Maendy-Primary-School-Consultation-Report

EXPANSION OF MAENDY PRIMARY SCHOOL TO 420 PLACES CONSULTATION REPORT April 2020 [Type text] Contents Background……………………………………………………………………2 Methodology………………………………………………………………… Responses and comments………………………………………………….3 Estyn response……………………………………………………………….8 Consultation with children and young people…………………………… 10 Appendix ……………… List of consultees Appendix ……………… Letter to Parents/carers Appendix ……………… Summary list of responses Appendix ……………… Results of consultation with pupils Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council BACKGROUND The 21st Century Schools programme has been well documented with the council taking the decision to include every school as part of it in October 2010 The revised Strategic Outline Programme was approved by Council in November 2011 with the Welsh Government confirming match funding in December 2011 A number of projects have now been successfully completed in Band A (2014 to 2019) as the council now moves to Band B (2020 to 2025) of the agreed programme The proposal as it affects Maendy Primary School forms part of that and was confirmed again following review in 2017 The proposal, now the subject of the appropriate statutory consultation, is as follows:  Torfaen County Borough Council propose to expand Maendy Primary School to 420 places Statutory consultation is necessary because the proposal will see the capacity of the school increase by at least 25% As part of this proposal any existing Pre-school and any community facilities will transfer to the new building A new vehicular driveway/access off Maendy Way is also proposed Catchment areas will remain unchanged at this stage but the larger school will cater for additional pupils expected from the new housing developments in the area It is further proposed that these proposals are implemented in the Autumn term of 2023 It is proposed that the nursery will cater for 30 (Full time equivalent) children METHODOLOGY Consultations on these proposals were undertaken with prescribed consultees contained within the School Organisation Code 2018 A list of those consultees is attached at Appendix to this report The consultation ran from Monday 24th February 2020 to Monday 6th April 2020 and was conducted through a consultation document and accompanying response form The document outlined the changes being considered, the rationale for these, details of the consultation process and incorporated a response form Letters were also delivered to Maendy Primary School for distribution to pupils and their parents/carers advising of the availability of the consultation document (letter attached as Appendix to this report) Consultation was also undertaken at the same time with children and young people Separate arrangements were made which included seeking the views of the school council Pupils were issued with their own version of the consultation document with the opportunity to discuss the proposal and submit their views and comments Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council The consultation process was also promoted online (“Get Involved” online consultation) via the Torfaen council website, and social media channels Finally, a consultation event in relation to this proposal was held as follows (this took the form of a “drop in” event allowing consultees to attend at a time that was convenient to them): DAY/DATE TIME th Tuesday 10 3.30pm March 2020 6.00pm VENUE – Maendy Primary School, Wayfield Crescent, Cwmbran INTENDED AUDIENCE Staff (teaching, nonteaching & support), Governors, parents/carers and other interested parties Officers from the council were in attendance at this session to answer questions and ensure comments/views made were recorded to allow Elected Members to make an informed decision at the appropriate time RESPONSES AND COMMENTS The council received a number of responses to the consultation exercise A file of all the comments and views received during the consultation period has been made available to Elected Members as part of this process ahead of any decisions being made Approximately 30 persons attended the consultation event held at the school A list of those who responded to the consultation is summarised at Appendix There were many supportive of the proposal, but some questions were raised which along with the council’s responses are summarised below COMMENT RESPONSE Community Facilities  Ideally the Community Group/Hub can have a dedicated space in the new building for meetings and storage Access to the school during evenings and weekends would be particularly welcome Access /building for community could be off the lane by the current boxing club  There will not be a dedicated space for the Community Group/Hub, but there will be space available for the community as is the case now Working with the school and other users will allow the community group/hub to continue to provide its services  See above Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council  There should be room for the Northville Community Group/Hub with a separate room for First Aid and a “Take 5” room Staffing   We welcome the expansion of the school and influx of higher pupil numbers to the area As part of the process of opening the new school we would expect jobs at the old school to be ring fenced and staff slot over to the new roles in the new school Any surplus posts should then be offered to those employees in the Torfaen area on the redeployment list that have been made compulsory redundant  We would also expect the school to have regard to the Welsh Government’s drive to reduce class sizes and bear in mind the maximum class size of 30 pupils per mainstream class  Foundation Phase classes are restricted to no more than 30 pupils as part of the Infant class size legislation Although, non-statutory for