Cabinet receives update on school modernisation plans

The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has received an update on proposals for delivering new schools in the Cornelly area.

Under the plans, a new state-of-the-art English-medium school would be created to replace the ageing Corneli and Afon Y Felin primary schools. It would feature a two-form entry system, a 60-place nursery and a 15-place resource centre for pupils with additional learning needs.

The Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Y Ferch O’r Sgêr, would also be transformed and expanded.

Consultation with pupils, staff and governors was carried out earlier in the year, while a statutory consultation process has also been completed.

This is an opportunity to provide children living in the west of the county borough with the best modern educational facilities possible, and is one of the biggest investments in primary schools in the county borough.

All three existing schools involved in the proposal are in a poor condition, and have a very significant backlog of maintenance requirements – they were not designed to 21st Century School standards and do not lend themselves to adaptation.

Our proposals are driven by the need to provide suitable and sufficient numbers of pupil places. If granted final approval, we will work as closely as we can with all schools - with the governing bodies, staff, parents and pupils as the plans progress, helping to ensure the current small school ‘ethos’ is maintained and the transition is as smooth as possible.

Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration, Councillor Charles Smith

Under the proposals, the new English-medium school would be established at Plas Morlais by entering into an agreement with the current site owner, Valleys to Coast Housing, and exchanging the location for land vacated at Afon Y Felin.

The proposed land swap will not generate any income for the local authority, being purely a means to secure the site required for the school development.

Ysgol Y Ferch O’r Sgêr would gain all-new buildings and expand onto the current site occupied by Corneli Primary School to become a two-form entry school with a 60-place Welsh-medium nursery.

The Integrated Children’s Centre, which is currently located on the Corneli Primary School site, would remain in place.

The plans will now go before Welsh Government for confirmation of funding, returning to Cabinet for final approval.