A LEADING educationalist has emerged from ‘retirement’ to give Vale Council proposals for the transformation of secondary education his personal mark.

Former head teacher of girls’ school Bryn Hafren comprehensive, Phil Whitcombe offered his report to an assembled meeting of parents at The Ship Inn.

Concerned parents had set up the meeting to discuss the £35m transformation plans which will see the education authority’s preferred option of creating an English-language school of more than 2,400 pupils on the current Barry Comprehensive site - using it and the Ysgol Bro Morgannwg and Nant Talwg buildings.

Bro Morgannwg would relocate to the Bryn Hafren site with a new Welsh-medium primary school constructed in the same grounds.

Barry Comprehensive and Bryn Hafren schools staff have joined parents by slating the plans for the school’s size, funding, building conditions, subjects and pupil phasing.

But, at the meeting on Thursday (March 26), Vale Council children’s services cabinet member Chris Elmore said the phasing aspect could be re-examined and a report go to cabinet on in April before consultation, on Option D – which currently includes phasing – presented for public consideration.

In his report, conveyed to the meeting, by NASUWT representative Jamie Twinney, Mr Whitcombe said while did not agree or disagree the co-education principle he did not equally agree a 2500-3000 pupil school, split site or even both located in the same area of the town.

Phil said: “I believe that the funding is not likely to be in place until 2020 at the earliest and there is most certainly no guaranteed of funding of this project. It is also very unsure whether the proposed funding would allow the provision of the claimed world class school that we would all desire for the community

“The impetus for the latest proposals came not from a placard waving demand for change from the Barry community, but rather as an investigation under the direction of members of the current leadership in the Vale.

“The survey results appear to be very strongly in favour. This was using a survey which was far from neutral, arrived as a 'fait accompli' to the head teachers and governing bodies.

“The actual return from parents and others in the community was strongly in favour, but the actual sample was very small indeed and not statistically representative as a percentage of the numbers in the catchment community.

“There was no mention of the possible size and nature of the provision which will clearly need to feature in any future survey of views.

“The pupils were in favour from their survey sample. If you ask teenage boys if they would like to have lessons with teenage girls the outcome is fairly easily predicted. It was interesting that the analysis reported that the boys’ response rate was much higher and much more positive than the girls.

“The only response rate that was good was that of the staff. This was very high from both Barry Comprehensive and Bryn Hafren. The professional educators, the teaching staff, staff took a completely different view and voted strongly against the co-education solution.”

He said a working group had comprised of a small number of governors per school - both head teachers, LEA education department officers, an appointed private consultant and Cllr Chris Elmore.

He said during his involvement a £80m school had been indicated as a cost for a new state of art, sector leading /cutting edge facility.

Phil said: “This specifically designed facility may well have provided the solution needed for the children and to deliver co-education.”

He noted the Penarth Learning Community was a lovely building, great facilities , far smaller and at a much greater cost as was Cowbridge while Brecon and Gwernnyfed schools would be closed and replaced by a new super school, for only 1200 pupils and costing £50m plus.

He said: “Barry will get a school twice the size of Brecon, costing far less than half the cost. “This is hardly sector leading and state of art.

“This is our one chance to refocus the secondary provision locally and give the Barry community the very best educational provision for their children. Sadly I see what is being offered, especially for the English medium sector, as a second best solution and potentially a lost opportunity.

“In my opinion, this option is simply is not the best.

“If there is to be a single super sized 'super school' then it needed massively more investment, much slower implementation and much longer planning before we start to implement any change. This solution appears to me to be rushed and potentially second best.”

He said schools, attempting to improve, did not need the uncertainty of change and a merger needed to be done when both schools were at the top of their game and Wales’ economy and potential authority changes did not make funding certain.

He feared pupils on split sites, but his main concern was not with principle of moving to co-ed provision itself and he would be happy to support parents’ wishes.

He said: “I have heard no educationally based evidence that co-ed itself will raise the standards of achievement in the schools in Barry. The main consideration appears to be the socialisation elements of the children. This is not what the educational provision in the Vale will be judged upon.

“It is not what really concerns parents. It certainly does not concern employers or the inspection service, Estyn.

“The sum being proposed is massively less than that needed for the state of the art super school to be provided. I wonder whether spending £30 plus million on the existing building stock would have a greater effect on standards and educational opportunity for the children. It is happy and well qualified young people able to take a useful role in society that we all strive to achieve.

“Surely any actual merging of the two schools should not even begin to happen until all the planning is complete, all the funding is in place, all contractors appointed?

“We seem in a rush for no sound educational reason and could inadvertently damage the efforts of existing schools to further drive up standards.

“We must remember the children already in the schools. It is their one and only chance in the educational system and we must ensure we continue to meet their needs and achieve their potential

“I do not believe the recommended option is the best we could do and I urge all concerned to pause, to revisit the plans and check carefully to ensure that this once in a lifetime opportunity really delivers the best educational outcomes for the Barry community.

“The very best is nothing more than the children of Barry deserve.”

Following the meeting, addressing any likelihood of phased merger options in ‘D’ which may be presented, he said he would never “ever support this strategy” as it would cause immense problems and would mean considerable adaptations of Barry Comprehensive for a temporary solution.

He said: “If there is a merger there needs to be a single event when all the children change. It may be disruptive for a short time, but then the drop of performance will stabilise and normality will return. A phased moved means disruption several times over several years.”