Appendix 1
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. How can you find out more and give your views?
3. Your views matter
4. Explanation of terms used in this document
5. Background to the proposal
6. The proposal
7. Facilities included in a school
8. Schools serving the area at present
9. School Primary school provision catchment map
10. School capacities, condition and suitability of school buildings
11. Demand for English-medium places within the Radyr Primary School catchment area
12. Recent demand for places
13. School Class Organisation
14. Future demand
15. Alternative options
16. How would other schools be affected?
• English-medium primary schools
• Welsh-medium primary schools
• Faith based primary schools
17. How would nursery provision be affected?
18. Quality and standards
• Estyn
• Welsh Government categorisation of schools
• Standards
• Provision
• Leadership and Governance
19. How would SEN and EAL provision be affected?
20. What are the benefits of the proposal?
21. Potential disadvantages of the proposal
22. Risks associated with the proposal
23. Admissions and catchment area arrangements
24. How would secondary catchments/schools be affected?
25. Financial matters
26. Human Resources Matters
27. Transport Matters
28. Learner Travel Arrangements
29. Impact of the proposal on the Welsh Language
30. Equality Matters
31. Sustainability Matters
32. Considering Community Impact
33. Next Steps, how to make your views known and feedback form
• What happens next?
• Key Dates
• Consultation period
• Statutory Notice
• Determination of the proposals
• Decision Notification
34. Frequently Asked Questions
35. Consultation Response Form
1
Introduction
This consultation is an opportunity for people to learn about the school organisation
proposal put forward in your area. It is your chance to ask questions and make
comments that will be considered when the Council decides how to proceed.
Our consultation process follows Welsh Government guidelines outlined in the
School Organisation Code 2013 and therefore a range of individuals and groups are
being asked for their views about the proposal.
However, before any decisions are made the Council needs to ensure that it offers a
number of opportunities for individuals and interested groups to make their views
and opinions on the proposal known.
Table 1 below sets out details of the groups the Council is consulting:
Table 1: Groups the Council is consulting with
Children and young people
Welsh Ministers
Parents/carers
Police & Crime Commissioner
School staff
Central South Consortium Joint
Education Service (CSCJES)
School Governing Bodies
Welsh Language Commissioner
Local residents
Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg (RhAG)
Local Members/Assembly Members
(AMs)/ Regional Assembly
Members/Member of Parliament (MPs)
Trade Unions
Diocesan Directors of Education
Childcare providers
Neighbouring Authorities
Mudiad Meithrin
Neighbouring Primary and Secondary
schools within Cardiff
Wales Pre-School Providers Association
Estyn
Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Club
Communities First Partnership
National Day Nurseries Association
Community Council’s
How can you find out more and give your views?
A public meeting and drop in session have been arranged where the proposal will be
explained. These are provided so you can ask questions and make comments that
will be recorded. You may also provide your views in writing.
2
Details of the consultation meeting dates are given in Table 2 below:
Nature of Consultation
Date/Time
Venue
Staff Meeting
20 October 2016
3:30pm
Radyr Primary School
Governors Meeting
20 October 2016
5:30pm
Radyr Primary School
Public Meeting 20 October 2016
7 – 8:30pm
Radyr Primary School
Drop in session 02 November 2016
11am – 1pm
Radyr Library
In addition, workshop sessions will be arranged with Radyr Primary pupils to provide
an opportunity for pupils to ask questions and learn more about the proposal and
give their views.
Your Views Matter
Your views matter and we want you to tell us what you think about the proposal.
You can do this by:
• attending one of the meetings or drop in sessions above.
• completing the consultation response form which can be found on page 26 of this
document.
• completing the online response form at www.cardiff.gov.uk/21stCenturySchools.
• contacting the School Organisation Planning Team on (029) 2087 2720, by e-
mail to [email protected] or by post to Room 219, County Hall,
Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff, CF10 4UW.
The closing date for responses to this consultation is 21 November 2016.
Unfortunately responses received after this date will not be considered by the
Council.
Explanation of terms used in this document
Please note the following terms used throughout this document:
Community Schools – a state primary or secondary school for which a local
education authority has staffing, premises, and admissions responsibilities.
LA – Local Authority which means the City of Cardiff Council.
3
FE - a Form of Entry refers to a class of 30 children in each year group. A 2FE
school is therefore two classes of 30 children in each year group.
WG – Welsh Government
Number on roll data - the number of pupils attending school excluding nursery age
pupils.
PLASC - Pupil Level Annual School Census. In January of every year, verified
information is collected by schools for submission to the Welsh Government. This
includes the number of pupils enrolled in each school, their age groups, home
addresses, ethnicity, and data on Welsh language, Free School Meals eligibility,
Special Educational Needs and first language.
CSCJES – Central South Consortium Joint Education Service. The regional School
Improvement Service for the five local authorities of Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil,
Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
Foundation Phase – The first years of school (ages 3-7)
Key Stage 2 – The second phase of primary education (ages 7-11)
SEN - Special Educational Needs
FSM - Free School Meals
EAL - English as an Additional Language
School Action - When a class or subject teacher identifies that a pupil has SEN
they provide interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as
part of the school’s usual curriculum.
School Action Plus - When the class or subject teacher and the SEN Co-ordinator
are provided with advice or support from outside specialists, so that alternative
interventions additional or different to those provided for the pupil through School
Action can be put in place.
Statemented - A child has SEN if he or she has learning difficulties which requires
special educational provision to be made for him or her. A learning difficulty means
that the child has significantly greater difficulty in learning than most children of the
same age, or that the child has a disability that needs different educational facilities
from those that the school generally provides for children.
