LIB DEMS DENY POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM

30 November 2005

Three Swansea councillors who yesterday voiced concerns about proposals to close Dylan Thomas School have been accused of cashing in on the shock U-turn. Lib Dem councillors Rene Kinzett, Peter May and Keith Morgan broke ranks and called for a rethink over the plans - a day before such a move was announced.

Labour group leader David Phillips said: "These three appear to have got wind of the intended U-turn and thought they could cash in on the situation by publicly changing their tune in advance.

"All three voted in council against Labour and Plaid Cymru entreaties to halt the merger.

"For them to now claim that they were listening to staff and parents all along seems to me just plain hypocrisy."

He described the move as political opportunism of the worst kind and felt that the public would not be impressed.

But Councillor Peter May dismissed the suggestion saying he was not aware of the plans and that he had told residents weeks ago he did not approve.

He said: "I voiced my concern about this about three weeks ago. When parents asked me I told them what my stance was.

"It is not us making political gain but Labour who have been holding public meetings and leafleting.

"In the end the decision would have been made by a Labour minister in Cardiff anyway."

Councillor Kinzett also said he did not know about the U-turn plans and that his comments were timed to coincide with the decision coming before cabinet.

He said: "It is not opportunism to listen to people, my views have been shaped by the consultation process."

PARENTS WIN DAY AS CLOSURE CANCELLED

30 November 2005

Parent power has won a major victory after Swansea Council binned plans to close a school. Swansea Council is expected to abandon plans to shut Dylan Thomas Community School and merge it with Bishop Gore school.

The proposals had met with determined opposition from staff and parents at both schools.

But education cabinet member Mike Day has revealed to the Post that he is to recommend shelving the plans, although he admits the problem of pupil numbers at the school still had to be addressed.

He said feedback on plans to run one school on two sites for up to two years while work to upgrade the school to accommodate disabled pupils was carried out had raised concerns about the disruption to pupils' education.

Councillor Day insisted that was the key factor in the sudden u-turn, rather than the unpopular reaction to the plans.

He said: "The case for school reorganisation in the west of Swansea remains strong and the proposal to transfer pupils to Bishop Gore was sound but I am not convinced we can do this without an unacceptable level of disruption for pupils in the transition period.

"I have always said the school reorganisation programme would put the interests of pupils first.

"Some people might argue that having got this far we have no choice but to press on but I disagree. The council has engaged in a genuine consultation and we have listened.

"Despite the change of heart over the merger plans the rest of the council's school reorganisation proposals are going ahead.

A number of objections mean the Assembly will now decide on proposals to close Ysgol Gymraeg Garnswllt, to develop a new home in West Cross for Ysgol Gymraeg Llwynderw and to close Bryn Nursery in Townhill, with provision being transferred to Townhill Primary School. A decision is expected around Easter.

But plans for a new school based in Pontarddulais for children with learning difficulties are expected to be pushed forward.

But despite the u-turn over the plans to close Dylan Thomas, it is still unclear what the future holds for the school.

Councillor Day said: "We still have a problem, along with all other education authorities, in connection with surplus places. Falling rolls at Dylan Thomas still have to be addressed."

He said that if numbers continued to fall at the school, it could become unviable and across Swansea around 1,000 surplus places still had to be axed over the next few years.

Councillor Day said: "The fact remains that despite the recommendation I will make to cabinet next month, the issues around falling schools rolls at Dylan Thomas still exist and must be dealt with."

He said meetings with head teachers and governors of secondary schools in the west of Swansea would now be held to find a way forward.

A cabinet meeting on December 15 will be advised to drop the plans, with Councillor Day saying fears of disruption have fuelled the change of heart.

He said: "The pupils came forward with some very good points, very well made and expressed in a very coherent way.

"The consultation showed almost all respondents - including both sets of governors - feared there would be too much disruption to pupils' education during the transition period and I have been persuaded by that.

"Whatever we do, the children must come first, and this is what I will be recommending to cabinet next month.

