Future plans for special teaching facilities in Swansea - consultation document

Specifically, this will include the following:

1. The redesignation of 25 Special Teaching Facilities.
2. Change the specialism of 3 STFs
3. The opening of 5 new Special Teaching Facilities and expansion of a further 4.
4. The closure of 5 Special Teaching Facilities.

These proposals will affect future pupil admissions only - pupils' current placements will remain in place. 

Contents

Foreword from Director
Glossary of abbreviations

1. Introduction/ background/ rational for change

Introduction/ background
Rationale for change
The current model
Key principles

2. What would this proposal mean?

Part 1 - The redesignation of STFs
The proposal to redesignate the STFs will have the following benefits
Part 2 - Mapping of places
2a. The opening of new STFs in the following schools
2b. The closing of the following STFs
2c. Planned places
This package of proposals combined will have the following benefits
What are the potential disadvantages of the proposals?
Mitigations against disadvantages/ risks
Resourcing of education and other financial implications
Governing body implications
Staffing implications
Transport implications
Admission arrangements
Risks/ dependencies of the proposals
Alternative options considered

3. The consultation process

Who will be consulted?
The consultation period
Consultation meetings
Consultation meetings for all interested schools/parents
Consultation with pupils
Consultation report
Statutory notice
Statutory objection period
Determination of proposal
Decision notification
The statutory process timetable
Integrated impact assessment
Welsh language impact assessment
Community impact assessment
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

4. Appendices

Appendix A - Schools affected by this proposal
Appendix B - Integrated Impact Assessment
Appendix C - Welsh Medium Impact Assessment
Appendix D - Community Impact Assessment
Appendix E - Budget information
Appendix F - Response form

Foreword from Director

Swansea Council has an obligation under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal Act 2018 (ALNET) to keep specialist places for children with an additional learning need under review. Currently there are 38 specialist teaching facilities (STFs) within 31 schools that provide focussed and additional support tailored to meet the specific needs of learners with an additional learning need (ALN).

The local authority and its schools know that a better plan is needed to meet the current and future needs of learners. A plan already exists to increase special school places to meet the needs of a hundred more learners by 2028. The STF places will also need to increase with 61 extra places overall. However, the key aim of this proposal is to better balance STF provision across Swansea.

In re-setting STFs across schools, no child would be moved from their current provision. The change would be gradually implemented from September 2025 and completed by September 2029.

This proposal will result in a better strategic plan for learners. The proposal hopes to meet the needs of children close to their community and reduce travel time, where possible. The aim is to focus on early intervention wherever possible.

Schools and wider stakeholders, including Social Services and Health, have agreed key guiding principles to support decision making. Not all schools with STFs would be affected by proposals, for example, learners with profound and multiple learning needs would not be affected.

A few schools would see a reduction in places where STFs will gradually be reduced and ultimately close, but these places will be re-distributed to provide a better balance across Swansea, aligned with the key agreed principles.

The proposal will also break new ground with a brand new STF for a few schools, additional support for Welsh-medium learners across the county and provide better quality assurance and consistency across all service providers.

The proposal will ensure every area of Swansea can support the growth (particularly neurodiversity) in learners' needs. Crucially, the proposal is child-centred and supports continuity and progression for learners within their communities, where possible.

1. Introduction/ background/ rational for change

Introduction/ background

Swansea has a strong track record for meeting a wide range of additional learning needs (ALN). The needs of learners are changing and the numbers of learners requiring specialist support are increasing. Data indicates this increase will continue.

In addition to this, the law has changed as a result of the Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Act (ALNET) 2018. This legislation places a requirement on local authorities to keep their provision for additional learning needs under review. The Act also requires schools to respond differently to children and young people with additional needs. The expectation of the new Act is that most children will be educated locally with support being offered at school level with a range of strategies designed to support the needs of the individual learner.

Schools in Swansea are inclusive and responsive to support children with additional learning needs and the local authority has a role in ensuring this inclusive approach is consistent across all schools. Most pupils with additional learning needs are educated in mainstream schools.

However, there are approximately 600 pupils who have more severe and complex additional learning needs which require a more specialist setting for their learning and well-being needs to be met.

