Formal Consultation to establish a Welsh-medium primary school and to relocate Pillgwenlly Primary School - 4th July 2019 - 13th September 2019 ...
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Formal Consultation to establish a Welsh-medium primary school and to relocate Pillgwenlly Primary School 4th July 2019 – 13th September 2019
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Information can also be arranged in other community languages if needed. Please contact us on 01633 656656 to
arrange.
1
Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Background .......................................................................................................................................... 3
The Consultation Process ................................................................................................................ 4
The Proposal........................................................................................................................................ 7
The Seedling Model........................................................................................................................ 8
What are the benefits of a seedling school? ............................................................................. 9
What are the disadvantages of a seedling school? .................................................................. 9
Affected Schools ........................................................................................................................... 10
Provision and Demand for Welsh Medium Education ........................................................ 11
Past and Projected Numbers – Welsh-medium Primary Schools .................................... 11
Reception Admission Numbers 2018/19 for Welsh-medium Primary Schools ............. 12
Past and Projected Numbers – Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed ............................................. 13
Past and Projected Numbers – Pillgwenlly Primary ............................................................ 13
Past and Projected Numbers – Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School ............................. 14
Building Condition........................................................................................................................ 15
Statutory Primary Education - Standards .............................................................................. 16
School Categorisation ................................................................................................................. 18
What Will the Proposal Provide? ................................................................................................. 18
List of facilities provided under the proposal......................................................................... 19
When Will This Be Effective? .................................................................................................... 20
Cost of the Proposal .................................................................................................................... 20
Alternative Options Considered ............................................................................................... 21
What will the preferred proposal achieve? ............................................................................ 22
School Organisation Arrangements ............................................................................................ 23
Catchment Areas ......................................................................................................................... 23
Admissions ..................................................................................................................................... 25
Home to School Transport ........................................................................................................ 25
Governance .................................................................................................................................... 26
Staffing ............................................................................................................................................ 26
Advantages and Disadvantages ..................................................................................................... 27
Risks ..................................................................................................................................................... 28
Consultation Response Pro-forma ............................................................................................... 30
2
Introduction
The purpose of the consultation is to seek views on the following proposal:
To establish a Welsh-medium seedling primary school on the vacant site of the former
Caerleon Lodge Hill Infant School from September 2020;
To relocate Pillgwenlly Primary School from its existing site to the new build on the
Whiteheads development, and in doing so to increase the capacity of the school for
mainstream pupils from 546 to 630 and its Learning Resource Base (LRB) from 10 to 20
places from January 2022, and;
To subsequently transfer the seedling school to a permanent location on the site of the
current Pillgwenlly Primary school from September 2022.
This is your chance to ask questions and make comments that will be considered when the Council
decides how to proceed.
This formal consultation period:
Begins on Thursday 4th July 2019
Ends at midnight on Friday 13th September 2019
Background
Newport currently has three Welsh-medium primary schools, each providing education for pupils
between 3 and 11 years. Two of the three schools are now operating at 90% of total available
capacity and, as at April 2019, there are only three (equivalent to 2.7%) places available in the
Reception year groups across the three schools.
Welsh Government approved Newport’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) in 2018.
Newport’s WESP includes a commitment to expand primary provision across the City so that the
proportion of seven-year-old pupils taught through the medium of Welsh is increased from 3.9% to
5% by 2022/23. The establishment of a fourth Welsh-medium primary school will assist in reaching
these objectives and will support Welsh Government’s charter of achieving 1 million Welsh speakers
across Wales by 2050.
It is proposed that this new school will be established from September 2020, initially as a seedling
provision for Nursery and Reception pupils only, at the currently vacant former Caerleon Lodge Hill
Infant School. The school will subsequently transfer to a permanent location, at the current site of
Pillgwenlly Primary School, from September 2022.
Pillgwenlly Primary is a community maintained English-medium school, with a published admission
number of 78. The total capacity for pupils of statutory school age is 546. There is also a 56-place
nursery class able to accommodate a maximum of 112 children over either a morning or afternoon
session and a 10 place Learning Resource Base (LRB).
The school is extremely popular and all year groups are fully subscribed. A waiting list is in operation
for all year groups. The demand for pupil places in the area is expected to increase following the
new housing developments in the Pillgwenlly and Maesglas areas. Pupil forecast pressures have been
identified in the area and for this reason the Council initially explored expansion of the school in the
21st Century Schools Band B programme. There is, however, insufficient space within the current
site to expand the school any further, as any additional buildings would replace outdoor play areas.
3
Notwithstanding this, a new school build is planned for the nearby Whiteheads development, on a
piece of land that will be suitable for the creation of a 3-form entry school (90 places per year
group). This land will be transferred to the Education Service as part of the Council’s section 106
planning agreement with the developer, with the build project being funded via the 21st Century
Schools Band B programme. It is proposed that on completion of this project, the current Pillgwenlly
Primary School will relocate to the new building in January 2022, thereby enabling the school to
expand as originally planned. The vacant building will subsequently be fully refurbished, before the
new Welsh-medium Primary School is able to relocate to this permanent site.
