Modernising Education Programme Draft Strategy

Each time the MEP is reviewed, every school in Carmarthenshire is evaluated against a set of evidence-based criteria, which allow an assessment of the school’s operational viability to be made, and decisions taken on the relative investment need of all schools.

This allows the Authority to objectively determine a programme for the strategic review of the schools’ network and investment in the modernisation of the schools’ estate in a manner that is transparent and demonstrably fair.

As a result, each school is placed in a category within a viability continuum, to confirm the prognosis for that school. The summary of the viability assessment forms the basis for the identification of modernisation projects and rationalisation proposals within the overall programme.

It should be noted that the viability assessment and conclusion for each school is based around mainstream provision and other forms of provision such as early years, additional learning needs, behaviour and Post 16 will be driven by separate strategies. The details of the viability criteria and viability continuum can be found in the table.

Following conclusion of the viability assessments, all projects are ranked based on the following prioritisation criteria to provide an overall, long-term programme for investment.

The viability and prioritisation criteria ensure that the Educational Principles and Objectives are maintained throughout the programme of development.

The MEP is guided by a number of National and Local parameters that influence the interventions available to develop and implement the programme.

Parameters

Any transformational change to the schools’ estate is dependent upon the following:

• School Organisation Code – statutory guidance that set out the Local Authority’s responsibilities in relation to school-reorganisation and regulated alterations to make significant changes.
• Federation Process of maintained schools in Wales – statutory guidance for establishing school Federations.
• Welsh Government Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme – WG Capital investment programme provides collaborative funding opportunities to LA's through its Business Case approval process.
• Capital Programme – Outlines the LA's Capital funding availability for the Education Department over a five-year period.
• Democratic Decision Making Process – Process approved by County Council for determining school organisation proposals. County Council is the ultimate determining body.

Interventions (Options for Change)

Interventions are used to facilitate change to the schools’ network and can be split into two types, Statutory & Policy and Infrastructure Investment.
Statutory & Policy Interventions are used to develop a strategically and operationally effective network of schools that meet current and future need for education. Proposals are identified via the MEP Review and are reactive to the needs of areas at certain points in time and include:

• Recruitment
• Admissions Policy
• Catchment Areas
• Federations (Regulations)
• School Organisation Code Proposals:
  
  • Reorganise (Open / Close)
  • WESP (Change in nature of provision)
  • Age Range
  • ALN
  • Increase / Decrease Capacity
  • Move School (Over a mile)
  • 6th Forms

Carmarthenshire County Council is the Admissions Authority for all its maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools with the exception of voluntary aided schools where the school’s Governing Body is the Admissions Authority.

Pupils are normally admitted on a full-time basis to a primary school at the beginning of the term of their 4th birthday.

Some schools also offer part-time nursery provision and pupils are usually admitted at the beginning of the term following their 3rd birthday.

By law, parents must arrange for their children to receive full-time education at the beginning of the term following their 5th birthday.

Primary school pupils are required to start at a secondary school in the September following their 11th birthday.

Parents/guardians must submit a formal application for a part-time and full-time school place. Since 2017/18, all Carmarthenshire’s admission applications have been submitted online via the Council’s website. Parents can apply for up to three schools which they must rank as their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. Applications must be submitted by the relevant deadline. For parents/guardians who are not able to submit an online application from home, alternative arrangements can be made to submit the application from a school or from the Council Customer Service Centres.

Every school in Carmarthenshire has an Admission Number (AN). This stipulates the number of pupils that can be admitted into each school year and is based on each individual school’s capacity to provide appropriate accommodation and facilities for pupils. If the number of applications received exceeds the AN, applications are prioritised using the published over-subscription criteria.

Should parents be unsuccessful in obtaining a full-time place for their child at their preferred primary or secondary school, they will have a right of appeal against this decision. There is no right of appeal in the case of refusal of admission to part-time nursery provision.