Currently, in Swansea these more specialised settings include the following:

Additionally, there are two special schools providing education for a maximum of 250 pupils, aged between 3 and 19 years:

Ysgol Crug Glas has 55 places for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).

Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn has 195 places.  It has 116 places for moderate to severe learning difficulties (M/SLD) and 79 places for pupils with severe autism.

Nursery provision is provided within these settings where this is appropriate.

Rationale for change

Over the past five years the number of pupils with additional learning needs has risen, driving an increasing demand for specialist teaching provision within Swansea. Data indicates that this increasing trend is likely to continue.  There are also changes to the type of need. For example, we know there is a national increase in cases of Autism, although it is important to note that not all children and young people with Autism need a specialist placement nor do they necessarily need additional learning needs provision or an Individual Learning Plan (IDP).

The change in the law via the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 has meant the local authority have needed to review and respond to the changing legal requirements.

As part of this review the local authority have asked for views and opinions from several of our stakeholders including other local authorities, headteachers and school staff, parent/carer organisations and advocacy groups. These discussions indicated that a full review of the current specialist provision in Swansea was needed to ensure future high-quality, accessible provision, that makes the best use of resources available. 

Although the number of places in STFs is reviewed on an annual basis a review of the entire provision is needed to ensure compliance with ALNET 2018.

The current model

The current model has a number of excellent STFs with very experienced staff. All STFs have an inclusive approach and the learners who attend are considered as an important and valued part of their school communities.

However, there are some difficulties with the current model.

In some parts of Swansea there is more specialist provision than is needed for the local population. I.e. there are more places than are needed. However, in other parts of Swansea there is less provision than is needed for the local population. In some parts of Swansea there is no specialist provision. This means that some children and young people travel to different areas of Swansea to access the education they need. This means that these children are educated further away from home than their peers, taking them away from their local communities and increasing journey time.

In the current model, the STFs in some secondary schools meet a different need from those of their feeder primary schools. This means that pupils in STFs do not always get to transition to secondary school with their peers or to the school that is the main link school for their primary school. Swansea Council would like to improve this situation and ensure every child could access a local school if they chose to do so. Some schools have a high number of STF places and other areas of Swansea have less STF places than are needed for the local community, Swansea Council would like to address this issue too.

Swansea Council also recognises the need to improve the offer in relation to specialist provision for Welsh Medium education and are committed to increasing the number of Welsh Medium school places by investing in Welsh Medium education. Supporting learners with additional learning needs through the medium of Welsh is a priority.

In addition to the specialist teaching facilities, Swansea Council will be building a new special school. The current model of STF provision needs to be reviewed to ensure that all aspects of the continuum of provision for children with additional learning needs is refined.

Key principles

These proposals have been developed and refined over a three-year period. Several different stakeholder groups were involved is developing them. The groups agreed a set of principles which were considered important to achieve the best model for children and young people. Those principles underpin the new proposals, and an overview of the principles is outlined below:

• There should be a consistent offer where schools in all communities are able to adapt and give a flexible approach to meet needs wherever possible. Children and Young People should be able to access consistent, localised community offers which allow for continuity in learning. 
  (This means, wherever learners live in Swansea they should be able to go to a local school and get the same level of support required to meet their needs).
• Expertise is essential, specialisms are crucial. A highly developed collaborative, outreach / in reach approach is advocated to upskill across all sectors and allow the work of specialists to focus on capacity building and professional learning. A highly skilled workforce (not only teachers) should be in place.
  (This means we want to have a range of specialist staff within our schools and staff who can work across all Swansea schools to offer support).
• The model will be one which reflects a continuum according to need. STF provision is important and valued in the model which includes (where appropriate) shorter term placement as part of a continuum. The expectation of the role of STFs needs to be clearly defined and understood by all parties as does the provision offer to pupils.
  (This means that additional learning needs can be met in a number of ways, not just in STFs, although they are important for some learners).
• An inclusive ethos should be the norm. Provision in mainstream needs to be working to secure high quality, universal provision in line with ALNET principles.
  (This means that we expect all schools will support and celebrate children with additional learning needs).
• Quality assurance needs to be in place across the continuum and include peer to peer support and guidance.
  (This means that Swansea Council has a role to ensure expectations are being met).
• We must maintain, protect and build on existing good practice.
  (This means we do not want to lose the good work and excellent staff currently in place).
• Resources will need targeted towards early intervention.
  (This means that we want to put support in place as quickly as possible although this may be through the school offer, rather than an STF).
• A whole county shared view, vision and language is needed. Key principles will aid consistency, parental understanding and communications to parents / stakeholders.
  (This means we want everyone to have a shared understanding).
• This is an approach to support all children across Swansea achieve aspirations based on a whole county approach.