EIA – An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process designed to ensure that a
policy, project of scheme does not discriminate against any disadvantaged or
vulnerable people.
Statutory Notice – a statutory notice is the formal publication of a finalised
proposal, if approved by the Council’s Cabinet and will only be considered once the
Cabinet have received a report on all the responses from the consultation. This is a
legal requirement as outlined in the School Organisation Code 2013.
4
Determine – when the Council’s Cabinet makes its final decision on a proposal, it is
said that the proposal has been “Determined”.
Background to the proposal
There has been an increased demand for English-medium primary school places in
the Radyr and Morganstown areas in the past five years. The area is served by two
English-medium community primary schools, Bryn Deri Primary School and Radyr
Primary School.
As a temporary measure to meet demand, additional places were provided using a
combination of existing and temporary accommodation at Radyr Primary School in
September 2012, September 2013, September 2014, September 2015 and
September 2016.
Projections indicate that this demand for places will continue to exceed the capacity
of local schools in future years and therefore a permanent solution is required. In
response to this and in accordance with statutory requirements, the Council is now
consulting on a proposal to provide additional English-medium primary school
places, with implementation commencing from 2017.
The information within this document will outline the proposal to provide additional
English-medium primary school places.
The Proposal
To increase the number of English-medium primary school places by:
• increasing the capacity of Radyr Primary School to allow the school to admit up
to 60 pupils from September 2017.
Facilities included in a school
Any changes to existing or new school accommodation that may be required in the
event of the proposal outlined above proceeding to implementation would meet with
The Department of Education: Area guidelines for mainstream schools Building
Bulletins which set out that the following facilities need to be included in any school:
• Teaching space: internal and external
• Halls/dining area
• Learning resource areas
• Staff and administration
• Storage
• Toilets and personal care
• Kitchen facilities
• Circulation, plant and internal walls
• Withdrawal areas to support small group/SEN working
5
Schools serving the area at present
The area is served by two English-medium community primary schools, Bryn Deri
Primary School and Radyr Primary School.
6
The Radyr and Morganstown area is also served by Ysgol Coed y Gof, Pentrebane
and Ysgol Gynradd Gwaelod y Garth. The demand for places at both of these
schools remains at a high level, however in the first round of admissions for entry in
September 2016, all pupils resident in these catchment areas were able to be
allocated a place at their catchment area school, if this was stated as their
preference. The Council will continue to monitor the demand for Welsh-medium
primary school places in the local area, and bring forward appropriate proposals to
balance the supply of and demand for places, when necessary.
There is no faith based provision in the Radyr and Morganstown area, however a
small number of pupils from this area do attend faith based primary schools in other
areas.
School Capacities, Condition and Suitability of School Buildings
This section sets out the capacities, condition and suitability of School Buildings and
existing demand for primary school places that serve the Radyr and Morganstown
areas.
Table 3 below provides details of school capacities and information regarding the
condition and suitability of school buildings.
Table 3: Capacity, condition and suitability of schools serving the Radyr/Morganstown areas
Name of School
Language
medium/
Category of
School
Condition
Category
as
identified
by 21
st
Century
Schools
Survey
Current
Published
Capacity
(age 4-11)
Published
Capacity
(nursery
– part
time
places)
Places per
year group
Radyr Primary
English-
medium
community
school
B
315
32
45
Bryn Deri Primary
English-
medium
community
school
B
184
80
30
Ysgol Coed y Gof
Welsh-
medium
community
school
B
389
0
60
Ysgol Gynradd
Gwaelod Y Garth
Welsh-
medium
community
school
B
237
40
33
7
The published overall school capacity of Bryn Deri Primary School is 184 places.
The Published Admission Number, agreed in consultation with the Governing Body
of the school, is 30 places for each year group.
The school accommodates 8 teaching classrooms, including the nursery classroom.
This allows for one classroom for the nursery and one for each year group from
Reception to Year 6.
The published overall school capacity of Radyr Primary School was set in 2008 at
315 places. The Published Admission Number, agreed in consultation with the
Governing Body of the school, is 45 places for each year group. The assessed
capacity and Admission Number are based on 12 teaching classrooms, including two
classrooms in a demountable unit.
A nursery class was established at the school in 2013. An additional demountable
unit containing two classrooms was provided, allowing for the new nursery class to
be accommodated within an existing classroom within the main building and
providing the school with one (net) additional classroom.
The school presently accommodates 14 teaching classrooms, including the nursery
classroom. This configuration is one classroom fewer than necessary for the school
to organise two classes for each year group from Reception to Year 6.
A reassessment of the capacity, taking into account the use of shared support space
in the school, indicates that the school is able to accommodate up to 376 pupils. In
the event of the proposal being implemented, sufficient accommodation would be
made available to allow the school to accommodate up to 420 primary aged pupils.
Demand for English-medium places within the Radyr Primary
School catchment area
The catchment area of Radyr Primary school falls entirely within, and serves part of,
the Radyr and Morganstown ward. The Radyr and Morganstown ward is also served
by Bryn Deri Primary School.
The Radyr Primary School catchment area lies within the catchment area of Radyr
Comprehensive School. Projected demand for English-medium community school
places varies in each of the primary school catchment areas within the secondary
school catchment, however, the combined demand is at a high level.
Recent demand for places
A growth in the pre-school population has been evident in recent years in the Radyr
and Morganstown area.
School census data (PLASC) confirms that the number of pupils attending English-
medium Reception places at any school, resident within the catchment area of Bryn
Deri Primary School, exceeded 30 places by 8 pupils in January 2013 and by 4
pupils in January 2014.