Further information in relation to Carmarthenshire’s Admissions and Appeals processes can be found on the website and in the Information for Parents booklet. The School Admissions Policy 2023-24 can also be viewed in full.

A catchment area refers to the geographical area from which pupils are normally expected to attend a specific school.

School catchment areas are used:

• to give parents an indication of their local school.
• to help schools identify with the communities they serve.
• to prioritise admissions to schools when there are more applications than places available. Residence within catchment area is one of the admission criteria in Carmarthenshire, ensuring that schools are available to serve local children first.
• as a planning tool to enable the Authority to fulfil its duty to forecast demand for education in an area and to plan to meet that demand.
• as an element of transport policy in order to facilitate the organisation of school transport and control costs.

Every school in Carmarthenshire has a designated catchment area which it serves. Children living within the designated catchment area of a school will stand a better chance of their application to the school being successful. There is, however, no guarantee of a place.

Children who live within the catchment area of a school will also stand a better chance of qualifying for free transport to and from school.

Applications can be made to send children to any school in the County but there is no guarantee of a place. With the exception of nursery places for 3 year olds you do have the right to appeal if your application is refused.

When a child moves from primary to secondary school, an application for a school place and free school transport is based on the home address and not the primary school the child attended.

Catchment Area Review

The most recent catchment area review was commenced in 2008 and involved an extensive exercise of the county’s existing catchment areas. As an outcome of the review, the catchment areas within Llanelli, Carmarthen and Dinefwr were approved by Executive Board in February 2010, January 2011 and July 2010 respectively.

As such, an updated review of the current catchment areas is now required to ensure that they remain relevant and compatible with the current school network/footprint. This is currently in the process of being progressed.

The term ‘federation’ describes a formal and legal agreement where more than one school, and no more than six, share governance arrangements and have a single Governing Body.

As noted in the Federation process of maintained schools in Wales, schools have been able to federate since 2010 using the process set out in The Federation of Maintained Schools and Miscellaneous Amendment (Wales) Regulations 2010. The Federation process of maintained schools in Wales replaced the 2010 Federation Regulations on 22nd May 2014, and in addition, provided LA’s with the power to federate schools. The current guidance sets out how LAs, in addition to governing bodies can federate schools and how federations may be proposed, established and constituted.

The process a LA would use to federate schools is almost identical to the one Governing Bodies would follow. If a LA is considering federating a voluntary aided, voluntary controlled or foundation school it should first of all contact the Charities Commission to discuss proposals. It must also obtain the consent of the relevant diocesan authority, trustees or persons who are responsible for appointing the foundation governors.

A successful federation requires a commitment of time and resources from all schools involved. Clear leadership and management structures together with a shared vision and a common purpose will allow pupils access to a broader curriculum to enrich their experiences and provide a high-quality education to help raise their attainment.

The power given to LA's to federate will provide an additional valuable tool to the MEP in the consideration of future provision for areas throughout Carmarthenshire.

Informal Federation has been used as an intervention to secure leadership in some of our schools where recruiting sustainable leaders is a challenge due to budget pressures/pupil numbers/rurality.

Formal Federation has been used by schools as well as the LA to:

• Secure sustainable leadership
• Improve schools’ future sustainability.
• Improve pupils’ experiences.
• Improve budget position.
• Formalise collaborative working arrangements.

However, most recently, Federation as an intervention is being challenged. Finding sustainable Leadership for formal Federations is becoming increasingly difficult due to the responsibility associated with managing more than 1 school. The additional workload pressures associated with managing a Federation can impact negatively on Headteacher wellbeing. In addition, due to the rise in fuel costs, some Headteachers are questioning the viability of the Executive Headteacher role due to the additional travelling.

Prior to 2020, the LA did not have an approved process in place for determining federation proposals, in contrast to the decision-making process that was in place for determining school reorganisation proposals. However, in February 2020, the Executive Board approved a decision-making process for LA led federation proposals, whereby the decision on whether or not to implement a federation proposal would be made by the Cabinet Member for Education.