All the changes proposed are intended to align to these principles.

2. What would this proposal mean?

The proposal will mean redesignating several STFs and redistributing the number of planned places more evenly throughout Swansea, this will include opening new STFs and closing a small number.

It is important to note that the changes being proposed will be phased in, and therefore pupils currently placed in STFs will not have to move school. The proposed changes will apply to new admissions only (unless there is a specific request for a review of a pupil's current placement).  This will mean that in some cases we will be opening and running new provision alongside existing provision for an appropriate period of time.

The specific proposals are outlined below:

Part 1 - The redesignation of STFs

This element of the proposal will predominantly see the redesignation of STFs as follows:  

The term Moderate Learning Difficulties does not reflect the profile of learners currently placed in STFs. Most learners in Moderate Learning Difficulty STFs actually have a Severe Learning Difficulty. Learners with a Moderate Learning Difficulty should not need a specialist placement, rather, any school should be able to support them via a range of different approaches and strategies. This is in line with the requirements of ALNET Act 2018 and is supported by Swansea Council. If a school is not able to support a learner in this way, then Swansea Council will support them to change their practice to be able to do so.

Changing the designation from Moderate Learning Difficulty to Severe Learning Difficulty will better reflect both the profile of the learners currently attending the provision and reflect the future need to provide specialist provision for children and young people with Severe Learning Difficulties. These learners may also have Autism as part of their learning difficulty and so it is still likely that some learners placed in Severe Learning Difficulty STFs will have Autism.

The rationale for changing 'Autistic Spectrum Disorder' to 'Social Communication with Learning Difficulties' is as follows:

Swansea Council recognise children with Autism have a different way of communicating but not all children with Autism will need an STF. Those who do, will in many cases have difficulties with social communication so we consider "social communication" is a better description. This is the case whether the child has a formal assessment or diagnosis of Autism or not.

Most children and young people with Autism do not need a specialist placement however, they are likely to need their schools to support them differently. Swansea Council have been working with schools to ensure all schools can support children and young people with Autism effectively.

If a child with Autism also has a learning difficulty with significant need, it is likely that a specialist placement will be needed. The social communication STFs are designed for children and young people with a significant level of need.

We also know that not all children and young people with Autism have been formally assessed or diagnosed. There is a long wait for an Autism assessment, we want to remove the requirement to have a formal assessment or diagnosis as a criterion for entry to an STF and changing the name helps achieve this. We want to respond to the needs of children and young people as they arise rather than when they have had a formal assessment.

These are the reasons why we are proposing to call the STFs Social Communication with Learning Difficulty.

The rationale for changing 'Speech and Language' to 'Social Communication with Learning Difficulties' is as follows:

There are children and young people in Swansea who need support for speech and language. We currently have 5 STFs in Swansea that provide this specialism. We want to retain this specialism although we intend to redesignate these to Social Communication with Speech and Language. This change is needed to better reflect the profile of learners in the current provision. The majority of the learners in our current Speech and Language STF also have a social communication need. We think the term Social Communication with Speech and Language accurately reflects the profile of learners in these STFs.

Changing the designation and specialism:

We are also proposing to change three STFs from their current specialism to an alternative specialist provision to better meet projected future demands. 

These will include two Primary STFs and one Secondary STF changing from 'Moderate to Severe Learning Difficulties' to 'Severe Learning Difficulties to Social Communication with Learning Difficulties.'