"Cabinet has never rushed to judgement on what action to take if it agrees not to close Dylan Thomas.

"What we would do is take steps to ensure the smooth running of the school while further consultation goes on."

Cockett councillor Rhodri Thomas said: "We are delighted at the outcome of this - it is the best Christmas present the children at Dylan Thomas could have had."

COUNCILLORS DEMAND AN APOLOGY FOR U-TURN 'HELL'

30 November 2005

Pupils, parents and staff at Bishop Gore and Dylan Thomas schools deserve apologies after their U-turn "hell" over merger plans. That is the view of Labour councillors responding to news of the surprise decision to drop plans to close Dylan Thomas and transfer its pupils to Bishop Gore.

Labour leader David Phillips said he was delighted by the news and described the U-turn as a substantial victory for parent and pupil power.

But he said the Labour group had never been convinced by the reasons behind the move.

He said: "The figures used to justify closing Dylan Thomas School have never stacked up from the outset.

"It's a pity that the ruling regime has taken so long to come to the same conclusion.

"Chris Holley and his cabinet now owe the staff, pupils and parents of Dylan Thomas an apology for putting them through unnecessary hell."

Plans to shut city school dropped

29 November 2005 - BBC Wales website

Children were pleased to hear their school would remain openCampaigners in Swansea have won their fight to save a city secondary school from closure.

A report due before councillors next month will recommend that plans to close Dylan Thomas Community School and merge it with Bishop Gore are dropped.

It follows a long campaign by supporters of the school in Cockett.

A council spokesman confirmed that parents and governors had been told of the decision on Tuesday and a statement would be issued on Wednesday.

He said the decision to scrap plans had followed deep concerns expressed about the viability of the merger and the costs involved in making Bishop Gore, in Sketty, accessible for children with disabilities.

The chairman of governors at Dylan Thomas had previously accused Swansea council of social bias, saying the school was a "soft target" for closure.

Falling pupil numbers were blamed but parents believed it was chosen because it serves a more deprived area.

The council rejected this argument and said its decision would be made on educational grounds only.

Deputy headteacher Beth Hale was pleased with the decision to keep the school open.

"It was never a failing school and we have proved it," she said.

"We are going from strength to strength and it is onwards and upwards from now on."

The school in Cockett has around 1,500 in its catchment area but only attracts around 550 pupils.

Many of them are from the Townhill housing estate, one of Wales' most deprived areas, and around half of them have special educational needs.

Bishop Gore Comprehensive, in the more affluent Sketty area and next to Singleton Park, also has falling pupil numbers but was not earmarked for closure.

A report by the Welsh schools inspection body, Estyn, earlier this year said Dylan Thomas secondary was improving rapidly and progress was evident despite significant challenges.

500 IN RETHINK CALL ON CLOSURE OF SCHOOL

15 November 2005

More than 500 angry parents have sent a clear message to Swansea Council chiefs - save our schools. They are upset at the proposal to close Dylan Thomas Community School in Cockett and the eventual proposed transfer of its pupils to the Bishop Gore site in Sketty.

A protest petition carrying 522 names was handed over to education chiefs at County Hall yesterday urging an immediate rethink.

Council chiefs are keen to establish a £20 million super-school on the Bishop Gore site.

They say they need to react to school roll figures that are dropping right across the city. But the bid is being fought by parents of pupils at both Dylan Thomas and Bishop Gore who want to see the two schools' identities preserved.

Parents and children at the schools say the right to parental choice is being taken away.

Parents of pupils at the feeder schools have also objected to being denied the right to be involved in the consultation process.

Parent Amanda Edwards, who has two children at Bishop Gore and three primary age children, said: "We are demanding proper consultation because many stakeholders have been denied access to meetings.

"Feeder schools and people directly affected and Sketty residents were excluded from meetings."

She said confidence among the campaigners that they would win their fight was high.

