Single-sex school headteachers reassure staff and pupils ahead of proposed merger

Nicholas Thomas – Local democracy reporter

The headteachers of two secondary schools have pledged to support staff and pupils ahead of a proposed merger.

Plans to close Lewis Girls’ School in Ystrad Mynach in in Caerphilly, and send pupils to the currently boys-only Lewis School Pengam, are in the final stages.

If the move goes ahead, it would mean the end of single-sex state education in Caerphilly County Borough and in Wales.

‘Confident’

Yet school and council leaders are effectively unable to lay out detailed plans for staffing or other arrangements until a final decision has been made.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet members are expected to announce that decision at a meeting on Wednesday December 11.

Speaking to the council’s education committee, on Tuesday November 26, Chris Parry, the headteacher at Lewis School Pengam, said he was “confident” that if the council pushed ahead with the merger, “the full resources of both schools” would be put into “mitigating the impact”.

‘Proud’

Lynette Denton, the headteacher at Lewis Girls’ School, said pupil wellbeing was “paramount” and would be “at the forefront of conversations” if the merger is confirmed next month.

The committee also sought assurances the schools’ employees would be supported.

“It’s been something that’s been weighing on my mind,” Mr Parry said. “Both schools have got a really proud history.”

He said the schools would “very very quickly, over a matter of days and weeks… get information out about what a staffing structure will look like” if the merger is confirmed.

If that happens, staff levels at both schools “will continue” for the time being, although some employees may have to travel between the schools, he explained.

Cllr Brenda Miles suggested “uncertainty” among the staff would affect children – especially at the girls’ school – who might wonder which teachers will “go with them” to the new site.

The proposed merger would take place over several years, designed to minimise disruption for exam pupils, and would be completed in 2027, according to the council’s proposals.

Opportunities

A consultation with the schools’ communities earlier this year suggested parents, staff and pupils were split over the proposals to merge the single-sex schools – with students showing roughly equal levels of support and opposition for the plan.

At this week’s education committee meeting, Mr Parry told members his school had “probably been the love of my life”.

“What I can see is a bright future for a school that’s got amazing students,” he said, describing the next steps as a “genuinely proud moment in terms of opportunities” for pupils.