These changes are outlined in the tables below:

The STFs changing designation are as follows:

The proposal to redesignate the STFs will have the following benefits

• These proposals will better reflect the need of learners based on all the information we hold on learners currently attending STFs as well as those who may need to access STFs in the future.
• The redesignation will give Swansea Council more flexibility in placement decisions which in turn should lead to more local placements. A further benefit of this will be a reduction in journey time.
• Currently, children and young people need a formal diagnosis of Autism to get an STF placement. We believe that removing the need for this will lead to earlier and more appropriate placements.
• Redesignating STFs will help us to secure a consistent approach across all schools and communities and supports the mapping of provision according to need.
• We believe in promoting inclusive approaches whereby children's needs should be met in mainstream wherever possible. These proposals will support the approach of making sure we have the right type of provision in the right locations wherever possible.

Part 2 - Mapping of places

As part of these proposals, we want to have the right number of places in the right areas. In some parts of Swansea there are more places than are needed for the local population, in other parts of Swansea there are too few places. These proposals do not reduce the number of places rather, more places will be created. However, as this is a county wide review, and it is necessary to move and remove some places to allocate them where there is need.

Most STFs in Swansea are full currently, while some STFs have a reducing number of learners attending. Because of the uneven spread of STFs some STFs have a high proportion of learners with very complex needs. We consider that by spacing out the places more evenly across Swansea we will be able to have more, slightly smaller STFs which will have a more even mix of learners.

Swansea Council consider this is a much more equitable offer for children and their families. We want the offer to children with additional learning needs to be the same wherever they live in Swansea. We do not have the resources to put STFs for different types of need in all school catchment areas however, we can redistribute STFs to ensure there is improved local access to the different STFs that provide for different types of need.

We believe this means that children can be educated within local communities. This should support home/school relationships. A recent transport trial suggested that reducing journey time improves learners' wellbeing and readiness for learning.

Another important outcome of the geographical realignment will be to facilitate transition from primary to secondary school. Currently, the designation of the primary STFs does not always align to the designation of their partner secondary school.

An example of this is where there is primary ASD STF provision within an area of Swansea but no secondary STF provision. In another part of Swansea there are a high number of secondary ASD STF placements but no primary STF provision. This means that to access the ASD STF learners are not able to transition to the same secondary school as the other children in their primary school. These proposals intend to improve this position, wherever possible, to ensure that every primary STF has a 'link' secondary STF, preferably their cluster STF but where this is not achievable, nearby.

To achieve these changes, we will need to open new STFs where needed and close some STFs that are no longer required. The details regarding these changes are as follows:

2a. The opening of new STFs in the following schools

*Schools currently hosting a Key Stage 2 STF and would have a new Key Stage 1 STF class added making them 'all through' STF. The number of planned places includes the total number of planned places of the current and proposed new classes combined.

**School currently hosting a 1 class STF which will be expanded to two classes. The number of planned places includes the total number of planned places of the current and proposed new classes combined.

2b. The closing of the following STFs

2c. Planned places

Each STF has a designated number of 'planned places' which refers to the number of pupils that each STF can cater for.  The STF funding is based primarily on the number of planned places.  The Local Authority review these on an annual basis as per their obligation under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (ALNET). A link to the relevant section of the ALN Code is available here: ALN Code 2021: Chapter 7

The proposals in this consultation do not relate to the number of planned places per school other than when we are establishing a new STF or adding additional classes. For STFs that currently exist we will continue to review the planned places on an annual basis.

This package of proposals combined will have the following benefits

1. Increased equality for pupils.  Pupils will receive a consistent offer where schools in all communities are able to adapt and give a flexible approach to meet needs wherever possible. Consistent, localised community offers which allow for continuity in learning.
2. Places pupils and young people at the centre of planning and provision.
3. There will be no disruption for pupils currently in an STF placement - the changes will be phased in and apply to new admissions only. The opening of new STFs and closing of current STFs will be carefully planned.
4. The new model will have increased focus on expertise of staff.  We are developing separate arrangements for out-reach/in-reach approaches which will be used to upskill across all sectors and allow the work of specialists to focus on capacity building and professional learning resulting in a highly skilled workforce. The new model supports this.
5. As well as our mainstream schools and special schools, STF provision is important and valued.
6. These proposals will ensure better use of resources as places will be more evenly spread throughout Swansea.
7. Removing the need for diagnosis will allow for earlier and more appropriate placements.
8. There will be reduced travel time for learners which will enhance wellbeing as well as reducing transportation costs and contributing to carbon neutral targets.

