At its meeting on 19 October 2023 the Council Cabinet authorised officers to publish a statutory notice in respect of proposals that would:
Transfer Ysgol Mynydd Bychan to the current Allensbank Primary School site
- Increase the capacity of Ysgol Mynydd Bychan from 192 places (0.9 Forms of Entry) to 420 places (2 Forms of Entry) and increase the number of nursery places at Ysgol Mynydd Bychan from 64 to 96.
Amalgamate Allensbank and Gladstone Primary Schools
- Formally closing Allensbank Primary School.
- Formally closing Gladstone Primary School.
- Establishing a new 420 place (2 Forms of Entry) English-medium Primary School with nursery on the current shared Gladstone Primary School / St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School site.
The proposed changes would take effect from September 2025.
The statutory notice was published on 9 November 2023 and allowed a period of 28 days for formal objections to the proposals up to and including 6 December 2023.
The Council received five objections to the published proposals during the period allowed for objections.
A report setting out details of the objections received, the Council’s response to these, and recommendations on the way forward will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet at its meeting on 18 January 2024.
In the report Cabinet is recommended to:
- Approve the proposals in respect of Allensbank Primary School, Gladstone Primary School and Ysgol Mynydd Bychan as published without modification.
The proposed changes are subject to the determination of the Governing Body of St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School to implement its proposal to transfer St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School to the current Ysgol Mynydd Bychan site and establish nursery provision at the school, from September 2025.
If you have any queries or require any further information, please contact the School Organisation Planning Team on 029 2087 2720 or via email
schoolresponses@cardiff.gov.uk.
Proposals to reorganise primary school provision were brought forward to address a number of issues affecting English-medium and Welsh-medium provision serving these areas.
The changes are proposed to:
- support each school to continue to improve education for all of their learners
- ensure that each school provision offered meets the diverse needs of the local community
- support schools to be financially sustainable, with stable school budgets
- support schools to allocate a greater proportion of budget to teaching and learning, thereby retaining and increasing opportunities for learners
- increase Welsh-medium primary school places by one Form of Entry (210 primary age pupils)
- consolidate English-medium primary school places with an appropriate level of surplus.
A report on the consultation undertaken in May and June 2023 was considered by the Council Cabinet at its meeting on 19 October 2023.
The report informed Cabinet of the responses received during the consultation, the issues raised, the Council’s response to these and recommendations on the way forward. This report also considered how each of the above issues would not be addressed, and the difficulties for schools in maintaining and improving on their high standards, if there were no changes made to schools serving the area.
Following consideration of the outcome of the consultation, the Cabinet authorised officers to publish a statutory notice to:
Transfer Ysgol Mynydd Bychan to the current Allensbank Primary School site
- Increase the capacity of Ysgol Mynydd Bychan from 192 places (0.9 Forms of Entry) to 420 places (2 Forms of Entry) and increase the number of nursery places at Ysgol Mynydd Bychan from 64 to 96.
Amalgamate Allensbank and Gladstone Primary Schools
- Formally Close Allensbank Primary School.
- Formally Close Gladstone Primary School.
- Establish a new 420 place (2 Forms of Entry) English-medium Primary School with nursery on the current shared Gladstone Primary School / St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School site.
The proposed changes would take effect from September 2025.
The statutory notice is live from 9 November 2023 and allows a period of 28 days for formal objections to the proposals up to and including 6 December 2023.
Should you wish to object to the proposed changes, objections should be sent to the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, Cardiff Council by email:
SchoolResponses@cardiff.gov.uk.
Objections may also be sent to the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, Cardiff Council, County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff CF10 4UW. Please note that any such objection sent by email must contain the full name and postal address of the objector.
Please note that any such objection sent by e-mail must contain the full name and postal address of the objector.
The changes to community primary school provision are subject to proposed changes to St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School.
At its meeting on 26 October 2023 the St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School Governing Body agreed to progress to the next stage and issue a legal statutory notice to:
- Transfer St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School, Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3JL, into the premises currently occupied by Ysgol Mynydd Bychan, New Zealand Road, Cardiff, CF14 3BR.
- Extend the age range of the school from 4 – 11 to 3 – 11 by establishing nursery provision at the school to allow for 32 part-time places.
The proposed changes would be implemented from September 2025.
The statutory notice regarding proposed changes to St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School has been published separately by the Governing Body and can be viewed on the
St Monica's school website.
Following the objection period, the Council’s Cabinet will determine the proposals for Allensbank Primary School, Gladstone Primary School and Ysgol Mynydd Bychan. This means they will make a final decision on whether the changes go ahead. The Cabinet may decide to approve or reject the proposal, or they may approve the proposal with some changes (modifications).
If there are no objections to the proposal for St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School, the Governing Body would determine their proposal. The Governing Body may decide to approve, reject, or approve the proposals with modifications. Should they decide to approve their proposal, this would be subject to the Council also approving its proposals.
If there were objections to the proposals for St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School, the proposals would be referred to the Local Authority for determination.
After determination of the proposals, the Council will notify all stakeholders of the decision and will also publish its decision on the Council and school websites.
If you have any queries or require any further information, please contact the School Organisation Planning Team on 029 2087 2720 or email
schoolresponses@cardiff.gov.uk.
St Monica’s report
A report on the consultation on proposed changes to St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School will be considered by the Governing Body at its meeting on 26 October 2023.
The report informs the Governing Body of the responses received during the consultation, the issues raised, Cardiff Council’s response to these, the Governing Body’s response to these and recommendations on the way forward.
In the report the Governing Body is recommended to agree the publication of a statutory notice to:
- transfer St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School to the current Ysgol Mynydd Bychan site and establish nursery provision at the school
The proposed changes would take effect from September 2025.
An update on the proposed changes will be provided following the consideration of the consultation report by the Governing Body.
Cardiff Council’s report
A
report on the consultation on proposed changes to primary school places to service Cathays and parts of Gabalfa, Heath, Llandaff North and Plasnewydd will be considered by the Council Cabinet at its meeting on 19 October 2023.
The report informs Cabinet of the responses received during the consultation, the issues raised, the Council’s response to these and recommendations on the way forward.
In the report the Cabinet is recommended to authorise officers to publish a statutory notice to:
- Transfer Ysgol Mynydd Bychan to the current Allensbank Primary School site.
- Increase the capacity of Ysgol Mynydd Bychan from 192 places (0.9 Forms of Entry) to 420 places (2 Forms of Entry) and increase the number of nursery places at Ysgol Mynydd Bychan from 64 to 96.
- Amalgamate Allensbank and Gladstone Primary Schools:
- Formally Close Allensbank Primary School.
- Formally Close Gladstone Primary School.
- Establish a new 420 place (2 Forms of Entry) English-medium Primary School with nursery on the current shared Gladstone Primary School / St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School site.
The proposed changes would take effect from September 2025.
The publication of the statutory notice is subject to the agreement of the Governing Body of St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School to also proceed to publish its proposals to transfer St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School to the current Ysgol Mynydd Bychan site and establish nursery provision at the school, from September 2025.
An update on the proposed changes will be provided following the consideration of the consultation reports by the Cabinet and the Governing Body of St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School respectively.
If you have any queries regarding the proposed changes, please contact the School Organisation Planning Team on 029 2087 2720 or via email at schoolresponses@cardiff.gov.uk.