(Title Image: Daily Post)
Next week, Bridgend Council’s Cabinet will discuss a revised school admissions policy for 2020-21 (pdf).
Following representations from the five Welsh-medium schools in the county, officers propose changes which will affect pupils in the south-east of the county (Pencoed area) who currently attend the Welsh-medium unit at Dolau Primary over the border in Llanharan.
BCBC’s current policy is for Welsh-medium pupils who live closer to Dolau Primary than Ysgol Bro Ogwr in Brackla to attend Dolau, which secondary-age pupils in the same situation would attend Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari instead of Ysgol Gyfun Llangynwyd. BCBC funds the home-school transport costs.
The county’s Welsh-medium schools have said that the policy threatens the long-term viability of Ysgol Gyfun Llangynwyd and goes against Welsh Government recommendations.
BCBC officers have, therefore, decided to change the policy so pupils who would otherwise attend the Welsh unit at Dolau will now take up surplus places at the new Ysgol Calon y Cymoedd (the relocated Ysgol Cwm Garw) in Bettws. These pupils will also attend Ysgol Gyfun Llangynwyd when they reach secondary school age.
In a separate development, the admission capacity of Oldcastle Primary in Bridgend and Mynydd Cynffig Primary in Kenfig Hill will be increased from 47 and 50 places respectively to 60 places each.
