Save Our Sixth Form @ Y Pant

Here is a detailed explanation of what RCT are doing:

RCT Council have produced a "Strategic Outline Case to Transform Education & Training in Rhondda Cynon Taf" which was approved by the Council and send to the Welsh Assembly Government for approval to proceed to an Outline Business Case.

The proposed RCT timetable is as follows:

• Outline Business Case by July 2010
• Full Business Case by November 2010
• Statutory consultation by September 2011
• On site construction to start December 2011
• At least one site operational by September 2013

RCT;s argument to close our 6th form is based on the following arguments.
It states that RCT has:

• Too many small 6th forms and in some areas too many secondary schools (they propose to remove over 3,000 surplus places).

THIS IS NOT THE CASE FOR Y PANT WE HAVE OVER 200 STUDENTS IN THE 6TH FORM (150 IS CONSIDERED A VIABLE 6TH FORM) AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW SO THERE MUST BE A DEMAND IN OUR AREA

• Excess school buildings.

Y PANT CONTINUES TO GROW. RCT RECOGNISES THIS WITH THEIR PROPOSAL TO BUILD ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS ON SITE

• Large number of futher education and work based training providers (rationalisation would provide better choice and provision).

Y PANT WORKS WITH BRYN CELYNNOG AND BETWEEN THEM THEY OFFER A LARGE NUMBER OF COURSE OPTIONS

• A drop in pupil numbers.

NUMBERS AT Y PANT CONTINUE TO GROW YEAR ON YEAR

• Deficit budgets.

Y PANT DOES NOT HAVE A DEFICIT BUDGET, NOR DOES IT HAVE A HISTORY OF SUCH

The proposed cost of these tertiary builds is £285 million. This does not include transport costs or revenue costs, and ignores the environmental impact.

The document projects that POTENTAIL SCHOOL CLOSURES will release annual revenue savings of @£4.2 million. This is NOT made clear throughout the docuemnt - THIS PROPOSAL WILL AFFECT ALL CHILDREN AND SCHOOLS IN RCT.