What are the potential disadvantages of the proposals?

1. Some schools will have a planned reduction in provision which can be perceived as a loss.
2. A small number of staff may be impacted where STFs close however, because we plan to increase provision overall there may be opportunities for staff. One of the key principles of the review as outlined in the section above is to maintain specialist staff and expertise wherever possible.  We want to prioritise our current specialist staff for any new posts that may arise. As such we will be linking in with Governing Bodies to seek agreement to apply the central redeployment policy (in force at the time) to staff directly affected by these proposals.
3. Staff specialisms may need to change in some settings and Swansea Council will support with specialist training. We have planned the timings of openings of new STFs to ensure we are able to put the appropriate support in place for staff training and development prior to opening. The Additional Learning Needs Team are also developing a suite of support and quality assurance documents to support schools.

Mitigations against disadvantages/ risks

1. No learner's education will be disrupted. We are fully committed to ensuring that no changes are made to STFs until the last learner has completed their education.
2. Continual, careful and consistent communication with schools has generated overall support for recommended model. The model has been co-designed with a range of stakeholders and so we believe we have taken several different considerations into account already.
3. There is an expectation that high quality training for specialist staff is ongoing. In addition to this Swansea Council Additional Learning Needs Team will be devising a plan for supporting the specialist training needed when new STFs open.
4. Not proceeding has greater risks in terms of ability to meet demands.
5. A communication strategy is in place and Swansea Council will continue to support with communications as the proposals develop. This will help to keep all stakeholders up to date.
6. The provision is planned to increase overall so the whole system gains so more children can be supported in an STF where appropriate.
7. The agreed principles support reduction where needed and where STFs have to close this is usually because the specific need has reduced.
8. Retaining provision where there is over allocation is inequitable, we need to be fair to all learners, in all areas of Swansea and so we can't keep very large numbers of places in areas where there isn't a local need.
9. Carefully planned, gradual phasing out will support any impact on staff.
10. There is an increased need for specialists in the new model.

Resourcing of education and other financial implications

1. No capital funding is being sought for the proposals; any capital works required to facilitate the STFs will be funded from Welsh Government capital grant.
2. Welsh Government have allocated Swansea £1,451,916 ALN Capital Grant for FY2024-2025. This funding will primarily be used to support projects from this proposal that require capital investment to optimise learner environments for those with ALN to promote inclusivity.
3. Schools are funded from an overall delegated budget - The Individual Schools Budget (ISB). There is a funding formula that allocates a budget share to each individual school from the ISB. STFs are intended to be neutrally funded and are included within the individual school's budget share.
4. Due to the overall increase of planned places, there is expected to be an estimated increase of £1,045,347 for the cost of STFs in Swansea, this will be funded from within the overall schools delegated budget.
5. There can be some transitional and implementation costs with school organisation proposals. It is expected that home to school transport costs are likely to increase while the new model is being phased in but will reduce longer term as pupils access a more localised offer, this will be funded from local authority existing budget.
6. The additional costs will bring whole system benefits and mean that children who need specialist support will be able to access it in a more timely manner.
7. The additional financial commitment will result in 61 additional places. This will support both the local authority and schools to meet the need of all learners alongside the responsibilities in relation to ALNET 2018.
8. It is hoped that this will result in a 'spend to save' impact with a reduction in the need to secure independent places for learners. This has a financial benefit but also provides a more appropriate, local offer for families.
9. Full financial costing information can be found at appendix E

Governing body implications

1. There may be implications on some of the governing bodies for the schools affected by these proposals.
2. The main implications will be in relation to recruitment of staff as well as managing any potential redundancy situations. This is because the STF staff are employed by the school.  We hope to minimise compulsory redundancies wherever possible however, should they be needed, governing bodies would need to run the process. There would be support from the local authority governors support teams and HR officers.
3. For governing bodies that need to recruit new staff, there would also be support and guidance for these processes via HR and the Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion Team.
4. A mechanism to protect existing staff has been considered and agreement will be sought from governing bodies to apply the central redeployment policy (in force at the time) to staff affected by these proposals. 