Key Stage classes, a maximum of 30 pupils per class remains a Welsh Government target  There is currently a Local Authority Special Needs Resource Base with 16 places and an assessment centre based at the school It is proposed that provision for children with additional learning needs will continue to be provided in the new build Maendy School is not closing Although a new building is proposed, the Head teacher and staff will simply transfer over when the new building is ready to be occupied As the school grows there will be opportunities for those existing staff as well as staff from elsewhere Wherever possible, the Council will seek to secure alternative suitable positions for staff at risk of redundancy at other Torfaen schools This has previously been achieved for other school reorganisation proposals by negotiating a local agreement with the relevant professional associations, and it is expected that this would continue for this proposal as well as others arising from the 21st Century Schools Programme Special Educational Needs (SEN)/Additional Learning Needs (ALN)  Will the school include a Special Needs Resource Base? Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council  Torfaen needs additional ALN places and Maendy already meets some of the need This would be a concern if they didn’t include an SNRB  See above Existing/Proposed provision  Will there be specialist facilities (e.g ICT/Media suite; Cookery facilities, Sports/Drama Halls etc)?  The school will be designed and built to deliver the curriculum for the 21st Century Whilst there are unlikely to be areas provided for specific subjects or uses as suggested, the spaces will be flexible to allow such use  Maendy have started their own outdoor rugby/football clubs It would be great to see an astroturf pitch with floodlights for outdoor training which could bring in extra income for the school when renting out to local sports clubs  Outdoor play is an important part of the curriculum and will therefore be catered for There will be hard and soft play areas, but the provision of an all-weather floodlit pitch whilst desirable will be subject to ensuring first of all that the curriculum requirements are met and surplus budget is available There may also be planning implications for floodlights given the location of the school site  We are a hardworking school who would love the new build, because the current building is worn and needs to be brought up to standard  This is not in question The new build will continue to support the school and with the “Passivhaus” design enhance the environment in which the school operates  The school will continue to provide facilities for the playgroup Early Years/Pre School Provision  As the manager of Maendy First Steps Playgroup, it will be lovely to have a nice new room, nice and warm; it will be lovely to have a nice dry garden As part of the proposal (and through a separate Childcare Offer Capital Grant that Torfaen has been awarded) a new childcare facility will be developed to serve the local area This facility will enable the provision of a wrap-around early years and childcare service along with an outreach centre for parents and the community 21st Century School Banding Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council  As things stand, the refurbishment of Pontnewydd Primary School is allocated to band C with an unclear timescale, whereas Maendy is in band B with a defined timescale The two schools are designated to share equally the intake of pupils from South Sebastopol, and the work on the two schools should go ahead to the same timescale  Although investment has been proposed at both schools it was agreed by Council in November 2011 that Maendy will be in Band B and Pontnewydd in Band C Current Welsh Government timescales are Band B (2019 – 2024) and Band C (2025 – 2029)  The council uses Supplementary Planning guidance to calculate potential pupil numbers from new housing developments On this basis the South Sebastopol development, when eventually built out (c1200 houses) could potentially deliver 348 primary aged children (29 pupils per 100 units or 0.29 per individual dwelling) Although the council will not know the age of the children, if they are new to the area or already enrolled at a Torfaen school, the council must plan for the maximum children in the area Pupil Projections  As regards the proposed expansion of Maendy, we consider that the pupil projections are unduly optimistic No doubt some parents will choose Maendy as having a new building, but geography suggests that many parents in South Sebastopol will prefer to go to the Griffithstown and Panteg schools (Panteg being a relatively new school) As a result, if Maendy is rebuilt on the basis of 420 pupils there is liable to be substantial, costly surplus capacity We consider therefore that the capacity of the new school should be limited to 360 pupils The Council’s preference is to build form entry/420 place schools where possible or failing that 1.5 form entry/315 place schools In exceptional circumstances, a 210 place school might be built On that basis, based on current numbers, and other considerations (i.e live birth data, admission trends, other housing in the area and Torfaen as a whole) the council is satisfied that 420 places is an appropriate size for Maendy Primary School Parents can express a preference to attend any school where places are available, however priority will be given to those residing in the catchment area of the relevant school South Sebastopol is not part of the catchment Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council area of Griffithstown Primary School although with effect from the September 2021 admissions round it will be part of Ysgol Panteg (Welsh Medium primary provision) Catchment areas  The consultation document