Gore site with a new-build school at West Cross.

Cabinet Member for Education Mike Day said, "This would be a major investment by the council in the future of Welsh-medium education in the city. But we have an obligation to publish a statutory notice to ensure that everyone can have their say.

"Ultimately Jane Davidson, WAG's Education Minister, will make a final decision if there are any objections registered during the statutory notice period."

The proposal for Llwynderw forms part of the first phase of Swansea Council's School Organisation programme. It's aim is to continue to improve education provision in the city and tackle the problem of falling school rolls and surplus places.

Statutory notices are also being published regarding proposals for a new Special Teaching Facility at Pontarddulais Comprehensive School for children with special learning difficulties.
Also being published are notices proposing to close the very small primary school at Garnswllt, transferring pupils to other local schools, to create an all-through primary school including nursery at Townhill involving the closure of Bryn Nursery, transferring the facility to Townhill Primary School.

Proposals regarding Bishop Gore and Dylan Thomas Community School are not subject to a Statutory Notice at this time. Proposals are due to go out to consultation with parents, teachers, governors and pupils in October.

This consultation will consider proposals for a transition phase following the proposed closure of Dylan Thomas during which Bishop Gore will operate from both sites.

SCHOOLS' PLANS FUNDING WARNING

2 September 2005

Questions have been raised over plans to spend £20 million on Bishop Gore school after it was labelled a major financial risk. The Post has seen minutes from a top-level directors' meeting which outline the funding fears.

Deputy chief executive Bob Carter raised concerns over the progress of key parts of the council's plans.According to the minutes, Mr Carter said: "There are a number of key elements which are not going to plan - major financial risks are evident."

A council spokesman has confirmed that one of these risks is proposed improvements to Bishop Gore School so it can accommodate pupils from Dylan Thomas School, which has been earmarked for closure.

The minutes added there was a need to flag up where things were not going to plan and that 'there is a difficult task ahead'. Swansea Council claims the comments have been taken out of context and merely summarised part of the meeting.

A spokesman said: "The additional cost of the Bishop Gore scheme would be one example of the risks identified.

"These comments arise from routine internal management discussions about progress in the current year on performance and financial targets, which will shortly be reported to cabinet.

"Major financial risks for which forward planning is needed are identified every year in the budget and financial planning processes.

"However, the main point of the discussion was reminding directors of the internal timetable and process already agreed in which additional spending needs and opportunities for making savings need to be identified, in anticipation of a tight spending settlement for next year from the Assembly."

Mr Carter's concerns have increased speculation on the financial viability of a number of high profile schemes.

The council is wants to spend huge amounts refurbishing the leisure centre, creating a new home for the central library and improving Bishop Gore Comprehensive School.

A spokesman for the Labour group said: "This view of the council's top managers is patently at odds with the up-beat message coming from Chris Holley and company."

LEADER HOLLEY HITS BACK IN EDUCATION ROW

2 September 2005

Council leader Chris Holley has joined the argument over Swansea's new £20 million super school. He says the row is putting children's education at risk.

Councillor Holley is the latest member of the administration to attack Labour colleagues over their criticism of the plans for Bishop Gore school.

The row erupted after Swansea cabinet members put forward a proposal to spend £20 million refurbishing the school.

The plan is part of school reorganisation in the city which will see the closure of Dylan Thomas School.

Labour leader David Phillips questioned where the money is coming from.Opposition councillors say that unless concrete funding for the project is found they will mount a challenge to the scheme.

However, Councillor Holley says the continued opposition is putting Swansea children's education at risk. He also blamed the Labour Party for many of Swansea schools' current problems.

He said: "Labour has a sorry track record on education in Swansea. They have failed to invest in schools and they failed to tackle falling pupil numbers.

"Yet, when we propose to invest £20 million to improve the education of more than 1,500 pupils, they oppose it for petty political reasons. It is the politics of spite.

''Labour is playing a dangerous political game with the futures of children in Swansea."

Council leaders say the reforms are needed and wanted by most parents in the city."These proposals are based on what parents, pupils and others have told us," said Councillor Holley.

"They want pupils put first and for school buildings to be fit."

We will continue to listen to these groups to ensure our proposals are right for all pupils."Labour leader Councillor Phillips denied accusations that they were to blame for the state of schools.

He said: "Labour's record of investing in Swansea schools and its commitment to education is well established.

''We expect investment to be properly costed, sustainable and provide value for money.

"So far, the coalition looks to be failing on all three counts.

"Wanting to know just how £20 million is to be raised can hardly be described as playing petty politics."