Newport City Council has successfully submitted a bid to Welsh Government for funding to
undertake this project via the Welsh Medium Capital Grant. The funding supports the proposal to
establish a new Welsh-medium Primary School and will be used to make improvements to the
temporary seedling facility and to the existing Pillgwenlly Primary School buildings. Ultimately, the
project will deliver a new 2-form entry Welsh-medium Primary School with nursery and Special
Education Needs (SEN) facilities.
Overall, the proposal will provide an additional 430 Welsh-medium primary pupil places (including
Learning Resource Base) plus 48 part-time nursery places. The full capacity of the school will be
realised over several years, as the school will grow under a seedling model, similar to that used to
successfully establish Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael and Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon.
The Consultation Process
The consultation process represents an opportunity for people to learn about the proposal, ask
questions and make comments that will be recorded and summarised in a consultation report. This
report will be published on the Council’s website and will be considered when the Council decides
on the way forward.
The consultation will involve 5 drop-in sessions with those affected by the proposal, where Council
officers will be on hand to explain the proposals in more detail and answer any questions:
Table 1: Drop-in Sessions
Location Date & Time Session Translation
available
Pillgwenlly Primary School, 10th July 2019 Drop-in event Welsh
Capel Crescent, NP20 2FT 15.00-17.00 Bengali
Punjabi
Arabic
Urdu
Kurdish
Somali
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, 11th July 2019 Drop-in event Welsh
Dyffryn Way, Dyffryn, NP10 8BX 15.30-17.30
Pillgwenlly Primary School 16th July 2019 Drop-in event Welsh
Capel Crescent, NP20 2FT 09.00-11.00 Romanian
Slovakian
Czech
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School 5th September 2019 Drop-in event Welsh
Roman Way, Caerleon, NP18 3BY 15.45-17.30
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, 12th September 2019 Drop-in event Welsh
Dyffryn Way, Dyffryn, NP10 8BX 08.30-10.00
4
If you require a translator for another language at any of these drop-in sessions, please contact
Newport City Council at school.reorg@newport.gov.uk at least a week in advance so that the
necessary arrangements can be made to provide this service.
Comments and questions can be submitted using the online response pro-forma available at
www.newport.gov.uk/schoolreorganisation. Responses can also be returned by email to:
school.reorg@newport.gov.uk. Alternatively, the pro-forma enclosed can be returned to the
Education Information and Development Officer, Room 425w, Newport City Council, Civic Centre,
Newport NP20 4UR.
Social media facilities such as Twitter and Facebook will also be available.
Please note that negative responses made to the proposal will not be counted as objections to the
proposal, they will be recorded as adverse comments. Objections can only be registered following
the publication of a statutory notice. The deadline for all responses is midnight on Friday
13th September 2019.
Following consultation, the Newport City Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills will
consider the views expressed and then decide whether to proceed with the proposal. If the decision
is taken to proceed, a statutory notice will be published on the Newport City Council website and
notices posted on the school gates at all affected schools1. The statutory notice period will last for
28 days following the date of publication and enables people to express their views in the form of
supporting or objecting to the proposals. If no objections are received following the publication of
the statutory notice, the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills will make the final decision as to
whether to proceed. If any objections are received and not subsequently withdrawn during this
notice period, the Council’s Cabinet will determine the final decision.
Arrangements for the participation of children and young people
A Children and Young People’s Everyday Summary Version of this consultation has been produced.
Both this and the full version are available via the NCC website
www.newport.gov.uk/schoolreorganisation, from the Civic Centre, and the Information Station.
Copies can also be requested by emailing school.reorg@newport.gov.uk or by telephoning 01633
656656.
Who will we consult with?
Parents, carers and guardians of pupils attending all affected schools
Pupils attending all schools affected by this proposal;
Members of staff currently employed at all schools affected by this proposal;
The Church in Wales, Diocese of Monmouth;
Roman Catholic Archdiocese;
Neighbouring Local Authorities across the South East Wales Consortium area;
The Headteacher and Governing Bodies of all Newport schools;
All Newport City Council elected members;
All Newport City Council Heads of Service;
All Community Councils across Newport;
The Welsh Ministers;
Assembly Members (AMs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) representing the area served
by the schools subject to the proposals;
1
The schools affected by this proposal are listed on page 10 of this document
5 Estyn;
Teaching and staff trade unions representing teachers and staff employed at all schools
affected by this proposal;
The South East Wales Education Achievement Service;
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent;
Newport’s Welsh in Education Forum;
The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership;
Any independent early years providers in the Caerleon and Pillgwenlly areas;
Aneurin Bevan Health Board;
Public Health Wales
Newport Serennu Centre
SNAP Cymru
Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations
Preventative services
The Welsh Language Commissioner.
What do you have to consider?
The remainder of this document sets out the rationale for the proposal. We would like you to
consider the information contained within the document and to hear your views as to whether or
not you support the proposal.