Staffing implications

1. The changes proposed are likely to have some impact on staffing, including potential redundancies where there is a proposal to close an STF. 
2. There may be a requirement to recruit new staff in the schools where we are proposing to establish a new STF.
3. An appropriate consultation process will be undertaken with all employees and trade union representatives in relation to any resulting staff restructures.
4. Staff will be supported with additional training that may be a requirement of the proposals, and officers from Swansea Council are devising a training plan to support schools with new STFs.
5. Agreement will be sought from governing bodies to apply the central redeployment policy (in force at the time) to staff affected by these proposals. 

Full details on staffing implications for each school can be found on appendix A.

Transport implications

Transport arrangements will continue to be made in accordance with Swansea Council's home to school transport policy, and this can be found by following this link:

School transport

It is important to note that the changes being proposed will be phased in, and therefore pupils currently placed in STFs will not have to move school.  The proposed changes will apply to new admissions only (unless there is a specific request for a review of the current placement). 

Admission arrangements

Present admission arrangements will remain in place with placements in STFs being awarded via the Additional Learning Needs panel and this process will continue.

Admission to STF is in addition to the mainstream Admission Number for a school.  Creating or removing classroom space for STFs in a school can change the school Admission Number, as per the Welsh Government formula for calculation which can be found here: Measuring the capacity of schools in Wales (Gov.wales)

Proposed changes are shown on appendix A.

Risks/ dependencies of the proposals

This proposal is subject to this consultation process and subsequent statutory notice period. 

Full details on the above noted implications for each individual school can be found on the appendix document A.

Alternative options considered

In developing a preferred option, the Council considered a range of alternative options.

3. The consultation process

The consultation on this proposal will follow guidelines established by the Welsh Government, as stated in the School Organisation Code (2018).

Who will be consulted?

This document will be circulated to all interested parties, including the following:

• Staff (Teaching and Support) - all affected schools
• Governors and Parents/Carers - all affected schools
• Governors and Parents/Carers - all affected schools
• All schools within Swansea*
• Director of Education - All neighbouring authorities
• Diocesan Director of Education - Church in Wales and RC
• Estyn
• Swansea Councillors
• Local Community Councillors
• Members of the Senedd (MS)/Members of Parliament (MP) for Swansea
• Welsh Ministers
• All relevant Trade Unions
• Swansea Parent Carer Forum
• Partneriaeth Regional Consortium
• Local Childcare Providers
• Family Information Service
• Social Services
• Local Police and Crime Commissioner
• Welsh Language Commissioner
• Local Health Board
• Swansea Disability Forum

*Consultation document sent to headteacher and chair of governors of all primary and secondary schools in Swansea.

The consultation period

The consultation period for this proposal starts on 5 September 2024 and ends on 17 October 2024.

Consultees can submit their views in favour of or against a proposal. Responses received during the consultation period will not be treated as statutory objections. If consultees wish to object, they will need to do so in writing during the statutory objection period outlined below.

During the consultation period you can ask questions and express your views by writing a letter to the address below or by completing an online survey using the following link: Future plans for special teaching facilities in Swansea

Please note, if you are a British Sign Language user, the online survey allows you to provide a video of your response.

Letters should be sent to the following address by no later than noon on 17 October 2024.

Helen Morgan-Rees,
Director of Education,
The Guildhall,
St Helen's Crescent,
Swansea
SA1 4PE

or email schoolorganisation@Swansea.gov.uk

Consultation meetings

There will be a number of consultation meetings available, where there will be a presentation regarding the proposals, along with an opportunity for you to ask questions.

There will be meetings held at each school that we are proposing to open or close an STF.  The dates and timings of these meetings are listed below.  You do not need to register your interest for these meetings, but you can attend the relevant timeslot noted below:  

You are welcome to use the Welsh language in any of these meetings. We kindly ask if you require the presentation to be given through the medium of Welsh that you inform us by emailing schoolorganisation@Swansea.gov.uk at least one week prior to the meeting date, to allow us to make arrangements for simultaneous translation to be available at the meeting specified.