In addition, the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013, provides the Welsh Ministers with the power to make proposals to:

• establish, discontinue or make a regulated alteration (see 3.3 of Code) to community or maintained nursery schools;
• discontinue a voluntary or foundation school;
• increase or decrease the capacity of a foundation or voluntary school without a religious character.

Governing bodies of foundation or voluntary schools may make proposals to:

• discontinue their school;
• make a regulated alteration to their school.

Any person may make proposals to establish a new voluntary school. However, local authorities should work with the relevant religious body when the proposal is to establish a voluntary school with a religious character.

No new foundation school or foundation special school may be established in Wales.

Local authorities may also make proposals to add or remove school sixth forms at voluntary and foundation secondary schools, but only if they have first gained the consent of the Welsh Ministers to do so. Consent must be sought by means of a written application that clearly sets out the LA’s rationale for the proposal.

In addition, the 2013 Act provides the Welsh Ministers with the power to make proposals to:

1. remedy excessive or insufficient provision of school places (where they have already issued a direction to a local authority or governing body to that effect) (section 59);
2. secure regional provision for special educational needs (where they have already issued a direction to a Local Authority/Local Authorities/governing bodies to that effect) (section 68); and
3. add or remove school sixth forms (section 71).

The School Organisation Code proposal interventions noted above are facilitated by the internal democratic decision making and determination process (see Appendix 1). The approved process was most recently revised in January 2021 and is well established. Crucially, final determination is made by County Council on whether or not to implement school reorganisation proposals.

Projects are delivered through Infrastructure Investment Interventions (Options for Development) such as:

Extensions - refers to the process of expanding an existing building or structure to create additional space or rooms. It involves constructing new parts that are integrated with the original building, thereby increasing its overall size and functionality. Extensions can be added to various parts of a building, such as adding extra rooms, enlarging a kitchen, creating a new wing, or extending the upper floors. The purpose of an extension is to meet the changing needs of the occupants, accommodate growth, or improve the property's value and functionality.

New builds, also known as a new construction or ground-up construction, refers to the process of creating an entirely new building or structure from scratch. In this type of construction, there is no existing structure, and the project typically involves clearing the site, laying the foundation, and constructing all elements of the building, including walls, floors, roofs, and utilities. New builds are common for greenfield sites (undeveloped land) or when an existing structure is beyond repair or not suitable for renovation.

Remodelling involves making significant changes or improvements to an existing building's structure, layout, or design. Unlike an extension, which adds new space, remodelling focuses on renovating and altering the existing space to better suit the occupants' needs or to update the building's appearance and functionality. Remodelling projects can include renovating bathrooms, kitchens, or other rooms, changing the internal layout, upgrading electrical or plumbing systems, or adding new interior features.

Refurbishment refers to the process of renovating, repairing, or updating an existing building or structure, with the goal of restoring its condition and functionality to a better state. Unlike remodelling, refurbishment usually involves less extensive changes and focuses on improving the building's aesthetics, functionality, and overall condition. This can include repairing damaged or worn-out elements, repainting, replacing fixtures and fittings, and upgrading systems to bring the building up to modern standards.

Modular or mobile construction refers to a method of building structures in which the components or modules are constructed off-site in a factory or controlled environment and then transported to the final location for assembly. These modules are prefabricated, meaning they are manufactured in standard sizes and designs, allowing for easy transport and quick on-site assembly.

The investment interventions are governed Corporately as well as via the Modernising Education & Communities Programme and Project Boards (see Appendix 2).

Minimum Investment Principles

• Any new school that includes primary provision will need to contribute to achieving Carmarthenshire’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan ambitions.
• All schools will be constructed to accommodate space to provide 3-year-old Early Years Education.
• All schools will be constructed having considered the need for wrap around childcare provision from 2 years old (based on a gap analysis).
• All schools will be constructed having considered the need for spaces for community use.
• All schools will be constructed having considered the need for Additional Learning Needs provision.
• All schools will be constructed having considered the leisure/sporting requirements in the area.