She added: "Confidence is growing daily.''A Swansea Council spokesman said extensive consultation on the proposals for the schools had taken place.

"There has been more than one round of consultation regarding the proposals to close Dylan Thomas School," he continued.

"The first of these took place during a six-week period during the summer term. Meetings were staged with governors, parents, teachers and pupils at both Dylan Thomas and Bishop Gore."

The spokesman discounted suggestions that a larger school could cause problems.

"There is no evidence that larger schools are any less safe for pupils," he said.

"The council welcomes the petition and will look at the documentation submitted with it.

"A report on this and other feedback will go to cabinet in December."

He added: "Home tuition is available under exceptional circumstances only and usually only to address medical circumstances certified by a doctor or community paediatrician."

COUNCIL EYE ON SITE SALE

15 November 2005

As parents of children at a Bishop Gore feeder school, we support 100 per cent the fight by parents from both schools against the closure of Dylan Thomas school and the transfer of its pupils to Bishop Gore (Post, November 9).

In particular, the proposal for a two-year transitional period, during which both sites will be open, with year six and seven Bishop Gore pupils being taught at Cockett, is so ill-thought out that it resembles something drafted on the back of an envelope.

Parents should be asking the council these questions:

How can the present curriculum be delivered on two sites, and in two very different schools?

What will be the effect on activities such as sport, orchestras and choirs?

How will pupils get to school?

The result will be traffic gridlock, or, if there is no direct bus route, pupils going into the city centre and out again twice a day. Families with children at both sites will be split up.

Worst of all, we are not even being consulted.

The council's "consultation" means parents of pupils currently at Bishop Gore, but whose children may have left by the time these arrangements kick in, are being consulted, but parents of children in feeder schools, who will be affected, are being excluded from meetings.

This bizarre spectacle makes a mockery of local democracy and surely constitutes a breach of the Assembly Government's consultation policy.

Could it be that this administration is motivated more by the potential value of the site of Dylan Thomas school than the educational needs of our children?

Nick Davies and Brigid Haines, Glanbrydan Avenue, Uplands, Swansea

COALITION OF PARENTS TO FIGHT OFF CLOSURE

9 November 2005

Parents from Bishop Gore school have joined forces with their Dylan Thomas counterparts in a bid to save the threatened school.

Swansea Council leaders want to close Dylan Thomas Community School in Cockett and eventually transfer pupils to Bishop Gore. However, the closure and plan to create a £20 million super-school have been opposed by parents from both schools.

They have now decided to pool their resources and fight Swansea Council together.

Amanda Edwards, who has two children at Bishop Gore and three primary aged children, said: "We think it is probably the first time that parents and governors from two different schools have fought to save one that is threatened with closure.

"Obviously we are coming at it from different perspectives, but we still support them fully and they oppose the same things we are against.

"For parents at Bishop Gore it has been a very disruptive year. We started it with strong rumours that we were going to close. The council then had a complete turnaround and said that Dylan Thomas was to close.

"To be honest we met that news with relief."

However, now the dust has settled on the proposals, parents from Bishop Gore feel they should stand side-by-side with those from Dylan Thomas.

Parents from both schools will hand in objections to the council together on Monday.

Mrs Edwards said: "Our objectives are the same. We do not want to see the growth of Bishop Gore. We think it will be far too big with 2,000 pupils.

"To close Dylan Thomas school would be a flagrant waste of money after spending £12 million on it four years ago.

"The Bishop Gore site will never be as accessible to children with disabilities as Dylan Thomas is.

"Mrs Edwards said that the opposition to the proposals, which include a transitional period when both sites will be open, was an issue for the whole community not just parents.

"I have two children at Bishop Gore, a third will go there and then I will have one at the Dylan Thomas site and one at primary school.

"I won't be the only parent with children at different sites and it's going to cause more traffic for residents.

"A lot of people living in Sketty will see the roads get worse and some are already supporting us.

"We also want to attract parents of younger children who we think will be affected by the two-site proposal. The council is saying it will be finished in a couple of years but it could stretch on much longer.