8
The number of pupils attending English-medium Reception places, resident within
the catchment area of Radyr Primary School, exceeded 45 places by 10 pupils in
January 2014 and by 2 pupils in January 2015. Initial data analysis suggests that the
number of pupils attending Reception at an English-medium primary school also
exceeded 45 in January 2016 by 26 pupils.
!
In September 2012, to assist in meeting the demand for places in the local area, the
Council agreed with the Governing Body of Radyr Primary School to allow the
admission of up to 15 additional pupils to the school, utilising spare accommodation
in the school.
!
In order to continue to accommodate pupils in Radyr and Morganstown in local
English-medium schools, and to prevent late applicants being unable to obtain local
school places in neighbouring schools, the Council has allowed the admission of up
to 60 pupils at entry to Reception in the successive intakes since September 2012.
!
The combined demand for English-medium community school places in the Bryn
Deri and Radyr catchment areas, and take up of places at the two schools, in recent
years is set out below:
Table 4: Pupils enrolled in EM community Reception classes
Primary School catchment area:
Pupils admitted to
school
Academic
Year
Bryn Deri
Primary
Radyr
Primary
Bryn Deri Primary
& Radyr Primary
combined
catchment
Bryn Deri
Primary
Radyr
Primary
2011/ 2012
26
29
55
30
38
2012/ 2013
38
39
77
30
60
2013/ 2014
34
55
89
30
60
2014/ 2015
28
47
75
30
56
2015/ 2016
25
71
96
30
60
School Class Organisation
Schools that are highly/ fully subscribed and which also have a Published Admission
Number that is not a multiple of 30 pupils are expected to operate mixed age
classes. In the case of Radyr Primary School, the Published Admission Number of
45 provided a suitable balance with the demand for places in the area for a number
of years and the school was able to balance numbers of pupils in each year group
with other year groups, in order to operate as a 1.5 Form entry school.
Having admitted 60 pupils in September 2012 to meet the demand for places that
could not be accommodated elsewhere, and demand for places having remained at
a high level, the Council has required the school to admit in excess of 45 pupils each
year since and the school has not been able to return to a 1.5 form entry
organisation.
9
As a consequence of this, the school would require an additional classroom for
September 2017 in order for the Council to comply with admitting pupils up to the
Published Admission Number of 45 places.
The provision of an additional classroom would result in an enlargement of the
premises of the school which would increase the capacity of the school by at least
25% resulting in a significant alteration (know as “regulated alterations”) for which
proposals must be published (School Organisation Code 2013).
Future demand
Projected demand based upon NHS data received in 2015 indicates that the number
of English-medium community pupils entering Reception will remains at high levels
until at least September 2018, the latest year for which data are available.
Table 5 : Future demand for places in EM community Reception classes
Primary School catchment area:
Academic
Year
Bryn Deri
Radyr
Bryn Deri & Radyr combined
catchment
2016/ 2017
34
69
103
2017/ 2018
37
54
91
2018/ 2019
30
80
110
The above projections take account of a positive Cohort Survival Ratio in the area,
indicative of pupils moving into the area in the years between the age of 0-4. This
ratio is evident in the annual NHS population data update for the Bryn Deri and
Radyr catchment areas.
Projected demand for school places takes account of data supplied by the NHS and
the recent take-up of places. The Council is aware of a number of sites approved for
housing and/ or under consideration by housing developers that, if progressed,
would increase the demand for school places in the local area.
Whilst any additional housing, if agreed for development, will be expected to include
provision for education, any new housing in the locality could create additional
demand for school places in addition to that included in projections, at least in the
short term. In the event of this being the case consideration would need to be given
to how this demand would be met.
Alternative options
As evidenced in tables 4 and 5, the demand for English-medium community primary
school places in the Radyr and Morganstown area has been greater in the Radyr
Primary School catchment area than the Bryn Deri Primary catchment area in recent
years, and this is projected to continue.!
Following the provision of additional accommodation at Radyr Primary School to
allow for the establishment of a nursery in 2013, the school would require one further
classroom to enable it to operate at two forms of entry (60 places per year group).
An alternative option, of expanding Bryn Deri Primary School to allow an admission
10
number of 45 places, would require four further classrooms to be provided. The
expansion of Radyr Primary School is therefore considered to be a more cost
effective solution, when compared to the expansion of Bryn Deri Primary School.!
The catchment areas of Radyr Primary School and Bryn Deri Primary School are
abutted by those of the following primary schools:
• Coryton Primary School, Whitchurch
• Danescourt Primary School, Llandaff
• Hawthorn Primary School, Llandaff North
• Pentyrch Primary School, Pentyrch
• Peter Lea Primary School, Fairwater
• Tongwynlais Primary School
• Ysgol Gynradd Gwaelod Y Garth
The number of places available at Coryton, Hawthorn, Pentyrch and Tongwynlais
primary schools and the demand for places in each of these catchment areas
broadly balances with places available at each school.
Coryton, Hawthorn and Tongwynlais are geographically distant from Radyr and
Morganstown, in terms of safe home to school walking distance. There is no safe
walking route between Radyr/ Morganstown and Pentyrch.
Whilst Ysgol Gynradd Gwaelod Y Garth is within a reasonable
1
walking distance of
parts of Morganstown, demand for places at the school from within its catchment
area also broadly balances with the places available.