states that at present there is no plan to change the catchment areas of the two schools (Maendy & Pontnewydd), which are shown as taking an equal share of the South Sebastopol area It is vital for the future of Pontnewydd Primary School that this continues to be the case, and no change is made in catchment areas to the disadvantage of our School The Governing Body and the whole School community would very strongly oppose and resist any such change  The council can confirm that there are no plans at present to change catchment areas If changes are required, because of demographics in the Cwmbran area or further afield in Torfaen appropriate consultation will be undertaken with all interested parties  When the Programme was launched, every school in Torfaen was named as part of the Strategic Outline Plan (SOP) Priority was based on a number of factors, including building condition (undertaken by Welsh Government independent surveyors), suitability, and sustainability Backlog maintenance was only a part of the priority factors Prioritised Investment  The Governing Body of Pontnewydd Primary School is aggrieved that the Council is prioritising investment in Maendy Primary School over our School The bandings for Maendy and Pontnewydd was agreed by Council in November 2011 All Schools were visited ahead of the launch (Autumn Term 2010) to explain the process and were prioritised accordingly for consultation A county wide consultation on the programme followed in March 2011 Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council  The buildings of the two schools are of a similar age while the maintenance backlog for Pontnewydd at £640,460 which is significantly greater than Maendy at £523,105  See above  The original proposal arising from the South Sebastopol development was to rebuild both schools on the same timescale  The revised bandings for Maendy and Pontnewydd were agreed by Council in Nov 2011  Treat Pontnewydd Primary School fairly!  The council has developed a SOP within the constraints of the 21st Century Schools programme The council believe that no school has been treated unfairly ESTYN RESPONSE The report received during the consultation period, and based on the consultation document is provided below in its entirety Estyn’s response to the proposal to expand Maendy Primary School to 420 places from 1st September 2023 Introduction This report has been prepared by Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education and Training in Wales Under the terms of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 and its associated Code, proposers are required to send documentation to Estyn However, Estyn is not a body required to act in accordance with the Code and the Act places no statutory requirements on Estyn in respect of school organisation matters Therefore as a body being consulted, Estyn will provide their opinion only on the overall merits of school organisation proposals Estyn has considered the educational aspects of the proposal and has produced the following response to the information provided by the proposer Summary/Conclusion The local authority has taken good account of Welsh Government regulations in putting forward its proposal for the replacement of the current Maendy Primary School with a new build school The local authority makes a clear case based on relevant evidence of the need for expansion of pupil numbers and the improvement of school and community facilities in eco-friendly buildings at the current location The proposal shows that that the Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council local authority has taken good account of the impact on other local schools, as well as giving to the consideration to housing developments that may increase pupil numbers in the future In terms of educational impact, the proposal takes good account of the potential benefits of having educational provision from early years through primary school on one site and how the future school with its additional facilities can play an effective role in the Welsh Government’s priority of tackling social and economic deprivation It is Estyn’s view that the proposal will at the least maintain, and is likely to improve the present educational provision in the Maendy area Description and benefits The proposal shows that the local authority has researched a range of options for improving school provision on the Maendy Primary School site It has provided a clear rationale for its preferred option of replacing the school buildings dating from 1958 with a new build school These reasons include:      modern buildings that will better support the learning and teaching in the 21 century and provide better access and inclusion for pupils with special educational needs retaining Flying Start provision and adding child care provision with a view to making a greater impact on social and economic deprivation greater financial viability through larger numbers of pupils attending the school buildings which are more environmentally friendly and easier to maintain, and the reduction of traffic hazards eliminating vehicular access to the site from Northville To come to its conclusions, the local authority has undertaken a thorough review of school provision in its territory under the ’21 Century Schools Programme’ It has considered and set out the benefits and risks for six options It provides a clear rationale to support the option to build a new school on the site of the current Maendy Primary School is the preferred option The local authority has taken good account of the current and future needs of the local population and developments in the area, such as the building of Llanfrecha Grange Hospital and the increase in population that is likely to bring, as well as new housing projects in the whole area generally and in the school catchment