Today, the council begins a formal consultation about the merger of two primaries, Ysgolion Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd a Phentrecelyn. There’s already been a minor rumpus, as placard-waving Pentrecelyn parents gathered outside county hall on January 13th ahead of the meeting that was to consider whether the proposal had weight and whether the council should therefore consult.
It seems that any whiff of a possible consultation results in a perception of a fait accompli.
Pentrecelyn parents appear open to a merger but not at any cost. They're concerned about the resultant Welsh medium provision. The merged school would offer dual stream learning, similar to Brynhyfryd and the same as in Llanfair. For Pentrecelyn parents, this dilutes the ethos of their school that is 100 per cent Cymreag.
Pentrecelyn parents will be buoyed by the government's decision to spare Ysgol Llanbedr (not that Pentrecelyn will close, just merge). On the other hand, from Septemebr 2104, the schools at Clocaenog a Chyffylliog merged, apparently successfully. And, of course, Derwen school closed over 20 years ago with most pupils transferring to Clocaenog.
The interesting fact about Llanfair/Pentrecelyn merger is neither that Llanfair has more than double the number of Pentrecelyn's 42 nor that they both have surplus spaces—they both have 21 and this cannot be sustainable for either school. Nor yet is it that Pentrecelyn in recent years has struggled to maintain a head teacher (it currently has a temporary head who took over from a head on secondment). This, too, cannot be good in the longer term.
It's more to do with attainment. At Llanfair, at foundation and key stage 2, over 90 per cent of pupils achieve what they should. Pentrecelyn struggles at 80-83 per cent.
Llanfair is within the "yellow" support category, whereas Pentrecelyn skips "amber" to find itself in the "red".
Is the merger a way of improving matters for Pentrecelyn pupils and shouldn't parents welcome that rather than rail against the merger?
Conversely, might Pentrecelyn drag Llanfair DC down? In which case, perhaps it's Llanfair parents who should be worried and who therefore should protest.
Talking of online youth initiatives, does anyone remember Denbighshire's attempt at reaching Generation Facebook with its, erm, funky yuff website? The project lasted from 2007 to 2011
It seems that any whiff of a possible consultation results in a perception of a fait accompli.
The consultation papers include a children's version in simple language
Pentrecelyn parents appear open to a merger but not at any cost. They're concerned about the resultant Welsh medium provision. The merged school would offer dual stream learning, similar to Brynhyfryd and the same as in Llanfair. For Pentrecelyn parents, this dilutes the ethos of their school that is 100 per cent Cymreag.
Pupils' aptitude in Welsh is actually similar at both schools
Pentrecelyn parents will be buoyed by the government's decision to spare Ysgol Llanbedr (not that Pentrecelyn will close, just merge). On the other hand, from Septemebr 2104, the schools at Clocaenog a Chyffylliog merged, apparently successfully. And, of course, Derwen school closed over 20 years ago with most pupils transferring to Clocaenog.
The interesting fact about Llanfair/Pentrecelyn merger is neither that Llanfair has more than double the number of Pentrecelyn's 42 nor that they both have surplus spaces—they both have 21 and this cannot be sustainable for either school. Nor yet is it that Pentrecelyn in recent years has struggled to maintain a head teacher (it currently has a temporary head who took over from a head on secondment). This, too, cannot be good in the longer term.
It's more to do with attainment. At Llanfair, at foundation and key stage 2, over 90 per cent of pupils achieve what they should. Pentrecelyn struggles at 80-83 per cent.
Ysgol Llanfair
Llanfair is within the "yellow" support category, whereas Pentrecelyn skips "amber" to find itself in the "red".
Ysgol Pentrecleyn
Is the merger a way of improving matters for Pentrecelyn pupils and shouldn't parents welcome that rather than rail against the merger?
Conversely, might Pentrecelyn drag Llanfair DC down? In which case, perhaps it's Llanfair parents who should be worried and who therefore should protest.
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Education