Peter Lea Primary School is in close proximity to some parts of the Radyr Primary
School catchment area. However, this school falls within the secondary school
catchment area of Cantonian High School. The demand for places at the three
English-medium community primary schools in the Cantonian catchment (namely
Fairwater, Pentrebane and Peter Lea) broadly balances with the places available in
these catchment areas combined.
Changes to catchment areas of the above schools, and to Radyr Primary and Bryn
Deri Primary, would not therefore provide a sustainable solution to balance the
supply of and demand for places across the wider area.
Danescourt Primary School falls within the secondary school catchment area of
Radyr Comprehensive High School, is within walking distance of parts of the Radyr
Primary School catchment area, and has surplus places in comparison to demand
from within its catchment area.
11
Table 6: Future demand for places in EM community Reception classes
Primary School catchment area:
Academic
Year
Bryn Deri
Radyr
Bryn Deri
& Radyr
combined
catchment
Danescourt
Bryn Deri,
Radyr ,
Danescourt
combined
catchment
2016/ 2017
34
69
103
21
124
2017/ 2018
37
54
91
24
115
2018/ 2019
30
80
110
26
136
Projections indicate that it may therefore be possible to provide a broad balance in
the overall supply of and demand for places across the catchment areas of Bryn
Deri, Radyr and Danescourt Primary Schools.
However, the distribution of children in the catchment area of Radyr Primary School
is such that:
• the majority of pupils in the Radyr Primary School catchment area are more than
2 miles from Danescourt Primary School.
• a large proportion of pupils are resident North of the Radyr Primary School site,
and would therefore pass the school to commute to Danescourt Primary,
• a large proportion of pupils are resident on the ‘Radyr sidings’ development and
would, based on existing safe walking routes, be required to commute in excess
of two miles to Danescourt Primary School.
Danescourt Primary School has also been fully subscribed at entry in recent years.
At entry in September 2016, all 60 places available at Danescourt Primary School
were allocated and the final place offered, on the basis of proximity to the school,
was in closer proximity to the school (1.227 miles) than that of pupils resident on the
Radyr sidings estate.
This suggests that in future years, should no action be taken to balance catchment
areas, those pupils in the Radyr catchment that are refused admission to the school
would also be unlikely to gain admission to Danescourt Primary School.
In summary, retaining existing arrangements would not be likely to provide sufficient
places for pupils in the Radyr Primary School catchment area to be accommodated
in schools within two miles of the school.
Additionally, implementing this option would also not allow the Council to comply with
the published admission arrangements in September 2017 i.e. admitting a minimum
of 45 pupils, should there be sufficient successful applicants.
(
1
Reasonable walking distance being less than two miles, this being set as the limit
beyond which free home to school transport would have to provided, in accordance
with the Council’s Home to School Transport Policy).
12
How would other schools be affected
The total number of places available at entry to Reception age in the two primary
schools, following the implementation of this proposal, would be 90 (30 at Bryn Deri
Primary School and 60 at Radyr Primary School). This compares to the existing
arrangements, in which the Published Admission Numbers for each school enable
up to 75 pupils to be admitted (30 at Bryn Deri Primary School and 45 at Radyr
Primary School); however, due to the local demand for places Radyr Primary School
has admitted 60 pupils at entry in each year from September 2012.
The proposal, which increases the combined capacity of the two schools, would
continue an arrangement that has operated on a temporary basis for five intake
years.
English-medium primary schools
The permanent expansion of Radyr Primary School at 2 forms of entry is expected to
more closely match the future demand for places at the school from within the
school’s catchment area. The proposed expansion continues arrangements in place
since 2012 which have not had a negative impact on local schools.
The expansion in capacity to this size would allow for an increase in the number of
pupils able to be admitted compared to the Published Admission Number, but this is
not expected to displace pupils from other schools.
The majority of pupils admitted to Bryn Deri Primary School and Radyr Primary
School in recent years have been resident within the catchment area of these
schools. Projections based on pre-school pupil population data suggest that this
would continue, and that few surplus places would be available.
It is therefore anticipated that the proposed expansion of Radyr Primary School to 2
forms of entry would have little or no effect on the number of pupils on roll at other
English-medium schools in the local area.
Welsh-medium primary schools
The take up of places at the Welsh-medium primary schools serving the area, Ysgol
Coed Y Gof and Ysgol Gynradd Gwaelod Y Garth has remained at high levels for a
number of years.
The city-wide population and the population in Radyr and Morganstown area have
each grown in recent years, and demand for places at Welsh-medium schools has
also grown. Ysgol Coed Y Gof and Ysgol Gynradd Gwaelod Y Garth were both fully
subscribed in recent years, however both schools are able to accommodate children
from other catchment areas.
City-wide, few surplus Welsh-medium places have been available at entry to
Reception year. Only 3 other Welsh-medium primary schools had more than 4
surplus places at entry to Reception in September 2015, namely Ysgol Y Berllan
Deg in Llanedeyrn (6 places) Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch in Leckwith, (7 places) and
Ysgol Gymraeg Pen Y Groes (16 places).
13
It is therefore anticipated that the proposed expansion of Radyr Primary School to 2
forms of entry would have little or no effect on the number of pupils on roll at Welsh-
medium schools in the local area.
Faith-based primary schools
Although there is no faith based primary school provision in the Radyr and
Morganstown area, some pupils from this area attend faith based primary schools in
other areas.
The most recent school data in 2015 indicates that, from Radyr and Morganstown,
two pupils attended Llandaff CiW Primary School and one pupil attended Christ The
King Primary School, Llanishen.