area specifically It has taken appropriate account of longer-term considerations, such as ensuring the design of the building will enable it to be fully utilised by community groups, for example youth and sports groups The local authority has taken appropriate account of pupils’ travel arrangements and it estimates that, as the new school will be built on the current site, the catchment area, admissions and travel policies will remain as currently It does not envisage that the school will encroach on pupil numbers in other cluster schools However, the local authority estimates that the new school will provide for 9% - 11% surplus places across the authority, giving it greater flexibility to manage the surplus capacity Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council The proposal does not envisage any impact on faith provision The local authority already has plans in place to increase the provision of Welsh language medium provision at Ysgol Gyfyn Gwynllyw from September 2021 Educational aspects of the proposal The local authority has taken appropriate account of data relevant to the educational standing of the school It envisages that the new school should maintain and build on its current standards The development of a new build school affords excellent opportunities to create learning and teaching space that will support the new curriculum for Wales It is not clear from the proposals whether the local authority will consult teachers about the design of the building It would be useful to consult teaching staff to ensure that architects configure the building, subject to costs, for teachers to make the best use of the learning spaces and technologies in line with new pedagogies The proposed expansion to include childcare facilities with all-through primary school provision and authority-wide special educational needs provision should allow the local authority to better tackle social and economic deprivation through the potential for pupils to transfer seamlessly from childcare to nursery to primary schooling and/or special educational needs provision on one site As the new build will be DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliant, this should allow for better inclusion of pupils, parents staff with disabilities The consideration of how the wider community might benefit from using the building in the longer term should enable the local authority and school to provide a hub greater inclusion for the local community The expansion of pupil numbers will see the increase in staffing and should provide for additional and promotional opportunities for current and future staff Council response to Estyn comments The council welcomes Estyn view that the proposal will at the least maintain, and is likely to improve the present educational provision in the Maendy area The council notes that …It is not clear from the proposals whether the local authority will consult teachers about the design of the building It would be useful to consult teaching staff to ensure that architects configure the building, subject to costs, for teachers to make the best use of the learning spaces and technologies in line with new pedagogies In this regard the council will engage wherever it is practicably possible, with the school community in terms of the design of the buildings This has been the case in previous projects where in particular, teaching staff have been engaged in the process from as early stage in terms of ensuring the best uses of the spaces available, within of course the confines of the available budget for the project CONSULTATION WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE 10 Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council The Head teacher of Maendy Primary School was contacted at the start of the consultation period (Monday 24th February 2020) to facilitate consultation with the school council and pupils Pupils were issued with their own version of the consultation document which included a questionnaire so they could submit their views and comments on the proposal The questionnaire asked:      Which year are you currently in Maendy Primary School? How you feel about Maendy Primary School becoming a much bigger school? How you feel about having a new building on your school site? How would you feel about sharing a school with more pupils? Is there anything else you would like to see happen instead of what we are planning? 75 booklets were returned by pupils at the school and attached at appendix of this report is a summary of the outcomes of consultation with those children and young people who responded In addition, a letter was received from the Maendy Primary School RRS (Rights, Respecting Schools) Ambassadors and School council members A number of themes exist in this feedback, which mirror some of those raised by others and covered on preceding pages There was a generally favourable response with positive and negative views expressed across the questions asked They include but are not limited to:         Pupils would like to see a 3G sports pitch as part of the proposal More security for personal belongings (Lockers); this proved to be a recurring and popular request from all year groups Drama equipment for more pupils to take part in performing arts Specialist facilities for Art, Cookery science etc Please don’t get rid of the field because we play on it a lot and use it for a lot of sports and activities; It could be used by other clubs in the community A number of pupils were keen on a swimming pool On an individual pupil basis there were concerns about a larger school and issues around bullying although these were far outweighed by the prospect of more pupils meaning more friends Some concerns were raised about the disruption and noise that might occur with the new school next to the old It is recognised