6The Proposal
This is a proposal to:
establish a Welsh-medium seedling primary school on the vacant site of the former
Caerleon Lodge Hill Infant School from September 2020;
to relocate Pillgwenlly Primary School from its existing site to a new build on the
Whiteheads development, and in doing so to increase the capacity of the school for
mainstream pupils from 546 to 630 from January 2022, and;
to subsequently transfer the seedling school to a permanent location on the site of the
current Pillgwenlly Primary school from September 2022.
The former Caerleon Lodge Hill Infant building was vacated in October 2018 when pupils from the
school moved to the new Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School building funded via the Council’s 21st
Century Schools Band A programme. The vacant building is in good structural condition and includes
facilities such as classrooms, toilets and dining facilities appropriate for children aged between 3-7
years. There is some refurbishment work required to enable this to be used for a Welsh-medium
seedling school, and this will be funded via Welsh Government’s Welsh-medium capital grant.
The WESP outlines a commitment to stimulate demand for Welsh-medium education across
Newport. Currently, only a very small number of families living in the Caerleon area actively seek
Welsh-medium education. It is anticipated therefore that the decision to locate the seedling school
in this area will stimulate demand for this type of education provision, resulting in a legacy that with
benefit the whole city as more and more parents consider this a preferred option for their children
Pillgwenlly Primary School is a community maintained school with a published admission number of
78. The total capacity for pupils of statutory school age is 546. There is also a 56-place nursery class
able to accommodate a maximum of 112 children over either a morning or afternoon session. In
relocating to a new school building on the Whiteheads development, the capacity of the school will
be able to increase to 3-form entry with a published admission number of 90. The total capacity of
pupils of statutory school age will be 630. The new site is less than 1 mile from the current building.
Pillgwenlly Primary School houses a 10 place Learning Resource Base (LRB) and as part of the
proposals to relocate to the new building, the LRB provision will also increase to two 10-place
classes (20 places in total).
Pillgwenlly Primary School was initially included in Newport City Council’s 21st Century Schools
Band B Strategic Outline Programme for expansion on its existing site. However, this has since been
discounted due to the constraints of the site, as any building development would significantly impact
on the available play space. Relocating the school to the Whiteheads development will enable the
required expansion to Pillgwenlly Primary School whilst leaving behind a vacant building able to
accommodate Newport’s fourth Welsh-medium Primary School.
The new Welsh-medium school will include a nursery class and a dedicated learning resource base
provision to support pupils with additional learning needs. Such a facility does not currently exist
across Newport’s Welsh-medium primary estate. The identified site will also have sufficient
accommodation to facilitate an immersion unit to support learners who choose to access Welsh-
medium education later in their primary school careers. A temporary Welsh-medium immersion
unit is being created at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon from September 2019, pending the
establishment of the new school at its permanent site.
This proposed permanent location also supports the creation of Welsh-medium primary places in
the south-west of the city, some distance away from the three existing schools.
7Fig.1. School Locations
The Seedling Model
What is a seedling school?
A seedling school is a model that can be used when establishing a new school to allow the facilities
and staff to be used efficiently whilst the school grows to its full potential. The school opens initially
with only Nursery and Reception classes, and a year group is then added each academic year until
the first reception cohort reaches Year 6.
Welsh-medium Primary School Class Size
During the first year of the seedling school opening, two mainstream classes will be in operation as
follows:
A nursery class where up to 48 part-time places will be offered over either a morning or
afternoon session;
A reception class with a maximum of 30 places;
In the second year, the seedling school will consist of:
A nursery class where up to 48 part-time places will be offered over either a morning or
afternoon session;
A reception class with a maximum of 30 places;
A Year 1 class with a maximum of 30 places;
8In the third year, the school will be located on the permanent site at Pillgwenlly and will consist of:
A nursery class where up to 48 part-time places will be offered over either a morning or
afternoon session;
Two Reception classes with a maximum of 60 places (30 per class);
A Year 1 class with a maximum of 30 places;
A Year 2 class with a maximum of 30 places;
A LRB class with a maximum of 10 places
In the years following, each new reception year group will have a maximum of 60 places (two classes
of 30 children). Full capacity of the school will be realised in September 2028 when all year groups
will operate under a two-form entry arrangement.
The table below shows an example of the seedling model of growth for a two form-entry school.
Table 2
Maximum places per year
Year N R Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 LRB
2020/21 24 30
2021/22 24 30 30
2022/23 24 60 30 30 10
2023/24 24 60 60 30 30 10
2024/25 24 60 60 60 30 30 10
2025/26 24 60 60 60 60 30 30 10
2026/27 24 60 60 60 60 60 30 30 10
2027/28 24 60 60 60 60 60 60 30 10
2028/29 24 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 10
The seedling model is considered the most appropriate solution for new Welsh-medium schools.
Whilst demand is growing for Welsh-medium education, opening the school immediately to all year
groups could destabilise other schools across the city and could adversely affect the ability to
support effective immersion provision.
What are the benefits of a seedling school?
The school capacity would grow as demand increases;
Stable growth to support existing schools;
Reduces the possibility of mass movement of pupils from other schools;
Effectively manages class sizes to support staffing and the school budget;
Pupils living outside the school catchment area can still apply for a place at the school and
may be successful.
What are the disadvantages of a seedling school?