Admission to these schools is determined by the Governing Body of the individual
school. Llandaff CiW Primary School has been fully subscribed at entry to Reception
for a number of years, and the take up of places at Christ The King Primary School
has remained at high levels. This is projected to continue in future years and it is not
expected that the proposal will impact upon this.
Table 7 below illustrates the number of pupils on roll at schools serving the area and
schools in adjacent areas, and the projected numbers of pupils on roll should the
proposal proceed as described.
Table 7: Recent and projected numbers on roll at local primary schools should the
proposal proceed as described
School
Is this
school
expected
to be
affected
NOR at Jan
2011
NOR at Jan
2012
NOR at Jan
2013
NOR at Jan
2014
NOR at Jan
2015
NOR at Jan
2016
2016/2017
projection
2017/2018
projection
2018/2019
projection
2019/2020
projection
2020/2021
projection
Radyr
Primary
School –
should the
proposal not
proceed
Yes
310
327
342
350
365
369
383
384
385
370
354
Radyr
Primary
School –
should the
proposal
proceed
Yes
310
327
342
350
365
369
383
399
415
415
414
Bryn Deri
Primary
School
No
204
201
192
192
196
204
201
207
206
205
204
Creigiau
Primary
School
No
333
342
342
357
365
367
370
371
377
380
386
Danescourt
No
282
270
264
303
319
345
355
367
377
386
381
14
Primary
School
Fairwater
Primary
School
No
216
205
201
211
205
216
215
209
203
198
194
Holy Family
Primary
School
No
93
95
97
98
108
106
111
113
111
106
104
Llandaff CW
Primary
School
No
422
422
422
417
421
420
420
420
420
420
420
Pentrebane
Primary
School
No
133
133
144
155
164
181
195
223
232
241
258
Pentyrch
Primary
School
No
130
125
111
113
122
133
130
136
134
133
131
Peter Lea
Primary
School
No
254
267
283
303
311
320
318
320
321
314
310
Tongwynlais
Primary
School
No
126
135
154
162
180
186
191
193
194
193
192
Ysgol
Gymraeg
Coed Y Gof
No
354
370
377
373
351
352
366
379
395
403
414
Ysgol
Gynradd
Gwaelod Y
Garth
No
192
190
214
226
228
225
239
249
255
259
262
Ysgol
Pencae
No
208
207
206
201
207
208
211
210
210
210
210
The projections for each of the above schools, with the exception of Radyr Primary
School, represent both the projections as if the proposals were not to proceed and
also if the proposals were to proceed. Those pupils unable to gain admission to
schools due to oversubscription could elect to attend alternative English-medium,
Welsh-medium, Faith, private schools or schools outside of Cardiff and for the
purpose of clarity are not added to the Numbers on Roll at alternative schools.
Projections based on actual GP registration data beyond 2018 are not yet available
and it is therefore difficult to assess the long-term impact on schools; however, there
are no data presently available that suggest a reduction in the overall demand for
school places.
How would nursery provision be affected?
Children in Cardiff are entitled to a part-time nursery place from the start of the term
following their third birthday and must attend for a minimum of five half days.
Nursery places are not allocated on a catchment area basis. Places are offered in a
15
local community nursery school or nursery class within two miles of a child’s place of
residence. If places are unavailable in local community nursery schools or nursery
classes, parents may apply for nursery education place funding with a recognised
provider designated by the Cardiff Early Childhood Steering Group.
A nursery unit was established at Radyr Primary School in 2013 and currently
provides 48 part-time places (24 morning and 24 afternoon). There is scope to
increase the number of places provided within the existing accommodation.
Demand for nursery places at the school will be kept under review.
Whilst the addition of nursery places would mean there would potentially be a
reduced number purchased in the private and voluntary childcare sector, many also
provide wrap around places and the opportunities for this could increase with a
larger number of families accessing the maintained provision for part time sessions.
It must be noted that accessing a nursery place at a school, does not guarantee a
reception place and is subject to a separate primary phase admission process.
Quality and Standards
The Council works closely with the governing bodies of schools to ensure that
standards in schools are high, that teaching is good and that leadership and
governance is strong. The Council works closely with two organisations in order to
monitor the performance of schools and to support school improvement.
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.
Central South Consortium Joint Education Service (CSCJES) was established in
September 2012. The Local Authority has commissioned the Consortium to support
and challenge schools in Cardiff.
When proposing changes of this type to schools Local Authorities are required to
refer to the most recent Estyn reports, other evidence from performance monitoring
and any other information available on school effectiveness.
Local Authorities must also demonstrate the likely impact of the proposals on the
quality of:
• outcomes (standards and wellbeing)
• provision (learning experiences, teaching, care support and guidance and learning
environment)
• leadership and management (leadership, improving quality, partnership working
and resource management)
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Estyn
Schools are inspected as part of a national programme of school inspection. The
purpose of an inspection is to identify good features and shortcomings in schools in
order that they may improve the quality of education offered and raise standards
achieved by their pupils (Estyn).
The relevant Estyn Inspection reports provide grades against Key Questions and
provide schools with recommendations for improvement.
For inspections carried out since September 2010 a common inspection framework
was introduced and Estyn inspections carried out after September 2010 provides
judgements against three Key Questions:
Key Question 1: How good are outcomes?
Key Question 2: How good is provision?
Key Question 3: How good are leadership and management?
Each key question is provided with a judgement:
• Excellent –many strengths, including significant examples of sector-leading
practice
• Good – many strengths and no important areas requiring significant improvement
• Adequate – strengths outweigh areas for improvement
• Unsatisfactory – important areas for improvement outweigh strengths
Inspectors also provide an overall judgement on the school’s current performance
and on its prospects for improvement.