that these are really important for the health and well-being of pupils and will be considered as the process develops Whilst no guarantee can be given in terms of providing everything mentioned on their “wish list” every effort will be made to make the new provision an excellent environment to teach and learn 11 Maendy Primary School | Torfaen County Borough Council Appendix - Distribution List for the Consultation Document and Consultation Report                  Parents (and where possible prospective parents) carers and guardians, and staff members of schools affected by the proposals; In the case of proposals affecting secondary provision, parents of pupils attending primary schools from which pupils normally transfer to that secondary school; The maintaining or proposed maintaining authority for any school likely to be affected by the proposals; Any other local authority (including those in England where appropriate) likely to be affected – including in the case of dedicated SEN provision any authority placing or likely to place pupils with SEN in it Pan - Gwent Chief Education Officers (Caerphilly, Newport, Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent), to distribute to schools in their areas as appropriate The Church in Wales and Roman Catholic Diocesan Authority for the area in which any school likely to be affected is located Any other appropriate religious body for any school likely to be affected by the proposals; The Governing body of any school which is the subject of the proposals; The Governing body of other schools which the proposer consider are likely to be affected by the proposal; The Welsh Ministers; Constituency and Regional Assembly Members (AMs) and Members of Parliament (MP’s) representing the area served by/intended to be served by any school which is the subject of the proposals; ESTYN Teaching and staff trade unions (NUT; NASUWT; ATL; UCAC; UNISON; GMB) representing teachers and other staff at any school which is the subject of the proposals The relevant Regional Education Consortium; The Police and Crime Commissioner for the area served by/intended to be served by any school which is the subject of the proposals; Any community or town council for the area served by/intended to be served by any school which is the subject of the proposals (Blaenavon Community Council; Cwmbran Community Council; Pontypool Community Council; Ponthir Community Council; Henllys Community Council; Croesyceiliog and Llanyrafon Community Council); In the case of proposals affecting nursery provision, any independent or voluntary providers who may be affected including Mudiad Meithrin Also including all Registered Private/Voluntary Early Years Settings/Providers in Torfaen; In the case of proposals affecting nursery provision, the Children and Young People’s Partnership and/or the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships where present;    In the case of proposals affecting SEN provision, any relevant health or third sector bodies with an interest; In the case of proposals affecting secondary provision, any further education institutions serving the area of the school (Coleg Gwent); In the case of proposals affecting Welsh Language provision, the Welsh Language Commissioner In addition to the above, the following are also included in the distribution:          The Headteacher of each school maintained by Torfaen LEA; All elected Members of Torfaen County Borough Council; The Careers Service; Torfaen Association of School Governors; Libraries; (Blaenavon, Cwmbran and Pontypool) Other Directorates of Torfaen County Borough Council RhAG (Parents for Welsh Medium Education) Torfaen Voluntary Alliance Communities First Partnership Board Appendix – Consultation letter distributed to Pupils and their parents/carers and other interested parties EDUCATION SERVICE GWASANAETH ADDYSG Chief Officer, Education & Lead Director for Children and Young People Prif Swyddog, Addysg & Cyfarwyddwr Arweiniol ar gyfer Plant a Phobi Ifanc Dermot McChrystal BA (Hons) PGCE MSc Your re/Eich cyf: Please contact/Cysyllter â Our ref/Ein cyf: Direct line/Llinell union: MH/ 24th February 2020 Date/Dyddiad: Mark Horton 01495 766910 Direct fax/Llinell ffacs: Email: mark.horton@torfaen.gov.uk To:i) ii) iii) iv) Staff (teaching, non-teaching & support) of Maendy Primary School The Governing Body of Maendy Primary School Parents/carers of pupils attending Maendy Primary School Statutory Consultees and Other Interested Parties Dear Consultee, PROPOSAL TO EXPAND MAENDY PRIMARY SCHOOL, CWMBRAN At its meeting held on 11th February 2020, Torfaen County Borough Council’s Cabinet agreed to commence consultation on the following proposal as part of its 21 st Century Schools Programme: Expand Maendy Primary School to 420 places plus 30 FTE (full time equivalent) nursery in a new building on the current site As part of this proposal any existing Pre-school and any community facilities will transfer to the new building A new vehicular driveway/access off Maendy Way is also proposed Catchment areas will remain unchanged at this stage but the larger school will cater for additional pupils expected from the new housing developments in the area It is further proposed that these proposals are implemented on 1st September 2023 The regulations require that consultees must be given at least 42 days to respond to the consultation document, with at least 20 of these being school days Taking this into account, the consultation period will begin on Monday 24th February 2020 and will close on Monday 6th April 2020 Any comments/observations on the proposal can be made:  By writing to Mr Dermot McChrystal, Chief Officer, Education & Lead Director for Children and Young People (FAO Mark Horton) c/o Torfaen County Borough Council, Civic Centre, Pontypool, Torfaen NP4 6YB For information