Takes a number of years to deliver growth
Possible implications for siblings with changing catchments;
Possible implications for families moving to Newport with different aged children due to
changing catchments;
9Affected Schools
The three current community maintained Welsh-medium Primary schools in Newport may be
affected by the establishment of the new Welsh-medium school. These schools are Ysgol Gymraeg
Casnewydd (located in the Ringland ward), Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon (located in the Shaftsbury
ward), and Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael (located in the Bettws ward). These three schools could be
affected as parents may choose to send or transfer their child to the new primary school for
convenience of location, and therefore there could be a risk that their pupil numbers could
decrease. The seedling model of growth will minimise the likelihood and impact of this risk by
limiting the availability of additional pupil places in older year groups.
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, Newport’s Welsh-medium secondary school (located in the Tredegar
Park ward) will also be affected by the proposal. The number of pupils expected to progress to Year
7 admission for this school will be greater from September 2027 than the current admission number.
The Council will therefore need to consider appropriate measures to support further growth.
Pillgwenlly Primary School (located in the Pillgwenlly ward) is an English-medium community
maintained school for children aged between 3 and 11 years and will be affected by this proposal due
to the change of location and the increase in school capacity. This is considered as a positive effect
as a brand new school building will be delivered. The school will also grow in size, providing more
opportunities for both pupils and staff. Currently, many families in the area find that their children
are unable to attend the same school. The creation of additional places will therefore enable more
siblings to be accommodated at the same school, supporting attendance, punctuality and parental
engagement. The proposed new school site is less than 1 mile away from the current school.
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School (located in the Caerleon ward) could be affected by the
proposal, as the seedling school will be located within close proximity. There is therefore a
possibility that the number of applications for nursery and reception places at Caerleon Lodge Hill
Primary School is reduced while the seedling Welsh-medium school is located there. There may
also be a small impact on transport routes in the area due to additional pupils attending school in the
vicinity. It may be necessary for the seedling school to have occasional use of the Lodge Hill playing
field.
10Provision and Demand for Welsh Medium Education
Newport currently has three Welsh-medium primary schools, and one Welsh-medium secondary
school, which opened in September 2016. The continued growth of Welsh-medium education and
the opening of new schools supports Welsh Government’s charter of achieving 1 million Welsh
speakers across Wales by 2050. Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon, Newport’s newest Welsh-medium
primary school opened in September 2011 as a seedling school with just a Nursery and Reception
class in the first year, and the pupil numbers are continuing to rise as the school grows. This is
demonstrated in the following graph:
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon
250
200
150
100
50
0
2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19
Capacity Pupil Numbers
The 2018/19 Welsh Medium Demand Survey ran regionally with other Local Authorities across the
South East Wales Consortium region. A common survey and information booklet was produced and
issued by post to families with children born between 1st September 2016 and 31st August 2018. In
Newport, the survey was sent to the families of 3886 children. 669 eligible responses were
received; a response rate of 17.22%. Analysis of the responses revealed that:
256 parents (38.27%) have considered Welsh-medium childcare and/or education for their
children, and
109 (16.29% of respondents) wished for their child to attend a Welsh-medium primary
school.
The current pupil population across the Welsh-medium primary schools represents only 5% of the
primary pupil population across Newport.
Past and Projected Numbers – Welsh-medium Primary Schools
Currently, the three Welsh-medium primary schools in Newport provide education for 682 children
of statutory school age as per the January 2019 Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC)
submission.
The following tables detail the past and projected mainstream pupil numbers for the three Welsh-
medium primary schools:
11Table 3
Welsh-medium Primary Schools
Pupil numbers 2015-2019 - Reception to Year 6 (excluding nursery)
School Capacity 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- Surplus
(2019) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 places
2019
Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd 364 299 300 305 312 325 39
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon 210 70 97 129 151 178 32
Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael 202 187 192 186 176 179 23
Pupil numbers are January PLASC submission for Reception to Year 6
Table 4
Welsh-medium Primary Schools
Pupil numbers 2015-2019 - Nursery
School Capacity 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- Surplus
(2019) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 places
2019
Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd 52 49 43 50 48 52 0
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon 30 23 28 28 27 28 2
Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael 30 20 26 27 19 17 13
Pupil numbers are January PLASC submission for Reception to Year 6
Table 5
Welsh-medium Primary Schools
Pupil projections 2020-2024 – Reception - Year 6 (excluding Nursery)
School Capacity 2019- 2020- 2021- 2022- 2023- Surplus
(2020) 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 places
2024
Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd 364 309 313 312 318 318 46
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon 210 154 163 171 170 163 47
Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael 204 171 166 164 169 165 45
Forecasts do not include impact of future housing developments
Reception Admission Numbers 2018/19 for Welsh-medium Primary
Schools
Table 6
School Academic Year Places Available Uptake of Places
2016-17 49 50
Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd 2017-18 52 50
2018-19 52 51
2016-17 30 29
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon 2017-18 30 21
2018-19 30 30
2016-17 30 30
Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael 2017-18 30 24
2018-19 30 27