Radyr Primary School was last inspected in June 2011. The school’s performance
was judged to be good with prospects for improvement judged to be adequate.
In October 2012, the school was judged to have good progress and was removed
from the list of schools requiring Estyn monitoring.
Welsh Government categorisation of schools
In 2014 the Welsh Government introduced a new categorisation system that
considered each school’s standards alongside the school’s capacity to improve so as
to understand the level of support that organisations such as CSC need to give each
other in order that they achieve their targets.
The categorisation system is described below:
Category of
support
What the category means
Green
A highly effective school which is well run, has a strong leadership
and is clear about its priorities for improvement.
Yellow
An effective school which is already doing well and knows the
areas it needs to improve.
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Amber
A School in need of improvement which needs help to identify the
steps to improve or to make change happen more quickly.
Red
A school in need of greatest improvement and will receive
immediate, intensive support.
To determine the colour coded category of support as explained in the table above,
schools are placed in one of four groups for standards (1-4) and for bringing about
improvement (A-D) with one being the highest grouping for standards and A being
the highest for improvement capacity. Updated categorisations are published every
year in January.
The Welsh Government has categorised the school as Yellow.
School
Standards Grade
Improvement
Capacity
Category of
Support
Radyr Primary
School
1
B
Yellow
For further information about the new categorisation scheme, please see Welsh
Government’s parents’ guide to the National School Categorisation System:
http://gov.wales/docs/dcells/publications/150119-parents-guide-en.pdf
Table 8 below/overleaf shows the Estyn judgements, recommendations, WG
category and the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 data for Radry Primary School
(Estyn Inspection June 2011).
Table 8: Estyn judgements and recommendations, WG category, FP & KS 2 data
School’s current Performance
Good
School’s prospect for improvement
Adequate
Key Questions
Judgement
Key Question 1: How good are the outcomes?
Good
Standards
Good
Wellbeing
Good
Key Question 2: How good is provision?
Good
Learning experiences
Adequate
Teaching
Good
Care, support and guidance
Good
Learning environment
Good
Key Question 3: How good are leadership and
management?
Adequate
Leadership
Adequate
Improving quality
Adequate
Partnership working
Good
Resource management
Good
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Recommendations
R1
Continue to focus on raising
standards of achievement for all
pupils
R2
Improve the planning of key skills to
ensure coherency, progression and
development across the school
R3
Improve teacher’s planning to meet
the needs of all pupils
R4
Clarify the roles and responsibilities
of school leaders at all levels to
improve development planning
R5
Improve the partnership between the
school and parents or guardians
Welsh Government Support Category
*Pupils achieving the expected outcome in the
FP areas of learning (2015)
95%
*Pupils achieving the expected level in the core
subjects at KS2 (2015)
96.4%
*Attendance (2015)
96.7%
*further information can be found on the website: mylocalschool.wales.gov.uk
Standards
The Council has in place policies to support school improvement e.g. ‘High
Achievement for All’ and Achievement for Inclusion’. It is working to respond to the
key principles of the ‘School Effectiveness Framework’ to secure better learning
outcomes and well-being for all children.
It is not anticipated that there will be any impact on the quality of standards of
education or the delivery of the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 at Radyr Primary
School as a result of this proposal.
Provision
The proposal would provide appropriately for demand for English-medium primary
school places in the Radyr and Morganstown areas.
Leadership and Governance
The Council would continue to work with the leadership of Radyr Primary School to
continue to ensure a rigorous whole school approach to improvement planning and
secure good relationships with parents and other partners in order to ensure pupils
receive a high quality education.
Careful planning would take place during the proposed period of change to avoid any
risk of distraction or disruption to leadership and governance that could impact on
educational outcomes.
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How would SEN and EAL provision be affected?
A child has Special Educational Needs if he or she has a learning difficulty which
requires special educational provision. A learning difficulty means the child has
significantly greater difficulty in learning than most children of the same age or that
the child has a disability that needs different educational facilities than those that the
school generally provides for children.
Table 9 below shows the percentage of SEN, FSM, EAL and Minority Ethnic pupils
at Radyr Primary School.
Table 9: SEN, FSM, EAS and Minority Ethnic Information
2015
Radyr Primary
LA
Wales
Percentage of
SEN Pupils
School Action
School Action
Plus
Statemented
11.3%
16.1%
6%
1.8%
15.1%
8.3%
1.7%
Percentage of
FSM Pupils – 3
year average
N/A
3.7%
23.4%
20.1%
Percentage of
EAL Pupils
N/A
2.9%
21.1%
5.9%
Percentage of
Minority Ethnic
Pupils
N/A
16.5%
32.9%
10.6%
* further information can be found on the website: mylocalschool.wales.gov.uk.
Schools in Cardiff receive delegated funding to enable them to provide extra support
and focussed interventions for pupils who have special educational needs. !
The majority of the funding is distributed by a formula which predicts the general
level of high incidence needs in each school within Cardiff. Schools use the SEN
Formula Funding to provide a range of focussed interventions for pupils with needs
at ‘School Action’ or ‘School Action Plus’.
In addition to the Formula Funding, schools may receive ‘Complex Needs
Enhancement’ to enable them to support named children with more complex needs.
Pupils with this level of need usually have a statement of special educational needs
or a CIDPEY (Cardiff Individual Development Plan for Early Years), which sets out
the child’s strengths and difficulties, and provides clear information about how the
child’s learning will be supported at school.
