Pupil numbers at Gwersyllt Welsh-medium school set to increase

Plans to increase pupil numbers at a Welsh-medium primary school look set to be approved.

Members of the executive board will next week be asked to give their backing to create an extension at Ysgol Bro Alun, Gwersyllt, to accommodate a further 105 pupils.

No objections to the proposals were received during a recent statutory notice period.

The £5.9 million school in Gwersyllt opened in 2013 to help meet the increased demand for Welsh medium provision in the area and currently has provision for 210 pupils.

But plans were unveiled last autumn to increase the maximum pupil capacity at the school to 315 – with an additional 15 places for nursery and reception classes set to be available from September this year.

The annual admission number will then increase by 15 places (from 30 to 45) for nursery and reception places from 2019 onwards and these classes will feed through the school until the maximum capacity of 315 (plus 45 nursery places) has been reached.

It comes as part of a move from Wrexham Council to increase Welsh-medium school capacity in Wrexham.

Speaking earlier this Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Education, Cllr Phill Wynn explained the expansion will ‘take pressure off for places’ from September, and if approved the next stage would see a planning application lodged for the improvements.

Speaking of the zero objections to the statutory notice, Cllr Wynn said: “It is a reflection of how well received the plans are in the community of Gwersyllt with places being taken up by families in that catchment.

“That means it has taken pressure off  Ysgol Plas Coch, which means there are more places in Ysgol Plas Coch for parents selecting there from the town centre.

“We do have bigger plans for the town centre on how we deliver that capacity in welsh medium primary education.”

“We are on a trajectory of providing more school places for Welsh-medium education”

Following a recent mess in a meeting over Barkers Lane CP and incorrect information from a councillor we asked if processes needed better explaining to councillors and the public, however that was rejected, with it being described as a ‘timing’ issue and more constitutional rather than specific to the Statutory notice period of consultation.