Consultation meetings for all interested schools/parents

If you would like to attend a consultation meeting regarding the wider proposals (the package of proposals as a whole) then you can book onto to attend one of the following meetings:

1. Scout Hut, Bryn Road, Brynmill, Swansea, SA2 0AU - 16 September 4pm, Scout Hut Brynmill (please register your interest in attending this session by 10 September)
2. Scout Hut,  Bryn Road, Brynmill, Swansea, SA2 0AU - 8 October 5pm, Scout Hut Brynmill (Please register your interest in attending this session by 30 September)
3. Online Virtual meeting - 9 October, 1pm, Microsoft Teams (Please register your interest in attending this session by 30 September)

To register your interest in attending one of the above consultation meetings, please email schoolorganisation@Swansea.gov.uk by the dates specified above. If we do  not receive any bookings to attend these sessions, then these meetings will not proceed. 

You are welcome to use the Welsh language in any of the above meetings. We kindly ask that you inform us when booking if you require the presentation to be given through the medium of Welsh, and this will allow for us to make arrangements for simultaneous translation to be available at the meeting specified.

Consultation with pupils

There will be an opportunity for the pupils to participate in the consultation process. The school councils of the affected schools will be asked for their views.  The feedback from pupils will be collated and considered.  A pupil consultation paper, which outlines the proposal in a simplified format, is also available, and this includes a pupil response slip that they can complete and send in if they wish.

Pupils can also access an online survey by following this link: 

Consultation report

The information gathered from the consultation with pupils and other stakeholders will form part of the consultation report which will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration following the consultation period.

The consultation report will be published on Swansea Council's website at least two weeks before a decision is made by Cabinet as to whether to proceed to publish a statutory notice. Hard copies of the report will also be available on request. The report will summarise the observations submitted by consultees and provide Swansea Council's response to these observations. The report will also contain Estyn's view of the proposal and details of consultation undertaken with the pupils.

Cabinet will consider the consultation report and decide whether to proceed with the proposal.

Statutory notice

If Cabinet decide to go ahead, there would be a statutory procedure to follow to make the proposed changes.  A statutory notice outlining the proposals would need to be published, inviting any formal written objections to be submitted within 28 days of publication of the notice. 

The statutory notice will be published on Swansea Council's website and displayed at entrance of each affected school. Copies of the notice will be made available to the school to distribute to pupils, parents/carers, and staff members (the school may also distribute the notice by email).

Statutory objection period

The statutory notice will set out the details of the proposal and invite anyone who wishes to object to do so in writing within a period of 28 days. If objections are received an objection report will be published on the Swansea Council website. Hard copies of the report will also be available on request. The report will summarise the issues raised and provide Swansea Council's response to those objections.

Determination of proposal

Swansea Council will determine the proposal. If there are objections, Cabinet will need to consider the objections to the proposal before making a final decision. 

Decision notification

Following determination of proposals, all interested parties will be informed and advised of the availability of the decision which will be published electronically on Swansea Council's website.

The statutory process timetable

The statutory process and timetable will be as follows:

Integrated impact assessment

An Integrated Impact Assessment has been completed and the full assessment is available at Appendix B. 

Welsh language impact assessment

A full Welsh Language Impact Assessment can be found at Appendix C

Community impact assessment

A community Impact Assessment has been completed and the full assessment is available at Appendix D

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have the right to have a say in decisions that affect them and to have that view taken seriously. Therefore, throughout the process we will ensure that children and young people have a chance to have a say on the proposals and on how they think it will affect their rights under the convention.

It is our view that children's rights will be enhanced under the proposal. 

4. Appendices

Appendix A - Schools affected by this proposal
Appendix B - Integrated Impact Assessment (Word doc, 181 KB)
Appendix C - Welsh Medium Impact Assessment (Word doc, 103 KB)
Appendix D - Community Impact Assessment (Word doc, 63 MB)
Appendix E - Budget implications (PDF, 294 KB)
Appendix F - Response form (Word doc, 38 KB)

Glossary of abbreviations