There is no information available that suggests that the proposals would have a
negative effect on SEN provision at the schools and the schools would continue to
provide SEN support for pupils appropriate to the level of need. However,
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consideration would need to be given to how any reconfiguration of buildings would
facilitate this ongoing requirement.
There is also no information available that suggests that the proposals would have a
negative effect on provision for any group including those who are from minority
Ethnic groups or in receipt of free school meals and the schools would continue to
provide support appropriate to the individual needs of each pupil.
What are the benefits of the proposal?
The Council’s aims to improve the sufficiency of school places and suitability of
school places across Cardiff. This proposal would contribute towards this aim.
The following benefits would be expected to result from this proposal:
• Achieve a better match between the supply and demand for English-medium
primary school places within the local area.
• When compared with smaller schools, the scale of a two form entry primary
school permits greater flexibility and opportunity for pupils due to an extended,
more enhanced and secure financial resource base.
• A two form entry school can provide a greater degree of stability at all levels of
leadership including maintaining a full and stable complement of school
governors.
• The ability to employ more teaching and support staff would allow the two form
entry school to cover a wider range of curriculum expertise.
Potential disadvantages of the proposal
The proposal could result in potential increased traffic congestion around the school
site at drop off/pick up times. However, the Council would work with the Governing
Body of the schools to develop a Travel Plan to minimise any potential disruption.
Changes to any existing accommodation and any new accommodation can cause
some disruption however experience shows that this can be kept to a minimum and
children’s education does not suffer.
Risks associated with the proposal
There is a risk that the expected number of pupils entering Reception does not
materialise. Whilst this appears unlikely, officers will ensure projections are kept
under review and respond to any such changes in demand accordingly.
There is a possibility of development constraints not yet identified becoming
apparent and having both cost and delay implications.
Admissions and catchment area arrangements
There are no proposed changes to catchment areas as part of this proposal.
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There are no plans to change the Council’s policy on the admission of children to
schools as a result of this proposal.
Detailed information regarding admission arrangements is contained in the Council’s
Admission to Schools booklet, and this information can also be viewed on the
Council’s website (www.cardiff.gov.uk).
The Council would implement this intake by authorising the admission of pupils in
accordance with its published criteria.
How would secondary catchments/schools be affected?
At the point of expansion, Radyr Primary School would be in the existing Radyr
Comprehensive catchment area.
Separate proposals would be brought forward in good time to ensure there are
sufficient places to meet demand for English-medium places within the Radyr
Comprehensive catchment area if required.
Financial Matters
Any expansion of Radyr Primary School would require investment in the school.
This investment would need to be funded through the Council’s capital programme
which will be determined by the end of February 2017.
The additional revenue costs of the increased pupil numbers September 2017 onwards
would be met through the school funding formula which allocates the majority of funding
for schools on the basis of pupil numbers.
Human Resources Matters
The Council’s HR People Services would work with the Governing Body of Radyr
Primary School in readiness for its permanent expansion (subject to approval). In
line with the School Organisation Planning (SOP) HR Framework, the Headteacher
and Governing Body will be encouraged to undertake a review of their staffing
structure to ensure that they are sufficient for expansion as the number on roll
increase. This will have to be balanced against the forecasted school budget.
However, it is likely that the permanent expansion of the school would result in the
creation of additional permanent vacancies.
HR People Services would also provide recruitment support in line with the Council’s
Redeployment and Redundancy Policy which the Governing Body has adopted.
This means that any new vacancies arising as a consequence of an increase in the
numbers on role, would provide opportunities for staff on the school redeployment
register.
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Transport Matters
A Traffic and Transport Assessment has been commissioned and any implications
arising out of this will be considered when a decision on whether to progress the
proposal is taken by the Council’s Cabinet. Any costs identified through the traffic
assessment that are specific to the additional pupils attending Radyr Primary School
as opposed to increase in the general population in the area would be met by the
Education budget.!
Learner Travel Arrangements
Under these proposals there are no plans to change the Council’s policy on the
transport of children to and from schools. Any pupils affected by this proposal as a
result of catchment areas would be offered the same support with transport as is
provided throughout Cardiff and in accordance with the same criteria that apply
across Cardiff. The Council’s transport policy for school children can be viewed on
the Council’s website (www.cardiff.gov.uk).
Impact of the proposal on the Welsh Language
It is not anticipated that there will be any negative impact on the Welsh Language as
a result of this proposal.
The teaching of Welsh within an English medium setting is subject to the requirements
of the National Curriculum. This would not change with the expansion of the school.
This proposal does not seek to change the number of Welsh-medium primary school
places available in the area.
Officers are monitoring birth rates, the yield from proposed housing and the patterns
of take up in Welsh-medium provision at primary and secondary age with a view to
bringing forward appropriate plans to meet any increased demand.
Equality Matters
An initial Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out. The assessment
concluded that this proposal would not adversely affect a particular group in society.
The assessment will be reviewed following consultation. If the proposal were to
proceed, further equality impact assessments would be undertaken including an
assessment on the design for any new build accommodation or
refurbishment/adaptation of existing accommodation.
Sustainability Matters
A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the proposal has been carried out in
accordance with European Legislation. The assessment confirms that the proposal is
compatible with the environmental objectives identified in the SEA of Cardiff’s 21st
Century: A Strategic Framework for a School Building Improvement Programme. If
the proposal were to proceed, an environmental assessment would be carried out as
part of the planning application process.
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Considering Community Impact
There is a need to increase the number of English community places available
without impacting adversely on the community. The following are taken into account
when considering a proposal: Public Open Space, parkland, noise and traffic
congestion. Officers will work with the school and any community group to ensure
that the proposal avoids negative impacts wherever possible.
