Cabinet urged to consider school merger carefully after ‘overwhelming’ community rejection

The plans would see the Saltney Ferry school close.

During a special meeting of Flintshire County Council’s Education and Youth Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider the consultation report Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Andrew Parkhurst called for Cabinet to take note of the strength of public feeling.

“I noted the comment in the consultation report that the proposals did not have the majority support. I think that’s probably an understatement,” he said.

“Looking at it 88.5% of parents disagreed with the proposal, 100% of Governors, 70% of teachers and support staff, 91% of the community and 95% of others, including Saltney Town Council. I think most would agree that was a pretty overwhelming rejection of the proposal.”

According to Welsh schools inspectorate Estyn’s response the proposals would ‘at least maintain the current standards of education and provision in the area’.

The Chief Officer for Education and Youth Claire Homard said that decisions on school organisation would not be decided by a ‘referendum’.

“It’s not unexpected, is it?” she said. “Nobody likes school organisational change. We recognise that and we try to be empathetic so that this is not a referendum. We do not make decisions based on popular votes. 

“It is the role of the Cabinet to weigh up all of the evidence. We do acknowledge the community response. but that’s not the process by which this will be determined.

“Neither school are currently in any kind of follow-up with Estyn and the quality of their provision currently is determined to be sound. What the report clearly indicates is that this is about future-proofing the quality of education going forward.

“What the report clearly tells you with the falling pupil demography, the impact that that has on school budgets, how that then can potentially make changes within the organisation of the school, the amalgamation of classes, more mixed-age classes, it could pose a risk to educational standards in the future.”

There was support for the proposals on the committee from Cllr Bill Crease.

“For me this is a really difficult one,” he said. “It’s clear our responsibility as a scrutiny committee is to our current learners and future learners within Flintshire.

“The numbers that have been presented to us show there’s significant surplus places between the two existing schools and demographics show there’s no potential for a substantial upturn.

“To my mind the proposals would provide a fit for purpose new school for the area. Purely and simply from the numbers that have been presented to us, if this school were to go ahead it will take our learners into the 22nd century.

“We’re looking at something to future-proof education in the Saltney area and at the very least, I think Cabinet should give it serious consideration.”

But Cllr Carolyn Preece was concerned about the safety issues of primary-age children walking down Saltney High Street in rush hour and the pollution the plans would cause.

‘I’m concerned about the road safety, car parking for example. You’re amalgamating two schools and bringing the parents together – the congestion and everything that’s already there is now going to double.

“So that’s got to be a concern because they would have walked to school before, which was great for the kids. They’re not walking to school anymore. They’rehaving to be driven if they’ve got cars.

“So you’re saying it’s a carbon neutral school, but what about all of the additional car travel or the petrol that’s going to be used to take them there?

“The concerns are substantial, and these include the travel, the road safety, the safeguarding of very small children along that road.

“It is horrendous that road, and I will keep going on about that.”

Broughton South Cllr Ryan McKeown warned that the authority could not afford to miss this opportunity.

“My worry is if we fail to invest in the primary education now, we take this investment away from the local community, we risk losing them over the border and losing that potential to learn Welsh in school,” he said.

“Having grown up in Broughton, Saltney as our neighbouring town has always been known as the ‘forgotten town’. We can’t continue to do nothing for future generations.

“The one concern I do have is the recent Estyn report on education in Flintshire.

“Do we as a portfolio have the manpower or the people in the portfolio to be able to deliver these investments in school whilst also seriously addressing the findings of the Estyn report? I think that should be a major consideration for Cabinet.”