Plans approved to divide catchment areas for Welsh medium school

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

East and West school catchment areas for Welsh medium primary school education have been set up in a Welsh county.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Labour Cabinet on Monday, February 23, councillors looked at proposals to establish a catchment area for the new Welsh medium primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar.

In setting up the catchment area for Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar, the council needs to modify the catchment area for Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg, a Welsh medium primary school which is based in Nantyglo.

A consultation was held in December and finished on January 5, which received 196 responses.

The report said that all 196 responses supported the proposal, which will see Ysgol Bro Helyg receive Welsh medium pupils from the east of the county borough, from Brynmawr down to Llanhilleth and Swffryd, while Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar will take those from Ebbw Vale down towards Cwm.

Cabinet member for Children, Young People and Families (Labour – Ebbw Vale South), Cllr Sue Edmunds, said: “Overwhelmingly the response was in support of amending the catchment area.

“The key themes emerging from the response were that Welsh medium education would be more accessible, clear catchment areas for both sites would reduce travel times for those living in Ebbw Vale and Tredegar, better distribution of numbers and enhanced school identity.”

Cabinet member for Economy and Place, Cllr John C. Morgan (Labour – Georgetown), said: “It’s very wise and welcome to set up a catchment area for the primary school, as it leaves one in the east and one in the west of the borough.”

He added that councillors had recently visited the newly built school in Tredegar and said that it was “absolutely superb.”

The school has been built in the Sirhowy ward of Blaenau Gwent, deputy council leader and cabinet member for Neighbourhood and Environment Services, Cllr Tommy Smith.

Smith said: “It’s an excellent facility, and I will be eager to see the school grow over time, and hopefully with implementing a catchment area it will.

“I’m hoping that the school will have an influence on Sirhowy and the wider area.”
Cabinet voted unanimously to establish and amend the catchment areas, which are intended to come into force by September 2026.

The school was first mooted in 2021, and planning permission to build a 210-pupil school at Chartist Way was approved by the council’s Planning Committee back in September 2022.

The project was beset by issues. In 2023, it emerged that the cost of the project had more than doubled from £6.2 million to £13.5 million, and eventually this went up to £17 million, which was funded by a Welsh Government grant.

In September 2024, ISG Group of Companies, who had been building the school, collapsed and went into administration.

This caused more problems as the council had to re-tender the contract, which saw Tilbury Douglas complete the project.

Before the school building was finished, Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar did start up in Bedwellty House.

The school has been described as “seedling,” which means it would start with a first intake of early years and reception pupils, expanding on an annual basis through the school years.

It will take six years to fill up with pupils from three to 11 years old.