12Past and Projected Numbers – Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed currently provides education for 248 children of statutory school age as
per the January 2019 Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) submission. The following tables
detail the past and projected mainstream pupil numbers for the school:
Table 7
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed
Pupil numbers 2015-2019
School year 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- Surplus
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 places
2019
Capacity - - 90 210 330
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed - - 81 159 248 82
Pupil numbers are January PLASC submission
Table 8
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed
Pupil projection 2019-2024
School year 2019- 2020- 2021- 2022- 2023- Surplus
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 places
2024
Capacity 480 630 690 720 750
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed 377 495 583 688 793 107
Forecasts do not include impact of future housing developments
Past and Projected Numbers – Pillgwenlly Primary
Pillgwenlly Primary School currently provides education for 558 children of statutory school age as
per the January 2019 Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) submission. The following tables
detail the past and projected mainstream pupil numbers for the school:
Table 9
Pillgwenlly Primary School
Pupil numbers 2015-2019 - Reception to Year 6 (excluding nursery)
School Capacity 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- Surplus
(2019) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 places
2019
Pillgwenlly Primary 546 539 545 542 558 558 -12
Pupil numbers are January PLASC submission for Reception to Year 6
Table 10
Pillgwenlly Primary School
Pupil numbers 2015-2019 - Nursery
School Capacity 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- Surplus
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 places
2019
Pillgwenlly Primary 112 94 91 92 98 110 2
Pupil numbers are January PLASC submission
13Table 11
Pillgwenlly Primary School
Pupil projection 2019-2024 – Reception – Year 6 (excluding Nursery)
School Capacity 2019- 2020- 2021- 2022- 2023- Surplus
(2020) 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 places
2024
Pillgwenlly Primary 546 529 536 537 540 539 -7
Forecasts do not include impact of future housing developments
Past and Projected Numbers – Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School currently provides education for 303 children of statutory
school age as per the January 2019 Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) submission. The
following tables detail the past and projected mainstream pupil numbers for the school:
Table 12
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School
Pupil numbers 2015-2019 – Reception to Year 6 (excluding nursery)
School Capacity 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- Surplus
(2019) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 places
2019
Caerleon Lodge Hill 315 250 241 264 281 303 12
Primary School
Pupil numbers are January PLASC submission for Reception to Year 6
Table 13
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School
Pupil numbers 2015-2019 - Nursery
School Capacity 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- Surplus
(2015) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 places
2019
Caerleon Lodge Hill 48 39 23 44 43 39 9
Primary School
Pupil numbers are January PLASC submission
Table 14
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School
Pupil projection 2019-2024 – Reception – Year 6 (excluding Nursery)
School Capacity 2019- 2020- 2021- 2022- 2023- Surplus
(2020) 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 places
2024
Caerleon Lodge Hill 315 289 298 305 318 312 3
Primary School
Forecasts do not include impact of future housing developments
14Building Condition
The new school on the Whiteheads development will be built in accordance with the Department
for Education and Skills Building Bulletin 99: Briefing Framework for Primary School Projects.
All existing Newport schools have recently been subject to a Building Condition survey. The
Caerleon Lodge Hill Infant building and Pillgwenlly Primary School were both judged to be in
condition C+ on a scale of A (excellent) to D (poor).
The Caerleon Lodge Hill Infant building will receive considerable investment to the value of £1.2m.
This investment will provide new lighting, ceilings, floor coverings and decoration to create a
modern and stimulating learning environment for Foundation Phase pupils. Post implementation, it is
expected that the school will be judged as a condition B building.
Pillgwenlly Primary School was constructed in 1988 to replace 3 former primary schools and a
nursery. As such, it is one of Newport’s more modern schools. Under this proposal, the building
will benefit from an extensive modernisation and refurbishment programme before it becomes the
permanent home of the new Welsh-medium Primary School. The budget for this element of the
project is £3.3m. Following this work, the school is expected to also be judged as a condition B
building.
The schools affected by the proposal have been judged to be in the following condition on a scale of
A (excellent) to D (poor):
Table 15 – School condition
School Current Condition Expected Condition (post
implementation)
Pillgwenlly Primary C+ B
Caerleon Lodge Hill Infants C+ B
Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd C+ C+
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon C C
Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael C- C-
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed TBC TBC
15Statutory Primary Education - Standards
Quality and standards in schools in Newport are monitored by Estyn and the Local Authority (LA).
Estyn is the office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales. It is a Crown
body, established under the Education Act 1992. Estyn is independent of the National Assembly for
Wales but receives its funding from the Welsh Government under Section 104 of the Government
of Wales Act 1998. Estyn inspects quality and standards in education and training providers in Wales.
The most recent inspection results of each school affected by this proposal are outlined below:
Table 16 – Estyn Inspections
School Inspection Outcomes Provision Leadership & Overall Summary
Date Management
Performance Prospects for
improvement
Caerleon Lodge May 2014 Good Good Good Good Good
Hill Primary
Pillgwenlly Jun 2015 Good Good Good Good Good
Primary
Ysgol Gymraeg Sep 2015 Good Good Good Good Good
Bro Teyrnon
Ysgol Gymraeg Mar 2017 Excellent Good Excellent Excellent Excellent
Casnewydd
Ysgol Gymraeg May 2016 Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Ifor Hael
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, which opened in September 2016, has yet to be inspected.
