Cardiff Council has responded after it was revealed that a school at the centre of controversial expansion plans recently received fewer applications than available places. A report from WalesOnline showed that Cathays High, which had 240 spaces for new students, received 230 applications in March for September 2023.
The secondary school has been earmarked for expansion with the approved plans saying the new building will increase its capacity from 1,072 places to 1,450 places and its current buildings will be replaced by 2025. Some residents are opposed to the expansion, not least because it will mean the loss of neighbouring Maindy Velodrome if it goes ahead.
However, Cardiff Council has defended the expansion, saying the school has been oversubscribed in the past and arguing that buildings which are in poor condition have been prioritised as part of its redevelopment programme for schools across the city.
Read more: 'First look at how the legacy of Maindy Velodrome could be protected if controversial land swap goes ahead'
A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: "In 2017, the council set out its priorities for Band B of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, delivered in partnership with Welsh Government. The secondary schools prioritised within the programme were those in the poorest condition, as well as providing additional school places.
"The need to replace Cathays High School was identified as a priority scheme in need of investment. Schemes to replace Fitzalan High School, Cantonian High School and Willows High School are underway and were rightly prioritised as those buildings have reached the end of their operational life. Expanding provision in Cardiff is not simply adding places to the most popular schools, but about continuing the significant improvement in standards across all of our schools since 2012, ensuring every school is a good school, and providing a better balance of places across the city."
Even though plans to expand Cathays High have been approved, the council needs to wait for a proposed land swap involving Maindy Park, which will provide space for the expansion, to be given the go ahead. Cardiff Council, which is the sole trustee of the charity which owns Maindy Park, Maindy Park Trust, has proposed that land at the park is swapped for land at Caedelyn Park in Rhiwbina. You can read more about that here.
After an independent committee, the Maindy Park Trust Advisory Committee, was set up to negate the council's conflict of interest in this matter, a decision was made in January that the council's cabinet should be recommended to approve the swap, which it then did back in March. However, the decision still needs to be ratified by the Charity Commission which still has not received an application to consent to the land swap from the council.
The Cardiff Council spokesperson added: “The redevelopment of Cathays High School with new build 21st century facilities will enable intakes to the school to increase from 165 places to 240 places, and for a greater number of learners to benefit from the specialist autism spectrum condition provision at the school. In this year’s intakes, the council was able to offer a greater proportion of children their preferred schools, through its planned increases in school places and coordinated partnership working with faith and foundation schools city-wide.
"These ensured a spread of places city-wide for the increased intake anticipated. Although Cathays High School had offered 230 places on national offer day in March, all 240 places have now been offered for admission in September. In this academic year, Cathays High School has also admitted a greater number of children into other year groups than any other Cardiff school.
"Parents have great confidence in the opportunities afforded to all pupils at the school and the Estyn inspection last year recognised that the school is a highly inclusive and aspirational learning community where pupils and staff thrive and leaders have forged an ethos where all feel valued and encouraged to excel. The proposed expansion of Cardiff High School within the Band B Programme is to increase the number of places at entry from 240 places (eight forms of entry) to 300 places (ten forms of entry).
"This would require the council to undertake a full statutory consultation with all relevant stakeholders who may be affected by proposals including parents and local residents. The need to rebuild and/or expand other schools will be considered as part of future phases of the 21st Century Schools Programme, but it should be noted that the council is already delivering additional primary and secondary school provision to serve the new developments in the north-east and north west of the city, with a new primary school opening this year at Groes-wen, and the relocation and expansion of St Mellons CiW Primary School at St Edeyrn’s. A new school site has also been secured for secondary school provision serving these new communities."
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