Since the introduction of the MEP in 2001 and up until the end of the 2022/2023 financial year, Carmarthenshire County Council has invested £325m in its schools.

The delivery of the MEP to date has been made possible by the establishment of an innovative funding strategy for capital investment which has drawn upon and integrated a variety of funding sources:

• Welsh Government Grants – Sustainable Communities for Learning Grant (previously known as 21st Century Schools Grant), School Building Improvement Grant, Fire Sprinkler Grant, Flying Start Capital Grant, etc.
• Capital Receipts – generated though the disposal of operationally redundant school assets (if not utilised for community use etc.). Following a previous decision by County Council, all receipts generated through the sale of former school premises are ring-fenced for reinvestment in the school modernisation programme.
• Prudential Borrowing – serviced by contributions from revenue generated though efficiency gains arising from the rationalisation of the schools’ network and through an adjustment in the delegated school budget.
• General Capital – contributions from the Council’s general capital allocation. (Ring Fenced)S106 Agreements – contributions from developers of residential properties.
• School Contributions – contributions from school revenue budgets.

The innovative approach to funding school modernisation applied by Carmarthenshire County Council has allowed the Authority to make significant progress in improving the quality of facilities at a number of schools. Initially the Council did draw funding from prudential borrowing from operational school budgets, but this has since been exhausted as there is little or no scope for revenue contributions.

Most recently, the LA has been successful in obtaining grants to 100% fund a variety of projects focussing specifically on: Additional Learning Needs, Community Focused Schools, Community Hub Areas and Welsh Medium.

Sustainable Communities for Learning rolling programme | GOV.WALES

A rolling programme of investment is being implemented to improve efficiency and delivery for both partners (local authorities, colleges etc.) and the Welsh Government. The rolling programme will strengthen one of the key attributes of the Programme, that of projects being taken forward at the pace of and to the priorities of delivery partners, removing the environment of ‘over-optimism’ or the need for delivery partners to put forward overly ambitious proposals during what is typically a narrow bidding window.

9-Year Capital Rolling Programme

A nine-year capital programme, including an indicative funding forecast for the 9 years, is required to be submitted to the Welsh Government for consideration towards providing a commitment and support for the first 3 years along with in principle support for years 4, 5 and 6. Years 7 to 9 will reflect a longer-term project pipeline. If appropriate, Band B projects can be included at the beginning of the nine-year capital programme.

At the latest, delivery partners must review and resubmit their Programme by March 2024.

There are other significant pressures on the Education and Children capital programme that are not currently identified.

Through necessity these pressures have been ‘funded from MEP’ capital as follows:

• Equalities Act 2010 - it is a legal requirement for the LA to make reasonable adjustments to school premises. £1.5M has been spent in the last 5 years.
• Accommodation pressures - £590K has been spent on temporary accommodation in the last 5 years. Current trends suggest that there will be an increasing requirement to respond to short to medium term increases in pupil numbers in areas of the county.
• Emergency Expenditure - Emergency situations arise and the DfEC capital programme is required to be used to meet urgent needs. £1.5M has been spent in the last 5 years.

In addition, the capital funds available for building maintenance in schools is under severe pressure. Since 2018/19 financial year, the Authority has received £11.65M grant for capitalised building maintenance for schools. The grant funding provided is on top of the corporate budget which is approximately £1.3M per year which equates to £5.2M over the same period. Even with the additional grant the budget remains under severe pressure to cope with the demand for urgent works in schools. The total amount of capital maintenance works (approved/in progress and awaiting approval) required over the next 3 years (23/24, 24/25 and 25/26) equates to £22.8m, compared to an annual budget of approximately £1.3m plus any grant received from Welsh Government.