As a new school, the leadership team at the new Welsh-medium Primary School will receive support
from both the Local Authority and the regional consortium, the Education Achievement Service for
South East Wales (EAS), to help ensure the school establishes effective management and teaching
practices. Newport has an excellent track record of delivering quality primary education, with 98%
of our 42 primary school being in either Green or Yellow categories as at January 2019. A green
category indicates that the school has good standards and very good capacity for improvement with
an ability to support other schools.
Newport also has a positive record of establishing new primary schools that deliver good standards.
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon was established as a seedling school in September 2011, and more
recently, Jubilee Park Primary School was established as a growing school in September 2017.
At Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon, 100% of pupils achieved the Foundation Phase Indicator in the last
two academic years, and 100% of pupils achieved the expected level at the end of Key Stage 2 in
2018, this representing the first cohort of year 6 pupils at the school.
At the end of the 2017-18 academic year, Foundation Phase outcomes at Jubilee Park Primary
School were below the local and national averages, although this was likely affected by the small
cohort of just 16 pupils in Year 2. However, 100% of pupils reached the expected level at the end of
Key Stage 2, comparing favourably to local and national averages.
16Consideration of the potential impact of the proposal on quality and standards is aligned with the
Estyn Inspection framework:
Standards – The proposal will not affect the standards in any of the Welsh-medium schools affected
or at Caerleon Lodge Hill primary. Pillgwenlly Primary standards may improve as with the increase in
school capacity the current mixed year group classes will be changing to specific year group classes.
The new Welsh-medium primary school will receive the appropriate level of challenge and support
to ensure that a high quality standard of outcomes are achieved
Wellbeing and attitudes to learning – The provision of additional pupil places at Pillgwenlly Primary
School is expected to enable more children to attend school in their local community and with their
siblings. The creation of a new Welsh-medium primary school will increase parental choice in the
city and provide Welsh-medium education closer to home for children living in the city centre or
west of the city. The proposal will also provide new or upgraded facilities for learners. For these
reasons pupil wellbeing and attitudes towards learning are expected to improve once Pillgwenlly
Primary school moves to the new building and the new Welsh-medium school settles at its
permanent location. Pupil wellbeing is a priority which is monitored and reported through school
self-evaluation and improvement plans and also by the local authority’s wellbeing monitoring group.
The proposal will not impact wellbeing and attitudes towards learning at the other affected schools.
Teaching and learning experiences – The quality of teaching will remain the same in Pillgwenlly Primary
school and the teachers will continue to follow the national curriculum. The learning experiences
may be improved by having newer/updated facilities. The teaching at the new Welsh-medium
Primary school will follow the national curriculum with Welsh as the language of teaching and
learning. The proposal will not impact the teaching and learning experiences at the other affected
schools.
Care support and guidance – At Pillgwenlly Primary school the care support and guidance will
continue at the same standard or could potentially improve, currently classes are mixed with
different year groups but once the school moves, the classes will be dedicated to one set year group.
The new Welsh-medium primary school will be supported by the local authority and the Education
Achievement Service to provide high quality care, support and guidance. There will be no change in
care support and guidance at the other affected schools.
Leadership and management – There will be no change to how the quality and effectiveness of leaders
and managers will perform in Pillgwenlly Primary school or at the other affected schools. At the new
Welsh-medium primary school, the school leadership team will receive support and guidance from
the local authority and Education Achievement Service to ensure best practice in leadership and
management are adopted.
17School Categorisation
The National School Categorisation system gives us a clear and fair picture of how well a school is
performing compared with other schools across Wales and helps us to identify the schools that
need the most help, support and guidance to improve. The system has been developed collectively
between regional education consortia and Welsh Government. Its primary function is to identify,
across Wales, the schools that need the most support.
In the latest (January 2019) categorisation for primary schools, the affected schools are in the
following categories (in the range Green, Yellow, Amber, or Red):
Table 17 – School categorisation
School Category
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary Green
Pillgwenlly Primary Green
Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon Yellow
Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd Green
Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael Green
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed Yellow
The Council firmly believes that this proposal will have a positive impact on standards across this
range of schools as all buildings will be well-equipped to deliver a full curriculum for mainstream
pupils and pupils with additional learning needs.
What Will the Proposal Provide?
The proposal will provide a new two form-entry Welsh-medium Primary School and will include a
48-place nursery, a 10 place Learning Resource Base (LRB) and a dedicated Welsh-language primary
immersion unit.
Alongside this, the project will deliver significant refurbishment and improvements to the recently
vacated Caerleon Lodge Hill Infant School building which will be used to provide temporary
accommodation for the new Welsh-medium Primary School for two years (September 2020 – July
2022).
The proposal will also deliver a new three form-entry primary school building on the Whiteheads
development in the Pillgwenlly area which, once complete, will enable the relocation of the current
Pillgwenlly Primary School. This new building will enable the school to expand, increasing the total
capacity of Pillgwenlly Primary School from 546 to 630 mainstream places, and from 10 to 20
Learning Resource Base places for children with additional learning needs.