The school subject to the proposal is an existing school which offers a range of after
school activities and may have community organisations offering services from the
school facilities. It is not anticipated that there would be a negative impact on any of
these activities and the proposal allows for the potential development of community
use of the additional facilities.
Next steps, how to make your views know and feedback form
What happens next?
Key Dates
The feedback from this consultation will be collated and summarised, and a report
presented to the Council’s Cabinet. This consultation report will be available for all
persons to view on the Council website and copies can be obtained on request by
using the contact details in this document.
There are a number of further stages that the Council would have to go through
before a final decision is made by the Council.
These stages are set out in Table 9 below:
Table 9: Further stages
Statutory Process
Timescale
Consultation Period
10 October – 21 November 2016
Consultation report considered by the
Council Cabinet and published on the
Council website
January 2017
Subject to approval statutory notice
issued during which time formal written
objections can be made
February 2017
Determination by the Council’s Cabinet
To be confirmed
Objection report published on the
Council’s website and notification of
Cabinet’s decision
To be confirmed
The proposed timetable may be subject to change
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Consultation period
The consultation period for these proposals starts on 10 October and ends on 21
November 2016. See page 26 for further details of how to respond and make your
views known.
Within 13 weeks of 21 November 2016 a consultation report will be published on the
City of Cardiff Council website. Hard copies of the report will also be available on
request. The report will summarise the issues raised by consultees during the
consultation period and provide the Council’s response to these issues. The report
will also contain Estyn’s view of the proposals.
The Council’s Cabinet will consider the consultation report and decide whether or not
to proceed with the proposals.
If the Cabinet decides to continue with the proposals the City of Cardiff Council must
publish a statutory notice.
Statutory Notice
The statutory notice would be published on the City of Cardiff Council website and
posted at or near the main entrance to the schools/sites subject to the notice. Copies
of the notice would be made available to schools identified in the notice to distribute
to pupils, parents, guardians, and staff members (the school may also distribute the
notice by email). The notice sets out the details of the proposals and invites anyone
who wishes to object to do so in writing within the period specified.
Determination of the proposals
The City of Cardiff Council Cabinet will determine the proposal. Cabinet may decide
to approve, reject or approve the proposal with modifications. In doing so, Cabinet
will take into account any statutory objections received.
Decision Notification
Following determination of the proposal all interested parties will be informed of the
decision which will be published electronically on the City of Cardiff Council’s
website.
25
Frequently Asked Questions
• What would the proposal mean for children currently attending Radyr
Primary School?
Children currently attending Radyr Primary School would remain at the school.
• Would the proposal have an impact on traffic in the local area?
Traffic and transport implications would be considered as part of the Transport
Assessment required in order to achieve planning consent for building works should
this proposal be implemented.
• Would the building works be carried out whilst children are on site?
The City of Cardiff Council has significant experience in the successful delivery of
building projects on the sites of occupied schools resulting from the progression of a
large and growing school organisation programme. Any building work carried out on
the schools site would be managed effectively in consultation with the school
management to ensure the full curriculum continues to be delivered and that high
education standards and safety standards are maintained.
• Would there be any change to the uniform?
There are no changes of uniform at any of the schools arising out of this proposal.
• What about local childcare providers in the area?
The City of Cardiff Council is supportive of Early Years Childcare providers, and as
such the aim would be to work with local childcare providers to enable continued
service delivery.
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CONSULTATION RESPONSE FORM (The provision of additional English-
medium primary school places at Radyr Primary School)
Your views matter, please tell us what you think about the proposal by:
Completing and returning the accompanying questionnaire to the address given at
the bottom of the form.
Completing the on line response form at www.cardiff.gov.uk/21stcenturyschools
Or if you prefer you can e-mail your views to: [email protected]
Please note that all comments sent in writing or by e-mail must contain the full
name and full postal address of the person making the comments.
The closing date for responses to this consultation is 21 November 2016.
Unfortunately no responses received after this date can be considered by the
Council.
Responses received from consultees who are opposed to the proposal will be
considered as part of the consultation report, but will not be treated as statutory
objections. Objections could only be registered following publication of a statutory
notice.
Any responses received can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act and
may have to be made public, however any information that would identify an
individual such as an e-mail address, name or postal address would be removed.
Do you support the proposal to provide additional English-medium primary school
places at Radyr Primary School from 2017?
Yes No
If you do not support the proposal, please give your reasons together with any
changes or alternatives that you would like to suggest.
Do you wish to make any other comments?
Your name: …………………………………………………………………………………
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Address: …………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Postcode …………………………………………………………………………………….
E-mail Address ………………………………………………………………………………
Date: ………………………………………………………………………………………….
Your status: Parent
Governor
Pupil
Member of Staff
Other (please specify) ………………………………………………….
Thank you for your comments
Please tick the box below if you wish to be notified of publication of the consultation
report
Please return this form to the School Organisation Planning Team, Room 422,
County Hall, CF10 4UW by 21 November 2016.
Please return this form to Room 422, County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff CF10 4UW by 24
October 2016
Radyr Primary Consultation 10 October to 21 November 2016
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This document is about changes proposed to schools in your area. You have been sent this
document for you to find out more about this proposal and for you to give your views. Please
tick this box if you require this information in your language and write your name, address and
telephone number in English or Welsh in the large box at the bottom of the form. Please return
this form to the address at the top of the form.
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Please return this form to Room 422, County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff CF10 4UW by 24
October 2016
Radyr Primary Consultation 10 October to 21 November 2016
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Name:
Address:
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Phone: