Ysgol Abersoch

The decision to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 December 2021, and provide the pupils a place at Ysgol Sarn Bach from 1 January 2022 has now been implemented. 

 

Cabinet 9 November 2021

At its meeting on 9 November 2021, following careful consideration of the comments made by the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee, the Cabinet decided not to change the decision made on 28 September 2021, and finally confirmed the decision to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 December 2021 and offer the pupils a place at Ysgol Sarn Bach from 1 January 2022. 

The report presented to Cabinet on 9 November 2021 and 28 September 2021 elaborates on the background and statutory process including the consultation and objection period, as well as the information regarding referring the matter back to Cabinet for consideration by the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee. The report is published on Cabinet 9 November 2021’s page (item 4).

 

Further informtaion:

In accordance with the Cabinet decision on 15 June 2021 (see Objection Period below), a Statutory Notice was published on the decision to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 December 2021, and provide the pupils a place at Ysgol Sarn Bach on 1 January 2022. The notice was published on 25 June 2021, allowing 28 days for anyone to object to the proposal by 23 July 2021. 

In accordance with the requirements of the School Organisation Code 011/2018 an Objection Report has been produced which summarises the statutory objections received during the objection period and the Council’s response to them. 

This report was discussed at Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet meeting on 28 September 2021 and the Cabinet finally confirmed the proposal issued through statutory notice to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 December 2021, and to provide a place for the pupils at Ysgol Sarn Bach from 1 January 2022 in accordance with Section 53 of the School Standards and Organisation Act (Wales) 2013 and the requirements of the School Organisation Code 011/2018.  

At a meeting of the Council's Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee on 21 October 2021, consideration was given to the Council's Cabinet decision to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 December 2021, and provide the pupils a place at Ysgol Sarn Bach on 1 January 2022. 

Following detailed consideration, the committee voted to refer the matter back to the Cabinet for reconsideration 

View the full minutes of the meeting.

Following a period of statutory consultation relating to Ysgol Abersoch, a report was presented to the Council’s Cabinet on 15 June 2021.

The Cabinet decision:

Following consideration of the report, the Cabinet decided to:

  1. Approve the publication of a statutory proposal to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 December 2021, and provide a place for pupils at Ysgol Sarn Bach from 1 January 2022. 
  2. Approve the issue of statutory notices on the proposal in (i) above in accordance with the requirements of Section 48 of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013. 

As a result of these decisions, a Statutory Notice was issued on 25 June 2021.

Any person may object to the proposals within a period of 28 days after the date of which the notice is published, that is by 23 July 2021. 

Objections should be sent in writing to the Head of Education: 

Gwynedd Council, 
Council Offices, 
Caernarfon, 
Gwynedd, 
LL55 1SH 

or by sending an e-mail for the attention of the Head of Education to:
modernisingeducation@gwynedd.llyw.cymru 

A statutory consultation period was held between 12 January and 23 February 2021 on a proposal to close Ysgol Abersoch, and to provide pupils a place at Ysgol Sarn Bach. 

The consultation report has now been published and will be discussed by Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet on 15 June 2021. 

View the relevant report and appendices, including an analysis of the responses received. 

At its meeting on 15 September 2020, and later on 3 November 2020, Gwynedd Council's Cabinet resolved to support the recommendation to hold a statutory consultation on the proposal to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 August 2021 and provide a place for pupils at Ysgol Sarn Bach from 1 September 2021, in accordance with the requirements of section 48 of the School Standards and Organisation Act 2013.

The statutory consultation is held from 12 January 2021 until 1pm on 23 February 2021.

The statutory consultation document, background pack and all relevant documents are available below:

If you require hard copies of any document please contact us by calling (01286) 679247 or e-mailing modernisingeducation@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

On 3 November 2020 Gwynedd Council's Cabinet met to discuss the recommendation of the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee regarding the Cabinet's decision of 15 September 2020, in relation to Ysgol Abersoch. View the minutes of the meeting.

Following detailed consideration and discussion, the Council's Cabinet resolved: 

“… that its original decision made on 15 September 2020 should not be revised, which was to conduct a statutory consultation in accordance with the requirements of section 48 of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013, on the proposed motion to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 August 2021 and to provide a place for the pupils at Ysgol Sarn Bach from 1 September 2021 onwards, and adopt this as its final decision.”

 

What are the next steps? 

For the next steps, we will be arranging a period of statutory consultation in accordance with the School Standards and Organisation Act 2013 and the guidelines of the School Organisation Code 011/2018. This means that a consultation document will be published and there will be an opportunity for anyone to comment in writing on the proposed proposal. This period will last approximately 6 weeks (people must be given at least 42 days to respond to the document, of which 20 are school days).

It is anticipated that the consultation will take place in the coming weeks.

Subsequently, a further report will be submitted to Cabinet to report back on the results of the consultation, and respond to the comments received. Cabinet will then be required to consider the results of the consultation, and decide whether or not to issue a Statutory Notice on the proposal consulted upon.  

At a meeting of the Council's Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee on 8 October 2020, consideration was given to the Council's Cabinet decision to hold a statutory consultation on a proposed closure of Ysgol Abersoch. 

Following detailed consideration, the committee voted to refer the matter back to the Cabinet for reconsideration 

View the full minutes of the meeting. 

At its meeting on 15 September 2020, Gwynedd Council's Cabinet resolved to hold a statutory consultation on the proposal to close Ysgol Abersoch on 31 August 2021 and to provide a place for pupils at Ysgol Sarn Bach from 1 September 2021 onwards. 

This followed a period of detailed discussions with the governing body of Ysgol Abersoch in light of low pupil numbers, with only 10 children attending the school in September 2020. It is anticipated that numbers will remain low over the next three years.

Item 5 

At its meeting on 17 September 2019, Gwynedd Council's Cabinet resolved to allow the Education Department to hold formal discussions with the governing body and other relevant stakeholders of Ysgol Abersoch, to enable a range of possible options relating to the future of the school to be drawn up, following concerns about pupil numbers at the school.

Item 7

Following the Cabinet decision on 17 September 2019, a School Review Panel (SRP) was established to discuss the situation of the school, as well as consider the possible options with the school stakeholder.