Catchment areas for Pillgwenlly Primary School and the four Welsh-medium primary schools will be
re-defined to support this proposal. As a result of the expansion of the Pillgwenlly Primary School
catchment area onto the Whiteheads development site, approximately 60 homes located off the
eastern side of Mendalgief Road which are currently within the Maesglas Primary School catchment
area, will fall into the Pillgwenlly Primary School catchment. Of 18 primary school age children
currently residing in this area, 11 (61%) already attend Pillgwenlly Primary School. None of them
currently attend Maesglas Primary School. As such the Council does not consider Maesglas Primary
School to be affected by this proposal.
18Nursery Provision
The proposal will see an increase in the total Nursery provision across Newport through the
creation of 48 additional part-time places at the new Welsh-medium primary school. This will have a
positive impact on Welsh-medium education through stimulated demand.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) Provision
There is an on-going demand for primary LRB placements across Newport. The proposal will see a
100% increase in the capacity of the LRB at Pillgwenlly Primary School where the provision will
increase from 10 places to 20 places.
The proposal also supports the creation of a 10-place LRB at the new Welsh-medium Primary
School, a provision that currently does not otherwise exist across the Welsh-medium primary
sector. This LRB will be generic in nature in order to meet a range of additional learning needs.
This will enhance the quality of education support provided across Newport to children with
additional learning needs, for those learning in both English and Welsh. The LRB in the new Welsh-
medium school will be available once the school is located at its permanent site.
The council’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) panel following a rigorous assessment of specific need
determines entry and exit into a Learning Resource Base. There are currently 12 Learning Resource
Bases across the primary sector, providing 180 placements.
List of facilities provided under the proposal
Seedling Welsh-medium Primary School:
3 standard Foundation Phase classrooms
Group/withdrawal rooms
Dining/assembly hall and kitchen/servery
Headteacher and admin offices
Staffroom
Covered play/learning areas
Playground and soft social (grass) area
New-build Pillgwenlly Primary School:
21 standard classrooms
Nursery provision
2 LRB classrooms
Library/flexible use study area
Offices
Assembly/dining hall and catering kitchen
Group/meeting rooms
Hard outdoor play areas
3G junior sports pitch
19Permanent site for new Welsh-medium Primary School:
14 Standard classrooms
Nursery classroom
LRB classroom
Library
Offices
Assembly/dining hall and catering kitchen
Group/meeting rooms
Hard and soft outdoor play areas
When Will This Be Effective?
The Welsh-medium seedling primary school will be established on the vacant site of the
former Caerleon Lodge Hill Infant School from September 2020;
Pillgwenlly Primary School will be relocated from its existing site to a new facility on the
Whiteheads development from January 2022, and;
The Welsh-medium Primary School will move to its permanent location on the site of the
current Pillgwenlly Primary school from September 2022.
Cost of the Proposal
This project will be implemented in three phases. The total budget for the project is £16.8m.
Phase 1 – Establishment of the seedling school
This is budgeted at £1.2m, funded via Welsh Government’s Welsh-medium Capital Grant.
Phase 2 – Design and build of the new school at Whiteheads.
This is budgeted at £12.3m, funded from the Council’s 21st Century Schools Band B programme.
Phase 3 – Refurbishment of the Pillgwenlly Primary School building
This is budgeted at £3.3m, funded via Welsh Government’s Welsh-medium Capital Grant.
Revenue Costs
The project will provide additional employment opportunities across the city, leading to an increase
in Local Authority staff costs. The expansion of Pillgwenlly Primary will see the need for new
teachers and teaching assistants. By opening a new Welsh-medium primary there will be a growing
need for more teachers and support staff over the years as the school grows providing additional
employment opportunities in the city.
Revenue Funding Implications
The establishment of a new school and the expansion of an existing schools will, of course, mean
additional cost pressures for the Local Authority. The council has considered these additional
pressures and has factored them into our financial planning as necessary. The expected revenue
costs of the proposal are outlined below:
Table 18
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
Welsh Medium 4 £247k £464k £639k £816k £916k £1.13M
Pill £59k £238k £240k £233k £233k
Total £247k £523k £877k £1.056m £1.149m £1.363m
20Alternative Options Considered
Seedling Provision
A number of alternative options were considered for the location of the seedling school before
identifying the Caerleon Lodge Hill Infant building as the most suitable location. These are described
below:
1. Caerleon Lodge Hill Infants
Benefits
Available Education Service asset;
Building designed for Foundation Phase pupils;
Low refurbishment costs;
Site could be used for an extended period if there were any delays to the permanent site;
Could stimulate demand for Welsh-medium education in the Caerleon area.
Risks
Located some distance from the from permanent site;
Outside the proposed catchment area for the new school
2. Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed
Benefits
Within the proposed catchment area for the new school;
Good transport links and generous car park;
Welsh-medium setting and could benefit in shared use of temporary facilities;
Facilities could be expanded to accommodate additional classes if any delays;
Sharing facilities (dining halls, admin offices) could reduce costs.
