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23.
April
2019.
New school provision proposed for North West of Cardiff

A report which recommends a public consultation is held on proposals for new primary school provision to serve parts of north-west Cardiff will be considered by the local authority's Cabinet when it meets on Thursday 18 April.

The consultation would consider proposals to establish anew two-form entry primary school,serving Creigiau, St Fagans, Radyr, Morganstown and Fairwater.The proposed type of school would be dual stream, organised as one-form of entry offering Welsh-medium education and one-form of entry offering English-medium places with significant use of Welsh. The school would also offer 96 part-time nursery places, with half of the places being Welsh-medium and half English-medium.

A number ofnew housing developments have commenced in north-west Cardiff in recent years. These include the Plasdŵr development on land north and south of Llantrisant Road, south of Pentrebane Road and Goitre Fach Farm.

The new homes will increase the number of children in the area needing school places. As part of the contributions the Council has secured for the building of social infrastructure through its section 106 agreement, the Plasdŵr developer will construct the new two-form entry primary school in order to meet the increased demand for school places created by the new homes it is building.

Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council, and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry, said: "This is an exciting proposal that will not only provide primary school places for families moving into the newPlasdŵr development, but will also provide a new and exciting opportunity in how the Welsh language is taught to pupils in an English-medium school. This adds to the significant growth in Welsh-medium provision that we have delivered over a number of years.

"Dual-stream primary school provision is already being delivered effectively in Cardiff in schools such as Ysgol Gynradd Creigiau and Ysgol Gwaelod y Garth. The two streams operate in isolation, with separate classes, assemblies and break times. The innovative variation on the traditional dual-stream primary school provision and school site that is being proposed will see a greater focus on Welsh teaching within the English medium stream. This supports our aspirations to grow the Welsh language that we have set out in our bilingual strategy, and in turn is consistent with the Welsh Government's own Cymraeg 2050 strategy.

"By increasing our Welsh-medium education in a strategic way, we are ensuring that our new schools are on a strong financial footing; our existing primary schools in the area remain viable; and that the schools we offer cater for the range of parental preference we see in Cardiff.

"Whether choosing English-medium or Welsh-medium education, the new school would provide all the children growing up inPlasdŵr with excellent school facilities, in a learning environment fit for the 21stCentury."

The school is being proposed under the Plasdŵr Section 106 agreement, is in addition to the new and expanded schools being delivered by Cardiff Council and Welsh Government under its £284m Band B 21stCentury Schools Programme.

Public consultation on the proposal would begin in June 2019, the new school to admitting its first pupils in September 2021.