Latest news with #YsgolGymraegTrefynwy
South Wales Argus
3 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Pupil increase at Monmouth Welsh medium school reported
Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy opened in September 2024, which was a year later than originally planned, with 18 pupils and the number is set to increase to 29 when schools return from the summer holidays. Councillor Tudor Thomas said: 'The school had 18 pupils last September and now, this September, will have 29 on roll. 'It's very much down to the headteacher and her staff who've worked so hard and set a high bar for the standards they provide.' Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy was established as a seedling school, with the intention of it growing by a class every year, at the existing Overmonnow Primary which remains open as an English medium school in Monmouth. But Cllr Thomas, at Monmouthshire County Council's July meeting, asked director of education Will McLean that thought be given to its long term location. The Abergavenny councillor said: 'I ask the authority make a decision about where Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy is in the long term.' He said while the Welsh medium is currently able to operate from one classroom it doesn't currently have a staff room. Director of education Mr McLean said its future location will be considered as part of plans to address higher than average empty places in local primary schools. Mr McLean said a meeting was held with local schools and said: 'We did commit to work through and understand what the likely solutions could be for both dealing with surplus places and also providing a long term home for Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy.' He said reports will be brought to council committees and the cabinet during the autumn term. At the meeting Mr McLean also acknowledged concerns over existing Welsh medium Ysgol y Ffin, in Caldicot, and said it has had a 'challenging past year' and the council is supporting it and its new temporary headteacher. Since the meeting the council has responded to claims, made in an online petition, and confirmed it doesn't intend closing any schools to deal with surplus places and denied claims Ysgol Trefynwy would replace the current Kymin View Primary in Wyesham. The council originally intended to open a Welsh medium primary, in Monmouth, in September 2023 despite only three pupils having registered by the deadline but in June that year said it hadn't been able to appoint a headteacher and took the decision to postpone the opening to September 2024.
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
School closures ruled out by Monmouthshire County Council
A petition has claimed Kymin View Primary School, in Wyesham, Monmouth could be closed and the recently established Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy would move into its building. But Councillor Laura Wright, Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet member for education, has dismissed school closures as a solution to surplus places and denied any proposal to remove English medium education from Kymin View. The council has said it is having to address falling pupil numbers in Monmouth and Chepstow but has said: 'The county council wishes to clarify that there are no plans to close Kymin View or any other school within the county.' Labour's Cllr Wright said: 'Monmouthshire County Council, schools, parents and members of the community will need to work together to think about how we address surplus places in our schools. However, I have been very clear that school closures are not part of the solution. We are also not proposing to remove English medium education from Kymin View.' Her comments come after the council had issued a statement earlier in the week that described claims over the future of Kymin View as 'speculative' and said it has yet to make any 'firm' proposals on how to deal with surplus places. The statement from Cllr Wright was issued due to 'concern and anxiety in Monmouth prompted by rumours circulating online and in the local media'. Cllr Wright acknowledged the 'higher than average' number of vacant places in Monmouth primary schools needs to be addressed and said: 'As you would expect, there have been some very early stage conversations about the low pupil numbers in some of our schools and the challenge that this presents. Having those discussions is the right and responsible thing for us to do.' At the county council's July meeting it was stated by director of education, Will McLean, the Chepstow and Monmouth school clusters have 'significant numbers of surplus places' which he said was about 200 primary age pupils in both areas. Mr McLean also said it isn't anticipated new housing, including those expected from the council's ongoing local development plan, will produce a 'sufficient' number of youngsters to fill the empty places. He said the council wants to work with the four schools in Monmouth on solutions and said a meeting, with schools earlier in July, looked at what the 'likely solution could be for dealing with surplus places' as well as the long-term future of Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy which opened last September within Overmonnow Primary in Monmouth. He said any proposals will have to be made in line with Welsh Government regulations and said working through the options would likely be a 'challenging and complex period'. Mr McLean said reports on addressing surplus places in both Monmouth and Chepstow will likely be brought to the council's scrutiny committees, and the decision making cabinet, in the autumn term. Plans for the school building programme, to be submitted to the Welsh Government, will also be considered though Mr McLean cautioned: 'New schools cost an awful lot of money.'
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
No firm proposals on Kymin View Primary says Monmouthshire
A petition to 'Save Kymin View School' has been signed by more than 280 people amid claims Monmouthshire County Council is proposing the school close and the recently established Welsh medium Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy move into the building. However, a spokesman for the county council said while it is drawing up plans to address surplus places in the Monmouth area it has made no firm proposals as yet, and when it does publish plans they will be in line with strict Welsh Government requirements on allowing parents and the wider community the chance to comment as part of a consultation. The petition, which claims the council's Labour-led cabinet will propose a statutory consultation at its October 15 meeting, has been started by Xavier Turner, who is standing as Conservative candidate in the Monmouth Town Council by-election for the Wyesham ward due to take place on Thursday, July 24. His petition states: 'The council is proposing that Kymin View would close and that Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy (Monmouth's Welsh-medium primary school), which is currently based at Overmonnow, would move into the Kymin View site. 'This would force Wyesham families to transport their children either on a 14-mile round trip to Llandogo or across the Wye Bridge every day to attend another Monmouth primary school, but Osbaston only has about a dozen surplus places, so only Overmonnow would have spare capacity.' The petition, in support of the Wyesham school which had 129 pupils at the time of its most recent inspection in March 2024 and a nursery, states taking action could 'stop this proposal before it reaches the formal consultation stage'. At the county council's July meeting Conservative opposition leader, Mitchell Troy and Trellech councillor, Richard John asked director of education Will McLean if he agreed Ysgol Gymreag Trefynwy is 'where it needs to be'. Mr McLean said the Welsh medium had been established as a 'seedling school' with the intention of growing by a class every year and its future is linked to how the council addresses surplus places in Monmouth, with around 200 empty places in local primaries. Mr McLean said: 'I think it will be a complex and challenging period of time as we work through the potential options. No decisions have been made and there are no formalised proposals as yet. We want to work with the four schools and community in Monmouth to make sure we come to a position that is reasonable, very well informed and we are able to advance.' The strategic director acknowledged 'limited flexibility' in the code governing school reorganisation in Wales and said it was important the council 'get our proposals right before we start that formal process.' A spokesman for Monmouthshire County Council said the claim it would close Kymin View and move Ysgol Trefynwy to its building 'is entirely speculative and there is currently no preferred option.' The spokesman said officers met with headteachers, staff and governors from Kymin View, Osbaston Church in Wales Primary, Overmonnow Primary and Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy on July 8 to share 'relevant data with them and explain the rationale to consider the surplus places and the need to plan accordingly' The spokesman said: 'It was made clear to attendees that there was no preferred option at this time. 'When further consideration has been given to the position of the four schools we will engage with them prior to any formal process of consultation beginning. This process is set out in two defined stages under the Welsh Government's School Organisation Code and takes approximately four to five months to complete. Any school impacted by any future proposals will be a full participant in the process.' There are two other candidates in the Wyesham ward by-election they are independent Jim Lin Jenkins-Jones and Reform UK candidate Robert James Andrew Kavanagh.