Risks
Limited external play facilities and offsite sports provision;
Existing free space is in buildings designed for secondary age pupils;
Would be costly due to a full temporary provision being required;
Nursery and secondary age children in close proximity;
Health and safety implications during proposed redevelopment of the secondary school site;
The Duffryn site is within a flood risk area which may present planning difficulties.
3. Bassaleg School
Benefits
Within the proposed catchment area for the new school;
Good transport links;
Large expansive site.
Risks
Heavy traffic during rush hour;
Will require full provision of temporary accommodation;
Wil involve hosting Foundation Phase children on a secondary school site;
Located in an air quality management area;
21 Potential environmental issues due to construction traffic accessing site entrance.
4. Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Teyrnon
Benefits
Annexe building has 2 classrooms, offices, outside play areas and dedicated parking;
The site has had previous infrastructure work which will reduce costs;
Has previously accommodated a seedling school;
A fully immersed Welsh-medium environment.
Risks
Outside the proposed catchment area for the new school;
Could be perceived as an expansion of the existing school, and therefore the new school
may have difficulty creating its own identity;
Additional buildings would need to be provided to accommodate school in second year;
Would be over a split site, which could be difficult to manage and impact host school;
Alternative provision would likely need to be sought for Mudiad Meithrin.
Permanent Location
An alternative option was for the new Welsh-medium Primary School to be established on the
Whiteheads site.
Benefits:
No disruption to pupils at Pillgwenlly Primary School;
Additional Welsh-medium spaces available to meet future demand;
New school and facilities for the Welsh-medium primary school
Risks:
Would not enable expansion of Pillgwenlly Primary School;
Large proportion of new school would remain vacant for some years.
What will the preferred proposal achieve?
The preferred proposal will provide additional Welsh-medium school places in the South-west of the
city once the school is located at the permanent site. The temporary location could also support an
increased demand for Welsh-medium education in the Caerleon area. This will enable the Council
to support Welsh Government’s charter of achieving 1 million Welsh speakers across Wales by
2050.
Relocating Pillgwenlly Primary School to the new build on the Whiteheads development will enable
the school to grow to 3 form entry, creating additional capacity to meet demand in the area as there
is insufficient space to expand the school on its current site.
22School Organisation Arrangements
Catchment Areas
Pillgwenlly Primary School
It is proposed that the existing catchment area for Pillgwenlly Primary School will be expanded to
include the Whiteheads development. The existing and proposed catchment areas are outlined in
the following maps:
Fig.2. Existing catchment area:
Fig.3. Proposed catchment area:
23Welsh-medium Primary Schools
Currently, as there are three Welsh-medium Primary Schools in Newport, the city is split into three
Welsh-medium catchment areas as outlined on the map below:
Fig.4. Current Welsh-medium primary school catchment areas
Fig.5. Proposed New Welsh-medium primary school catchment areas
24The proposed establishment of a fourth Welsh-medium primary school naturally means that Welsh-
medium catchment areas will need to be re-defined. In proposing these new catchment areas,
consideration has been given to the location and size of each of the four schools in terms of home
to school distance and population size. The proposed catchment areas have also been aligned with
catchment areas for English-medium primary schools, therefore making it easier for parents to easily
understand their Welsh-medium and English-medium choices. The proposed new catchment areas
are outlined in the map above.
Admissions
Newport City Council is the admission authority for all community-maintained schools across the
city. This will include the new Welsh-medium Primary School.
Applications for admission to all community-maintained schools will be assessed in accordance with
the Council’s School Admissions Policy. In accordance with this policy, parents can express a
preference for any school, but there is no guarantee of admission to the chosen school, even if it is
the catchment school. Admission to the school will be made in accordance with parental
preference, subject to availability. Where a school is oversubscribed, preference requests will still be
considered, but the Council’s over-subscription criteria will be applied to determine priority.
Admission to Nursery – September 2020
Applications can be made using the Council’s on-line admissions service between 10th July 2019 and
18th September 2019.
Decision notifications for on-time applications will be issued on 4th December 2019
Admission to Reception – September 2020
Applications can be made using the Council’s on-line admissions service between 6th November
2019 and 15th January 2020.
Decision notifications for on-time applications will be issued on 16th April 2020.
Further information on the School Admissions policy and process can be found on the Newport
City Council website at www.newport.gov.uk/schooladmissions
Home to School Transport
Safe walking routes to the existing school sites are already established. Safe routes to the new
school on the Whiteheads site will be determined during the design and planning process for the
new school.
Under the Council’s policy, free home to school transport is provided to all primary aged pupils of
statutory school age who live 2 miles or more from their catchment school, or nearest available
school. Free home to school transport is not provided for pupils attending nursery classes. This
proposal will not affect this arrangement.
Under this proposal, pupils living within the catchment area for the new school are likely to live
more than 2 miles of the seedling school and therefore will qualify for free home to school transport
whilst attending the seedling school. Continuation of this benefit from September 2022 will be
dependent on the distance between the home address and the permanent location of the new
school.
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