Council unveils plans for major boost to ALN education provision

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A Welsh city is looking to increase the number of additional learning needs school places in the county borough with two major projects.

A new 18-pupil ALN secondary school in Plas Madoc is on track to open this September while Wrexham County Borough Council’s Executive Board has also approved a consultation into plans to build a new school for 42 ALN pupils in Gwersyllt as no upfront cost.

Introducing the Gwersyllt plans to the Executive Board, Lead member for Education Cllr Phil Wynn said: “I’m seeking Executive Board consent to consult on the establishment of a new special school in the current setting of Noddfa in the Gwersyllt South ward for primary-aged pupils.

“As an authority our intent is to provide an in-county education for as many of our ALN pupils as we can.

“The report outlines the benefits financially for the authority and most of all the benefits to the child and their family by educating them in-county, reducing vehicle journeys to out-of-county.”

Consultation 

The Gwersyllt consultation will run from Tuesday, June 2 to Thursday, July 16 – with the report being submitted to the council by Tuesday, September 8.

According to the proposals no capital funding is required. Noddfa – which supports pupils facing challenges accessing mainstream education in Wrexham, was recently refurbished thanks to a Welsh Government grant.

The estimated annual running costs of the school will be £926,823 and will be folded into the authority’s schools budget.

By comparison out of county places for the same number of ALN pupils currently cost Wrexham Council £2,520,000 per year – meaning the facility will save the authority almost £1.6 million.

Deputy leader of the council Cllr Dave Bithell said: “It’s the right thing to do. It shows we are being efficient and I would like to thank the team for their work on this report.”

Welcomed 

Labour group leader Cllr Dana Davies also welcomed the proposals.

“This is good from the point of view of meeting the educational needs of these pupils,” she said.

“Demand is greater than 42 pupils however. Is there an opportunity to expand this school in future because this is an area that is growing?”

Chief Officer for Education and Early Intervention Karen Evans responded saying while the site was specifically able to cater for the number of pupils stated, the authority continued too seek new sites to further add to its ALN provision.

“On the basis of what we have modelled, 42 would be the correct number of pupils,” she said.

“This provision is intended to cater for some of our more complex and vulnerable young learners with a need that’s beyond mainstream education.

“We’re taking every opportunity that we can to extend our in-county ALN provision on the basis of the needs that we see coming through. That will be an ongoing focus for us as a service going forward because of the increase in the complexity of need.”

Secondary-age facility 

In a separate item members also learned that the secondary-age ALN facility at Plas Madoc near Rhosymedre Primary School is on schedule to open this September, providing 18 additional specialist ALN in-county places for older pupils with additional needs.

Members of the Executive Board approved a transfer of adjoining land from Wrexham Council’s Economy Department to the education department to enable the creation of a small outdoor space for pupils.

“I fully support any works that bring children closer to their home environment and supports them in as caring a way as possible,” said Cllr Andy Gallanders.

“We have a moral duty to do more to cater for our own children, to keep them within Wrexham and not to transport them out,” added Wrexham Council leader Cllr Mark Pritchard.

“Long may it continue.”