on how we handle your personal data please refer to our Privacy Notice at Torfaen.gov.uk I gael gwybodaeth am sut rydym yn trin eich data personol, gweler ein Hysbysiad Preifatrwydd ar Torfaen.gov.uk  By email: 21stcenturylearning@torfaen.gov.uk  By attending the consultation event (details below) and completing a response proforma (attached to the Consultation document) and returning it to the above address Separate arrangements will be made for children and young people to participate in the consultation, which will include the views of school councils Pupils will be issued with their own version of the consultation document and will have an opportunity to discuss the proposals and submit their views and comments The consultation “drop in” event has been arranged as follows: DAY/DATE Tuesday 10th March 2020 TIME 3.30pm to 6.00pm VENUE Maendy Primary School, Wayfield Crescent, Cwmbran, NP44 1NH INTENDED AUDIENCE Teaching, non-teaching and support staff, Governors, parents/carers of Maendy Primary School and all other interested parties Officers from the council will attend this event to answer questions and ensure all comments/views made are recorded to allow informed decisions to be made at the appropriate time The consultation document in relation to these proposals can be found on the Torfaen Council website The link is here:http://www.torfaen.gov.uk/en/EducationLearning/21st-Century-Learning/Latest-News.aspx However, if you would like a paper copy of the consultation document please let me know I hope this is helpful, but if you require any further information please not hesitate to contact me Yours sincerely MARK HORTON, PRINCIPAL OFFICER LONG TERM CAPITAL STRATEGY For information on how we handle your personal data please refer to our Privacy Notice at Torfaen.gov.uk I gael gwybodaeth am sut rydym yn trin eich data personol, gweler ein Hysbysiad Preifatrwydd ar Torfaen.gov.uk Appendix – Summary of responses received during the consultation period The following have responded to the consultation:      National Education Union Cymru Estyn Pontnewydd Primary School Governing Body individual Interested parties A letter from the Maendy Primary School RRS (Rights, Respecting Schools) Ambassadors and School council members 75 individual returns (from Maendy Primary School) of the young person version of the formal consultation document Appendix – Results of consultation with pupils A letter was received from the Maendy Primary School RRS (Rights, Respecting Schools) Ambassadors and School council members and is included below: In addition some 75 consultation booklets were returned from pupils at the school Some were completed by groups of pupils The results are as follows: Which year are you currently in Maendy Primary School? Year not indicated - Reception –0 Year - Year - Year - 18 Year - 16 Year - 16 Year - 17 75 An analysis of the responses to the following questions is summarised below: How you feel about Maendy Primary School becoming a much bigger school?  A little nervous because there will be more people          Excited – more places to play Happy with a bigger school and new things Confused because the school will change I might be shy with all the new children A bad idea because there will be a lot more children and I will be worried More friends It’s a positive thing since the school is getting more money I think it will be a negative because more children will mean the school will get worn out faster which will be a waste I prefer to be taught in a smaller school with less pupils How you feel about having a new building on your school site?  Nervous because the road will be down a hill; Happy because there might be new toys  Sad because old school will be gone  Happy because it’s still close to where we live  Excited that we will see it being built  Awesome!  Great, because this school is old  Worried because it will mess up the site  It will be interesting  Angry because it will destroy the environment  If we are doing a test the building work will be distracting and we won’t be able to hear the teacher  Any disruption would be worth it  I will be sad because of the memories I had from the old school How would you feel about sharing a school with more pupils?  Happy because they will play with me, I will have new friends  Nervous because I don’t know them  Excited to make new friends  More classes but smaller groups?  I would feel more crowded  Good, sharing a school because more could come and learn more skills  There might be bullies  I would like it because there would be more pupils, more friends and more education  The more students mean the teachers get stressed Is there anything else you would like to see happen instead of what we are planning?  Games for outside; A room for yoga, toys and things about dinosaurs  Dance studio; balancing beams outside class; Art room and equipment  Sports hall and facilities; Playhouse; Snack shop; swimming pool, hot tub  Calming down room/corner; An animal corner; library; cooking room  Better fences because they are broken; better security and surveillance  Lockers and sports hall because it will look like comprehensive  Stage for singing and dancing, VR Head sets  I think your plan is perfect because children will be happy  Football pitch to hire out to other clubs   I don’t think the plan should be changed as having nearly double the number of places will really help people; I like what you are doing, it’s a good plan Better kitchen and different varieties and choice for lunch As can be seen from above, there are many positive comments especially from those pupils who will still be at Maendy and will benefit from the new facilities, while some less positive comments were received from pupils who would be moving onto their secondary education ahead of the new premises becoming available