A new Willows High School will be built on Cardiff’s Tremorfa Park under the biggest school reorganisation plans in the city in recent years.
St Alban’s Roman Catholic Primary will shut, and Baden Powell Primary will move to the new Willows site if the £42m scheme is agreed.
A letter to parents went out this afternoon from the Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff, George Stack , telling them a decision has been taken to consider closing St Alban’s because of falling pupil numbers. The 31 staff have also been informed.
The 175-pupil school, which has space for 210 pupils has seen numbers fall by one whole class size and less than a quarter of pupils are from Roman Catholic families, the letter says.
Archbishop Stack assured parents there would be enough alternative places at other Catholic and non-church schools under the proposals.
Cardiff’s cabinet will consider plans for all the schools affected at a meeting later this summer.
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If agreed the new build schools would open by 2022 and St Alban’s Primary shut in August 2021. The plans are subject to statutory public consultation and planning.
This Google Earth map shows where Willows High School is in relation to Tremorfa Park
Under the plans 60% of the 16.9-acre Tremorfa Park will be built on to become the new Willows site. But a council spokesman said if agreed it would actually mean more green space as the 11.7 acre current Willows site would be re-landscaped for public use.
The development would also include a new-build and expanded Baden Powell Primary and Tremorfa nursery. The current Willows High site, adjacent to the park, would be turned back into green space for the public.
St Alban’s Rugby Club, based at Tremorfa Park, will be affected by the plans, but will have access to new proposed all weather 3G pitches which would form part of the new build high school, Cardiff Council said in a statement.
The community would also have access to these and other facilities in a similar way to those at other recent new build schools such as Eastern High and Cardiff West Community High .
Schools directly affected by the proposals include Willows High , St Alban’s Catholic Primary School, Baden Powell Primary and Tremorfa Nursery School along with a review of the English-medium primary schools serving the Splott area of Cardiff, the council said. Flying Start provision currently offered on the Willows High School site would also relocate.
In his letter to parents Archbishop Stack adds: "The decision taken by the Archdiocese to consider the future of St Alban's Primary is not a reflection on the hard work and effort shown by everyone involved in the school community to try to secure its future.
"But sadly, despite these efforts, demand for places at the school is not high enough to ensure the school can continue."
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A report going to Cardiff’s cabinet later this summer will recommend that a full consultation on the proposals takes place, starting in September 2019.
The consultation will run for at least six weeks and will seek views from the community including parents, staff and governors at schools affected,local residents, businesses and others who have an interest.
Cardiff Council said it will also be looking at post-16 education for the Splott area. Willows currently has no sixth form.
A spokesman said the amount of public green space would expand under the proposals, because the existing Willows site will be re-landscaped for public use.
What happens now?
After a report outlining the plans goes to cabinet this summer and the public consultation a second report would be considered by cabinet in January 2020. Members will then decide whether to proceed to issue a statutory notice for the plans to go to the next stage.
A third report would then be considered by cabinet in April/May 2020 and if members agree the plans would be put into action.
The earliest all pupils from Willows High School and Baden Powell Primary School would
Transfer to new accommodation on the Tremorfa Park site would be September 2022.
Catholic Archdiocese and Cardiff Council will work with St Alban's Primary staff to ensure needs of chil;dren at the school continue to be met. Further details will be given to parents later this term.
A council spokesman said the expansion of local English-medium provision proposed at Baden Powell Primary would require additional staff adding:: "The Archdiocese will work with the staff and other Catholic schools across the Diocese to try and find suitable jobs for those staff who wish to continue working in Catholic schools. Some may prefer to apply for posts in other schools. The school is also part of the Council’s re-deployment scheme, which assists those members of staff considering joining a non-Catholic school."
