Select Committee Public Open Forum ~ Guidance

Our Select Committee meetings are live streamed and a link to the

live stream will be available on the meeting page of the

Monmouthshire County Council website

If you would like to share your thoughts on any proposals being

discussed by Select Committees, you can submit your

representation via this form

 Please share your views by uploading a video or audio file

(maximum of 4 minutes) or;

 Please submit a written representation (via Microsoft Word,

maximum of 500 words)

You will need to register for a My Monmouthshire Accountin order

to submit the representation or use your log in, if you have

registered previously.

The deadline for submitting representations to the Council is 5pm

three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

If representations received exceed 30 minutes, a selection of these

based on theme will be shared at the Select Committee meeting.

All representations received will be made available to councillors

prior to the meeting.

If you would like to suggest future topics for scrutiny by one of our

Select Committees, please do so by emailing

Scrutiny@monmouthshire.gov.uk

Canllawiau ~ Fforwm Agored Cyhoeddus y Pwyllgor Dethol

Mae ein cyfarfodydd Pwyllgor Dethol yn cael eu ffrydio'n fyw a bydd dolen i'r ffrwd fyw ar gael ar dudalen gyfarfod gwefan Cyngor Sir Fynwy

Os hoffech i rannu eich barn ar unrhyw gynigion sy'n cael eu trafod gan Bwyllgorau Dethol, gallwch gyflwyno eich sylwadau drwy ddefnyddio'r ffurflen hon

·      Rhannwch eich barn drwy lanlwytho ffeil fideo neu sain (uchafswm o 4 munud) neu os yn well gennych;

·      Cyflwynwch gynrychiolaeth ysgrifenedig (drwy Microsoft Word, uchafswm o 500 gair)

Bydd angen i chi gofrestru ar gyfer cyfrif Fy Sir Fynwy  er mwyn cyflwyno'r ymateb neu ddefnyddio eich manylion mewngofnodi os ydych wedi cofrestru o'r blaen. 

Y dyddiad cau ar gyfer cyflwyno sylwadau i'r Cyngor yw 5pm dri diwrnod gwaith clir cyn y cyfarfod.

Os bydd y sylwadau a dderbynnir yn fwy na 30 munud, bydd detholiad o'r rhain, yn seiliedig ar thema, yn cael eu rhannu yng nghyfarfod y Pwyllgor Dethol.  Bydd yr holl sylwadau a dderbynnir ar gael i gynghorwyr cyn y cyfarfod.

Os hoffech awgrymu pynciau i un o'n Pwyllgorau Dethol graffu arnynt yn y dyfodol, gwnewch hynny drwy e-bostio Scrutiny@monmouthshire.gov.uk

Written Representation from Mary Ann Brocklesby, Governor Deri View Primary School and Abergavenny Town Councillor. In my personal capacity.

Dear Committee Members,

Below is my response to the consultation document on the proposed all through school in Abergavenny. The proposal outlines with clarity why King Henry VIII school needs to be replaced with a learning environment that is fit for purpose as a school for the 21^st century. It is less clear about the benefits for Deri View (DV). In my view it also fails to set the strategic direction for the new school in a number of key areas.

1.       The evidence base

The evidence base is weak. We are being asked to back one of the biggest investments in Abergavenny and its future based on a set of assumptions without the evidence to show the new school will, on balance, produce better outcomes for children in DV’s catchment area than those already achieved by a thriving school which is continually improving. This has been detailed elsewhere in the submission by DV’s governing body. I will not restate the arguments here, other than to say MCC has not shown due diligence or undertaken robust assessments required under the socio-economic duty of care, protected characteristics, especially age, and the WBFG Act. Surely a major oversight for a school with 46%, and rising, of the children receiving FSM.

2.       Nursery provision

Excluding nursery provision from the remit of the proposal because it will be non-maintained is extraordinary. Impacts assessments for proposed provision for this critical age group in an area of disadvantage is not only necessary, its mandatory. These assessments should be attached to the proposal they are not. The current proposal downgrades current provision, both in terms of time and access with hours cut and no guarantee of places within the new private nursery. The potential loss of provision for vulnerable and disadvantaged children, especially those just above the threshold of flying start risks greater disadvantage and vulnerability not less.

3.       Involvement and collaboration of parents

There is scant evidence that parents and the wider community around DV have been contacted and involved in plans for the school and their children’s education. The mood of the public meeting I attended at DV was one of hurt and concern that their views were being sought at such a late stage in the proposal’s development without any sense of what the loss of DV might mean to the community. Parents are not convinced that the safety of their children, the transition to secondary education, the role DV has played in promoting community cohesion and connection has been taken into account and valued. For some parents it is yet another example of their community being excluded and forgotten.

The proposal as it now stands is neither consistent with MCC’s sustainable development policy of involvement and collaboration or sufficiently robust in how it has, and will in future: a) collaborate with parents and the community in affecting change in socio-economic deprivation and b) involve the entire school in an open review prior to implementation. Both of which are promised in the appendices of the proposal. Children, Parents and the community deserve better.