"Sheila Thomas, of the Dylan Thomas parents group, said they welcomed the support.

She said: "Our groups will send objections direct to the Assembly."

TIME TO FIGHT FOR SCHOOLS

8 November 2005

Having attended the consultation meeting at Dylan Thomas Community School regarding the transition proposal, I was appalled to discover that the teachers had been informed on the day the announcement was made of the proposed closure that they would be made redundant on August 31, 2007, if the proposal went ahead. It is a disgrace that any council has the right to sack any teacher who is giving 110 per cent to pupils.

A word of warning to all those in the employment of Swansea Council as teaching and non-teaching staff within schools: you are not safe.

If you don't fight with Dylan Thomas Community School now, you will have no protection from the council when they turn on your school and announce its proposed closure. After all, Swansea North and Swansea East will have the same consultations and two nurseries, two primaries and two comprehensives will face what we are facing in Swansea West now.

You have been warned. It's no good closing the stable door after the horse has bolted - you must fight these proposals now otherwise you will be next.

Susan Spencer, Haig Place, Gendros, Swansea

PROTESTERS SLAM THREE-SCHOOL PLAN

4 November 2005

Hundreds of people have signed a petition against a controversial plan to house three city primary schools in one West Cross street.

Under Swansea's big schools shake-up, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llwynderw will be moved to a new site in West Cross Avenue in 2008. But residents branded the plan an accident waiting to happen and launched a petition against the proposal.

Hundreds of signatures have now been handed in as Swansea Council's two-month consultation period comes to an end.

West Cross councilors Mark Child and Des Thomas said children would be at risk on the roads because of the massive intake.

According to their estimates, more than 1,000 pupils will be using the street from three schools, creating a huge volume of traffic.

The Welsh school is currently housed temporarily at Bishop Gore comprehensive in Sketty but badly needs a new base.

If the proposals go ahead, the 70-pupil school will be housed next to Grange primary and nearby St David's Roman Catholic School.

Councillor Child said: "There will be more than 1,000 children trying to get in and out of school and a lot more traffic in an already dangerous road.

"I think there is a huge majority of people in West Cross who are against this idea. West Cross Avenue is just not large enough for it."

Objections have to be made in writing to Swansea Council before the consultation period ends tomorrow.

If just one is received it will mean the decision is referred to the Assembly and the final decision is then unlikely to be made before spring.

Councillor Mike Day, Swansea's cabinet member for education, said: "The issue of traffic is one which we take very seriously and before the scheme goes ahead there will be a proper traffic management plan set out by the council.

"It would be senseless putting something there that's going to put children's lives at risk and if people think we are going to do that they are very much mistaken."

LESSON FOR OUR COUNCIL

2 November 2005

Having a keen interest in anything to do with Swansea, I have listened intently to the discussions from both sides regarding the closure of Dylan Thomas Community School. My understanding of the situation is that Swansea Council, under the pretext of reorganisation, intends to transfer children from Dylan Thomas school to Bishop Gore, the cost of which is expected to be in the region of £20 million.

Opposition to this proposal has been valiantly mounted by parents, governors, teachers and children, only to be told by Swansea Council the closure was in the best interests of pupils and makes the best sense educationally.

Those opposing this reorganisation should be worried because Swansea Council is incapable of carrying through such a massive project and I would use the newly amalgamated Dunvant Primary School as an example.

Firstly, here we are only talking about a budget of £1 million which was to be used to upgrade, remodel and convert existing buildings.

The first £700,000 of this was to be spent by the end of the 2005/06 financial year; to date, no building works have started on site.

The only interest Swansea Council has in Dunvant Primary School is the premium land within its boundaries which members seem to believe is theirs by right to sell off. I think not!Swansea Council is clearly putting profit before pupils' educational needs.Surely a vote of no confidence in this present administration is long overdue.

Lis Davies, Cyncoed Close, Dunvant, Swansea