BEAUFORT Hill primary school will be part of a new catchment area for Brynmawr Foundation (secondary) school – despite overwhelming opposition to this move.
At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Children, Young People & Families scrutiny committee on Tuesday, January 20, councillors received the results of a consultation on the catchment area for Brynmawr school.
On the advice of the People scrutiny committee, proposals for the Brynmawr catchment area were pulled out of the paper as councillors felt more work was needed on it.
This led to a consultation on the catchment area proposals taking place between December 12 and January 5.
Respondents were asked to comment on two options.
The first option, which was supported by 84 (21.3 per cent) of responses, would officially place Beaufort Hill, Blaen y Cwm, Ystruth and Coed y Garn primary schools all in the catchment area for Brynmawr.
The second option, which was supported by 311 (78.7 per cent), of responses does not include Beaufort Hill primary school in the catchment.
Beaufort is a village which lies roughly between Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr.
Service Manager for Education Transformation and Business Change Joanne Watt said: “There is clear public preference there.
“There was strong support for keeping Beaufort Hill pupils aligned with Ebbw Fawr (Learning Community).”
Cllr John Hill (Independent group – Brynmawr) asked what the “disadvantages” are with each option.
Mrs Watts explained that Option One would see the council “fully meet” with requirements set out by school’s watchdog Estyn and the Welsh Government, while Option Two would not.
Mrs Watts said: “The key risks is non-compliance in managing our school’s capacity and surplus places.”
Too many youngsters would be going to Ebbw Fawr and not enough to Brynmawr which currently has 20 per cent surplus spaces.
Cllr Hill said: “So one school is full and the other one isn’t and can only get worse.”
Mrs Watts explained that the report gave pupil projections due to new housing developments taking place in Ebbw Vale and that there was an influx of people moving to the town.
Cllr Gareth Alban Davies (Independent group – Rassau and Garnlydan) said: “It’s not quite as simple as saying that Beaufort Hill is in the Brynmawr catchment, as a lot of children attending there don’t live within the Beaufort Hill area.
“Parental choice has shown over the last five years that the vast majority want to send their children to Ebbw Fawr – and that’s borne out by the consultation.
“If we’re not going to take any notice of the consultation, what was the point of it?
Chief Education officer Jo Sims said that the numbers going to Brynmawr had gone up over the “last couple of years.”
The school came out of Estyn special measures in December 2023.
Ms Sims said: “We’re starting to see numbers increasing and that reflects how confidence is returning to the school.
“The most recent Estyn monitoring visit was really good and showed that progress is continuing and the school is in a good strong place.”
Cllr Hill proposed going to a vote and supported Option One.
Three councillors voted in favour and three against.
This saw committee Chairman Cllr Wayne Hodgins (Independent group – Brynmawr) used his casting vote to support Option One.
The recommendation from the committee will now be included in the report which goes in front of the Labour Cabinet next month, for a decision.
Brynmawr comprehensive school became a grant-maintained foundation school back in the 1990s to save it from being closed by the council.
A foundation school means that the governing body have a far greater say on running the school and what is taught there.
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